The unlikely duo made for the [Ancient’s Gate] at a good pace. Having found the edge of the world, they were far less likely to be ambushed. Canopy overhung by a good few hundred meters, testament to the magnitude of the elder trees, but even these branches lacked the overlapping support of the interior and made it far less dense. The labyrinthine highways that made up the more dangerous parts of the forest were gone here and that gave the pair confidence to move more quickly, absent risk of being assaulted from above.
Brighteyes was on point now which left Ulric to alternately gawp at the vista and direct his attention to the inner forest, keeping an eye out for suspicious movement. Absent the heavy leaf litter it had become easier to keep a silent footfall which reduced the need for the two to assume a hunter's stalk. Thus, this part of the journey had taken on a feeling of an extended hike. A hike through a fantasy land unlike anything found on his homeworld and which would give a tree hugger soggy bottoms. For Ulric, he was finding that he was able to nearly relax, able to share the burden of hyperawareness with Brighteyes, who took his duties as guide seriously.
"What's your home like kid?" Ulric asked, feeling comfortable enough to engage in small talk.
The Elven prince gained a thoughtful expression, whether from reluctance or inability to compose himself in pidgin human language Ulric didn't know. At last, the elf seemed to find a resolution and he went on at length.
"Iriel is large hold amongst Orlethrem. Considered a hub for trade and a power for defense of Elven lands by our neighbors. Is no small part from strength and wisdom of the previous chief, my grandfather. He lead for over two hundred years and pass on his strength of rule to current chief, my father. In few hundred years, my father passes this to me and I will lead as they have. Is expected of chief son to apprentice for span of fifty years for different masters of trade, hunting, battle, craft, and as page for neighbor chief. This to teach the nature of each part of our tribe and our sister holds, that we may lead them toward better future."
At this, Brighteyes took on a faraway look.
"It was with hunting master's son I was ambushed and taken. His only child he lose that day, he will be heart broken. It was known he was deeply proud of Urias, his son and my dear friend. I will beg forgiveness for allowing him to die. You must go to Huntmaster Tellah and tell of death of kinslayers, it will ease his pain."
Brighteyes took a steadying breath and continued.
"As way of most deep wood elf homeland our village built into large grove of elder trees we call [Heartwood] trees. Only way to get to Elven village is climb ladders of great trees or use lift. Each part of village connect by skybridge to others. Is beautiful, you will see. You are first human visit in my lifetime, we are far from human lands and they travel rarely this far in deep woods. Especially since the troubles from before my birth."
Ulric was curious now. He could easily imagine buildings carved into the enormous trees of the plateau with branches making bridges redundant. Surely the forest couldn't have trees this large everywhere. If there were, it would mean his estimates about distances were completely skewed.
"The trees of your homeland, they are large, like these?" Ulric asked, gesturing at the proximal giants.
"No, Sacred Forest is different place. These trees feed on mana of earth, roots bore down deep and draw strength of stone into themselves. Not like anywhere else on Varda. Even oldest, largest trees of deep woods only less than one in three of. You would not know, Ulric Glade Chief, you are special case. None have been to this land in a thousand turnings of world. Always was [Forest Lord] waiting to feed on trespassers. Was only desperation that led captors to attempt escape through [Ancient's Gate]." Brighteyes shook his head at the thought.
"Was suicide to try the plateau. If [Forest Lord] alive, we are all ripped apart within an hour. But they panic, know Elven Hunters on trail soon after we go missing. Only alive because evil luck, and you kill [Forest Lord]. Is some great joke of Ancestor spirits that man who kill [Forest Lord] kill them in its stead."
Brighteyes must have truly enjoyed that irony, the normally dour kid smiled for a moment. He seemed to be lightening up a little talking about home. Ulric had to admit, it was a tough hand the young elf had been dealt. He was only now starting to come out of it, to be able to leave the greatest of the hurt behind.
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The two of them lapsed into silence then and concentrated on making swift progress towards the gate, with hopes to be able to settle in before nightfall. Shortened days were making a race of it.
Their arrival at the [Ancient's Gate] was immediately obvious. Great stone pillars carved with vines and leaves were connected to each other by almost lacelike stonework. It was far too fine to be the product of anything but magic. The weight of the stone should have caused these thin filaments of stone to crack and collapse within years, yet, according to Brighteyes, this promethean magiteck lift had existed since before the elves had come to the forests of this land. Immune to wind, rain, ice, and the ravages of seasonal temperature changes, the [Ancient’s Gate] stood eternal. Somehow even the leaves of the nearby trees avoided falling within its confines, which left the patterned stone slabs resting uncovered.
The [Ancient's Gate] formed a rectangular platform roughly thirty meters long by fifty meters wide, an enormous carved pillar at each corner. There were geometric shapes hidden in the carved leaves and vines of the pillars, which, when Ulric stared closely at them, seemed to pull his senses giving him an intense sensation of vertigo. He shuddered and stepped away from the pillar he'd been examining, it had felt like he'd fall into the pillar's interior, somehow, if he drew closer.
At the end of the platform, which was currently hanging in open space, unsupported by stone so far as Ulric could determine, was an obelisk of light blue crystal, its pure facets broken by whisps of white, like cirrus clouds on clear sky. The obelisk had two symbols inside of rings of copper, each a stylized script shape which was still clearly recognizable as an upwards arrow and a downwards arrow. They were on an elevator. A gigantic as hell, magical fucking elevator. If it played 1920's swing music at them Ulric was likely going to shit his pants from cosmic shock.
Glancing over the edge, it appeared that the pillars extended all the way to the ground below, though he couldn't verify it due to the angle and height. Even to his excellent eyesight the pillar thinned to hair and vanished into the woodland below.
A rattle of gear hitting stone pulled Ulric's attention to find his travel partner unburdening himself.
"We rest here tonight, Ulric Glade Chief. Will be warmer down in deep wood and the creatures of night more active. Safer to stay up on plateau and begin trek in morning. We have time for camp, make fire, eat, and sleep well. Is no hurry now, I can guide to elf home."
It had been a long day. Fortunately, uneventful. Painstakingly forced to be uneventful as a matter of fact, thanks to the efforts of the both of them. Just as well they take the opportunity to relax in camp; the sun had dipped behind the distant mountains and dark was well on its way.
Ulric let Brighteyes fiddle with the hide teepee and harvested wood from a nearby "sapling" which was an eight-meter diameter monster of a tree forty meters high, who was yet dwarfed by its progenitors. It did, however, still have branches low enough to be cut for firewood with his bone and ironwood axe. A single limb, the least on the nascent arbor, would make for a blazing fire all the night long.
Ulric took an experimental chop and felt the unpleasant sensation of handle sting as his axe hit the bark of the limb and bounced off. Might as well have swung a metal bar at it for all the cut he'd made. Drawing the strength of the stone indeed. This green wood was every bit as hard as the stone under their feet. It would seem he had been fortunate indeed with the fallen one in his glade. It had been dead long enough to have lost a substantial amount of its integrity, allowing him to actually burn and cut into it for his tree-cave shelter. This stuff, it required Ulric to take a wide stance and to swing his axe with as heavy a blow as he could muster and still, it was only barely enough to split along the grain. That axe blade was made of [Forest Lord] bone. It would carve sheet metal, no problem. If he'd encountered a knot in the grain that limb would have laughed at his attempts to chop it.
"Alright then, if that's the way you want it." He growled. Ulric reached out and placed a hand at the spot he wanted to part the limb from the tree. His mind sharpened, focusing on the image of his desire, molding will to fit intent and drawing on the energy of his core.
Power pulsed, and Ulric gave life to his spell concentrating it into a space no wider than his finger.
[Absolute Zero]
A rush of energy, far more manageable for this small region than on his first try, gave rise to a brittle creaking and immediately mist began to form as the cold of the wood caused water to condense around it.
Ulric quickly took hold of the axe and brought it down on the frozen section as hard as he could. He was rewarded with a sharp crack and the limb broke off cleanly, shattered more than cut, along his spell work's area.
This process he repeated, cutting half meter sections of limb into rounds that started off a big as his waist and trailed down to the thickness of his wrists at its end. He'd had to cast [Absolute Zero] seven times and, even for as small a volume as he was using here, positively surgical compared to his previous attempts at such magic, he had completely exhausted his mana.
From there it was another half hour of vicious chopping to reduce the wood to burnable sizes. At length, sparks leaping to flame accompanied by a cry of victory, Ulric got the camp fire going. He was drenched in sweat and suffering mana exhaustion's toll. But that limb had learned its bitter lesson about whom would be fucking with whom.
Brighteyes took the maniacal events unfolding before him in stride. He had the teepee assembled, the food laid out for cooking, the bedrolls positioned, and had managed a casual damp rag bath with a few handfuls of water by the time his savior had finished vanquishing their firewood.
"Is job well done Ulric Glade Chief. Use of might and magic to conquer foe and powerful spell. I feel its…residue…even now. Court mage will want to see such things. Is only curiosity, but can fallen branches on other side of gate also burn?"
Ulric looked towards a pile of dried, obviously aged limbs that had long since fallen, at which Brighteyes was pointing.
Ulric's achievement turned to ash and he decided then and there that he would not be speaking to the smartass elf for the rest of the night.