by Edward Brody
But even though I was perfectly capable of basic reasoning, I felt an overwhelming fear of death. It was almost as if I couldn’t go to a certain level with the Princess… at least not there… not in that location. It was too risky and dangerous. It was like my brain wouldn’t let me be an idiot, even if I wanted to be.
And then suddenly, I realized why. That resistance and hesitation felt exactly like it had felt when I tried to kill myself while trapped in the tiny prison in the Endless Sands, and a couple other times where I couldn’t do something perilous because death was inevitable.
Dr. Fucking Winston.
From what I knew, Dr. Winston had programmed an innate fear of death into the game—something that Reborns couldn’t ignore, which would keep us from doing unreasonable things just because we were immortal. Purposely jumping off of a cliff to kill yourself or throwing yourself at high-level monsters again and again with no chance of survival, for example. To keep Reborns from being massively overpowered in comparison to NPCs, Reborns had to fear death, and the pain of death had to be so agonizing that Reborns would avoid it happening at all costs.
And it worked.
But this? The fear of death in Eden’s Gate was so strong that I couldn’t smash Adeelee, because her high-level father might barge in and slaughter me? It made sense, sort of… But it was the kind of unreasonable risk that I’d probably be willing to take back on Earth—the kind of risk that dumb guys thinking with their little head took every day.
I supposed most dads on Earth couldn’t summon a magic bow or move at the speed of a bullet though. Parents back on Earth would probably give a guy they found hooking up with their daughter a good mouthful or an ass beating. It probably wouldn’t lead to murder or getting choked out by a giant vine like it would in Eden’s Gate, at least in most civilized countries.
But it had to be a bug. Definitely a bug… Sometimes you’ve just got to let people do stupid shit, right?
“Adeelee?!” a voice called out loudly outside the door before knocking subtly. “Is something wrong in there?”
“Just a moment!” Adeelee yelled. “Tell Mother and Father we’re coming now!”
I adjusted my robe and stood while Adeelee checked to make sure she looked appropriate for the dinner table.
I was frustrated by my missed golden opportunity and knew now that I was definitely going to have to put my ‘Page GM’ button to use. After everything I had been through the last few days, walking away from Adeelee’s room without a slice—not even a crumb—of elven pie was really testing my patience.
Dr. Winston and I needed to have a little talk.
Chapter Ten
2/18/0001
The dining hall in the High Elves palace was luxurious, with a long, rectangular table that could sit eighteen people. Like the walls and floors, the table and chairs were all a white marble-like stone, and large oval windows allowed unobstructed light to shine inside.
Much like Adeelee’s room, vines grew upward from each corner and met each other at the center of the ceiling, but unlike her room, the vines in the dining hall hung down where they met at the center, and ended with large, blooming flowers that had a hue of while light emanating from them, creating a sort of natural chandelier above us.
Both the King and Queen chose to sit on the broad side of the table, beside each other, leaving the single-chair ends of the table empty, while Adeelee and I sat directly across from them. In the center of the table and in front of us were several delicious looking dishes. Various plates were overflowing with leafy vegetables and roots, bowls chock full of fruits, and cups filled with different colored sauces—mostly things I had never seen before. The smell rising from it all was delicious.
“The main course,” a High Elf, wearing a tightly fitting white shirt and pants said as he strutted up beside me. He lifted the cover of a metal tray he was holding, revealing something that looked like a giant cabbage, except having more of a blackened, caramelized texture similar to a slow-cooked smoked brisket.
Another elf, dressed similarly, approached the waiter and cut a large slice of the food before placing it on an empty plate in front of me. The inner texture of the slice also looked like cabbage, having many thin layers inside, but the aroma rising from it smelled more like a delicious beef.
I glanced to Adeelee as I picked up my fork, but she just smiled and turned her attention back to the server who was slicing up a piece for her. I poked at the food, admiring its spongy, meat-like texture.
“It’s roasted rattaplum,” the Queen said. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“Rattaplum?” I asked. “Is this meat or a vegetable?”
The Queen turned to the King and touched her chin. “Hmmm… I’m not sure.”
“Well,” the King said. “Rattaplums grow from and get their nourishment from the ground, so technically, they’re vegetables, but they fight back at you like an animal, so perhaps it’s a little bit of a both.”
“Yes,” the Queen said, leaning in as the server dropped a slice of rattaplum on her plate. “They don’t grow in these parts, but I brought a few back from my trip to Galien.”
I cut into the steamy rattaplum and shoved a piece into my mouth. It was moist and a little chewy, but chewy in a good way. It definitely tasted more like pork or beef than any sort of vegetable I had ever eaten.
“It’s good, right?” Adeelee asked.
“Very,” I said with a full mouth.
“Anyway,” the Queen said. “What news of Edgewood? I sent you ten soldiers to act as guards, as promised. I take it that they’ve arrived by now and you’ve had no further problems with the Dark Hand.”
“Edgewood is…” I shook my head. “Our village isn’t doing so well, actually. The elves you sent are helping a lot, but Scourge goblins burned a large chunk of the forest, from our village all the way out to the Freelands. We lost all but three of our buildings.”
The Queen frowned, and her jaw sagged. “That’s terrible.”
The King furrowed his brow. “I can’t believe orcs would purposely cross into Edgewood while simultaneously attacking the Freelands.”
“A few have, but it’s mostly just been goblins.”
The Queen flicked her eyebrows up and breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s good news. Goblins have little self-control; they’re merely parasites if you ask me. Not that orcs are much better.”
“Good news?” I let out a single laugh, though I didn’t find it funny at all. “A big chunk of our forest is ash—your forest. The dark elves who were living deeper in and outside of our village had all their homes destroyed as well. Several dark elves died.”
The Queen swallowed, set down her fork down, and after a long pause muttered, “Well, that’s troubling...”
“Yes, indeed, it is,” the King agreed. His mouth sat ajar; a look of concern etched across his face.
“None of the High Elves were killed, right?” the Queen questioned.
I shook my head. “No, but—"
“Well, that’s good news,” the Queen interrupted and smiled. “Now that you have our guards there, I’m sure everything will be fine. The damaged portion of Edgewood will return with time. The forest is strong.”
I shook my head and narrowed my eyes. “The dark elves lost everything. We’re giving them what protection we can, and they’re staying in tents near our guild’s village, since they no longer have homes. You don’t care at all?”
The Queen went silent again, and the King swallowed a bite of food before wiping his mouth with a cloth napkin.
“That’s very kind of your guild, Gunnar,” the King said. “I’m sure this push from Ergoth will soon be over, and the dark elves will retreat deeper in the forest and rebuild their homes. I’ll also remind you that while you’re the ambassador and have building rights, you’re under no obligation to protect any dark elves there, so don’t be pressured to do so.”
“Yes,” the Queen said. “I understand that living near dark elves creates some level
of peril and discomfort. There is no need to overextend yourself.”
“No, no. You’re missing the point,” I said. I homed in on the Queen and King. “You don’t want to take any action? Edgewood is elven territory. You’re just going to let the Scourge attack?”
The Queen chuckled. “Gunnar, if the Scourge attacked Edgewood as you think, everyone there would be dead.”
“What?” I asked.
“Ergoth’s army is very powerful,” the King said. “If he had any interest in Edgewood, it would’ve fallen by now. Your guild, combined with all the dark elves there, would stand no chance against such a force.”
The Queen pinched her index and thumb together. “Tiny brains, goblins have. If you unleash a horde of them onto an area, the stupidest ones are going to stray, and given the opportunity, they’ll attack anything and cause whatever destruction they can. Inhabitants of Edgewood have always been at risk of Scourge raids on the Freelands, so long as the Scourge use goblins in their armies.”
The King cleared his throat. “The orcs understand that the forest is elven territory. It would complicate any plans they have to anger us, so they generally stay clear of our forests, but we’re keeping a guard at the river border just in case. Contending with both Highcastle and Mist Vale at the same time would cause serious problems for Ergoth.”
“Exactly,” I said. “Why not just join forces and help Highcastle push them back? They’ve taken Newich already! They could do more harm to Edgewood.”
The King and Queen stared at me in silence with blank looks on their faces. After several seconds of silence, I turned to Adeelee who seemed to dart her eyes away.
“Why doesn’t the Mages Guild assist Highcastle, Gunnar?” the Queen finally asked. “I’m certain you could all be of tremendous help.”
“Because the Mages Guild doesn’t get involved in politics.”
“Of course,” the Queen said with a grin. “And the High Elves here have no desire to jump into a war that hasn’t been waged directly against us. We are not the enemy of Highcastle, but we are not war allies either. We have a common enemy in the Scourge, but so long as there is peace at our borders, we will not march our army out of the forest.”
“There’s no peace at the border of Edgewood,” I said.
Adeelee grabbed my arm, and I turned to her.
“The dark elves will be fine, Gunnar,” she said low. “I’m certain.”
“Right…” I said sarcastically. “Edgewood suffers, and dark elves die while elves here splash around in their birthday suits, eating elven pie. I’m beginning to think no one here wants to help with anything. How many times now have you told me ‘no’?”
I looked down, clenching my teeth, realizing I was letting my emotions get the best of me. The High Elves seemed selfish and unempathetic, but I knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere speaking to the King and Queen with a poison tongue.
“Is that what you think?” the Queen huffed. “You think we’re of no help? Have you forgotten who granted you rights to build in Edgewood? Have you forgotten who granted you the Elven Touch? Have you forgotten who gave you the bag that’s still dangling at the side of your waist?” The Queen shook her head. “Ten fine soldiers even… yet your arrogance still allows you to think we’re of no help.”
I paused a moment and pursed my lips as I took in the Queen’s argument. Though morally, I still felt I was right, there was no way for me to counter her. The High Elves had helped me tremendously, and if not for them, I wouldn’t have a home, much less a village in Edgewood. “You’re right. You’ve helped me a lot…”
“Orcs will be orcs, and goblins will be goblins,” the King said. “We have other, more serious matters besides the Scourge to discuss. Adeelee told us of the stolen All-Seeing Eye and your journey into the Eternal Ravine. Is it true that there’s only two Old Ones remaining?”
I nodded. “It’s true.”
The King and Queen looked at each other with worry etched across their faces. “And they told you that that the ancients will once again be released onto the world?” the King questioned.
I nodded. “The Old Ones are holding them back as long as they can, but they’re weakening and will eventually die.”
“It all makes sense,” the King said.
“Unfortunately, yes,” the Queen agreed.
The King leaned back in his chair. “While our army guards the Crystal River, watching for any wrong move by the Scourge, I’ve already sent some of our strongest soldiers into special training. They’ll be searching for Great Beasts to battle in preparation for a potential attack of Ancient Beasts. I’ve also relayed requests to other elf leaders to send their finest here to join in on the special training.”
“You’re training elves to fight Ancient Beasts?” I questioned. “To kill them?”
“It’s our best effort,” the King affirmed. “We’d like to think that after so many years, we’re more powerful and advanced than the elves who fought during the War of a Hundred Years. Back when the ancients were sealed, dark forms of magic were still in their infancy, and there’ve been countless new spells and abilities discovered since then. Without the elders, we have no choice but to find a way to fight.”
“And we don’t want to kill Ancient Beasts when they’re released if we can do it now,” the Queen said. “Once we’re confident in our abilities, we’ll send our specialized unit into an ancient’s den and further slay them one by one while they’re still pacified, before the Old Ones die. The fact that they’re still quelled should give us a distinct advantage that elves of old did not have.”
I perked up and smiled. The High Elves actually were doing something, planning to take real action against the Ancient Beasts. If they could kill them before the Old Ones died, that would take a whole lot of pressure off of me. Eanos and Darion had given me a hell of a lot of responsibility—to become some sort of Reborn master mage who could someday take on Ancient Beasts, but the High Elves were taking matters into their own hands. I could still train at the Mages Guild to become a ‘badass’ as Eanos called it, but I wouldn’t need to rush or push myself so hard. I could focus on my other priorities, like growing my guild and defeating Dryden Bloodletter.
“I have faith in your elves,” I said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
The Queen smiled. “Well, there is one way you could help, ambassador.”
“What do you need?”
“We’ve sent out a summons for some of the strongest elves to join our mission, but there is one elf in particular we’d like to find. We have scouts looking for him now, but perhaps you or your guild could assist in the search.”
“Who are you looking for?” I asked.
“His name is Razza Jen,” the Queen said. “They call him the Beastslayer.”
“Razza Jen doesn’t sound like an elf name,” I noted.
The Queen grinned. “He was born to the name Eldwyn, but he hated it—thought it was too generic. He was a sort of rebel elf, not willing to stick to norms, hated following orders, and had no interest in fighting in the elven armies. He abandoned the forest and started calling himself Razza Jen. He’s a bit of a self-imposed outcast.”
“So, he’s a dark elf?” I asked. “If he left the forest, his skin must have turned.”
“No,” the Queen said, shaking her head. “For some reason, Razza Jen never changed. He’s lived outside the forest for years with skin as healthy as mine.” She rubbed her finger up and down her forearm. “It’s a bit of a mystery, just like the elf himself.”
“But more importantly,” the King said, “he’s slain an ancient beast… alone. We’re hoping that he can pass his experience on to us so that we can better learn how to defeat them ourselves.”
Adeelee burst into a song. “Razza Jen, he lost his mind. Left the village far behind. He trained and trained until it hurt, put an ancient in the dirt. Something’s odd with Razza Jen, he left the forest, but kept his skin. Is he an elf, or is it a lie? Does he hear the
forest’s cries?” She cleared her throat and smiled shyly. “It’s a silly folk song that kids like to sing.”
I smiled at the Princess. It was the first time I’d heard her sing, and it was kind of cute. I stared at her a moment, and I felt frustration creeping back up into me. I still couldn’t believe I had been so close, yet failed, to go all the way with her.
“He’s slain an Ancient Beast, and rumors say he’s killed countless Great Beasts too.” The King slowly shook his head. “It’s a shame we don’t have him under our command.”
“Where can he be found?” I asked.
The Queen narrowed her eyes. “If we knew where he was, we wouldn’t invite you to help us find him. He hasn’t been seen in these parts for ages. He could be anywhere in Eden’s Gate.”
“Any leads?” I asked.
The Queen shrugged. “You could ask around, perhaps when you visit Galien. You do remember that I have a task for you there, right?”
I shook my head and blinked a couple times. “There’s a lot going on. I totally forgot that you mentioned it. What’s that all about?”
The Queen frowned. “The wood elves are engaged in an ongoing land dispute with the dwarves living near there. A strip of mountainous land lies in the region, which contains several mines filled with valuable gems and metals. The land is partially forested, so both sides are claiming stake.
“Several wood elves have turned to dark elves during the constant battling in and out of the forest, and unfortunately, one of the dark elves attacked me during my last visit.”
My eyelids went wide, surprised at the information. “A dark elf attacked you?”
The Queen smirked. “Yes. That’s what dark elves do… When they turn, they sometimes go mad, and that’s what happened when I was there. He has since been punished for his crimes.”
“Punished how?”
“His arm is no longer,” the Queen said. “A small price to pay for treason.”
I swallowed hard as I remembered my venture into Nestle Rock and the amputated zombie elves that had attacked us there. “So, what do you need from me?”