"Ares Pridelyn, do you not feel any remorse for your sins?" a deep and mysterious voice asked.
The shackles around my limbs and neck clanged as I attempted to stand up.
"Do you not remember the faces of the lives you were responsible for?" the voice echoed on.
The powerful voice swept me from under my feet and back onto the ground.
"You were bestowed with the blessings of our people... you were the pride and trust of your land." a more feminine voice spoke. "To think, we could trust a human to protect the land of Aerodom." Her voice hid no signs of hatred as her words took on a disgusted tone.
I clasped my hand against my forehead and winced as I attempted to see the faces that scorned me. I couldn't recall the events prior; everything felt fuzzy, the air was hard to breathe, and the floor from under me felt as if it was falling apart.
"You're fortunate to still be alive," the voices said in unison. "Your sole duty was to protect our land and its people, but instead you have committed a grave sin against Aerodom... and for that—"
A series of brief visions triggered at the sound of their words.
A mysterious triad of dark-cloaked foreigners appeared. Menacing smirks stretched across their hidden faces.
Dark flames were cast upon the innocent land. The life of the kingdom grew weary against the heat as the vegetation wilted away. Forests burned down. Animals fled. Children and citizens stumbled until they collapsed upon each other. Their screams grew until an even more deafening scream emerged.
It was my scream. I don't remember why I was screaming, but I felt an instinctive impulse to sacrifice everything I had to defeat the invaders. An immense heat surrounded my body as flames covered my vision. All I could see was red.
Finally, my vision went out. I couldn't recall anything else. The next thing I knew, I was slammed into a dungeon cell. My body ached like crazy. A sense of starvation accompanied my weak body. I laid against the cold, gray stone floor as I tried to regain my breath.
"You shall be banished!" the voices subjected me to their punishment.
I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids fell heavily. A gulp in my throat formed as I tried to breathe the stale air. Sweat poured down my face and left a trail of droplets on the ground as the guards of the area dragged me away.
Exiting the building, I heard another voice as my eyes adjusted to the new array of light from the falling sunset.
"This is disappointing... but expected of a descendant of the human race." a man said.
I looked up at the source of the voice. He didn't seem that much older than me. He had pointy ears, long peach blonde hair that stretched across his back, and emerald green eyes with a penetrative stare. His green clothes were ragged and covered by a bronze breastplate.
Alongside him were three other figures with similar physical features. They all looked down at me with scorn. One of them turned their head from me. It looked as if tears were falling from her eyes.
What did I do to cause this much sorrow? I couldn't remember everything in full detail, but my mind raced as my eyes wandered from person to person.
Finally, the guards stopped moving. My knees touched the edge of the ground beneath me. In front of me was a beautiful sunset, but below me was a plummet to my death.
I could make out the distinctions of buildings, cities, and more forests below. Letting out a deep breath, I let my head hang once more.
"Let us say our farewells to an old comrade," one of the elven warriors said as he walked from behind me.
Grabbing my hair, he forcefully tilted my head backward. Staring coldly into my eyes, he gently nodded his head.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this," he said softly as he placed his other hand on my back.
I felt my inevitable descent from the land I could recall as Aerodom. Void of all strength, I closed my eyes and fell.