Chương 24: Name For Her
"Erlos," Draven called for him.
Erlos immediately dropped his work and came to them as he knew why Draven had called him. He knew why Draven had called for him.
"Elder Leeora, let me speak on Sire's behalf," he said in a tone that made him sound like a gossipmonger. "The King has brought her from a human kingdom called Valor. We found that the humans there burned an entire mountain to kill her. They think she is a witch. Oh, she is also the only princess of that kingdom but her family has abandoned her because some human priest declared she was a bad omen who would bring disaster to them. Poor girl."
Leeora listened intently. She didn't find it strange that humans tried to kill a fellow human thinking she is a witch. "Do you know her name?"
"That we don't know," Erlos replied and glanced at the King. "We should have asked around more but Sire wanted to go back to Agartha. I am not to blame."
Hearing those words, a pair of red eyes moved up to look at that whining servant. "Then I am giving you a chance to complete the investigation. Do not come back until you learn everything you can about that creature."
"M-Me, Sire? What—"
Erlos did not even get to finish what he was saying when he disappeared from the study. Draven used his power to send him somewhere far across the continent.
"Did you send him to that human kingdom, Sire?" Leeora asked, but she was not worried. She trusted the King's way of treating Erlos.
"He should be back in a day or two," Draven replied and resumed his work.
Leeora chuckled. "Sire sure has a unique way of training him to make him realize his powers."
"What do you think about that human creature?" Draven asked as he put down the scroll he was holding.
Leeora thought for a while. "I may need a couple more days to be sure, but the human girl seems unable to speak. She seems to be an intelligent child but she wasn't taught basic manners and reacts warily to sudden sounds and movement, as if she's experienced a troublesome childhood. Though she looks about fifteen, she acts like a little girl half her age. Well, looking at her thin physique, she did look like she was mostly starved and—"
"I am not talking about that," he said and looked pointedly at Leeora.
Leeora sighed. "She looks like an ordinary human girl, at least on the surface. It's hard to know anything about her unless I observe her more."
"I cannot sense her existence with my powers," he added.
"With your powers, Sire?" Leeora was aware of Draven's abilities and found it strange. "Interesting. I am sure there is something terribly wrong with her body then."
Draven simply nodded and heard the elf lady continue, "We are not sure if it's her own power or someone else's. Her constitution is human but perhaps she's not a pureblooded human. However, even if one of her parents or ancestors belongs to a supernatural race, it still does not explain how Sire cannot sense her existence. Mixed bloodlines generally give birth to descendants with weaker powers. Do you think she is a mutation with power as great as yours, Sire?"
Draven frowned as if to think, but didn't say anything.
Leeora continued to throw ideas on the table. "There is also a possibility that she is in fact neither a half-blood nor human in the first place, but something is hiding her original identity in the guise of a human body. A kind of seal strong enough to hide itself from your powers, Sire... However, Sire, even among us supernaturals, no one can do it, not the Head Witch, not even the Monarch of the Witches herself. No one can do it except for you, Sire… or those with powers like yours."
"Those gods?" Draven chuckled sarcastically. "Those creatures that the weak humans worship for nothing?"
"What do you mean, Sire?"
Draven shook his head, as if he's not interested to answer. "She's human."
Leeora frowned. "Hmm, then if that girl really is just a human being and not a sealed supernatural…Sire, I apologize but I am lacking in knowledge. I must continue observing her."
He gave out a satisfactory sound, as if the things she said were what he wished to hear.
After a while, Leeora had a thought. "Sire, if you give me permission, I can reach out to the witches and have them cast a spell on the human girl to read her memories. Perhaps we can have a clue as to her life experience, though there is a high chance it might yield no result since if her body can't be sensed by your power, chances are a lesser being like a witch will also fail."
Leeora was sure Draven must have thought about all these possibilities and asked, "What are your thoughts about this, Sire?"
Draven picked up his quill as if to show it wasn't worth thinking about. "Do whatever you want."
Leeora could not say anything and simply bowed before him. "I will excuse myself and take a leave then, Sire."
The King did not give her a response. As she was about to leave, the elf turned around again as an afterthought. "Sire, I am thinking of asking you to give her a new name even if Erlos finds out what she's originally called. "
Draven gave her a bland look as if to say, 'Why will I do that?'
"A new name for her new life," was all that Leeora said as she left. "Please think of a good name for her, Sire."
Draven stopped working the moment she was out of his study. He leaned back in his chair as he mumbled, "Name? Such a bother?"
Chương 25: She Had Never Seen The Beauty Of Land
After her brief visit to the palace, Leeora returned to Ronan.
Upon entering the city of elves, the High Elder first instructed one of her clan members to deliver a message towards Honeyharbor, the land of witches on the other side of the forest.
The territory of the witches bordered the Forest of Elves, starting from the edge of the forest towards the grassy fields where a handful of witch towns could be found. Unlike the elves that have one city per clan, the witches only have a single city within their territory—the City of Honeyharbor.
With that, all she would need was to wait for the response of the Head Witch. Leeora decided to head back home.
'I wonder how that human girl is faring.'
When she checked the tree house beside hers, Leeora could not help but shake her head. As expected, the girl chose to stay inside her house. She had told her she could go out and roam around the city, hoping that it would let her feel a sense of belonging especially if she made some friends among the young elves, but the girl seemed to prefer being alone.
Leeora knocked on the door of the human girl's house.
"It's me, Leeora. May I come in?"
After knocking once more, she decided to enter the house and found the human girl sitting by the window, looking outside quietly. She looked lonely, lost as if she had nothing left in life to do and was wasting her time away. It brought a sigh to the elf's lips.
"How have you been, child?" Leeora asked.
Hearing her, the human girl simply turned to look at her, but that was all. Leeora smiled and went towards where she's sitting.
She saw what this human girl was looking at. From her window, she could see the view of a beautiful and grand palace made entirely of white stone that seemed to glisten under the sun. It was the one and only magnificent structure in the middle of the mountains full of greenery, standing magnificently beside a river and a forest.
The Royal Palace of Agartha, residence of the Devil King Draven Aramis.
Aside from the palace, there were no other huge stone constructions in this kingdom as all races living under his protection preferred to live in either quaint communities or in their natural habitats, like the forest or the lakes.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Leeora said. "That is the palace where you have stayed till now. Do you miss it?"
The human girl did not react, but she thought that this kind elf lady must be having some sort of misunderstanding. That terrifying red-eyed man lived there. She was relieved that she no longer had to face him. Why would she miss that place?
'But still, I never knew the world could be this beautiful.'
Everything she was seeing now were things she never imagined she would get to see. The luxurious palace, the lush garden, the lively forest, the city of elves—they were all sights so magnificent she could not even see them in her dreams.
Gaia, the one who raised her, did not allow her to be seen by people and warned her to never ever step foot outside the mountain, otherwise, her life would be in danger. The things she knew of the outside world all came from the stories Gaia told her.
She was raised in isolation, and from her very first memory, it had always been the sight of the dark cave and gloomy forest. In a place covered in a fog all year round, where the sun barely shines, the only colours she could see were the poisonous mushrooms that survive on the rocky ground of the mountain. The only animals she could interact with were crows and vultures and other animals that scavenged to live, feasting on the lives of the poor humans who lost their way inside the dead forest.
She grew up in a land of death…and now, she's seeing a land of life.
Inside her new home, this window had the best view of everything beautiful the outside world has to offer—the mountains, rivers, the forest, and not to forget that magnificent palace.
She felt overwhelmed with happy emotions just staring at these beautiful sights.
Leeora, of course, didn't know this. "I left some of the loaves of bread I made on the table. Eat it when you're hungry. Later, I will take you outside to show your way around the city." Leeora left after a while.
The human girl remained looking at the palace. All of a sudden, she found something flash away from the direction of the palace. Something moving at the speed of lightning.
'A bird? No…it looks like some kind of energy?'
It startled her, but she thought it must be her imagination.
'I must be hungry.'
-----
Do check the reference images in the comment section.
Quà tặng
-- Nhận quà Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
200+ Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
178 Đá
Quyền lực 
bình luận đoạn văn