6. Talk

Elder Duwende had followed them unconsciously, his thoughts somewhere between distorted reality and depressing imagination. One point on his extensive wish list was reserved for the exquisite hope of understanding just why everything he did recently backfired.

It was the most prevalent thought on his mind. Every other he made efforts to keep under wraps. In that direction lay pain, lay the memories of times past, lay...no, no, you don't. Arrgh...I curse you!!!

The rational part of him hoped to uncover the truth behind the mysterious existence they had believed to be a daemon until the very last. Yet even convenience had its limits, especially when surging emotions were at play. C-c-curse you!!!!

The irrational part and arguably also the most prominent one demanded of him to shadow them, listening in on their conversation so he could spot Elfriede's traitorous thoughts and use them against her in a scenario where she could do nothing about him.

He never doubted their existence. Not for a second, not ever. Though there was no explainable reason behind his distrust, he just felt like it was true to the point nothing could convince him of the contrary anymore.

Duwende knew this was wishful thinking on his part. Even in the case there really was a conspiracy and the daemon tasked with helping the Great Prophet in getting rid of the uncontrollable elements in the council, so what?

His credibility had taken a harsh beating and he wasn't exactly loved by the common elves. Duwende was aware that his family had grown a bit too arrogant in recent years, but who with power isn't?

So his realistic hopes could only work with the daemon. That thing's sole presence in elven lands provoked disgust in his people and mistrust he had great use for.

At the same time, the hypocrisy of his actions was totally lost on him. Duwende also failed to note that his whole reasoning had encountered a problem, an inexplicable turn for the worst in many ways. There was only one dominant thought left. That frigging Daemon!!!

"Any concrete ideas on how to handle the situation?" Eldacar had caught up with him, but not because of friendship or worry for his state of being. Fucking bitches. Fear I'll do something stupid?

Want me to leave things be? For Renon to have died for nothing? Got the best shot at immortality out of us all, the endless blessings, the possibilities, now what? What indeed...! Fat. Chance! The stupid offender must pay. All offenders must!!

"It is in the best interests of the council to glean an understanding of their discussions." He heard himself answer. "Someone has to be present there." Duwende didn't allow any emotion to show on his face.

Decades of involvement in political games came in handy this time around as not even Eldacar discovered anything amiss. His face had become a mask to edit according to necessity, fooling everyone and himself included if need be.

"Sure distance wasn't what you seek? Ozama's gloating, Lefaye's silent provocations and Avelyn's cold shoulder are tough to stomach. Been there, done that. But what counts is keeping a cool head. Always."

Maybe their long years of friendship made Eldacar susceptible to what Duwende hoped to hide? That meant the other elder knew much more about him than Duwende ever suspected, a thought he abhorred.

Because in politics that was the definition of danger. Good friend my ass. Taking advantage of me until the end and still looking with these concerned eyes? Wait...concerned they may be, but for the continuation of our cooperation for sure. Not me.

He wasn't in the right state of mind, now even Duwende could tell. But the loss of his beloved grandson made him much more irritable than he usually was. Coupled with the loss of future perspective, rage clouded his perception.

"Dying for nothing..." "What was that?" Cursed daemon. "An unimportant grumble." Fuck off. "Well...we're in hot waters now, don't you say?" Keep your wits to yourself. They passed guards and attendants alike as the duo walked deeper into the Sanctuary, past many corridors and hidden outposts.

For discretional reasons, Eldacar stopped talking whenever they came close to other elves while Duwende adjusted his pace to not tip off Elfriede of his slowly discernable intentions. The fog was lifting on his mind. That...is the way. A path forward. Owning up.

She for sure knew he was here, but that was no crime in itself. Wouldn't suspect a thing. Never did, the dumb piece of backwater shit. Council members often came on a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary for various reasons. "I mean, Ozama's a lost cause as always.

Now that the puppy has seen Elfriede, her demands are law and her own thinking has become obsolete. Plus, nobody will ever believe the Great Prophet will go back to seclusion this soon. Not with the prayer on the horizon."

Got the chance to fucking make up to your flame. Doesn't seem this bad, fucking fence-sitter. Duwende nearly stumbled as he repressed the urge to vomit. Eldacar didn't notice. He was occupied with smiling at a blushing attendant on cleaning duty.

"And the goddamn pimp faction? Don't get me started." Might sound him out. Can't get worse, can it? "Internal development...with Elfriede active enough to initiate talks with that thing, there's hope for them she's open to their proposals too." Enemy or scapegoat? I wonder what you are.

"Indeed, now they've pretty much distanced themselves from us. They only partially supported our decisions because the Great Prophet's lethargy made them angry and worried about us elves. Others develop while we stagnate, same old, same old.

Can't say I'm blind to their cause seeing our dwindling influence throughout the realms, but war is still the best answer. Keeps people sharp. There's pressure to be had." Pressure?! All for...!

Honourless bastard. Make or break. A mighty military is the best answer to our plight! Excellence through self-discipline and timely reactions not easily dismissed. No ridiculous pressure. Renon wouldn't have died...

Duwende noticed that Elfriede wasn't far away now. Her violet smell was thicker, meaning they'd stopped in one of the corridors for a moment. Now or never, he thought, half dreadful and half hopeful of the outcome.

"The art of trap laying is subtle," Duwende whispered, his eyes colder than the snowpeople. "What?!" C'mon, must I spell it out? And here I believed opportunists had brains. The smell of hypocrisy mixing with conspiracy only grew thicker.

"Ask our backers, gather warriors. The daemon's mighty but even he cannot be alert at all times. He is not welcome here. Other elves can't stomach his presence either. We're also part of different camps."

"Are...are you insane?! And what do we do about Elfriede? Suppose you manage to do him in, our end will follow!" Duwende smirked coldly at the excuse. "Coward...," he said, "...cowards, all of you."

"You're mad, Duwende." Eldacar showed signs of initiating combat, but then he relaxed, his face sporting the most disappointed expression the elder had ever seen on him.

Not even the discovery of his wife cheating on him back in the days had brought that sort of ugly to his features. That's it. I'VE BEEN PLAYED ALL ALONG!!! Not that he cared anymore.

"I know of your pain." No, you do not. "But even then, your mindless proposals make me think twice about continuing our cooperation." Hehe...that's rich. Urgh.

Look, disappear and we're all happy. Fucking vulture. Kiss ass of your favourite bitch Avelyn and leave me alone. Duwende's wish was fulfilled soon after. Eldacar excused himself with the words that he'd have to urgently talk to their backers.

Soon, the elder was alone in the light-flooded corridor with only flower pots and trinkets for company. Taking his sweet time to reorganise his thoughts, Duwende suddenly laughed madly at one point.You're predictable too, Eldacar.

Our backers won't risk their hides for a folly. My pain and the death of my lovely grandson, the culling of the hero to be, is nothing to them. He continued walking, past ancient furniture recounting the glory of old.

Of course you know that. On any other day, Duwende would've paused there, basking in the presence of these relics, finding confidence in his plans. But today he had no eyes for them. Today, the past no longer mattered.

Finding allies and compromises alike was your true reason for abandoning me. For dismissing...ME! As long as HE stands behind me, I'm untouchable anyway. What face will they make when discovering that, I wonder...?

Past the corner, he came to an artificially grown flowerbed area. There were many buildings around the Great Tree. Most for protection. Some for enjoyment. Others are intended as living quarters for the attendants.

And high elves simply couldn't live separate from nature. Where none existed, they grew their own. The flowers bloom, the buds germinate. And yet with our longevity, we die first.

Just where did we turn wrong? ...the forces of darkness, of evil. The daemon! Welcomed like a friend, the butcher. I. REFUSE! Then he stopped, his maniac expression furrowed in contemplation.

Duwende started grinning soon. As if possessed by evil spirits, he stepped all over the flower bed, crushing the tender buds. He'd heard chime-like laughter and content squeals; his mind raced.

"Any explanation as to why the forest is riddled with traps?" Elfriede blinked, trying to find out if this was a dry joke or really a question Thoth intended to seek an answer to. Aww, just look at this dopey face, it's such a cute thing. Magic sure made it easier to spy.

"And here I thought you've serious topics to address. For example, your demand." The young does want to play afterwards, does it not? Question is: Where? "We're getting to that in time. Small talk is important when communicating with the Races."

"So...if I'm interpreting this correctly, traps and curses in the woods is small talk? No wonder you never got laid." Thoth scratched his scaly chin, seriously contemplating if he really started with a flop or if she was just exaggerating.

Tickling behind the ears summons such an innocent pout. I've to remmeber that. He soon got rid of his pondering. Elven aesthetics and proper protocol for formal undertakings were known throughout the realms to be a pain in the ass.

Luckily she knows I'm no fan of wasting time. The young does require my attention. So at least we won't be sitting here for years, of which I'm damn sure. "We get constantly assaulted by random races.

Some seek knowledge, others staple food. People look for natural resources, hope for legends proved true, hunt for the sole purpose of hunting, destroy for sports...," As is always the case. Oh, the young definitely woke up. Poor elf. Feeding ain't easy, hehe~.

Elfriede shook her head in displeasure while pressing out between clenched lips the arguably most important reason for the change. And here comes the drama: I present you an annoyed twitch!

W-wait. The tail too? So. Cute. Guess the young misses me. Awww~ "...and to catch slaves. You won't believe how trendy that has become." Before he really melted away, Thoth forced himself to take a bit more part in the conversation without interrupting the spell.

"And traps help? Sure, you'll be tearing apart a tree or two, but slavers usually only dispatch disposable tools for the hunt. Cretins who have so much debt to their name they got no choice." I get my choice, as does the young. Stupid thought.

We're beyond the mundane. "Thoth, I do understand the futility of this action. Some innocent people also die, but it's the sentiment that counts. We're not easily bullied without consequences, and that must be known to all."

Reasoning before the onslaught of war. The elves have changed indeed. A strand of platinum blonde hair loosened during her angry conversation so close to a hiss and obscured one eye, which Elfriede tucked back hastily.

Thoth didn't notice. His attention was almost entirely reserved in realising which degree of intensity of luffing shown by the attendant brought the greatest satisfaction. Only a few brain cells were focused on the conversation, obviously complaining too.

"Your ancestors won't be happy with this change. Will have to ask Spice to be sure, but I suppose some are making their voices known already. Some might be beyond even that if you catch my meaning." Elfriede grimaced.

"I...know. But the decision back then to start a major war of conquest happened by majority vote. So they are not so innocent either." Today, I shall learn new tricks. Happy~.

"Without destabilising the council and ruining their efforts to take over some of my tasks, I had to keep my objection to myself. Proper development never comes cheap."

Thoth grunted, saying, "your leadership capabilities suck at best...," while noting that gently rubbing the baby's ears made them bob up and down, left and right, twitching as if to evade the enamoured attendant's follow-up touch.

If it wasn't such a no-go, he'd have liked to race there and take on the duties of that stupid attendant who didn't know of the enormous privilege that fell in her lap.

It was then that Thoth realised he might only annoy the baby if he really followed his whims, which filled him with remorse and resentment. As a consequence, it wasn't easy not to spoil the conversation he had with Elfriede.

He was a sentimental creature governed by instincts wherever reasoning didn't reach, after all. "...things hardly change for long-lived races, and yours is one of the most extreme cases." She wasn't happy with his critique.

"Mistakes happen all the time, Thoth. I cannot act in the best interest of my race forever. You, contrary to most people, should know what I'm talking about. If you don't, then think about Spice. Plus, you seem so oddly absent-minded. Sure you're fine?"

"Very. Spice's lot is hardly comparable to mine. Except for our age—" "that's what I mean." And here I wanted to tell her that even his age is only remotely comparable.

Very remotely to the point there wouldn't be any comparison possible if he just wasn't so damn ancient. "In existing forever, we're losing ourselves. The baby has woken you up, roused you from that lethargy we're all suffering from. You've come truly alive like never in my memories."

Elfriede crossed her arms in front of her chest, underlining her mesmerising figure. Yes, the young. She'd sure like to play atop that tapestry. Elfriede wouldn't have anything against taking it down. Definitely. So why take the young...?

"I'm without such a baby, Thoth." Then find one. Ain't this complicated... "I'm digressing." "The discussion is digressing and you're just tired." Should I cuddle her just the same? "...isn't this synonymous?" She knocked her slender finger on her head.

Nah, she won't like that. She's grown up and a personage of importance. ...but the young is of even greater importance. So...the argument is moot. "Maybe."

Silence returned to the saloon, only disrupted by some attendants bringing in refreshments and more. Suddenly, Thoth leaned forward and patted her on the head, smiling warmly. It was obvious he was waiting for her reaction.

"What...is this?" Elfriede had to first overcome her surprise before asking. "An...invitation? Thoth, I'm not in the mood." "No, it's not. It's...complicated." This...didn't play out as imagined. Why? ...oh! See, the young's superior after all.

The look he got sobered Thoth up quite a bit. Yet he couldn't say he didn't like that. S-stop. The young's near, the young. The baby wouldn't notice anything that happened three saloons away, but in Thoth's eyes, he felt that was no distance at all.

Repressing his urges with all his might, he hoped to divert his attention with the help of the conversation. "Cough. I have to warn you, Elfriede. Less control fosters individual thoughts. No control fosters anarchy. You want that?"

"...the war didn't end as we envisioned. One race called upon the reinforcements of another. That friend had other good friends and so it went on and on. One realm, two realms, a world, seven worlds...almost an entire plane."

Elfriede closed her eyes in pain, struggling with her next words while Thoth kept stroking the baby that was no longer in his arms before he realised the futility and returned to fighting his innermost wish. "We lost...our history, people, knowledge.

The victory was hollow, the means for taking advantage of the conquered lands unattainable any longer and our realm riddled with cracks." Keeping his attention on the baby failed to help Thoth one bit.

Grudgingly, he terminated the spell and focused entirely on the flow before he lost it completely and made a fool out of himself in front of Elfriede...or worse. Much worse. It was certainly hard, but he had to do it.

"Just as the saying goes. One man's plight is another's merit. With the predators gone, parasites swarm the place unchecked. Nothing new." "Oh, new it was. For the council.

Scant was what remained thereafter as it used to be. Therefore, the forest's riddled with traps to punish the wrongdoers and alert us at the same time. The whole undertaking wasn't easy. Ohman—"

"Back on track." In lieu of how mercilessly longwinded elven discussions tended to be, Thoth cut her thousand considerations and explanations short when he still could without hurting her ego.

"...I'm sorry." "No need to be. It's in your nature, that's all. I think we've talked long enough, no offence." Elfriede shook her head. "None taken," she replied. "I'm here for the Goddess Tear.

Only three suffice, so I won't empty your storage. Once I get them, I shall be on my way. No need to impose on your hospitality when you can use that precious time otherwise.

I do request though that you refrain from handing out subpar drops. Only the best—" Seeing her expression wasn't right, Thoth stopped and asked straight away. "What's the matter?"

"The war, Thoth." Elfriede massaged her tired eyelids, using that time of respite to regain her bearings before continuing. "War brings destruction to both sides." ...this is a joke, I hope.

"War emptied your storage? That's a pity." "You don't understand. War...took our heritage. The tree was hurt, the high elves regressed." And there go my drops. Unacceptable.

"Nowadays, the talent of the newborn is subpar at best and the lifespan of my race reduced by a lot. Fertility has gone up, but that's as much a problem as it is a dangerous sign."

"...high elves are devolving. Got a strange feeling on the plaza and now I know why. Your common populace is no longer part of the high elf family tree, am I right?

They've become something else. Not quite a high elf, not quite a common elf. Something in between." A hestitiant nod validated his conjecture. Feeling relaxation wash over his nether region, Thoth doubled up on his reasoning efforts.

"No World Tree means a severe drop in related magic on top of putting you in a difficult spot. No wonder there was nobody special among all the elves here except you."

"Thoth, I hope you keep this to yourself. The high elves have made many enemies throughout the years. Our...behaviour is not perceived as likeable by most." ...a fucking understatement if I ever heard one.

Thoth looked at her amused. "Can you blame them? An insult as a greeting, an arrow answering a simple question and much brabbling about glory long past. Now it's even longer past.

This is the non-high-elf generation I'm talking about and they have certainly lost edge compared to their predecessors." And that's why hell and the abyss merely fight their war under controlled circumstances.

Eradicating entire lineages because of a crooked gaze or simply because it's possible to do so never ends well. Not for long-lived races with their terrible fertility rates. Though they ain't comparable for real.

"You have to start with startling changes, Elfriede. Beginning with the perception of your people all the way to your military education. The old spells are no longer up to par, your magical knowledge rendered mostly obsolete by the tree's regression.

Is there hope for regaining past glory, by the way? Seeing the only World Tree outlasting the Dark Ages dying off because of a stupid decision makes me sad. Like a part of my memory is dying with it."

Thoth closed his eyes in reminiscence and by the time he opened them again, Elfriede was staring at him, mouth agape. The lips attract me as always. No...no! Wrong move. The weather, the weather. ...I don't see the sky.

"How...how old are you really, Thoth?" She asked in the meantime, her voice slightly quivering. "Maybe another time, Elfriede. When we're closer, perhaps." She knew what he meant with these words.

Getting attacked by her people sure put a serious dent in their relationship no matter how lax Thoth usually was. "Now I'm concerned with procuring the tears. Recognise I take no negation as an answer." She nibbled on her lips.

Knowing Thoth meant she couldn't hope to talk herself out of it. "Then there is only one answer." Elfriede's clear green eyes stared stubbornly into Thoth's. "...are you sure? This will weaken you considerably for quite the years.

A strategic injury—" "Say no more. I know of the dangers. But the only other alternative is asking you to give up. Will you humour me?" "...no." "There you have it."

Elfriede relaxed her posture, smiled at Thoth and motioned him to start. She was ready. Thoth stood up from the adorned wooden armchair, approached, extended his claws and rammed them deep into her chest.

Elfriede didn't move a muscle nor did she express her pain. Apart from her rapidly blanching facial colour, everything seemed alright. "And done. Blood the equivalent of three Goddess Tears."

Retracting his claws, there was no gap left on her bosom. If not for the holes in her attire, one might think these events were but an illusion. He walked back to his seat.

"Thoth?" "Yes? Want to know what use I have for this blood?" "No. I have trust in you. There is a reason for everything, I'm simply too insignificant to learn of it."

"...you didn't get old in vain, Elfriede. Old-timers certainly don't like others snooping around, ever so curious. So...what's the matter?" "Even if we had some tears, I couldn't have given them away.

The tree needs them more than anyone else as it has grown immune to my blood. In addition, matters regarding topics of such importance fall under the discretion of the council." Nooo...I really do miss the young. Focus, Thoth. Focus. You can do this!

Even I am no exception." Thoth shook his head in disapproval, grumbling some words in a language she couldn't understand before giving her a definite reply. "You're playing a dangerous game.

If your death passes the majority vote, are you going to comply?" Elfriede's eyes widened in surprise, giving him the impression her thoughts had never explored that direction. "...I don't know."

"Wake up, elf." Thoth's voice became dangerously low, his warnings underlined by mighty pulses of raw mana. Simply because he was agitated, the world around him reacted. Everything did. The idea of one less friend in the realms didn't excite him one bit.

"It's highly unlikely to pass, I'd say. The war faction is composed of children unhappy with the loss of glory; their tantrums merely expressions of impotency to change the past." Elfriede stubbornly defended her position.

"They've got some supporters and I doubt not that some would welcome my demise regardless of the consequences. But...as long as they are contained within the council, not every decision is fair game.

The rough direction we move towards does help the welfare of every elf. The elders need backing and the trust of the common populace. If one of the two parties is unhappy, changes are inevitable.

They are certainly old. But age is merely a quantification of experience, not the reason they warm that seat. Plus, connections are necessary to keep balance.

If one link dares to threaten another, outside forces will come to its aid, if only for fear of being the next target." Thoth grabbed some refreshments on the table and gobbled them up in one, tableware included.

For his body, eating tableware or not made little difference. "That's one faction. Let me guess, the other is more concerned with internal development." The young, the young. Fucking withdrawal symptoms. Need sugar!! "Goal being, the glory of old."

"Exactly. Two different roads lead towards the same goal. Artisans and merchants are their main supporters. Ordinary citizens happy with their lot, the most important variable for keeping their seats.

It's a delicate balance the two factions keep. One prone to mellow out any dangerous edges but still keeping the flow alive. No stagnation, remember?" Elfriede now had that shine in her eyes that attracted Thoth even more. Another...time...

"With time, internal development and external shows of might and grandeur shall be seen as a single concept, not two." Think, Thoth, think. "You came up with the limiters so that something like the last war doesn't happen again, right?

Anyway, from my point of view, the probability of such realisation in the current situation is more wishful thinking than suddenly pulling an unknown planetary spell out of the hat."

"...that might be so. But without hope, what's there to live for?" "You aren't half as lethargic as others make you out to be. Even among immortals, few know your true colours, watcher." Elfriede lifted an eyebrow at the unusual title she got from him.

She, too, found it appropriate. "You aren't certainly wrong. Once they do, it means my road's faulty and the game's lost." Thoth nodded, grabbing a glass and downing the content.

"If you're no longer here...speak, betrayed...your race will suffer the consequences. Clever. There's just one big problem left unresolved. Your concept of politics isn't clearly the fastest, but elven nature doesn't care about speedy reactions.

Yet what I have beef with is the influence of an individual. Say, if a council member went mad with all the power at his or her disposal, the damage that one can do is severe, possibly also catastrophic."

All Thoth got as an answer was Elfriede's amused chuckle. "That one won't dare," she replied once she'd calmed down, "it means social, political and possibly also physical death." "Suit yourself."

The booklet on his belt suddenly exploded in a glaring shower of bright light. While the surroundings smelled burnt, they both froze in mid-motion. The conversation and Thoth's political advice came to an abrupt end.

The very next instant, as one, Thoth and Elfriede teleported through the various rooms and saloons built around the Great Tree, their destination ultimately being the breach.