Vilijn stares at the waves lapping against the ship. They've been sailing to Bitgorn-Vil for thirteen days. They're heading there to engage in trade with humans. He's been doing this for five years now, and every two months, it's the same routine. A fifteen-day journey to Bitgorn-Vil, followed by a week of boredom. The captain and leader of this group, Sjavu Sytranië, seems to find much more pleasure in this than Vilijn. He doesn't understand why; he'd much prefer to snap Sjavu's neck and kill all the other old elves on this ship. For that, he needs patience, as he knows that day will eventually come. First, they'll have to become a myth.
According to Vilijn, that has practically already happened. No living being on Mysterix believes the dark elves still exist, and they're partly right. His race is no longer comparable to the dark elves of old. They don't even call themselves dark elves anymore; they call themselves drows. The name "drow" originated from humans and elves who encountered a dark elf and lived to tell the tale over the ages. Due to the long absence of dark elves, there was no longer a name for the creature they had seen. So, they began referring to them as drows. Drows were used in stories to frighten children. One day, they'll realize that those fictional stories weren't entirely fictional.
However, today is not that day. Today is the same as the last five years. Observing the old elves, of course, Vilijn doesn't look like a drow on this ship. He has transformed into an old elf named Drago Alvaro using the Transmutabel Imago spell. He has been living this way for five years. He does miss his old life; in the past, when he had fewer responsibilities, life was much simpler. His days were about lounging around in the palace and going hunting with his friends in the evenings. Miranox Clurichaun had always been the best hunter of the group, but he would always let Vilijn catch the most because he was the prince.
Vilijn knew it wasn't out of charity but a way to advance his family's standing at the court. Despite realizing this, it worked because over the years, the Clurichaun family became increasingly influential at court. As Vilijn grew older, life became more serious for him. He often visited the other drow cities, Abburth and Ungethal, with his mother Nedrill Dahvar.
They did this using the doom stones, but sometimes they traveled to the cities in the usual way. In the drow cities, his mother's sisters, Zelress and Zilvra Dahvar, reside. As three sisters, they rule over the shadow world. Technically, his mother holds a slightly higher position as she governs Vrammahath. When she visits her sisters, his father, Xaro, takes charge of Vrammahath.
Seeing his father on the throne makes him feel so powerless. Vilijn can't imagine himself succeeding Xaro. His father is stronger than him in every aspect. When he was younger, his father couldn't stop talking about the prophecy that the dying Remiro told his son, Ezarius. His father believed in this prophecy wholeheartedly. Xaro believed the prophecy spoke of the resurrection of the dark elves. How can one dark elf on a boat to Bitgorn-Vil lead to the resurgence of the banished dark elves?
Vilijn couldn't grasp that logic. He spent the past five years mingling with old elves. These old elves travel to Bitgorn-Vil every two months to trade with humans. Yet, that's not the only reason they go to Bitgorn-Vil. Clearly, the humans and old elves are quite fond of each other there. Lately, there are more and more half-elves in Bitgorn-Vil. There are even old elves who never return to Kongorn. Some even take humans with them to Kongorn.
In the end, they can all do as they please, Vilijn thinks to himself. It's not his problem. He just needs to study the old elves and discover their weaknesses. At first, he considered it an honor that his father had chosen him for this task. Five years later, he feels differently. Vilijn misses hunting in the Kalta forest with his friends. He and Miranox used to spend days hunting, returning to the palace with so much game that it was almost incomprehensible.
Suddenly, Vilijn realizes that he hasn't done this in so long. After this trip, I'll ask my father if I can set aside my mission. Go hunting for a few weeks, like in the old days, and then return to living as Drago Alvaro. As he thinks this, he realizes that it probably wouldn't matter what he says to his father. He would see his father's disappointed gaze regardless and then a look that clearly indicates he should immediately return to the old elves.
A boat passes by Vilijn. He looks again at the spot where he saw Bitgorn Vil earlier, but this time, it's much closer. He estimates they'll arrive within thirty minutes. The wind is favorable, thinks Vilijn; they are arriving two days earlier than expected. There will likely be a celebration upon arrival, celebrating their presence in Bitgorn Vil. This celebration will probably lead to more half-elves. More elves for him to kill.
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A few hours later, Vilijn is unpacking his personal belongings in his room. He hates having to spend the night in an inn. He finds sleeping in nature much more enjoyable; in an inn, you're confined. The only place besides nature where he enjoys sleeping is in the palace. The windows are always wide open there. Additionally, the spaces there are much more expansive; humans always seem to want to make their spaces smaller. Do they want to feel trapped?
It's not just the inn that bothers him; it's also the loneliness. Living with elves and pretending to be someone else for five years is taking its toll. He would do a lot to be able to have a conversation with someone. He always has to put on a mask now and act friendly towards elves when he'd really rather slit their throats. Vilijn looks at the clock in his room and realizes he needs to hurry. The welcome party starts in an hour.
"Would you like a glass of red wine, sir?" a servant asks him. "No, water, please," Vilijn watches as the servant fills his glass with water. Then his eyes follow the servant. How could this man be content with his life? He's just a simple servant; don't humans have any ambition? Vilijn looks around and sees that most of the old elves have switched to alcohol.
He also notices that as the night progresses, more and more people and old elves are segregating themselves. The humans have done their best as they always do. There's a grand buffet, a singer providing background music, and even a quiet spot designated for the more timid elves. Of course, Vilijn is sitting there; from this spot, he can observe the old elves perfectly. He does this out of habit; after five years, he knows how they tick. He even thinks that without all this spying, he might be able to kill the old elves and all the other elves.
Everyone has forgotten his race, the drows. They've lived in the shadow world for ten thousand years. If his father wasn't so preoccupied with that prophecy, Vilijn would have gathered the best fighters long ago and put an end to the elves. This was the impulsive Vilijn speaking, Vilijn suddenly realizes. Even though the drows are skilled fighters, their numbers aren't enough to defeat the elves.
They could kill many elves, but ultimately, they'd be forced to retreat to the shadow world. Occasionally, there are rumors among the elves on Kongorn that they've seen a drow. This most often occurs in the Kalta forest. This is because the drows have to come out of the shadow world to hunt successfully. On Mysterix, animals are much more abundant than in the shadow world. This sometimes results in a forest elf spotting them.
After all those centuries, the elves on Kongorn are starting to believe that the magic hanging over Kongorn is what causes them to occasionally see a drow. Vilijn finds it incredible that the elves themselves are capable of believing such nonsense. It's certainly convenient for the drows because in those ten thousand years, they've never been discovered on Mysterix.
Outside of two thousand years ago in the realm of Malenia on Midbad. Occasionally, Vilijn hears some people talk about it, so he knows they have not been forgotten. Pharyus Thyth had succeeded in turning the dark elves against the Dahvar family. For generations, the Thyth family had high regard in dark elf society.
He disagreed with Ulvirania Dahvar that the dark elves were not yet strong enough to return to Mysterix. Pharyus was tired of living in the shadow world and decided that he didn't necessarily want to return to Kongorn. He would settle for another continent on Mysterix and managed to convince a majority of the dark elves. However, he took it too far when he murdered Ulvirania and took the throne himself. He altered the family tree in the great hall and put his name on it.
In the years that followed, he prepared the dark elves for their return to Mysterix. Filtrag and Ereltana Dahvar, however, sought revenge. Ereltana's mother had been murdered, and she couldn't let that happen without consequences. An internal conflict arose in Vrammahath, with families loyal to the Dahvar family on one side and the Thyth family loyalists on the other. The Dahvar family emerged victorious but couldn't execute Pharyus Thyth, who fled the shadow world with about 300 other dark elves to Mysterix.
With this group, he traveled to Midbad and ruled over the realm of Malenia for a period. The people living there were not prepared for 300 dark elves, and Pharyus was pleased not to be living in the shadow world anymore. However, as time passed, the people began to evolve, and ultimately, a large rebellion erupted in Malenia. This eventually resulted in the death of Pharyus, and today, humans once again rule over Malenia. There is a rumor that some drows still live in the realm, but they live in hiding.
The dark elves couldn't even win against a realm of humans two thousand years ago. Have we really become so weak? Perhaps my father is right, and patience is indeed the best course of action. Vilijn looks at his glass and realizes it's empty. He looks around, searching for the servant who had refilled his glass once. He sees the servant standing at a table where a woman sits. He signals to the servant, but the servant only has eyes for the woman.
Vilijn stands up and approaches the servant. He sees how the servant places his hand on one of the woman's breasts. Then he sees the woman grab a dagger hanging from her belt and use it to slice off a piece of one of the servant's fingers. Afterward, Vilijn watches as the servant walks away. Vilijn takes a wine bottle from an empty table and walks over to the woman. "Is this chair free, ma'am?" "There's no ma'am here, just call me Merel!"