บท 33: Interlude 3: Für
Author notes:
I'm back! Once again, sorry for going AWOL. All I can say is that life hasn't really been kind to me, having forced myself to scrunch up some odd jobs to pay the bill. Regardless, the situation has improved somewhat so hopefully I would be able to return to my normal writing schedule.
Anyway, new chapter is up! This time, it shows us the motivation of the elven boss that has been bothering Yuki for quite a while. I am a sucker for this type of villain so I sure wish I made her an understandable character. Yes yes, I know she doesn't get much screen time for that but an author can dream!
Quick shoutout to these guys, my patrons: Captain Quellec Captain Iverson, Sergeant Elvidge, Sergeant Camati, Sergeant Spiele.
Without them, getting myself out of the pithole last month wouldn't have been possible. So, applause!
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In a dimly lit room, visible only by the faint moonlight from the window, a figure sits with a glass of wine in her hand. Her twinkling emerald hair would be a mesmerizing sight, if not for the unkempt state it's in right now. The lady behind the table is Avera Everwood, who is now weighing her failures. Twirling the now tasteless wine glass in her hand, the glistening red liquid reflects her sloppy attire. Pouring it onto the ground, Avera calls for her faithful Head Maid.
"Wake up my husband and daughter, we need to talk."
From the shadow of a curtain, Agent steps out and bows. "As you wish, Mistress." She fades away to fulfill her task, leaving Avera alone to tidy herself up.
The elven lady turns on the light before fixing her hair. She contemplates for a bit before leaving her attire be, no point in changing it out right now. Sitting unceremoniously on the chair, Avera uses the time before her family arrives to think about her life so far.
In the old world, Avera used to be a caring and peaceful woman. That changed when the human gods set their sight on her elven homes, their desire for cultivation resources there known no bound. Thus, they sent out armies to raze Avera's city to the ground and pillaged it with anything of value. The men were forced to become slaves and alchemy materials while women had it much worse. Avera was luckily led away safely by her quick-witted husband, yet, the loss of her family scarred her to this day. It was at this moment that Avera was hellbent on revenge. The corrupted Gods, all must die!
Avera, alongside her husband and like-minded individuals, formed an army in secret. When the drumroll of Ragnarok was heard across the realms and the Ruler of the End appeared. Avera was among the first to offer her allegiance to the female Ruler. Led by the Ruler herself, Avera's army helped the Ruler to kill deities and gods and burned the old world to ashes. Though they paid the price of blood, none of the fallen regret picking up arms against Heaven. It was at Asgard, the last bastion of the old gods, that the Ruler stopped.
"You've served me well, but this is the end. What comes next, I need not your sacrifices. I declare your participation forgotten, you shall bear no sin in the annal of history. The sins of the world are on me and mine alone to carry." The Ruler's words echoed, bending the universal laws to her will. That day, causality was rewritten, Avera's army dispersed, and like mindless puppets, they boarded Yggdrasil's seed. Leaving Avera and a few others to stay behind.
Stepping up to her, the Ruler gave her a blessing. "As an aide, you dutifully fulfilled my every desire in our cause to rebuild the world. Though we acted in accordance to Yggdrasil's whims, for her to reward you is out of the picture with my meddling in causality. Thus, I can only give you this boon." The Ruler touched her index finger, glowing a dark light on Avera's forehead.
At that time, Avera felt a rush of unknown energy heading for her lower abdomen. Perplexed, she was about to pose a question to the Ruler but she was cut off. "Avera, when you wake up, it will be a new era. An era where all have but forgotten about our sacrifices, our purpose in destroying the world, the omniverse. So I want...No, I hope that you will be the living witness of what we've achieved. As the Archivist of the past, when you think the world is ready, spread our tale for all to know. If not possible, then let the past be buried by the Sand of Time."
The Rule crouched down before putting a palm on Avera's stomach. "The boon I gave you was a Boon of Pregnancy. I hope that the daughter you will soon raise would be a caring one like the old Avera. Not the Avera of now that is full of prejudices, biases, and hatred. Now go, this will be our farewell." At her last words, Avera's mind went blank.
Before she knew it, Avera woke up in the new world alongside many others. Yet, she's the only one that could remember the past. Honoring the words of her liege, Avera successfully sired a High Elf, her loving daughter Elysia. Raising her with the care and the best education she could provide, minus Avera's bad sides, she hopes that one day, her daughter will be the greatest there is.
Sadly, it may not be possible for her to witness that.
*Knock* *Knock* "Mistress, excuse our intrusion." The door is opened, revealing her maid alongside her husband and daughter.
Letting them settle down, the maid heads out to make tea and light snacks.
"You're here," Avera says with one hand tapping her desk, while the other supports her chin. She sighs before saying. "I lost."
Her husband, Wilheim, frowns before realizing her meaning. He too sighs before standing up and moving behind his wife. Putting his hands on her shoulder, he massages Avera and says. "For what's worth... You've done well. It's time for you to stop, Avera."
Avera closes her eyes, feeling the warmth and care that her husband is providing her. She revels in it for one last time. She looks at her daughter, now a fine woman, with care.
Elysia, her raison d'etre, shares a worrying look with her. "Mom, Father, what's going on?" Her sky blue eyes and pink pupils quiver slightly in anxiety.
Smiling at her daughter, Avera cryptically says. "It's just my wrongdoings, catching up with me at last. Though my liege bears the sins of old, the treacherous things I committed now will damn my soul." Her words confused Wilheim and Elysia.
Shirking off her husband's hands, Avera turns to offer an apologetic smile before moving to Elysia. She kneels on both her knees, grasping the palms of her daughter. "Elysia, do you know why I asked your father to discard his last name, and for you to not have one?"
Shaking her head, Elysia responds. "That, I don't know, mom. I've speculated reasons but none makes sense."
Chuckling at Elysia's words, Avera explains. "Well, the name Everwood bears the blood of an entire civilization. It's not a pretty name, never been ever since that day. The things I did," Avera puts a hand on her heart. "none of them deserve to be passed on to my family. As my liege chose to bear the sins of her follower alone. I too shall do the same for my loved ones."
From her heart, a shining light, dwarfing even the many light bulbs in the study, appears. Forming a fist, Avera pulls out a glass ball, containing a plethora of multicolored light. "This is my Archive, containing it are the lost knowledge of a time long past and many more. Some are my forbidden research, others are things I stole from others... I now hand it for you to keep."
"Mother...!" Elysia is about to say something when Avera thrusts the Archive into her heart. After that, Avera caresses her daughter's cheek.
"I'm sorry, the pain that's about to come may prove unbearable to you." She said before Elysia keeled over with a heart-wrenching scream.
Wilheim rushes to his daughter, pulling her into his arms. He directed his anger toward Avera, shouting. "What the hell did you do to our daughter!?"
Offering a wry smile, Avera responds. "Passing on the torch, just as my liege had done to me."
"Who the fuck is this liege you've kept talking about!?"
Shaking her head, Avera says. "You wouldn't get it."
It's at this time that the maid return with their late-night refreshments. Agent, seeing the screaming Elysia, has a frown on her face. "It seems to me the tea would be unneeded here."
Sporting an apologetic smile, Avera says. "That's right, isn't it? Sorry, I've wasted your effort." Without waiting for Agent's reply, Avera addresses her panting daughter. "Elysia, soon, the Archive will integrate with you. And with it, you will come to understand everything, including my mission and desire. Use it, forget about it, pass it on to someone else, the choice is yours to make, my daughter. My journey has ended, but your is yet to begin."
Hugging Elysia one last time, Avera kisses her daughter on the forehead. "My last wish for you is to find your other half, one that cherishes you no matter what. And from them, your last name will be granted. Farewell, Elysia."
Standing up, Avera orders Agent. "You know what to do."
Bowing to her Mistress, Agent says. "As you wish."
Befuddled, Wilheim protests. "Avera, what's going on? Just slow down and we can work through everything!"
Avera smiles lightly. "Sadly, my time has run out 2000 years ago." Her smile is the last thing Wilheim and Elysia notice before Agent knocks them out.
Sighing, Avera goes to pour herself a teacup. "Take them to Castle, what comes next need not concern them."
Bowing towards her Mistress one last time, Agent says. "Of everything I've witnessed about you, it's the love and dedication you showed to Elysia that I admired the most." Before a surge of darkness swallows them, teleporting them elsewhere.
Thus leaving Avera alone, her face now has a faint smile. "Coming from the undercover Einheri that's been beside me all this time, that's high praise. Truly, I've never had the chance from the get-go."
Avera finishes everything Agent made in perfect silence. After that, the elf packs up to head back to her territory. There, the last vestige of the previous era shall burn, one last time.
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Avera's territory is a valley city flanked by two lush forests. Aptly named Parallel Covert, the city is home to a population consisting of 95% wood elves. Usually, the city tends to have a pleasant atmosphere as many of the denizens are peace-loving individuals. Yet, an oppressive atmosphere now lingers in the air as a strange smell of sulfur and searing heat waft through the city.
Sitting atop a hill, a bit away from the city populace, is Castle Itter, the headquarters of Avera's supremacist faction. Soon to be their burial ground, also.
Avera, now dressed in an elven attire from the pre-Ragnarok period turns to peer over the horizon. "So she has come personally for my head. I'm flattered."
On top of a balcony of her castle, overlooking the square filled with her loyal soldiers, Avera addresses them.
"Here we stand at Castle Itter, waiting for the ones that usurped our rightful place! Through means of espionage and intrigues, we have been gaining the upper hand in our just cause. In time, we should have been the final victor and our Elven pride should have been the one on the Throne of Obsidian. Yet, Yggdrasil waits for no one, the enemy is now hellbent on destroying us for good. They fear the power, the possibility my daughter possesses and now they come to claim the lives of us all."
Unsheathing her one-handed sword, Avera points it toward the sky. "Yet, I will not let them off so easily! With my daughter now in safe hands, we have no qualms laying down our lives so that she can live on. For the future of elvish kinds, for the glory of the High Elf. We! Fight! On!"
"Für Avera! Für Elysia! Fight!" Echoed the many elven soldiers and Converted humans in the square. With their rifles raised high, they await the order from Avera.
With a wave of her hand, Avera shouts. "To your positions! Let them come!"
With a cry of acknowledgment, the soldiers disperse to the many emplacements Castle Itter has. Leaving Avera to retire to the throne room in the inner castle. Sitting on her embellished wooden throne, Avera waits with a calm smile for the inevitable.
All of them will die today, one way or another, right beneath the storm cloud that's fast approaching.
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