Elise had discovered with her experiment with Naomi that her divine power would last about ten minutes. That meant that she only had five minutes left to defuse the situation before she wouldn’t have control any more. She could always use it again, but she didn’t want to be dependent on it, in case whatever god was giving her that power had a limit to its generosity. Figuring out Emilia’s goals was important, but it would have to wait until she got the drow to safety.
“Step aside,” she told the dwarves at the tunnel. “Let the drow go.”
“What the hell are-?” started one of the dwarves at the door.
“Quiet!” said Elise before turning to the drow. “Go. Quickly.”
She didn’t use {Suggest} or {Charm} that time, but she didn’t need to. They sprinted past the Royal Guards by the tunnel and disappeared into the darkness. Elise was about to follow when she heard Hallbjorn stirring below her.
“Hallbjorn?” she said.
He groaned, and opened his eyes. It took him a few moments for him to fully comprehend what he was seeing. When he did, his eyes widened until they were almost circles.
“Elise?” he asked. “Is that you? Why are your wings-? Your rune! What’s going on?”
“I don’t have much time,” said Elise. “Someone is trying to start a war. The drow’s mother tree was poisoned. So were you. Don’t do anything rash. Just keep digging the tunnel. I’ll try- No, I will find out what’s going on and put a stop to it.”
“I was poisoned?” he asked. “A war? Who? Why?”
“Your guards can explain the poisoning later,” said Elise. “And I will explain the rest later. For now, I need to go. Just know that the drow that poisoned you were being manipulated. They don’t want a war any more than you do.”
“The ghouls poisoned me?” he said, looking angry.
“Please, Hallbjorn,” she said. “Please trust me. I can fix this. I just need a bit of time. I’ll explain everything when it’s over. For now, good bye.”
“Elise, wait!” he called, but she was already gone.
She met one of the drow fifty feet further down the tunnel. She heard armored footsteps from behind, but the drow put her hand to the wall and pulsed mana to collapse the tunnel before they could get anywhere close. They met up with the other two, one of whom had the still-unconscious Naomi on her back, and dashed back into the drow cavern, periodically collapsing the tunnel behind them again.
“Why is it so dark?” asked the drow carrying Naomi once they emerged from the tunnel
“The Mother Tree was poisoned,” said Elise. “You didn’t know that?”
“We’ve been on standby for the assassination since yesterday,” said the woman who had collapsed the tunnel.
“Since yesterday?” asked Elise.
Did that mean that Emilia was planning on assassinating the king before the poisoning even happened? Did she know about the poisoning before it happened? Did she just let it happen so that she would have an excuse to eradicate the dwarves?
“I don’t understand,” she said aloud. “Why is she doing this?”
“Who?” asked the drow.
“Emilia.”
“Was she the one who… made us like that?”
“She has to be,” said Elise. “Who else could have done it?”
“But why would she do that?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense unless she’s trying to start a war. But why would she do that?”
At that moment, Elise’s wings turned back to silver, and she suddenly remembered the System notification that she had dismissed while saving Naomi.
[ More information about {Rune of Fate} is now available. ]
She opened her status window, and internally grimaced at what she saw in the skill’s description.
[ {Rune of Fate}: A rune granted by !@#$%^&* that @#$%^&*. Allows the user to channel divine power. Current charges: 0/3. Cooldown: 29 days. !@#$%^&* ]
If she had known that the number of uses was limited she wouldn’t have tested it on Naomi before. There was no way she could have avoided using it just then, but there was no doubt that wouldn’t be the last time she needed it. Especially if the war Emilia seemed so desperate to cause actually broke out.
“Oh, thank Titania, you made it back!” came a voice from behind.
They all whipped around to see Emilia descending from above the treeline with a worried expression on her face.
“How did the mission go?” she asked.
“Why did you do that?” asked Elise, flying up to her. “Why did you manipulate them?”
“Manipulate them?” she asked. “What are you talking about?”
“Stop playing dumb,” said Elise. “I know you were planning the assassination before we found out the tree was poisoned!”
“What? I would never-! I-!” Emilia stopped and took a deep breath.
Then she smiled.
----------------------------------------
389 years ago
Right above their heads was an Omnivorous Cyclops Cow. It was staring them down with its lone red eye, as if in disbelief at their obliviousness. Meanwhile, Lyra and Emilia were frozen in terror. Lyra’s hands were still plunged into the water, preparing to fling it at Emilia. The stalemate continued for another few seconds, until a growl started in the back of the cow’s throat, and it broke Emilia from her stupor.
She flew away as fast as she could, with Lyra herself breaking free and following behind a moment later. The cow’s growl grew louder, and when Emilia looked back, she saw its eye starting to glow. She dove to the side, just in time for the energy beam to sizzle through the air where she had just been, singeing the edge of her dress. The cow began charging up another one, but Emilia managed to put a tree between her and it before it could unleash again.
In the time it took her to dodge, Lyra caught up to her, and the two were now traveling together, and going the wrong direction. The cow had somehow come from what should have been the safe side of the stream, and they were only flying deeper into unmarked territory. Soon, they came across three more of the cows, and when they turned to run from them, they found even more. After a minute of desperate fleeing, they found themselves hiding in the trunk of a hollow tree, with the sounds of cows stomping all about, searching for them.
“What do we do?” whispered Lyra.
Emilia was wondering the same thing. Flying up wasn’t an option. That had been drilled into her head by the other fey from the first day she arrived. If she flew up above the treeline, she would be exposed, and she didn’t have the Agility to dodge everything. She was lucky to have survived even the first attack. Maybe if they had flown straight up as soon as they got away from the first cow, they could have escaped safely, but it was too late for that now. They were surrounded.
Fortunately, they had also been told what to do in this circumstance. They just had to stay put and wait until either the cows left, or someone else came and found them. It would be boring, but it would work. The cows only had a general idea of where they were, and weren’t efficient enough hunters to sniff them out. They would be safe if they stayed put.
“What do we do?” whispered Lyra.
She’s not thinking clearly, Emilia realized.
“Calm down,” said Emilia. “We just have to wait until they leave. And if they don’t, someone will notice we’re gone and they’ll come find us. We just have to stay here until then.”
“But what if they find us?”
“They won’t, but we need to stay quiet.”
“But-”
“Shh.”
Lyra stopped talking, but she didn’t stop worrying. She was trembling in fear and looking about anxiously, and Emilia thought that if nothing happened soon, she would either do something foolish out of panic, or she would pass out. The former would be bad for both of them, so Emilia did her best to keep her calm. She let Lyra hug her and hold her hand, even when their hands got warm and sweaty and uncomfortable. Eventually, Lyra fell asleep.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
It took about half an hour for the cows to stop actively searching for them, but they didn’t leave the area. Instead, they decided to lay down for a nap. Emilia recalled her lessons from the older fey when she first arrived at the cave. The cows usually took early afternoon naps for a couple hours before becoming active again, which would have made that a good time to leave if not for their annoying habit of sleeping in shifts. If they did try to leave right then, the cows on watch would spot them and shoot them down.
However, Lyra probably didn’t remember that.
“Lyra,” whispered Emilia, shaking the other girl.
Lyra’s eyes snapped open, and she opened her mouth to say something, but Emilia clamped her hand down on it to stop her.
“The cows are asleep,” whispered Emilia. “If we leave right now, we can get home safely.”
Lyra hesitated for a moment, listening to the sounds of the cows snoring, then nodded. Emilia removed her hand so she could speak.
“We’re leaving?” asked Lyra.
“Yes,” said Emilia, standing up.
The entrance to the hollow trunk was just above her head, and she could see one of the Mother Tree’s fruits far above between the dead branches of their tree. Lyra scrambled to her feet next to Emilia and looked out the hole as well. She was starting to tremble again but her face was set in determination.
“On the count of 3, we fly out as fast as we can,” said Emilia. “Go straight out, then turn left. Don’t stop, and don’t look back. We need to get back to the Mother Tree as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” said Lyra, nodding.
“Ready?”
Lyra nodded again.
“1. 2. 3!”
Lyra shot out of the tree without hesitation. And started flying up and out almost out of Emilia’s sight. Just as Emilia told her, she didn’t look back. Not at first, at least. It was only when she heard one of the cows below her that she realized something was wrong and looked behind her. Emilia caught just a glimpse of her confused expression before she disappeared in a flash of red.
[ You have participated in the killing of a Lesser Sprite, lvl 4 ]
[ You have leveled up! 1 -> 2 ]
It worked! thought Emilia. And I got a level?
The older fey and drow had never explained to her how leveling up happened. Even Hadri wouldn’t tell her. They all said she was “too young” and that she “still had all her life to worry about that.” Emilia didn’t like that answer, but she had no way of getting a better one, so she was stuck with it. Until that moment.
Was that the secret that they were trying to hide? That killing was how they leveled up? But they also said that killing was wrong. Was it actually wrong, or were they just trying to hide leveling up from her? Regardless, they wouldn’t be happy if they knew what Emilia did. Maybe they would come to appreciate it eventually, once they realized how quiet things were without Lyra, but for now, she had to hide what happened.
She had thought of that before, fortunately, so she already had a story prepared. Lyra thought they were asleep, and tried to fly out while they were still around. Not only was it a believable story, since Lyra was stupid, but it was also the truth. Most of it, at least.
All she needed to do after that was cry. If they were going to call her a baby, then she was going to act like one. After all, babies never got in trouble when they cried.
----------------------------------------
Hadri was worried about Emilia. Ever since Lyra died, she hadn’t been the same. She had an unhealthy obsession with death. No matter how he started their lessons, she would always try to turn it to murders, assassinations, and wars.
“Why did Minister Heinz’s assassination cause a war?” she asked one day.
“Emilia,” he said. “We’re talking about the history of confections.”
“I don’t like the history of confections.”
“Well, we all have to deal with things we don’t like sometimes. That’s just a part of life.”
Emilia scowled. She had been doing that a lot lately. At first, he was happy that she was making a new facial expression, but how often she was making it was getting concerning.
I must have been spoiling her too much, he thought. She’s like a toddler, upset whenever something doesn’t go her way.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “If you sit quietly through this lesson, I’ll answer your question at the end.”
“Hmph. Fine.”
He didn’t like her attitude, but it was a slight improvement.
Baby steps, he thought.
“Scholars can’t agree on the exact year, but at some point between the years 970 and 980, meringue was invented, and began to grow in popularity in the nation of Jelor…”
Emilia sat through the whole lesson without so much as a peep, which Hadri found disheartening. She used to ask questions about everything. He couldn’t get more than a few lines out before she would be questioning every third word he said.
“Why did Minister Heinz’s assassination cause a war?” she asked the moment he concluded.
He let out a long sigh. “Emilia, I know things are rough right now. Losing a friend is never easy. But your obsession with death and killing is not healthy. You’re young. You should be out playing, not in here with me learning about how people die.”
“I’m fine,” said Emilia, frowning.
“You’re not,” said Hadri, standing up. “Come on. Let’s go find something fun to do.”
“I don’t want to,” she said crossing her arms.
“Well, then I guess you’ll never find out why that assassination caused that war.”
She hesitated, then put on a pouty face. “I’ll go after you tell me.”
Hadri sighed again. Baby steps.
“Alright. Fine. Minister Heinz’s assassination was not the sole cause of the first Jelorian Civil War. It was merely the last straw in a long string of events. Tensions had been high for years, and in the months leading up to his assassination, General Ottmar and Henrietta of the Beaumont clan were also killed. Minister Heinz was the only thing holding the country together, and when he died, it fell apart.”
“But why?” asked Emilia. “Why wasn’t anyone else trying to stop the war?”
“By that time, no one else wanted to,” explained Hadri. “No one else in power, at least. The Blues and the Reds hated each other so much that they would rather kill the other than have peace.”
“But why?” asked Emilia. “Why did they hate each other so much?”
“That would take quite a bit to explain. Why don’t we go out now, and play.”
“No!” she said. “You said you’d tell me first.”
“I did tell you,” he said. “What you’re asking now is different.”
Emilia thought for a few seconds, then scowled. “Fine. Let’s go.”
While unhappy with how it went, Hadri was glad he was finally getting out with her. She always turned down his requests, preferring to stay inside either learning from him, or reading his books, rather than going out to play.
“Do you have anywhere you want to go?”
“Yes,” she said immediately.
“Oh? Where?”
“That way.” She pointed into the woods.
“Why that way?”
“I wanna show you something.”
“Well, alright then,” said Hadri.
He had no clue what she could possibly want to show him, but he was intrigued. What was over there? Was it something she prepared, or was it something she had seen in the past and thought was interesting. He followed her lead gladly, because whatever it was, the fact that she was showing interest in anything else was good, and he should encourage that.
She led him into the forest past a small grove of mushrooms and to a shallow stream, then stopped in midair and turned around.
“Stand here,” she said, pointing to the ground by the water.
“Okay,” he said, obliging her request. “What is it you want to show me?”
“It’s a surprise. Close your eyes.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t peek.”
“I won’t.”
A moment later, Hadri heard some rustling in a bush nearby. Emilia was grabbing something. He smiled. Whatever she wanted to show him was something she had prepared. Was it something she found? Something she made? The rustling stopped, leaving him fidgeting in anticipation.
What is it? He thought. Is she going to tell me to open my-
Something pricked him in the throat. He opened his eyes in surprise to see a wooden arrow protruding from below his chin, and Emilia hovering just above it. He tried to ask her what was going on, but no words came out. A moment later, he fell forward into the stream, the impact driving the arrow further into his neck.
He couldn’t turn his head. He couldn’t move his limbs. He couldn’t even breathe. All he could do was watch as the water turned red and blood filled his lungs. Emilia flew down just within his line of sight, and he looked at her, trying to ask with his eyes what his mouth no longer could.
Her only answer was a smile.
----------------------------------------
The news of Hadri’s death shook the dwarven community. He wasn’t exactly popular, but he wasn’t hated either. There was no one who would be willing to kill him. He spent all his time holed up in his hut, teaching Emilia history. How could he have made any enemies.
And yet, he was dead. His body was found face down in a creek with a poisoned drow arrow sprouting from his neck. There were no suspects, and Emilia, the lone witness, said that she didn’t see anything. The arrow came from far away, shot by someone hidden between the branches.
Both drow and dwarf came together to comfort the young sprite. In less than a month, she had lost both her closest friend and mentor. The usually stoic girl shed more tears then than ever before, sometimes seeming inconsolable. Not a single person suspected that she might have had anything to do with either death.
Just as she planned.
Well, Lyra’s death hadn’t been planned, but they still didn’t suspect her. When no one was looking, Emilia found it hard to stop herself from smiling. This was fun. It was just like in the history books. Seeing all the things happening as a result of her small actions was so satisfying. Just one small push, and one stolen arrow, and the entire cave system was in disarray.
She barely managed to hide her evolution from everyone else. Fortunately, it was quick, and her new species, {Lesser Assassin Sprite}, looked identical to her old one, so no one could even tell she evolved. Not at a glance, at least. Hiding her increased stats and new skills was more difficult, but she still managed to make it work.
Over the course of the next year, she continued her experiments. A bit of poison here, a renegade cow there, and just a teensy bit of rumormongering. By the end of that year, the relationship between the dwarves and the drow had turned from harmonious to tolerant. There was no open conflict, but there was something simmering under the surface.
By the end of the next year, the leaders of each race were openly arguing with each other, and trade between them had almost ground entirely to a halt. At the end of the year after that, the first murder not planned by Emilia occurred. At the end of the third year, the final step in Emilia’s grand manipulation occurred: the Sister Tree was poisoned, and the war began.
The dwarves had the advantage of metalworking, and in the time they were in the caves, they managed to set up a fortress of sorts that the drow couldn’t hope to penetrate. Not with most of them having classes oriented toward things outside of combat. The drow were driven out of their own cave, away from their dying juvenile Spirit Tree.
However, the dwarves could not conquer the drows’ main base. They knew the terrain too well. If 20 dwarves were sent in, no more than 10 would return, and of those 10, 5 would die of poison. They ultimately decided that it wasn’t worth the cost to take it, and the war ended in a stalemate.
Not everything went exactly as Emilia planned, but she was satisfied with the results. She was able to evolve again, and because of her contributions to the war effort– and the highly unfortunate loss of all but a few of the other fey– she was granted a position of honor and power in the newly shrunken drow tribe.
And no one suspected a thing.