The river water drifted forward, gradually being covered by a thick layer of water vapor. The mist floating like smoke completely covered the clear river channel. Without a local elven guide or eyes like Vincent that can penetrate obstacles, we would be completely lost in a place like this.
However, this mist completely dissipated the scorching summer heat. The moist and cool water droplets fell on people's skin, bringing a refreshing touch; the burning sensation in the lungs caused by the high temperature air was also relieved.
Vincent sat comfortably in the boat and didn't have to worry about controlling the direction of the boat. Now enjoying the comfortable journey is the only thing he wants to do.
A few faint lights drifted from the fog, and their number became more and more numerous. These lights are like fireflies flying low over the river, flashing a pale yellow light. Vincent curiously reached out and picked up a lamp that was leaning into the boat, and found that it was a small lamp lit with pine tar on the wide folded leaves.
"This..." the mage looked at the two elves on the nearby boat in surprise, "Isn't this a light made to help dead relatives sleep peacefully? There are so many, has the Elf Kingdom experienced a war?"
"Yes, my mage friend." The elf said, "Her Majesty the Queen originally wanted to discuss these matters with you directly. Our elven kingdom did go through a tough battle some time ago." He calmed down and held back his heart. Sad, said: "It is not our original intention to let our friends hear this kind of news as soon as they enter Salantir."
"I understand what you mean." Vincent put the lantern in his hand back into the water: "I will ask Her Majesty the Queen about everything."
Dots of lights followed Vincent forward, floating around the boat. Vincent thought of the documents he had read. This kind of light is to accompany those elves who sacrificed their lives for the benefit of their fellow humans, so that their souls can have the most peaceful sleep. The lifespan of elves is close to infinite, and they can live in nature for as long as trees. Unless they encounter a terrible disease or sacrifice their lives in battle, elves will only grow old and never die. Elves believe that even if their bodies cannot exist forever, the soul of each elf can coexist with this world. Unless the end of the world comes, the souls of the dead will always exist in this world. Lighting a floating lamp and letting them walk on this river that the elves regard as a "god-given" means that those poor souls can find their homeland as soon as possible.
On the other hand, the longer than average lifespan makes those elven warriors very skilled. In battle, they are always the most elite troops. Vincent has never heard that the elves would send their people to leave Salantir to fight. This is not in line with their tradition; then this battle must be carried out within the scope of the elven kingdom. Fighting at their own doorstep, in a familiar environment, and assisted by a defense system that had been preserved from ancient times, the elven warriors still paid a heavy price. What kind of enemy could do this?
"Dear friend, don't let these things affect your mood. Please enjoy the comfort and tranquility of the Elf Kingdom first." Just as the mage was deep in thought, a female voice suddenly appeared in Vincent's mind. It was a voice full of majesty and kindness at the same time, perfectly blending these two contradictory tones. Even though this was an uninvited interruption, Vincent could not be disgusted at all.
A smile appeared on Vincent's mouth, knowing that this was the ability of the Elf Queen. Her powerful spells allow her to quickly communicate with any creature in the country and even read their minds. However, the Elf Queen never abuses this power, and will only make spiritual connections with other people in emergencies. I remember that the last time he came here, Vincent cast a spell to protect himself from mind control, which caused the Elf Queen to suffer backlash for the first time when she made a mental connection. But she smiled slightly, apparently not hurt in any way. This time, she just said hello to the mage who came from afar, stubbornly but mischievously trying to win the battle.
Vincent closed his eyes and stopped thinking about the news of the war. All the mysteries will be revealed when I see her, and now I really should enjoy the joy of rest.
The irritable journey never ends, but the peaceful journey always ends quickly. When Shelley and Sokka opened their eyes, the boat had already approached Heather and arrived at the palace in the Elf City.
"Sleep so comfortable!" Little Sokka stretched his body and spread his beautiful wings around. She patted her mouth with her little hands, yawned a few times, and then opened her eyes to observe the surrounding scenery.
Shelley rubbed her eyes and quickly moved her joints to restore their normal agility. She asked Vincent: "How long have I been asleep? Why do I feel like a long time has passed?"
"Yes, there is nothing wrong with your feelings." Vincent said: "You have slept for five full days and five nights. And you just woke up when you arrived at your destination."
Shelley frowned and looked nervously at both sides of the river: "Is there some strange magic here? How could I lose my alertness?"
"Don't worry, this is not some malicious magic." Vincent explained: "It takes more than five days from entering Salantir to the Elf Palace. During this period, ordinary tourists can only sit on the boat and watch both sides of the river. There is nothing to do in the scenery. This kind of hypnotic magic can eliminate fatigue and avoid this boring process." The mage said with a smile: "But I once had a friend who kept complaining about this. The reason is to let him see less of the beautiful scenery here. It is really uneconomical to spend five days sleeping instead of enjoying it. "
"So you didn't enjoy sleep like us during this period?" Shelley said: "You are alone on the boat, why don't you wake me up and let me accompany you?"
"No, I think that is inappropriate." Vincent said: "I think you have not enjoyed absolutely peaceful sleep since you were born. Seeing that you and Sokka can rest so peacefully and forget everything around them Come enjoy this deep sleep, how can I disturb it? Besides, I am used to walking in the world alone, so such a short period of emptiness has no impact."
"Maybe what I said is not correct." Shelley told Vincent: "You once said that after I left that place, I should change my living habits there to adapt to the current journey. I think you should also abandon that feeling of being alone. One person’s habits adapt to the path of three people.”
Vincent looked at Shelley for a long time before replying: "I think what you said makes sense. I will get used to it slowly."
"It's so beautiful here!" Sokka shouted happily. She turned back and tugged on the mage's robe: "Let me go and play for a while, okay?"
"Go, but don't leave the ship too far, and be able to come back at any time. Otherwise, when we get ashore, we will eat all the fruits given to you!" Vincent patted the little angel on the head: "Go fly! "
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Sokka spread out his white wings, flew happily across the water, and flew into the blue sky. The rivers of Erutalon gather here to form a large lake, and the turquoise water reflects the surrounding mountains. The originally white clouds in the sky are now floating at the foot of the emerald green peaks, and the birds flying through the clouds now look like schools of fish playing in the lake.
Although the sun above our heads still shines with blazing light, it must restrain its tyranny in the face of this flawless scenery. No impetuous emotion can tarnish this natural work of art, and no creature that knows how to appreciate beautiful things can bear to disturb the atmosphere here.
Vincent and Shelley stood up involuntarily and looked as far away as possible. The lake water became a mirror, perfectly reproducing the surrounding landscape. The original beauty has now doubled, setting off each other and catching everyone's eyes. At this moment, the lake turned into a sea that accommodated all things, giving everyone in it an infinite mind.
And in the center of this beautiful mirror is the place that the elves are most proud of - Yisli Heather, that is their palace, that is their sacred grove. It was a pure white mountain with dense forests and endless flowers, plants and shrubs dotted between the gaps in the trees. These towering ancient trees are as white as the soil here, but they are not boring or lonely at all: usually the green leaves cover the sky above their heads, but in autumn they turn golden, and even in winter they turn Even if the snow is white, it will not wither, and will regain its green glory in spring. The tree trunks are covered with green vines. Yellow flowers and bright red fruits hide under the winding vines, and butterflies picking flowers and foraging birds happily shuttle through the forest. They never have to worry about food here.
The thick branches at the top of the huge white wood are almost perpendicular to the tree itself. They try hard to pull the outstretched arm of another big tree next to it, but they always fall just short of the distance. However, the elves fulfilled their wish and built a rope bridge between the branches of the two trees, connecting the entire forest into a whole. Although the gray ropes appear thin, they are actually able to withstand the weight of even a storm giant. Here, the elves not only demonstrated their exquisite craftsmanship, but also gave full play to their artistic talents. Each rope bridge uses a different weaving method, but the same thin ropes are combined into a variety of patterns, and these ropes are even used to combine complex Elvish characters. Most of them are words of blessing and greetings, used to express the best wishes for all those who pass by.
Through continuous rope bridges and various platforms built on huge trees, you can reach the top of the mountain . There, the largest and oldest tree in the entire forest grows, and its name is " Isley Heather". The huge canopy covers the top of the entire mountain, and also shows a color different from other trees: during the day, under the reflection of the sun, the leaves show a whitish golden yellow; while at night, this tree looks like the bright moon in the horizon. The same, turning into a bright silvery white.
A palace is located on the largest branch of the tree . It seems to be carved out of sapphire, perfectly integrated with the tree . Miraculously, the palace changes color as the angle of the sun changes. From light blue to emerald green, then slowly turns to orange, and finally mixes with the sunset to become a bright red.
Neither Vincent nor Shelley wanted to make a sound for fear of causing even the slightest damage to the landscape. But Sokka's cheerful laughter echoed in their ears. The little angel was like a nimble swift, flying across the water like an arrow , and even put his little hand into the water, leaving a string of ripples.
When the elves saw the happy little angel, they expressed heartfelt praise. As Sokka flew, they sang songs of praise in Elvish.
"What are they singing?" Shelley stood next to Vincent and asked quietly.
"A poem that praises the birds in the sky, but it is difficult for me to translate it in other languages." Vincent said: "There are many exquisite words, and their nuances can only be expressed in Elvish. If it is a tough translation. , will lose most of its flavor.”
"I know." Shelley was in a daze: "Even if I don't understand the meaning, I can still feel their emotions. Although elves and drow are originally the same race, the difference in language is so huge. Just like the elves There are so many curses and insults in the Dark Elf language that it is difficult to express them in other languages."
Vincent looked at Shelley: "I know you will never forget those days, but you should keep them deep in your memory and don't take them out to affect your current thoughts."
"Wow! I can't stop!" Little Sokka's voice came from the sky. The little angel danced and quickly rushed towards the boat where Vincent was. Although her wings kept flapping, it seemed that she still could not reduce the power of diving from high altitude.
Vincent stretched out his adamantium prosthesis towards Sokka and spread his fingers. Shelley was about to remind the mage that the little angel would definitely be injured if it hit such a hard object at high speed. But only in the blink of an eye. Sokka was already sitting in the cabin safely. Except for her eyes that were still spinning due to dizziness, there was no sign that she had been hurt. Not even the ship rocked at all.
Shelley rubbed her eyes vigorously and looked at the mage in confusion. She didn't even notice what Vincent had just done . Even if a spell is used, it cannot be so fast, let alone completely eliminate the light and sound when casting the spell.
Several elves also looked at each other, but no one could see clearly what happened just now. As if in an instant, their attention was drawn away. Each elf's eyes blinked involuntarily, ignoring the process they should have seen.
"Maybe this is the magic of the mage." The elves all have this thought in their minds.
The boat docked on the shore of Heather, leaving only the sound of the lake water lapping at the shore. Several people stepped lightly on the moist and soft ground, and the thick grass blades under their feet felt comfortable. Shelley picked up Soka, who was still confused about the direction, and jumped off the boat.
This is the first time in the history of elves that a dark elf has set foot on this holy land.
This small island in the middle of the lake has become a place where elves lived thousands of years ago, and tall trees have appeared here since that era. But even the oldest elves cannot tell what kind of changes these trees have undergone over the years. Others say that the trees have looked like this since the arrival of the elves, even before other life came into being. Stepping into this sacred mountain is like stepping into the long river of history, like returning to ancient times. Here, only the oldest memories will be passed down, and the eternal trees will tell the almost disappeared legends in the ears. Salantir only retains the memories of these oldest things. Here, these ancient things seem to be alive again, operating and breathing. They have heard about the forces of evil and know the taste of sorrow and suffering; the elves reject and doubt the outside world. Even the borders of Salantir are filled with the howling sounds of wild beasts, but no shadows can appear in the land of Heather.
History seems to be condensed here, just like the proud traditions of the elves, which will never change due to the changes of time.
A hanging basket hangs from the tree, with comfortable cushions and smooth natural rattan knots as armrests. Through the pull of the elves above, guests here can easily go up to high places and enter the transportation network among the woods.
Vincent bent down and made an inviting gesture to the two ladies, gesturing for Shelley to take Soka up first. However, Shelley always felt a little uneasy when she came to this land. She could not completely trust the elves in front of her, and was afraid that they would suddenly drop the basket. She shook her head at Vincent, then used the levitation technique to fly the light angel towards the platform above her head.
Vincent smiled at the elves: "Actually, I don't need this hanging basket." After saying that, he waved his staff gently and came to Shelley's side at a very fast speed, and they slowly flew upward together.
Several elves smiled at each other . They straightened the long bows on their backs and quickly climbed up the thick tree trunk. Although the vines all over it made it easier to climb, the several agile elves did not pull the green plants at all. They climbed up quickly, as dexterously as squirrels that had lived in the woods for a long time. Leaving almost no trace, Vincent and Shelley soon arrived.
The mages and elves gently applauded each other's actions, showing smiles of mutual appreciation.
"Friends, mage, please come this way." The elves bowed gracefully: "Now, I officially welcome you to the land of Heather and the land of pure blessings."