Last one for now since I made this before I sleep.

-----------------

Back in Lavinia City,

"Did you hear?"

"What?"

Two people were chatting between themselves as they walked through the third ring.

"King Rotter died and was replaced by his daughter, Prin-- I mean, Queen Ritna."

"Seriously!?"

"Yeah."

"Why the hell do we not know something as important as that!?"

"Because our information dissemination sucks?"

"Oh, right. Always wondered how we were able to keep living without knowing what the royalty does."

"The war also ended, by the way."

"There was a war?"

"Uh, yeah."

"How the hell do you know these?"

"I work in the castle, remember?"

"Gods, I hate this city."

Their voices soon disappeared as they turned to a corner. On the side was Myrn, and she heard everything.

"Cavaron!" Myrn spoke out loud. "This was what he meant by a surprise."

---

Inside a hut somewhere were seven people.

Seated on a chair next to the bed was Ritna. Standing by the door were Volg and S'rok. Across the two, seated at a table, were Rowena and Iliuha. Standing by the bed was the Fire Lord, Culverin.

They were all anxiously looking at and waiting for the man laid on the bed.

Cavaron.

When they arrived in the Great Emerald forest, they immediately put Cavaron as top priority after Culverin greeted them. Culverin, recognizing the spell his Master used from hearing Ritna's story, immediately placed a Fire-type purification spell on Cavaron.

">" chanted Culverin. "For now, we wait until Master wakes up on his own."

Ritna, on the side, just anxiously watched Cavaron recover.

---

He laid in a field of white and blue flowers. Beside him was a young woman with silver hair, but her face cannot be seen.

The woman looked down at the man laying on the field and spoke.

"---------"

The man opened his eyes and saw the woman above him. He opened his mouth but his voice never left him.

The woman stood up and left, leaving him behind.

The man stood as well, and tried to follow her. Sadly, each step he took brought him farther and farther away. Running after her, the world dissolved into darkness. He dropped to his knees and screamed at the darkness. Again, no voice came out. Dropping on all fours, he screamed once more and pounded on the dark ground. The silence was deafening.

"-----!"

A sound penetrated the darkness.

"-----r!"

Again, he hears something. He turns to look for the source.

"-----er!"

He chased after the voice.

"-----ter!"

"-----n!"

The voices became louder as he got closer.

"Master!"

"Cavaron!"

A ball of flame appeared within the darkness, and the man, Cavaron, grasped it. Immediately, the darkness disappeared and he awoke.

"Guah! *pant* *pant* *cough* *pant*"

"Master! >!"

"Cavaron!"

Culverin restored Cavaron's strength, while Ritna hugged Cavaron.

"What... *pant* where am I? gahaa..." Cavaron asked.

"Master, we our in my home territory. Your convoy arrived safely with few casualties. I ordered some Avians to patrol the area to greet you. We never thought you'd be ambushed undetected."

"Ah... Culverin... yes..."

Cavaron then looked at the Queen crying below him.

"Ritna..."

"Cavaron... we were so worried. After all you've said, why did you that!?"

Cavaron was stunned by Ritna's scream.

"Even after you told us that 'nothing is worth dying for', why did you still do something dangerous!?"

Everyone was silent at Ritna's outburst.

"I... I'm sorry." Cavaron apologized.

Hearing his apology, Ritna stood up and went outside, followed by Rowena.

Silence lasted for a while and Culverin looked at the others. His two present subordinates understood it, took Iliuha, and went out as well leaving Culverin with his Master.

"Master, did you see it again?"

Cavaron faced Culverin and nodded weakly.

*sigh* "Well, rest for a while. The signing is postponed for the time being until you get your strength back."

Despite being in a Master-Contract relationship, the way they spoke to each other shows how friendly they truly were to each other.

Culverin then left his master to recuperate.

As Cavaron was left by himself,

'Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!'

He was angry, not to the others,

'Damn my weakness!'

but to himself.

'Dammit all!'

"I'm sorry...

Aisha..."

Cavaron quietly muttered as he fell back to sleep.

---

Outside the hut where Cavaron rested was a small beast tribe settlement.

Beast tribe settlements have no identifying names. They just are. Surrounding the settlement were the massive trees of the Great Emerald Forest. The trees both form as a natural defense and a home to some tribes, like the hawk-tribes and other avians, and some rat-tribes.

The largest tree in the settlement served as the place where the chiefs and warlords meet. At the moment, however, it is being used as a guest house for Ritna and the others.

Ritna was currently sitting on a large tree root. By her side was Rowena who merely executed her duty as her guard.

"I never thought that after losing Alrik, I would be able to love again." Ritna spoke to the air, not minding Rowena.

'Your Majesty...'

Rowena, too, knew Ritna's late lover, Alrik, and still remembered the way their previous king cut him down in front of his daughter.

Ritna, with tears in her eyes, momentarily looked up. However, she was shocked at what she saw.

Before her, Alrus approached from inside the tree.

"Queen Ritna." Alrus greeted.

"A...Alrik..? No... It can't be..."

Ritna covered her mouth in disbelief.

"Pardons, Queen Ritna. Alrik is my twin brother." Alrus solemnly spoke. "I came to give my respects to the woman he loved, and to the one who wished to end the war."

Alrus bowed before Ritna,

"May I sit next to you?" and asked.

Ritna nodded.

"Thank you."

Silence lasted until Alrus spoke.

"Brother always talked about you."

Ritna listened as he spoke.

"He always told me about a human woman he met by a river. Whenever he does, there was always a smile on his face."

Alrus looked up to the sky as he remembered his twin.

"Almost always, at the end of the day, you were on his mind. Anything else were about his adventures."

Ritna remembered the past. About the elf she met. About how both were attracted to each other's beauty. About how they spent their lives meeting one another each week when she was allowed to leave the city.

"Brother, I hope you have found peace... wherever you are."

Ritna's tears flowed once more as she remembered her late lover.

Alrus paused for a while then spoke to her,

"Queen Ritna, thank you." then stood up and left.

Ritna remained where she sat as the earth received her tears.

-------------------

Anyway, feel free to point out mistakes.

Would be also nice if you gave some constructive criticisms/reviews regarding this fic.

Thanks!

PS. You might notice that I put a lot of "Silence" in here.

Silence is good, let's you see and hear things you normally would ignore in this noisy world.