As dawn gradually approached, Rody suddenly stopped the playful fight. He carried the still drowsy Mititi, who didn't want to open her eyes, and prepared to depart.
"Will you come back to the Elven Forest?" the Moon Night High Priestess chased after him, asking softly.
"No, I'm just a passerby," Rody replied with a slight smile. "I came to the Seven Clans' territory only to find my friend. Maybe in a year, or maybe less, I will leave the Seven Clans' territory. There are many things waiting for me to do in the world, so I probably won't come back to the Elven Forest."
The Moon Night High Priestess felt a wave of sadness upon hearing this, and tears slightly moistened her long eyelashes. "Goodbye, it was nice to know you!" Rody waved his hand and bid her farewell.
Sometimes, fate is like two people brushing past each other, or like a beautiful meteor streaking across the night sky. Although people want to cherish it, they can't. A brief encounter might leave an indelible mark in their hearts for a lifetime. That's fate. Sometimes, two people can live together for a lifetime, meet often in streets and alleys, but have no connection and disregard each other.
Some people, with just one glance, leave a shadow in the heart that lasts a lifetime. Others might spend a lifetime together, seeing each other every day, yet leave no impression.
The Moon Night High Priestess felt like she was about to cry. She wanted him to stay, but couldn't find a reason. He didn't belong to the Elven race, or to her. Although he was special, he was just a passerby, a transient visitor.
Should she chase after him and ask him to stay, or should she endure the heartache and watch him leave?
"Do you need my help to find your friend?" the Moon Night High Priestess felt a strange pain in her heart, not intense, but deep, reaching her soul. Hesitating slightly, she bit her lip, decided to chase after him, and asked softly, "I'm familiar with the Seven Clans' territory. Who are you looking for?"
"A human, from the Philic people," Rody paused slightly and asked, "Do you know where they are?"
"I don't know, maybe in the Fairy Nation," the Moon Night High Priestess shook her head. "Our Elven race rarely interacts with the Fairy race, so we know the least about them. The Philic people, I know they have come because of human wars seeking refuge, but where they reside within the Seven Clans' territories, I'm not sure. Maybe in the Fairy Nation, they have the closest relationship with Philic."
"What are the other races in the Seven Clans, besides Elves, Fairies, Mythical Beings, and Fireflies?" Rody inquired.
"Fireflies are not one of the Seven Clans. The Fairy race includes Succubi, Wind Spirits, Snow Women, Flower Bees, Fireflies, Green Skins, Big Ears, Dwarves, and Gnomes. They are collectively referred to as the Fairy race, and the Fairy Nation also hosts Dwarves and Halflings, and even some intelligent magical beasts. It's the most diverse among the Seven Clans. The Seven Clans consist of Dragons, Fairies, Sea Beings, Winged Beings, Illusion Beings, Blood Beings, and Spirit Beings," the Moon Night High Priestess explained. "Our Elves belong to the Spirit Beings. Among all the clans in the Seven Clans' territory, we have the least population and relatively weaker strength, but we also have many branches such as Dark Night Elves, Moon Elves, Lake Elves, Flower Elves, Water Elves, Wood Elves, and Little Elves, among others."
"Are the Mythical Elves part of the Illusion Clan?" Rody asked after listening attentively.
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"Yes, they are not elves but a life form similar to elves, existing between elves and fairies. They are not numerous but are highly skilled in magic," Moon Night High Priestess replied, reluctantly following Rody's steps, answering his questions.
She didn't know when she should stop.
But she understood that the moment she stopped, this unique human man would vanish forever from her life, becoming an eternal memory...
"Then, are the Dragons the strongest of the Seven Clans?" Rody asked with a slight smile, handing her a fairy fruit from the Abyss.
"No, individual dragons are powerful, but if we talk about overall strength, it might be the Winged Clan. They are akin to angels, believed to be descendants of angels in the Seven Clans. They have incredible reproductive capabilities; though individually not very powerful, their numbers are astounding. They control vast territories, not only dominating the skies but also the land, where their wild offspring with demon horses, a lustful and ferocious centaur-like creature, reside. They delight in warfare and are a scourge in the Seven Clans. Fortunately, they are far from our Elf Forest, or we wouldn't have peace," the Moon Night High Priestess explained with a frown upon mentioning the Winged Clan.
"Winged Clan? Centaurs?" Rody frowned slightly, suspecting that the urgency of the demon sisters to return might be due to these creatures' attacks.
"Not just centaurs, there are many beings on land that are the result of the Winged Clan's promiscuity, including those Half-Slope monsters you killed earlier. They're a vile breed from the territories of the Winged Clan, hideously ugly with short lifespans but frighteningly prolific, spreading like pests and quite detestable," she continued with visible disgust.
"I've heard about the Blood Clan, but what about the Sea Clan?" Rody asked. He had read many vampire books and knew some details, but not about the Sea Clan.
"The Sea Clan consists of beings known as Nagas living in the sea and on islands. Besides them, there are fish-men, lake monsters, sea demons, and lizard-people, but Nagas dominate. They are absolute rulers of the ocean floor and are formidable even on land, commanding respect even from the Winged Clan. The Winged Clan possesses sky islands and cloud temples, controlling the skies and vast lands. The Sea Clan has the seas and islands; the Dragon Clan occupies mountains and cliffs; the Fairy Clan, gardens, grasslands, and swamps; the Illusion Clan, magic caves, and crystal temples; the Blood Clan, obsidian castles, and blood pools; and our Elves, the Elf Forest and the Lake of the Moon Goddess. If you're heading to the Fairy Kingdom, the shortest path goes through the Sea Clan's territory, but a detour might be safer, though you'd have to cross mountains inhabited by reclusive dragons who aren’t pleased with other beings flying above them..." The Moon Night High Priestess was unsure which route to recommend to Rody, as she seldom left the Elf Forest, and her every journey was meticulously planned by others.
As Rody silently proceeded, the Moon Night High Priestess sweetly savored the fairy fruit.
Although named by Rody as 'fairy fruit,' it had no connection with fairies but was a product of the Abyss. Even for her, who had tasted all kinds of fruits in the Seven Clans, it was a new and unique flavor, and she never imagined there existed fruits in the world she hadn't tried.
The sweetness of the fairy fruit delighted her immensely, especially since it was given to her by Rody, making it all the more precious.
"You sure it's okay not to go back?" Rody asked curiously.
"No, it's fine," the Moon Night High Priestess replied a bit flusteredly. "I'll use magic to inform Her Majesty the Queen, don't worry."
If the Elves found out that their High Priestess had disappeared, it would surely cause a stir in the Elf Forest. However, if they knew she had left for a reason, the Elven troops would not be affected by her absence, as they don't really have a formal command structure. They were relaxed after the end of the war, not expecting that the Moon Night High Priestess would be led away.
Rody, unaware of the differences between Elves and Humans, only knew that if a human leader suddenly disappeared, it would likely lead to rebellion.
"Go back! Catch up after you've handled your affairs. I'll wait for you here," Rody said to the Moon Night High Priestess, feeling a bit of fondness for her due to her pure elven nature, so different from the complex and suspicious humans. In human society, she would be considered an ordinary, almost naïve girl, but among Elves, she was already a complex and thoughtful High Priestess.
"No, if I go back, you'll sneak away..." the Moon Night High Priestess shook her head.
Ordinary female Elves would have followed his suggestion, but being the High Priestess, she was more aware of human treachery and reluctant to trust Rody, even though he was so unique.
"Ha-ha, even if you don't go back, do you think you can catch up with me if I decide to leave?" Rody laughed heartily. The Moon Night High Priestess clenched her fists, worried he might flee any moment, her face filled with tension. Rody pointed to a rock by the river and smiled, "I'll wait here for you, but only for two hours. If you don't come back by then, I won't wait any longer."
"Really? Will you really wait for me?" the Moon Night High Priestess, still easily trusting, especially Rody's words.
"I wouldn't lie to you, not even to a small dog," Rody laughed, putting Mitilda down from his back and washing her face, giving her a bunch of crystal grapes, while he himself started eating a roasted chicken leg, waving at the Moon Night High Priestess to hurry back.
"If I come back and don't see you, let the Moon Goddess turn me into a weeping stone until your return," she swore, not asking Rody to promise but making a vow herself. To Rody's surprise, a magical beam of light shone from the sky in response to her oath, startling him. Could it be that in the Seven Clans' land, the Moon Goddess could hear her prayers? A miracle that was rare even in a decade in the human world could be realized here with just a few words?
"Did the Moon Goddess just respond to your oath?" Rody asked in amazement.