"Are they coming here?" I asked Fleur, after looking at the map.

"No, to be exact, they are coming to the chamber above us."

"A chamber above?"

"Yes, an elven city used to flourish above this chamber and in their heyday they constantly traded with us dragons."

"Though that was a long time ago and the civilization had long perished," she explained.

"I was once exploring the caverns when I was young and mistakenly stumbled upon their ruins. Later, I learned about their civilization from our elders."

"I see."

"It was heavily protected by ancient magic but I was somehow able to gain access and what I found there was this staff," She continued, indicating the staff.

"Mother!! You were adventurous like me as well!!" Floryn shouted, hugging her.

"No, you idiot. At least, I didn't sleep for ten thousand years!!"

"That was one time...." Floryn said, pouting.

"Sigh. Anyways, I knew something was off as soon as I held this staff. I figured out later that it was a memory capsule," she said, turning back to me.

"I tried to access it's memories but wasn't entirely successful. I only saw small flashes. Later, I found a writing that explained that it can only be accessed by elven royalty and it contained the memories of their own world."

"I-I see. So, you know about the elves coming from another world?"

"Yes, it's written in our texts."

"I see. Do you think that the elves are coming to get this staff?" I asked.

"Yes......I'm sure. No one has entered the above ruins in thousands of years."

She said, after a pause.

"I had been holding onto this staff but I should return it now to its rightful place."

It seemed that the ones holding Ashryn captive had something to do with this staff.

"Can I hold onto the staff?" I asked.

"Sure, but...."

I told her about Ashryn and how I was looking for her. After hearing the story, she agreed to help and Fleur took us both Floryn and me back to the chamber using teleportation. A large chamber with a statue unfolded in front of us. I told them to hide themselves and they silently melded into the shadows so as not to get discovered until I gave the signal.

I placed myself behind the large statue and waited for the elves to enter the chamber.

Soon, I could hear mortal shouts coming from the passage beyond the room. I wanted to rush in immediately but I somehow controlled myself and waited. I kept looking at the map and the dot that was Ashryn.

(Master, they're here!)

Pretty soon, eight people entered, with a silver haired elf leading the group. He held a sword in his hand and his eyes had a kind of madness in them as they darted from one corner of the room to another. As he was about to step towards the large statue, I revealed myself.

I slowly got out from behind the statue and looked at Ashryn. She was the second last to enter, with an elven woman following close behind her. She shouted my name as soon as she saw me.

I looked at her and in spite of the sadness I felt about not being able to protect her, I smiled at her and greeted her.

The silver haired elf looked at me and then at Ashryn and as if suddenly coming to a realisation asked.

"Are you the human from Astrya?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure what you mean. But yeah, I came here looking for Ashryn after she was kidnapped by you lot."

"I see. But how did you get inside?"

"I wonder...."

"Hmm...."

He stepped back with a crooked smile. He went near Ashryn and dragged her closer, pulling on her hair and began to laugh.

"Volir!!"

A woman next to Ashryn shouted and took out her sword.

Volir looked back at her and punched her in the face. It was with such force that she flew and struck the wall behind her and slumped down.

"No, Rivera!!!" Ashryn shouted.

I stiffened but held in the urge to rush in.

"You inferior humans," he said and began to laugh.

The other elves also started laughing.

When I saw the tears forming on Ashryn's face, the anger I had suppressed began to rise again.

"Let her go," I said, my voice shaking with the anger I felt.

"No," Volir laughed.

I slowly took out the jade colored staff from the item box.

"Hmm....are you maybe looking for this?"

He became tensed, looking at the staff.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"Y-You...how do you have that?"

"I wonder. Let her go and you can have this."

The madness in the elf eyes flared up and he signaled the other elves to charge at me.

I got into an attacking position and took out the sword.

The elves momentarily stopped when their eyes fell on my sword made of Aether. I head Ashryn gasp.

As they looked helplessly back at Volir, he commanded them again.

"Slice him to pieces."

I quickly formed an energy blade and engaged with the elves who came charging in.

"Watch out. They are powerful warriors," Ashryn shouted while Volir laughed.

I looked back at Ashryn and she closed her mouth.

Rayce had the same look in his eyes as when he had fought the wraith. She prayed to whoever was listening and looked on.

The elves jumped at me and tried to slice me from all the angles. I parried all their slashes and tried to counter attack.

(Master, concentrate!)

(I know.)

I created a bigger energy blade and charged head on. At first, they parried the strikes but slowly the difference in our weapons began to show and their weapons began to crack.

They looked dumbfounded by what was happening before them, but they still fought with confidence in their blades.

It happened quite suddenly. My sword, which they were parrying instantly went through, slicing the blade of one of the elves. Immediately, the neck of one of the elves flew and another one got pierced right through the heart. The rest jumped back, wary.

Volir's once laughing face became serious as he intently observed the unfolding fight.

The remaining elves changed their strategy. They began to chant and shoot projectiles. I recalled a barrier spell and created a thick barrier in front of me to stop the projectiles.

"Wh-what!!"

The surprise could be seen on their faces. The barrier easily deflected the projectiles and they were bounced back and struck the walls of the room.

"Th-That's a ninth circle spell." One of them shouted.

"Hmm, I guess."

The elves looked frightened but one of them stepped forward with malice in his eyes.

"Elmer?"

"Let me handle it." He said to the others.

He began to speed up and his projectiles and slashes became indistinguishable. I parried the slashes and blocked the projectiles with the barrier but my lacking sword skills began to show. A smile crept up on the face of Elmer.

(Master, use Ice rain. Slow him down!)

(Huff, Huff. Alright.)

I concentrated on the ice spell and shouted.

[Ice rain]

Small ice beads began to form in the air above and soon began to fall in the area. It gradually became a hailstorm and the other elves stepped back in fright. But the warrior fighting me was too late and he froze without being able to do anything. He was dead.

The rest looked back helplessly at Volir.

He had a cruel look in his face. He stepped forward and took out something from his robes.

"Th-That's......" I heard Ashryn shout.

"This is the end," Volir screamed and hurled a black ball at me. It landed right next to me.

Suddenly, the area near the ball began to distort and it began to suck everything towards a small hole made in the air above the ball. It resembled a tiny black hole.

(Master, get back! You can't fight that!!)

Airi screamed in my head.

At that moment, the hidden dragons, showed themselves and exerted their power. The elves eyes widened in surprise looking at them and they began to cower in fear and fell to their knees.

"D-Dragons? H-How?" The silver haired elf muttered in shock.

Fleur arrived next to me and began to suppress the black hole with her hands. A tug of war began to unfold between them. Eventually, she put it in her mouth and gobbled it up. It disappeared and the force on the surroundings released.

Then, she looked at the elves that were on their knees.

Their eyes showed pure fear.

I quickly ran upto Ashryn. She looked at me and hugged me. She was still on her knees due to the dragon fear.

"It's alright," I said, smiling at her.

"I'm sorry, Rayce. I'm so sorry," She said, sobbing.

"It's okay. It's okay," I said, patting her head.

"I wanted to tell you but they threatened me with your life. They said they'd kill you unless I consented with their demands."

"Hmm, you know nothing can kill me, right?" I smirked at her.

A faint smile formed on her lips and she hugged me tighter, crying.

I consoled her for a bit and then she raised her head and asked, pointing at Fleur and Floryn.

"H-How do you know those dragons?"

"Ah, it's a long story. Shall we get out of here, first?"

"Y-Yes!"

I signalled to Fleur and they reduced their aura a little and created a rift in front of us. Ashryn told me that Rivera was an ally, indicating the battered girl beside her who was also on her knees. I nodded and guided both of them towards the rift.

Once they disappeared, Fleur asked me.

"What shall we do with them?"

"I don't want another incident like this."

She smiled mischievously.

"I understand."

She looked back at the cowering elves. Sensing something sinister, the silver haired elf began to beg.

"P-Please spare me. I can't die here!!"

She looked uninterested and snapped her fingers. The elves watched in horror as their skins began to rot away. Soon, only the skeletons remained.

I sighed and entered the rift followed by Floryn and Fleur.

We were back in the large hall with the dragon statues.

Ashryn ran up to me immediately.

"P-Princess!" Rivera muttered, following her.

She suddenly stopped and looked at Rivera and then back at me with helpless eyes.

"I know and it's okay." I said, laughing.

"Y-You know?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry for hiding it. I was....." She trailed off.

"That's alright. You had your reasons. But you should know that the elven king is searching for you."

"F-Father is? B-But?"

"It's alright. The Bilenfil family and the Shadow roots clan have both been cast out of Sylfaren."

"W-What?" She asked, with shock in her eyes.

"Yeah. They were deceiving you."

She fell down and began to cry again. Rivera went near her and began to console her.

"So, what now?" Fleur asked.

"I guess I'll go back to Astrya. What about you?" I asked Floryn

"I'll go with you as well. I-I need to grow stronger eating the food made by you!"

"I-I see."

I felt like she was more entranced by the city life. Fleur sighed.

"Very well. I'll entrust my daughter to you. Life in the dragon city can get boring. But please bring her in from time to time. You're welcome inside the city as well."

"Yay!"

Floryn jumped.

"W-What do you mean?" I asked, seeing a relieved smile form on Fleur's face.

She smirked at me. It suddenly felt like she was transferring all her burdens onto me. I shivered.

Ashryn immediately got up after hearing that as if all her crying was a farce and asked in a shaky voice.

"W-What does she mean?" She said, coming right up to my face.

"Ahahaha, I-I don't know. I swear!"

She glared at me. Then she went near the dragons and introduced herself.

As they were talking, I went near one of the statues and sat down, taking out the sword and examining it. It looked to be in pristine condition.

(Master, that was very well done!)

(Sigh, I almost died. What was that black ball?)

(That.....was a 10th circle spell.)

(So, they had ties to a 10th circle mage.)

(It seems like it. Be careful, Master. We don't know who it is.)

(Yeah.)

Afterwards, Ashryn came to me and said that she wanted to go to Sylfaren and meet her father and that she also wanted me to come with her.

"W-Why me?"

"It's just..... I wanted to introduce you!" She said, fidgeting.

"I-I see. But, I'm not good with royalty."

"It'll be fine. I'll be there as well."

I sighed and resigned to my fate and agreed to go with her.

"Oh wait. Here, take this."

I took out the staff from the item box and handed it to her.

"Oh, this is the staff that was inside that chamber, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it belongs to you now. Fleur told me that only royalty can use it."

"I-I see."

She turned the staff around and looked at it, intently tossing and turning it.

"Hmm, I wonder....." She muttered.

She began to chant something and sprinkled a drop of her blood on the staff from a cut in her hands.

The staff began to glow.

It suddenly shot up from her hands and began to float in the air before us, shooting rays of light everywhere.

Everyone came closer to look at it.

Suddenly, a projection began to spread from the staff like a web and it filled the entire hall.

It showed a bright blue star accompanied by four planets. It was a planetary system.

As the view panned on the sun, a dark shadow passed in front of it. I felt a shiver run through me. I looked back and I could see Fleur's face harden. I looked back at the projection and waited in anticipation to see what more it will show.