Years ago when she was still little, Nephilli would always come to the forest and rest by the waterfall, listening to the sounds of nature. Times were peaceful then and she always felt so carefree and liberated. The animals would always keep her company, so she never had to worry about the restrictions of the village, but now even the birds flew away whenever she neared. It tore her apart inside, but she would never let him know. When she agreed to form this pact, one that eventually saved her village, she was well aware of the consequences; in order to gain something, something of importance must be lost. She supposed she was becoming more and more immune to the fact that she could never again enjoy the company of the forest animals because each year it bothered her less and less. In her mind, it was but a small if it meant she could continue to keep this forest safe.<br/><br/>Long, brown locks flowed down to her shoulders, most of her hair being held back in a braid. She wore a flower tucked behind her ear that her mother had given her years ago. Nephilli was petite in size, standing only five foot and weight one hundred pounds. So she wasnâ€™t physically strong either; he gave her strength, both physical and magicalâ€¦She wore a long, brown dress that matched the quiet forest well, and though her father always scolded her because of it she didnâ€™t wear any shoes, sandals, or anything protecting her feet. The animals feared her anymore anyway, so she was never worried about poisonous snakes or bugs, even plants. Every once in awhile she would step on something sharp, but that was but another thing she was use to, so she wasnâ€™t worried.<br/><br/>She never had to worry anymoreâ€¦<br/><br/>She stuck her feet into the river, watching as the fish naturally swam away from her. At least fish were something that was always shy, she told herself. It was reassuring that some creatures were naturally shy, even when she had her powers.<br/><br/>â€œNephilli!â€ A voice called out to her, pulling her away from her thoughts. â€œNephilli, where are you, I must speak to you at once.â€ She recognized the voice of her father from anywhere; though she was never that close to him, he did rule this entire forest. He was the Elf King, Thubarius, ruler of Ellantia, the Forest of Wisdom, located right in the center of the Kingdom of Belithan. It acted as the gateway to the Kingdom in the sense that it seemed to unify the different cities, and even acted as a barrier for the capital city, keeping it somewhat hidden. The King was a very strategic person, paranoid as well, and loved the tree barrier.<br/><br/>A lot of people respected Thubarius because he was a well known and powerful leader, and those who dared go to war with him have perished. Some of the dwellers in the South experienced this the hard way when they cut down more trees when they were allowed and then rebelled when he confronted them.<br/><br/>She took her feet out of the river and stood up. Straight and proper. â€œIâ€™m over here, father,â€<br/><br/>â€œNephilli, I need you to head to Frostwilde in the North. The miners there have discovered something that might heal your motherâ€™s sickness.â€<br/><br/>â€œFrostwilde?â€ She questioned, giving him a puzzled look. Frostwilde, by foot, was about a two weeks walk from here. There was a path through the harsh Crystal Mountain range, named for its crystalline appearance, which seemingly cut off the Northern lands from the rest of the continent, but a lot of rogues and thieves were known to gather along there waiting to ambush travelers. It was a rough road indeed, and the area beyond even rougher. The stories about that place sometimes made even the roughest traveler wary. Then there was the frozen Lake Hiria, which acted as Frostwildeâ€™s water main water supply as well as a good source of fresh fish in the winter. Nephilli was reluctant to goâ€¦ and she made that as clear as day. â€œYou know how I hate the cold!â€ She whined.<br/><br/>Her father said in a stern tone: â€œYouâ€™re going. End of discussion. Iâ€™d go myself but I must tend to the village, and my best warriors are out hunting a Boar thatâ€™s been harassing the villagers and hikers that come through here to visit the shrine.â€ He paused a second, then got back on subject. â€œDo it for your mother, if not for me.â€<br/><br/>â€œAlright, Iâ€™ll go. Youâ€™re rightâ€¦ I want mother to get better.â€<br/><br/>Thubarius patted his daughter on the head lightly, smiling, then turned away from her. He knew that would get her to go. â€œIâ€™ll be waiting back in the village. Be sure to pack light and dress warmly. Iâ€™ll also give you some supplies to trade along the way.â€ He said over his shoulder, and then went back to the village.<br/><br/>Nephilli sighed and shook her head. Why didnâ€™t he just have one of his top knights go on this journey?  However, since this meant she might finally be able to rid her mother of her illness Nephilli was more than determined to go. Her motherâ€™s health has been declining ever since that pact was made and she has always blamed herself, perhaps it was finally time she take responsibility. Yes, Nephilli had a feeling this would be a good opportunity to prove to herself that she was a responsible and grown up young lady who didnâ€™t need her daddy anymore. After all he trusted her enough to travel such a far distance, did he not? She mustnâ€™t let him down, herself down, the entire village down! Or her mother for that matterâ€¦ It was needless to say that the more she thought of it, the more the adrenaline pumped through her veins, and the more excited she became. Soon her defiance faded completely and she looked back to the river.<br/><br/>She gazed at her reflection in the water, â€œIâ€™ll make them proud!â€ she whispered. She could hardly contain herself and longer and jogged steadily back to the village. She stopped a few feet away, looking back towards the forest for a moment, smiling â€œAt least I wonâ€™t have to walk. Two weeks will only be three hours. Flight is an amazing thing.â€<br/><br/>She was excited for this trip, but also nervous. Nephili does not leave the forest often and has only travelled to Frostwilde once, when she met him for the first time. She knew how rough it could be there; the civilians were a tough crowd. She was never much of a fighter. The same year she made that pact was the same when the humans attacked the forest cutting down a great many trees and killing many of the elves and other creatures that lived there. Nephilli ran away and retreated to the north, by order of her mother, behind her fatherâ€™s back, unaware that she had been followed by some of the angry humans. They began to beat up on her, shouting terrible things, and thenâ€¦ And then that snowy griffin came out of nowhere and helped her. He scared the humans away. She admired his strength when he did so, and couldnâ€™t help but say yes to his pact offer afterwards, because she felt so stupid for being so weak.<br/><br/>Going back would indeed bring back some bad memories for her. Nevertheless, she was not about to let that hold her back; she wasnâ€™t afraid. She was a big girl now. He, that snowy griffin, would protect her, he was a part of her now, the courage she never had.<br/><br/>â€œUru,â€ she called out, mentally. He could hear her thoughts, feel her emotions. They were one; even their hearts were shared. â€œIt looks like weâ€™re headed to Frostwilde. My father said there might be a cure for my motherâ€™s illness there.â€<br/><br/>The griffinâ€™s hypnotic voice echoed in her mind: â€œYes I know. I shall wait for you here in the forest, as not to be seen by the others.â€<br/><br/>â€œSilly, you know they donâ€™t mind you hanging around.â€<br/><br/>â€œIâ€™m not in the mood for taking chances.â€<br/><br/>â€œOh fine,â€ Nephilli replied, â€œIâ€™ll return in a moment, and then weâ€™ll be on our way.â€ He was always like this â€“wary of people and such even if he knew them, she was use to it.<br/><br/>When she returned to the village, Nephilli made sure to dress in winter clothes, dramatically mind you, and said her farewells. Her father watched as she and Uru flew off into the distance, heading to the frozen North.