17.3
Clack.
A pair of doors closed firmly behind Soleria Valindra Eridi as two elves with yellow gold hair awaited for her.
This was Shi’komore.
The land of where the dark elves dwelt, far removed from the elves of A’vetheas.
If locating A’vetheas was like finding a needle in haystacks for the average person, figuring out the venue for Shi’komore was akin to finding the same needle in a sea of haystacks.
In other words, Shi’komore, was far more secluded than A’vetheas could ever be. Just like their elf counter parts in A’vetheas, the dark elves too, preferred to live in isolation, from both society, and even the Elven Tribe.
“How is she?” Coraine, who leaned against the exterior walls of a nearby tavern, asked with arms crossed.
“Her fever has yet to subside. Though…it might take some time before she wakes.”
“How long?”
“That depends on Raina.”
“What does that mean, Soleria?” Coraine raised a brow.
“The princess is safe as long as she is with us… But her connection to J-John… might prolong her recovery time. It is still unsure if the magic she used earlier was of her own, or the demon magic from that fabric she had. In the worst case…she might end up like us.”
“…”
“You seem like you have something to say to me,” the dark elf addressed Lureena. “It’s been quite a while since I last saw a Heaves. I presume you are one of Veissa’s court mages?”
“!!!”
Lureena’s eyes jolted open, neither Coraine nor she had told Soleria of their names after they split ways with Protheus and Declan—as Declan was sent to an observation facility for his actions prior where the dark elves would decide what they are to do with him.
Moreover, Soleria knew Lureena’s full name, Lureena Heaves.
“Relax, Heaves. Even if Veissa had not informed me, it’s easy to spot someone from your bloodline. Always so watchful. I believe you are Lureena, correct? And Coraine and Protheus here are Raina’s attendants.”
“More of an instructor as per the princess’ request,” Coraine answered
Lureena nodded her head, but even with Soleria’s words, her gaze had not left the dark elf. Though Lureena had never seen dark elves in her life prior to today, it was not as if she was ignorant of their existence, dark elves were simply elves who dabbled in taboo magic in the great war.
Their darkened skin and white hair was proof of the sins they committed against the natural order.
Even then, Lureena’s cautious gaze towards Soleria was not because of she was a dark elf.
Rather, it was who Soleria had proclaimed to be.
Soleria Valindra Eridi.
“The second Princess of King Lestmund, the Bastion of Eternity...”
Soleria’s face turned into a bitter frown upon hearing Lureena’s voice.
“...was pronounced dead the first year into the Great War. Soleria Valindra was murdered by demons, inciting King Lestmund, the Bastion of Eternity’s last assault before he—”
“That’s enough, Lureena,” Coraine interrupted.
“You’re Princess Raina aunt, how are you…” Lureena’s mouth was agape, half confused and taken aback.
“Alive?” Soleria raised a brow. Her frown had slightly abated but remained on her dainty face with long ears. “I was never killed. The records are falsified, Heaves. My father announced my death when I…” Soleria paused herself before she spoke anymore. “Now is not the time for that. There are more pressing matters for the time being, we have to prepare for when she wakes, an arduous road lies ahead.”
Coraine raised her brow, “I thought this is where the trial takes place?”
Soleria shook her head, “Princess Raina is to prepare herself before she is to proceed on her path. Such is the fate of an Elven Princess, be it thousands years ago, or now. As the descendant of Veissa Valindra Eridi. Raina walks an unconventional path, an unusual one, to say the least.”
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“What does being Queen Veissa’s child have anything to do with the trial?” Lureena spoke.
“Raina Valindra Eridi’s existence was came to be because the Elven Queen desired for her own fate to change. Let alone birthed without a father, Veissa herself was not pregnant with Raina, despite being her mother.”
“What the…”
“That’s not right...”
“Royal elves have such abilities to allow for their bloodline to continue by creating children without a partner. This occurrence was rare in the ancient times, but not impossible.”
“I could have sworn I saw Queen Veissa carrying Raina in her womb…”
Soleria’s lips curved upwards at Coraine’s confused expression, “What you saw, and what reality is, are two different things. Veissa is skilled at illusion, perception and manipulation magic, much like our Princess Raina.”
“Assuming that is the truth, what does this have to do with the trial? What are we preparing for?” Lureena interjected.
“Everything, Heaves. In the ancient ruins of the Elven Kingdom, one week prior to its utter collapse, a monolith appeared at our capitol, where it implied Veissa Valindra Eridi as the last successor and no other royal elf is to replace her thereafter.”
“…”
“That means… Raina is not a royal elf?”
“On the contrary, she is. Rather, fate’s design prevents her from succeeding Queen Veissa.”
Shroom!!!
The trees of Meastes rustled violently as a horrible torrent of wind made its way across the sky, parting rain and clouds alike in the maroon skies.
“Where is—”
Ephinelyth halted her monologue when she spotted an unusual flow of the atmosphere from where she flew.
Her white wings flapped as she stopped her tremendous flight speed and remained at the spot where she detected the unusual atmosphere.
In her dragon form, her enhanced hearing made her thumping heart ever more apparent.
Rain scattered across her face as she quietly scanned her surroundings with her magic. Making use of the heightened senses that her Elder Dragon form provided her, she was adamant to find what she was looking for.
…
Silence.
Her detection magic used on the land of Meastes did not yield her any result, nor did her heightened senses.
With the ongoing rain and wind that was blowing in the area, compiled with her hasty emotions, Ephinelyth was unable to focus.
How could she?
How could anyone in her position be calm in such a situation?
If anything, like little Mizzy earlier, Ephinelyth felt though she wanted to cry upon receiving the news from Petunia’s mind with her telepathy ability.
Like how she had been seven years ago, Ephinelyth was as helpless as she was before.
She could not do a thing as the fleeting world passed her by, because she was indecisive, because she, like how she had been seven years ago, was not strong enough to act on her promises she gave.
To him.
If she remained the same girl who was hesitant to intervene in John’s affairs, knowing that he desperately needed help, knowing that he needed support.
She would lose him like she had seven years ago.
This time, not to the amnesia that he induced upon himself nor the magic he wielded.
Rather, his very self that she loved and admired so dearly.
For the greatest enemy of the man she held dear to her heart, was none other than John himself.
“I’m sorry…”
His broken voice croaked in her mind, in a tone far broken than the deranged and disillusioned ones she knew of.
Ephinelyth’s heart squeezed at the voice, even she who was imagining it could not stop herself from shedding tears at such a woeful voice.
“I’m…”
His voice in her mind softened, almost seeming to have run out of energy.
But that was not quite right, Ephinelyth herself was the one who imagined his voice.
It made no sense that her mental interpretation of him weakened.
“!!!”
Then she understood.
“...sorry.”
Ephinelyth wrapped her dragon wings around her body as she allowed gravity to guide her downwards towards the ground. Wind hit her body as she flew downwards to the source of his voice.
It was no illusion, nor the work of her imagination.
She was certain it was him she heard in her mind.
After all, they had a mental connection that far preceded conventional understanding.
Something that even she herself could not understand but could intuitively know was there. Something that was long meant to be, something even her mother had acknowledged and—
Ephinelyth’s mind came to a screeching halt when land came to sight.
With the skillful grace of a cat, she landed on the damp soil of Meastes, changed into her usual human form and bolted.
She wanted to tell him about their shared times from seven years ago, tell him things that she so desperately wanted to tell him when they first met up with each other in Moxnet.
Ephinelyth found him.
In the opening among the forests of Meastes, laid a man who on his knees.
In his arms was the body of a wolfkin whose gray tail stained in dried blood.
Not far away from him, a lone sword lodged in the ground where the split corpse of a sultry woman was. And slightly further, a skeleton that tore through a figure who was skinned of all her flesh—lying beneath the skeleton’s feet was another woman who was similarly murdered.
Ephinelyth froze in place, despite the many horrors she know that existed, despite having the maturity to understand suffering far worse than death, despite knowing there are more cruelty that existed in this god forsaken world.
With the tragic sight painted before her eyes, Ephinelyth, the Elder Dragon, she was once again, reminded of her flaws.
Her flaws of not acting resolutely, her flaws of having the powers of an Elder Dragon but not having the desire to use them like her parents, or her hot-blooded brother.
The scene sang many things to her.
About how bizarre the world was, how illogical, how insane it was in the events that take place in it. And how fleeting life and death was.
One moment, her heart eased at John who was still living and breathing. The next, her stomach wanted to crawl out of her mouth for having seen the aftermath of what transpired.
And as Evie, a girl who held a simple wish in her heart…
The scene reminded her that, if the sobbing man before her were to die at any second, her heart would break and soon follow suit.
Her chest seemingly folded it upon itself, her body felt like it would crumble at the slightest of wind.
For he, was her ambition. The purpose to her existence.
She wanted nothing more but to see him smile again, to whisper sweet promises to her, to spend time with him, to show him what she knew, to share everything she had with him.
What she got was a man who was barely hanging on to the thread of himself.
He was her reason, he was why she could accept herself, he was why, despite born in a world where she wanted no part of, Ephinelyth was able to accept her circumstances.
Like seven years ago, she had the strength in her hands to prevent the tragedy that was to befall on John, but like seven years ago, she was powerless to do so in time.
History repeated itself.
And Evie was once again, far too late to help.
“Forgive me.”