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Before us sprawled a bridge, its sturdy frame stretching over a vast deep hole. Below, darkness engulfed the depths, but at its heart stood a majestic sycamore tree, its roots delving deep into the earth while its towering branches nearly touched the clouds.

Crafted from the branches of ancient trees, the bridge seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, each step resonating with a hum of magic. Along its edges, thick leaves formed a verdant border, their vibrant green hue a sharp contrast against the void below.

I turned around, expecting to see the forest behind me, but to my surprise, it had vanished. Instead, all that stretched before me was an endless expanse of ocean, its surface shimmering under the warm rays of the sun.

Curious, I reached out my arm, only to be met with an invisible barrier. A strange wind flowed against my fingertips, a sensation both fluid and chilling, like the touch of an unseen force.

“Eldoria is protected by a wind veil, Luka. Only those that had their mana infused with the essence of veil can enter and leave the kingdom” Said Eleanor

“So basically, it’s like a protected siege and a prison at the same time” I replied

“Ahah a prison, well that’s one way to see it” Chuckled Eleanor

Just as we were about to step onto the bridge. Two knights in shining silver armor, sporting helmets adorned with two feathers each, descended from the sky atop their small fae dragons. These dragons, smaller than Pookie but no less impressive, had only one butterfly wing on each side.

As they landed before us, a rush of wind swept through, making our clothes flutter in the air. The knights and their fae companions stood tall, their presence commanding respect and admiration.

“They look powerful” I murmured to myself.

Then, both of them unmounted their dragons, approached us and bent the knee “Welcome back Sir Eleanor, lady Ariana”

Sir? Lady? What's going on !

“Is queen Aerithel available? '' Said Eleanor

“Yes sir, she instructed us to welcome you upon your return, please go ahead, she’s awaiting you in the royal chamber”

“Alright then, let’s move ahead “ Instructed Eleanor as he turned his head towards us.

As we approached the giant tree, the air crackled with anticipation. I turned to El and said “So, are you like the king of Eldoria?”

“Well yes, but actually no” replied Eleanor

“Is this one of your riddles?”

“No no, well you’ll find out once we get there. Anyways, be careful Luka, you have to stay next to me at all times..”

Suddenly, the bridge began to tremble, and a gaping crack split it down the middle, separating me from Eleanor and Ariana.

"What's happening?!" I yelled, panic rising as my side of the bridge tilted toward the pit below.

"Quick, jump to this side and grab my hand!" Eleanor's urgent voice pierced through the chaos.

I hesitated for a moment, then, taking a few steps back, I crouched down, tensing my calves. With a burst of adrenaline, I sprinted forward and leaped across the widening gap to reach the other side of the split bridge.

“What happened, why did the bridge split in half?”

"It's an arcane bridge" Eleanor explained.

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“Didn’t you notice that there was only one bridge despite the large size of the city tree?, well, It responds to the will of those who walk upon it, connecting to their mana. Depending on where you want to go, it splits to guide you."

"Why didn't you mention that earlier?" I grumbled.

“I already told you to keep holding my hands, look at Ariana”Replied Eleanor as I noticed Ariana's disappointed expression.

..He couldn’t have expected me to keep holding his hands throughout the whole journey was he?

"It's my fault, sorry" I apologized, trying to ease the tension.

"It's okay, Lu" Said Ariana, extending her hand to me “Come on hold my hand”.

"It’s okay, I'll just walk" I insisted

Ariana frowned and turned away, clearly upset.

"You shouldn't have said that, Luka" Eleanor chided gently.

..What did he expect me to do, hold hands till we reach the castle? We’re not in kindergarten.

But, maybe I was too harsh on her. What’s wrong with me, I keep making the same mistake again and again.

I went close to Ariana and patted her head gently “I’ll stay by your side, if the bridge ever splits again, I’ll hold your hand okay?” I said to her as she smiled in acknowledgement.

“See? it doesn’t hurt to be nice” said Eleanor.

Well, I can’t keep relying on apologies forever, can I?

As the tension eased, we pressed on, continuing along the ascending bridge until we reached the grand gate of a large castle nestled within the giant branches. Sunlight filtered through the branches overhead, casting rays over the castle. Carvings of elven leaders with crowns adorned the surface of the gate, golden stripes adding a warm glow to the dark green wood. As we approached, the gate swung open, revealing a vast hall adorned with greenery, colorful flowers, and a central water fountain.

But the most striking sight was the castle itself, seemingly crafted from the very wood of the tree, Or more like, it was the tree itself. As I stepped inside, the floor beneath me resonated with each footfall, sending ripples of green light cascading across the white surface.

The pure white, smooth, wooden walls were splendidly built, to the point they looked like they were made out of concrete.

"Welcome back" greeted two lines of maids and butlers, standing at attention on either side of the entrance.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Approaching us was a maid wearing a green dress with a white apron, bowing her head respectfully. "Welcome back, Sir Eleanor, Lady Ariana, and dear gu—uhh?" she stuttered, lifting her head to catch sight of me.

..huh?

"Pardon my surprise, I didn't realize you were human" she apologized quickly.

"No worries" I replied, trying to lighten the mood with a chuckle.

"Celi, please escort Luka and Ariana to their rooms. I need to speak with the queen" Eleanor instructed gently.

"Of course, Sir" nodded Celi. "Sir Luka, Lady Ariana, please follow me."

As we ascended the curved stairs behind the fountain, leading to the upper floor, I glanced at Celi, who walked firmly. Her long, straight hair, adorned with a white headband, cascaded down her back.

"Celi, how did you know we were coming?" I asked.

"We received word as soon as you landed with the fae in the Night Elf village" she explained matter-of-factly.

So, they had eyes everywhere. I couldn't help but wonder about the night elves living in the outskirts of the kingdom and their connection to the queen.

"Hey, Lu! Let's go play with Pookie!" Ariana's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"I'll inform the guards to escort the fae through the gate, Lady Ariana. For now, please stay in your room until Sir Eleanor summons you" Celi instructed as we reached Ariana's chamber.

Ariana waved at me before disappearing into her room. "I'll see you later, Lu!"

"See you later, Ari" I replied with a smile.

"Your room is this way, Sir Luka" Celi said, guiding me.

"Could you drop the 'sir'? It's making me nervous" I asked.

"I'm sorry, sir" Celi apologized.

I shrugged. "Ah, it's fine."

..I’ll just go with it for now.

"Celi, could you tell me about the queen?" I asked curiously.

"Lady Aerithel? Yes, of course" Celi replied eagerly. "Well, the queen is the youngest of three children of the last king of Eldoria. Despite her youth, she emerged victorious in the civil war between the White and Night Elves. With unparalleled magical strength, she led her troops to victory and personally defeated the leader of the Night Elf tribe, earning her the title of Eldoria's Typhoon."

I winced at the sight of Celi clenching her hands together, admiring the story of the queen she told herself.

"So, the night elves used to live here?" I asked.

"No, years ago, before the war, the night elves resided in the far east. However, when the conflict erupted, their city was destroyed, forcing the survivors to seek refuge in Elytra, the outskirts of this city" Celi explained.

"And why did the civil war happen in the first place?" I followed.

"I'm sorry, sir Luka. We've arrived at your room. I'll let you rest until the queen calls for you. We can continue our conversation another time" Celi replied politely.

"Okay, just one more question, please!" I pleaded.

"My pleasure, Sir Luka" she acquiesced.

"Who is Eleanor?" I asked curiously.

"Ah, Sir Eleanor is the queen's son" Celi explained.

..what? I completely thought he would be her husband. What a surprising turn of events.

“Alright then sir Luka, if you ever need anything, please use the device on your nightstand”

“Sure thing, thank you Celi”

Celi bowed respectfully with a smile of gratitude, then walked away.

I stepped through the door and found myself in a room that would put five-star hotel suites to shame. A wide bed stood before me, its frame crafted from slender tree branches intertwined at the edges, covered with pothos leaves that brushed against my fingers, leaving behind a velvety smooth sensation. The curved roof, adorned with glowing flowers cast a blue light upon the room.

Suddenly, dizziness swarmed my head, and my body grew heavy with exhaustion. Collapsing onto the fluffy bed, I found myself staring up at the ceiling.

"Ahhh... I suppose tiredness has finally caught up with me" I murmured, feeling the weight of fatigue settle over me.

Cocooning myself in the soft bedding, I turned to my left, cracking my eyes open just a fraction and holding the pendant mom gave me tightly. "I miss them".

Turning back to face the ceiling, tears welled in my eyes. "Impotence is terrifying..." I stretched my arm toward the ceiling and continued "Never forget... Never relent... Until you make them pay for what they did"

Lost in my thoughts, I heard the door opening. I turned my focus towards it and saw Ariana's silver hair peeping.

"Ari, it's okay, you can come in"

"O... okay" she responded, a hint of hesitation in her voice as she entered the room.

"You got bored alone, didn't you?" I asked with a smile.

"Hehe, yes. What are you doing?" she inquired, looking around the room.

"Just relaxing a bit, looking at the flowers on the ceiling"

"You sound like an old man" she teased lightly.

"Ahah, I guess so" I chuckled.

"Luka, I'm really sorry" Ariana suddenly said, her expression shifting.

"Huh? What's wrong?" I asked, puzzled by her sudden change in mood.

"Because of me... everything..." she trailed off, her face turning red as tears welled up in her eyes.

I quickly got up and hugged her tightly. "Do not say that ever again" I said, placing my hand on her head. "If anything, it was my fault for hurting your feelings"

Yes, it wasn't her fault. It was my own weakness and childishness that had led to this. After all, she's just a little kid. I should've been the rational one.

"Do not worry, I'll fix this, so don't think about it anymore, okay?" I reassured her.

"O... okay" she sniffled, wiping away her tears. "I'll get stronger too, and I'll help you" she declared, her eyes flickering with determination.

"By the way, can you show me how to use this device?" I quickly shifted the subject, pointing towards the flower-shaped helical glass object on the nightstand.

"Ah, the teleflos, you mean?" Ariana replied.

"Teleflos? Is that its name?"

"It’s simple, Luk" Ariana explained as she walked towards the object. "You see those leaves?"

"Yes" I replied, noticing a faint movement within them. "Is that wind flowing within it? Quite strange..."

"Yes, the wind is infused with mana."

..Mana this, mana that. What exactly is this mana, anyways?

“Could you tell more about this mana?”

"Uhhh... It’s like... this thing that is everywhere... and you... uhh, connect to it... and then you do things with it... You know?" Ariana replied, her expression uncertain as she rubbed her hand on her head, her eyes darting around.

So basically, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. "Ohhh! I understand!" I said. "Okay, and how does this teleflos function?"

Ariana’s eyes sparkled proudly. "You can move the leaves to change the shape of the flower" she clarified. "Each shape is used to signal one of the maids and butlers."

..So it works like a valve and a phone at the same time.

"Here, try it" said Ariana as she handed me the teleflos.

"So, I just have to turn this like thi–"

"No, don’t turn, just slide. You’re gonna break it.."

In an instant, the teleflos shattered into pieces. "Oh my god!" I exclaimed.

"Oh no, Celi is going to be angry. How did you manage to shatter it, though? It’s super hard" Ariana questioned.

"I'm sorry, I didn’t control my strength. Ahahah."

As we both chuckled, Celi opened the door. "Sir Luka, Lady Aerithel is awaiting your presence" she said, her eyes widening as she noticed the pieces of glass on the floor. "Oh, my... Are you okay, sir?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, about that. I broke the teleflos, I’m really sorry" I admitted.

"As long as you’re okay, anything can be fixed" she exhaled. "I’ll escort you to the royal chamber for now. And as for you, Lady Ariana... I thought I told you not to disturb Sir Luka"

Ariana tensed, rushing to hide behind me.

"We will talk later. Come on, both of you. The queen is waiting"

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