Interlude: Shadow

Shadow or Shaerra Suntribe stepped onto the sunny plains within the Forest of Life with sparce tress placed here and there within this section of the forest. Shaerra took a long deep break and removed her shoes and much of her clothing. Letting the heat from the two suns kiss along her skin. She exhaled and began to move slowly enjoying the feeling of being back in familiar lands as the wind tickle her long ears. She was home.

Soon she would be within the tribe itself bringing new cultivation resources for the youth and maybe a new training method to drastically increase their strength. Something the sun elves never used to worry about. Her pace began to speed up as she neared the tribe grounds and from walking to skipping to outright using her power to jump from the shadows of tree to tree yet always taking a few seconds to bask within the sunlight before doing so once again.

She was a sun elf yet instead of using a common ability from her tribe Shaerra was using something that was the complete opposite. Shadows. Or maybe it was part of their culture just misunderstood.

Her steps slowed as she finally neared the tribal grounds and she slowly walked through the boundary that represented their home. Instantly four powerful auras locked upon her before dispersing as she projected her own. A young elf came running from the one of the large sun trees that represented their homes. Her features where similar to Shaerra only… less otherworldly and more in the extremely beautiful and not in the celestial category.

Shaerra watched with amusement as her cousin bounded up to her a huge smile upon her face.

“SHAERRA!” The young elf yell while jumping towards her.

Shaerra caught the young elf who was only slightly shorter than her. If a human saw the elf, she would think that she was a young woman ready to set out in the world herself. Yet Shaerra only saw a twenty-year-old girl who was still wet behind the ears.

Laughing she set the girl down before speaking slightly bumping their foreheads.

“Aurae Suntribe what have I told you about announcing my return like this. Look,” Shaerra said pointing as all the young elves who heard Aurae yell began to emerge and run towards Shaerra.

“Now I’ll never be able to relax in peace.”

The young elf gave off a sheepish smile before once again hugging Shaerra.

“It’s just that you’ve been gone for so long.”

Shaerra rolled her eyes before returning the hug.

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“A little under five years is nothing to us. You are young so you do not see but once half a century pass by and you do not age a day will you truly begin to understand what it means to be an elf.”

Her eyes grew opaque as she thought things over herself, but her attention was quickly pulled to all the young kids as more and more began to appear. Soon she was surrounded by over a thousand of the little buggers. All asking questions and wanting answers.

“Where have you been?”

“How was your journey?”

“What did you bring back?”

“What are the other races like.”

“Are we going to move deeper into the Forest of Life now?”

More and more questions pour Shaerra way and thousands of young elves appeared. Shaerra suddenly vanished from the gaggle and soon the children dispersed knowing that they would not be able to find her unless she wanted them too. Reappearing within her quarters a knock was heard and Shaerra called out.

Four adult elves looking similar to Shaerra herself began to crowd in excitement upon their faces. Her cousins and family. In truth all the sun elf tribe was related to one another either distantly or they were truly within the same family branch. The four that appeared only one was truly what a human could consider Shaerra’s cousin. The mother of Aurae, Aurrana, was the first to come and give Shaerra a hug before gently placing their foreheads together. Signifying the return and reunion of a Sun Elf to the tribe. It was a custom of their culture similar to a hug. A weight was lifted from Shaerra shoulders, and a pleasant smile emerge on her face.

“Matriarch.” The other three came forward and a similar event took place while showing Shaerra looks respect.

“Aurrana, Sahun, Solfuir, Tramara, it is good to see all of you. How does the tribe fair in my absence.”

An aura that Shaerra usually kept bottled up and away slowly began to release from her body. Bringing in comfort but a serious discipline. Shadow the mercenary pushed to the side and Shaerra the Matriarch of Suntribe coming forth.

The different elves began to report on the status of the tribe and who advanced to what level and who was looking promising. Those close to joining their ranks as well. In most cases an elf would just need to live while playing with magic to advance. Their cultivation system was slightly different from the ones that the humans used and was more on a focus of growth through time. Shaerra had done away with most of this concept as in the protection of the clan from the monster horde most of their strongest tribespeople perished. Her parents and former leaders of the Suntribe included.

“I have a new method of cultivation to try out. I will be taking over the training of Aurae. She will need to advance as much as possible in order to represent our tribe in a new light within the summit. The son of my last commission should be there, and I believe it is imperative of our tribe to grow closer to him.” Shaerra looked to Aurrana as she spoke the last part.

Although in the end she gotten off on the wrong foot with Aegis Kan. He was still someone with an endless amount of resources available to him compared to what the Suntribe currently had.

“A human? Our Suntribe has fallen low yes, and we may not have a High Elf to protect us but to try and rely on humans to help us…”

Shaerra let Aurrana continue and express her worries and concerns. She understood the concept behind and would have even agreed on some of the factors. Yet Shaerra could no longer think that way. As the Matriarch of her leftover tribe, it was her responsibility to bring them to the height they once possessed.

“My word is final,” Shaerra said in a firm tone. “Aurae will be personally tutored by me. I must prepare her for the Summit and to meet Aegis Kan there.”