Heart of Aspira

Chapter 4

The tavern was silent, other patrons couldn’t help but stare in fear and shock. The old man felt his eyes stinging with tears while Judith had lost her footing and now sat on the floor looking up at the small woman, too scared to move. Arlen wasn’t much better, the tray in his hands shaking. The Orcs were half raised, ready to fight should anyone strike out at the woman, but it was Sirress who stood and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Get your things, we are leaving, and we won’t be back.” Her order was clear, and no one dared to stop them.

The ride back to their cave was silent. The Dark Elf did not want to speak until they were within the runes, should the woman decide to throw a few spells in her seething rage. He felt slightly bad that it had escalated to the scale it had. She had simply been defending him in her precious, big sister kind of way. Ever since he had started traveling with her, she had done everything in her power to make him feel welcome, to improve his magic and combat skills. She made him a better hunter, and a better person, because now he was not afraid to defend himself, and to reach out to others. Once they arrived, he rushed inside to get her a drink.

“Here, have some ale and relax. I will handle the saddles and get the grain for the horses.” The Dark Elf rushed, not wanting her mood to get any worse. When her temper flared, she tended to get a little clumsy.

“Thanks, I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there. I just cannot stand when people who do not know what real monsters are use the word so lightly. I mean, I know I am a monster; I will not deny it, I have killed a lot of people. I have blood on my hands that will never be washed away. Judith, however, had never had to kill, to decide her life was more important than the person across from her. She didn’t have to decide if she was ready to die for the sake of others, so why does she hate so easily.” Heart asked, her eyes glossing over, as tears of frustration welled up.

“Some people just feel like they need to be cruel to others so they can feel better about themselves. You did not make me uncomfortable. I just realized I do not know much about your past. Heart, the things you listed, it killed me inside to hear what you have been through. I mean, I do not even know what you are. Are you a demon, or a monster? Are you some kind goddess or an angel?” Sirress asked quietly

“I know I don’t talk about my past, mainly because it isn’t a pleasant one. I am an Azrian. We are monsters who have the ability to retain our memories and powers even after death. I have lived many lives in many different lands. I remember the pain of death in each one, I remember the joy of life, the warmth of friendship and the pride of victory. My people have heartmates and until we find them, we simply keep traveling through death. Some lives were good, others hellish.” The small woman confessed.

“By the Stars' Heart, I had no idea. I think I get it a little now. I mean you have lived through hell and Judith has only seen a glimpse of it. Not only that, but I imagine you have seen a lot of discrimination throughout your lives. No wonder you don’t tolerate it.” The male said, sitting down across from her.

“No one should tolerate it. It is archaic and pointless. Monster, demon, human or anything else, should not matter. If you can feel pain, if you can feel any emotion, then you should be treated with respect. That is a basic right all living things should be given.” Heart stated. Moving to get some soup that the Dark Elf had quickly placed on the firestone.

“You’re right, sadly, this world doesn’t seem to get that concept. Ever since the Kazimieras family took over, anyone who is not from the capital is beneath them and do not have any rights. All we lesser folk can do, is kill the monsters they probably helped unleash, and pay taxes that will lead to our starvation.” The Dark Elf hissed.

“Do you remember the old royal families? Do you remember a world before all this?” The small woman asked, watching the man closely.

“Yeah, I was still really small though, but my mother would take me to the towns near our home and everything was simply better. People were happy, homes were well built, and everyone had jobs and food. The fields were flourishing, and the rivers were clean. You could walk through the forests and be reasonably safe. You did not have to have weapons or armor; you could trust people back then.” Sirress reminisced.

“Do you remember the Burning Night?” She asked softly, looking into the fire.

“Kind of, I wasn’t in one of the main towns attacked. I remember seeing an orange glow spread over the land, and the gates to the city being locked. You could hear the screams in the distance, but since my mother had already passed, my father refused to let me go outside to see them. It was months before I managed to sneak out again, and when I did, nothing was left. The forests had burned, the towns were abandoned and for a long time no one came back. The King declared the gates would remain closed, and that no one was to leave. Elves were disappearing, and now they are hard to find. We used to be everywhere, you know?” The Dark Elf confessed.

“So, they have just been killing off the other races, and no one is doing anything about it? Has no one noticed? Doesn’t anyone care? Elves are detrimental to the forests, along with Nymphs, and Sprites, and Treants. Every element has species that aid in its growth. The rivers and lakes belong to the Troglodytes and Naga, the sea belongs to the Mermaids and Merrows, along with giant sea serpents. The mountains have the Manticore, Minotaurs, Goblins and Trolls and so on and so forth. Every place has its own ecological monsters, and the fact that they are slowly being eliminated explains why this place is the way it is. The weather, the plants and ominous tension, it is all because the natural magic is out of balance.” Heart raged, her own connection to natural magic demanding vengeance.

“I won’t lie, it has gotten a lot worse since the Veiled Ones appeared. It is like a disease that has infected the land. Nothing will grow, the forest is silent and most small towns are on the verge of being washed away by the nonstop rain.” Her companion whispered.

“If the Veiled Ones are connected to the royal family, then chances are we will have to face them as well at some point. We should start looking out for information on them as well. I’m sure we will hear some gossip in the towns closer to the capital. We will head there after we check the mountains. Until then, we stick with the plan and make sure we keep all the money we earn and secure it for the future. We don’t know what we will face going forward. It would be best to have some money saved up in case of an emergency.” Heart stated, before moving to the stairs that led to her makeshift room.

“We start again in the morning, have a good sleep Sirress, and thank you. I feel much calmer knowing I have a friend like you by my side.” The woman confessed before continuing to her bed.

“You’re welcome, sweet dreams Heart.” The Dark Elf whispered with a soft smile on his lips. The morning would arrive soon, and he didn’t hesitate to go to his own small room and settle in for the night.