Chapter 32- Forest of Elves

Roen, Tyor, and Engil had been lost for around a month after they destroyed Thaolos and have resorted to following Engil's directions. The three quickly discovered run down village after village of what was once the Thaolos Kingdom. Tyor and Engil already had a grasp on how terrifying the Nightmare race was on Roen's constant reminders, but after witnessing how many lives one took to just recreate their body a cold sweat covered their backs. Then they looked at Roen thinking, 'If Nightmare races are so terrifying then what is this guy?'

Wanting to save some time they travelled through the forests following Engil's sense of smell.

"Hey Roen why don't you use your Soulmancer sense thingy and find the closest civilization?" Engil inquired Roen with his pointed teeth. He had finally returned to a human body after some testing, but he couldn't get it quite right and would end up as a disturbing mix of human and wolf parts. Luckily only his nails and teeth changed this time around.

"Because this area used to be the grounds of an existing Nightmare race I cannot pinpoint any exact location of souls and they'll all be obscured." Roen said with a light sigh, grumbling that the whole situation was annoying him.

"There, there master we will soon find some great souls for you to satisfy yourself." Tyor quickly tried to console Roen and urged Engil, with his eyes, to change to subject quickly.

"That's right! Roen you have been telling us a lot about these Nightmare races, but what exactly are they?" Engil quickly took Tyor's signal and gloriously changed the subject by pretending to be a troubled student ready for his master's teachings.

"They are a plague. There are 29 races in total each with their own characteristics and abilities. However they exist in a different space that is very hard to cross over, and most normally need around the amount that Varnus needed to build their bodies. If we're just talking about bringing their souls into our space then a few hundred souls would be enough for any of them. Each one is dangerous in their own right especially to beings like you and me since they can attack both our physical bodies and souls." Roen spoke fluidly and a deep hatred unmistakably flowed along with his words. Engil and Tyor caught not of that and decided to not pursue the cause of such an anger. Engil signaled Tyor that it was his turn, but they were both interrupted when an arrow lodged itself into Engil's skull.

Engil fell down as quickly as the arrow punctured his cranium and pretended to be dead. Roen calmly blocked two arrows that were headed towards his direction with an air rending speed, and Tyor summoned his blood vines that quickly surrounded him in an impenetrable sphere.

"Who's there! You dare attack us then be prepared to hand over your entrails!" Tyor's enraged shout resounded through the once quiet forest.

"Shut up you demon's servant, you three reek of demons! You must be up to no good! You demons hold no power in these sacred woods!" An elegant voice flowed out of the surrounding trees and it sounded akin to chimes in the wind. Two arrows seemed to materialize from two trees and shot towards the group again.

"Little elf come out. You're tricks are meaningless in front of me." Roen spoke in an oddly patient tone as he easily deflected the incoming arrows. The arrows increased in frequency in response. Roen sighed and his white robes turned a pitch black and began to tighten around his body. Suddenly he disappeared and a feminine scream rang out and Roen reappeared while holding onto the arm of a woman.

She had a milky white skin tone and wore a deep blue dress that sparkled in the sun light. Her face was one of rage however her beautiful features were not taken away. She had deep blue eyes and long blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders and reached her thighs. She was fiercely striking Roen and was constantly screaming. However the most striking thing was her short pointed ears.

"Stop trying to use your magic I've already sealed it. Also take us to your elder seer... Please." Tyor had an expression of disbelief as he heard such words coming out of Roen's mouth. Engil had to try his best not to laugh, and he was forced to tremble on the ground.

"I will never help demons!" The woman screamed into Roen's ear while continuing to hit him.

"Yes yes we know, now take us quickly your elder seer or else I'll raze this forest to the ground then ask her myself." Roen was quite fed up with this feisty woman and resorted to threats in the end.

"Don't! Fine I'll take you, but you must swear on your soul you will not hurt the forest!"

"I swear on my soul I will not hurt your forests."

The woman nodded and a green aura flowed out from the two trees nearest to her. The tree's aura turned into a spinning circle that slowly grew larger. The space inside the circle began to distort and twist into a spiral that was floating in mid air.

"Here, I will lead you to the seer." The woman spoke angrily and waited fro Roen and Tyor to move. Tyor had long ago released his blood vine sphere and was kicking Engil telling him to wake up. The woman screamed when Engil sat up while pulling the arrow out of his face. Roen just calmly watched and turned towards the woman.

"If I may have your name?"

"Sarah Evergreen, apprentice elf seer." Sarah said through gritted teeth as if she was forced to speak and angrily stomped into the spiral. Roen motioned for Engil and Tyor to follow and carelessly entered. Tyor and Engil entered into the spiral after exchanging glances.

"Amazing..."

"Told you it was elves."

Both Engil and Tyor had looks of awe as they gazed at what laid out before them. Huge trees of various species stood erect from the dark soil. Stairs were built into the trunks and they spiraled towards the canopy. At varying heights ropes, hammocks, and houses dotted the trees and their branches. The leaves in the canopy were a translucent green that allowed the sunlight to pass through with ease making everything have a green tinge. The sound of laughter lingered in the air and children with blonde hair and blue eyes and features similar to Sarah's, though without pointed ears, were running and playing in the treetops. Older men and women with pointed ears and different colors of hair were walking on the paths in the trees.

However when Roen, Tyor, and Engil appeared all the older elves turned towards the three with hostility clear in their eyes. Tyor and Engil grew a little nervous about the hatred present, but Roen just smiled and looked around taking in his surroundings.

"It's been so long since I've been to the Forests of Elves. Always a wonderful sight every time I visit." Roen spoke out loud and Sarah was perturbed by Roen's comment, but before she could say anything a woman in white grew out from a tree.

"Sarah why did you bring demons in here? Wait, no you two are not demons...but what exactly are you?" The woman who appeared didn't display any aggression and was more interested in the three who felt like they were of the Nightmare races but not.