17 Years Ago: Elf Kingdom of Naworth
Deep within the expansive woods of Naworth were centuries-old trees had sunk their evergrowing roots into the earth, while their massive trunks shot upward hundreds some even thousands of feet into the air, allowing their powerful branches to spread across the sky and replace the usual blue with a mystic green hue in some areas.
Genuinely owning the name of Great Forest, the perfect home for many of the Forest Dwellers within the Laudonian Kingdom. Be it in the endless underground tunnels dug out near massive roots, the hollowed-out tree trunks or the floating lands made of intertwined branches.
Finally, at the center of it all was something divine in all meanings of the word. Standing taller than the very clouds and broader than any mountains nearby was a single tree of immense size, whose branches and roost had small versions of itself growing on top of them and seemed to radiate a sense of ancient power and unwavering might.
The very namesake of this great forest, the home of the Elf King's castle Silver Wood, the place where one may commune with nature to the highest order within the boundaries of Laudonia, the one thing the Fairy Queen herself deeded as a worthy avatar, The Great Tree Naworth. Its bark was a vibrant golden orange, while its dark green leaves appeared as a massive cloud of green in the air, and within its branches were clusters of white made from growing night-stars.
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Elf King's castle Silver Wood
On a throne made of silver, green crystals, and wood was King Dewran currently in a greenhouse-like room deep inside the great tree. His cold gaze was devoid of any soft-heartedness and was focused on a group of Elves kneeling before him. "Are these the best you could gather, Voltar?"
"Yes, they are, my king," Voltar answered, standing beside Dewran and raised a hand to the Elves, making them stand tall before their king. "Each of these fine warriors is well experienced in every aspect of our livelihoods from hunting to botany, and they are all high-ranking members of the Horns Of Naworth, the only ones better are myself and you, my king."
"That is true, but we are banned from the coming trial..." Dewran nodded as he looked up at the ceiling, which had a magical green glow running through the wood like the blood vessels of a body. "...time grows short. Come, we depart of the Holy Grove..." He arose from his throne and walked down to the elite Elves, followed closely by Voltar. "...for on this day, there is one amongst you who shall have an honor far greater than even myself," Dewran informed them as he walked through their ranks.
"But we shall always be under your command, King Dewran!" The group of Elves pledged, breaking way for Dewran and Voltar then marched behind them in two lines.
"As it should be..." Dewran mused to himself as they made their way through the halls of Silver Wood.
Which seemed more like a nature reserve than the bowels of a castle. Woodland animals roamed about to their heart's content, while plants of all kinds grew around the halls and then there was that same green glow running through the floors, walls, and ceiling, seemingly making a path for Dewran and his followers to take.
After some time they reached their destination, as a tall archway appeared before them, that led deeper into the great tree via a tree branch growing out into a massive cavern within the tree. A large grove cast in green light was in full view in the center of the cavern held up by beams of wood, silver, and crystals. It even had small streams of water pouring over its sides and down into the depths of the great tree.
Before stepping foot into the grove, Dewran and co paused at its entrance as there was a group of what looked like Fairies fluttering about but, unlike Rena, who was small in size and appeared somewhat human beside her wings. These Fairies(?) were tall and powerfully built, matching Voltar in size, and had a more insectoid appearance with antennae, compound eyes, and an extra set of arms, finally, their hairless bodies were covered in shiny armor ranging in color and pattern.
"Elf King! Good to you, see you! Are you ready!?" The Fairies(?) buzzed around Dewran, wildly jerking their heads as they spoke all at once. "Brought an offering?! Yes! Yes! YESSS!" They all started clicking their tongues with their lower lips sliting in two and turned into a pair of incest mandibles.
"Ugh, why are the drones here?" One of the Elves muttered while getting looked at by one of these Fairies(?)
"Cause most of the older ones are keeping watch on the princess' birthplace..." Another Elf answered as their clothes were being picked at by their new chatty friends. "...then again I think it's better if I say soon-to-be birthplace, eh?" They joked, jabbing at their friend.
"The princess! The princess! The princesssss!" At the word princess, all of the Fairies(?) went into a frenzy of high-pitched chatter. "The new queen is here! The queen is new! New is queen! QUUUUEEENNN!" They cheered, zipping this way and that.
"Ahem..." But it all stopped when Dewran cleared his throat, and the swarm of chatty boxes all zoomed to his side. "Oh great Insectile warriors, I thank you all for keeping our holy grove safe from any and all unwanted intruders, now please take my offering to the wood." He held his hand out to the buzzing swarm.
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Humanoid Monster, Insectile: A group of insects that have gained humanoid forms through magic or evolution with most appearing as humans with bug-like figures such as compound eyes, extra limbs, insect wings, and hard exoskeletons as their skin.
Insectile communities often follow a hive-mind hierarchy where low-ranking members are nearly entirely controlled by higher-ranked Insectiles and so on, until at the top usually sits a queen or king who commands them all. Other more independent species have more personality than their mind-controlled brethren.
Items forged from the Ore of these monsters are based on the species of insect.
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"Good! Good! Good!" The swarm cheered as one of them grabbed hold of Dewran's hand and traced a razor blade-like finger from their second pair of arms across the Elf king's palm to quickly draw blood that dripped onto the floor under them. Then all of them turned their heads to the Holy Grove which shuttered as Dewran's blood dried up. "Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Now we fly! We fly! Fly! Fly!" They all flew off after that.
"It would be rather bad if I wasn't..." Dewran muttered getting his hand treated by Voltar. "...now then shall we enter?" He asked the Elves following him as they made their way into the Holy Grove.
"This place is something, huh?" One of the Elves gasped as they looked around. All of them were well over a few centuries old and had lived in all kinds of places but this one grove in their own home put all that to shame.
"Mysterious is the word I would use." Another answered as all around them were plants, none of them had ever seen. The most interesting of all was the grass which glowed whenever a foot came down on it with each Elf having a different-sized glow. "...and we're the honored ones?" They thought, looking at Dewran's and Voltar's glows which were like spotlights.
"Maybe you are? Maybe you aren't?" A female voice mused from the trees around the group.
Causing everyone but Dewran and Voltar to snap their heads to an oak tree. "Show yourself, Dryad."
"Not bad," The tree morphed into what looked like a woman made of wood. Her skin was tree bark, her hair was vines, and her face was nothing but two holes with a green glow in each. "And welcome to the Holy Grove Of Naworth." She greeted the group as more of the trees transformed into women, some more human-like, others were faces on trees, and some were even mass of mana that floated next to a tree.
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Elemental Monster, Dryad: The spirit of the trees, Dryads are the protectors of forests which to some of the older and more powerful ones are their very own bodies. They punish those who would bring harm to their trees with but a thought they can turn a once peaceful scenery into a land of slaughter.
Dryads are a race of only women, as far as research has shown with many cases of male Dryads being written off as druids and Treants. This does not seem to affect their numbers in any way as Dryads pop up from old and/or magical forests from time to time. Finally, if a Dryad's forest were to be destroyed, they would die along with it.
Items forged out of the Ore of these monsters are staves, wands, and bows.
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"And you have my thanks for allowing us to step into it," Dewran said to the Dryads who all bowed to him and put the Elves at ease. "How are the preparations for the princess' coming?" He asked, following a path made by the Dryads.
"All is well, and there have not been any problems in any way since the elder Insectiles took charge of the princess' birthplace..." One of the Dryads answered as a bridge of earth appeared over a stream stopping the group's way. "...and forgive my words, King Dewran but what of your efforts?" She turned to the Elves following Dewran and Voltar with her eyes darting between them.
"No need to give me your apologies this is a trying time for us all." Dewran waved a hand to calm her. "I have had Voltar personally go out of his way to find the best of the best, and per the Fairy Queen's orders all of them are Elves from within Naworth's woods, all are men who are less than 500 years old, have been taught the way of the bow along with other skills they wish to master and finally..." He paused, looking down at his reflection in the water. "...have no ties to the royal family..."
"It is sad that you cannot be chosen but I am surprised that you were able to gather so many of them so quickly...and the Fairy Queen did only send word of her daughter's coming a month ago." The Dryad commented as they neared the center of the grove with the plants growing thicker and even stranger.
"Coming from one of the highest voices within our world. It is something I did with the utmost of haste and care..." Dewran and the group came to a clearing where there was a group of 21 Insectiles. These were far more orderly than the jittering swarm on the outside and wore silver armor. 10 of them were up high either flying or sitting in the trees while the rest were guarding what looked like a giant mass of trees, silver and green crystals all wrapped up into a sphere, that was pouring out green Fairy Dust as if breathing not only that but the green glow that was running throughout the great tree was all going to this one spot. "Captain Ghultic, how are the Wings Of Naworth doing?" Dewran looked to the largest of Insectiles.
"Ready for anything, my king." A guttural voice came from a maw of fangs between a pair of clicking blood-red pincers that belonged to Captain Ghultic, who stared at King Dewran with his black compound eyes.
He was a large stag-beetle Insectile with a black exoskeleton with red patches on his arms, legs, and wing case. In one of his three-clawed hands of his upper pair of arms was an amber-tipped spear, while two more human-like hands rested on a pair of amber swords at his side. He wore no armor as his armor-like skin looked as hard as any metal.
"Are these our candidates?" Ghultic asked, stepping up to look over the Elves, clicking his pincers to get them to flinch but none of them faltered. "Hmph, they got spines in them, not half bad, Voltar." He pulled his pincers apart to smirk at the other captain.
"I put them through my own personal training!" Voltar smashed a fist to his chest and then pushed it out at Ghultic.
"Good to know or else my men would've looked like better pickings, heh!" Ghultic chuckled to himself as he bumped chests with Voltar then went back to his men. "So? If you're here is it time at last? My men and I have grown a bit curious after looking after the place where our princess will appear."
"Heh, that is of course something not unlikely to happen, and I thank you for keeping your curiosity in check." Dewran smiled at Ghultic for doing his duty. "But this sphere of nature as it were, is the very heart of the Great Tree Naworth even if the princess were not to be born here this is still the very last and most important part of our home that we must protect for without it all of this would not be." He raised his arms, and the Heart Of Naworth seemed to react to him as it began to shine brightly.
"Is it time, my king?" Voltar asked, seeing the Heart Of Naworth become active.
"Indeed it is," Dewran answered, turning to the chosen Elves who were all lined up in a row before him. "I must say to all of you..." His gaze went to Voltar, Ghultic, the Elves, the Insectile, and the Dryads all gathered around him. "...that on this day we welcome into our very home of Naworth, the first and only daughter of Fairy Queen Antiquity! Which shall also mark the day on which she chooses her Spriggan! Who will not only protect her for the rest of his life but also act alongside her as the main driving force into a new era!" He delivered a short speech then turned to the Heart Of Naworth starting to crack and crumble. "Now be born into the world! Princess Renaissance of Naworth!"
*Doom, Doom*
The Heart Of Naworth erupted in a seemingly endless torrent of Fairy Dust that quickly filled the cavern, going through the great tree until it blasted out into the outside world as waterfalls of green. This very action sent the already abundant plant life into overdrive as full-grown trees instantly appeared around Naworth while the ones that were already there grew in size, making the entire woodland kingdom expand in size.
"Magnificent! This much power from her birth alone!?" Dewran's thoughts went wild, from what elders told him about the Fairy Queen's might when she once lived in Naworth this was a sapling compared to the queen's real power. "And with her Spriggan under my control, I could?" A smirk came to his face as he and everyone else bowed down to the still crumbling sphere as the Fairy Dust began to fade away. "Princess Renaissance! I am King Dewran Of Naworth, and I have brought along those who are most suitable to be your great and mighty Spriggan! Who shall forever care for you!" He announced to the unseen Fairy Princess. But after some time, the king slowly raised his head along with the others at the now-destroyed Heart Of Naworth.
"Where is she?" Dewran's eyes darted around the clearing and found but wonderous grove that he had seen many times before. "Princess Renaissance?!" He shot to his feet while whipping his head back and forth along with Voltar and the Elves while Ghultic and his men took to the air. "Find her! NOW!" Dewran ordered, making the Elves, Dryads, and Insectiles scatter into the grove. "Maybe she got confused and ran off?" He closed his eyes and placed his hands on the floor, growing silver roost into it. "I must find her before anything happens!"
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Somewhere with the Forest Of Naworth
"Geez! I think I almost blew my head off with that one!" Rena (age: 0) wiped her nose after sneezing on some leftover Fairy Dust. "I went far?" The Fairy Princess had gotten herself shot out of the great tree by mistake. She was mostly the same as she is in the present, but with her hair down, and instead of her leaf dress, she was in a long-sleeved white dress with green designs and wore a silver crown with green gemstones around her neck. "Now, where is my knight in shining armor? Wait? Do Elves wear that much armor? And where's the Elf King that was supposed to greet me? Man, these guys are lucky my mother isn't here." She went around the forest randomly after that.
"~Hmm~mmm~" Along the way came the soft humming of someone.
"Huh? What's that?" Rena followed the humming, joining in on the tune as the sound of splashing water was added to it. "Oh, it's a lake?" She came across a lake out in the middle of nowhere, but now the humming was gone. "Hmm? This is where it came from right?" The Fairy Princess asked herself as she went down to the water and floated above the edge. "~Hmm~mm-KAHH!" Until a hand shot out from the water and caught her.
Then slowly appearing out of the lake was Lu (age: 36) as a Dark Elf with dark blueberry skin, cheery red eyes, and soaked snow-white hair. "Oh? It's just a Fairy? Sorry about that I thought I caught a bird." He muttered, letting Rena go and went back to his bath.
"Well, you got something better than that! You're looking at Nature's Princess! Now bow to me, fool!" Rena shot up into the air, proclaiming who she was to this at the time complete stranger.
"Nature's what now?" Lu looked confused by this fancy-dressed Fairy. "Well, sorry, I can't really do that right now, or I might drown." He pointed at the water he was in.
"Huh? What's with that attitude!? I am a princess! So, what if you drown! Just do it!" Rena kicked at the air, and the trees around the lake grew vines that shot after Lu, tossing him out of the water. "Hah! How do you like thaaaaaa-!" Which helped Rena realize that this Dark Elf was naked under the water as his body was falling in slow motion in front of her. "Ugh..." And passed out the next mommet red in the face from the over excitement.
A few minutes later
"Huh?" Rena blinked a few times currently looking up at the sky. "What's this?" She was lying on a wrapped-up bit of animal fur. "~So soft~" Which she quickly started to roll around in without a care. "Huh?" Then she heard that humming again making her look around for its maker.
"Good, you're awake." Lu fully dressed was there sitting next to Rena under a tree softly humming the tune Rena heard while he was cleaning Fairy dust off his bow and quiver.
"Y-y-you!" Rena's face went red while she went airborne, and right into Lu's face. "I'm sorry! I didn't think you were a guy! Are you hurt!?" She yelled at him while looking genuinely upset at herself.
"No, I get that a lot, and I accept your apology," Lu replied as quickly as Rena spoke, inching his head away from her with his cheeks turning a lighter shade of blue. "So? Who are you? Nature's Princess doesn't sound like a name to me..." He paused after saying that when Rena looked a bit annoyed. "...sorry, maybe I should go first? I'm Lutwig."
"Well, at least you have manners, I guess?" Rena pulled away from Lu before both of their faces got stuck the way they were. "I am Nature's Princess, Renaissance Of Naworth."
"Renaissance, huh? So, are you new here? I've never seen you around before?" Lu asked after getting Rena's name, saying it a few times in his head to find out if there was a Fairy with her name. "Not in the last few years, I guess?"
"Hmm? I guess you could say that?" Rena muttered, looking intently at Lu as if judging him. "I got tossed out here by that weird Fairy Dust storm a while ago."
"Yea, that shocked me the first time around, wonder what caused it?" Lu asked, looking up at the great tree where all of the Fairy Dust came from. "Hmm?" Until Rena floated into his view, looking rather smug as if she knew the answer to his question. "Uh? Is there something you want to tell me?"
"Hehe! Well, I have the answer to your question, after all!" Rena whipped some of her hair back before continuing. "That happened because I got born today!" She boasted and waited for Lu's shock and awe.
"Because you're Nature's Princess, right?" Lu rolled his eyes at this Fairy and tapped a finger on her head a few times. "You sure got some big dreams in there, heh!"
"GRRR! Don't laugh at me!" Rena kicked and punched at Lu's finger, throwing a small tantrum in the air along with making the plants around them freak out. "See!? All that is happening because you pissed me off! Now bow to me, fool!"
"That's neat and all but I've seen other Fairies do the same." Lu pointed out, ducking and jumping as tree branches tried to hit him. "Now could you stop that!" He leaped up and caught Rena then landed on a wiggling branch as the Fairy Princess was squirming in his hand. "But even this is a bit much for one Fairy..."
"But I'm special!" Rena puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms, causing some trees to wrap around Lu. "Dammit!" But the Dark Elf jumped out of the way in time. "At least fall for my traps if you're not gonna believe me!?" She slammed her fist down on Lu's hand.
"Wha?" And over Lu's head were large growing seeds that looked ready to pop. "Uh, oh!" He dived into the water the next second as a blast of green shook the area. "AH! That was a bit much, don't you think?" Lu came back up, looking at a few burning trees."Huh? Renaissance?"
"Ugh!" It looked like when Lu took a dip Rena didn't have time to take a breath in so she was currently hacking up water. "Do you have any idea who I am!?" She screamed at the Dark Elf after making sure she could breathe again.
"No, not really." Lu shrugged in answer, getting out of the lake while wringing Rena out gently.
With the Fairy Princess ticked off at how this Dark Elf treated her. "Is there any way for me to prove to you that I'm important?" She asked as Lu went over to pick up his animal skins, bow, and quiver.
"Hmm?" Lu looked up to think, at this point, maybe he should play along with this weirdo, and maybe she might buzz off. "How about something impossible?"
"Something impossible?" Now it was Rena's to look up. "Hmm?" Then came back down to stare at Lu with drops of water still dripping from his snow-white hair, his soft blueberry skin, and his red eyes that were too kind for anyone to have. "Could he be?" She wondered, unknowingly blushing at the Dark Elf holding onto her. "Would making you my knight count?" She asked, rubbing two of her fingers together.
"Huh? Do you mean partners? Sure, I guess?" Lu wasn't sure what Rena meant by 'her knight' but if he couldn't get rid of her might as well make a friend. "But I am not that good at anything, besides my bow and ears, which isn't saying much for an Elf, haha,"
"Do you love the forest?" Rena questioned in a more serious tone than she was using before as she floated out of Lu's hand.
"Huh? Yea, kind of hard not to, look at this place." Lu twirled around at the woodlands before them and went silent when he came back to Rena, seemingly walking on air as the plants around them started to converge around her and Lu.
"How old are you?" Rena's questioning continued with her now standing on a platform made of plants and looked into Lu's eyes.
"36..." Lu answered, trying to back away from her, but a wall of plant life stopped him. "Wah!" And down to his knees, he went some of it pushed him down. "Uh, Renaissance? What's with all of the questions?" He looked up at the Fairy and felt powerless under her.
"I am judging you but not in a bad way..." Rena answered as her platform brought her down to Lu's head. "...last one; are you a part of the royal Elven family in any way?"
"N-no, I'm just a Dark Elf living out my days...well, one of my brothers is trying to get a higher standing in our woods but other than that I'm pretty normal." Lu stared at Rena, coming closer and closer to him. "Uh, a bit close, don't you think?" He pulled his head back as Rena reached out to his face.
"No, this is just right and so are you, Lutwig Of Naworth." Rena finally got a hold of Lu and leaned forward, placing her lips on his.
"Hey! Twiggy! Did you get caught in that weird storm earlier? And where are those animal skins you promised me!" A slightly less tattooed Dreroot appeared, moving around the trees thanks to the branches on his back. "What the hell is that thing!?" Before his eyes was a mass of plants all wrapping around one spot. "Tch!" Then he whipped around to a tree that suddenly went silver in color.
"This cannot be!?" And out of it came Dewran, looking right at the mass of plants starting to look like the Heart Of Naworth. "Dammit! Who could she have chosen!" He dropped down to the ground and rushed to the growing orb.
"~Well~ Lookie here? The Horny-king graces his people, eh?" Dreroot snickered as he dropped down as well. "Mind letting me in on what's going on here? This is pretty close to my neck of the woods, you know?"
"Quiet, Dark Elf! This is more important than either of us!" Dewran treated Dreroot like an afterthought as he was far more interested in the event taking place before them.
"Tck!" Dreroot only clicked his tongue at the Elf King. "Huh?" Which was followed by more clicking, but it didn't come from him; instead, it was coming from the orb of nature starting to fall apart. "This better not be some kind of weird weapon to wipe us out, Dewran!" Dreroot warned, readying himself for anything but the look on Dewran's face was one of fear and disgust. "Guess not?"
When the orb broke down, all that was left was Lu and Rena. "Wha?" With Lu looking at himself closely. His dark blue skin was replaced with a fair-colored one. "My hair?" He pulled at his now blonde hair, staring wondrously at it with his mostly lime green eyes as the last bit of red in them faded away. "Renaissance? What did you do to...me?" He turned to Rena, coming to rest on one of his shoulders.
"Hehe! I made you my knight! Now, do you believe me?" Rena had a cheeky smile across her face, looking up at the more than confused and mentally out of it Lu who looked back wide-eyed.
"Princess Renaissance, what do you mean by that?" Dewran spoke up, taking the two's eyes off eachother and onto him.
"Oh? You must be the king around here from all the fancy clothes." Rena waved a hand at Dewran's robes then jumped to the top of Lu's head. "And isn't it obvious!? I just picked my Spriggan!" She cheered, and the words that came out of her mouth made Lu and Dreroot gasp.
"Whoa! Whoa! My brother's a Spriggan?" Dreroot threw his hands at Lu, who was as shocked as he was. "Hah! Well, look at that Horny-king? We Dark Elves aren't so useless now, huh?!" And a massive grin came over his face as Dewran's face twisted at the realization.
"Dammit! Of all the things that could've happened? A Dark Elf!?! Really!?" Dewran's mind was a mess of confusion, anger, and malice at everyone around him. First, there was Dreroot for simply existing, a thorn in his side for many years now, that idiotic princess who chose a Dark Elf of all things as her Spriggan before seeing those he had gathered, and worst of all the very Dark Elf himself now having the same appearance as his own people. "Wait? This could still work...?" He thought, walking over to Lu and Rena and then bowed to them despite how he felt at the moment. "I am glad to hear that you were able to make your choice so quickly, princess. Now shall we depart to the great tree?"
"Hey! Hey! What's that about!? You'd never let any of us step so much as a toe in your neck of the woods! What's so different now!?" Dreroot stepped up to Dewran. "If anything they're coming back with me! I've got to tell everyone about this!?" He cheered about to reach an arm around Lu. "Huh?" When a silver tree branch wrapped around it and pulled him back. "Something wrong, Horny-king?" Dreroot's branches grew out from his back, turning into sickly trees with snapping maws.
"Why yes, indeed, Dark Elf," Dewran answered as more silver trees began appearing around him. "Now then step aside as the princess does not belong among your kind."
"As if! Didn't you hear her, my brother is her Spriggan! That means they should stay together!" Dreroot shot back as his twisted trees began to snap at Dewran's. "Tch!" But most of their fangs broke off after a few bites.
"Hmph, if you wish to force my hand then so be it." Some of Dewran's trees grew thorns that shot after Dreroot and chipped away at the Dark Elf's branch, all of which started to bleed as Dreroot got knocked down. "Well, I am sure you are happy to feel the same pain you caused to those precious seeds of yours." The Elf King smirked, pointing a finger at Dreroot causing one of his trees to morph into a tendril of silver sharpen to a point.
"Hey! That's enough!" Rena screamed at the two of them, which caused both Dreroot's and Dewran's plants to retreat back to their masters. "What's got the two of you fighting over me and my knight so badly?" She demanded as Lu went over to Dreroot.
"Dre, are you alright?" Lu helped his brother up and glanced back at Dewran, who was putting on a soft smile for Rena.
"Well, you see princess I was merely trying to get it through that Dark Elf's mind that you and your Spriggan belong with us not them," Dewran explained his actions to Rena with his trees either disappearing or returning to normal colored ones. "I hope that did not upset you."
"It did," Rena spat out, earning a bow of the Elf King's head. "I don't get why you hate Dark Elves so much, but my Spirggan is or was one of them! That means he belongs with his own people and I am gonna follow him!" She informed Dewran, patting the side of Lu's head a few times.
"That may be true, princess, but you are far more needed at the great tree than at some Dark Elf's home," Dewran argued back, earning him a confused look from Rena. "Ah? Did you not notice when you were born into the world, that you destroyed the Heart Of Naworth? Without it, the great tree will die in time, and the only rightful substitute is you, Princess Renaissance."
"What!? She popped the heart of the great tree!?" Dreroot pointed at Rena in disbelief. He already knew a thing or two about the Fairy Queen like any Elf would but hearing that her daughter being born caused the death of a great tree made him shiver.
"Indeed and if she does not return to the Holy Grove soon our home will go to ruin, but she must stay there until it is fully healed," Dewran explained, keeping his smile as Dreroot and Lu understood the dire situation not only for them but all of Elves and other races living in Naworth.
"Then I'll just go fix it right up!" Rena snapped her fingers, if it was a plant then at this moment she was the right person to talk to.
"I do not believe it will be that simple, my princess." Dewran pulled Rena down from her high horse. "The Heart Of Naworth has built up mana needed for your birth since it began growing from a time long ago, I'm not even sure how long it might take you..."
"Alright! Alright! You got me there, Horny-king!" Dreroot held his hands up as he stepped away from Lu, seeing that Dewran was trying to get Rena and Lu to go with him. "Hah..." And as much as the Dark Elf didn't like it, he couldn't find a way to beat the Elf King in a game of words. "Since I like living here and all,"
"Wait, Dreroot! Are you sure about this?" Lu reached out for his brother. "Dre..." But the Dark Elf turned his back to Lu.
"Listen, little brother, right now you're in a very special position better than that king over there even..." Dreroot stared at Dewran as he continued. "...but, right now our home needs its princess, and the princess needs her knight, not that you're much of one..." He shook his head as he shrugged his shoulders. "...but, she did pick you for some reason, so you better stick with her. You can do that, can't you?
"Yes..." Lu nodded, even if Dreroot wasn't looking at him.
"Good to hear! One more question before I leave and it's for you, Horny-king..." Dreroot waved a hand at his brother and then pointed at Dewran. "...I'm guessing word of a Dark Elf becoming the Fairy Princess' Spriggan isn't something you want out in the woods, right?"
"You are correct, and I am willing to keep it a secret for as long as possible...I will tell the other Elves that the princess has yet to find someone worthy, but I know full well that your silence will cost me something..." Dewran's face went into a scowl from there.
"We will be in touch, friend!" Dreroot's branches shot upwards and pulled him along the trees. "And Lutwig don't do anything to that princess that I would do! Kukuku!" He disappeared into the forest soon after that.
Leaving Lu to look down at the ground, in nothing but a few minutes he was changed into an average Elf, appointed as the Spriggan for the Fairy Princess, and then pushed out of his home.
"Lutwig?" Rena floated on by to his side, slowly coming into his line of sight. "D-do...you hate me? For all of this?" She asked in a whisper as she looked at the ground as well. "Hmm?" But a pair of hands reaching out to hold her made her look up at Lu.
"Can't really be your knight if I hate you, right?" Lu asked in return, still looking a bit bewildered by everything but forced a smile for his princess. "That is if you're still okay with me, my princess?"
"Hehe! Of course, I am! Because I picked you and I know my stuff!" Rena bounced back from her downtime and returned to her bubbly self.
"Heh!" With some of it rubbing off on Lu since his forced smile became a real one after watching her bounce around.
"Well, then I believe we should return now." Dewran waved a hand at the ground and under his and Lu's feet grew a tree that began carrying them back to the great tree. "Forgive me. I sense that you are not of the druidic ways so warping between trees may cause some issues."
"That's fine! This is better!" Rena waved him off while rubbing her head against Lu's cheek as if they were on some kind of date.
"Disgraceful to no end..." Dewran thought as he the king of his bountiful kingdom was now nothing more than a magical carriage driver for these two. "...but, I ca-no have to bear it! If I plant the right seeds into this boy's mind, then I can have him under my control and in turn, the princess! The only problem I have now is that damned Death Wood! Any other Dark Elf would have been manageable, but one with blood tries with that flirt only make this harder!"
From there, the Elf King began planning out how he could make this outcome work towards his own benefit. As did Dreroot, the leader of a small group of Dark Elves within Naworth at the time but soon became the ruler of them all after a few 'favors' from his 'new best friend!' Finally, the partners bounded to eachother forever were placed in the middle as the most important pieces in this game.
Chapter End