The Elven Queen

CHAPTER 21

“Gaizen is back”

For some reason those three words were enough to cause Raydia’s face to sink even further

“I know, that is exactly what I came here to inform her, Leave us, I will bring her”

The Faye lingered by the door turning side to side as if wordlessly communicating among themselves

On closer inspection, they weren't the Faye from the first time in I arrived, they just bore a damn near terrifying resemblance to them, I didn’t recognized any of them even among the new Faye that arrived over the past two weeks, they stared intensely at Raydia clearly weighing their options, then they leave with their heads bowed

“What was that?” I finally asked Raydia after the Faye had left

“Nothing, Gaizen likes to pick up strays whenever he leaves and they are always overly eager to please”

Not believing her but also not willing to grill her for information because the look of disgust on her face left mo room for open conversation, I let the statement hang in the air till she broke the silence

“Now, let’s not waste anymore time, let’s go see Gaizen” I crawl out of bed putting away the pile of books I had on my table, I walk up to Raydia and she stands beside me, we walk for a while in silence till we heard the singing of a small blue bird perched on the window, that was when she finally picked up a rant about different blue birds and how birds get their pigment from the foods they eat, Her rants goes on endlessly, nervously, I was used to it, I had heard them everyday for the past two weeks, that was why I knew something wasn’t right

“Are you ohkay?” I cut her off, wondering what could possibly make this boisterous Faye so nervous, she looks at me, her mouth hanging open due to my sudden interruption, she looks to the ground, the hands at her side balling up the silk of her dress

“How important is that information to you anyway? Can’t you just leave right now without it?” I didn’t know what to expect from her but it definitely wasn’t this

“I can’t do that, people are in danger, MY people, the lives of the people I care about depend on it, I can’t just turn back, besides I’ve waited this long for this man to show up, and he’s finally here, wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?”

“Right” was her only answer, I didn’t notice that our conversation had brought us back to a familiar room, the same room that Grundal brought me in the day I arrived, the difference being that this time I was faced with at least 50 Faye people, at the head of the room was a man who’s mana was unlike that of everyone else, the very air around him seemed to sizzle, his white pupil-less seemed to twinkle unlike the others who seemed distant and dreary, he had striking features, a sharp jawline unlike anything I’ve seen from any of the Faye so far, he had a slightly darker more tanned skin in comparison to their pale skin, his hair was slightly darker, he also visibly looked more mature, by normal standard I would guess he was in his early thirties, but the Faye can’t be judged by normal standards, he was probably ancient, he was still stunning

“Greetings, it’s a pleasure to finally meet the brave Elf that ventured here in search of wisdom, I welcome you” he say with his head held high

“Thank you, but you are too kind, I wouldn’t say I ventured here, your tree is very Inconspicuous and easy to find”

“The others said the exact same thing” he said with a slight chuckle

“I take it you’ve received many others?”

“Yes, our coven frequent this area year round so we always meet an eager adventurer or two”

“Have you met a dwarf named Ludvig?”

Raydia flinched at the mention of his name, other than her, the rest of the Faye showed no reaction to it

“Who?” Gaizen asked innocently c*ocking his head to the side “Forgive me, we meet many or so adventurers, so it’s hard to remember them all” he says with a wave of his hand and an innocent smile

“It’s fine” I surrender on the matter

“Was he a friend of yours?”

“He was someone I knew very well”

“So, what brings you here?” quick to change the conversation

“I have a question about this” I bring out the drawing of the seal I had tucked away and like the first day, passed it round till it came to Gaizen, He took one look at the drawing then lowered it

“Creptic symbols”

“You know what that is?!!!” I was overjoyed

Finally

FINALLY

I was finally going to get some answers

“Yes, those are ancient runes, as you people like to call them, they were the original connation of runes before they were sub-divided, since the new variations were easier to use, write and remember. Therefore, the originals were rendered obsolete and faded out of existence, a shame really, the seal on the other hand, now that is something truly troublesome”

“Can you tell me what it means?” I eagerly ask rapidly walk closer to lessen the distance between us

He brings his hand up to scratch his temple deep in thought, then turns to me

“Of course, but first, I hear you have taken an interest in Morphis and Transmigration”

Why was he asking me this now? Of all times!!

“Yes, I took an interest in the transmorphing of energy to stabilize unruly mana”

“It shows, you have the clearest core of any morbeing I have ever seen”

Morbeing, Mortal being, the word the Faye coined for the other species, a little arrogant but I didn’t care, mentioning yet again, a core that he clearly had no intention of elaborating on, and fairly I didn’t care, I had more pressing matters

“Leader…..”

“Please, call me Gaizen”

“Gaizen, what about the seal”

“Of course, the seal, come with me, there’s a something I would like to show you”

On his word, the room began to fizzle out as Faye shuffled out of their seats, I was relieved to finally get answers, any answers really, to my questions, in my excitement to turned to my side, Raydia wasn’t there, I look ahead and see her tailing after Gaizen

“Tbis haug lik dal helstin jesu tahkt dab van heutalk” There’s another way, there has to be, I can find it

“Nauel hag de soon” And how long will that take?

He replied coldly, that was a strange scene, this was my first time seeing Raydia shrink away in front of anybody, her normal boisterous energy was gone, instead she looked, scared

Something didn’t feel right, in fact nothing about her behavior today felt right, she was spaced out, nervous, she wouldn’t properly look me in the eye, and she didn’t grab me once, we stop in front of a giant ivory door, the air around it was ominous, Gaizen pushes it open to reveal a large empty room, unlike the other rooms in the tree that had marble walls, the inside of this room actually looked like the inside of a tree, roots running from ceiling to floor and in the center, a giant magic circle, something definitely wasn’t right, I slowly back away the aura emitting from the room caused the hair on my arm to stand on end, only to bump into a strong chest, a Faye was behind me,

I look to my right, two more, to my left, three I was surrounded

“Now, why don’t you come in” Gazien urges me to enter, still keeping up that sick hospitable rouse

But the surge of energy that poured out from that room the moment he opened that door made my knees quiver, I glance to my right, one of the Faye positioned there shifted from one foot to another, an opening so I turn to my right and run, I was blocked instantly, the closest Faye tries to grab me, I dodge her and step back to the left, another comes, I side step back to the right, they all charge in my direction, leaving the left wide open, I turn and bolt down that direction only for Gaizen to appear in front of me, instantly a hand comes down on the base of my neck with a force so hard I lose my balance, the next punch came just as quick, hitting me square in my stomach with a force so strong I am sent flying in the room, as I zoom pass I see Raydia standing by the door clutching her dress, her eyes squeezed shut and her head bowed down facing away from me

So that’s what it was, I was betrayed, no, I was used, I grew careless due to the kindness I’d been receiving, I deluded myself, and this was just my rude awakening, my thoughts trail off as I hit the ground with a thud, I roll to minimize impact and spring back up to my feet, I hunch low, bracing myself to run again, when I felt a jab straight through my thigh, I look down to see a thick branch sticking out of my thigh and blood trickling from the open wound, the pain finally registering sent a shock throughout my body, I raise my hand to break the branch when another branch flew out and pierced my raised arm dragging it to the right, another came and pierced through my left hand, another shot out from the ground piercing my other leg then wrapping itself around my impaled limbs, hoisting me up and suspending me in midair further stretching out my limbs, then it paused

My head was pounding, my vision a little blurry, the pain causing me to hyperventilate, my heart beating so fast I can hear it in my ears, coupled with my raged breathing, I try to calm myself, I clench my teeth tight suppressing the pain coursing through my body, my temperature hitches and I feel a vein throbbing on my temple, I take a deep breath, the best decision was burning the place to the ground, so I chant through gritted teeth

“T’aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…………” my spell is cut by the shrill of pure agony that tore out of my throat, the branches in my arm began digging into my skin, small twigs like blades tore through my veins taking root in my body latching onto my very bones, the pain like nothing I had ever felt before, scream after scream pour out of me no longer able to contain them, they bounce across the walls echoing my own crys of agony back to me,

“T’a…bii…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA……” I try again and fail again, my spell is cut by the branch that shoots itself into my back latching onto my spine, then another and another and another, I feel every excruciating sting as I am torn into by countless spikes, my stomach was in disarray I feel the bile rise into the throat, my bladder released itself, blood trickling down my mangled body, then in an instant it all begins to fade as a branch pierced the base of my skull, the blood rised to my head, my vision obscured by red trickling down my face, I begin to loose conscious, in my dreary state I look at the door to see a group of Faye, 7 or so, trying to pin down Raydia, she was screaming, what was she saying? I couldn’t hear her, my ears were ringing, and wet, is that blood? I’m so tired

I close my eye, trying to blink away the mix of blood and tears obstructing my vision,

I open them again, to see Raydia’s head fly off her body, rolling to the corner of the room and her lifeless, headless body falling to the ground, more red, then it all faded to black