Dark Elf's Chosen: Season 1 Episode 1

Chapter 1 - Julius

'Rosenfire,' I murmur, reminding myself of who I am.

Our family holds great weight and power in Orthani.

We own our name. For many generations, we were Orthani.

Most elves either feared us or aspired to be like us, but none of them could. We are the greatest fire users anyone has ever seen. There are legends written of my ancestors and soon, there will be legends written about me.

'Do you think he can take him?' I hear a servant whisper. The pause before the other elf answers tells me everything. And it makes my blood boil.

As the keeper of the Rosenfire legacy, I have given my life to be the best. No one can match my fire-wielding strength. I have never lost a challenge or run away from a fight.

Win at all costs was the lesson Grandfather taught me. No matter what, you must never lose. Members of our clan knew that our mission was to protect our status, preserve and enhance our power, and continue to build upon it.

Now, the elves are talking. I hear them whisper about a challenger to my legacy, about someone who has greater fire-wielding magic power than I. I don’t mind a cocky challenger. I have decimated those who think they might have a shot of possessing greater power than I do, but these whispers have given me pause.

Respect is everything in dark elf society. We are our reputations. We cultivate our cruelty to keep all others at bay. Its the best defense to be perpetually on the offensive.

But if someone else out there has greater power than me, then I’m fucked. My family is fucked. All the people we’ve ever stabbed in the back for our ascension will line up to use them to attack us.

The elves scatter as I walk into my office angrily. They cower at the sound of the rumbles of my footsteps. They know I have heard. They fear what happens should they look in my direction, as do I. If a questioning eye falls upon me, I will make them feel my wrath.

The greater insult is not even that I am usurped.

It’s by who I am usurped by.

A lowly baron’s son, younger than I, apparently has shown that he has the same gift of fire wielding as I, if not stronger. The notion makes me want to laugh – and destroy the man and his entire family.

'There is no way that this could happen! There is no one who has power greater than I! It’s just not possible!' I slam my fist down angrily upon my desk and hurl a few paperweights with an angry snarl.

I have studied at the best magic schools in Orthani.

My tutors came from as far away as Fourier Island. Grandfather once journeyed to the Dark Market and came back with a holding cage that allowed me to summon a literal demon from Aerasak to train me in fire wielding magic.

The cost in time and treasure to build me up into a formidable weapon capable of leading this family has been huge.

And now to hear that some lowly baron’s son has outpaced my skills?

My anger pulses through me and moves to some bookshelves that I promptly toss aside and smash. This junk is trivial to me. All that matters is annihilating this new threat.

I must find this man, this peasant, this mangy bottom feeder and see for myself if there’s any truth to the whispers. A baron’s son? A man from a family of low blood. A man who is beneath me is better than me?

An angry roar escapes my lips as my anger explodes from me. My thoughts continue to swirl around the anger in my mind as a zagfer brings a sheaf of papers with more information on my competition.

I scan through it and throw it against the wall.

Impossible!

This elf who claims to have higher magic abilities than me is not just any elf.

This man’s family has been a thorn in Grandfather’s side for decades. They have opposed us in Orthani Court for generations.

I will do whatever needs to be done to destroy them.

They cannot be allowed to prevail. For if they do, the first thing that they will do is put my grandfather and I in irons.

It has long been rumored that my grandfather found in me the killer instinct that he felt was needed to continue our family’s dominance of Orthani politics.

Unfortunately, Father and Mother did not have that drive. They did not have that killer instinct.

The rumors thus swirl that Grandfather summoned his Aerasak demon to thus kill Father and Mother and took me into his care. So that I would grow to be the blade he needed.

The baron whose son threatens my standing now was a good friend of Father. He had sworn to uncover the truth and investigate the rumors. Obviously, with our family’s standing in the Orthani Court, nothing had ever materialized.

But it could.

And who knows what they could find. Enough to execute my grandfather for murder.

And end our family’s share of control of Orthani.

I must kill this threat. But first, I must witness his power for myself. If it is true in any way, then I need to prepare. There is no way that I will let this mongrel try to usurp my power or sully the Rosenfire name.

I walk purposely toward the soldiers’ training grounds, hoping to find this young lord named Doukan. I have to know if this rumor is really true. I need to witness this gift with my own eyes.

I summon my servant Celestian to accompany me. I need a second witness to corroborate this farce.

The training grounds are largely empty, except for a small, tightly gathered crowd. We hear their sighs and gasps of amazement as we approach. Celestian and I press ourselves into the crowd so we can see what the fuss is about.

The gangly young man wields a fire brighter than I’ve ever seen from anyone. There is a purity and power to his fire that makes it glow white, orange, pink, and red simultaneously, giving off a terrific heat. I gaze at my hands, mighty and scarred, then look again at the man.

My blood runs cold, shivers cascading down my spine. “How?” I whisper quietly to myself. Everything begins to turn red.

His fire is greater than mine, and I need to know how that is possible. Celestian, sensing my distress, touches my arm. “Master, how is this possible? How is he more powerful than you?”

I don’t know.

But I do know that if what I’m seeing is true, then my family can no longer rely on me to protect its interest.

And that means we’re doomed.

I’m doomed.

Until I realize the one play that will rescue us all.