The giant eagle Angola circled once around the Tree of Life before spiraling up toward Gewen's residence: an elegant wooden cottage with a small courtyard, nestled atop the vast canopy platform.
With a beat of its wings, Angola descended steadily into the courtyard. Unlike its sowhat clumsy maneuver out in the open, the eagle's landing here was precise and cautious—for if it so much as stumbled, its massive bulk could easily flatten the entire house.
"Please, co inside."
Leaping down from the eagle's back, Gewen waved his staff, opened the door, and gestured for the group to follow.
Wang Yu and the others stepped into the house and settled down into seats around the living room.
"Sieg, if I'm not mistaken, you've co here to seek contact with Aurelian, right?"
As Gewen clapped his hands, several supple vines extended from the walls, delicate cups balanced atop their curling ends. The vines gently laid the cups on the table before each guest. The cups were filled with a clear, pale-green drink.
"Indeed," Sieg nodded. He took a sip of the drink. "There was... trouble in the human kingdom I lived in. We're technically fugitives now, so we had to leave. Before settling elsewhere, I wanted to see Aurelian—especially so that Noelle can et her sister."
"Oh, how much little Noelle has grown already!" Gewen exclaid, glancing at the red dragon girl seated beside Avia.
"She likely doesn't rember much of Aurelian," Sieg said with a soft smile. "She was far too young back then."
"I can imagine." Gewen exhaled with a hint of emotion. "Family should reunite when they can. But... I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I can't contact Aurelian at the mont."
Sieg paused, frowning ever so slightly. "Did sothing happen?"
He didn't press. Rather, he calmly awaited Gewen's explanation.
"Well, I suppose you must not have gotten much news since leaving for the human lands. About a century ago, there was a cataclysmic battle on the southernmost coastal plains.
"All information about the incident was sealed afterwards, but there were still quite a few in the know were aware. I suppose no one in your forr kingdom caught wind of it."
Gewen's tone remained steady. The long life of an elf had granted him an almost unshakable composure.
"And this incident involved Aurelian and other dragons?"
"Indeed. The battle was between a dozen dragons of various breeds and a single silver dragon—the very last recorded appearance of dragons on the continent. You, of course, don't count.
"No one knows where those dragons ca from. They chased the silver dragon across the skies, their breaths tearing through the clouds, rending the plains below. The devastation was so great that the land has not healed to this day—entire mountain ranges now rise where flat coast once lay.
"And you can probably guess the outco. Every one of those dragons fell, slain by that silver dragon.
"Our elders managed to capture only one clear image of that battle. All else was lost to the overwhelming shockwaves of magical energy.
"Draconic might is truly extraordinary. If there were even a single dragon clan left on this continent, I doubt any of the Five Races could hope to compete."
As he spoke, Gewen raised his staff. A projection blood in the air—not a flat image, but a vivid three-dinsional vision that felt almost tangible.
Across the skies, multicolored draconic breaths surged like streaks of lightning as they converged on a single figure.
The sheer energy twisted the air into visible ripples, distorting the image itself and conveying the unimaginable might at play.
From the silver dragon's maw burst a beam of incandescent light. It t the oncoming breaths head-on and erased them in a radiant clash. The silver dragon soared and weaved gracefully, evading the rest of the barrage with ease.
The missed blasts struck the land below, carving horrific, jagged ravines into the earth.
"She truly is unmatched... That strength, that composure—I've always looked up to her." Sieg's voice was reverent as he gazed at the recording of the magnificent silver dragon.
Avia and Noelle sat in stunned silence. Wang Yu, anwhile, smacked his lips as he ntally estimated the strength of each dragon.
"Not long after that battle, Aurelian ca to ," Gewen continued. "She destroyed the token we once used to contact each other.
"She had grown stronger, and her realm more complete. But she told she needed to hide for a ti—she wasn't yet ready to face what lay ahead. She left sothing for if you or Noelle ca seeking her."
Gewen relayed Aurelian's ssage. The implications made Sieg narrow his eyes slightly.
"This item can only be activated with the Corewell of the Skyborne City," Gewen explained. "It's a safeguard to keep anyone from tracing her through it. For now, there's no way for you to reach her directly. We'll have to wait until the Skyborne City arrives."
Gewen took a small box out from his robes and placed ti before Sieg.
"How long will that take?" Sieg asked, opening the box. Inside, nestled in soft lining, was a single, gleaming silver dragon scale. It radiated no discernible power, but its tallic luster and finely etched pattern left Sieg no doubt that it had co from Aurelian herself.
"About half a year. You've co at just the right ti. The Skyborne City circles the continent once every twenty years. In six months it will stop at Liaheim for a few days.
"I'm one of the Elven Elders now—getting four passes for your group won't be an issue."
With that, everything would be resolved. All Sieg had to do now was wait. Sieg gently closed the box and pushed it back.
"Thank you. But... please keep this scale for the ti being."
He had gleaned sothing from the scale, though he didn't explain precisely what.
"Think nothing of it. The help you and Aurelian once gave is a debt I'll spend my life repaying."
Gewen smiled and waved off the formality.
"So, what do you say—would you like to stay in Liaheim for the next six months? It's a far cry from a human kingdom, but I trust you'll adapt quickly."
As he spoke, he turned to Wang Yu and Avia. With half a year before the arrival of the Skyborne City, it was only natural that he would want to make them feel at ho.
"No objections here," Wang Yu replied cheerfully. "It'd be an honor. I imagine there's much I can learn, and even more to marvel at."
"Thank you, Mr. Gewen," Avia added.
Wang Yu was very pleased for the chance to explore the land of the elves, and Avia felt the sa way.
"Excellent. I'll have Angola fly you down. Here—this is my token. While Liaheim has been closed to strangers lately, honored guests are still very welco.
"If you need a place to stay, simply ask any of the elves—they'll see to your lodgings. And if you need to contact , just channel your magic into this seed."
Gewen clapped his hands once more. This ti, the sa vines that had delivered their drinks earlier brought forth three acorns, each about a quarter the size of a clenched fist, and placed them before Wang Yu, Avia, and Noelle.
"Now then, Sieg and I have private matters to discuss. Angola will escort you down."
As an elf, Gewen wasn't one to mince words. After they accepted the acorns, he dismissed them: there were things he could not disclose in their presence; it was ti for them to take their leave.
"Very well. We'll take Noelle down first."
Naturally, neither Wang Yu nor Avia had any intention of prying into matters that didn't concern them. They exchanged farewells with Sieg and left Gewen's dwelling with Noelle in tow. The giant eagle Angola began the descent to the elven city below.
Through the window, Gewen watched as Angola's form slowly dipped out of sight, its wings vanishing behind the great trunk of the Tree of Life. The faint smile on his face faded and was replaced by a solemn expression. He turned to Sieg, who was looking intently at him.
"This part concerns the conflict with the dwarves. I hope you'll forgive for keeping it from them—for now, I can only place my trust in you and your sister."
"Wang Yu and Avia are utterly trustworthy," Sieg replied, "but your caution isn't misplaced. Go on. What happened?"
He straightened slightly as he gave Gewen his full attention.
"The Tree of Life has been behaving oddly. It's begun drawing in external energy at an accelerated pace and converting it into life force in far greater quantities than usual. If I had to describe it, I'd say... it's hungry for life itself.
"The truth is, those rampaging war-trees aren't going berserk because they lack life force. On the contrary—they're trying to harvest it. They're channeling that gathered energy back into the Tree of Life through the system of roots that underpins the Forest of Origin.
"This is the first ti we've seen the World Tree so overtly demand life force. Until now, it had always been the one nurturing life, not devouring it. Sothing's wrong. We're still investigating.
"And that investigation has led us to the dwarves, to a recent operation of theirs—a certain Deep Delve on which they've embarked."
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