<i>For millennia the Islinglis Heights have been guarded by the Minotaurs that live below. The eldest of the Grey Elves remembered when the deal was struck and why—but there weren’t many left who possessed that knowledge. The most common theories that prevail are those gained from deduction: Minotaurs were strong, fierce and physically powerful, the brawn Elves did not possess.<br/>
<br/>
The sacrifice made to the Minotaurs took place every century, the youngest daughter of a family whose turn it was to pay the price. It was she who would keep her people safe from potential perils that threatened as well as to placate a race that was not only primitive in comparison, but dangerous if left unchecked.<br/>
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The Sacrifice notates the names of each elven maiden who has been gifted to the Minotaurs in exchange for peace. Though the book does not specify, the Sacrifice is chosen by her lineage as well as the fact that she is dispensable. There are those that—</i><br/><br/>“We have arrived.”<br/><br/>Solynne snapped out of her reverie. In desperate need of something to distract her, the Grey Elf maiden had mentally reread the text she had memorized a hundred times over.<br/><br/>The journey to the meeting point was not far—a week, perhaps—but with little else to do to keep herself occupied, the latest Sacrifice had little else to keep herself busy. She had been given the scroll when she first learned that she was the Sacrifice and made to understand the importance of her role. For obvious reasons, it was returned to the High Council on the day of her departure. Some Sacrifices were fortunate and given to a clan that allowed them to live, though their lives were not the same as they had been back home. Solynne had learned that some clans made a habit out of<i>eating</i>their Sacrifices. Such a barbaric notion had made her so ill when she heard of it that she herself could not eat for a week. It was with forceful coaxing that she was reminded that her sacrifice would ensure the safety of her people and so she had to live until the ceremony—if she would indeed be subjected to such a horrifying fate.<br/><br/>The rendezvous was within a cave, hidden from view and potential prying eyes. The ritual was secret and neither the Grey Elves nor the Minotaurs wanted other races to learn of their pact. The path they had taken was low and narrow, wide enough for Elves to pass through, but not the Minotaurs for they were to come from the opposite end.<br/><br/>Solynne stood with her slender hands now folded in front of her, her features calm, though within she was a whirlwind of emotional turmoil. She was dressed in black to represent mourning, the gown made of velvet, a hood pulled over her pale silver hair. Her alabaster skin, only a shade lighter than her thick mane was flushed mildly on her cheekbones and the bridge of her dainty nose. Her large silver eyes—strange as they were—stared straight ahead, giving the illusion that she was blind. When she was first born, her parents thought she might have been, but it became obvious as she matured that she could see just fine. Often she had wondered if her fate would have been spared had she been blind for surely a Sacrifice could not be tainted?<br/><br/>“We will wait,” said one of the guards who had accompanied her.<br/><br/><i>Wait....</i>Wait for... Solynne shuddered inwardly. She could not allow her strength to fail her now. She would not be the first Sacrifice to disgrace her family and race. She would perform her duty and with her head held high, no matter what that entailed.<br/><br/><div class="bbCodeSpoiler">
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