The Search for the Chosen

From early morning hours and into the setting of Ro, the bells of alarm tolled in Felwithe. Citizens and soldiers of Kelethin and Felwithe were all called to aid in the search for King Tearis Thex's daughter, Firiona Vie. Even the best of the Faydark's Champions, the renowned Kelethin wood elf rangers' guild, found no evidence of her on Faydwer.

Tearis was fraught with worry and frustration. He feared his daughter was taken from him a second time. His mood was dark and very few dared to approach the king for fear of what he might say or do.

One by one, the king summoned all of the palace guards on the previous night's watch to question them about the disappearance of his beloved daughter and Chosen of Tunare. Each guard trembled as the king intimidated and berated them.

"You are a mindless twit," he hissed to one. "How difficult can it be to watch over one girl in one room? How thick is your skull that you can fail such a simple task?!"

With only a few guards left to question, the king shrouded his growing terror with anger. The next guard in line entered Tearis' chambers and slowly kneeled before him. The guard's face was unusually pale and glistened with sweat. His eyes remained cast to the polished marble tiles of the floor.

"How could one so frail of countenance and stature even achieve the ranks of the royal guard?! Speak your name and explain your actions of last night before I tear the fear from your face with my blade!" Tearis yelled in a manner rarely seen in a high elf.

"My name is Neallue. I will only confess that I did as I was asked and live by your command, "the guard spoke softly.

Tearis' fast pacing in front of Neallue suddenly stopped and he turned and glared into the very spirit of the guard.

"What do you mean you were doing as you were asked?" Tearis asked.

"I fulfilled Firiona's request before she retired. Your highness, she asked that her armor be brought to her to wear for comfort," he replied. "She closed her door behind her and I was relieved of my post shortly afterward, sire."

Tearis simply stood and stared, unsure of what direction to continue his questioning because he did not want to consider what this new information could mean.

For Neallue, the silence was suffocating. He had his own beliefs as to why Firiona disappeared, but did not want to utter them. The implications were great and, he assumed, voicing his notions would bring an end to his young life by the angry king's blade.

Finally, the king spoke and asked the very thing the guard did not want to answer.

"Tell me, imbecile. Did it occur to you at the time that she may want her armour for any other reason?"

"No sire. She took the armour and closed her door, I swear on my life and the greatness of the Mother of All. That is the last I saw of her. I heard nothing and no one until the bells sounded after I retired," Neallue said, hoping that was enough.

But it wasn't.

"So, then, what do you suppose all of this means? Especially now that her armour seems to have left with her?" Tearis growled, boring into the guard with his light eyes.

"I would imagine she was either taken from us or she left of her own accord, sire, but I cannot imagine why she would leave our great city of Felwithe and her father," the guard said.

In some way, Tearis ached for someone else to be responsible for suggesting what seemed obvious to him now. Firiona had left him of her own free will. It was a simple truth that choked his heart. All at once, his mind was barraged with the many reasons why she might have left and a shroud of guilt enveloped him.

Painful memories and shame of years past washed over him. He remembered locking his wife in a tower in Felwithe in anger and how months later she had suddenly died, not knowing her death brought him a daughter. He remembered all those years he missed with Firiona and the dark irony that the very high elf he cast out of Felwithe, Galeth Veredeth, raised and trained her as his own to become the Chosen of Tunare. While his reasons for putting Firiona under heavy guard were different than the reasons he hid away his wife, he had accepted he stole their freedom for good reasons.

Tearis was always envious of Galeth and his relationship with Firiona. He refused to let Galeth visit her for that reason alone. In his heart Tearis knew he would never be the father that Galeth had been to Firiona, but he didn't want to encourage their relationship. It made his stomach burn and his throat tighten as his thoughts built a foundation for his daughter to leave him.

The guard did not move and continued to stare at the floor as the king mulled over his thoughts. Then, Tearis spoke.

"Leave me now and find Galeth Veredeth. Bring him to me at once. Should you fail this task too, you shall be struck down. I promise you," Tearis emptily threatened.

Neallue ran through the city as fast as his armored legs would allow, sliding and scrambling as his plate boots slid across the marble floors.


Having heard the news while continuing to practice the arts of a high paladin, Galeth was already nearing the castle when he received word he was to be presented to the king. The paladin was afraid and confused by the news. He had always stayed near the castle, wanting to remain close to Firiona without alerting Tearis to his presence.

Galeth ignored his emotions so he could focus on what actions he would take to find Firiona once more. He was escorted by Neallue into Tearis' chambers, where the king met his eyes with a purposeful glare.

"Galeth," the king said flatly.

"Your highness," Galeth said with an equal lack of emotion.

"By your timely arrival, I would guess you have heard word of Firiona's disappearance."

"Indeed sire. I was surprised you had summoned me as you have forbidden any involvement with Firiona at all," Galeth said with a biting honesty.

"You know very well why I forbid you to come here. There are some things in the past that I cannot forget, nor should I," the king sneered.

Galeth seemed unmoved by Tearis' show of loathing.

"I am glad to see that you have come to understand that there are greater things to consider than your anger with me and your conjecture. I will tell you, however, that you will have to hold me prisoner or kill me if you command that I not attempt to find Firiona," Galeth stated.

"Don't push me," Tearis said as moved to stand toe-to-toe with Galeth. "For the time being, I will reinstate you as a general. I charge you with finding Firiona. You have all of the resources of my kingdom to aid you . . . as for our other conflicts -- those will wait for a time. I suspect there truly is no other that would have greater success finding Firiona."

"Very well. I will take my leave and prepare," Galeth said evenly as he turned to leave.

Tearis was unable to stop himself from having the last word.

"I want you to know Galeth . . . I never forget and I rarely forgive."

Galeth's blood ran cold.

"Indeed. And look what it has brought you," Galeth said with his back to Tearis.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as their contempt for each other filled the room.

Then, Galeth made his way to the door.

Once outside, Galeth's shoulders slumped and his anger gave way to fear and guilt. At that moment, he decided to enter the Plane of Growth and confront Tunare, the Mother of All.

It had been a long time since they'd spoken.