This Chapter got MATURE content, or at least I think so. ;>

The Calamity of Jealousy

This can’t be good... Xivan thought.

As he stepped off the bridge and got closer to the camp, one of the men shouted as they saw Xivan: “You halt!”

Definitely not good, he thought.

As Xivan came up on the shouting man, he got the attention of every single one that’s in the encampment. The men started to walk towards his direction with their brown-leather armour on, and their different weapons: Swords, axes, maces, shields, two-handed weapons, bows, and crossbows.

“What business do you have here?” the man asked with a firm, but strict voice.

“We’re just passing through,” Xivan replied.

Xivan gazed at the different men that’s now standing in front of him, and they whispered in astonishment as they looked at him. Have they never seen an Elf before? Though they couldn’t see Xivan that good, because he has his black-hood on that went to his eyes. The only thing showing is his emerald hair that peeked out of the hood, and his pale-gray feet which are completely visible.

The black-cloak covered his whole body, but showed his feet because the cloak only reached to his calves.

“We? There is only you here…” the man said suspiciously.

Xivan turned his body to look behind him, and what do you know, Aynthia has disappeared.

So she can move even more stealthier...impressive, he thought as he didn’t notice her vanish, he turned his body back towards the man while he put up a slight smile.

“A simple slip of the tongue,” Xivan said to break any suspiciousness.

As he said it, a muscled man came out from the biggest erected tent that’s in the encampment.

The encampment got nine small tents in a big circle, and inside the circle stands the larger tent, making it almost like a barricade of tents trying to protect the big tent.

The man has full-plate armour on, that’s in a gray-worn color. Everything plate, sabatons, gauntlets, breastplate, pauldrons, greaves, and a steel collar that protects his neck. A very heavily armed man, and he’s got black hair, slightly tanned skin, and he reached closely to two meters, like most of the men that stood in front of Xivan.

The armoured man went towards the crowd of people, to inspect what all the ruckus is about.

The man that stood in front of Xivan asked: “Slip of the tongue? Then why did you look behind yourself, if you know that you’re alone?”

The man then noticed that Xivan isn’t a Human, and his hand went hurriedly to his sword hilt that’s on his left side of his waist, he yelled: “You…w-what are you?!”

Are all Humans this hostile? he thought as he rolled his eyes

Xivan removed his hood slowly. As they looked at him when he removed the hood their expressions grew with surprise, and with a hint of fear. Everyone else's hands also went towards their weapons.

“I’m Elven, and I mean you no harm,” Xivan said as he looked at the men, hoping that they won't attack him. They got even more surprised when they heard him speak fluently in their common tongue.

“What is going on here?!” the armored man yelled as he got to the crowd of people, but the armoured man also got surprised.

“Ah, greetings to you, must be their leader?” Xivan asked as he tried to change the subject.

“I… *Ehem* Yes I’m the leader of this encampment,” he said as he stumbled on his first word.

Xivan now has the attention of every single man, and in the corner of his eyes, he spotted Aynthia stalking through the encampment, and went inside the big tent.

What’s that girl doing now, he thought, but he kept himself calm, to not become more suspicious.

Suspicious? Are Elves some kind of menace nowadays? Xivan though.

“Men! What’re you so scared of, put your weapons away. We’re not here to fight people that comes through this road, we’re here to protect!” the armored man yelled to the men, and the men complied as they put away their weapons, nervously.

“I’m sorry about my men, but we've had a pretty rough night. We’re on high alert because we’re guarding this bridge from any creatures that comes through it. And well...we’ve had a few deaths.” He said to Xivan as he revealed everything about what they’re doing here.

He’s rather talkative, Xivan thought.

“I’m very sorry to hear that, what kind of creatures were they killed by?” Xivan asked as he became curious.

The armored man just looks at Xivan in surprise, he hasn’t looked that closely at him, but now when he takes a good look at the Elven man that’s in front of him, he noticed his bare feet, his weird hair color, his weird skin…and his weird eyes.

The armored man has never seen an Elf before, so this is a new experience for him, but he snapped out of it, and answered his question: “It’s the Child-Spewers of course, what else?”

Child-Spewers? Xivan thought wonderingly.

“What’re Child-Spewers?” he asked as he became even more curious.

“Never heard of them, huh? Then you must be new to the Elven Continent...but, you’re an Elven man...” He said while being confused: “I thought all Elves knew what Child-Spewers were, as it’s a long lost enemy of your kind, at least what I’ve been told by my superiors.”

Xivan’s eyes became wide…

It can’t be… He thought.

“Are they tall with women's bodies, and got the darkest black for skin color?” Xivan asked eagerly.

“What? Well… No and yes. They aren’t tall, they’re like small children, and I don’t know about the women part. But they do have the blackest skin, and those dark big eyes…” He shuddered.

He gave a sigh of relief as he heard the words, it’s a creature Xivan didn’t know.

Meeting a Human that’s friendly, Xivan felt relieved. He just looked at the men that’s in front of him, there are ten men in total, all have different builds, but they all seem to have the same origin, having that tan skin and all.

They too looked at Xivan, with worried expressions, and some return to their tired faces.

“I didn’t catch your name, uhm?” He asked.

“Ah, I beg your pardon, I’m Navix,” Xivan replied with a fake name as he gave a friendly bow.

“Navix huh. Well the name’s Arondoc, and this is my squad of men. We’re part of the kingdom’s border patrol, we take care of this bridge, and… It’s not the finest job...but what can one do.” Arondoc said as he introduced themselves with a slight sigh, and some of the other soldiers gave a nod as Xivan looked at them.

“So you’re new to the Elven Continent then?” Arondoc asked.

“Yes...I’m new to the Elven Continent, I just came here recently by boat a few days ago. And now I’m just exploring this… Old continent,” Xivan said as he lied.

You can only get here by boat hopefully, so that should sound reasonable enough, he thought.

“Ah, that’s why you didn’t know what Child-Spewers are. Hmm...” Arondoc said, but then he got a very troubled face, “Uhm, I wouldn’t ask this, but...I’ve heard Elves can use magic to heal wounded people.”

“Yes I can use healing magic last time I checked,” Xivan said with a slight chuckle, but then a more serious voice came to him, “Do you have someone that got injured by the Child-Spewers?”

“Unfortunately...we have one, though the others died of infection. Our only real Man of the Healing is Sontren there,” Arondoc said as he pointed to a thin, tan-skinned muscled, dark-haired man. The man just nodded towards Xivan with a slight shame over his failure as a Healing man.

The people around Xivan started to open up a little bit as they heard that their injured friend might be saved. Some even talked between themselves with smiles on their faces.

Then Xivan saw Aynthia once again, she walked out of the big tent holding something, and headed into the east forest, that’s beside the barricade of tents.

Did she steal something? Xivan thought

Arondoc started to speak hesitantly: “We don’t have much...but if you—,” Xivan interrupted with a hand raised, “Ah hold on, I don’t need payment if that’s what you're suggesting. If he’s injured, I’ll gladly save that injured person.”

He got surprised when he heard Xivan say those words: “You, you don’t need any payment?”

The surrounding men just looked even happier now when someone is willing to help them for free.

Xivan shook his head: “I don’t, though some information would be much appreciated, but shouldn’t we be doing something else right now?”

Everyone got troubled faces when he said it, and thought what he meant by that, but Sontren said as he understood what he meant: “Yes, you’re right. Follow me I’ll take you to the one that’s injured.”

They started to walk towards the big tent, which Aynthia had come out of. Every single man followed behind Xivan and Sontren. Sontren has a bow and quiver on his back, and that brown-leather armor that everyone except Arondoc has.

“I tried my best to patch him up, but the Child-Spewer’s bite is poisonous, and usually gets infected with so much bacteria...” Sontren sighed, “And as soon as someone is bitten, that person is most likely a dead man.”

“Is that so? What more can you tell me about them? So I can be more prepared if I ever do run across them?” Xivan asked to gain information.

“First let’s look at our friend that’s injured, then I’ll be glad to tell you anything you want,” Sontren the Healing Man replied.

“Fair enough,” Xivan said.

Arondoc just silently listened to them, but his friendly expression has gotten a little bit saddened for some reason. Everyone walked towards the large tent, and as they happen upon it, only Arondoc, Sontren, and Xivan went inside. The other men just stands by the opening of the big tent.

The opening of the big tent was on its west side.

Xivan looked around inside, it’s around six meters on both lengths, making it a square tent. And the fabric-like ceiling stands two and a half meters, Xivan didn’t need to duck. The tent is in a beige, slightly brown color, and inside the large tent, are supplies and equipment that are scattered all around, no furniture, only a stretcher-like bed, which the sleeping injured young man is lying on.

The injured young man didn’t look old, very young, a teenager. Though he has that tanned skin, black hair, and brown eyes like everyone else has.

“This is Aroner...he’s my son,” Arondoc said with a slight saddening tone.

Xivan just looked at Arondoc, and then towards the young man. He’s got a bandage around his head, and on his left thigh. He’s got muscles, but they’re rather small. Aroner only got pants on with an opening where the thigh wound is.

He breathed heavily as he’s sleeping. Sweat is covering his whole body, and he’s delirious as he moved around on the stretcher-like bed.

“You said that the bites of those creatures got poison in them?” Xivan asked.

“Yes, though the only wound he got from the Child-Spewers is the thigh wound. The head injury he got when he stumbled backwards and hit a rock.” Sontren said as he shook his head at Aroner’s predicament.

“C-Can you help him?” Arondoc asked nervously.

Xivan just looked at the worried father. Then looked back at the teenager, Xivan removed the thigh bandage, and grimaced. The wound is in a yellow color, and got blisters surrounding it, it’s rather disgusting, but Xivan just inspected it calmly.

Doesn’t look too bad, Xivan thought, but if he got poison in his body I should heal him with cleansing magic, then heal the thigh wound.

“Well it doesn’t look to bad, I’ll be able to heal him, but you should hold him down. Curing someone of blood poisoning is rather painful, so he’ll scream,” Xivan said as he remembered doing this before, “Get into position, and hold him down. His shoulders and legs preferably, because he’ll spasm around a little bit, but don’t worry I’m rather confident that nothing will happen to him.”

Xivan thought, hopefully Humans are like Elves…

“I’m counting on you,” Arondoc said.

He has no other choice than to go along with everything the Elven man said to him. Can this Elven man really perform miracles such a healing magic? He has seen Half-Elves use magic before, but never a full Pure Elven.

Arondoc went and held his son’s shoulders, and Sontren held the legs. Arondoc just looked at the Elven man that’s kneeled down beside his son, the Elven man’s hands suddenly went towards the thigh wound. He held his son tightly around his shoulders, so did Sontren to prepare for the screaming, and the spasms he will make.

“I’m starting,” Xivan said, and the two men just nodded in agreement.

The other men just stood there in the opening of the large tent, and seemed very, very nervous. Some kneeled down to let the others also peek inside. They just looked at the Elven man that’s named “Navix”, and the other two men that held down the injured Aroner.

A light surrounded the three men and the injured teenager.

“AAARRRRHGGG!!!” Aroner roared out in pain, “AAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Arondoc just looked with a terrifying expression as his son yelled out. He convulsed violently, but they held him tightly so he didn’t move too much. Xivan just kneeled there, and after a short while Aroner stopped screaming.

In Xivan’s right hand is now a globe of blood, that's mixed with all kinds of harmful substance. It floated in his palm, but it vanished in a blink of an eye, as it disintegrated into nothing. Xivan just looked totally unfazed.

He started to close the thigh wound on Aroner with his restoration magic.

“Hmm, that’s that, now only the head wound is left,” Xivan said as he removed the bandage on the head.

The two men just looked at the healed up thigh wound, with such wide-eyed astonishment, some of the other men also got wide eyes as they caught a glimpse of Xivan’s magic. They talked between themselves in awe. Seeing someone from the Elven race use magic so easily, and without a sweat, is something no one in this group of border patrol soldiers has seen.

All three of them kneeled by Aroner.

Xivan started to heal the wounded head with ease, and as he finished he gave a little more power into Aroner. He gasped a breath of awakening, he opened his eyes in confusion, and his mouth started to move: “Wha...what happened?”

“He’s out of the tall woods now,” Xivan said as he finished.

“Aroner! Are you okay, how do you feel!?” Arondoc shouted out to his son, with an overbearing happiness.

“Father… I feel,” he shook his head, and surprisingly it didn’t hurt, “Fine… I feel fine.”

Aroner raised himself off of the stretcher-like bed, and sat himself, he felt dazed, but he felt fine, as if he just woke up from a long sleep, just the slight tiredness kept him from thinking clear.

“Amazing,” Sontren said as he looked at Xivan, and Xivan just smiled back and said: “Hopefully nothing will happen, because I’ve never healed someone who’s Human before.

“Look at him! He feels fine! Haha..ha,” manly tears came forth, tears of happiness, “Such joy to not see one’s own son die! Your mother and girl would have killed me if you didn’t come home with me!”

He hugged his son tightly, not even caring if it hurts, and Aroner just yelled out in defence: “Father relax, I’m oka—.”

He then noticed Xivan that had stood up after he healed him. He loomed over the sitting Aroner. Aroner gulped as he saw the black-cloaked Elven man. He looked at his features and stared with wide eyes, as the men had done when they first met Xivan...

Elves must be rather small in numbers? Xivan thought, or are they...extinct?

Xivan got an extreme uneasy feeling, which stuck deep inside of him. He heard them talk about Elves before, but that didn’t sound as if Elves were something of an everyday meeting. More like, a once in a lifetime meeting?

Aroner stood up after he got his father off of him, Arondoc and Sontren also stood up.

They just stared at Xivan, Arondoc bowed with his upper body, while he made his son also bow with a forced bow.

“I thank you for your kindness Navix. Please ask me anything, and I’ll try my best to answer,” Arondoc bowed with his son, and Sontren just nodded to the bowing men, with a smile.

“Please, no need to show me such gratitude. I only did what I thought was right, nothing more,” Xivan said with a calm voice.

“He healed me? What happened to the Child-Spewers they were swarming our camp, and then… Oh,” Aroner asked, but then he remembered that he got bitten by a Child-Spewer, and fell backwards as he hit a rock, then darkness took him.

“Well, when your father saw you in trouble, he went berserk, he roared and ran with all his might to you. And well... He killed more than the other men put together,” Sontren said as he explained, “Then as they got shorter in number than us, they ran away… But sadly we lost Relonder and Ternoc... I’ll have to tell their wives and children of this sad news...”

“Oh no…” Aroner said as he got a pained expression.

“You say you got attacked, but I saw no indication of there ever being a battle here,” Xivan said wonderingly.

“Ah yes. Well we burned the Child-Spewers, and then buried the fire we made. So it’s very hard to even see that there was a battle here, and our two dead comrades lies in a tent... They'll be sent home to get a proper goodbye by their families,” Arondoc said.

He explained in detail, “I told you about the creatures a little bit before, and well, they actually only come out at night. They’re nocturnal monsters. If you are able to meet them on your journey, you must beware of fires, they like to play with them before they attack. I don't know how they do it, but they can make the fire die out, maybe some magic trick?”

Arondoc sighed: “But if you do come upon them, be careful. When there’s one Child-Spewer, there’s definitely a lot more with it. They’re a swarm creature, always going in groups, never being alone. And if there’s a giant Child-Spewer, well...I don't know, I’ve only seen a dead one so far, never an alive one.”

They stand there talking to each other inside the big tent, and the other men just stands peeking in from the opening.

“Well, let us get out of this tent for now,” Sontren said, “We should stand a little more open, for it isn’t fair for the other men to just stand there in the opening.”

“Oh yes, well we’re supposed to be sleeping now anyways,” Arondoc said, “Navix you’ve got my eternal gratitude for saving my son's life.”

“Yes, thank you for saving my life, I owe you greatly,” Aroner said with such gratitude, “If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve never seen my home and my wife again.”

Wife? How old is this boy… Xivan thought.

As they finished with their speeches of gratitude, everyone walked out of the tent and into the sunlight. They seated themselves on laid out tree stumps that’s by the bridge, and not by the tents. The group of border patrol soldiers now reached eleven with Aroner.

Xivan too seated himself elegantly on a tree stump as he swooshed his black-cloak backwards so he wouldn’t sit on it. The men just watched him with smiling faces, joyful faces, just faces with gratitude.

As they’re a group of soldiers that has come from the same village, they never liked to lose one of their own people, but this Elven man just moments ago saved their youngest soldier, and they’re happy beyond words.

They have taken out drinks to mourn and celebrate, to those who died, and to the lively Aroner that the men hugged out of joyous feelings. Xivan just watched in astonishment, he had never seen Humans before waking up.

He had heard of them and the other races, but never seen them in person. Only in canvases, that those who had spied on the Humans and the other races painted for him...long ago.

So this is Humans… They’re a bit loud at times, but this kind of atmosphere I can agree with. Xivan thought as he smiled at the different men.

“So what brings you to the kingdom of Temaralen?” Arondoc asked who sat beside him, while enjoying the view of head rubbing, slaps on the back, hugs, and drinking.

“Just exploring the known world, to see what it offers,” Xivan said with a smile.

So this kingdom is named Temaralen, Xivan thought.

“An adventurer huh? Ahh, I know how that feels, it’s a joy some people get to live, and well, I stopped half-way,” Arondoc said.

Raised left eyebrow: “How come?”

“Love,” Arondoc simply said.

“Yes love… Love can make anyone stop them in their tracks,” Xivan said as he chuckled.

Every single man is now very comfortable around Xivan, even though it had only gone three hours since he and Aynthia went down that steep cliff.

“I don’t really know much about the Elven continent, would you mind telling me about it?” Xivan asked as he wanted information.

“Oh, alright I’ll tell you as much as I can. Hmm where to start… Ah! There are four kingdoms, and if you go by the Forest of Galanimel's directions then one is in the east, that’s our kingdom Temaralen.

One lay to the north that’s the kingdom of Methilion, but most people shouldn’t even get involved with that kind of kingdom,” Arondoc said as he shakes his head in disgust, “Then there’s the kingdom of Yralitra in the west. It’s a good kingdom, I might say that it’s even better than this one.

And the last of the four kingdoms is to the south, its name is… Ah yes, the name is Altanom, pretty good one, though there’s many poor people there.”

Four kingdoms... Only four? Xivan thought.

“What of the Elves?” Xivan asked curiously.

“...” Arondoc just looked at him with a troubled face.

Sontren interrupted when they both got silent: “Navix, if you came to the Elven continent to seek out your ancestors, then… I’m sorry, but the Elves aren’t here anymore.”

Xivan got surprised by this shocking news… Not here anymore, why? What happened? What happened to his friends, his people?

Xivan was only supposed to sleep for a hundred years, not around 4,000 years, the sarcophagus must have been damaged Xivan had thought when he lay inside the sarcophagus.

Because he had been there in that sarcophagus clear awake for years at a time. He had awoken suddenly in the sarcophagus, in that glowing emerald rune darkness. He screamed for help, but none came, no one heard his cries for help.

He just laid there for years...upon years...upon years, he had forgotten how much time passed. His mind was already in sadness, but that sadness over the countless years of being awake disappeared into memories, long forgotten memories.

He would sometime fall asleep for many years, but he wouldn’t know how long he had slept when he awoke again. The sarcophagus kept him nurtured because the runes he made right before he had gone for the Eternal Slumber were high-grade runes which he had poured so much magic into, that they would last for an eternity.

Had he poured in too much of his magic, his energy, so the sarcophagus would get damaged? No, that was not possible… When he was there in the sarcophagus he would think, think, and think, about the endless possibilities of what could have happened to the sarcophagus, but nothing come to mind.

Other than...someone had tinkered with the conditions of the runes. Or maybe someone put a rune outside of the sarcophagus that made it not possible to open it without the blood sacrifice?

The blood sacrifice was the emergency opening mechanism. But it came with a huge price, as he knew all too well… His Emerald High Priestess… That unfortunate Half-Elf girl…

Xivan slightly shook his head to get out of the thoughts.

“What happened to the Elves?” He asked.

“Most of them were killed long ago, we don’t know how long it was, though it was a very, very long time ago, but that kind of information is only for those who has the privilege of wealth...unfortunately,” Sontren sighed, “Well...there are some stories that says that The Elves were our darkest enemy long ago. But that was a long time ago, so don’t worry about that.”

Arondoc interrupted: “Though there are a few Elves in the Human Continent that has high standing, they’re a, uhm… Ah yes! If one has an Elf in their kingdom, and if that Elf is powerful, then that would mean the kingdom that the Elf is supporting would rise above the others,” Arondoc said, but then facepalmed, “But you know that already, how foolish of me. You just came from the Human continent, and here I’m telling you things you already knew.”

“Oh… Well, don’t worry about it.” Xivan said as he put up a smile, “So there aren’t any Elves on the Elven Continent then?”

“I’m sorry, but we’re simple border soldiers, we know nothing about those kinds of things. We just know how to fight, protect, and kill Child-Spewers,” Arondoc said while he scratched his head in embarrassment.

“No worries. So onto another topic, these Child-Spewers, you said that they’re nocturnal?” Xivan asked.

When Xivan started to talk about Child-Spewers, everyone’s heads went towards him, and waited for their captain, and father to respond.

“Yeah...why?” Arondoc said questionably.

“Are they perhaps extremely weak to light?” Xivan asked with a left eyebrow raised.

Arondoc replied: “Yes they are indeed weak to light. If they would go out now in this sunny weather, they would’ve burnt to a crisp, and that’s why they like to set out the fires before they attack.”

Interesting, maybe I should help them a little bit...yes I should, Xivan thought as he gained an upwards curve on his mouth.

“Mind if I borrow one of your swords?” Xivan asked with a pleased smile.

“Eh, su-sure…” Arondoc said as he drew out his own sword, that he has on his waist scabbard. He gave the sword to Xivan, not even worried if he would do something with it.

As Xivan took a hold of the sword, he just looks at it… Hmm not that special, but it’ll do, Xivan thought.

“What’re you doing?” Sontren asked worriedly, but Xivan just replied with: “Just wait, you’ll see.”

One of Xivan’s fingertip lighted up in an emerald color, and he wrote something on the sword… A rune.

Let thy Enemies cover from thy Light, let thy Strength, thy Speed rise to thy Might.

Xivan finished writing his ‘Elvish’ rune on the sword. He then poured in magic into it, he gave it rather a lot of magic. The rune glowed in emerald lines of Elvish words.

All of the men just stared again with a wide-eyed expressions.

“Wha, what did you do exactly?” Arondoc asked with a worried, but fascinating voice.

“Th-That’s a rune!” Sontren yelled out in bafflement.

“Precisely Sontren, a rune of magical writing that helps its user. And I put the rune on the sword, here take a hold of it,” Xivan said as he handed back the sword to Arondoc, and he hesitantly took his newly runed sword.

As he took a hold of it, nothing happened, and it surprised everyone.

“Uhm...what does it do?” Arondoc asked, and Xivan replied with, “Say these words in Elvish, and memorize them: Rendilith-Arethilith-Verthilith. Light-Strength-Speed. They’re rather hard words to say, when one isn’t born with the language. But try to say one of those words.”

“Uhm okay I’ll try. *Ehem*, Rendalith!” Arondoc closed his eyes as he yelled the word, but nothing happened. Sontren just shook his head and said, “It’s Rendilith, not Rendalith… Arondoc hand me the sword.”

“*Sigh* Alright here,” He said as he went and handed the sword to Sontren the Healing Man.

And as Sontren got a hold of the sword, he said the words in a calm voice: “Rendilith…”

The sword then lighted up with a bright warm light, but it isn’t hot, rather a warm feeling ran through everyone. The men just watched wide-eyed yet again at this spectacle that displayed in front of them. The light engulfed the entire blade, making it look like a flaming-sword.

“Wow,” everyone said with open mouths, as if it’s like they’re seeing their first naked woman for the first time in their lives.

Xivan just looked at the different men as they now stood there looking at the Sword of Light.

So runes are also rare... He thought.

Sontren just looked at the sword in his hands, and then he said the other words that he had memorized into his skull: “Arethilith… Verthilith…”

He felt some kind of surge run throughout his entire body, he then moved his eyes to look at Xivan who sat there beside him on a stump.

“What did the other words do?” he asked, and Xivan replied with a smile: “Is the sword heavy?”

Sontren just looked at him with a questioning look, and then swung the sword to test it out. He became wide-eyed again, he swung it with such ease, and such speed that made it even hard to control where the sword flew. He turned his head back towards Xivan with such a fast head turn, and saw him sitting there with a slight smile on his face.

Maybe I went a little too far with the rune enchantments, Xivan thought.

“Th-this is magnificent, such a legendary weapon it has become. Ooh I can’t hold it anymore, this overbearing strength doesn’t fit me,” he said as he handed the sword back to Arondoc, who gulped as he took ahold of it, but the light, strength, and speed disappeared when he took ahold of it.

“What happened?” both of them asked with surprised faces, and Xivan just sat there. He replied with a smile: “Sontren you should teach him the words. You have a rather good head on your shoulders to memorize those words perfectly.”

“I see! So the one that spoke the words can only wield the sword? And then if someone else takes ahold of it, the rune’s power disappears, yes?” Sontren asked.

“It’s indeed so,” Xivan said, but then he stood up, and said in a slight chuckle: “It has been a pleasure to meet you all, but I should get going, more things to explore.”

“Al-already?” Arondoc asked with a slight troubling facial expression.

“Unfortunately yes, but if the flow of time makes us meet again, then it’ll be so,” Xivan said with a smile on his face.

“I see,” Arondoc said as he looked at the sword, “You’ll always have my gratitude, and that of my men. You’ve blessed us with such a wonderful gift, yet we only gave you information which was so little.”

“It’s alright, I’ll get more information elsewhere, I bid you men farewell, and good luck with the creatures,” Xivan said as he started to walk. He gave a wave of his hand as he got further, and further away. The men just yelled their goodbyes, and gratitude…

Xivan walked there, still walking with his bare feet. He gave a sigh: “I should have asked for some footwear, but oh well… Hmm I wonder where that girl went.”

As he walked there on a dirt road going east, with forests of both sides, he heard something on the left side of him. And as the sound became much higher, someone jumped out, and landed beside him. It’s Aynthia, but she looked rather pouty, she then surprisingly said:

“Why did you help them? You didn’t get anything in return… Mother always said: If you help someone, you get help from them, but you didn’t get anything from them...why?”

He didn’t reply, though he thought, that’s a pretty lousy saying, but it’s a sound one nonetheless.

Xivan then remembered that he saw her go in and out of the large tent.

He asked in a slight suspicious voice: “What were you doing while I had everyone’s attention? Did you steal anything?”

She just looked at him, then her eyes looked the other way, as if she’s hiding something that she shouldn’t have done. She looked rather troubled, but she held something behind her back. She hesitantly showed what she's hiding, and said bluntly: “You needed boots.”

Left eyebrow raised: “So you stole them feline?”

“Didn’t you steal that black-cloak?” Aynthia said in defense, “I...I just did what you did.”

They looked at each other, but he’s the one that looked troubled. Did she see him take the black-cloak from the group’s encampment? Xivan gave a deep sigh as he got defeated even before he could reply.

“So they’re for me then?” He asked.

She nodded as he said it, and held the boots in front of him. They’re in a black-leather, and they’re rather plain footwear. He reached out to grab the boots that Aynthia has stolen for him, but as his hand came close she drew them away from his reach.

“What is it now feline?” Xivan said with a raised left emerald eyebrow.

“My name is not feline…” she said as she frowned, “Mother named me Aynthia, you heard the Half-Elf say it, and you even said it yourself.”

Xivan then realized his wrong doing, and said with a smile: “Oh… Of course, I’m sorry Aynthia, but those ears just… Never mind. Aynthia mind if I get the boots you’re holding?”

“Please,” Aynthia muttered, “You must say please.”

He sighed, and said: “Please could you give me the boots, Aynthia?”

She gave a smile of victory, and handed the boots to him.

He put them on, and the boots fit rather neatly around his feet. He looked pleased, and started to walk towards east yet again, without even saying anything. Aynthia followed behind him, but then she walked closer to his right side, or more like very close, but Xivan didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

Aynthia thought as they walked: He’s pleased with the boots… What if he got mad at me… I shouldn’t do things that gets him mad… Must follow tradition that mother taught, I can’t stray...

She looks up to see the clouds that’s soaring in the sky, but it’s got a hint of dark clouds forming: Mother...I’m fine, I have started my new life. I’ll work hard to not fail... Mother...I miss you.

Xivan looked at the now saddened Aynthia walking there beside him, he wondered what made her look so sad, but he refrained to speak out his thoughts.

They just kept on walking, walking and walking… Xivan too started to get a sad expression as he walked.

Lying there inside a white-carriage, Xivan’s unconscious, it had gone three hour since the high-grade rune exploded, and made that huge crater. He just lies there on a small bed inside the white-carriage, sleeping. His body has healed, and he looked like his normal self. Not that monster of emerald he had become.

As the carriage went on in a slow pace towards an unknown location, Xivan started to wake up...

The black-armored man sat inside the white-carriage too, he sat beside the bed overlooking his friend that had been mutilated, then healed with the sacrificed Elves.

He couldn’t let him suffer, he had to give the lives of those Elves for the greater good of the Elven Continent. Though he did kill the one who objected, but he needed to push the other Elves, he couldn’t go easy on them.

He’s a cruel man when he needs to be, he has no family, only his friend that’s seen as a god by the Elven people. He needed to keep his single friend that didn’t look at him with eyes of fear. When most Elves are around the black-armored man, they sense his aura of strictness, the fearless energy that seeped out of him.

He did so out of his own volition, he has to be feared by his underlings otherwise they wouldn’t train to their fullest capacity. He is the General of the strongest army on the entire Elven Continent, the black mist of the Elves.

His soldiers are also in black-clad armor. They’re the ‘Elven darkness’ that could destroy anything with their powers, their destruction magic, their magical enchanted armor and weapons.

His name...Xanderon the Dark. He has two Elven polearms that he wields with deadly force and speed. The army he commands were also trained in dual polearms. The polearms were heavy, but with the enchantments they become as light as a feather.

Xanderon himself, is a high-priest, and as a high-priest, he’s a eunuch, he has no sexual drive. His only will is to protect his God, his friend. He knows everything about his friend: Xivan. He saw him rise to power through his own hard worked sweat, but that power got used...got used by his own people. They made him their god, only because he could protect them from any calamity that would beset the Elven Continent, the Elven race.

Xanderon was there…when they fought to take the Elven continent from that race, that terrifying race which came with such an endless horde of darkness, those black female monsters. The Elves had searched for eons of years for their sanctuary; their own place to call home, and they found it.

But they weren’t prepared to meet the race that was living on the Elven Continent then.

He had seen his friend use his endless pools of magical powers to destroy that race without a hint of remorse, Xanderon was there in the clash of armies when they battled each other to their last breath. But the Elves reigned supreme, and fought back those dark female creatures.

They hunted them down to kill every last one of them, and they did...they hoped. They had disappeared, so the Elves thought that they killed every single one of those female horrors. But the Elves too was brought to extinction.

The Elves then began to build up their Glorious Elven Imperium.

…Xanderon sits there beside the sleeping Xivan in that carriage of white. He woke up in dazed movements. Xanderon that sits there with his black-clad armor asked how he’s doing, and Xivan just smiled as he sat himself up. And he took that smile with relief, his god, his friend was okay.

Xivan asked what happened, and Xanderon explained everything. The High-grade rune exploded, which sent Xivan two kilometers away. He was healed by his people, but no one had gotten hurt, and that they’re at the moment moving in the slow white-carriage towards the capital, but it would take a couple of days to reach it, Xanderon said.

He lied to his friend, people got hurt… He isn’t any better than those who use his powers to their own ends. He swore inwardly for his actions, but he couldn’t bring pain to Xivan, he couldn’t make him so that he would look at him differently.

Xivan asked how he's here. Xanderon just replied that he was fixing things by the Elven harbor, and that he had gotten the news of the high-grade rune. He was one of those who tried to close the rune, but he failed as the others.

So they had to call in Xivan to help them.

They felt his power when he had released it, many lower Elves fainted when they felt that terrifying energy that exploded out from him. So did the high-grade rune. They then saw the vast destruction that the Yellow-lettered rune gave off.

That huge magical mushroom-like explosion.

All of the high ranking priests, priestesses, and high esteemed Elves had stood a couple of kilometers away from the high-grade rune. They feared for their god after they saw that explosion. They hurriedly searched for him, and he laid there by a shattered rock, that had been destroyed by him when he crashed into it.

Then they healed him with Elven lives, they were lower ranked Elves, and their superiors had just stood there and watched as their lives vanished. Then they put Xivan inside the white-carriage, and went towards the Elven Capital.

Xivan sat there on the bed that’s inside the carriage of white. Xanderon just looked at Xivan with his regular stern looking face.

As he looked at Xivan, Xanderon’s face grimaced into such a frightened look, Xivan has a look of terror in him.

Xivan tried to speak, but he didn’t know what to say. Xivan’s eyes glowed, and it looked as if he’s seeing something terrible, something horrifying.

“No...no...no… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!”

He shot out of the white-carriage’s roof, destroying the carriage itself, which made Xanderon surprised beyond words, but he didn’t get injured, he just got pushed out by the pressure of that sudden jump into the sky.

Xivan flew with such a screeching sound. He then put all of his powers into his speed, which made a sonic boom!

He flew, he soared through the sky, with the most horrified face on him.

“Sto...stop...please don’t do it my love, plea—, NOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

He flew even faster! He went straight towards the Elven Capital with his most harmful momentum he could muster. The large Galanimel trees stood in his way… He hit them as he flew, but those large trees shattered on impact. The trees fell with such damaging destruction, but Xivan didn’t care… He didn’t care!

He came upon the Elven Capital...He flew towards the Mansion of Whiteness, he saw his courtyard of pillars, his mansion… His balcony.

He landed so hard on the balcony that it broke the very white marbled floor.

*Gasp*

He looked at the dream in front of him… It has to be a dream… It has to be…

So much blood… His Emerald High Priestess, his damaged, emotionless lover stands there, with an emerald clawed hand that’s stuck through an Elven woman’s stomach…

The Elven woman’s body dangled motionless in the air, blood running down her feet, and dripped onto the white floor.

Xinidra...

He breathed, and breathed so unevenly, he’s stunned. Tears began to run down his face of disbelief.

“Why...how…” he uttered.

The Emerald horror just stood there with bones of Pure Emerald sticking out of her. She has turned into his worst nightmares, she was supposed to be locked up! How was she out!

He looked at the motionless Xinidra...he couldn’t move...he was afraid...what, what is he supposed to do?! The Emerald Horror just looked at Xivan with dead blank eyes, such eyes of a monster. And he too looked into them…

He doesn’t recognize those eyes…who’s that standing before him?

Who’s that monster? His true love?

Xinidra with a clawed hand through her stomach wasn’t moving one bit, Xivan just looked at her, he wanted to save her, he wants to heal her from that motionless state, he...wanted to, but he couldn’t move… He’s afraid…

Afraid?

Xivan twitched...and looked at the monster before him with newly awakened eyes of emerald, they glowed.

He frowned, he cried, HE FLEW FORWARD!

With one foul swoop he cut off the arm that held his precious lover dangling there in the air. She fell to the ground.

The horror screamed with such a shrieking voice of agony from its lost Emerald arm. Before his emerald monster could do anything he penetrated her newly emerald chest and twisted his hands and pulled out the beating heart of his Emerald High Priestess.

The horror fell to the white marbled floor. It lay there limp, it stopped moving.

He’s in a terrifying daze, what has he done… He killed his true lover without a second thought. He fell to his knees and crawled to his Xinidra that lay there on the floor with a severed arm inside her stomach…

A pool of blood…

He pulled out the severed arm from her stomach in a quick desperate move. His face is so distraught, his tears wouldn’t stop flowing, he didn’t hear anything, he just wanted to heal his lover...he didn’t hear the baby’s cry that called out to him, he just looked at the newly opened hole inside Xinidra.

He began to heal her with all his desperation. The wound closed, and he shook her to wake her up…

He shakes her. He tells her to wake up. Why won’t you wake up! He shouted to himself as he sat there in the pool of blood.

His hands are covered in blood, his bloodied body that wasn’t clothed, only his torn pants remained after that high-grade rune explosion.

She’s dead…

He just sat there, not hearing anything…he held her in his arms as he rocked her, as if she’s a baby. He just sat there as he kissed her unmoving head.

He just sat there as he drowned in his endless despair, his sorrow, his heartbroken body.

He became unmoving...he just wanted to sit there with his lover in his embrace, enjoying the stillness of the cold…becoming body of his daughter’s mother.

Emotionless.

He drifted away into darkness.

Xivan!

Xivan!

Xivan my Emerald God!

Xivan looked up as he held his dead lover in his arms, and there stood Xicara in her scarlet red dress, her red hair, her red eyes, and her skin of white. He just looked at her with his, now dry eyes… How long has he sat there? He snapped out of his trance of grief, he laid down his dead lover, and went to his crying daughter, not even responding to Xicara.

His daughter has slight blood splatter on her, but as his daughter saw him in his bloodied body, she just blessed him with air of happiness. But that air was short lived for him. He just stood there feeling his despair of losing his two lovers.

How...how could this have happened?

Xicara came up on him and stood next to him. She embraced him, and he turned around as she let go of him. He just stares at his ruby of a priestess. Just looking, not moving. She then hugged him, feeling his chest breathe in, and out...in, and out. It’s such a calm breathing, then she said to him:

“Don’t worry my Emerald God, we’ll find who did this.”

But as she hugged him, she cursed at herself inwardly for the choice of words… Why did she say that, when the culprit is in this very room lying dead. She continued hugging him...he didn’t notice her slip of words she thought.

She was mad…but didn’t show it, she just smiled with a saddened face.

Why didn’t that terror kill her faster so it could kill his daughter too... She has planned this with her family...but if his daughter is still alive...she’ll become a threat, and all this planning will have been for nothing!

“Who…” Xivan said weakly.

She gritted her teeth in surprise of the sudden words coming out of his mouth. He had noticed her comment before. She wanted to look up at his face as she hugged him, but her eyes have become wide open in surprise, he couldn’t see them as her head only reached to his chest, and she’s currently looking down at the bloodied floor.

She gulped as she raised her head.

He stared at her.

Terror ran throughout her whole body as she saw his emerald eyes glowing as he looked at her. He’s seeing her whole entire mind, her entire being. Those smoldering emerald eyes burned as she looked at him.

What...what can she do…?

She let go of him, and stepped back two meters. Her whole body shrieked in fear for the upcoming doom, she shakes, she...can’t do anything. She took away her eyes from him, but she looked back hesitantly, and he just kept staring with such dread, such malice.

What kind of disgusting creature stood in front of him? Is that someone he knows? That insect wanted to kill his daughter?

Kill...his...first...child?

“They-they’re a threat to the Elven Continent! Your daughter needs to di——.”

She got tossed out the balcony in a tremendous pace while she hit the small white pillars that held up the edge of the balcony. Bones could be heard as they gave a crack sound as she hit the edge, and the small pillars broke as she flew onwards.

She flew out to the circled courtyard that’s surrounded by large white pillars.

She hit the courtyard with such force, which made the marbled tiles of the passage break apart. She gasped in pain as she lay there, she lifted her arm, but it was turned in a weird way…

It’s broken.

She tried to stand, but she felt so much pain from the sudden blow that came from nowhere, it was such a terrifying blast of energy.

But she manages stand up while she began to heal her broken arm. But as she started to heal her arm, Xivan stands there in front of her, only a couple of centimeters from her face, staring at her with his monstrous emerald eyes.

She froze, she became unmoving, where did he come from, she didn’t hear him. That face of his, those eyes of his just stared at her, not saying anything.

The blow that she had gotten made her cough up blood, the blood splattered a little on Xivan’s face, but he didn’t move, he just looked at her.

“I...I did this for yo—”

She hit a white-pillar and coughed up more blood, but the pillar didn’t break, she instead slid down from it, and landed below it. She gasped heavily, trying to get air. She looked up as she lay there, and he’s there in front of her, crouched down, staring into her eyes.

He didn’t say anything again… Just looked at her.

She gasped and cried out her pains, she tried to crawl away from the monster that has possessed her lover.

She crawled...and crawled, trying to escape… *Crack*

”AAAAAAHHHH” she screamed out as a terrifying pain came from her leg.

She lay herself on her back looking up at the sky, she could see the tree crowns that almost covered the whole sky, and it was dead at night… The stars shined and the magic induced torches, which riddles the white pillars that’s surrounding the courtyard, they lighted this place up where she lay broken.

She gasped, and cried out her sufferings, she yelled for help......nobody came.

Xivan stands over her, and is gazing at her with his glowing eyes.

What’s this creature, this insect that lies there on the ground? Is it someone he knows? No, he doesn’t know anybody like that who has so much greed, so much selfishness. She only cares for what she wants, this isn’t about the Elven Continent… This is all about her own goals… Her…

“You’re nothing. You deserve nothing. You don’t deserve the sweet death that awaits you. But I’ll give you that sweet peaceful quietness. Though I’ll not watch you die. You’ll die alone in agony, your flesh, your bones will be torn from you. You’ll feel pain, a pain of being eaten alive. You’re nothing to me now. I don’t feel anything for you. You’ll die...as you suffer. Your family… Your relatives will join your fate. I won't spare anyone. Only the Children will be spared, as they haven’t been tainted by your family’s greed yet.

Xicara, I wish I never set my eyes upon you, farewell.” He closed his eyes.

And she vanished...

Xivan sits on the balcony with his daughter, just looking out at the horizon, that's covered with trees, and the night sky's stars. Behind him inside the room of whiteness lay his two dead lovers, one a monster, another an Elven woman.

The shattered double doors that his Emerald monster had destroyed.

The monster that roared as it saw the defenseless woman in front of it. The emerald monster didn’t wait, it struck forward, and penetrated the woman’s stomach… The woman… Xinidra looked terrified, she wasn’t prepared, her daughter….her daughter! She looked to her daughter that’s laid down in her baby’s crib.

Her whole life flashed before her…

But all she could do before she died was say three words, with blood coming out of her mouth:

“Save...our...daughter.”

In the last seconds of her life she saw her Emerald Jewel land on the balcony… She smiled...then...death took her.

Xivan just sat there on a white furniture with his sleeping daughter in his arms.

“I’ve become weak…weak...so weak. Where are all the other high priestesses…” his voice grew cold, “Why didn’t they help her, WHY!? If...I didn’t clear out the other lower ranked priestesses… Then...”

He just sat there talking to himself, he had yelled, but his daughter was still sound asleep. Dreaming away, and not aware of what has happened.

He could hear running through the corridor outside the new bedroom of blood. He heard gasps, yells, shouts, that shouted out to him. Xivan stood up, and looked towards all of the shouting. There stood the sapphire twins, and some other high-ranking priestesses. They looked at the scene in front of them.

Some tried to hold in their horrified faces, but some couldn’t as they looked upon the emerald monster that lie there on the bloodied floor. He went towards the sapphire twins, and gave one of them his daughter, he simply said with such a cold, dark voice:

“If any harm falls upon her, you’ll suffer.”

They just looked at this man that didn’t act like himself. But they just nodded obediently.

“Where were you all?” he asked as he looked at the different women that he knows.

Every single one of the priestesses didn’t dare to look at his glowing eyes, those eyes that could stare into their soul.

“Falsified meeting of the high priestesses, by the high-sister’s sanctuary,” he said as he got the information. He didn’t even wait for anyone to respond, he looked at his daughter, and turned around. He went out on the balcony, then he flew away, making the priestesses confused about what he’ll do.

Some of those whose bonded to him tried to get through to him, but they felt nothing, only anger, such an overbearing of loathe, which made them weak in their legs.

One of the sapphire twins held his baby, and his daughter is covered in a little bit of blood. The one that held her wiped the blood off of her. And now she just holds her. His daughter is still sleeping sound.

One of the oldest families got destroyed that night. No one was spared from his wrath neither man nor woman. Only those who he thought deserved to live...the children of those families, the few that they were…lived.

As Aynthia walks there beside Xivan, she looks to her side and looks at him, he’s lost in his thoughts...again. He has a rather saddened look to him, and his energy has seeped out of him a little bit, which made Aynthia feel an unknown uneasiness.

She just looks at him as they walked there on that dirt road going east. She opened her mouth to get through to him as she’s feeling rather scared by his passiveness...that energy of anger that came out from him:

“H, Hey are you okay?”

“Hmm?” he said, and as he said it the energy just disappeared.

“No... It’s nothing,” she replied.

Xivan looks at Aynthia, he only now noticed that she has a backpack on her back, a rather small backpack, it hangs over her cross-like scabbards. She has that black-leather armor on with that dark-yellowed carapace shoulder pad that’s got tiny spikes coming out of it.

He turned his glance forward, and just looked at the dirt road that’s in front of them, but then… Rain drops started to fall, in short intervals, it just started to become heavier. Aynthia looked bothered by the rain, because she has such a troubled look to her.

“You don’t like rain?” Xivan asked as he started to get wet, though he didn’t even care if he got wet, he just strode elegantly as he waited for the answer from the troubled Aynthia.

“Yes...mother d—,” LIGHTNING! “Eeek!” she cried out as it interrupted what she was going to say.

Now she looked even more troubled, she looked around stressfully as she started to get wet to the bone. The rain suddenly stopped above her. Her eyes got wide as she turned her head towards Xivan, and he just looked at her with a calm expression, while having a slight curve on his mouth.

“Better?” he said.

“Ye—” LIGHTNING! “Eeek!” she yelped out again, and Xivan just chuckled as the rain didn’t hit them anymore.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said as he gave a slight teasing, and she just looked at him with a displeased expression.

“Don’t worry I think it’s perfectly fine to be afraid of lightning,” he said jokingly, and she just responded with nothing.

They kept on going, with the raindrops stopping above them. The sky was now riddled with dark brooding clouds, seeming endless. They clouds blocked out the shining sun, making it almost night time, but they just kept on going.

Xivan noticed that Aynthia is walking rather clumsily, like as if she’s tired, she held her stomach too. He then gave a *Oh* as he remembered that they’ve been going almost nonstop since he won over her in that dual.

He looked at her, wondering why she’s following him, but he didn’t want to peek inside her head. But he did wonder where that kind of dedication came from.

“Are you tired, Aynthia? Hungry maybe?” Xivan asked.

“I, I’m fine,” she said hesitantly, but he could see that she’s just putting up a strong front. He put his hand on her left shoulder, as she’s on his right side. She got surprised by the sudden contact of touch, but she didn’t back away.

She suddenly gave out a gasp, he did something to her. She jerked her head towards Xivan, and he just smiled at her.

“Feeling better?” He asked.

“What did you do?” She asked as she looked at him with a baffled stare. She felt her fatigue gone, her hunger gone...she felt...life.

“Nothing special, just a simple rejuvenating touch,” he said as he looked at her, but then strode onwards with a pleased curve on his mouth, and a raised left eyebrow. She stopped in her tracks, and just looked at him as he went onwards, but the rain started to fall on her as he got further away, she ran up to him so she’s on his right side again.

Xivan looked at her as she walks beside him, she's around 180 cm in height, and her body is in a very lean build, she looks like an adult because she has those slightly large bosoms that stuck out of her black-leather chest-piece. But he did wonder how old she's, because she doesn't really act like an adult at all... More like a silent child that knows how to fight, and ask questions that she wants answers to.

“By the way how old are you?” Xivan asked out of curiosity.

“I’m…” She started to count on her fingers as if she didn’t even know own age. “I’m Twelve,”

*Pfft* Spit flew out of Xivan's mouth.

Hello Reader.

Don't know how good I'm at writing tragedy scenes, but hopefully you became a little sad. :P

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