by Michael Sisa
“Found one.”
***
[Aerith—Kingdom of Elves]
Deep inside the Endless Forest and several thousand kilometers away from Blackstone Town, was the ancient city of Aerith. Due to their low fertility rate, only a hundred thousand elves lived in this kingdom.
Unlike humans, the elves lived inside the large elven oaks in this part of the forest. Each of the trees was connected by wooden bridges, serving as roads for the citizens of the kingdom.
At the center of the kingdom was a colossal tree that easily surpassed the two hundred-meter mark. It was the largest elven oak in the entire forest, and it served as the kingdom’s royal palace.
Inside the royal palace, the King of Elves and his ministers started discussing the recent disturbance in the border of their kingdom. Several weeks ago, the scouts noticed an astronomical amount of mana being gathered at a certain part of the forest, near the border. The amount of mana was so massive that even the spirits were reluctant to approach it. Furthermore, some of the spirits claimed that the mana ‘felt’ evil. Hearing this, the scouts immediately made a report to the royal palace.
“What are the scouts doing?” said King Melandrach. “It’s been more than a week since we sent them to investigate the border.”
Although King Melandrach had turned seven hundred years old this year, his face was still that of a middle-aged man. His ears were longer and more pointed than the other elves gathered here in this room—a characteristic of those born to the royal family. With his slanted eyes, he prompted the commander sitting to his right to speak.
The commander placed his hand on his chest and made his report, “We sent several scouts contracted to sylphids to the border, Your Majesty. But unfortunately, even the sylphids weren’t able to pinpoint the exact location of the mana the scouts had detected. We believe that a spell is protecting the area.”
“A spell strong enough to restrict even sylphids.” King Melandrach furrowed his brow.
“What if… it’s a demon?” one of the ministers reluctantly voiced out.
“Nonsense,” said another minister. “The priestess would have given us a revelation had the portal opened once again.”
“You’re right, but only a High Demon or a dragon should be capable of suppressing several sylphids at once. The dragon should still be guarding that damnable Dwarven Kingdom… If it isn’t a demon…”
“We have no concrete evidence on the identity of the source of mana,” said King Melandrach. “I will visit the temple personally after this to talk to the priestess. For now, while we still do not have the confirmation of the priestess, let us assume that it’s an unknown monster.”
“Your Majesty,” one of the royal advisors said in a raspy voice. “I believe that a human town is near the border. If the owner of the mana is indeed a monster, chances are it will attack the human town first. Aerith should be safe as long as the owner of the mana doesn’t move deeper into the forest.”
The other ministers nodded in agreement. Aerith was located at the heart of the Endless Forest. On foot, it would take more than a month for the humans to arrive from the border of the kingdom to this city. The human town and cities outside the forest should be nearer to the place where the cluster of mana was detected.
“We should probably pull out the scouts from that place temporarily, Your Majesty,” said another royal advisor. “It wouldn’t be wise to earn the wrath of the owner of that mana.”
Sylphids were among the highest-ranked spirits the elves could summon in this realm. But even they couldn’t break through the spell the owner of the mana had cast in that part of the forest. The ministers thought that they should be grateful that the owner of the mana hadn’t been hostile so far, even after the aggressive movements of their scouts.
“Pull out the scouts, huh?” King Melandrach pondered. “Commander Khuumal, what are your thoughts?”
The three-hundred-year-old elf immediately responded, “I agree with the royal advisor, Your Majesty. I believe we shouldn’t aggravate the owner of the mana unnecessarily. Just like the royal advisor said, even if the owner of the mana is some ferocious monster, its first target should be the human town near our kingdom’s border. It does not have any reason to come all the way here when there’s prey nearby.”
The Kingdom of Elves had survived this long, despite the constant war between the humans and demons, by secluding themselves in this vast forest. Even when the demons started slaughtering the human race during the Descent more than a thousand years ago, the ancestors of King Melandrach did not participate in the war. The elves were simply glad that the claws of those demons weren’t pointed at them, but at the humans.
Silence fell for a moment.
King Melandrach had decided. “Commander Khuumal, order the scouts to pull back. Avoid provoking the owner of the mana at all cost.”
The commander bowed his head. “Understood.”
After the meeting, King Melandrach visited the temple and sought audience with the priestess.
“King Melandrach, son of Ylyndar, humbly greets the priestess.” King Melandrach lightly bowed his head.
Elves, who worshiped the God of Earth, were highly religious creatures. In this kingdom, the priestess was paramount. She was treated with more veneration than the king himself.
“Father.” The priestess frowned. “Please raise your head. I’ve told you before that there’s no need to greet me this respectfully whenever you visit the temple.”
“How could I be disrespectful to the incarnation of God Gaia?” King Melandrach shook his head, as he found the priestess’ words unacceptable.
The priestess, a two-hundred-year-old elf with long golden hair, sighed. This was yet another repeat of the exact same scenario when her father visited had her at the temple before.
“What brought you here, father?” The priestess’ voice was soothing to the ears.
King Melandrach finally raised his head. “I’ve come here to confirm something, Priestess.”
“To confirm something?”
“Yes. Priestess, have you received any revelations from the God of Earth lately?”
The priestess tilted her head to the side at the question.
“God Gaia has been quiet for the past several years, father,” she said. “The last time I heard from her was fifteen years ago, when the previous priestess died and I took on her position. I haven’t heard from God Gaia since then.”
“I see.” King Melandrach heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear.”
If the God of Earth didn’t give a revelation, it meant that the portal remained closed. They could safely assume that the owner of the mana at the border was not from the demon race.
“Did something happen, Father?” the priestess asked worriedly.
“It’s nothing to be worried about, Priestess,” said King Melandrach. “We received some reports regarding an unknown creature at the border region. Although the chances are low, I came here to confirm that the creature is not a demon.”
The priestess understood what her father meant. The Gods would give them a revelation if the demons started appearing on this land once again. That was their promise after the Magic Empire had been ravaged after the Descent, more than a thousand years ago.
“For father to come here personally … That unknown creature must be something dangerous.”
“Based on the amount of mana, the scouts are certain that the creature is incredibly strong. Even several sylphids couldn’t break through the spell protecting the unknown creature’s domain,” the king said bitterly.
The priestess was surprised to hear that even sylphids couldn’t break through the creature’s magic. She was about to ask for more details regarding the creature when she noticed the huffing messenger running toward them. The messenger immediately prostrated upon meeting the gaze of the priestess. In a loud voice, he said, “Forgive my insolence, Priestess! But I have an important report for His Majesty!”
The messenge
r sounded desperate. Sensing the urgency in the messenger’s voice, King Melandrach said, “Speak.”
“Your Majesty! Over one hundred spirits have perished! That creature! It’s coming toward this city as we speak!”
VOLUME 6: CHAPTER 17
“That creature?” asked the king.
“Yes, Your Majesty! The creature at the border! It killed all of the scouts we sent to investigate it and is heading this way as we speak!”
The king stared at the messenger without blinking. He’d just ordered the commander to pull out the scouts and to not aggravate the monster any further, but it seemed that he was a step too late. The monster, which easily suppressed several sylphids, was currently headed toward the ancient city of Aerith.
The king turned to the elves guarding the temple. “Escort the priestess to the shrine underground.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The guards saluted and started moving toward the priestess. “Forgive us, Priestess Siofra,” guards said reluctantly. “But you’ll have to follow us to the underground shrine.”
The priestess glared at the guards and they immediately took a step back.
“Father, are you telling me to seek refuge at the shrine while our warriors are risking their lives protecting the kingdom?” Priestess Siofra said unhappily.
The king said softly, “Please understand. We cannot risk losing the only Priestess of the Kingdom.”
“No! I’m not going to the underground shrine!” the priestess declared resolutely. “And these guards will not heed your orders, Father. They serve the temple, they serve God Gaia. They’re not yours to command.”
The guards looked at each other, their eyes filled with uncertainty. They wanted to move the priestess to the underground shrine and secure her safety, but they couldn’t go against her commands.
Seeing the determined gaze of his daughter, King Melandrach knew he couldn’t persuade her any further. Moreover, in terms of hierarchy, he was a rank lower. He sighed. “Then, one thing. Please promise me one thing, Siofra.”
Hearing King Melandrach call her by name, she understood that right now, he was speaking to her not as the king of the nation but as a father.
“If the situation becomes too dangerous, you will flee to the underground shrine.”
The underground shrine was where investiture and enthroning ceremonies were held. Moreover, it was where the voice of the Gods was best heard. Protected by the roots of dozens of elven oaks and the defensive talismans created by their ancestors, it was the safest place in the entire kingdom.
“Under the name of God Gaia,” Priestess Siofra clasped her hands together, as though in prayer, “I promise to flee to the underground shrine should the situation become too dangerous, Father.”
The creases on the king’s brow loosened upon hearing these words uttered under the name of their God. Together with the priestess and her guards, they left the temple and went toward the royal palace.
“The status of the army?” said King Melandrach. The officials flocked toward him the moment he entered the royal palace. They bowed respectfully at the priestess first, before giving their reports to the king.
“The western garrison is currently in a fierce battle! The warriors are doing their best to prevent the monster from coming to this city! But it’s only a matter of time before all our warriors stationed there are annihilated, Your Majesty!”
“We should mobilize the guardian golems!”
“Please give us your orders, Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty!”
The entire royal palace was in an uproar. Numerous elves were seen running here and there, as everyone did their best to assess the current situation of the battle. King Melandrach’s ears twitched as he found this pathetic. It seemed that several centuries of peace had weakened the elven race.
“Commander Khuumal,” said King Melandrach.
“Your Majesty.” The commander placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head.
“The creature heading this way. What kind of monster is it?”
The commander’s face turned grim. “A gigantic, flying monster with seven heads, My King. After receiving the report from the scouts, we immediately searched our archives for any information regarding such a beast. We believe that it’s an Earth Scylla.”
A roar was heard outside, followed by a loud explosion. Flocks of birds flew out of the elven oaks as the ground rumbled for several seconds.
“Your Majesty! An urgent report!” A palace guard came running toward King Melandrach. “The western garrison has been destroyed! We’ve lost contact with the warriors stationed there!”
The elves in the palace who heard this shuddered. The western garrison had not even lasted against that monster. Another roar from the outside was heard.
“An Earth Scylla,” mumbled King Melandrach.
King Melandrach had heard of the existence of such monsters before when he was still young, but never in his wildest imagination did he think that he would encounter one. As far as he knew, their species could only be found in the lands of Marut.
What was such a monster doing here, of all places? And why was it attacking the Kingdom of Elves?
“Commander Khuumal, I am giving you full authority over the guardian golems and the royal guards. Kill the Earth Scylla.”
“As you command!” said Commander Khuumal.
The commander immediately headed out and gathered the warriors of their kingdom.
Along with the priestess and several palace officials, King Melandrach went to the peak of the royal palace. From this vantage point, he could see almost half the city.
“Y-Your Majesty… that is.” A palace official pointed toward the western part of the city. Several dozens of gigantic elven oaks had been blown to smithereens, and a portion of the elven city had been set ablaze. Black smoke continued swirling up into the sky as a gigantic seven-headed monster continued firing spells toward the ground, one after another. Balls of fire, lightning, and wind continued raining down on the city.
Although they couldn’t see it clearly from a distance, they were sure that the elven warriors stationed in that part of the city were currently fighting the monster for dear survival.
The palace officials couldn’t imagine how they could possibly win against that monster. If it didn’t have seven heads, they would have mistaken it for a dragon.
“F-Father!” croaked Priestess Siofra. “At this rate, our city! The entire kingdom will be destroyed by that monster!”
The priestess trembled not in fear, but in rage. She couldn’t bear seeing the city she grew up in being destroyed in just a single day. With her keen hearing, she could even hear the faint screams of her people from far away.
“The guardian golems and our warriors will protect us,” said King Melandrach in a calm voice.
Although King Melandrach said this, he still couldn’t help but feel anxious deep inside. Even from this distance, he could feel the absurdly massive amount of mana from the seven-headed monster.
Surely, the guardian golems that had been protecting this kingdom since the time of their ancestors would be able to deal with that monster, right?
***
After destroying the western garrison of the elven kingdom, Blackie immediately entered the ancient city of Aerith.
“Hey, aren’t we just supposed to investigate the forest?” said the seventh head in draconian language. There were doubt and uncertainty in its voice.
“That’s right,” said the fifth head. “He wouldn’t reprimand us for destroying this city and killing these elves, right?”
The third head sighed and shook its head, as though it had long given up on convincing its brothers.
The first head snorted. “God Evander told us to investigate the forest, that’s all. He didn’t tell us not to kill these pesky insects who repeatedly tried entering our sacred ground!”
The first head opened its mouth and spat out a ten-meter ball of fire. Although the warrior elve
s below dispersed to evade the attack, the fireball still engulfed dozens of them at once. The elves couldn’t even scream as the ball of fire immediately reduced their bodies into ash.
The ball of fire also set an elven oak ablaze and the fire started licking the wooden bridges connecting it to the nearest elven oaks. All of the houses around the Scylla were currently blazing with flames.
“And these maggots attacked us first,” the first head said in justification. “They dared to fire their arrows at us. Those fools.”
Initially, Blackie planned on capturing several sylphids to interrogate them. But the moment it grabbed hold of one of the spirits, the elven scouts contracted to them started attacking the Scylla like madmen, without regard for their lives.
One thing led to another, and Blackie eventually ended up killing the elven scouts. It also ended up annihilating everyone stationed in the western garrison.
Well, their master—The Dragon Devourer—had told them back then: “If it blocks your path, just destroy it. Why waste your time taking a detour?”
Blackie had lived by this philosophy since then.
Blackie could still remember the grinning face of its master after it destroyed an entire nest of Gryphons in Marut. Those words and that smiling face were forever embedded in its memories ever since. Now that it had thought of it, the master was right. Didn’t they manage to get out of the labyrinth in the Forbidden Region by boring a hole through all of its floors?
“These elves are quite persistent, eh?” said the fifth head as it looked at the largest elven oak in the city.
More than a thousand elves came pouring out of the colossal tree located at the heart of the city. Each of them carrying swords and bows. Their cavalry unit, composed entirely of warriors riding their elks, assumed the role of the vanguard.
And as though the army wasn’t enough, four fifteen-meter large humanoid golems rose up from the ground, near the entrance of the royal palace. Numerous runes were carved on the golems’ bodies, each of them glowing with an azure hue.