I awoke alone and got geared up and prepared for travel. The rays of light started coming through the window as I left the bedroom. Tal was eating at the table so I joined him. A few minutes later a knock at the door came. “Heroes, I am to escort you out of the palace.” The voice of the elder guard Panitarludril said. Pem was with him and we followed them down to the palace exit where many guards stood along with the Empress and the two princesses all wearing clothing less formal but of the same styles as the day before. A large crowd of people also had gathered. Kat walked over and whispered, “Our public appearance begins.” People began to cheer as we walked hand in hand with our royal escort.
We didn't get out of the city until midday. Slowly walking and waving through the city all the way to the south-east exit. Most elves seemed thrilled and I learned it's because most royalty gets married at roughly one hundred years old yet Kat is two hundred and six so her marrying a human is better than no one. Some elves though just don't like humans for much the same reasons Master Stilldar didn’t.
We headed down the massive lift and into the Great Forest yet again. This little outpost was almost identical to the one we entered from. The stark contrast between the beautiful elven city full of midday light to the dark musty barren forest floor almost instantly messed with my senses for a minute. Like going inside a dark building after being outside in the bright sun for a while.
We headed down the stairs on the platform and that's where I saw our caravan. Seven covered wagons and roughly twenty mounted cavalry all who were wearing the green and white armor. When I asked about the armor Kat told me it was the royal division of their military and that they had extra training to protect royalty and things of that nature. Three covered wagons were in front of the royal carriage which was bigger and more elegant than the one we arrived in and four were behind it. As orders and preparations were being made my curiosity got the better of me and I looked in every wagon because all seven looked the same. All seven were basic reddish colored wooden wagons with a green cover and dozens of spears attached to both sides. People and supplies were inside the covered wagons in an order from front to back. People, Supplies, People, Carriage, People, Supplies, People, Supplies. The people right behind the carriage looked like servants of some sort while the rest of the people were all elven soldiers in their green armor. I was ushered into the carriage, with Kat and I on one side and Tal and Pem on the other we headed south-east to Trulathunil.
The carriage was much roomier than the last one and while checking it out Pem lightly kicked my shin, “Tom we have our share of the dragon in the back.” She seemed excited to share with me. “Oh yeah? Are we rich now?” She gave me a really? Kind of look. “I am a princess but it was quite a bit. Double the cost of the dragon is eleven thousand six hundred gold so our cut is 348 gold each.” She said excitedly “Can you help me understand how much that is?” “Of course My royal allowance is around twenty gold a week…” Tal interrupted, “A good wage for a commoner is one gold a week but many make less than that.” Thinking for a second, “So we basically made nine years wages in that battle.” “Yes.” We had nearly fourteen hundred gold not counting Kat and Pems royal money, whatever that equated to.
While in thought Kat tapped me on the shoulder, “We will start teaching you Elvish in the carriage and magic once we make camp.” We started immediately. Both Kat and I were surprised at the speed I was learning Elvish. The translations just stuck into my brain.
Two hours past dark we arrived at the entrance to Trulathunil. Trulanthunil is an elf city on the ground and what I could see in the dark was beautiful. Very fitted brick roads and working lamps along them. Everything retained the elven elegance of their capital city of Frint but also seemed to add some dwarven simplicity and sturdiness.
As the carriage stopped and we got out we were led into a large inn. As I'm walking to the inn I realize since I've met the Murichi I have been guided everywhere so far. If they weren't taking me exactly where I wanted to go then I wouldn't be here. Is Eldrin actually where I want to go? Are they lying to me? Looking over at Pem as she sits down at a table I realize she couldn't lie to save her own life. I joined her and the others and had a hardy stew. We then went to our rooms. Pem and Kat in one and Tal and I in another.
I got up just before dawn and headed down to get something to eat and drink. Kat was sitting alone at a table with her head in a book and I decided to join her. “Enjoying the book?” “Hmm? Oh yes I am. It is about the dead continent and the creatures we think lived there.” “Why is it called the dead continent?” She seemed happy to tell me. “We do not know for sure but we think something magical or natural wiped out the entire continent at the same time. It was named Findor at the time it was destroyed. Most say that happened around three thousand years ago. We know the few expeditions we have sent over there….never to return.” She paused dramatically before continuing, “The explorers guild stopped sending people and even banned jobs to travel there because it is too dangerous. We only have the knowledge passed down to us. It is mostly about an ancient race known as gnomes who used to visit Frint rarely and trade.” I feel as if she would keep going if Pem didn't walk in and sit down next to her. “Morning Pem!” “Mmm.” She looked tired and not quite woken up yet. “I'm gonna take a look around the city.” “You cannot Tom.” “Why not?” “You are royalty now.” “Right then I'll just step outside and look from there.” She wanted to argue but I just got up and walked out the door.
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An elf in green and white walked up and stood next to me. “Hey, how's it going?” I looked over to him. He said nothing. Our carriage was in the front and it was being worked on. It seemed it had a detachable roof like a convertible. Now that it was light out I could see the beauty of the city. It was on the border of the Great Forest and used much of the reddish wood. It looked like part of the city was actually in the forest. Thinking about living under these trees for a minute made me wonder if people died from falling branches often. Maybe a god or goddess protects them or maybe not?
Pem, Tal, Kat, and the others of our caravan came out and we hopped in the carriage with our same seating arrangements. For the next few hours Kat and I stood and waved to the people of Trulathunil. It was early afternoon before we left through the south entrance heading toward a few smaller towns.
About an hour before dark we stopped for the night to make camp and Kat started teaching me magic. “Tonight I will teach you “Heal” and the next three nights you will practice it. I will then evaluate if you need more practice or can move onto the next spell.” She held out her left hand and with a knife in her right she cut her finger tip, “Heal.” I watched as the cut slowly began stitching itself together. “Your turn Tom.”
“Um Kat there might be a problem.” I said as I took the knife and proceeded to cut my finger. As it started healing Kats eyes widened, “You…how!?” “I passively heal” “I Have heard of some that can passively heal but that was their magical power like Pem’s truth power or my sisters…never mind, What else is there?” “My bones are stronger and I seem to learn faster but I've never ran tests or anything.” “Very well you will just learn with my finger then practice with your own.” She said as she took the knife back. “Back to learning Heal. Without the tier four spell Detect the tier two spell Heal has a hard time curing internal wounds because you need to see the injury recover with your mind. Because of this blunt weapons are used more often for killing. Most mages who can cast tier two or higher learn heal and primarily only use it. It makes them very wealthy. Now imagine the wound sewing itself shut.” She cut her finger and I imagined just that. “Heal.” After a moment the wound was gone. “Great job for the first try but it's still cut under the skin. Try again.” She recut her finger in the exact spot. I imagined a layered stitching, “Heal.” “Much closer.” After six tries I got a “Perfect, now you can heal most cuts. We will skip learning how to heal internal wounds until you learn Detect. Now practice on yourself but remember we leave early tomorrow and you are learning Elvish.”
So that was my next three days and nights. Most of the three days' travel was through beautiful rolling hills and some relatively normal looking forests. By the end of the third night while staying in a small village I had cast heal dozens of times and still wasn't tired so I scried Maria.
A very eight month pregnant nervous looking Maria was sitting on a loveseat. A nice looking thirtyish year old man walked in and handed her a drink, “Ashley will be here in a moment.” “Thanks liam. I just couldn't stay at our…my house house and Lisa…well never mind thanks.” “Not a problem. If you need anything I'll be in the kitchen making spaghetti.” Maria nodded but was staring at her cup clearly in thought.
Ashley walked in, “How are you?” “I'm doing lousy Ash.” Maria said with a sad half chuckle. “Wanna talk about it?” She sat down next to my wife and put her arm around Marias shoulders. Maria leaned into her friend and started tearing up, “I can't go home. Everything reminds me of…him.” Her crying became more intense. “Well you can stay here as long as you like.” “Thanks.” “You would do the same for me. Anyway, what about Lisa?” “Oh Ash what a mess.” Maria took a calming breath.
“The quick real story is Jack and I felt each other up but stopped a few minutes later…” “Wait, felt each other up. Explain.” Maria was clearly embarrassed as she looked around and started speaking quieter, “After a few minutes of kissing and groping we ended up naked and touching um down there and that's when I woke up to what was going on.” She cleared her throat, “Anyway for three months Jack was pestering me and saying we have a connection but I rebuffed him every time. He ended up coming to the house around noon and I threatened to tell…Tom.” Tears rolling again. “Oh my god I’m so sorry. Oh that's why he was camping alone…” Maria just nodded. After a minute of silence Ashley asked, “Did you ever find out what happened?” “They uh think he was murdered the first night because of the poem he left…Animals aren't that clean and there was no indication of dragging so it had to be people. I know Jack was questioned but he is still not in jail. I guess I'm the most responsible for…it.” After a minute Ashley spoke calmly, “You two were planning on going together at that time so you both would be gone. In a way he saved your life.” Maria seemed to smile at that thought before speaking, “Anyway to answer your question Lisa helped me for two weeks…. The image faded.
The sense of urgency both diminished and increased. Her not moving on quickly but the amount of pain she is in. The clarity on a few things were nice too. Now truly exhausted, I slept.