Aislinn and Iovita

Chapter 1: Loggers of Silverfoot

As Iovita rounded the base of the large tree the axe that the logger had thrown at the agile elf, struck the tree with a thump. Iovita had no intention of killing the loggers that were unnecessarily cutting down the trees, but she wanted to make it to unprofitable for them to continue. The loggers on the other had were afraid for their lives, they were not fighters, they are just simple folk, they are just out trying to survive. Little did Iovita know that these men were not out here of their own volition. They are forced laborers. The Champoke organization has been strip logging the southern end of Silvanian Forest for over a decade now. The Dryads of the Silvanian have been doing their best to try and keep up with the devastation, but trees do not grow back overnight. The logging was now getting too close to the place that Iovita has been staying, this is something that she can not allow, she has sat around long enough now.

Ever since the Nephilim had been forced out of the realm of Eden, man had been left unchecked and allowed to do as they wish. Humans are an inherently selfish, greedy, power-hungry, and ambitious race. To not have anyone that can keep the ambitions of man in check has been devastating to nature. This has in turn been very disrupting to the races that either depend on nature or are a part of nature. The Elven race depends on nature to provide, that is not to say that humans do not, but the elves do not take from nature without replacing or replenishing. Instead of cutting trees down to make houses the elves make their living quarters up amongst the trees, using materials that have been discarded by the trees, or from trees that have fallen on their own. The elves leave as little a footprint in nature as is possible, they know that we are all depend on the resources of nature and that those resources are not unlimited. This is why Iovita can no longer sit around and watch the devastation going on to the forest.

It has been twelve years since the Nephilim vanished from Eden, here in what the Lightshield lands that left little to no oversight of law. Though the Nephilim known as Goron Lightshield did not rule as king, he and his soldiers did maintain a peace in the area, they guaranteed safety from any invading armies or monsters. Every city and town in the area ruled or governed themselves but Lightshield Manor provided protection for the people but also for the environment. Goron would not have stepped in to stop the Champoke organization from growing as a business, but he would have had something to say about the over destruction of the forest. Goron is the son of Shamash, the deity of the sun and justice, but he is not the only Nephilim that calls this area home. Fiongagh Madadh, the son of Gaea, the deity of nature herself, lives in Silvanian Forest. Fion, as most called him, has a good heart, and protects man from the dangers of the forest but he is the Master of Nature and defends all of nature with a fierceness that can not be properly defined. Fion would not only have cut down the loggers that were cutting down the trees, but he would have gone and found the people responsible for sending the loggers out into the forest and pronounced natures judgement on them as well. Though Goron would not have agreed with Fion’s application of justice, Goron would not have stopped Fion either, for it was Fion’s place to pronounce judgement over all matters directly involving nature.

Iovita had sat back and watched the destruction of her beloved forest for long enough and now it was time to do something about it. She was a long-time friend of Fiongagh and knew what he would do but she did not want to provoke the organization that had sent these men out here. She does not wield the power that a Nephilim does and would not be able to take on such a large organization all by herself. So, the best she could do would be to try and dissuade the workers from being willing to come out here. She did her best not to kill any of them, just inflict wounds that would require priest healing, which would cost the worker a good deal of the days pay.

On this day though Iovita had been followed, unbeknownst to Iovita, Aislinn, the only Nephilim not to have disappeared, had followed her to the logging site. Aislinn Madadh is Fiongagh Madadh’s twin sister, she had not disappeared with the rest of the Nephilim because at the age of ten her and her brother had been attacked by a powerful mage and she had been transformed into a giant white tiger. Though she was still a Nephilim, her mind was still intact, she is also a part of the natural world. She is trapped between being nothing more than an animal and being Nephilim. She is still the daughter of Gaea and once she saw the destruction being wrought upon her forest, she did not hold back her animalistic side. The loggers did not stand a chance of survival from the ten foot long thousand-pound tiger that was Aislinn, Mistress of Nature. As Aislinn tore through the scattering loggers Iovita knew that there was nothing she could do to stop her friend from the slaughter, she could only sit back a watch the carnage. After it was all over Aislinn was sitting on top of a felled tree at the edge of the forest looking at the city of Silverfoot, with a load roar to say, “Send more men and I’ll kill them too.” She made her way back into the forest and vanished from sight of the city.

Back in the city of Silverfoot word quickly got back to the head of the Champoke organization of what had happened to the loggers.

“WHAT!!” Nathan exclaimed “That damn elf bitch, she has never killed before. Why now? And in such a gruesome way?”

“It was not the elven woman, sir.” His subordinate explained “It was a tiger attack.” He continued “The tiger was seen moments afterward sitting on a tree, they say that it was unusually large, stark white with black stripes.”

“Aislinn” Nathan said somberly

“The Nephilim?” his subordinate questioned “But I thought all of them had disappeared over a decade ago?”

“Apparently not all of them, that description can only be Aislinn, tigress daughter of Gaea. Damnit.” Nathan slammed his fist down on his desk. “Go find Sean and bring him to me.”

“Right away sir.” As the man backed out of the office and hurried off.

Back in the forest as Iovita caught up with Aislinn “You really shouldn’t have killed all those men.” The look from Aislinn put a real fear into Iovita, there was no mistaking that Aislinn was not pleased being questioned about her decision. Afterall she is the daughter of Gaea, and it is her right to make that judgement. “I’m just saying that it will bring more trouble than ….” This time the look from Aislinn stopped Iovita in her tracks. She knew that Aislinn was hoping for this to provoke the Champoke organization into making a move. Iovita only hoped that the two of them could handle whatever was coming.

A tall, slender but well-built man entered Nathan’s office. He stood nearly six feet tall, was of an average build but his padded leather armor could not hide that he was well toned, with corded muscles that had been acquired through many hours spent hunting down some of the most dangerous creatures to walk the realm of Eden. “You want something, I hear’

“Yes, Sean.” Nathan greeted him “I want you to go after the most dangerous prey you have ever hunted.”

Sean’s interest was written all over his face, the more dangerous the prey the higher the payday. “Oh really, and just exactly is the prey this time?”

“A Nephilim” Nathan said with an evil looking smile widening of his face because he knew that this hunter could not deny the chance to hunt such a prey.

“Nephilim? There are no more of those.” Sean countered.

“Oh there is, there is at least one. Aislinn, the tigress.” Nathan corrected

“It’s going to cost you.” Sean informed him

“Get the prey, name your price.” Nathan offered “Just kill the tiger!”