Godric, bruised and tired, entered the woods with nothing but a sickle to defend himself; using only the bright light of the first autumn moon to guide his path. He remained cautious, for even though he was out of the reach of the people who were hunting him down for execution after accidentally killing Walter, the dark forest itself contained another domain of danger as it was home to the Earth mother's creations: wild animals that ranged in size, beasts, creatures of unknown origin, and most likely a clan of elves as their kind were known to rule over Primera's various forests as both guardians of its inhabitants and what it had to offer.

I have to keep moving, Godric thought to himself. Wyatt risked his life out there so I could have a second chance at life. I don't intend to waste this opportunity away. Such thoughts ran through his mind as he journeyed deeper into the forest.

Each time he heard an unsettling noise, he immediately sought cover while making sure not to make a sound, as he knew that a single action here in uncharted territory either meant life or death for him.

Not long after, midnight had arrived and Godric's strength was failing him. He needed food, water, and a quiet place to lay low for the rest of the night. The lad hadn't eaten since midday, and fatigue only made his hunger worsen. Animals that he had never encountered before looked at him; others with curiosity, and others with a predatorial intent. Eventually, after walking for what seemed like hours, taking a few turns and venturing deeper into the forest, Godric found a beautiful glade that was decorated with flowers, a large tree--the largest he'd ever seen in his life, along with a captivating fountain made out of wood and stone, with glistening waters that overflowed and ran deeper into the deep, dark forest.

Godric was at a loss for words. He'd never seen a landscape with such beauty before. The land he grew up in was beautiful--there was no doubt about that, but he knew that something was different about this one. The glade somewhat radiated an ancient presence: one that was powerful, and mysterious. Yet despite all this, Godric felt that the sight of the area could soothe the troubles of one's mind with ease. He studied the rest of the moonlit area while he slowly made careful steps toward the fountain.

As he slowly approached the fountain, he felt lighter, and his breathing slowed down--it was as if the fountain itself was recovering his lost strength. Eventually, he found himself in front of the fountain, which upon closer inspection, was ornamented with precious gems and stones that Godric was not able to identify. He paused to stare at the overflowing waters and soon found himself thirsty. His fatigue did disappear, but his hunger and thirst stayed. He surveyed the area around him, checking for any sign of danger. After doing so, he knelt on one knee and scooped a handful of water. "Here goes nothing," Godric said to himself and began to drink the water.

His eyes widened as the water entered his body. His hunger was sated, and his thirst was quenched. He reached again for another drink and felt as if he had become a different person altogether. Soon, he noticed that the pain he was feeling all around his body was slowly fading, and found out that the wounds he received during his earlier fight with Walter had already healed. "By the Divines!" Godric exclaimed with excitement in his voice.

He looked up at the night sky and realized that the moon was gone, covered by the clouds. This caused the entire area around him to darken, leaving nothing but the strange, glowing shrooms that surrounded the fountain and its waters his only light source.

He stopped to think about what to do next and decided to get a few hours of sleep instead to kill some time until the sun appeared. He wandered off to the edge of the glade, where he nestled himself underneath the covers of a large Adhirala tree--a familiar evergreen for Godric, with its branches reaching out in different directions and adorned with leaves ranging from color to color. Godric wondered if he could even sleep after his weariness was cured by drinking the waters, but soon enough, the brown-haired lad drifted off into a deep slumber.

Blurred visions then flashed rapidly in Godric's mind, most of which he was not able to make out. There were some of which he was able to piece together to create a vivid scene, but it made no sense to him.

What is this? he thought to himself.

His inner thoughts wandered as he allowed the images to continue to flow. Finally, Godric found himself floating in an empty, and pitch-black void of space. Suddenly, a feeling of dread crept up his body as a voice pierced through the darkness, paralyzing him.

"Nadur-gol vaz, kahazhima Uhrihim."

Godric felt pain like never before--he wanted to scream out loud but could not do so as his body felt like it was trapped in time. Every part of his physical body ached in pain, he felt like his mind was slowly being pulled apart, while his spirit was being separated from his very being.

The lad was helpless has he slowly closed his eyes, while his consciousness slowly drifted into nothingness.

"Ahh!" Godric cried out as his upper body jolted up from sleep. He opened his eyes and to his surprise, found himself in an unknown place. He observed the room and based on how it was designed, had concluded that he was in an infirmary of sorts.

"Where am I?" he asked out of instinct. A few moments later, a voice replied to him.

"Oh--you're awake," it said. "This is the second time that you have surprised me, mortal." Godric scanned the room to search for the source of the voice but to no avail. "My apologies--I forgot," the voice replied as it figured out what Godric was attempting to do. "Here, let me help you."

Not long after, a tall figure materialized out of thin air. Godric scanned the individual from head to foot. The figure had hazy, gray-colored eyes, pointed ears, and long silver hair, it wore a white garment that had been embroidered with symbols of what Godric presumed to be eyes and the crescent moon.

He looked on, awestruck. "You're an elf, aren't you?" He asked the figure. "Indeed I am," the elf replied. "You may call me lómë." lómë continued as he approached Godric who was propped up against his wooden bed.

"We apologize if we did not show ourselves as soon as you woke up. We were under direct orders to do so," lómë said as he walked toward Godric.

"May I sit?" He asked. "Uhh...o-of course! Please!" The lad replied as lómë sat down on the bed that was beside him.

"Wait, what do you mean by we?" Godric asked, somewhat confused by what the elf had meant.

"Oh. Anarórë," lómë replied. "Sister, please show yourself now. He is no threat to you." As soon as lómë finished, another elf appeared out of the corner of the room, barely visible. Godric took a closer look and saw that the hooded figure already had a bow and arrow nocked in place--aimed directly at his head.

"W-woah, woah!" Godric shouted as he fell out of bed, hitting the stone floor hard. He let out a pained groan as lómë helped him up to his feet. "Rest easy, sister. Put down the bow. Father said to look after him, not scare him to death." lómë continued as Godric slowly settled back into his bed while he tried to get a good look at his savior's sister. lómë and her had similar features, with the only differences being the figure, hair, and clothing. Twins. Godric thought to himself.

"You cannot blame me if I am more cautious than you are, dear brother," Anarórë said as she removed her hood to fully reveal her silver hair and pointed ears. "This mortal not only trespassed into the glade and sacred fountain but also drank from its waters. You know as well as I do that such an act is sacrilegious and knowing this, I am embarrassed to call myself the captain of the scouts." Anarórë continued as she turned towards Godric.

"Tell me mortal," Anarórë began to ask. "How were you able to navigate through the woods and trespass into our sacred glade?" The elf asked with a suspicious look on her face.

"How indeed?" lómë also questioned Godric, as if it seemed that his sister's query also earned his interest.

Before Godric could attempt to answer them, another figure appeared at the entrance of the infirmary, all clad in silver armor. "My Lord lómë, Lady Anarórë," the soldier spoke after bowing out of respect. "The king wishes to speak with the mortal, immediately." The twins looked at each other in unison. Anarórë looked back at him and acknowledged the message.

"Thank you. Tell Father that we will be heading into the hall immediately." The soldier then took a bow, turned, and disappeared deeper into the building. "Well, it seems that you will have some explaining to do," lómë said to Godric. "It would be best to ready yourself." He continued and without a moment's hesitation, Anarórë then grasped Godric's shoulder, motioning him to get up. "Let's go. Father is waiting for us."

The trio walked outside the infirmary and deeper into the interior of what Godric presumed to be a castle, with the walls being a mixture of wood and stone. Godric noticed that there were no windows present, and the light that illuminated the halls came from fauna that Godric did not recognize; all of which looked magical in his eyes.

"All of this might seem a bit strange to you, does it?" lómë asked Godric, who was busy observing his surroundings. Eventually, they reached a wooden entryway and stepped through it to reveal an enormous chamber, which Godric could describe as a large, forested city. The chamber was teeming with animals, fauna, and beasts, and was home to other elves who lived in treehouses and fungi of unimaginable sizes. They maneuvered through the area using a silver-colored pathway that would fork off in different directions and would go either downwards or upwards, which provided a majestic view of the spectacle below them.

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"How is this possible?" Godric wondered. "Simple, really: elven magic," Anarórë replied to Godric with a sly look. "Each Great House specializes in a form of magic," lómë stepped in to explain. Godric had no idea what the elf was attempting to tell him but decided to keep quiet. "Ours specializes in illusion and healing, as you may have witnessed earlier in the infirmary, and what you experienced back in the sacred glade," Godric remembered how the twins revealed themselves from before.

Magic? What on earth is that? Godric thought to himself. Before he could continue to ponder his thoughts he stopped in his tracks.

Idiot! He thought to himself. These two are royalty--where are my manners!? Quickly, the young man knelt on one knee.

"A-apologies for my rudeness, your majesties!" Godric said as he lowered his head to the ground, embarrassed for being too late in realizing who he had been with this entire time.

He was only met with silence, which was soon followed by an unexpected laughter from the elves. "This mortal is an odd one," Anarórë said to her twin. She then turned to Godric, confused and somewhat flustered. "In case you haven't noticed yet, you are being treated as a guest of House Alastrassa--no need for such formalities." She continued.

"If you were concerned about being punished for any disrespect, I would have let loose an arrow the moment you were brought inside our domain." The princess continued. "Let us not be hasty and resort to this type of behavior. This is not the time to be fighting, dear sister. Father is waiting up ahead." lómë quickly calmed down the tension was building between the two. They continued towards a pathway that led to the center which was a large, wooden tree that held up the entire chamber.

Moments passed, and the trio entered a hall surrounded by a crowd of different beings--inhabitants of the forest. Elven soldiers lined up in formation towards the center of the great hall, which was decorated with an intricately carved throne made of Adhirala wood and unknown stone. On the intricate wooden throne sat a figure who commanded a powerful presence, one that shook the boy to his core.

Godric immediately knew that it was none other than the elven king himself. The two twins knelt in front of their father, and Godric followed suit.

"I hope you prepared a good excuse, my friend, I bid you good luck." lómë whispered to Godric as the twins left to join their father, with one of each twin standing beside one side of their father. Soon after, a robed figure embodied in twigs stepped forward.

"You are in the presence of King Ithilien--the first of his name, head of House Alastrassa, the high sage of the druids, and the ruler of Mistveil Forest. Speak human, and declare your intentions." The robed figure proclaimed loudly, its voice echoing throughout the great hall.

Godric looked up to glimpse what he got himself into and saw what he believed to be greatness personified. The king had hair that seemed like it was bathed in moonlight. He had gentle, yet sophisticated looks which proved his ancient lineage. He looked similar to lómë, with the only exception being a scar that ran through his right cheek and an aura of sophistication. On his head, lay a simple custom-made crown of wood, and behind the throne was an Adhirala tree which contained a hand-carved symbol of what Godric believed to be the Alastrassa family crest: a crescent moon. Godric felt trapped in time. The king suddenly stood and approached him, to which Godric stood up in response.

"You are Godric of Rosetown if I am not mistaken," said the king, breaking the awkward silence. "Your name is a mystery to me. How fares Lord Mikhael?" he continued as Godric slowly stood up. "H-how do you know who, and where I'm from if I may ask, Your Majesty?" Godric asked the king, genuinely curious but scared as well.

"You mortals have your means of communication," Ithilien responded. "You rely on messengers, while nature provides us with what we need. The trees, the waters, and even the earth itself whisper to us," the king explained. "I know your story, young one. Far from here, blood was spilled on your account," said the king as he circled Godric, invoking hushed and curious murmurs from the crowd.

"How that came to be is of no concern to me. The rushing waters felt your guilt as the land your struggle. However, what I want to know is how you navigated through our forests unscathed." Ithilien stopped and looked at Godric, now with a serious look.

"Mistveil Forest is my domain, and not only did you walk inside uninvited, but you also drank from the sacred waters of the glade."

The gathered crowd stood in shock at what they heard. While others remained silent, others cried out in anger, spewing curses in languages Godric did not know.

"Please give me a moment to explain myself!" Godric pleaded. At this point, more of the crowd began to join the rioting ones. The guards in coordination motioned to stop the masses from closing the distance between themselves and Godric. The boy began to panic, as he did not like the idea of being crushed to death by an angry mob of creatures in an unknown place.

"Ilu-dina!"

A deafening shout rang throughout the hall which distorted Godric's senses. As the words rang through Godric's body, he felt compelled to follow the voice's orders, despite not knowing the language. The same could be said for everyone present as suddenly, the room fell into an eerie silence. As the words rang through his body, he felt as if he was forced to obey.

"Thank you, lómë," said the king. "It did feel a little forced. Please work on that." The prince responded with a simple bow of his head.

"Now, back to the matter at hand. Godric, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Godric took a moment to compose himself as he was still reeling from what lómë had supposedly done. "Everyone, please listen," the boy began to start. "I did not mean to insult nor offend any of you. I confess that I murdered a person by accident," Godric remembered Walter.

"A friend risked everything for me and told me to run in this direction, but I believe that he did not know this was your land. I was tired, wounded, starving, and thirsty. Entering your domain was the only thing I could think of at the time. How I came to your glade I do not know. I merely followed the light of the moon. Your waters and lands saved me, if not prolonged my inevitable death last night. If there is any punishment, I'll gladly accept it." His words rang with a hint of sincerity, which caught the entire court off guard.

Whispers began to spread across the hall. The king's expression changed after hearing Godric's words, while the twins looked at each other as lómë smiled at her sister, who had a conflicted look. "You are a curious one, Godric of Rosetown," said Ithilien.

"Beings of this court," he said as he turned towards everyone present. "You have heard this mortal's story. What say you on this matter?" The crowd looked at each other momentarily in silence, waiting for someone to speak.

"I say we test him," a voice finally broke out amongst the crowd. It came from a druid dressed in a brown robe. "I believe his story, and that he is indeed, innocent--but only in the eyes of few." The crowd murmured in what Godric believed to be in approval.

"My king Ithilien, all of us are bound to the Codex. We elves are no exception to that. Let the old gods provide the mortal a challenge. Should he succeed, he may walk out of Mistveil Forest alive, well-rested, and absolved of his sins. We shall speak for him ourselves. If he fails, we imprison him and send a message to those who seek his head." The brown-robed druid explained to the king.

King Ithilien pondered about this suggestion for a brief moment. "Very well." He said. "Godric of Rosetown, hear my answer: you are currently a guest of Mistveil Forest and under the protection of House Alastrassa. However, due to your actions--we also hold you on trial for desanctifying our sacred glade. Accomplish a task we shall provide you, and you will be rewarded. Fail, and you will be thrown to the wolves. On this matter, you have our word. I request the small council to accompany me as we discuss his possible trial. Everyone--I thank you for attending. You may go."

Every being in the room paid their respects to the king as the chamber slowly emptied, leaving only Godric and a handful of figures.

"My children, I will be tasking you to help Godric with his task. See to it that he is well prepared."

"Of course, Father. We will not fail you." The twins replied in unison. "I know that you will not." The king then left the room with his small council, their steps echoing the room until they disappeared out of sight.

"That turned out a bit more unexpected than I presumed, but nice work on making it out alive," lómë said as he looked at Godric with an amused look. "This is the third time you've surprised me." He continued. lómë let out a whistle and a group of dryads came out of hiding, giggling as they neared the elf prince. "Please prepare his quarters, dear friends." The dryads were quick to take action as they hurried off to the other side of the room, disappearing as fast as they appeared.

"Come now, Godric," he continued. "You have much to prepare for."

The trio walked in silence as they left the room and toward the direction where the dryads rushed into. The sounds of nature echoed throughout the pathway and back into the forested chamber. It continued long after they had entered a hidden entrance in front of a marked tree that unveiled itself after approaching it.

"So...am I safe?" Godric asked the twins as they walked the dimly lit hall.

"For now, yes. Father has ruled these lands for countless millennia." Anarórë replied to Godric. "His word is respected through Mistveil Forest, the two other elven settlements in the north and west, and even in your kind's lands--if the rulers still remember him." Godric could hear a sense of pride in her voice, one of admiration. He felt from her tone that she wanted to be as great as her father.

"Keep this in mind Godric," she continued. "Even though you are placed under our family's protection, we do not intend to disappoint our Father. We will prepare you for the trial that awaits you, so be prepared for anything." The trio soon stopped after reaching a door that Godric assumed to be the entrance to his room.

"We've arrived," lómë said to Godric. "Please, after you." The elf said as Godric entered the room. To his surprise, the room was darker than he had anticipated, and what he assumed to be a flat surface turned out to be a straight stairway downwards, as Godric fell and rolled until he hit the cold, stone floor. The twins slowly made their way downwards, their steps echoing through the room.

"You are indeed, a guest in our house, Godric," lómë said as his expression changed, turning the gentle-looking elf into a different version of himself. "However, that does not mean your stay will be pleasant." He continued as Godric got up on his feet.

The lad looked around to see that the room they were in was a training area of sorts.

"We will obey Father's wish to help you, and we shall do so, but in our manner." Anarórë continued after her twin. "Not to worry you will not die--as promised, but we will also tell you this truth: if you cannot even manage to survive a sliver of what we will offer for you to succeed in your upcoming trial, then believe us when we say that you will fail."

The twins were now circling Godric, like wolves hunting down their prey. "Prepare yourself, mortal, you have a painful journey ahead of you." lómë said as he stared Godric dead in his eyes.

Godric, nervous as he was, calmed himself as he knew he had nothing to lose, and faced the two with a courageous look.

"All right," Godric said to the twins. "Let's get started then." The twins smiled in approval of his response and looked eager to train their new guest for the days to come.