Chapter 31
Elves and Wine [https://i.imgur.com/yxJ25o6.png]
“In the age of ten kings lands between this same old road, we travel on and the river of Liserbill were not in the hands of humankind. You could not see a single man in eagle flight form here. But these lands were not wild like many others. There were no ancient spirit beasts killing travelers on sight or magical storms annihilating life on their way. No. Creatures crueler lived in these woods. Creatures so sadistic, so bloodthirsty, their name alone made men of ten kingdoms shake in fear. Names of those creatures were only dared to say in a whisper, just to be sure.”
Fergo, the second in command after the caravan master Giogio, took a dramatic pause pretending to check if the horse in front of their cart is all right. Horse, as expected, was well and healthy, but his theatrics made his audience wait for the continuation of his story with expecting eyes.
“Who lived here, Fergo? If you going to make us wait like that, I will smack you upside down.”
“How prude,” Fergo waved her off, “ These woods were home to a race humans came to call elven kind. Elves were strong and skillful race, and equally so cruel.”
“Elves, huh?” Jack said, “How do these elves look like?”
“Same as humans, if not for their unearthly beauty and sharp ears. Porcelain white skin, dark red lips, and long light green hair were their usual look. These forest dwellers were fearless warriors, with no fear of the Divines or towards humans. Elven skirmishers culled any intruders like they are grass in their way. Levels didn’t matter, there was no way for any human to stand in their way.”
“Seems like they were powerful foes to face and yet they are gone and we are here, driving through their ancestral lands with our own little caravan. How did humans manage to overcome their strength?” Jack asked.
“With wits and smarts. With wits and smarts, my friend. In the age after the age of the ten kingdoms came Emperor. He stepped in front of humans and unified us under his banner of the red snake. He bonded humans together as one whole. We stood up and we were not to be put down any more. All our neighbors felt our wrath. It was the start of the Empire, and Empire has stood from then unshaken. And always with our Emperor in front, defending humans against dangers of Rosmorre and planes beyond.”
“So, we simply conquered the elven forests?”
“No! Humans were not on the same level as elven armies. When Empire rise, elves came out of their forest for the first time in recorded history. Their scimitars were sharp and their wooden shields tough. They came out and with them came dark times for all the human race. In annals of history, it is one of the scariest times for kind of man as we almost went distinct. Tales tell about rivers of blood that ran through the lands of humans as humans were eradicated like weeds in the elven backyard garden. We had nothing to resist as elves put forth a question about our right to exist. It was a question we had no answer for.”
Fergo took a deep breath and continued his tale with renewed vigor.
“But when all hope was lost something changed. Emperor in all his greatness found an elven weakness. He was young then but still he fought valiant. Emperor stood in front of forces of man in countless battles against elven armies and every battle ended in loss. They were pushed back further and further until there was nowhere to go. No place to hide. Elven warlords seemed to have unlimited strength and power, their bodies were immortal and their minds unbreakable. Elves were invincible foes, but Emperor knew that was not possible. He gathered all his closest friends and strongest generals and left the humans. Humans cried in betrayal, but they didn't see the whole picture. Emperor did not leave to save himself. He left to die in battle.” Fergo spoke with shining eyes, “They rushed through the armies of elves straight towards the elven woods they came from. Earth shook and trembled as fight after fight was fought on these lands we walk on right now. Emperor’s friends lost their lives one after another. Every battle took one more of his confidants away from his side, yet they moved forward like an unstoppable force. And when Emperor reached the hearth of the elven kingdom, he was wounded and alone. All allies had fallen and his heart had broken into pieces. Emperor looked at the enormous tree in front of him and he finally understood the secret of elven power.”
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“What did he see?” Linus asked leaning forward.
“Emperor saw the fabled Tree of Life. It stood in all its glory as real as you or me. But it didn't look like any ordinary tree. No. The tree in front of the Emperor was a prison of enormous size. Captives who fell into the hands of elves were morphed into being part of the Tree of Life. Their lives full of pain and agony were extended and they worked as living mana batteries. Thousands of elves stood around the Tree of Life and weaved their spells to channel the mana to their warriors no matter how far they were. Most captives, who were absorbed by the tree lost their minds, yet they never lost their voices. Wails and screams of agony were overwhelmingly loud in the elven capital. Emperor once more unsheathed his swords and threw himself against the whole city of elves. He stood no chance. He killed a hundred thousand elves, yet it was no were near enough. Emperor fell.”
Linus and Orla gasped, Zaun stayed silent and Jack just smirked patiently awaiting how their mind-controlling overlord won against the impossible odds.
“His limbs were cut off and he was brought in front of the tree. Elves pushed his skin against the bark until the tree started absorbing the flesh and the body of the Emperor. He sunk inside the tree morphing into just another mana battery. Yet something miraculous happened. Tree of Life did not absorb the Emperor. It happened another way around. Emperor sipped the power like a thirsty man sipped water after the run. Tree of Life rotted and in mere moments was destroyed, and in its place stood Emperor born anew. Immortal. Divine.”
“Bless the Emperor!” Linus said with blurry unseeing eyes.
“Bless the Emperor!” Orla said with the same blank stare.
Jack just smirked and put his cup towards his lips. Watered-down vine ran down his throat and quenched his thirst.
“And he killed the elves single-handedly?”
“Not by himself, no. He was born anew, standing above a common man. Yet he was still so far from a true Divine. But it matters not, travelers. Elves lost their secret source of power forever and the tables have been turned. The empire once again was able to raise its head and in mere months every city of elves was burning in fiery flames of justice, and elves as race was destroyed. Few survivors were imprisoned in Black Forge mines, where their ugly deformed descendants slave away their lives till this day. My uncle worked as a guardsman there. He told me stories about how surprised he was the first time he got there when he saw thousands of elves mutants slave their days in the dangerous slave pits.”
“Victors and crumbs,” Jack said to himself.
“That was a great story, Fergo. I can’t believe I have never heard this one.” Linus said in approval to him.
“What you thought about Emperor’s immortality?” Fergo asked him.
“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t really think about it. Emperor is Emperor, and there is not much to add.”
“Well, now you know,” Fergo smiled, “It’s a beer from each of you when we will reach the next village's pub.”
“Deal is a deal,” Jack said and clapped his shoulder, “Only you will have to wait till we reach the city of Golden order. We are not getting paid by Giogio, remember?”
“Ahh, damn! Right!” Fergo’s mood worsened when he remembered that “You guys are slaves yourselves. You sure you don’t have pairs of sharp ears hidden somewhere?”
“Hold the horses!” call of Giogio was heard from in front of them and the caravan stopped in its tracks.
The leader of every cart jumped down and walked to the caravan leader to see what was up. Fergo was one of them.
“What’s the deal, leader?” he asked Giogio.
“Open your eyes,” Giogio said sharply, “There is a village in front of us.”
“That is good news, no?”
“It’s not my first time driving through this road, and yet I don’t remember the village standing here.”
“New settlements pop up all the time, surely that’s not something special.” Fergo tried to calm his leader down, “What are you afraid of?”
“You can call it merchant’s intuition, boy. Merchant’s intuition,” Giogio said without turning away from the silent settlement in front of them.
No sound came out of it. SIlence sent chills over the hearths of men.