In the middle of a huge forest located in the sparsely populated outskirts of the Everdream Republic one could hear the sounds of a man chopping wood tirelessly. Beneath the thick branches of the huge trees it was pleasantly cool although the sun is burning down mercilessly during this time of year.

Dave was working his usual job as the local forester venturing deeper inside the forest than usual in order to secure better wood from the more ancient trees there.

Food was scarce this year and he had to work extra hard in order to support his family.

Only when the sun was slowly setting down and dawn approached Dave shouldered the fruits of his work and was about to make the trip home to his wife and only daughter when he heard a baby's scream pierce through the forest and alarm a flock of birds that swiftly took flight.

Curious Dave followed the sound of the screams and eventually found a little baby wrapped in dirty black rags next to a stream. He hurriedly approached the bundle and was shocked when he saw the little baby inside. The baby had jet black eyes with small silver dots glistening like stars in them instead of the irises a normal baby would have and a skin so black it seemed to suck in all surrounding light and turn it into pure darkness.

"By the old gods and the new what is one of the cursed ones doing here" he swore unbelievingly.

The stories his parents told him warn people of the cursed, depicting them as cruel and merciless conquerors who repeatedly waged wars on their neighbours relishing the bloodshed and misery they caused to the other races.

Dave remembered them to be called dark elves in ancient times however not much is known about elves and dark elves even less so.

He was about to turn around and leave the little kid alone in the forest to die when the kid suddenly stopped screaming and looked deep into his eyes. Seeing his own reflection in the kids eyes he halts.

This child in front of him is no evil monster but an innocent child alone and abandoned. If he were to leave the child here to die, wouldn't he be the monster instead?!

"Curses I cannot leave an innocent baby here to die alone in a forest. Your soul may have been born to an evil race but I will raise you to be a good person so that you may atone for your ancestors' sins and live a life free from their influence."

Later that night when he arrived at his village his wife Myria was already waiting for him outside their hut at the edge of the village. "What took you so long today? I was worried something happened to you during work."

"I am fine. I just ran into something, let's say rather unexpected today."

"The woods are full of bandits these days. You have to be more careful, don't venture so deep anymore, okay. "

Myria fell silent when she saw the moving bundle in her husband's arms and hurriedly asked: "What is this?" " I found him in the woods… he is one of the cursed. And before you say it I know that all our stories depict them as murderous and sadistic killers but this child is innocent. I couldn't bear to let him die in a forest like some abandoned beast." Dave admitted. After a long silence Myria said: "We have little to no food as it is but you are right. No good person would let an innocent baby die like that. What's his name by the way?" 

"Hmm, how about Ari?" Dave suggested with a genuine smile."