Joining

 The sun was but a distant memory, its warmth and light banished by the encroaching darkness. The air had grown crisp, tinged with the bitter chill of autumn's approach. A lone figure stood atop a hill, their back turned to the vast expanse of forest that stretched out before them. The figure's clothes, once a vibrant shade of green, now blended seamlessly into the dying foliage. Their long, flowing hair whipped wildly about their face, as if tangled in the embrace of the very trees they had once called home. Their muscles tensed, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation. For this was no ordinary human. This was an elf, a child of the forest, and the forest was their mother.

The elf's name was Elara. Once, she had been a carefree and joyful creature, content to spend her days amidst the towering trees and whispering leaves. But that was before the humans came. Before their relentless expansion and insatiable appetite for resources drove them deeper into the forest, destroying everything in their path. Before their king, a man consumed by greed and power, set his sights on Elara's homeland as his next conquest.

Now, Elara found herself standing at the edge of a divide. To the east lay the forest, her family, her life. To the west lay the humans and their fortified city, the symbol of everything she hated and feared. For months, she had waged a silent war against them, striking from the shadows, leaving nothing but blood and confusion in her wake. But with each passing day, it seemed that their numbers only grew, their defenses only strengthened. Elara knew that something drastic had to be done. Something that would change the course of history. Something that would give her people a fighting chance.

She drew a deep breath, steadying her resolve. Tonight, she would make her move. Tonight, she would bring the battle to the humans themselves. Tonight, she would become a legend.