“Goodbye, my grandson. Be safe and enjoy yourself. I know for a fact that you’re a smart boy; listen to your tutor and take care of your companion.”
Shaden’s grandfather turned his head to Eilae. “Take care of my boy for me. He has much to learn.”
Eilae lowered her head. “Yes, Elder.”
After giving the group one last glance, the old man stepped away and vanished like smoke. Shaden saw his grandfather fade away like breath on a glass pane, and there was nothing left but emptiness before them.
“He didn’t say goodbye to you,” Shaden said to his tutor.
Lytha’s expression looked blank. “He never does. Now, let’s go. Do you have all of your things?”
The two children nodded. Shaden tightened his grip of the large bag that was hung around his shoulders. He felt that it was slightly unfair that he had to be the one to carry the heaviest load. Well, it was pretty light when he was circulating. His tutor had reasoned that since he was the one with the most amount of mana, it was natural that he expended it.
Eilae, on the other hand, held a considerable suitcase in her hands. It looked too big for her small stature, but she looked unfazed by it. Shaden wondered what lay within the container. Probably lots of clothes.
His aunt, on the other hand…held nothing but a small purse—the same one she always carried around, the one that held all of the money. They hadn’t needed a bag before since their food came from the wilderness, but they were heading towards civilization now. Not small villages and shops, but whole cities and brand-new countries.
The tree split in two and shuddered as a pool of black revealed itself from within the bark.
Lytha took the first step into the tree, and Eilae watched with uncertainty in her eyes.
“…………”
She whispered something soft, particularly to no one. Adjusting her dress, she glanced at Shaden.
“Go on,” he said. “It’s not scary.”
“I wasn’t scared,” she replied, her eyes slightly tilted. Looking straight into the mysterious surface of the portal, she stepped one foot into it, then the next—and went inside.
Shaden took one last look around the garden of black trees with white leaves. They were at the farthest corner, where the portal led to somewhere he had never been to before. How long would it be until he returned? Uncertainty filled him, but this was part of life.
Taking a deep breath, he jumped into the darkness.
〄 〄 〄
“Where are we?” asked Shaden.
His eyes rested upon grey, stone pillars, and when he looked up, a dark, smooth roof covered the sky from his eyes. He looked around—the dark wasn’t a problem for him as he had learned how to see in it with substantial clarity—and saw that he was standing in a relatively open area. There was a wall that curved around the black tree behind him, and the tree’s white leaves shimmered softly in the dark like a flock of fireflies. The ends of the wall were continued by pillars that took its place, which also surrounded the open area with the tree at the center.
The place looked very simple and old, but the stone showed no decay. There weren’t any cracks despite the dust that had filled it. What unsettled Shaden the most was the place’s eerie silence; no wind, no chirping of birds—just the silence of the solid walls.
It was broken by his tutor’s footsteps.
“The edge of the largest elven kingdom—Yrmar,” answered his tutor.
“We’ve come that far?” breathed Eilae as Lytha walked around the floor. Her footsteps echoed on the cold walls, filling the emptiness. “It must’ve been a few hundred leagues!”
“It was the farthest we can travel.” Lytha stopped for a brief moment before walking again. “There doesn’t seem to be anyone around. Come, follow me.”
The two children quickly followed their tutor and passed the pillars. Shaden heard the tree groan behind him as it closed but continued along the hall. There was light beyond the pillar, and he soon realized that it was the entrance to the place. Looking around, the building was shaped like a round flask with a long neck. Perhaps there were other rooms, but Shaden didn’t spot any.
They emerged out into the bright sunlight but were greeted by a cold gust of wind.
Shaden pulled his hood around his head. “What did you say this place was? An elven kingdom?”
“Yrmar,” said Lytha.
“Yr-mar.”
It had a weird accent to it which made Shaden’s tongue twist in slight frustration. “An elven kingdom.”
They began walking through the snow. Shaden was surprised at the amount of green he saw around him. Despite the fact that it was still the middle of winter, leaves—broad and needle-shaped ones alike—clung on to the thick branches of the forest. Surprisingly, there were only small amounts of snow on the trees; most of it was on the ground.
It must be because of the wind, he thought as another strong gust blew across his face. As for the leaves...he didn’t know. Like animals, plants also had the ability to adapt to mana. Perhaps this was one of the signs of it.
But he still had to ask. His aunt’s answer surprised him.
“A wide-scale enchantment?” Shaden exclaimed. “Around the whole country?”
“It’s a few thousand years old, and some say it’s the work of their gods, but yes—it’s an enchantment by some absurdly powerful being.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in gods,” said Shaden.
She let out a snort. “There aren’t any gods—just powerful, selfish beings. Old, ancient beings that have absorbed all the mana they can. Don’t worry about it too much, Eilae,” she added.
Eilae nodded. Shaden was confused, but he decided to stay quiet.
They walked—no, rather ran—through the snow silently. He had been worried for Eilae, but she looked fine. They kept on running without a word, without speaking. That’s what he and Lytha had done during their two years of wilderness-survival, but now that a new member had joined, Shaden felt like the silence was a little inappropriate.
Shouldn’t children spend more time speaking? he thought.
He inched closer to Eilae, who had a mask over her mouth and nose.
“So, this place we’re going to—Yrmar. Do you know anything about it?”
Without averting her eyes, she answered. “Yrmar, a neighbor of Melern to the west, dominantly occupied by elves. They are called a kingdom, but in reality, they operate more like a republic. You didn’t know?”
Her blue eyes didn’t blink as the words flowed out from her mouth like a river, much like a well-oiled machine with an automatic response.
“No, not exactly.” Come to think of it, his aunt hadn’t told him much about the world. When he had asked, she had replied with, “Focus on training. Keeping your head filled with other things will lower your performance,” with a smile that didn’t look so kind. No maps, no nothing. He had blindly followed his aunt around.
He frowned. It hadn’t been that bad, had it? Learning new skills had been exciting. Something tugged at him, but he let it slide.
“You should have learned all about countries by age five,” she said. “All the cities by age six, all the major families by age seven.”
“I’m surprised you know all of that.”
Her chest seemed to puff out, only a little. “My family has the best education there is,” she said, slightly proud. But it quickly subsided. “Now, I’m here with you…”
Eilae’s voice trailed off as she whispered the last sentence. Another gust of cold wind hit Shaden’s face, and he circulated to keep his blood warm.
〄 〄 〄
They ran until finally, they emerged into a broad road.
Lytha stopped, as well as Shaden and Eilae, who seemed to be breathing in deeply but soundlessly.
“There is a village near here,” she said. “We’ll walk until then.”
They had left in the morning, but now, the sun was close to being right above them. Shaden then realized that they had been running for about two hours. He had been entranced by the scenery and the new animals he had spotted and had failed to notice Eilae’s heavy breathing.
“Are you okay?” he asked as they trod along the road.
“I’m…fine.”
She didn’t look fine. Her face was flushed, and her eyes wavered a little. Shaden scratched his cheek.
“……here, let me carry it for you.”
He stretched out a hand to Eilae, and she stared at it for a few seconds. Her grip tightened around the handle of her suitcase, but eventually, she passed it on to Shaden.
“Be…careful with it.”
“Of course.”
It was much heavier than he thought, but still pretty light. Definitely too much for a girl who didn’t have as much mana as him.
“You should have asked me sooner,” he said while lifting the bag. “This is pretty heavy.”
“It would have inconvenienced you. Since…you’re also carrying that.”
Shaden smiled. “I might not know much about countries, but my body is strong. That’s how I was trained.”
“……I apologize if my words before sounded haughty.”
“What? No! Not at all.” She had looked proud, but it wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. “I have the stamina, and it would be a waste to not use it. According to her,” he added, pointing to Lytha.
“Pfff…”
Eilae let out a small laugh—the first one he had heard from her. He smiled broadly. She had felt so much like a doll that he hadn’t been sure if she would ever laugh.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
“You’re kind, Shaden.”
“Thanks. Then in return, can I ask you some questions?”
“Please do.”
“Your family, the Veurbois—are they a noble family in Melern?”
She shook her head. “Our family resides within the Rvuvick Empire.”
“The—what?”
Eilae looked taken aback. “The Rvuvick Empire. You don’t know of it?”
Shaden regretted not reading other books on geography. He hated maps in school, so there wasn’t any reason for him to like them here. Once he had believed that this world was a dream, so he hadn’t cared, but after he switched his worldview…it hadn’t occurred to him. He had just been so busy. He knew what Melern looked like—his brother had had a book on Melern’s history—but other countries, he hadn’t cared.
Of course there were other countries besides Melern.
Shaden shook his head.
“Do you know any countries?”
“Erm—”
Shaden desperately searched within his mind for anything. Anything at all, any names that he might have heard—
“Ah! Cantaronia. And…Bughart?”
“Bughast. It’s where the Nieut family is located. How do you not know? You’re the heir of the Limen family, aren’t you?”
“About that…”
“He wasn’t educated until he was six,” interjected Lytha. “The only things he has been taught are the arts of the family. This trip is an opportunity for him to learn, and you’re here to help him.”
Eilae bowed her head. “I understand,” she replied.
“No need to be so formal. You are part of the group now.”
Eilae nodded, and Lytha turned back towards the front.
Shaden really hoped that the moderately heavy air between them would clear soon. There was this atmosphere of respect that he couldn’t ignore, and it choked on him a little. His aunt was a scary person, sure, but she wasn’t mean.
“Well, you heard her. Also, she doesn’t really care about formalities, so you can relax,” Shaden whispered to Eilae. “Just do what she instructs, and it’ll be alright.”
“Is that really fine?”
“Yep! You’re nine years old, for goodness sake.”
“And you’re eight.”
He scratched his cheek. “Funny, right?”
“Not really.”
She coughed, covering her already-masked mouth with her hand. “Shall I tell you more about the Rvuvick Empire?” she suggested.
Shaden nodded. “Please do.”
She cleared her throat. “The Rvuvick Empire, also known as the Great Empire, or the Empire of the Stars. The wealthiest country in the world with reaches in mining, commerce, agriculture, trade, education, tourism, and more. A neighbor of Melern to the east.”
“And the Veurbois?”
“One of the six great families that oversees the regions of the empire. The Veurbois oversees the southwest region, located next to Melern and Nafar.”
“Nafar?”
“Another country. Main sources of money used to be mercenary work, but after the Treaty of Saiton, switched to mining, agriculture, cattle-raising, wyvern-raising, selling exotic foods and spices…lots of delicious dishes.”
“By Saiton, do you mean…the Sage?”
“No. I mean the city, named after the Sage.”
“So…the Sage wasn’t present during the Treaty.”
“Of course not. If he had been, he would have been at over two hundred years old. He’s not an elf or dwarf. Considering that he’s the Sage, he might have lived that long, but—”
“He left for the west.”
“So you know.”
Shaden shrugged. “Everyone knows.”
It was a famous tale that almost every child was told. After Saiton had gained influence all around the world and power that no other man had held before—he left on a small boat to the west, beyond the Crystal Islands, into the unknown where the gods resided. Moral of the story was, ‘the wisest of men know when to give up their power for something greater.’ He was surprised he still remembered it.
The thing was, he never came back and was probably dead.
Eilae coughed again. “The relationship between our families is a long and deep one, spanning a couple of centuries. I’m sure you recognize this passage. The Elders knelt before the Diadem, and the blessing of life and death was bestowed—”
“—upon the blood on their heads,” finished Shaden.
It was one of the first lines of the skill book he had read when he had begun training.
Eilae nodded. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the arts. Each family was given one to take care of, and the Limen family stands at the center of all of it.”
Of course, Shaden hadn’t known this.
“The arts?”
“You do not know?”
Eilae’s head tilted slightly to the side in puzzlement, and she looked into Shaden’s eyes with her clear, blue irises. Shaden shook his head in response, to which the little girl cleared her throat.
“Simply, each family possesses a skill book like the absolute cloaking of the Limen family. For example, the Veurbois family specializes in manipulation and persuasion. A form of mind control, you could say.”
“Really? Aunt, how come I haven’t heard of this before?” he called out.
“You would have been too distracted!” she called back. “Come, we’re almost there.”
〄 〄 〄
The small group soon spotted a fork in the road—a sign before them pointed towards a village named Bledrflir.
Another weird name, he thought to himself. The trees around them had thinned out to some degree; no longer were their vision obstructed by the leagues and leagues of trees that seemed to stretch out endlessly. Even Eilae didn’t seem to be aware of this small village, to which Lytha replied, “It is a small settlement where we can obtain our supplies.”
Though she had described the place as small, Shaden soon realized that the village was on par with a small town. The first structure that greeted them was a tall, stone wall, sealed with something that reminded Shaden of concrete. Compared to the busy streets of Danark, the area seemed lifeless but was bustling with people, nevertheless.
They approached the gates which were guarded by two soldiers in rough, but relatively clean uniforms and brown winter cloaks. They bore no emblems on their chests, unlike what his father had worn.
“Humans?” said Eilae, surprise evident on her face. “A human settlement?”
“Originally a temporary settlement for refugees,” explained Lytha. “Once things calmed down, more people came here to live. A decent place for trade, considering that merchants can spend the night here.”
“Or other humans,” commented Eilae, her hand on her chin. “Considering the location and proximity to the portal, this village could serve as a strategic point.”
“Correct. But the internal disputes are over now.”
Lytha fetched something that looked like a badge and displayed it to one of the guards, who took it. After inspecting it, he handed it back.
“That’s one old traveling pass,” muttered the guard. “Welcome to Bledrflir. Enjoy your stay.”
The small gate was already open, so the three of them passed right through it.
Shaden's eyes instantly latched onto the houses in the town. Everything seemed to be made out of wood, unlike the walls. But the buildings weren’t simply made out of nailed wooden planks; their bases were rooted into the ground, like large tree stumps. The houses were one uniform structure, and for Shaden, it looked like someone had carved into a giant tree to create these houses. What made it weirder was the fact that there weren’t any trees that thick in the vicinity, and that most of the houses were long.
The second feature that Shaden noticed was the ground. It was still dirt, like the road, but harder, like a thousand giants had stomped on the place to make it flat. He kicked the ground, and to his surprise, it refused to break.
Eilae’s eyes were full of curiosity too. “The houses are elven, but the people are humans,” she stated.
“Do you recognize the architecture?” asked Shaden.
“A little bit. The elven consulate in our region had similar looks. It’s new to see so many of them in one area.”
The village wasn’t only filled with the tree-houses, though. As there were humans, (and only humans for some reason), some of the buildings had been replaced with the familiar architecture of stone, wood, and plaster.
“A village in an elven country, but only filled with humans,” said Shaden. “Is there a reason for that?”
“If you were an elf, would you want to live here?” answered Eilae.
“What?”
She sighed. “I take it that you didn’t study history.”
“Err……no.”
“So basically,”
She went on to explain the situation to Shaden.
Racism. Simply, it was racism between the different races.
Eilae finished her short recap of the long-lasting war between the humans and the elves that had happened a few hundred years ago.
“The problem with elves is that they live too long,” muttered Eilae. “The old ones are very thick-headed.”
Shaden tilted his head. “This might sound stupid, but why is there elven architecture here then? If they dislike being with humans so much. Were they hired?”
Eilae raised a finger and pointed towards the houses. “Look. How old do they look?”
His eyes followed her direction and rested upon the tree-like buildings once more. Upon closer inspection, the walls were covered with traces of moss, and the wood looked very dead and ancient.
“Very old.”
“Then let’s say there is a war between you and your neighbor. What would the people closest to the scene of the war do?”
An invisible lightbulb lit up above Shaden’s head. “Run away…these were abandoned buildings, and humans took over them. Right?”
“Yes. Normal elven buildings have more green on them.”
Shaden was slightly disappointed. He had wanted to see an elven settlement, after all. Well, it would have to wait. He continued to follow after his aunt, inspecting the scenery. It was a good thing that they all wore plain, winter cloaks; they didn’t stand out too much in foreign territory.
Lytha stopped in front of a stone building that reminded Shaden of a barn. The walls were stone, and the smell of manure hung in the air.
“Are we getting horses?” asked Shaden. “I thought you didn’t like horses.”
“This time, it’s necessary. Do you want to walk through the whole continent?”
“Of course not.”
Lytha let out a small grunt and pushed the door of the building. There was a small ringing noise, and the group entered and quickly closed the door to keep the winter air out.
“Mlenf! Are you here?” shouted Lytha. Her voice filled the building, and there was a small rustling noise at the back.
“What!” yelled a hoarse voice from the back. “Who’s there!”
Footsteps were heard as someone made their way to the entrance. There were several bangs and clangs until finally, an old-looking man without facial hair waddled out of a door in the back. His eyes looked bloodshot, and his head was bent forwards in an unhealthy way, like a hunchback. He groggily made his way to the front, bottle in one hand. After lazily wiping his face with his wrinkled free hand, he looked up and spotted Lytha.
“Mistress!!” he exclaimed. The old man immediately hid his bottle behind his back and tried his best to stand up straight. There was a crack as his spine straightened, and his expression twisted into half-pain, half-surprise at the figure before him. “You haven’t been here in years!”
“You look terribly old. Do you need to go back to Skotos?”
Fear filled the old man’s face. “No! Not at all. I am doing very well here, I promise you.”
“The horses?”
He cleared his throat, one eye twitching as it struggled to stay open. “All well fed, well bred, and well trained. I may look like this, but my skills haven’t dwindled in the least. Business is good, business is very good.”
He smiled weakly. “I was indulging myself, just a little. Just a little. Life hasn’t been better.”
“Good. Prepare a ride for us. It will be across the whole continent, so fetch a suitable horse.”
“Yes, yes. Another journey. I understand.”
The old man bowed and waddled away. Lytha sighed and took a seat near the window. Shaden and Eilae quietly followed her example and sat down.
“A person from Skotos?” asked Shaden.
“Yes. A very talented horse trainer.”
“I see, but why does he look so…you know.”
“He can’t leave this place. That was the deal. And as you could see, there isn’t much going on here. Everyone is old, nothing is exciting. He must be going crazy after spending decades raising horses.”
Lytha chuckled, to which Shaden raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that…sad?”
“He deserves it.”
The old man walked into the place again, either oblivious of or ignoring the conversation that had taken place. He tried his best to smile and beckoned to Lytha.
“Mistress, a steed is ready. Bred for long distances, pulling a cart with two children won’t be any problem. The breed is a Winterback crossed with—”
“Yes, yes, I trust your skills.”
The man bowed. “Please, come this way.”
The group was led out of the back door, and the smell of manure became stronger. The cold air helped lessen the odor, but it was still bad.
“The servants are resting today, you see,” explained the man. “Sent a few of them on vacation for the winter. I am doing my best, mistress.”
“Naturally.”
The building was connected to a large stable around three times the size of the house, and the sound of horses breathing reached Shaden’s ears. In front of the stable, a lean, tall horse with a hide of thick grey shook its mane, mist coming out from its nose. The horse looked well-built, and abundant energy radiated out of it.
“A young one, four years of age,” said the old man proudly. “Bred for long distances and resistance to the cold. The summer will make it shed its coat, so moderate heat won’t do it harm. Please, inspect it. I’m sure my lord and lady here will find its gentle nature appealing. Now, let me fetch the cart.”
The wrinkled man went around the barn to fetch the carriage, and Shaden and Eilae walked to the horse to see it. The horse was quiet, except for the snorts it made occasionally.
“A little inelegant, but it looks like a good horse,” commented Eilae. She approached the horse from the side and slowly raised an arm. The horse kept still as she stroked its long neck with her hands. Or at least she tried to, and Shaden held in his laughter as Eilae tried to reach the horse’s neck by tip-toeing. She eventually gave up and settled for its legs. The horse didn’t seem to mind.
After touching its muscles, Eilae turned around. “It’s incredibly big,” she said.
Obviously, she noticed the grin that stretched across Shaden’s face, and her cheeks flushed slightly. But she kept her cool and walked back to him.
“Does the little lady like the steed?” asked the old man with a grin. He had emerged from the back, pulling on a moderately large cart. The vehicle had a neat cover around it and two flaps at the front and back to seal the insides. He was surprisingly strong for someone who looked so frail.
“It’s a good horse,” agreed Eilae.
“Of course it is! I do my best, I do my best.”
The old man pulled the cart to the horse, and a few moments passed as he pulled the straps around the horse with expert precision. Soon, the horse had been equipped with the cart.
Upon his tutor’s approval, Shaden got up on the cart and put his giant bag along with Eilae’s suitcase inside of it. He let out a sigh of satisfaction as his shoulders were lightened. Eilae approached him, and he helped her up.
“How many more years?” asked the old man.
“Once everything has been paid back.”
The man bowed and silently backed off. “Please, have a good trip.”
Lytha turned away and climbed onto the driver’s seat. She took the reins of the horse and placed her hand on its back. She muttered something and the horse seemed to go on alert. The horse let out a loud grunt and began to move, and it pulled the carriage onto the road and stopped.
“When will you be back?” asked the man, arms behind his back.
“No less than two years.”
“I see, I see.”
He let out a weak smile. “Goodbye, mistress. Safe and exciting trips for all of you.”
With a crack of the reins, the carriage began to move.