Chapter 6

High Wood Elf City

Since Lykan was not passed out he got to see two things most visitors never did. First, he got to see the long path that hid the route taken by the High Wood Elves to get to their city. Second, he got to see the grandeur and size of the city as they approached. Both were sights that were rarely afforded to outsiders.

Yet, given the condition of his health being tied directly to Priestess Octavia, it didn’t seem to be too much to let him witness everything. Especially since the idea would be now to somehow force him to stay until the bonding magic between these two was allowed to be severed by the Great Spirit of the Woods.

Upon arrival, a few trumpets were sounded. Or at least trumpets is what the instrument used looked like. The sound was something altogether magical as it created a sound that echoed and reverberated throughout the entire city. If the sound created had to be described, the closest Lykan could come up to it would be the sound of a flock of songbirds singing in harmony. One deep cord, one deep note, forever echoed by the flock for everyone to hear and enjoy.

Yet although Lykan had nothing to gauge the sound on, the note was the sound of warning. That an outsider was approaching with the group. With this, the members of the guard assembled. A representative of the great Priestess was called and ran to be in attendance.

Lykan, of course, was unaware of what was happening. Instead, he merely had to witness the size and grandeur of the buildings made out of trees and a myriad of different plants. It was hard to tell if giant stone pillars and columns were used as the base for the plants to build off of or if the plants somehow hardened into decorative stone artwork over time.

Regardless of how it happened, the city looked to be a well-crafted work of stone and wood. Thick vines wrapped around everything, adding layers of support like suspension cables for bridges in the great empires out East. Flowers bloomed in patterns and arrays that had to be perfectly detailed in order to give rise to greater works of art that showed the very figure of the High Priestess herself. A symbol to all who would come here that the city was blessed by the High Priestess and protected by the Spirit of the Forest.

In fact, the words denoting the protection of the city by the Great Spirit of the Forest were written in ancient High Elven. Though no one had been able to read the language in quite some time.

Only Lykan saw the words and found himself muddling through the words as he saw them. “Come forth, friends. The daughter of the Spirit of the Forest awaits to greet you. Know to step foot here is to accept an armistice of peace.”

Hearing the words, everyone in the party stopped and stared at Lykan.

Lykan, suddenly aware of everyone’s gaze upon him, became suddenly afraid. “What I have no intentions of causing violence,” he said.

“No, the words. You can read them?” Commander Reyna said.

“Were we not supposed to? There didn’t seem to be anything against reading them,” Lykan said.

“No, it’s not that. It is just that they are written in the old tongue. The tongue of the Forest Spirit,” Octavia cut in.

“Okay,” Lykan said, confused for a second. Then he realized it was likely an effect of his modified Skill Universal Literacy that was at the maximum level. “Oh, I think I understand. So knowing how to read that is rare?”

“No,” Reyna cut in again. “Reading that is not just rare, but unheard of. We all know what the words say as it has been copied down and told to us since we were children. But the words of the forest were stripped from us centuries ago. Since then, we only have ancient texts that were translated to the new tongue to help us. Perhaps our meeting you was a blessing from the Spirit of the Forest. A sign that we had been in the darkness for too long and it was finally willing to show us the light of the source once more.”

Seeing the religious fervor in the Captain’s eyes, Lykan couldn’t help but feel a slight shiver run down his spine as that was a lot of assumptions based solely on his being able to read a fading design written in tree bark. Then once he thought about that, he realized no, maybe he was the one who was limited in his scope.

As they drew closer, a door that had been seamlessly sealed into the wall opened and revealed two rows of guards standing in a long line, followed by a female dressed in pristine silver robes.

The exploration group made their way forward, Lykan in tow.

“Greetings, Priestess.”

“Greetings, hunter. It seems you and your party have found a new member for our flock?”

“Forgive me.” At this, the Commander and her party all dropped to a knee. Everyone but Lykan, who suddenly was at a loss for what to do. Should he kneel as well? Would that seem odd? None of the guards were kneeling, so why should he. Before he could get too lost in his own thoughts, Reyna continued, “This humble one has found her path astray. During our trip, our Priestess bound herself twice over with two Sleep spells that did not hold to this man. During this, he was attacked,” Reyna said, again her eyes staring daggers at Ghane, who was still without an arm.

This time the angry sneer that had been on Ghane's face for most of their journey was finally gone. Especially under the watchful eyes of the Priestess.

Hearing this, the Priestess moved forward. “Brother Ghane, you attacked this man after he was bound not once but twice with sacred spells of protection?”

Grrr.

Now all the guards who had been gathered began to growl low. Apparently, this was a low blow to hear. Threatening a Priestess’ power is a grave sin. While Lykan was not aware, it was through acts like this that caused the great purge of magic, the ones that made it so only females could be wielders of the sacred gifts. It was rare for females to actually be allowed to touch the one true source of the Spirit of the Woods.

In the past, there were many stories of how people would make bindings with their magics but then abuse the sacred trust of those pacts by having members of a group subdue or otherwise injure a person that was rendered calm by the Spirit of the Forest. Now the Spirit of the Forest would take immediate actions against such a user of evil tactics. This was why it was rare for Priestesses to go with any but the most disciplined of groups.

Yet, hearing the roars, Lykan instantly felt his hand grip the hilt of his spear tighter as he prepared himself for an attack.

No one noticed Lykan’s actions as all the guards had eyes for Ghane, the man who had, whether purposefully or unwittingly crippled a Priestess. With each such act, the mark of the forest was forever reduced by one. Only through works and deeds to make up the mistake to the individual in question by the oath breaker could the sacred seal of the Spirit of the Forest be returned.

That is, no one noticed except for the Priestess who had come as a means to greet the party and figure out the tones of distress that were signaled.

“May the peace of the Great Forest Spirit be upon you traveler,” the Priestess spoke the sacred greeting of the old tongue. Hearing the peaceful words, Lykan couldn’t help but be taken aback as he felt the true power that rang in those words. They were words of peace and harmony. Hearing them, he lessened the grip on his spear and decided to respond back with a similar greeting as he wished to try out the words as they rolled from his tongue.

“May the peace of the Great Forest Spirit be upon you as well, Priestess,” he said.

The Priestess stiffened at the words. Suddenly the growls and attentions of all the gathered guards all turned their attention as one to Lykan. Feeling the weight of all those eyes, Lykan could only twitch nervously as he looked at everyone then spoke.

“Sorry, was I not supposed to respond back?” Lykan said. His words caused everyone to look at him with confusion. Everyone but the greeting Priestess and Octavia, for in their eyes, a light of hope shone.

“You speak the old tongue?” the greeting Priestess asked.

Lykan looked confused for a second. Fortunately, his advanced mind helped him pick up the subtle differences in the two languages being spoken. “Is that the one you used to speak about the Great Forest Spirit?” Even thinking about it, his words went back to the old tongue while referring to the Great Forest Spirit. It was as if the new language didn’t have a way of referencing such a being.

The greeting Priestess blinked for a second before understanding what the part of the speech had said was.

“Tell me, you know the great one’s name and can speak its tongue?” the Priestess asked.

“He can read the great inscription outside the walls,” Kirgil added from his kneeling position.

At this point, the greeting Priestess was practically bouncing with excitement.

“'Tis truly a blessing from the great one herself. Please then tell me of your name and why you have come?” the Priestess asked.

“I am Lykan Vita, and I was told there would be food?” Lykan began, and almost as if on cue, his stomach let out a loud rumble that could be heard by all adding emphasis to his words.

With that, many of the guards who had gathered began to laugh as the tension that had been building suddenly eased.

“Well then. Come on, Lykan Vita, guest of the forest. Let us show you our hospitality. I am Priestess Jezzima,” the greeting Priestess began before she continued, “Know that while you are here, we trust you come as a friend.”

With that, she gave a rough translation of the quotes over the door. Hearing this caused Lykan to relax slightly. He could see the magic at play all around him. There were bindings from the world around them to every living creature living here. Each High Wood Elf was intricately tied by their very existence to the woods. It seemed to be a very harmonious bond of energy that tethered them all together, not only to the earth but to each other as a whole. Now that he was here, he could see the faint bond that linked himself to Octavia be strengthened, as if the very Spirit of the Forest itself agreed with and confirmed the bond between the two.

Priestess Jezzima gave a quick hand signal. Shortly thereafter, another burst of the horns was made. This time the sound more resembled an upbeat flock of birds all singing in one harmonious cadence. Lykan wanted to ask about the instrument being used but quickly realized that if he began asking questions now that he likely wouldn’t stop. Instead, he let his overactive mind and heightened senses try to take in as much as they could now so that he could better come up with a real list of important things to ask.

“Come this way, we have informed the High Priestess that you will be joining us for our evening meal.”

This statement alone brought more questions to mind. Do they always have evening meals? Will the High Priestess often skip meals? Or was this just a warning to her so she could get better prepared?

Then more questions came about what was available to eat and so on. Again he held his questions back for wanting to not scare off his hosts from performing such actions for him in the future.

Ironically enough, the very hosts that he was trying not to offend were themselves trying to hold back their deluge of thoughts about the place. Octavia and Jezzima both were so nervous that they wanted to go into full-on introduction mode but held back due to how quiet Lykan was. So a sort of awkward silence descended on everyone as they made their way as a group to the grand meeting hall.

Even seeing a portion of the room from the hallway opening let Lykan know that his eyes were in for a treat to behold. While he could only see a portion of the room, the portion that he saw was splendid. A smooth marble table seemed to come up from the ground itself. Lykan’s mind pieced together that this had to be similar to the plants used to construct the walls outside, but this one was special. If he had to guess, this would be a royal version of the one used to build the walls and defenses for the city. While this one looked more than sturdy enough, it likely couldn’t withstand the same level of attack that the walls could. Though who would want to harm such a beautiful city, Lykan couldn’t tell, nor would he want to meet anyone who would dare harm such a place.

As they approached, there was a woman wearing silken robes that looked slightly more resplendent than the ones used by Octavia and Jezzaima. Lykan’s mind instantly associated this woman with power, not just the way she held herself with poise and confidence, but the way everyone who passed her gave her a reverential nod of their head as they made their way.

Octavia, always by Lykan’s side, stayed close, her body twitching slightly as she locked eyes with the High Priestess. She was afraid for fear that she would be scolded by the High Priestess in front of everyone. Yet rather than be scolded, a warm smile broke out on her face as she stared at their newest guest.

“Greetings, honored guest. We welcome you to sit at this, the heart of the Great Spirit of the Forest,” the High Priestess said, reciting the words of the old tongue the way she had been taught by her ancestors.

Hearing the words, Lykan looked around the great room. Tapestries of intricately woven vines lined the walls. The room itself seemed to be alive with a form of ambient energy that seemed to give validity to the claim that this was indeed the heart of the Great Spirit.

After taking everything in, Lykan responded with his thoughts on the claim made in their greeting.

“I can see how this could be called the heart of the Great Spirit of the Forest. This is truly a marvel to behold,” Lykan said.

There was a slight hush as everyone paused. Only after a second did Lykan realize why there was a sudden pause in activity as he had done it again. He had spoken in their old dialect of the language.

“So it is indeed, as the runner claimed, that you can speak the old tongue. But is it true that you can read the old tongue?” the High Priestess asked while pointing to an intricate design that was beautifully woven into the grand table. Most gathered figured the design was just part of the natural ambiance formed by the Great Spirit to add a vibrant flair to their meals. Yet the Priestesses knew differently. They knew that there was a phrase long since lost to time, but the meaning of the statement show was known to a few.

“Come gather in my name. Eat from my table and be fulfilled on my energy. Let all who eat here know of peace and the balance,” Lykan began reading the words as he made his way around the table.

Only once he had gotten to the end, and everyone was staring at him oddly, did he realize he was speaking in the old tongue. Shaking his head, he began the process of trying to state the same thing in the dialect being used by everyone around him. It was so odd to Lykan to be surrounded by the language but to seemingly be oblivious to it as well. Especially when most of the words were the exact same, with only slight deviations to the structure and placement of the words.

Once he had repeated the words in the common tongue of the High Elves, he continued with the rest of the reading. Taking his time to first understand the words in the old tongue, to then translate them for everyone present in the new tongue. “For a meal, all who are gathered are friends, and after eating a meal, may you part as family.”

The word family took a while to translate as there didn’t seem to be a direct translation from the old tongue to the new. It wasn’t quite family, but a word deeper than family. In a way, he felt this was what had happened between him and Octavia. That bond that now sat between them was the same type referred to by this word that was seemingly untranslatable.

With that, the translation was complete, but everyone just stared at Lykan. Lykan, for his part, began trying to read the mannerisms of everyone around him. He had never been in High Wood Elven society and didn’t know if these random bouts of silence were normal or not.

Rather than draw even more attention to this, he, too, tried to take in everything around him. While everyone else in the room had just one point to focus on, Lykan. Lykan found that he had nearly infinite points that he could focus on throughout the room. From the different words that seemed to line the halls of this room with protections and words of power. To the way, the High Elves seemed to be oblivious to the world around them.

Finally, after a minute of silence, the High Priestess spoke, “Yes, it seems that the Great Spirit has guided you directly to our path for many reasons. We ask that you, please sit and tell us of your journey of how you got here and what your plans for the future entail.”

While Lykan missed it, the others who knew the High Priestess intimately saw the slight trembling of her hand as she gestured toward the table, a sign that she was flustered. Seeing this and the way she seemed to force her body to calm down led others to realize the importance of this meeting. His seating, too, was of particular interest to many, rather than being granted the normal seat at the far end of the table that was set up for visitors. He sat on the near end of the table, right next to the High Priestess, with Octavia directly to his left. The positioning and seating did not go unnoticed by any who were in attendance.

All the guards who had come and the members of the hunting party soon filled in the remaining seats. Ghane had to take the seat at the far end that was normally reserved for visitors. The seating arrangement was all too clear for everyone who was in attendance, everyone but Lykan. The message being given was simple, Ghane was on the outs and to be treated as an outsider until this matter was resolved.

Lykan sat and looked around, somewhat surprised by how empty the table was of anything. No plates, no morsels of food, nothing. Just an elaborately detailed table that was alive and flowing with magic.

Once everyone was seated, the High Priestess gave a nod of her head and made a symbol of magic appear as she made a gesture, touching her forehead, left shoulder, then right shoulder. Then began speaking the sacred words of the old tongue. “We come to you in hopes of peace and prosperity. We seek guidance and wisdom to learn from our mistakes and to become better.”

The words flowed in a sing-song voice that was soon echoed by the Priestesses. Even Octavia tried to contribute, but her voice cracked as she tried to speak the sacred words. She clutched at her throat in a choking motion. Lykan instantly patted her on the back, as he had seen happen many times at the village he grew up in during feasts. People choked and needed to have someone pat on their backs forcefully. As soon as his hand touched her, the coughing stopped. The words that she had been choking on were able to flow again freely from her.

Lykan looked to see that only once he touched her could a circuit of magic be completed. He quickly scanned the other Priestesses to see that magic flowed in a giant loop around them. Magic flowed in lines out down through the limbs, then back to the core. Yet for Octavia, the loop was different, incomplete. The loop went out and connected to him at his core. Then only once he touched her could the loop be complete and the source of magic be restored.

Shaking his head, Lykan was shocked to see what was happening.

He was so shocked that he almost missed the moment when the prayers of the Priestesses became manifest, and plates of food began to appear before his very eyes. This was indeed a magic table. He wondered if he too could create a magic table just like this but realized the primary source for the power being used came from the earth below. Then he remembered the words said as he entered and realized this might very well be the heart or spiritual center of the Great Forest Spirit.

He watched in awe and wonder as the food began to appear. So entranced by the magic flowing all around that he, too, added his own words. “Thank you for receiving me. Though I am not worthy of taking part in such a bountiful harvest, know I am eternally grateful for the blessing of good food and company.”

With that, meat appeared on a plate in front of Lykan.

“Oh.” Many of the guards who watched were shocked by the sight. Each let out a slight gasp that echoed and multiplied until everyone was aware of what had happened.

Lykan, for his part, failed to notice the gazes that had shifted his way. Meat was forbidden, at least that is what everyone thought. Yet, here the Great Spirit was providing meat to this outsider. While everyone else had to eat fruits and vegetables that the Great Forest Spirit provided.

The High Priestess, too, noticed the strange dish of meat and was taken aback as to what could have caused such a plate to appear. Only after looking at the leg of meat for a second did she realize what she was looking at.

“Spider Stalker legs?” the High Priestess said, looking at the meal that had been cooked and simmered with spices that were unknown to Lykan.

Moving closer to the food, Lykan looked at the legs and saw the areas where the sharp spider barbs had been removed. After a second of examining the food, Lykan spoke. “Yes, I believe they are.” Then he looked and saw one leg, in particular, that was slightly shorter than the others as it had been sliced rather close to the portion of the muscle that attacked the spider’s leg.

“I think this is from the Spider Queen that I killed today,” Lykan said, as he held up the leg looking at the cut mark on the bottom. “This is the leg I sliced off before I was able to cut her in half.”

The High Priestess was at a loss for words. They had avoided killing the spiders for fear of the balance. Yet here, the newcomer was being rewarded for his contributions by the Great Forest Spirit serving up half of the food. This was the way of all things. Half of a harvest would go to the Spirit, while half would be prepared as a feast. Their diet to this point had been of fruits and vegetables. While there were stories of people eating and being served meat from before the fall. It was widely thought that they were now denied meat as part of their penance. However, that no longer appeared to be the case.

Rumble.

The food smelled divine, and Lykan’s stomach let everyone know that he was still hungry.

Hearing the sound and seeing the look of embarrassment that crossed Lykan’s face, the High Priestess laughed good-naturedly and said, “Eat up.”

With that, the feast officially began. Since the Great Spirit had provided the meat as a course to eat, everyone was able to partake in it. The first piece went to Lykan, the next to Octavia and the high Priestess. The plate was quickly shared around, with everyone getting one piece. Though by the time the plate got to Ghane's side of the table, the legs were rather small and barely more than a mouthful. These were the legs from the underlings that Lykan had managed to kill from the swarm.

While he felt guilty for eating meat, he felt contempt for Lykan, who was still taking large bits from the spider leg that he had secured for himself. A glowing seed of resentment grew in Ghane's belly as he watched and ate, having to switch back to fruits and vegetables of the forest to fully quench his appetite. Yet after having meat, the fruits and vegetables seemed empty.

In all, he felt that he had been inconvenienced the most by the turn of events. While the Great Spirit had let him regrow his arm, he still couldn’t help but feel resentment growing for the way everyone favored the outsider. He wanted to speak up, to protest his very existence. Yet he knew to say such things now would only come across as immature, so he designed to watch the outsider. He would watch for when he slipped up, then he would exact revenge on the forest. For there was no greater sin than to come to the great table, eat of its bounty, and then spread resentment.

Spreading resentment is exactly what this outsider was doing, at least in Ghane's heart. He looked and saw the way others who seemed to be harboring resentful glances at the newcomer. They watched as the boy spun a fantastic story of how he got here. How he defeated a dragon, gaining the blessings of the Gods to change his path in life, and how that changed path led him here. It was a fantastical story. Ghane half expected the Great Spirit to strike him dead for spreading falsehoods at the table.

While it couldn’t be known to outsiders, it was well known to all who were in attendance that to lie at the table of peace was a serious crime that was instantly punishable. The more outlandish the lie, the more direct and severe the punishment would be. Yet the boy seemed to be immune somehow to the magic of the table. Likely how he managed to avoid Octavia’s sleep compact, Ghane thought.

Now he knew for a fact that the boy was dangerous as he suspected the boy of having some type of magical artifact that protected him against the magic of the Great Forest Spirit. He glanced and realized the power likely came from the magic artifact he wielded with such deadly accuracy. The blue-tipped spear glowed with a magical energy. The very spear that had to be imbued with powers made him greater than he truly was.

It was at this point that Ghane came up with a plan that he would take the spear from the boy and challenge him again to a trial of fates. Then he would prove to everyone the boy was a fraud, that it was only the power of the spear that gave him superiority and was even now protecting him against the greater magic of the Great Forest Spirit.

Such abominations which were immune to the powers of peace provided by the Great Forest Spirit were to be cleansed. That was the way of the forest. The forest had to be immutable, especially on its lands. To have an outsider come in and make a mockery of their laws and way of life with his blatant lies was truly infuriating. What Ghane didn’t know was that not only was Lykan not lying, but the High Priestess was able to verify the truth of his words.

As he spoke, the Great Forest Spirit showed the path the boy took. It was given to her as a divine vision, one that would transcend magical protections that Ghane was currently thinking of. These were immutable truths, for they were from the Great Forest Spirit directly and therefore only had the thoughts of the Great Forest Spirit behind them. Everything the boy spoke was the truth, every word no matter how fantastical. Though to hear the boy tell the story, it was nothing but a small chance of fortune that he survived to this day. But such was the way of the world, randomly tripping over a rock and rolling your ankle to prevent going on a forest walk that would lead to your death. Waking up an hour early to tend to the fields, only to have a storm come through later that would destroy everything that had not already been harvested. Such was the way of life. Only afterward could one truly see the work of the divine at play.

To the High Priestess, the sight of the boy before her was nothing short of a divine miracle, one that she wanted desperately to welcome peacefully with open arms. The boy had been kicked out of his homeland for being blighted, yet in a matter of days, he had not only managed to change his fates, but the divine Forest Spirit had set him on a direct course with Octavia’s hunting group.

One could see the actions that happened to Octavia as a bad break, yet the High Priestess saw it for what it truly was, a divine gift. They had been given all the pieces. Now she just needed to figure out how to assemble this boy into her society. Then something about his past caught her attention. It wasn’t something that the boy had said but a piece of the vision she had been granted by the Great Spirit. She saw the boy reading and training daily.

Suddenly struck by inspiration, she said the first thing that came to mind, “Tell me, Lykan, do you like to read?”

The look of shock and wonder that filled the boy’s face showed the High Priestess all she needed to know. She had him, and she knew it. Now she just needed to ease him in gently.

“Yes. I love to read and learn new things. That was likely why my first two Skills were related to the Scholar profession like my father originally had,” he spoke.

With that, a smile came to the High Priestess’ face. “After this, would you like to see our Library?”

That was all that was needed. After those nine words, Lykan could think of nothing else other than seeing this new Library filled with books he had likely never heard about.

“Well then, once this is over, Octavia here will show you to the Library,” the High Priestess said, her tone making it clear that this was an order to Octavia.

Octavia, for her part, nodded her head, not wanting to speak a word for fear her voice might crack. She understood that with those words, she would, in fact, be in charge of her own fate here. That whether or not the boy left would be entirely dependent on her actions. This was a big opportunity. He clearly seemed to be interested in the great Library, with its rows upon rows of books. But would that be enough to keep the boy here for a year?

Mentally Octavia sighed to herself as she wished she knew more about this boy before her. The fact that he was a boy was clear for all to see. The Captain even noted as much by not stating his Class. Though his Skills and mastery were unquestionable. He struck through Ghane's advance with brutal ease and efficiency. Then the trail of carnage he left by clearing the forest of the Spider Stalkers and their psychic attacks. The Great Forest Spirit even proved that those were his by providing the meat of the hunt.

Then a thought hit Octavia. She knew that books alone might not be enough, but maybe there would be a way to keep him if they focused on his advanced weapon Skill.

“Tell me, Sir Lykan, do you practice the spear often?” Octavia asked hesitantly. While the boy missed the cues, she could feel her chest tightening as she focused on breathing. This was it, a final desperate plea for getting the boy to stay. If he left, she would still need to go and follow the boy through his journeys. The thought of going to the human lands was scary. She had read tales of the horrors that lay beyond the Great Forest and its protection.

Before she could get too lost in those thoughts, the boy answered, “Yes, I used to practice twice a day every day in my village.”

His words caused Octavia’s heart to beat faster as she knew she had him. The training grounds were the best the forest had to offer. Also, there were healing baths to help warriors push beyond boundaries and heal wounds gained. Only those that were honorable could be healed by the pools, such was the compact with the forest.

“We have our own training fields here, where the Forest Spirit can help train you for a portion of your spirit energy,” Octavia explained, though her words caused a twinge of fear to shoot across the boy's face.

Octavia tried to understand what she had said wrong. Fortunately, the High Priestess was there to help.

“What Priestess Octavia means is that in order to begin, you will provide some of your mana to the Great Spirit. This will then be used to form an opponent that will be a worthy match for you. For a bit more of your mana at the end, a healing bath can be provided to help concentrate the gains you made from your training. That will be something else that Priestess Octavia can show you, as she just loves the practice fields.” The last few words were said with a slight tone of mockery.

This caused Lykan to turn to Octavia. “You don’t like the training fields?” he asked.

Hearing this, Octavia frowned before explaining, “I do mean to go, but I often get sidetracked and forget to go train as much as a Priestess to the Great Forest Spirit should.”

While Lykan still realized something was missing from that explanation, he chose to let the topic die. There was clearly an exchange that was happening between the High Priestess and Octavia, but it seemed to be related to training and therefore was seemingly inconsequential to Lykan. What both he and Octavia failed to realize was that the High Priestess led this conversation to this point from the start. Given the way the boy possessively carried around his spear and the way he maintained balance with the weapon, it was clear he was skilled with it. Then added to that was the fact that she had stopped him from indulging his love for books, and Octavia was left with no other recourse than to invite the boy to the sparring grounds.

The reason why Octavia had to be the one to invite the boy to the sparring grounds was simple, the grounds were in an alternate dimension of space. In part, the energy provided was really just enough to gain access to the Spirit Realm of the Great Forest Spirit. There the spirit could measure the challenger and test them accordingly to force each participant to push beyond their mental limits. By getting Octavia to be the one to bring up the idea, the resentment caused by Octavia having to train in the Spirit Realm as much as the boy could only be placed at her own feet. Even though the High Priestess had clearly given her no other options.

This way, with two great hooks of training and the Library, the boy was likely to stay. Now the boy staying had the added benefit of forcing Octavia, who was well known for her aversion to training to be forced to train constantly if she wanted to maintain her connection to Lykan and thereby maintain her connection to the Great Forest Spirit.

“Well, if you two are finished. Would you mind showing Lykan around?” the High Priestess asked before Octavia could think too intricately about what had just happened.

Seeing this as their cue, Octavia stood, then bowed to the High Priestess. Then turned to Lykan. “Would you follow me?”

Lykan looked at the dirty plate and the remnants of food that were on the table. “What about the dirty dishes?”

“Don’t worry, what came from the Great Forest Spirit will return to the Great Forest Spirit,” the High Priestess explained and then pointed at the dirty plates that had been in front of Octavia’s seat until a moment ago. Seeing this, Lykan gasped in awe at the wonder, self-cleaning meals? This was something he had only dreamed about as a kid.

“Come on. Before it gets too dark and you have to read by glow lights,” Octavia said, urging Lykan to come along.

“Glow lights?” Lykan asked. He had read under candlelight quite extensively, but glow lights?

The two began to talk about glow lights of all things. Ghane looked on in anger as he saw the outsider walk away with Octavia. Bitterness took root in his heart as he watched the boy-outsider all but force himself upon the beautiful Priestess Octavia. Octavia was the youngest of the Priestesses and the only one remotely close to his age group. All the others were older and had taken on multiple partners, yet Octavia had yet to choose a true partner. It is said that High Wood Elves always cherish their first partner the best, which was why Ghane tried so hard to impress Octavia. Why he always pushed himself to stand out a bit more.

Yet, it had all been ruined by that boy. There was still hope, though. The boy was still un-classed, meaning a true full relationship between Octavia and the upstart would be seen as a sin to the Great Forest Spirit. All he had to do was lay low and wait until the day the gates between Octavia and the boy were ended. Then he could kill the boy without anyone knowing or caring. With that, the stain on both his and Octavia’s reputation would be over, and things could move on as they should.

Ghane was so busy staring daggers at the human boy leaving with his Octavia that he failed to realize a set of eyes were also staring at him from the far end of the table. These were the eyes of an old predator who was as cold as a winter blizzard and twice as unforgiving. For staring directly at him from the far side of the table was none other than the High Priestess. While most gathered around Ghane watched jealously as Lykan left with Octavia, only Ghane's eyes shone with true malice.

Suddenly feeling a slight shiver run down his next, Ghane pulled his attention away from Lykan and Octavia to view around the table for what caused his senses to scream danger. Yet after quickly looking around, he saw nothing and chalked the eerie sensation as being nothing more than a random breeze that found its way down his neck. He reacted too slowly to the warning his mind was giving him. He failed to see the way the High Priestess’ eyes darted away from his the moment he no longer stared at the boy’s back.