Chapter 1 : Linako

“Run Laïra, run !” cried Linako.
Behind them, the dogs were getting closer and closer. Their masters were far behind and had been outrun long ago, the dogs, though, seemed tireless which was not her sister's case.
“Hurry up, we've almost lost them ! Just a bit further.
- I'm trying, I'm trying.” panted Laïra.

Finally, as Linako had predicted, the dogs suddenly stopped and turned around to join their masters who, as the two fugitives heard, had whistled to call them back. They continued running anyway, to put as much distance as possible between them and their pursuers. The eldest of the two women signaled a halt when it became evident that the men and their dogs were far away and that her sister could hardly make another step without tripping.

The two young women stopped in a small glade. The air had the smell of pine needles and was warm. The bright green grass was still wet with the morning's dew and refreshed the two women’s feet. The younger of the two fugitives slid down the trunk of a nearby tree and closed her eyes. Her sister looked at her carefully. Her teardrop shaped face was red and sweaty, she was exhausted. Her hair had been tied up with a thin leather band by Linako that morning, just before the men had found and coursed them during the first part of the day. A strand of blond, straight hair had fallen in front of her slanted cat-like blue eyes. As she moved her head, Linako caught a glimpse of her ears. They were pointed, just like a feline's. Laïra was wearing a short cream-colored tunic that fell down to her thighs. Under, assorted leggings wrapped her calves. She wore no shoes. The girl looked no more than 10 years old but her body was thin and you could see her muscles on her arms. She was her sister's portrait in younger. Indeed, Linako herself seemed to be in her early twenties and she looked exactly like her sister. The only difference was their hair. Laïra's was smooth and straight whilst her sister's ginger hair undulated down her shoulders and back. Apart from that, they had the same teardrop face, the same slanted ocean-colored eyes and the same pointed ears.

Without pausing to rest, Linako let her improvised pack made of small branches fall to the ground. From it, she extracted a chunk of bread and a piece of dry deer. She quickly cut the bread and meat in two and gave a half of each to her sister. The two elves, for they were elves, hastily ate their meal without taking time to have a pause and packed up.

“Where are we going now, asked Laïra, we can't go to the Kingdom of Jeinlin anymore, can we ?
- No, those were Raogan imperial soldiers. Though I don't understand why they are allowed to assume their functions and wear their uniforms in Chael territory. We must be about halfway between Basien and Raong but we shall not continue into the Raogan Imperial lands.
- But why not ? It must be an accident, they must have been deserters.
- I don't think so, Laïra . . . I have a bad feeling about this.
- Then what do we do ? Return home, in Alimia ?” questioned the youngest.
“No baby, something is wrong. Chaels would never have let soldiers from another Kingdom or Empire live on their lands. These ones looked quite used to these forests, as if it wasn't the first time they explored them.
- The world is moving quickly these days. Humans especially. But then, again, what do we do ?
- Return home.
- But Linako, protested Laïra, if you believe that staying on the Men's continent is safe, why not continue on to Jeilin ? You know we must go there. If you really have a bad feeling about Raong, we can always bypass it and go through Syven instead, it isn't that much longer.”

For a couple seconds, Linako did not answer. She really did have a bad feeling about the Men's continent. As Laïra says, the world moves quickly now, she thought. We have been living in the wilderness far too long. The last time we passed in a big city was eleven days ago, when we bought some food in Caron, just after leaving the Alimiand Kingdom. The Men's Land was not a place be these days, she thought, we shouldn't stay here. For some reason, something wasn't right when we passed in Caron, I can't put a finger on it but I have felt it ever since. Yes, staying on the Men's continent was not a good, or safe thing to do, she felt. Elves, as most people know, be they Human, Dwarf, or Syran, have a fine instinct to find danger, and Linako felt it was imminent.
- No Laïra, she said softly, when I said home I didn't mean returning to Alimia, I meant to go home, our real home.
- But why ? We have lived for years in Alimia, why leave for an island far away in the middle of the sea ? We won't know anyone there !
- For many reasons, sister, coldly replied Linako, Firstly, we have to leave, people in our small village of Sunev have started noticing that our faces do not change even if the years go by. Secondly, something is wrong here, I noticed it in Caron but I can't see what it is. And thirdly, I miss home, it has been a long time since we saw people of our race and I want to know what is happening here.
- But we have always lived here !
- No, we haven't, softly continued Linako, though you do not remember, you were not born here.
- Maybe but I only lived a couple days at the place you call home, my home is here !
- Please Laïra, try to understand, we have been isolated far too long. Now listen to me, we are going to Yuhan and from there, we will embark on a ship that will bring us home. Once on the coast of Ëlyah Illiana, we shall go to the city of Ykin where an old friend of mine will help us find a way to get to Sy Illiana.” Without waiting for her sister to protest, Linako stood up and started out of the glade. She heard Laïra get to her feet shortly after and follow her.

After couple hours of swift walking, the two sisters stopped again. They ate the same plain food as since they had left Caron and quickly unrolled their beddings. The siblings had not talked since Linako's decision to go to Yuhan and from there gain Ëlyah Illiana. After a couple of minutes of silence, Linako lay down on her fur bedding and slowly drifted off into what humans call sleep. She wasn't really sleeping. She was still aware of everything around her, even if she couldn't see the trees brushing against each other over her head or the small squirrel that had finally overcome its fear and started towards her pack where the food was stored. A part of her, that few Men or Dwarves can claim to have, was always aware of her surroundings and of the people around her. Every Elf and Syran have this ability, which is called by Men Magik.