Sorrow-Field

While those things occurred in the Black Crown, Birch and Lux returned to the desert, and began working to combine the two tribes of Blighted-Ones.

They were welcomed back to Camp Jonak first by the children and their mothers. Lux picked up one of the boys and kissed him on the cheek, and carried him to the center of the camp.

The warriors of Jonak were training, and the hunters were preparing a meal. Some young men were attempting to swoon a group of females their age, with varying degrees of success.

Sorrow-Field, Jonak's new leader, came out to greet them. He said hello, and proceeded to look at Lux's new sword with the interest of a man who had known blades his entire life, and had just seen the work of the greatest swordsmiths in history(which he indeed had).

"A fine blade, Lux! Tell me, is this why Birch took you from us? You are a lucky man, friend!"

Lux answered. "Yes, I am indeed, but the sword is only part of why Birch took me out of the desert."

"Oh?"

Lux continued. "Birch was sent to locate the heir to the throne of the sun, the king of the Elves. His master, the Tri, showed him me! This is the sword of Petlex, son of Uger!"

But Sorrow-Field laughed. "You? King of the elves? We have been cut off from our cousins for generations, why, the sight of us would likely make them flee for the bushes of their paradise!"

Lux countered. "Ah, but our stories show that the king was amongst those to be trapped here with the plague. I am his heir, this blade is proof enough, look at the hilt!"

So Sorrow-Field looked at the hilt, which was inscribed with a rune of magic designed to protect it from all but it's owner's hands. It was a rune used by the great Solar-Shadow, who ruled Injanok, capital of the elves before the plague.

But Sorrow-Field was a man torn between religion, and politics, and wanted the power he held as chief of the Jonak Tribe, so, instead of embracing the king, as was the traditional greeting to give Elf-Kings, he suggested a challenge, to prove that the blade was a true relic of Solar-Shadow.

Birch cried out, but Lux agreed.