Erelion only smiled again. He was never going to say that.
Damon lifted the almost dead elf with his blood tendrils and squeezed the life out of him with his very hands, and just as the elf was about to die, a splash of green fell over him along with a voice that bood from everywhere.
"Don’t you think that’s enough?"
Green motes lifted from the ground like fireflies and fully surrounded Erelion, healing him with vitality and lifeforce from top to bottom.
Damon did not care about him anymore. He turned around sensing a profound aura behind him. It was an elf, an old man. His long white hair reached his waist, tied loosely with vine-like threads.
That was in fact the only indication that he was even old at all. Everywhere else the old elf oozed youth and vitality. His body was a massive frawork of muscles and raw, unrestrained power.
His skin held the faint luminescence of living bark, sun-kissed, smooth, unwrinkled. His steps were slow, deliberate, but each one made the desert grow. Tiny sprouts burst from the sand as if bowing at his passing.
Damon watched the old elf with cold, assessing eyes, blood tendrils still dripping crimson venom behind him like a demon’s shadow. He could feel that the elf was a cut above him in power level but he did not feel any sense of danger from him for so reason.
The old elf stopped a few steps away, his gaze sliding over Damon with mild curiosity and unmistakable amusent. "Well," the elder said, voice echoing with depth and age. "You nearly killed my grandson. A bold choice."
Damon shrugged one shoulder, utterly unfazed. "He refused to answer my question."
The elder huffed a small laugh. "You certainly are as troubleso as she claid."
Damon’s eyes narrowed. "She? Where is Lirae?"
"Straight to the point. Good. We don’t have ti for elven courtesies." He motioned lazily to Erelion, who was now gasping weakly under the green glow.
"Let him live," He said. "He has made enough mistakes for one lifeti."
"I am afraid that will depend on your answer. You might be stronger than , but you are not strong enough to suppress completely." Damon did not budge.
"Brat, both Lirae and this fool are my grandchildren. Why would I harm my own grandchildren? Now, can you relax and retrieve your venom flowing in his body? How you managed to develop a venom as potent as this is beyond , blood child, but if you leave it in him any longer, even I won’t be able to pull him back."
Damon didn’t move. His expression didn’t soften. Blood tendrils didn’t retract. "Answers first. Grandchildren or not, he blocked , lied to , and wasted precious ti. I don’t tolerate that. Now you are doing the sa thing."
The old elf laughed. "Alright, you impudent little shit. I will tell you where my grandchild currently is. But even if you know that, it’s useless. You cannot reach the place she is in right now."
"What do you an?"
"She is taking our Legacy trial, left to us by our forefathers. Only soone who has elven blood running in their veins is capable of even entering the trial grounds."
Damon’s eyes widened slightly.
"Now do you understand. She is not in any danger. Erelion ca to the human kingdom to rely accompany Lirae to the Legacy trial and bring her back ho for so ti. But after reaching their, my hot-blooded grandson couldn’t stand the condition she was locked up in. So he ended up kidnapping her all the way back to our ho."
Damon’s expression barely shifted. The elder kept speaking, as though explaining weather patterns.
"He dragged her across the continent toward our desert refuge. I am sure you must have heard how we have been holed up here for decades because of the Umbra’s hand. We are not that weak. That is simply the truth we led others to believe."
The old elf laughed. "These old bones can take down an Umbra Hand’s or two without any problem." He then even flexed his muscles and gave them a little kiss before continuing. "The truth is, we have been guarding a legacy left here by our ancestors. The mont Lirae arrived at our settlent, the ancient will seized her and pulled her inside."
Damon’s jaw clenched. "A trial where she could die?"
The old elf blinked once. Then he burst into laughter, loud, booming, and so casual it made Damon’s blood pressure spike. "Die?" the elder wheezed between laughs. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Oh, brat... if she could simply die, it wouldn’t be a legacy. It would be a burial ground."
Damon didn’t laugh. He simply stared.
The elder cleared his throat and continued, "That Legacy is not a trial ant to kill. It is our ancestor’s path and teachings. If she fails the trials she will simply be kicked out. There is no danger inside the trial. You have my word, brat."
Damon still did not look convinced.
The elf sighed. "Youngsters these days... every little thing turns you into a feral beast. Why don’t you co inside and take a seat? I hear you saved my Lirae’s life from a dangerous situation. The least I can do for you is invite you into my ho instead of letting you stand here in the heat like an angry sand bear."
He waved his hand casually. The dunes split open. A vast underground city revealed itself beneath the desert, shimring with green-blue luminescence. Crystal ponds glowed softly. Bioluminescent vines wrapped around everything. It was a hidden elven sanctuary
"Co." The elf pointed to the entrance. "You reek of stress. Why don’t you drink so tea and relax while you wait for Lirae? If I am not wrong, the legacy trial should be ending any ti now."
Damon nodded and followed him. The elf then stopped as if he forgot sothing. "Cure my grandson already, will you?"
***
Chapter 1 Mass Release sponsored by Teoswig
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