The elves mostly lived in the desolate western forests where humans rarely set foot. The monsters there were few, but far more vicious and mysterious, and the flora and fauna of the Elven Forest were equally dangerous. For example—
In the southern lands, the largest spider was about the size of an adult human. In the Elven Forest, those spiders would be nothing more than biscuits to be eaten by the native arachnids.
Even so, slave-hunting groups were still eager to risk their lives for gold, heading west to capture and abduct elves, then sell them for a high price—this was nothing new.
Which was why elves without enough strength could never leave the Elven Forest.
Let alone roam the mortal world as a bard, recording epics with music.
But...
Vieya stared unblinkingly at the Light-Reversing Stone hairband tied around her wrist, carved with a line of ancient elven script.
She could not read elven, but Flaviel had once explained its aning to her.
“It says, ‘The fawn returns to the herd, the evil dragon retreats.’”
Aislin smiled as she explained, wiping down her fine elven sword.
“Long, long ago, upon the highest branch of the World Tree lived the silver deer Oriana—not truly a deer, but the dream-keeper woven from fragnts of starlight.
Each night she tucked all elven children beneath their blankets of sweet dreams, until she was cursed by a Void Dragon, and her antlers rusted. The dreams were about to leak into the abyss...”
“She broke off the cursed antler, sacrificing one piece to save the whole.” Vieya continued the line.
“...Mm... yes!” Aislin looked at the human child before her, surprised. “You’ve heard this tale?”
“Only that part...” Vieya nodded, then shook her head.
“Then you are truly blessed with fortune!” Aislin sheathed her polished sword, poked Vieya’s forehead, and laughed.
“Most humans will never hear this story in their whole lives!”
Seeing Vieya’s displeased expression, Aislin conjured another honey stick as if by magic and handed it over, finishing the tale she had left half-spoken:
“When Oriana faced the dragon, the wound from her broken antler did not bleed. Instead, it spewed forth the breath of hundreds of elven children she had protected in their dreams—the heat of that breath burned holes through the dragon’s scales!”
Is this so elven-only fairytale? Vieya wanted to ask, but Aislin was caught up in the telling, so she refrained. She would treat it as a foreign story hour while waiting for the ship.
“The wounded Oriana fell to the mortal world, surrounded by wolves. At that mont, a little human girl clutching a ragged doll rushed out of the woods and used her own hairband to weave the dragon scales into °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° a dreamcatcher!”
“Incredible, isn’t it? Even more incredible—the little girl suddenly grew elf ears,” Aislin winked. “Legend says she beca the first human teacher of the elven tongue. But that’s not the main point. The main point is—”
“Legend says every shard of Light-Reversing Stone cos from the broken tips of Oriana’s antlers. When an elven child is in danger, all they need do is shout into the stone, ‘Oriana owes a sweet dream!’ and they will be granted the protection of starlight.”
“Later Oriana turned into a star, but every elf at adulthood must endure the pain of her broken antler.” Aislin rubbed her own forehead, still with a hint of fear. “I suffered three days and nights to gain this piece—so don’t you dare lose it! After all, now you are my accomp—ah no, my dream conspirator～”
“So valuable?” Vieya froze, finished off the honey stick in two bites, and raised her hand toward the silver-haired elf. “Then I don’t want it!”
“You can’t refuse! It’s protection for the young.”
“...Fine then.” Vieya withdrew her hand, muttering drowsily, “Why hasn’t the ship arrived yet... I’m about to fall asleep.”
“Rest easy. I’ll wake you when the ship cos.”
“Thank you...”
“No need to thank . We’re friends now, aren’t we? Want to sing you an elven lullaby? It works wonders...”
“...Yes... I need—”
Before she could finish, Vieya curled up on the chair with her ticket in hand and quickly drifted off to sleep.
“Zzzz...”
“Well then.”
Aislin blinked, a little surprised at the human child’s sleeping state. “Seems she doesn’t need it after all...”
On the docks, the violet-flagged banners stirred without wind, a soft lody whirling above the stacked cargo crates. A pigeon perched on a masthead tilted its head, curious at the elf bard playing below.
Suddenly!
The salty sea breeze carried with it a mysterious aura, sweeping in from the distant waters.
The boat ticket in Vieya’s hand grew hot. She frowned and slowly opened her eyes.
From the west of the docks ca a thunderous roar of waves. The horizon caved in, as if an unseen titan had struck it with a massive hamr!
Sailors began to sprint across the docks toward the mooring, and soone shouted: “The tides are breaking!”
From between the seams of the dock’s green stone bricks sprouted clusters of glowing blue bellflowers, swaying toward the void!
This was the on of the arrival of one of the Human Alliance’s four supre magic arks—the Starbell Lily of the Valley.
Three hundred ice-cracks split open in the dusk, freezing the entire sea into diamond-like starry tracks, the waves locked in their mont of spray.
A unicorn mast pierced through the ice-mist, making every sword in every smithy resonate in low song.
When the moonlight crystal on the ship’s prow cut through the last veil of fog, the apprentice astrologer in the watchtower scread—this was no re sailing. The entire ship was waltzing upon the frozen tracks!
Ice shards shattered by the ship’s stern sprayed into the air, turning into rainbow-colored fireflies that sward toward the dock, like scattered stars.
The blue-and-white ark sailed from the heavens, its towering hull like a skyscraper, its black magic cannons pointing into the void!
This colossal ark was as vast as a city, but luckily the docks were large enough to contain it.
Crowds gathered: adventurers, smith apprentices, tavern owners...
Even seasoned sailors and patrol knights were drawn in.
All gazed in awe at this ark, the pinnacle of human craftsmanship and conquest.
When the ship docked, there was no sound of anchor chains—only the chorus of thousands of bellflower lanterns singing hymns.
From the deck ca the synchronized tramp of feet. A unit of gold-armored knights from the Royal Capital marched to the rail in formation, lined up like a golden wall.
Then, a figure clad in Hero’s armor walked forward. Her blade-like silhouette made the golden knights step aside, giving her space.
“Rotisha... the Reversal Hero.”
Vieya whispered the na under her breath.
“You’ve heard of this Hero too?” Aislin nudged Vieya’s shoulder in secret, eyeing the commanding Hero with interest. “I’d only ever heard tales. This is my first ti seeing her... as expected of a Hero, beautiful and striking... Sigh, except no chest.”
“...” Vieya said nothing, only clenched her ticket tighter.
“Those with tickets, hurry and board. I don’t have ti to play house with you.”
Rotisha took the white officer’s coat handed to her by a golden knight and flung it over her shoulders. She looked at the dock’s silent, cowed crowd and spoke with contempt:
“What? Not even the Lord Mayor ca to welco us? Three blood-cry pleas for aid in a single night, and now no face to show? Heh... or has all this talk of duty and loyalty been nothing but feeding maggots behind your walls with the bones of our Royal Capital’s citizens?”
“You there, little knight. Go back and tell your master, my na is Denonas Rotisha, Hero guarding the Royal Capital. You may choose death or life.”
“If you want death, keep hiding like rats. If you want life, co out and follow into the war zone!”
Aislin lowered her head and whispered to Vieya, “So looks really can’t be trusted. This Hero is fierce! A proper calamity!”
Vieya gently shook her head and raised a finger to her lips.
“Shh.”
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