Adinraen sat in the trees, swaying back and forth - listening to the sounds of all the little creatures that would soon be painting the world of Sortiarius red with their blood. His commander, Dynoz, was talking to come filthy human from the town just ahead, and Adinraen had been tasked with keeping watch in case something had gotten bold and decided to strike at the glorious elven leader. 

He chuckled as the human below groveled for his family, begging Dynoz to remember the promise his made of mercy. He could have spat right then and there. Humans and their mercy, pathetic - useless - they were nothing but target practice and Adinraen loved to be at the range. Adinraen knew not to speak in front of his lord until he was done conversing, but that didn’t mean he was forbidden from thinking of the ways to kill the prey in front of them. 

The yipping ahead of them had been a signal, something of note had been found and Dynoz and Adinraen had been alerted. Oh the sweet smell of death tickled his nose and tongue, so hungry for the kill that though it had not yet happened - he could very well feel it. 

Adinraen was the type of creature that thrived off death, the necklace of skulls he wore were a tribute to that. The Demon Elf, the Devil Elf, the Mad Elf Ring Blade, names he was called during his campaigns. A violent Fae that held no regard for any life that was not his own, or was not the life of his superiors. He turned away from the yipping scouts direction and back towards his commander, waiting for the man’s command. His eyes danced from Dynoz to the Human, hoping that his fate would be sealed by but a single sentence. 

[b]“And kill the human,”[/b] 

Adinraen didn’t hear the rest - his Bone Blades were already in hand, and he was halfway down the enormous tree by the time Dynoz had finished the sentence. It was but a simple cut, the jagged blades made it messy - blood showered the demon elf as he landed and watched the head of the human fall to the ground with a soft thud. His eyes opened wide as he replaced the blades and reached down to grab the head. His druidic magic’s raced through his finger tips and the head was slowly stripped of its flesh - the bone shrinking until it was but a charm sized version of itself. Within moments, Adinraen was walking behind Dynoz, fastening the skull to his necklace. 

[b]“Those yips, it’s something rather… large out there, Commander Dynoz. I believe you may already know what survives these lands. Tell me! Is it a phoenix, a minotaur?! Is it a dragon?”[/b] Adinraen’s eyes flitted around the forest, watching and waiting. The scouts would soon be in eyeshot, hopefully with prey just a bit further than them. 

[b]“It’s dragons!”[/b] Adinraen exclaimed. Their stench wafted through the air heavily. His hand had already grasped one of the Bone Blades. All he needed as a word, a command, and he would go on the offensive. The scouts noted that their Commander and back up had arrived. 

All around them, mythical beasts watched from the perceived safety of the forest, wondering who these people were and why they were so heavily armed. Adinraen’s eyes darted back and forth, [b]“Twenty creatures, Sir - many of them helpless, but at least five would pose a problem to some of the weaker units, and one is particularly… large.”[/b] 

He grabbed the newly added and seemed to speak to it. [b]“Is that town full of vile, despicable dragons?!”[/b] He cackled and let the head fall back into place.

Up ahead he could make out the town, the little town with the man’s family, his wife and children. His prey. Perhaps he would save the wife, if she was attractive for a human - perhaps he would add her to budding stable of pillaged village women. A sickening smile crossed his lips. 

[b]“…die,”[/b] he whispered towards town, thinking for just a moment that the resistance they suspected would be there and hear him. That they would grab their arms and prepare to fight.

He liked his prey… feisty.