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Rayla walked to the edge of the cliff. Her swords abandoned on the ground behind her. Still stained in Callum's blood. She killed him. Her eye are blurred from the tears. She hadn't wanted to kill him, but her mind had been warped.
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After weeks of hardship and turmoil the pair finally made it to the Dragon Queen's Lair. Along the way Callum and Rayla learned many things about themselves and each other. Callum resolved to become knowledgeable in Xadian Culture and Magic. He had asperations of becoming Ambassador of Katolis to Xadia, To ensure this peace they were about to win, remained. Rayla figured Her life as an assassin was over and that was fine by her, She cared only for Zym and Callum now. Once Zym was back with His mother, She'd go with Callum back to Katolis. She wanted nothing more then to remain at His side and She knew Callum felt the same. She caught Him drawing her on a near constant basis these days, and they had shared other intimate moments as well.
On arriving at the Queen's Lair, they were ushered inside, Rayla felt apprehensive, though Callum was full of good cheer. Their task was almost done. Before the mighty Storm Dragon which was the Queen they were brought, and Callum presented Zym to Her and made his speech about peace between the nations. He wrote it ages ago and refined it every day, trying his best to make the best Impression. It seemed to work. The Queen nuzzled Zym and Zym took to her right away. A Dragon Guard took Zym from Callum and to his mother's side. The moment Zym was safely out of Callum's hands, did 20 other Dragon Guard flood into the room trying to take Callum prisoner. Rayla did not let that happen, She fought them off just long enough that Callum was able to run. Soon as He was safe, Rayla surrendered. She pleaded before the great Queen, But asides from Zym's whimpering nothing was said while Rayla was dragged into the dark.
They had taken Her to the assassin's guild. Where She was trained by Runaan. When Rayla Came to, She was in a dark room, surrounded by Moon Mages and Master Assassins. As well as Runaan.
Runaan escaped his prison, weeks ago. He rushed back to Xadia, and even with only one arm, He moved like the wind. Runaan made far better time then Callum and Rayla. He returned to the Dragon Queen and told her that Rayla had been corrupted by a dark mage. He convinced the Queen to spare Rayla, that she might redeem herself if only the assassin way was reinforced with magic. They would alter her mind with illusion and send her to kill the Wretched Human, and thus show her the truth of her purpose. To Kill.
Rayla tried to talk them out of it, She pleaded and begged. She said killing him was wrong, that there was no reason to murder Callum, That He was a good Person. Runaan coldly responded with: "An Assassin doesn't decide Right or Wrong, Only Life and Death." With that the Moon Mages and Assassin warped her mind with Illusions and the Assassin's code. They showed her different situations, They showed Her murdering Callum and Ezran and Harrow. They showed Her at Her peak as an assassin, doling out 'Justice' to Humans. They showed Her on a hill of corpses, the culmination of a life of Murder. Life and Death, the only thing an assassin needed. The only thing Rayla needed. She didn't need to think about what was right or wrong, that didn't matter. Her superiors would decide the right and wrong. She need only kill what They told Her to kill. It was simplicity, a purity of cause. Rayla didn't need to worry about Morales at all. She didn't need friendship, just a team to carry out more important missions. If they died, then they didn't matter. Rayla didn't need "love", it was useless to her occupation, and She needed it less so from a Human. Should Her superiors decide to preserve Her blood line, they'd select an appropriate mate for her. Her parents were cowards and traitors, so that was highly unlikely any way. She didn't need to think, for She was only a tool to carry out 'Justice'.
Callum brainwashed Her. The Dirty Human had taken her mind and made her turn against her fellow assassins. Runaan took this blame Himself, for He thought She was ready, when She was not.
This inexperience allowed the Human to get in her head, to convince Her to become His ally. Filling Her head with nonsense about stopping the Cycle, ending the war, those weren't her own thoughts at all. Clearly the Human had been scouting Xadia, learning all manner of tricks and secrets. He had brought the Prince back under false pretenses, Clearly he intended to do some Dark Magic to the Whelp, likely to kill the Queen. He had drawn many pictures.
Obviously so that he could take these back to the Pentarchy and aid in the coming Human Invasion. Rayla helped him along, maybe even coming to have feeling for the Human. How dangerous His Magic, How conniving He was! Turning a Loyal Xadian against her own People! Making her feel False feelings of "love". How deep his corruption had run.
When Rayla woke up, Runaan told Her that to completely free herself from the Human's dark tricks, She'd need to kill him. Of course It was simple. Kill the Filthy Human and free herself of his Dark Magic. Of the Taint He had put in her mind, of Her Love for Him. She had her mission and her orders. She was a Killer and Rayla was set free to hunt Callum down. Life and Death. She'd gift him with Death. It was right and yet.... Rayla felt wrong.
It didn't taken long to find the Human. Despite having escaped days ago, for some reason He had remained near the Lair of the Dragon Queen. Clever use of his magic allowed him to hide nearby. Rayla stalked Him for a while, studying her prey. She had noted He looked strained and tired, as though He had been sleeping poorly and was worried about something. It would make Him easier to kill. She followed Him into a network of caves. He had set up a small camp and had been marking the various tunnels. Clearly trying to find a way into the lair other then the main entrance, of course, He might have been successful given time. She wouldn't give Him time. In fact His time was thoroughly up. She allowed herself a small smile, cold and dark. This Human had messed with Her head, had violated her. She remembered those times while they traveled, that they had hidden off the road for moments of tender love. He had forced her to do it! Twisted as her mind was by his dark magic she'd thought it was Love! He had to die!
She decided that, even though He had taken advantage of Her, He didn't need to Suffer. She was an Proud Moonshadow Elf assassin, not some Human Torturer. A quick Slit throat and that would be the end of it. She crept up behind him, while he was absently scratching away in his Sketch Book. Her Switch Sword raised for the single cut needed to kill. When Callum suddenly said "You know you can't sneak up on me..... Rayla." Rayla was shaken, How had he detected her? More dark magic? Some lingering spell he placed on her in case she turned on him?
Callum turned around with a smile on his face, only for that smile to fade when He saw Her raised sword. "Rayla, what are you doing? Are you alright? What did they do to you?" Callum said with increasing frequency, Worry tainting his Voice. Worry? Worry for Her? No... Worry for Himself, He sensed death coming, she thought. "Rayla, I tried to get in there to save you, I really did, I just couldn't fight my way in," He said with concern. Rayla was suddenly struck with incredible Doubt. Her chest seized up, Her breath caught in her throat. She was being taken by his Dark Magic, She had to end him. So she lunged.
Callum had seen Rayla's moves before and while not much a fighter, He evaded her blades. He ran down the tunnels, pleading with Rayla to calm down, to talk to him. He couldn't understand why Rayla was being so scary, His Rayla was hunting him down. However, Rayla was an Assassin trained to hunt down targets. She could wall run and leap from spot to spot, far out classing Callum. Soon enough Callum tired and ended up in a dead end. He resolved to at least fight back, give Himself some more time to get through to Her. He turned around and cast the Rune for Fulminus. Lightning sparking from his hand, he prepared to face Rayla.
She stalked into the cave, running her blades on the wall, trying to unnerve him. She stood away from him, her Purple Eyes just barely showing in the light of the Spell. She glared at the Human. That spell could kill her if it hit her, but she'd only need one swing to end him in turn. Only for the Human to let the spell to fade. "It's okay, Rayla, I dont know why you want me dead, but I could never hurt you, so do what you gotta do, I understand," Callum said, Sadness tinged his voice. Rayla's heart stopped for a moment, Her breath caught again. Another trick! She lunged at him, both swords extended. He merely closed his eyes.
She put both swords into his chest. The impact smashing his head into the wall behind him, blood dripping down to the floor. His art book hit the ground and flipped open to a picture of Rayla. Rayla withdrew Her swords, Her mind foggy and clouded. Callum sliding down the wall, dead. Something was Wrong. Rayla picked up the book with dawning dread, flipping through it. So many Pictures of Rayla, in all manner of poses. This was no book of Xadian Secrets, just a Book for an Artist in Love. Rayla had just killed that artist who loved her.
The Spell was broken. the Moon Mages' magic had been broken with Callum's death. Her committing to the kill, her task, her job was the trigger to break the illusions in her mind. Life or Death, thats all an Assassin needs to worry about. However Rayla was no Assassin. She turned from that path and only the spells in Her mind made her attack Callum. Right and Wrong were important to her, Life was better then Death, and she had just murdered her love. She knew that He had truly loved Her, So much that He would rather die then fight back against Her. Callum slumped against the wall, blood leaking onto the floor. The sight was enough to break poor Rayla's mind in an all new fashion.
Rayla turned away from His body, Her eyes clouded with Tears. She had to make this right. She sobbed and cried as despair crushed Her soul. It wasn't long before She found Her way out. Onto a cliff, She walked towards the edge. Dropping Her tools of Murder, She wouldn't need them were She was going. She stepped to the Edge, arms at her sides in tight fists as she prepares to jump off. This would make things right, a Death to pay for Death. She'd killed Callum, but if she killed herself, the cycle would be broken right? Ezran wouldn't need to take revenge for Callum. Maybe she'd be lucky enough to see him again where ever she ended up? Though in truth someone like Her didn't deserve even that kindness.
She steps off the edge. Her eyes closed, Rayla accepted her impending death.
Except Death doesn't come for her.
An arm wrapped around her waist and she was thrown back onto the cliff. By Callum, who falls beside her holding his sides still bleeding, Rayla is stunned.
"I killed you, Callum, I-I saw you die," Rayla said her voice cracking. Is this some hellish Illusion? "Rayla, You missed, You shifted your swords at the last second, only cut Me, smacked my head against the wall, dummied me for a few minutes." Callum had said back to her. " I caught you though, I'd have followed you off that damn cliff if I had missed, you and Me are going see this through together or not at all." She had missed on purpose, even wrapped up in Illusions, Rayla's person couldn't be changed. She wasn't a Killer. She was Callum's Rayla and that would never change. She loved Him and He loved Her,
They both stay there for a few minutes, just taking each other in. Then Callum got up and put a hand out to help Rayla up. "Come on Rayla, we have to go get Zym, We can't leave him here." said Callum.
Rayla took his hand, and gets up. She collected her swords, and turned back to him "Yea, We need to fix You up, get our wee little dragon back, and maybe smack some heads around for screwing with mine." Callum nodded in agreement.
Callum and Rayla have an unbreakable bond. They loved each other and were proof that Elf and Man could be more then enemies. They would show this to the world, even if the world didn't want to see it.