A soft breeze blew through the open sides of the temple, making the flames dance and twirl about. Incense was blown all around from the center of the altar, giving a sense of calm to all those who worked around the beautiful structure. Rays of sunlight drifted through the colored windows, splashing hypnotizing patterns upon the pentacle etched in gold on the large round floor of the holy building.

Winged men and women in pale gray robes, and some in white, were polishing statues, cleaning shrines, and tending to the various flowers. At the bottom of the robes, white and gray alike, were etched in various colors the holy symbols of all the 15 major deities, the same symbols circled the edges of their sleeves, ever reminding them of their solemn duty to protect all religion.

These winged people were of elven and human kind. The elves, having journeyed from their sacred homes high in the mountains long ago, lived in peace with the winged humans created by the hand of man. This small city of winged beings lived close to the men of the land. They traded, and often visited with the small village not far from them. They had built paths so the men of the land could journey to their land. They would come to regret those paths on this day.

One of the human avari looked up from the altar, and the holy word of Prycur, as she noticed a young man and woman gliding into the temple. Her eyes were weary with the years on her shoulders, yet they glistened with love and wisdom. Her smile comforted the many that came to her sermons. Fire played off her silver gray hair, which fell below her shoulders, and matched the silver of her wings.

"Xi, my son, how are you? Kala, and you as well? What brings you here today?" The woman smiled.

Xi smiled at his mother and embraced her, "I have happy news," he beamed. Then he glanced down at the blonde girl, her brown wings twitching, "Would you like to tell her Kala?"

Kala turned her deep blue eyes up to Xi's mother and grinned, "We're to be married. My father agreed! He agreed. I didn't believe he would, but..." she couldn't contain her joy as laughter spilled from her heart-shaped lips, "he agreed! Can you believe it Nalahnea?"

The older woman, Nalahnea, smiled at the two. They were young, but so deeply in love. She came from around the altar and embraced them both. "Your father will be so happy, Xi. We were all praying to the good Gods you two would be wed before Karia came to take his soul to the next life."

As the three began to talk of wedding arrangements a loud clamor came from outside. Shouts and curses could be heard, along with the clatter of swords, and the twang of bows. All within the temple froze and looked out the front of the temple. As they did one of the avari, a soldier, stumbled in and fell on the floor, blood pooling around him.

Gasps and cries of shock came from the clerics. Xi protectively pushed Kara behind him and drew his father's sword. Nalahnea reached for her knife and cautiously went towards the soldier with her son. Those in the temple who could fight were running for their weapons, and yelling words of warning to those who could not.

As the two neared the door what they saw froze them in their place. Outside, on the large lawn, which spread out in front of the temple, ringed by the shrines to the other gods, men were fighting.

Eyes sweeping the crowd, Xi noticed that the people fighting the avari were Karians. Many wore strange paint on their face, and had spears and maces. Their yin yang symbols were proudly displayed as they seemed to be trying to get closer to the Prycur temple, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

The look in their eyes was like staring into the eyes of death. Madness lay there, and so did hatred, so raw and burning it seared through Xi, making him back up. He slipped on the soldier's blood and went crashing down, his sword skittering off to the side. Before he knew what was happening men were fighting right before him, and around him.

Jumping to his feet he dashed towards the altar, where he had left Kara. He found her crouching behind the altar in terror. Her eyes squeezed shut, as if she hoped by shutting out what was happening it would somehow go away. Xi grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet.

"Xi, what are we going to do?" She sobbed, then gasped as she saw the soldier's blood on Xi.

"Its not mine. We have to defend the temple, it's our sworn duty. But you don't. Get out of here! You're not a cleric. Go find safety! Make sure my father is okay."

Kara nodded, and jumped into the air, flying away from the madness in front of them. Xi watched her go until he was sure she was safe. Then he ran to a side room and grabbed up a long sword. He was one of the few who practiced the art of such a long weapon. One careless back swing could relieve him of his wings. His father had been proud to teach him how to use such a fine and deadly weapon.

Xi plunged himself into the gory battle. Avari were fighting from ground and air, and casting spells. But the Karians seemed oblivious to pain and to their fallen companions. They were like a juggernaut that couldn't be stopped. Xi couldn't believe the sheer numbers of them. He was sure some were hired mercenaries, painted up like the Karians. He wondered briefly if it was some sort of war ritual they had done. Didn't they usually fight undead?

Xi had never killed before and now he was forced to cut down people, clerics, the very people he was suppose to defend. His stomach turned as he thrust his sword through the chest of an oncoming Karian.

As he was about to move on to the next target a hand was placed on his shoulder. He glanced over it to see his mothers' weary face behind him. She didn't look so good.

"Xi, take yourself from here," she gasped.

He turned around to realize his mother was loosing lots of blood. He grabbed her in his arms, "No, I must get you healed. I can heal you mother."

She pushed him away, and nearly fell over. Her face was deathly white and she began to cough up blood, "You...are...the chosen. Pry..." Nalahnea, began to choke and Xi rushed to help her but she pushed him away again. She began to crumble to her knees.

Two Karians charging up to him caught Xi's attention, spears leveled at his chest. He whirled about, gracefully blocking one spear with his sword, the other painfully grazed his side. Face twisted in rage, Xi tried to attack them but was put on his defensive as they tried to get their razor sharp spears to spill his life on the floor.

Two bolts of lightening raced past Xi, catching him by surprise. The first one sent one of the Karians back into a group of fighters, the second exploded against the other woman's chest. The woman stood in surprise staring down at her chest, the wobbled and fell over.

Turning around again, he realized his mother had done that. She had called upon Prycur to protect him, and She had. This surprised him a bit, because She had not been responding to their prayers or granting them the gift of her power for some time now.

It also came to his attention that his mother had somehow gotten a hold of his father's sword. She was holding it up to him; the handle was covered in her blood. It looked like it was all she could do to breathe, let alone hold the heavy sword aloft.

Xi grabbed the sword and knelt next to his mother. Clerics closed in around them, as if they knew they must protect these two, while his mother spoke her dying words. He wrapped his arms around his mother and held her to him, she no longer could fight back.

"Xi, take your fathers sword and go to him. It is necessary. Prycur has not abandoned us, and she needs you. You are the key."

With that Xi felt her life breath leave her body. Tears stung his face as he laid her on the ground. He hated to leave her here, to be defiled by those barbarian clerics. But if what she said was true, he had to get to his father and Kara, for whatever the reason.

Xi took to the air with a few leaps and quickly made his way to his parents' home. He noticed that the fighting seemed to be concentrated only on the temple. Other places were fine. He could see the path the Karians had taken to get there. It was littered with the dead and the dying.

Spotting his home, he landed on the roof and went in through the door. He had expected to find everything fine here, but he had been very wrong. Cursing, he recalled that all the clerics of Prycur had Her symbol etched above their doorways. Apparently the Karians had known this. He had forgotten because it was so commonplace for him.

There before his eyes was his father, beheaded and his head stuck on a spear. Strange runes were carved around the room. Xi felt very uncomfortable stepping into the room any further.

"Kara! Kara where are you?" Xi cried out.

Then he saw her. She lay on the floor down the hall to his right. He ran to her side and cried out. Her throat had a large gapping wound and blood was everywhere. The Karian symbol had been carved into her forehead. He dropped the sword, Kara's blood mingling with his mothers as he reached out to grab her.

"No, this cannot be happening," Xi sobbed. "What have we done to deserve this?"

He realized as he held the cold form of his former fiancée that they must have planned this out in great detail. The Karians had probably sent some people ahead to the homes, slaughtering those they caught off guard there. Then their army marched, not letting any stand in their way. It would have been so easy too. These people, the avari, who looked to all the Gods, but to Prycur above all, would have let the Karians walk up the path without a problem. They were holy people, and they had turned on the avari.

A bright light filled the hallway. The sword began to glow and raised up from the bloodstained floor. The light hurt his eyes and he drew back from the power of it. Then he slipped into darkness.