Gilreg’s eyes fluttered open. He was lying on his back on a mat, looking at the bluish brick ceiling. Like a sunrise, he slowly recognized that he was back in the necromancer’s tower. He expected to be in pain from his recent battle, but he felt surprisingly good. He gingerly touched his face, and he felt his cheek was scarred. He also noticed that his arms had faint burn marks as well.

“We couldn’t get rid of the scars, but we were able to fully heal your wounds,” a gentle voice said to his right.

Gilreg turned toward the sound and then immediately leaped to his feet. His hands were searching for his weapons. Panic was starting to spread from his chest, like the start of a forest fire. He was in his padded undergarments and unarmed. He was surrounded by about a dozen elves! His comrades were sleeping, or so he hoped, on their mats. The high-race folk were slender and were similar in height and build to the goblins. Where the goblins had pointy noses, ridged eyebrows, edged cheekbones, and sharp chins, the elves had softer features. Their hair ranged in color from blonde to green and snow white. Their skin colors were pale, sun-kissed tanned, and one was onyx black.

“Relax, we mean you no harm,” the one that had spoken earlier had said. She had the pupilless eyes of a caster, onyx-colored skin, and pure white hair. She could have been a darker, softer, and feminine elven version of Nulrok. The others began to stir awake.

“This is the best I have ever felt after such a hard battle!” The orc prince boomed.

Raine and Nulrok felt tremendous but were stunned into silence when they discovered that they were surrounded by the elves. Shaymus reacted in the same manner as Gilreg and was up on her feet in an instant and searching for weapons.

“As I was telling your colleague here, you do not need to worry. I am a friend of Chalal, and my name is Annya,” the elf with the onyx-colored skin said.

“Where is he?” Nulrok demanded. He didn’t need a weapon as he had his magic.

“Upstairs,” another elf, this one with purple hair and tanned skin, answered nonchalantly.

“You healed us?” Raine asked.

“Yes,” Annya answered.

“Why?”

“As I had stated earlier. I am a friend of Chalal.”

“But why would a cleric of a high race god help us?” Raine asked. She was also trying to figure out how to get to her weapons. Even if she could, the fight would be futile. The elves were armed with swords strapped to their sides and wore light leather and mail armor. And they outnumbered the group.

“I am not a cleric,” said Annya.

“But, only clerics can heal this well,” observed Raine. She was confused. Their Shaman Shimlock was able to do very minor healing, and what Annya did was a miracle. They all should have died from their wounds.

The elves laughed. It was a rich and musical laugh. The goblins might have been insulted if not for the fact that the laughter was pleasant to listen to.

“That is a lie perpetrated by the Pantheon of Five. Healing is a magical force that can be tapped by any mage,” Annya answered.

“I can learn it?” asked Nulrok.

Annya smiled and said, “Yes, but it is very different from the other disciplines. So it is especially difficult to learn if you practice with the other types of magic. For example, after learning healing magic, I was unable to master any other discipline.”

“Tell us more about the lie and the Pantheon of Five?” Raine asked.

“It is believed that the five Gods created the world. Caeriggnas, lord of the blue flame and God of law and order. Viaiter, goddess of the roads and Luck. Numaron, the Deity of Coin and Knowledge. Ararax, God of war and courage. And last, Alhyaa, goddess of life and farming. We are told that they are good. We are told that demons and devils are evil. That the so-called High Races were created in their image. All of that,” Annya said with a wave of her hand and added, “lies.”

“What is the truth?” Wondered Raine.

“I do not know the truth. I do know this. The universe, like nature, has large and small beings. The gods are not creators but are massive and powerful entities. Imagine them being sharks in the ocean, and we mortals are like minnows. The gods need soul energy to survive; like food, some energy is more nutritious than others. A conscious soul that has lived an experienced life will provide the gods with a healthy amount of energy.”

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“Adventurers give them more soul energy?” Asked Gilreg.

“Yes, and this is where it gets interesting. The gods have managed to trick what you call the “high races” into offering up their souls to them. They manage this by making a trade. Granting powers for their soul. This is very much like domesticating wild animals. Having a chicken that can lay eggs day after day is a constant source of nourishment rather than hunting and killing a wild fowl.”

“But why allow adventurers to return back to life?” Nulork asked.

“For them to gain more experience and become more potent, then their soul energy is much stronger,” Annya answered.

“I see that you are well and that you have met the dark elves,” Chalal said as he came down the stairs. His shadowy robes fluttered like smoke around him.

“Hello, my love,” Annya said with a warm smile. The two casters embraced and made such a contrast. Chalal was pale and covered in darkness. Annya had dark skin but was covered in light.

The other dark elves looked away. Raine, Gilreg, and Nulrok smiled at the display of affection. Booger and Shaymus didn’t care. Booger searched for food while Shaymus searched for her weapons.

“Dark Elves?” Gilreg asked when the two were finished hugging. Only Annya had dark skin.

“They don’t look like dark elves,” Shaymus observed.

“How would a dark elf look like?” The one with purple air questioned.

“Like her,” responded Shaymus, and she nodded toward Annya.

“We elves come in many different shades. We are called Dark Elves because we were exiled long ago from the Great Forest Kingdom,” Annya explained. She was holding Chalal’s hand.

“Not exiled. We fled because we were hunted and killed like animals,” another elf growled. This one had tanned brown skin with green hair.

“Why?” asked Raine.

“Because we chose to question the gods, and we were persecuted and forced to flee to the Wastelands,” the healer answered.

Remembering her mission, Raine changed the course of the conversation. “Chalal says you can direct us toward Haven,” she asked.

“You are searching for the Envoys?” The onyx-colored elf asked, and Raine nodded.

“They have been missing. Haven has disappeared,” said the green-haired elf with tanned skin.

“What?!? How?” Raine asked. Her hopes to complete her mission have been shattered.

“About a year ago, a group of ten powerful adventurers passed through our territory. We lost dozens of Guardians. They took our Talisman that allowed us to locate Haven. Ever since then, we have not heard from an Envoy,” explained Annya.

“You think they found the portal to the Dungeon from Haven? That they defeated…” Raine started but couldn’t complete her sentence.

“The Dreaded One? It is possible,” answered Chalal.

“With the Dungeon defeated, why then the uptick in adventurers recently? Why do they keep coming?” Gilreg asked.

“The Dungeon is massive. I doubt the ten were able to loot the entirety of it. Maybe Haven and the Envoys’ disappearance is because they are looking to select a new Dreaded One?” Chalal reasoned.

“Like an election?” Nulrok asked, and the necromancer shrugged.

“There are still many ruins and quest items for the adventurers to find in the Wasteland. Even this cemetery still has much to offer,” said Annya.

“Why do a group of lowly goblins want to speak with the Dreaded One?” The green-haired elf asked.

“Tassarion!” Annya exclaimed.

Shaymus bristled, but Gilreg placed his hand on her shoulder. He said, “A potent group of adventurers raided our tribe and were seeking this,” and pulled out the Chalice.

“Two of them came here, and they were the most formidable adventurers I have ever encountered,” Chalal stated.

“You handled them easily enough,” observed Nulrok.

“Yes, after you five wounded them significantly. I honestly don’t know if I could have taken them on if they were fresh.”

“Really? Goblins? The lowest of the creatures in the Wasteland?” Tassarion, the green-haired elf, sneered.

“Say that again! I dare you,” Shaymus hissed.

“That’s enough, master elf. I assure you that these goblins are quite skilled. I have seen them fight with my own eyes,” Chalal said, intervening.

“Ahem, one orc here,” Booger stated. He had managed to find food and was eating while everyone was talking.

“How can we get into the Dungeon?” Raine asked.

“Elenorak would know,” answered Annya.

“The dragon?!?” Exclaimed Raine.

The onyx-colored elf nodded and was impressed with the goblin’s knowledge. “You surprise me, coming from the early stages of the Wasteland. You have knowledge and skills,” the healer commented.

Shaymus growled, and Gilreg rubbed her shoulders to calm the demon-touched goblin.

“Do we seek out Elenorak?” Gilreg asked the group. Booger shrugged and continued to eat. Nulrok rubbed his chin as he pondered, and Shaymus glared at the green-haired elf.

“I don’t see we have any other option,” observed Raine.

“The Dragonspawn territory borders our forests. We can take you there, but I must warn you. They are not welcoming to strangers. If you do gain an audience with Elenorak, she is equally likely to help you or eat you,” Annya said.

“Great,” sighed Booger.