6th day of the 7th month 580th year of the 8th era

Akuchi and Aquillia sat on a log and watched the dark elf they had tied to a fence post. The morning had come and the light was beginning to stream across the ocean.

The dark elf stirred and awoke. Rope chafed on his bare chest as he pulled against his restraints.

“Dark One,” Aquillia began. “What is your name?”

“I am known as Vel Galerius,” he snapped.

Aquillia stepped forward and backhanded Vel across the face. Blood spurted down his face. A metallic smell arose from the blood.

“I have no other name,” spat Vel. “Shining One.”

“Why do they call you Shining One?” asked Akuchi.

“My people were defenders of the light and wanted to push the darkness back. Hence the name. We pushed them out of the Forest of Garmore. After that, the war ground to a stalemate.

“While you Shining Ones were safe, we were attacked by the trolls and the orcs,” said Vel.

“Why didn’t you call for help?” asked Aquillia.

“At that time, we wouldn’t have asked for your help if you had an army sitting on the beach,” snarled Vel. “We thought we could win anyway.”

“Do you just hate everything?” asked Akuchi. “Is that why you attacked me?”

“Don’t be silly, boy,” Vel sneered. “The shame makes us attack you.”

“What is the shame?”

Vel hung his head and sighed into his bare chest.

Aquillia motioned to Akuchi and they both got up and stepped away from Vel.

“Whatever the shame is, we won’t be able to beat it out of him,” Aquillia said.

“You have no idea what it could be?” asked Akuchi.

“I don’t know for certain but look at his face.”

Akuchi and Aquillia returned to Vel and sat once more on the log facing Vel.

Vel’s head snapped up and he glared at them.

Akuchi surveyed Vel. He was tall and muscular; under the black paint he wore, large warts were scattered across his body.

Akuchi got up and walked over to where the other dead bodies lay and examined them.

Aquillia came up behind him.

“What is the matter?” she asked him.

Akuchi pulled a body out from the pooling blood and turned it over so that it was facing up.

“I noticed that under the paint Vel wears he has warts covering his body,” Akuchi stated. Well I noticed that your skin is really smooth, even under your body paint.”

“Thank you.”

“Do elves normally have warts?” Akuchi asked.

“No, never.”

“Did the stories ever tell you of the dark elves having warts?”

“They never really mentioned what they looked like.”

“Look at this dark elf. What do you see?”

Akuchi pointed to a large cluster of warts on the left breast of the dark elf.

“That is horrible,” said Aquillia.

“It looks like she went to a lot of effort to cover that up,” Akuchi observed.

“There are more on the stomach and the cheek and legs,” said Aquillia, a quiver entering her voice.

Akuchi stood and turned another dark elf over. On his back, buttocks and legs were several wart clusters.

Aquillia walked over to another. “More on this one,” she called.

“They are on all of us!” Vel called out.

Akuchi and Aquillia returned to the log in front of Vel.

“Why?” Akuchi asked.

“It’s the curse and our shame,” said Vel.

“Tell us from the beginning,” Aquillia said.

“During the first era, we fought the orcs and the trolls over the course of the centuries,” Vel began. “The forest ran red with the blood of the fallen. When men came, we were scared they would join forces with the trolls and orcs and crush us. We were only just holding our own against them. So, we retreated into the forest. Instead of defending our lands like we were sworn to do, we watched as the men fought the trolls and the orcs, setting up fortifications to hold them back. For this, the darkness cursed us. We will be as ugly as the darkness saw us, weak and unworthy of its protection. Seeing our ugliness, we retreated deeper into the forest when men came to settle in our forest. We killed them, but it was too late. The darkness had cursed us and cursed we will remain.”

“Is there any way to break the curse?” Akuchi asked, a tear forming in his eye.

“None that I am aware,” said Vel, hanging his head. “We just hide in our forest and don’t want to be seen by anyone. We are all ashamed of our appearance.”

“It is quite horrid,” agreed Aquillia.

Akuchi glared at Vel. “Are you sure nothing can be done at all?”

“I wouldn’t know,” said Vel. “We have been like this ever since.”

“Do you think that there is any way in which I could live here in peace?” Akuchi stammered.

“For that, you would have to talk to the king.”

“Can you take me to him?” Akuchi asked.

“No one has seen the dark elf king since the Great Divide.” Aquillia gasped.

“I can only take one of you there,” said Vel.

“I think that something should be worked out so that I don’t have to keep fighting for my life.”

Vel looked up at Akuchi. His face shone hope. “Peace would be a wonderful thing.”

“I am not sure that peace is something that can be achieved,” Aquillia mused, folding her hands over her chest and grasping her chin, with one hand. “There is too much history at play. Would the king even be willing to talk?”

Akuchi looked at the elf. “Maybe for your people, but mine didn’t even know we had neighbours in the forest. Can you take me to the king?”

“I could take you,” Vel laughed, “if I wasn’t tied to this post.”

Akuchi stood and strapped his falchion to his back. Then he knelt and undid the rope that bound Vel to the post.

Vel stood and stretched. “I could attack you now,” he said blithely.

“Then you would never have peace.” Akuchi turned and faced Aquillia. “If I am not back by harvest …”

“I know what to do,” Aquillia finished.

“That is unnecessary,” complained Vel. “I will have you back alive and well. On my honour as an elf.”

Aquillia smiled at Vel and handed him his sword belt.

Vel took the sword belt and strapped it to his back. He then turned and led Akuchi into the forest.

Akuchi followed Vel as he wound his way amongst the growing underbrush. The underbrush soon cleared, and the sun dimmed. The underbrush became thick with leaves that had fallen from the canopy. Moss grew on trees that were meters in diameter. They climbed over roots that were as tall as Akuchi. Vel stopped before a certain tree and looked up into the canopy. The tree was ash black but still looked alive. Pain throbbed in Akuchi’s head.

“Do we have far to go?” Akuchi asked, stopping behind Vel.

“Far, yes,” Vel answered. “However, we have a special ability to move through the forest that will allow us to complete the journey quickly.”

“How long would it normally take?” Akuchi asked, looking up into the canopy.

“If we walked it?” It would take us many weeks just to get there. I hope you are strong enough for the journey.”

“What do you mean?” asked Akuchi snapping his head back down to look at Vel.

“I just need to find the right tree,” Vel said, stepping forward.

Vel moved forward and walked around the tree in front of him.

Akuchi followed. As they rounded that tree, they came upon a tree with wood as black as night and no moss growing on it.

“This one will do.”

“What do we need a tree for?”

Vel turned with a frown on his face. “Do you always ask so many questions?”

Akuchi looked at him and shook his head, in a no. Is it such a bad thing to ask a question? Until recently I didn’t even know that the dark elves were a thing. Now I know, and I am just meant to watch and observe? Fine then, that is what I will do. I hope I make it out of here to tell the fort. If I am to die, let it be in pursuit of something greater than me.

“Good.” Vel smiled.

Vel raised his hand and offered it to Akuchi. “Take my hand.”

Akuchi eyed the hand, before taking it.

Akuchi grasped Vel’s hand tightly and turned towards the black tree. He then ran at the tree and pulled Akuchi along behind him. Akuchi stumbled and recovered, keeping up with Vel. Akuchi’s arm felt as if Vel were pulling it from his body. As Vel passed into the tree, his momentum pulled Akuchi with him. The darkness swallowed them.

What is happening? Where am I? What happened to Vel? Oh, crap I am going to die. That blasted dark elf has gone and done it; he has pulled me into this tree and has killed me.

A gentle tug on his arm propelled him out of the tree. Akuchi’s stomach heaved and revolted as he bent over and vomited into the leaf litter.

Vel let go of Akuchi’s hand and stepped away from him.

“I thought you had more stomach than that?” quipped Vel, a smile spreading across his face.

“You could have prepared me for it,” Akuchi said as he straightened up.

“Everyone experiences the merging differently. But we all receive the same warning. None.”

Akuchi wiped his mouth and then sat on one of the roots; the cool moss wet on his bare buttocks. Vel sat on a root opposite Akuchi and looked at him.

“Do we have to do that again?” Akuchi asked.

“Just once more. But it can wait until you recover.”

“Thank you,” Akuchi said, placing his head in his hands.

After a few minutes, Akuchi stood.

“I am ready,” Akuchi breathed. “Let’s get this over with.”

Vel stood with a smile and started off. The ground was still covered in dried leaf litter, the trees creating a thick canopy that blocked out most of the light. Vel followed a path between the trees. The ground had been flattened by many feet over the years. They passed several large trees covered in moss which created an illumination that lit their path. The light varied in colour from brilliant white to deep reds and blues, catching the black paint on Vel’s body and lighting up a complicated pattern of bright green lines and swirls.

They rounded a bend in the track at a tree with purple lichen clinging it to it, arriving at a tree that was dark black, and wider than three of its nearest companions. At the base of the tree sat two dark elves that were also covered in reflective paint. The one on the left, a woman, had green swirls that seemed to dance on her skin. The other elf, a man, had green dots that made diffracting patterns when he moved. They both stood with spears in their hands and a short sword attached to their woven vine belts.

“Wait here,” Vel murmured. He strode on forward and then at a certain distance stopped, clasped his hands in front of him, and then bowed his head.

“What do you want, patrol leader?” the man demanded.

“Who is this?” the woman asked, leveling her spear at Vel.

“He is a man who has started a farm in the north,” Vel explained.

“You brought a human here?” the man asked with a look of horror spreading across his face. “Traitor!”

“He seeks an audience with the king, and is under my protection as a guest,” Vel said hastily. He raised his hands.

“This is most unusual,” the woman muttered, raising her spear and leaning it against her shoulder. “If he attacks us, the blood will be on you and your children, your shame will be much greater."

“I know it’s unusual,” Vel deferred, “let us see what happens. This is the first time this has happened. If we can reach peace, the pride will be all of ours to share.”

“Let the king decide his fate,” commented the man waving them past, “and yours.”

Vel turned and waved that Akuchi should come. Akuchi took his hand as they stepped into the dark tree. Darkness enveloped them and he lost all sensation. It's ok, I will make it out of this merging just like I made it out of the last one. I hope I don’t vomit again, there could be people to see next time. A gentle tug and he was hurtled out of the tree.

Akuchi stepped into a small clearing. Tall, slender white trees surrounded them. His stomach rolled but he suppressed the urge to vomit. Milling around on their own business were dark elves all painted in the same fashion as Vel. The light-emitting moss reflected off the dark elves. Some had stripes of many colours while others were all one colour. Others had dots and swirls and some sported complicated patterns across their body. The elves looked at Vel and Akuchi and stopped what they were doing to gawk.

“None of my people have seen a human before,” said Vel, “please excuse their stares.” He pulled Akuchi and led him down a path that came to a small clearing. The clearing spread out in front of a large white tree covered in moss. The moss gave off light in many different colours. The colored light reflected off the paint on the elves.

Akuchi looked up. Above him the branches from the trees connected to all the other trees, creating a maze-like network of branches that shut out all natural light. The only light here was that from the moss that clung to all the trees, reflecting the special paint that the dark elves wore.

“The tree in front of us is the Mother Tree,” explained Vel. “It is the tree where we all came from and it is the home of the royal family and the centre of our culture.”

“It looks beautiful,” Akuchi exclaimed.

“That is the source of our shame. We live in opulent beauty, but are ourselves ugly,” Vel said.

“I wish there was a way in which I could help you remove your shame,” Akuchi said.

“Thank you,” Vel said, “it is a nice sentiment, but nothing can be done.”

“At least we can hope for peace.”

“My future and the fate of all my descendants forever rest on you. No pressure.”

Vel strode forward and Akuchi followed him. Vel led him to the Mother Tree across an open field of grass to a large arch in the roots of the Mother Tree.