The Gathering of Goddesses

Xivan turns his head to the right, to look at Aynthia as she walks beside him. She's around 180 cm in height, slightly shorter than him and her body is in a very lean build. She has that look of an adult about her, and those slightly large bosoms that's sticking out of her Black-leather armor. But he did wonder how old she's, she doesn't really act like an adult at all... More like a silent child that has been taught how to fight.

“By the way how old are you?”

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

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

“Did...did you just say that you’re twelve years old!?” Xivan yelled out in complete surprise, “I, I know that Humans reach adulthood at around their twenties, but…when does your race reach adulthood?”

She started to count again, and replied: “Eight.”

All the pent-up rain above them suddenly released, and splashed them with rain water, soaking them to the bone. Xivan just stands there looking at the now drenched Beast...child… No...Beastwoman? How could she be twelve years of age, and have that kind of a body?

Does Beasts grow faster than Humans? he thought.

“Why did you do that!?” She yelled out as she got wet.

“Oh I’m sorry,” he put up the gravity field again above their heads with ease, “It’s just… You’re but a child.”

She frowned when she heard 'child', “I’m an adult! Not a child! We grow faster than Humans and the other races!”

So her body is that of an adult...but her mind is that of a child’s… Xivan thought, that explains how uneducated she’s. Doesn’t the Beast race have schooling, to teach them what is what...

He just stands there gazing at Aynthia who’s troubled because she had yelled at him.

She mustn't anger him, he can do whatever he wants with her. Her life is his. Her mother had drilled that tradition into her skull so hard that she doesn’t even know anything else than to follow her master that beat her in The Dual of Submission.

Her mind only knows how to obey the things her mother had taught her, and she’ll abide by those things that she got from her mother, to her death.

“So the Beast race grows faster than Humans…” he said as he got surprised, “So Beasts are like animals, they grow up fast… Aynthia how long does it take to die of old age, if you’re coming from the beast race?”

“I...I don’t know...but mother’s, mother’s, mother lived to be nineteen ten fingers,” she replied.

Nineteen ten fingers? Ah…so around one hundred and ninety years of age, Xivan thought, Humans can live to be one hundred years of age. So Beasts live double as long as Humans… Fascinating. They aren’t like normal animals then? Because they usually have very short lifespans.

Xivan just looked at Aynthia with a calm expression, and she too just stands there staring at him, wondering what he’s thinking about.

His eyes then went up to the dark-brooding clouds. Why is she even following me? He thought.

“Aynthia, I need to know why you’re following me,” he said to her as his gaze returned to her.

As she heard the words she got a wide-eyed troubled look to her, as if she didn’t want to reveal anything. Her eyes darted away from him to avoid his eyes, which stared at her with a lot of questions.

How can she tell him? That she’s his property… What if he tells her that he doesn’t want her with him anymore, if she were to reveal The Duel of Submission to him?

He just looks upon Aynthia. Her mouth is moving, but no words are coming out, just soundless breathing air came out of her mouth. It’s as if she’s practicing to say the words before speaking them, wanting them to be perfect.

“Tradition… You...won over me in the duel, and now I am your...p-property,” she said, though one could hear the nervousness inside those words.

“...” Xivan just stands there with a pissed off face, such an angry look to him.

He has never liked these kinds of things, even though he has had people that served him inside the Mansion of Whiteness, but those people had always pledged themselves out of their own decision, or been pushed by certain family members to be close to him.

He secretly loathed the religion that was based off of him, so many Elves followed blindly… He didn’t even want to think about it, because it would just make him angrier.

Aynthia just looks at him with sad wide eyes. He’s looking at her with such despise, such a hateful expression. He opened his mouth after some time, and he said with such a displeasing voice:

“Well, I don’t want you to be my property, I’m sorry. I can’t stand people who can’t think for themselves. To be bound by a tradition?” he sighed, “Though I can’t blame you, you’ve been taught that by the people who raised you. You probably don’t even know any better than to follow everything you’ve been taught.”

So many new things I need to learn... Xivan thought as he sighed again.

Tears started to emerge from Aynthia’s eyes, and she fell to her knees in a dejected way. Her head went up to him to look at his eyes, she asked: “You… You won’t h-have me?”

He just shakes his head in denial.

She began to breathe heavily as if she’s having a panic attack. She sat there on the watery dirt. She looked emotionless as she breathed those quick panic breathes. Her body started to shake out of fear, then her hands went to one of her longswords.

She drew it out of its scabbard, and placed the longsword onto her throat.

“Mother...I’m coming now,” she said with such a destroyed voice.

But she couldn’t move, she's sitting there frozen, ready to commit suicide.

Xivan had looked away for five seconds to not look upon her sad expression, but when he heard the longsword slid out of its scabbard, and then her words, he looked hastily back.

He saw Aynthia there in the dirt ready to kill herself, he got so surprised… Why would she kill herself?

Right when she was going to slit her own throat, he stopped her, and just looked at her in disbelief. How can something like a tradition make someone do such a horrible thing?

“What do you think you are doing Aynthia?!” He yelled out in anger as he saw her there with the stopped longsword at her throat.

“I must remove the stain of defeat, blood, blood can only remove it. I must kill myself to honor the tradition,” she said as if she has memorized those words into her very being.

Madness, Xivan simply thought, though he knows all too well how these things can be… A belief can make people do things that they normally wouldn’t do, but this...to commit suicide, over what? Being rejected?

He knelt down by Aynthia who tries to desperately kill herself, but the longsword didn’t move, she’s in a frozen state of things.

Only Xivan could move.

He takes the longsword out of her hands and puts it back in its scabbard, while she just looked at him in that frozen state. Tears still ran down her cheeks, and that face of hers… Xivan just looked saddened by the means of things which her parents has taught this damaged girl.

“Will you please stop Aynthia?” he asked with a comforting smile...she didn’t respond.

She could move her lips to talk in that frozen state, but she didn’t. She stared at him, she was prepared, she was prepared to kill herself, but he had stopped her… Her mind is in chaos, she started to snivel as her tears just kept on pouring from her eyes.

“You...you do not…want me… If you don’t want me...I want to join mother,” Aynthia said as she started to cry softly, her voice is in anguish. Xivan just looked at her while he knelt beside Aynthia.

So her mother is dead then, Xivan thought, If I don’t accept her as my...property, she’ll keep thinking of suicide… I can remove those kinds of thoughts...but no, I can’t play with her mind.

He’s in conflict… Accept her and she’ll return to normal, hopefully, or keep rejecting her while she tries kill herself all the time… Xivan gave out an exhausted sigh as he thought, what have I gotten myself into.

“Aynthia,” he said with a smile to get her attention, and he got it, “I’ll let you stick to your tradition, I take back what I said before.”

She just sat there in the dirt as the rain stopped above them. The lightning didn’t even make her react anymore, just her empty shell remained from her old self, but when she heard his words… She reacted to them.

She looked at him with newly teared eyes, she started to cry like a child, but she’s still in that frozen state, so just her face showed her saddening feelings.

“You...won't...abandon me?” she said with a snivel, “I have no one...mother is gone, I need to follow her last wish.”

He released her from her frozen state, and she fell to the ground, surprisingly. It’s as if all of her strength have been drained, but she sat herself up. She looked at Xivan who got a troubled face. He said to her in a calm soothing voice:

“I won’t abandon you, but only if you’re willing to follow me through thick and thin, through day and night.”

She irradiated happiness, her face became so gladdened, but she gave out yet another cry, which surprised Xivan even more than the other cries that she had cried.

Though this weeping girl looks happy as she cries, that made Xivan relax a little bit, his hand went to her head, and he stroked her black-haired head softly, while feeling her cat-like ears under his palm. The caresses made her even calmer.

And as he continued to pat her head, she said in such happiness that her mind became slightly deluded:

“Mommy!”

As she yelled out that word she leaped forward, and hugged Xivan. She caressed her head on Xivan’s chest, she just wanted to feel that warmth from that time she spent with her mother. Her mother had held her in her arms, she didn’t want to let go of that emotion, but she snapped out of the trance that she’s in.

She looked up at Xivan who's surprised beyond words. She quickly let go of him, and slid away from him on the muddy dirt. They now stared at each other while one is troubled, and the other is delighted that she didn’t need to go through with that horrible rejection.

“Are you feeling better?” Xivan asked as he got some words out. But she didn’t reply, she instead just nodded happily with her black-haired head.

Oh dear me… I have gotten myself in a particular situation, but it can’t be that bad to have her following me, she’s rather skilled in the arts of dual-wield, and stealth. Though her knowledge of things needs a bit more training, Xivan thought, Even I need knowledge now that I have woken up in this new time.

Xivan stood up from his sitting position, because when Aynthia just jumped at him out of nowhere, he had fallen backwards as he was in his kneeling position, and landed on the muddy ground.

Aynthia too stood up in a coordinated fashion with him. She just stared at Xivan with eyes of devotion, which made him slightly worried. Her way of things changed rather quickly, but as she’s got a mind of a child, it isn’t surprising.

A child’s mind is much more easily influenced, than that of an adult’s. The Elves too have used their children to breed them into what they wanted...

They both now stands there with muddy clothes, Xivan sighed as he raised his hands, and he drew out all of the muddy earth-elements from their clothes. The mud on the ground reacted slightly too. Aynthia just stared at the mud that got removed from her black-leather armor, and it became slightly dryer too.

The rain still poured down from the dark brooding clouds. Lightning and thunder came, but with long intervals. Aynthia gave twitching movements as she heard them, but she’s trying her best to keep her voice in check, so she wouldn't yelp out more Eeek sounds.

“Well that’s that then, let’s just keep on going as we did before, and put all of this behind us,” Xivan said with a smile, she nodded happily in agreement. They started to move eastward, and as they moved Aynthia stood very close to Xivan as they walked.

The rain clouds let go of its cover of darkness, and let the sun in. Xivan walked beside Aynthia who’s on his right side. He didn’t think that it would take this long to reach the village which he had seen on the cliff, but it has taken five whole hours including the time he stopped by the bridge.

They aren’t even coming up on it, he thought about going faster...but why..?

The ground splashed as they stepped on it. They battled the hundreds of puddles that stood in their way as they walked on that muddy road going east, but then they saw the village up ahead.

Xivan stopped before pressing on any further. Aynthia just tilted her head wondering why he made a sudden stop. He just came to the realization that he knows nothing about Human culture, the only information he has is from long ago, or more like 4,400 years ago.

Much must’ve changed drastically, but as he met with the border patrol soldiers they had only basic weapons, and armor, so no advancements must have changed in those areas...hopefully. Though he did see that weird crossbow weapon that some of the men had on their backs.

Xivan sighed as he started to walk again, towards the village.

The Village itself has wooden walls that is surrounding it in an oval shape, and it got two exits, one on the west side and one on the east side. Xivan and Aynthia is coming from the west.

As they came closer, two guard-towers stood on either side by two large wooden doors, and it also got a smaller door, so one didn’t need to open the larger doors to let people in.

The doors are closed shut, and no people are in sight, its quiet.

Surrounding the outskirts of the village's west side are woods, and Xivan caught a glimpse through those woods...farm-fields lie there, that looked...harvested?

Xivan doesn’t know anything about cultivating crops, though he does know how to make them grow into a glorious state. So he thought nothing major about the fields being empty, but he remembered when Jenny said to him as she said what year it was… That it’s the start of the harvest season.

As they came upon the doors, no one is there to greet them, they boldly knocked on the small door, but no answer. Xivan knocked some more...still no answer. The small door has a handle, he used it, and what do you know it’s unlocked.

He opened the small door and peeked inside, no one…

They went inside... Wooden houses are on either side of them as they walked into the village. It’s silent, too silent, but then they started to hear a crowd of people as they rounded a house. The crowd stand there rather silent. It’s the village’s center, a lot of people stands there waiting for something as they talked quietly between themselves, and they look rather worn out.

Aynthia looked worried when Xivan gazed at her. The people just stood in a big circle around the village’s courtyard.

In the middle is some kind of stage? No, a podium where someone addresses the people.

Xivan and Aynthia is standing there in the back of the crowd, but not too close for the crowd to notice them.

They too just waited there, and wondered what’s going to happen. Then a middle-aged woman came forth, and went to stand on the podium, she’s wearing some kind of blue-robe, while she has a book in her hands. She opened the book and started to speak to the crowd that has gathered here.

“My people! My friends! This year has brought us to ruin! Our crops destroyed, our food supplies gone, our way of living razed to the ground!

We have come upon on a perilous time! We have almost nothing to sustain us throughout the winter! Nothing to trade as the Child-Spewers roam through the nightly-woods eating anything that moves. Which! Made it so that we have nothing to hunt, nothing to feed us!

Has our goddess abandoned us? No! 'Tis but a trial of survival! If we cannot live throughout this winter, then we have failed our goddess that has blessed us for these thousand years! Given us the needs to survive, given us the hope to push through hard times!

Even if some of us will die, know that you’ll join your ancestors in death, and join the endless cycle of life! Know that you’ll honor your goddess if you die an honorable death.

But! If one does hideous things such as stealing from other people! Know that you’ll forever be doomed to your own actions! You’ll live with those actions throughout your entire life! You’ll regret, and repent for your foul deed! Our goddess is forgiving, but forgiveness is something one needs to earn, and not get out of pity!

My people! My friends! May we survive this winter and get our due from the beautiful spring! Let us survive, and show our goddess that we are faithful! That we have always her in our hearts! SURVIVE!”

The village crowd started to roar out, “Survive!” in unison.

The middle-aged woman that’s standing on the podium just looks at the people with a pleased smile. Xivan though...looks at this spectacle with ire, and loathe. He frowned as he looked upon the woman that’s standing there on the podium.

Goddess? Has someone else risen up to power? Or is it some kind of other power which this Goddess has? Xivan thought wonderingly as he frowned.

As the people started to calm down, they turned around to return to their village duties, but there stands Xivan in his dark-cloak with the hood covering his whole face, his hair didn’t peek out anymore, he just looks like someone who’s suspicious. And Aynthia is widely visible beside him.

The people that had turned around looked at them in surprised expressions, and some even called out to the village-guards.

Xivan frowned as he saw the guards coming their way.

The guards have cloth, and chainmail armor on, while the cloth on the chest is in a blue color, with a stamped yellow emblem of a tigress’s head. They have regular swords on their waist scabbards. Only swords, nothing more.

As the guards came up on the two travelers in their village, they hold their sword's hilts, but the guards only holds them. The middle-aged woman also walked towards them to see why so many people have gathered in one place, and not returning to their duties.

“How did you get into the village?” One of the guards questioned them, “You’re not allowed to be here.”

Xivan replied, “The small door on the west side was unlocked, so anyone could enter.”

As Xivan said it, one of the other guards got a troubled face, but the guard hid that expression in no time. Though Xivan noticed through his dark hood, maybe that’s in his favor.

“If we’re not allowed here, I apologize,” Xivan said as he gave a slight bow, “But maybe someone had forgotten to close the door by mistake? Because well...if a door is unlocked isn’t that an indication that one could enter?”

The guard that had first spoken, asked tauntingly: “So you would walk into a random house if it’s unlocked?”

Xivan sighed.

“We came from the west, and the village was right in front of us... Wouldn’t you be surprised when there’s no one there to greet you when you come up on the doors that leads into the village?

And when there’s no one there, wouldn’t you wonder why? Well I did wonder why, so I tried the door handle, and it was unlocked. We went into your village and here we’re...talking to you,” Xivan said with a hint of anger.

He’s acting strange, Aynthia thought. She didn’t enjoy the crowd looking at them, they need to leave quickly before something happens. She gives a frown, and the villagers’ notices that frown.

The middle-aged woman then came upon them, but she isn’t surprised, she just looks at the two people with a smile. The villagers cleared their way for her as she had come upon the crowd.

Xivan frowned as he sees her, he doesn’t enjoy people like her...it makes him uneasy.

“Now, now everyone return to your duties, I’ll take care of the travelers,” She said as she looked upon the villagers with a smile, and they obeyed her, but the guards remained with the middle-aged woman.

“I welcome you to our village that’s named Temonar. I’m the priestess that runs this unfortunate place. The name that has been granted to me is Alyssa, I greet you once again,” she said as she gave a curtsy. But Xivan didn’t say anything, he just looks at her through his dark-hood, and Aynthia too stared at her.

“What brings you here travelers?” Alyssa asked.

“...” Xivan still just looked at her, but he got something out, “We’re just passing by, but we got curious when there was no one by the doors that led into the village...as I said to the guards. Though now that I see that everything is fine, I think we’ll be on our wa—.”

“Nonsence! You must stay, and bless us with your presence, travelers are always welcome here,” she said as she interrupted him, “Come, come, I’ll show you to a place that’s dry, walking in that storm must have soaked you to the bone.”

The guards just stands there on alert...staring at Xivan, though they couldn’t see that he’s an Elven man.

Xivan and Aynthia followed behind Alyssa as she guided them to the largest house in the village… On the sides of the door, which led into the house are two female statues, one a Human and the other a Half-Elf. Xivan got a worried expression under his hood.

Goddess...priestess, I don’t like the sound of this, Xivan thought as they went inside the chapel.

Inside the chapel is a shrine of an Elven woman… Xivan’s eyes became wide.

A statue of an Elven woman here? In this remote village. He hadn’t heard anything about a Goddess from the group, or from the border patrol soldiers… Though they said that Elves lived in the Human Continent. Maybe they don't follow the same religion? Or they didn’t have the time to speak of their beliefs… Xivan just looks upon that Elven statue with worry.

4,400 years...must have changed a lot.

“Welcome to the Shrine of Xerina the Goddess of Nature,” Alyssa said with such proudness. The guards didn’t follow them inside, Xivan wondered why, but he got more pressing matters at hand.

Xerina… It’s a name Xivan didn’t know, but that X in the name… She must have lived before he went to his Eternal Slumber. Naming children with an X is the Elven belief to show how dedicated one were.

The Human woman named Alyssa just stood there looking at them, but her gaze lingered at Xivan, she must be wondering whose behind that dark-hood.

“We don’t usually allow men inside the shrine, but there are exceptions. Would you mind removing the hood, so I can see who I’m speaking to? Ah yes! I also didn’t get your names,” she said with a calm, but forward voice.

Xivan got a troubled face under his hood… If he removes his hood now, and she sees him. What would happen?

“The name is Navix, and this is...Thia,” Xivan lied as he looked at Aynthia who has gotten a shortened new name. Aynthia just gave a nod in reply, she didn’t mind getting a fake name. And Alyssa just looked pleased, but she still looked at Xivan with expectant eyes.

Who’s this man under the cloak, he stands taller than anyone in the village, and got a rather good voice to him.

Alyssa who had lived in Wantur City, and taken the vows to become a priestess has never seen a man this tall, and she has seen a lot of men. This man that’s standing right in front of her has a rather...weird feel to him.

She just waited there in the chapel.

The Chapel itself has long seats where the village women would be seated on. From the door to the shrine of the Elven statue is fifteen meters between it, there’s a walkway that’s got a laid out blue carpet, and blue drapes that hangs down the walls of the chapel. It’s a rather expensive place for a simple village.

Xivan then removed his hood, and the woman became completely silent while she stared at him with wide eyes.

There he stands yet again with eyes upon him, those eyes of astonishment, and surprise.

Alyssa herself has never seen a Pure Elven before...like most of the people here on the Elven Continent. She covered her mouth as she looked upon those emerald eyes of his.

Her mouth started to mutter something incomprehensible, but as her voice became clearer, Xivan could hear what she mumbled about.

“Oh Goddess of Nature! Have you blessed us in our time of need!? To send one of your brothers to help us through this dire time. Oh Goddess! I’m forever in your humble grace!” Alyssa shouted as she turned around to look at the Elven statue, and thought that Xivan is a sign from the Goddess herself, to help them grow the soiled harvest, which had been completely destroyed by the foul weather climate.

She turned to Xivan again as she finished saying the words.

“I have not been sent here by your...Elven Goddess, Alyssa. I’m merely just someone who came upon this village at a peculiar time,” Xivan said to her in a calm voice, but she just replied:

“The Goddesses shape everything, your path has been laid out by them to come here and save us. To save this village from starvation, to save us from the deaths that would come. You’re Xerina’s champion! That has come to give us her light in our dark period!”

As she finished she just looks at him with expectant eyes yet again.

Xivan didn’t like this fanatic woman, she’s too deep into her beliefs. Even if he would say something, she would just contradict him with religious blabber. Xivan just sighed. Is he supposed to save every person that he comes across? Even if there are hundreds of people that needs his aid?

He could just leave them… No, he can’t just leave and let them starve to dead. But is the situation that hopeless?

“Alyssa I heard you talk about Child-Spewers?” Xivan asked.

“Ah yes those pitiful creatures. They roam the night, and hunts down those who dares to tread out of the boundaries of the villages. They’re vast in numbers. The soldiers; Oh May They Be Blessed By The Goddesses, they try their best to keep them from running rampant, but sadly they have become too much of a menace in the Elven Continent,” She answered.

“But maybe now that we have a champion of the Goddesses, they could be fought back to their extinct state that they were once before. The teachings tells us that the Goddesses fought for their Elven Continent with their Elven God. The Elves were also brought to extinction, but they rose up from the ashes to stand upon the bodies of their enemies.”

Xivan got such a surprised expression, but Alyssa just talked with her eyes closed, as if she enjoyed to speak about these kinds of things.

“But over the countless years, they have returned in number out of nowhere. It’s believed that they hid deep in the ground, and bided their time to rise up again. Though they’re easy to...slay, they are endless in numbers, if a swarm of Child-Spewers would come upon this village, we wouldn’t stand a chance,” she said as she finished.

She opened her eyes, and stared at the champion in front of her.

Xivan thought, so they have returned, though they’re much smaller in size than they were before. Dammit, I should have hunted down every last one of them, even one of them can birth a swarm. And this Goddess business doesn’t sound good at all.

“Champion, will you bless us with your supreme magic? We have only one Half-Elf girl in this village, she’s my priestess apprentice, but she’s on an errand. She should return soon, and then! She can see the champion for herself!” She shouted still in her zealous voice.

Aynthia just stands there with a smile on her face while looking at Xivan, and he has a defeated look to him. If he were to leave now it would shatter this Human priestess’s faith of her Goddess, it sounded tempting, but he refrained from it.

“So what kind of help do you need of me?” Xivan asked as he gave up on trying to slip out of the village.

Alyssa became hesitant.

She can’t use magic, though she has seen many Half-Elves use it. Her apprentice is very skilled in her magical abilities, and she’s actually her sister's child. Alyssa is from a Half-Elven family, but she got born as a Human. Her parents both came from Human parents so they weren’t surprised to have a child that’s a Human.

It’s the norm.

Alyssa became so distraught that she wasn’t born a Half-Elf, she too wanted to use magic. She lived in the Harbor City of Wantur in her young years, then as she grew old enough to commit to the pledges of the Goddesses. She worked her way to become a priestess, then she was sent here to this remote village where the people has a very strong religious belief.

She looked at Xivan with a worried look, and he noticed it. Seeing a believer this flustered pleased Xivan, he gained a curve on his mouth. Though it’s a curve of comfort, rather than a taunting curve.

“Well… Can you make the fields grow again with your magic?” She asked, and he answered with a sound voice, “Yes I can make them grow, do you need anything else?”

“No champion, we just need food to last us through the winter. I only ask the Goddess for that, nothing more,” she said as she gave a deep curtsy.

Xivan has learned a lot from this Human priestess: There are Goddesses; his long lost enemy has returned; Elves are considered high in status, though he did hear from the border patrol soldiers that the Humans and Elves were enemies, Xivan knows that, but how could things have come to this… Humans worshipping Elves?

Xivan’s mind is in turmoil, though he kept himself calm, calm he has to be. He can’t let his energy seep out of him, especially if he were to meet that apprentice of hers. Those with magic pools reacts more strongly towards his energy. Because they collide with each other’s energy, making the stronger energy take over the weaker energy.

But he can control it as long as he wills it.

“Well it’ll be easy enough, why don’t we go now and get it over with? Or do you have anything to add?” Xivan said with his calm looking face.

*Screeeech*

The chapel’s old door opened up, and there came a blue-cloaked girl with a hood over her face.

As the blue-cloaked girl opened the door she didn’t notice the people that’s standing further inside the chapel. The girl took off her cloak, which was soaking wet from the rain that had ceased. She hanged it on a crock that’s beside the door.

Her ginger hair is widely noticeable from her uncloaked head. She shook her head to try to remove the slight wetness, but she sorely failed. She’s soaked to the bone like Xivan and Aynthia, though their clothes has already dried up. Because when Xivan had removed the mud on the clothes before, he also drew the water out too, which made the clothes dry, but they got damp a little bit again as the rain was still pouring.

Xivan, Aynthia, and Alyssa just stared at the Half-Elf girl that stood there not noticing them. She turned towards the Elven statue, and began to walk sluggishly with heavy breaths. She still didn’t notice the three people standing there, and no one said anything, she just kept on moving towards the shrine where there’s a door on the side, which led into her bedroom.

*Thud* She hit her head against something that stood in front of her. She tiredly looked up, and became wide mouthed and her eyelids flickered nervously. She stumbled backwards as she saw the Elven man in front of her.

Right when she’s about to fall backwards with a rather painful fall, Xivan grabbed her hands that desperately wailed around trying to grab onto something.

“Wow there, you almost got yourself hurt,” Xivan said with a smile as he held both of her hands. She’s tilting backwards while he held her, it looks like as if they’re dancing. Xivan heaved the girl up so she could get her bearings straight.

Oh dear, another look of surprise huh? Well I better get used to it, Xivan thought.

The girl didn’t say anything, she just flickered with her eyes as she stared at Xivan...a real Elf.

“Look upon our champion, dear niece! He has come to us in our time of need, to purify the ground, to make things grow yet again! He is sent by our Goddess Xerina, to heal our soil, to spread her warmth! Stare in amazement my niece, for it may be the only Pure Elven you’ll see in your entire life!” Alyssa shouted as she began to talk gibberish.

Xivan just looked troubled by the sudden words that sprouted out from Alyssa. He shook his head as he sighed. Aynthia just looked at him with a grin, because she’s starting to like that flustered look he gets when something surprises him, or gets him to sigh.

“H-how can this be? Has Xerina really given us a champion to aid us… Wow, I never really...I mean...” she voiced with broken words, not able to get out what she wanted to say.

“Listen up you two. You may believe what you want, but I don’t follow any Goddess of yours, I’m merely here out of coincidence. Alyssa please, no more speeches okay? I’m merely an Elven man who’s journeying through this old Continent. Nothing more, nothing less. Do you understand?” Xivan asked as he got rather annoyed by the fanaticism of these two, or rather Alyssa.

Both of them got silent, but Alyssa just gave a curtsy and said: “I understand Champion, you want to keep your cover as you journey, so you can help people. Yes! That’s a noble cause indeed. I can’t believe Xerina got such a champion to help the people in need.”

Xivan didn’t get through to her at all.

He gave out yet another sigh. The Half-Elf girl just stands there looking at him, but he didn’t look at her, he looked at Alyssa. She’s very identical to the Half-Elf girl, she too got ginger hair, and dark-brown eyes. Light skin tone that got slight freckles. She’s older, around mid-thirties. While the Half-Elf looks like a newly made adult.

“Oh!! I forgot to mention her name…I bed for your forgiveness champion, her name is Arianna, my sister’s daughter,” Alyssa said.

Xivan then looked at Arianna. She too looked at him with her flickering eyes, but her mouth is now closed.

So they’re real, real Elves are still alive, to be able to see someone like him. The Elves must be beautiful if they look like him. Now I just need to see his magic, and then I’ll take the vows to pledge myself to become a priestess, Arianna thought as she looked upon him.

“Shall we start before the sun sets?” Xivan asked, and Alyssa just snapped into action, “Yes! Let us see you bless the earth, and sprout forth our salvation!”

She began to walk to the door with quick elegant strides. The others just followed, even Arianna who’s dead tired after her errand. Aynthia just looked pleased for some reason, while Xivan got a really worried face.

Alyssa will make a big deal out of this. She’ll probably shout out a speech of gratitude...or something less fanatical Xivan hoped.

Guards stood outside the chapel, and as Xivan come out they got surprised looks, like everyone who has seen him. Alyssa just said that there’s nothing to worry about. He’s their champion that has come with the blessing of their Goddess of Nature.

The guards weren’t really that into their beliefs...but now their Goddess has sent a savior to them? To this lowly village? Alyssa told them to spread the news that she has something important to tell the villagers, which made Xivan frown.

He has made a mistake in coming to this village. But what is done, is done. He can’t brood over it now.

Why not take advantage of this situation?

He thought what kind of advantage he could get by gaining the support of mere villagers. Though the thought of becoming someone great has crossed his mind. But he has already lived that kind of life… What will he live for now?

His race is worshipped by Humans and Half-Elves? Though they haven’t talked about any male Gods. He heard Alyssa say that the chapel was a women’s only chapel… Are the Elven Goddesses only supporting the females..?

He stands there beside Alyssa on the podium.

Aynthia and Arianna is standing further away, by the chapel. All of the villagers had gathered up, and now around a hundred people stands before him. He gazed at them with his emerald eyes, and as he got eye contact with some of them, they turned away their gaze.

Are they afraid?

Alyssa then began to speak to her people:

“My people! My friends! Look upon this champion that has been sent in our time of need! Our generous Goddess has blessed us with the light of her warmth! Her Elven brother has been sent to help us to grow our crops, so we can live! He is NAVIX! OUR CHAMPION!!”

“He will bless us with his magic! So we don’t need to starve through the winter, he’ll lend us his powers. He who travels the known Continent to help the innocent, to help the true believers of our Goddesses!”

“He’s the dark-hooded savior that our glorious Goddess of Nature has blessed! Treat him as you would treat the Goddess herself!”

“We’ll LIVE!”

As she finished her fanatical speech, the crowd roared once again in jubilations.

Humans do change fast, Xivan thought, Or is it the minds of brainwashed people? That statue inside the chapel did give off a slight magical energy...which could influence simple people who wouldn’t notice anything. Perfect for villagers who only works, and sleeps, to give them some hope, that what they’re doing is for the greater good.

Xivan just overlooked the crowd of the newly awakened villagers. The women looked happier than the men, though the men do look happy, but it’s more of a shared happiness than an inner joy.

Xivan smiled at the crowd to give them some insurance. Alyssa too looked at the crowd, she’s delighted beyond words.

She began to speak with a high voice again, but this time with a shorter speech: “My people! My friends! He’ll now demonstrate his magical powers! Come! We all must go to the scarred farm-fields, to see them be healed by our savior! Our CHAMPION!”

“COME!”

As she finished, she stepped off of the podium and Xivan followed her willingly… It felt rather familiar to Xivan…

A different time, a different race, and he’s still being used. But he couldn’t complain, he loves to help the needy, though sometimes it becomes a burden to him, if they started to become too pushy. He must finish this quickly, otherwise he would become their Farm God…

Xivan gave an inwardly sigh. He kept his smiling face on as he walked with Alyssa. Aynthia followed further back while the villagers looked at her wonderingly. She had come with him when they first saw the dark-hooded man. They certainly stared at her when they couldn’t get a glimpse of the champion.

Arianna walked beside Aynthia wondering who she’s. Arianna has seen Beast people in Wantur City where she comes from, but they were never alone, they always moved in packs. She knows a lot about the Beasts, so of course this is rather surprising to see a Beast alone with a race that isn’t her own. She boldly asked:

“Why aren’t you with your tribe?”

Aynthia didn’t reply, she instead scurried away from Arianna quickly as she heard her speak to her, and hurriedly moved further up the crowd to reach Xivan. Arianna just looked at her as she disappeared through the crowd with a baffled look.

She must have her own reasons, Arianna thought.

The Villagers moved away a little when they noticed Aynthia squeezing by them.

Temonar is a rather large village, more than hundred people lives here. The people doesn’t look like the border patrol soldiers at all, they have a rather light skin to them, and not that tan skin that they have. Brown hair, black hair, ginger hair, all kind of different origins, though all of the villagers do look almost the same, same build, same faces.

Everyone kept on walking.

As they reached the east gate it’s opened to its max. The sun shined brightly on them as they strone with around two hundreds footsteps. Though the sun is slowly making its way down the horizon, it’ll soon become night. They made a left turn as they passed the gate, and walked...walked, and walked.

They came upon the fields… Destruction is the word, the crops lie there dead upon the soil. What kind of crops is it, Xivan has wondered, but as he looks upon the withered nature in front of him, he gets a firm grip of how bad the situation is here.

He had heard when Alyssa yelled her speech the first time about how Child-Spewers hunt down the animals that could give them food, and now they don’t even have the crops to sustain them. Xivan shook his head in pity.

Doesn’t the kingdom help the villagers in their domain? He didn’t know. But he’s here now, and he can help them survive... What about the other villages that’s spread around the Elven continent…

He can’t save them all...or can he if he wanted to? Maybe he could make a burst of magical restoration into the ground, which would spread through the entire Continent… He has never tried, but that could actually work. The Galanimel forest’s roots are ever-growing. And the roots has probably spread deep into the ground.

But no… Xivan will not do it. The only people that has asked from his help are the people here in this village who has gathered into a huge crowd.

“Look out upon the deathly surface of our farm-fields! They lie here in ruin because the weather has rained almost every day this year. Ohh! We’re unfortunate, ‘tis but a trial for the weak, those who hasn’t worshipped the goddesses enough! They get their ire, their anger! Champion! Will you bless this unholy ground, and make it holy once more!?” Alyssa shouted as she spoke to the people, but what she really wanted is for Xivan to begin.

Xivan just sighed and walked out to the field.

When the Elves first came to the Elven Continent, they had fought those black females to their extinction, but they rose up to claim this Continent for their own purpose. Xivan was the one who grew the Galanimel trees, he’s the one that poured in so much magical power into the trees to make them reach half the way up to the sky.

But that was long time ago, and now he stands here over withered crops. Oh how low he has fallen from his own grace. Though he couldn’t complain, he has to do this, then leave this village so they don't start to worship him, instead of their Goddess of Nature.

Xivan sighed again, he raised his left eyebrow which he hadn’t raised in a while. He bent down on one knee, and put his palms on the deathly soil. The farmlands reached around five hundred meters on both lengths, rather large fields.

One couldn’t see the farmlands if one came from the west, because the woods covered the north side, though Xivan did get a glimpse through the forest as they reached the west gate.

But he raised himself again, he didn’t do anything. He waved his hand to Alyssa to make her come to him. She jogged to him, her blue robe fluttered in the wind, while her shoes got dirtied in the mushy soil.

“Wha-what is the matter champion?” she asked nervously.

“Do you have any seeds left? If you don’t then...I’ll only be able to grow these withered crops, which will decay very fast when they’ve been restored. But if I have seeds I can make them grow so they’ll never stop giving you crops, even in the dead of winter,” Xivan said but with a slight chuckle at the end of his sentence.

“Can you really… Do that?” she asked as her face became surprised beyond words… Ever-growing crops… That would mean the village will progress even more. Never be starved, never go hungry, “We do have remaining seeds in our storages.”

Everyone just looked at the two people standing there in the muddy field, but then Alyssa turned hastily around, and yelled: “Bring all of the seed! Make it quick! Go now, GO!”

As the Villagers heard that, the men started to dash back into the village, and after a while they brought heavy sacks of seeds. Xivan had returned to wait by the other villagers, so had Alyssa. Xivan then told them to go into the field and seed the farmlands, everything, cover the soil with seeds, but the seed needed to be inside the soil for this plan to work. Ever-growing...magical-crops.

The Elves had done this for eons of years, they never ran out of food...but they aren’t here anymore are they?

Xivan sighed as he watch the hundred villagers work to their bone. Women, men and children helped, because this is their last chance before the autumn will start to rain down more leaves from the trees, and then when the tree’s leafs are no more, winter will set its claws upon those who aren’t prepared for those long...cold...months.

Whiteness will spread throughout the Continent, but here in this village, the magical-crops will stand strong from Xivan’s magical powers, to bless these villagers with vegetation. He’ll pour lots and lots so it’ll last for hundreds of years. Even the nearby trees will bloom to its entirety, ever-growing as the Forest of Galanimel.

This will be the mark of him who has the power to save those in need.

He who’s the black-hooded man that saved this village from a certain death. To save those children that would lose their parents to the bitter coldness of climate change, the deathly winter that could wipe out all of the living creatures on this planet.

Xivan now stand there once again in the field of newly sowed lands. It had taken only one whole hour for the villagers to finish. They now stand there on the sides, overlooking their champion who has come to save their unfortunate village.

He bent down on one knee again, and placed his palms on the sowed soil. His eyes started to shine with his emerald brightness.

Arianna became wide-eyed as she felt the burst of magic that came forth out of nowhere. Her body shook when she felt that burst of addictive magic...she licked her lips as she looked upon Xivan. She started to smile out of joy. To see a Pure Elven use this much magic, it’s as if it’s not even straining him in the slightest bit.

As he poured his magic, not his energy, his magic into the ground, the seeds inside the soil started to crack, and then began to grow through the soil, into the sun that’s slowly going down in the horizon. The seeds closest to him are the first to show, then like a sound wave, the crops started to sprout from nothing.

The magical power from Xivan sustained the needs for the seeds to grow.

The elements from his magic gave them the necessities, water...light...the purification of the soil, mixing the perfect combination of elements to make them grow gloriously for hundreds of years. And he put in a little extra spice into the crops, but that spice will only be known when someone tastes the crop.

Xivan smiled as he finished.

He’s now surrounded by slightly tall crops that reached to his waist. He looked around the farmlands that stretched to five hundred meters. He nodded in satisfaction when he saw everything grew as it should’ve. Because the villagers had showed him a painting how the crop looked like.

And he’s rather pleased how it turned out.

They’re bigger than the ones the villagers told him, but that’s probably because they’ve grown to their fullest capacity. The crop when harvested is made to make bread, and other essentials. “Wheat...”

It’s the Human’s livelihood, their precious grain of life.

Xivan stands there in the newly made farm-field of beige. The people just stared at him with teary eyes, eyes of disbelief, and eyes of joy.

Then a hundred voices rang out into all directions at the same time, screams, laughs, cries, both men and women gave out those sounds. The children’s parents are in utter joy, they held up their children as they danced around joyfully with them. Lovers hugged each other, kissed each other in gratitude that they won't need to starve anymore.

Young teenagers confessed to their crushes, some got their wish, and some got utterly rejected, but those who got their hearts crushed by the one they love, they couldn’t stay sad by the new atmosphere that ringed inside their heads.

They have been saved from their dangerous predicament.

Xivan started to move towards the crowd of happy villagers, and as he came upon them they greeted him with words of thankfulness. That’s all they have, they’re simple villagers who has only words to give him, but that’s enough for him.

He needed nothing, of course Aynthia will say something along the lines: Mother always said.

But he felt the joy coming from the villagers.

He smiled as he walked up to Alyssa, who surprisingly didn’t join in on their cheers. She just looked out at the field in amazement. And as Xivan came upon her, she looked up to him with staring eyes. She uttered fanatical gibberish again, but silently.

Xivan interrupted her as he said: “Let us go back to the chapel, I would like you to hear me out.”

“Of course! Come! I’ll lead you back to the shire of… ...Come,” she said, but she couldn’t surprisingly speak her Goddess’s name.

The village has died out of its cheering, the sun has set itself down upon “this” side of the world. Darkness riddled the Elven Continent. Lights emanates from the village houses. In some houses there are cheering, some houses are dark, some houses are silent but with illuminations that showed the shadowy figures inside the houses.

In some houses pairs of lovers of all ages conjoined themselves in lustful practices. New life has risen up in this was to be dying village. Life of new faith, life of new children that’s yet unborn.

It’s a peaceful night sky that’s covered with thousands upon thousands of glowing stars, and that huge globe of brightness that shines with its lightless light, it hangs in the sky overlooking the planet that’s beside it.

Inside the chapel sits Xivan, Aynthia, Alyssa, and the extremely tired Arianna who desperately tries to stay awake. A table has been brought in, and regular chairs to sit upon. Alyssa has taken out alcohol, and some of the village women had cooked food for them to eat.

“I hope the food was to your liking, Navix,” Alyssa said as she stood up from her seated position while giving a deep curtsy to show her gratitude.

Aynthia is seated beside him, and she’s still eating the food that has been prepared for them. She tried to sip some of the alcohol, but Xivan stopped her before she could get a taste. She had complained, but she stopped complaining as she saw Alyssa staring at her with a rather bothered look.

Arianna just gazed yearningly at Xivan, not even touching the food. He had noticed her gaze even before they came to the chapel, but he knows that kind of feeling will disappear soon enough.

Hopefully Half-Elves has strong minds, Xivan thought.

“So...now that this village has ever-growing crops, it’ll probably bring trouble from outside forces, who thinks that it’s unfair that you get to keep all of those crops to yourself,” Xivan said, but then a smile came upon his mouth, “Have you any prior combat experience? I don’t know how you priestesses get to become a priestess, but do you have combat experience?”

“Well… We priestesses do get some training in the arts of self-defense, to protect ourselves from anyone who tries to hurt us. There are priestesses that can go into a battle-oriented servitude to appease the Goddesses. There’s an army full of them in the Human continent I’ve heard. I’ve never been there myself, but yes we do get training in the arts of combat.”

So they are like sanctuaries that they took from our Elven religion, though the Goddesses are Elves so it isn’t really copying, Xivan though as he chuckled, but to have gotten a grip this tightly around the other races, or at least the Humans and Half-Elves. Color me impressed, bravo my sisters.

“I see… Hmm, you wouldn’t happen to have a weapon here in this chapel?” Xivan asked as he smiled.

“Well... I am rather embarrassed to say this but, I do have my metal-spear that’s tucked away under my bed,” Alyssa said as she gave out a slight laugh. She has become rather cheerful, for a middle-aged woman in her mid-thirties.

“Go and get it. I’ll give you another blessing of mine, or rather an enchantment,” Xivan said.

Alyssa obeyed gladly with wide eyes.

She went to her room, which she shared with Arianna, her Half-Elf niece. Xivan remained seated beside Aynthia who’s still gulping down food, the rejuvenating touch which he gave her before didn’t fill her stomach, only removed the hunger, and fatigue.

She has been rather silent other than her complaining about not being able to drink the alcohol. Though she would look at Arianna with a hint of worry from time to time. Xivan did wonder why, was she worried about him? Or something else?

Xivan just sat there on the chair while relaxing, though he’s rather tall for that chair he’s sitting on. Arianna still stared at him with dazed eyes, but he avoided them.

He had released his magical powers, and a little bit of his energy when he poured his vast power into the soil.

She had felt it, and now she’s in this kind of state. Xivan should be more careful from now on, so he doesn’t make random people do something they normally wouldn’t do. Luckily the only Half-Elf that’s in this village is Arianna.

His energy, his aura, if Xivan willed it he could make the most mind-guarded Elven woman become addicted to him. He has made mistakes in the past that destroyed relationships of dear friends who were lovers. But the woman’s lover couldn’t do anything… He would just drown in his own sadness, and think of the lover who betrayed him unwillingly...

That’s exactly why Xivan wants to keep himself under control. He doesn’t want to hurt those close to him, to make them suffer...but now? No one remained… Though the Goddesses are Elves, maybe he knows some of them.

“Hmm,” Xivan hmmed as he thought about countless things.

There’s also this Elven statue that’s standing there in its glory right in front of him, which gave off a slight energy...an aura. Though it’s a rather weak aura. But it’s enough to make people who’re close to it feel the influence as it takes over the minds of the people.

A slow brainwash, but Xivan has canceled the energy’s hold over the people here, though they don’t really feel it, yet.

When they wake up in the morning they’ll feel its influence gone. Though it’s replaced by Xivan’s influence. But they’ll still worship the Goddesses that has...blessed them with this Champion called: Navix.

He shook his head as he chuckled.

Alyssa came back with the metal-spear in both hands. It’s a rather decorated spear with many different intricate lines embroidering it, and on the bottom of the spear’s head is a tiger with its mouth open. The blade of the spear came out of the tiger’s mouth, making it look very expensive with all those details. Though it’s only in a silvery alloy.

“Can I borrow it?” Xivan asked with a smile, and she handed it to him, willingly...her precious spear.

Xivan started to inscribe it with Elvish writings on the metal shaft of the spear. He has to make it into a line-rune, and not a circle-rune. Though with his magic it wouldn’t really matter.

As he finished, he gave it back to the anxious Alyssa.

“Rune…” she said while looking at the emerald-lined inscription on her spear shaft, “What does the writing say?”

“You only need to know two words, memorize them,” he got interrupted as she ran to her room again. And came back with a piece of writing paper in her left hand, and a quill that’s lying in an inkwell on her right hand.

Xivan just smiled at Alyssa.

“Please continue, which are the words you were going to say?” Alyssa asked with expectant eyes.

Xivan just looked at her, then he said: “Arethilith, and Verthilith.”

“Are..thi...lith… Ver...thi…lith. There, finished,” She said as she wrote down the words how they sounded, then she gave a laugh, “They’re really hard on the tongue aren’t they.”

The other two ladies’ just sat there by the brought in table. Arianna has fallen asleep and is resting her head on her arms that’re on the table. She had moved away the tableware so she wouldn’t dip her gingered hair into the food.

Aynthia just looked at Xivan with a pleased smile, she has finished eating, though she looked a little sluggish…with a slight blushed up face.

“!?”

Did she drink some of the alcohol when he didn’t watch her?!

He looked upon Aynthia that’s staring at him with a smile, but he looked suspiciously at her. He has to remember, she’s in an adult’s body, but her mind is that of a twelve year old child.

He shook his head in dismay, he has gotten a rather peculiar companion.

Alyssa took ahold of her silvery alloyed spear with the emerald-lined rune formation on it. She then spoke the words as she had trained them inside her brain, “Arethilith… Verthilith…”

She felt that surge of energy, which Sontren the Healing man had felt. She became wide-eyed as she moved the spear even a little bit… It isn’t heavy at all. She moved her head towards Xivan in a super quick movement, but she got thrown to the floor by the immense speed as she turned her head.

When she moved her head, the force of the speed made her spin a circle, then made a flip and hit the floor. Looked rather funny, it made Xivan give off a slight chuckle, but he composed himself rather quickly as she carefully stood up again, with slow moving movements.

“It’s hard to control for someone who’s not trained for the speed and strength of the enchantment. But you’ll manage, I believe in you. Though you can give it to someone else too, they just need to say the words you said,” Xivan said in a pepping voice.

“This is amazing...champion... You’ve done so much already, but to give me such a…” She said, but cut herself off, “You… You’re not a champion of Xerina are you?”

“I’m not,” Xivan said, then a smile sprouted forth, “I am but a humble Elven man who’s exploring this old continent...to see what it offers.”

“Let me tell you this Alyssa: Goddesses are simple Elves who has taken that power upon themselves. They can use magic, which would seem like a miracle to Humans who can’t use the art of magic. But Elves are just Elves… They are neither Gods, nor Goddesses. They’re simply Elves who has the magic that can control the hearts of those around them,” Xivan said to Alyssa who now has a very troubled, saddened look.

All the energy that had spread from that Elven statue was now gone, and instead it’s replaced by Xivan’s, but his energy is null for everyone. They’ll live simple lives...away from that brainwashing statue that gives off that influence of energy.

Alyssa has let go of her spear, it lies there on the floor while she had sat herself down on a chair, to take this new information to heart. She looked troubled, but not that troubled, more of a thinking look than a troubled look.

She just sat there sighing, but she manages to put up a smile as she thought of something new. Xivan sees that newly awakened faith of hers… He became worried.

“Come the night is still young! Let’s drink!” She said in a high voice as she gulped down the alcohol that she herself has brought out. She kept on drinking away her sorrow of finding out that nothing that she believed in were true, but he...Navix that’s in front of her is true. He’s alive and breathing. She suddenly became happy as she drank the beverages.

She lies there... She’s passed out on the table with Arianna, even Aynthia surprisingly…

She did drink some of the alcohol!

Xivan sighed as he saw the three females lying there widely open. He just gave a chuckle, but then his gaze went towards the statue.

He started to talk to himself: “Hmm, I wonder if the energy is strong enough to make a connection to the one who controls this...energy. How many statues like these are spread throughout the Elven Continent? Why would they want to control the Humans? Greed maybe?”

He sighed, then a frown came forth on his face. He stands up from his seated position, and walks up to the Elven Statue.

“Let us see who you really are...Xerina… The Goddess of Nature,” he said as he poured his own energy into the statue to gain a telepathic connection between the two energy-users.

Xivan walks there with womanly strides, he’s in a wide corridor that leads to two large doors. A hand suddenly came in front of his face, it’s a woman’s hand. He looks at the nails of the hand, it’s a very beautiful hand, no wrinkles at all, and his nails are polished to perfection. The color of his skin has changed, it’s in a pale white skin tone, and not his pale gray skin.

He’s looking through the eyes of a woman.

The woman just keeps on walking, and not feeling the other inhabitant inside her body. She strode onwards, her head went to her body to look upon it, and she noticed some small dust particles that lies on her slightly large bosoms. They’re covered by an elegant dress, which is in a Yellow color.

Yellow...Xivan thought, but he just kept on peeking through her eyes.

He continued watching, he wanted to know what she looked like, so he can remember her face… She who’s a Goddess? She who brainwashes Humans, and Half Elves with her Elven statues?

He needs to know who this woman is… Has he seen her somewhere before?

He just kept on seeing through her eyes as she made her way to the large...metal doors. As she came upon the doors she made a hand wave, and the door opened automatically. Like the door in Xivan’s chamber… Just needed a little bit of magic for it to open.

The door led into a vast room, a meeting hall? Xivan saw many women in there, but no men, only women… Humans, Half-Elves, Halflings, Dwarves, and Elves… Xivan just smiled at the spectacle in front of him.

Where can they be? The Elven Continent? No… Most likely the Human Continent, because he had heard from the border patrol soldiers that there weren’t any Elves on the Elven Continent...other than Xivan himself.

Though they had said that they didn’t know very much.

As Xivan looked through the woman’s eyes, she walked down a flight of stairs. The room itself has a large chandelier hanging down from the high roof. Curtains, drapes covered the walls with different symbols, and emblems… House emblems?

In the middle of the meeting hall is a large square table that has many kinds of silverware, food, and drinks prepared. Rather an expensive meeting place, but Xivan could see that the women who has gathered here, are wearing expensive dresses in all kinds of colors…

There...he recognizes two women that has the eyes of every single woman inside this meeting hall. They’re wearing sapphire dresses… Those sapphire eyes, and hair… It’s the twins, but why are they here… He had removed his bonding spell from them so they didn’t need to come with him to his Eternal Slumber ritual.

Xivan frowned as he thought, what have they done… Have they created a new religion to sate their newly found greed?

The woman who Xivan is looking through came up on the square table where every other race but Beasts are.

Many gazed turned to her after someone gasped a gasp of terror, they all looked upon her. The sapphire twins too looked with terrifying eyes.

The woman who Xivan is looking through spoke with an irritated voice: “What’s the matter everyone? I do not enjoy this attention, remove your eyes from me, at once!!”

One Human who looks like she knows her said: “Yo-Your eyes are glowing…”

“Glowing? How preposterous, my eyes are—” she said but as she looked upon her fellow Elven sisters, they all looked at her with a slight fear. She moved her palms over her eyes, and she saw that faint glow on her hands, “How...why… What is going on!?”

Xivan pushed further into her being and took ahold of her… She became motionless, and void of emotions, the emerald light inside her eyes died out.

Xivan is standing there with his hands on the Elven statue inside the village’s chapel.

“Let us see how you feel about being controlled… My dear Elven sister,” Xivan said with a sinister smile while showing his white teeth.

“Xerina! Xerina!” one of the humans that she knows yelled at her.

Xerina snapped out of her emotionless state… She looked around the room, and looked at her hands, she smiled a sinister smile. The Human noticed that smile and backed away from Xerina… No… She backed away from Xivan.

He’s controlling her through and through, he can feel her trying to surpass his powers, but she’s unable to. He looked around in this woman’s body with a smug look. Her eyes didn’t shine anymore, but then he made them shine with that glorious emerald brightness.

“Goddesses,” He uttered with a female voice, but then he sighed, “Haaa.”

He looked at the different people around him, most of them didn’t know what has happened. The Elven females though…looked at his newly bonded Elven female, that he has taken control of by force.

They looked with such loathe, then one of the Elven women who isn’t the sapphire twins yelled:

“Who are you?! Reveal yourself at this moment or suffer the consequences of angering a Goddess!”

Xivan started to chuckle in a female voice, he shook his head as he tried to keep his laughter under control.

He recognized the Elven woman who yelled… She was a non-believer when the Elven Imperium still stood at its glory. She who didn’t believe in a religion…is a Goddess herself? …Oh the irony.

Xivan just looked at the woman that he has met before in a meeting long ago, she was the leader of the heretics… Nennerin… He has never liked her, but who can blame him...she has always looked upon him with such anger and disgust.

Xivan then opened his womanly mouth and spoke out with a voice of ridicule: “I greet you all that has gathered here, for I am someone who has interrupted your little...meeting. Many of you may wonder: Why is someone speaking though this Elven woman?

‘Tis but a simple answer. I’m more powerful than any of your, Goddesses is it? Yes, your Elven Goddesses are nothing but small flower petals that soars through the wind breeze. Though I can’t really be sure of that now can I…”

He looks towards Nennerin, “Nennerin… You who was a non-believer, you have fallen so low from your own beliefs, I may not know why you became a Goddess. Though I do know that you’re a very greedy woman. You may wonder who’s controlling your fellow Goddess, but you simply need to only turn your heads towards them…”

As he finished he pointed with a slim female finger towards the two sapphire women who stands there wide-eyed with fear…

“It can’t be! You should be sleeping! *GASP* You...you’re awake, h-how,” one of the sapphire women said, “This… We… Yes! We wanted to create a kingdom for you to live in before we would wake you up, we… Just held it back… for…”

“Four thousand years?” he asked with a frown, “You let the Elven Continent fall into the hands of Humans, and the other races… What were you exactly doing to stop it?”

The other people just stood there in a daze, but then a blond-haired middle-aged human interrupted them: “Who is this that you’re speaking to Xirina? Xevinna? We want to know! And you! Don’t just hide behind that husk of yours, tell us your name!”

“I’m not entitled to tell you anything Human...though you’ll know sooner or later, so I’ll tell you who you're speaking to, because we will all meet in the distant future… I would guess.

The name is...Xivan Bithrendil,”

“THE ELVEN GOD!”

Then Xerina fell unconscious… Leaving his newly bonded Elven female in the midst of...enemies?

Xivan removed his hands from the statue, and said worriedly:

“Oh dear me, I shouldn’t have done that. Hmm but I didn’t reveal my location, they might as well think that I’m in the Human Continent, hatching up some sinister plan… To topple them down...from their high seats of Divinity.”

He just chuckled, but then sighed as he has already done enough damage that would make the Human Continent shake.

“How many Elves were there in the meeting hall… ten? No, eight Elves were there,” he sighed once more, “So it’s a Cult of Sisters huh? What have they gotten themselves into now…?

He just shook his head as he went and sat on the chair by the table. He just stared at the Elven statue. He raised his hand, and drew out all of the energy from the statue into him.

“It won’t trouble anyone...anymore,” he said.

Then his eyes closed themselves as he sat on the chair…

Darkness filled the chapel that’s named: The Shrine of Xerina.

Hello Reader.

Hehe... This was also a new chapter, and a lot of new things. Some things have been cut out...sadly, as it wasn’t really that good for the story later on.

New names, new characters, hope it ain't too much.

Like how it’s going at the moment? Voice your thoughts, I read them with appreciation. ^^

Chapters will come out on either saturdays or sundays. Or if something made me halt my writing, it might take longer. Or! If I got more time to spare it may come out sooner.

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