Early the next morning, their journey began to a potential demise or a joyous and important reunion. Every single one was very tense as he/she said goodbye to his/her family. Leo kept a low profile going over everything with himself again before he too came forward.
" The departure will begin now. As you all know this journey will probably be the toughest of your lives. No one can say if we will reach our destination nor if we will all survive until then. Nevertheless, we have no choice but to try and assist our brothers and sisters far to the south in order to save their lives. Combined with their resistance, we stand a chance against the superiority of the elves and their leader. And if you do not believe in me or Elayn, then believe in Maris, our former leader, who has appeared again to guide us. I don't care what you think of me but only your resolution and determination to fulfill our goal."
("So now she's taking the risk of lying after all. We will see if this plan works out and if this guy is really the real one.")
Following a pep talk, the groups were set up. It didn't mean that they would split up but that in case of a fight they would be organized and know what to do. In the end, 3 sections were established, each with a leader. The first one was led by Lynia, the second by Ryu and the third by Connor and Nadal. Leo was intentionally left out as his position was still being questioned by some. Much to his surprise, he was assigned to Lynia's group. She had faith in his abilities in hopes of making some change in him.
"Did you hear that men, this division affects you as well. Her order is my order, too. You know how to operate, many of these folks are among us hence protect them as well as our residents. May I welcome each and every one of you back so stand firm and don't ever give up. Do it for friend, family as well as yourselves and you will have a clear mind."
"Somehow she looks annoyed, her tone is usually much smoother."
"It's probably because she lost to Ryu in training yesterday."
("Ha, good loser my ass...")
"She didn't lose but rather gained something. Because we both learned from each other and I was able to figure out what she was going to do faster. This battle was not about a loser."
" I think you're either speaking in your own terms again or you're trying to sugarcoat things. In either case, Carleen wouldn't approve this so easily."
"Well then young brave lady, see you next time when we are back here."
"You flatter me though, I'm not that young anymore. My experiences made me far older than I truly am. Then again, I'm not the only one who feels that way."
"I know a good saying: you're only as old as you feel."
"Haha, that sounds really intriguing. In that case, I'm already a grandma for the most part."
"As long as you make the best of it everything should be fine granny."
Carleen and Leo were joking around one last time till it was time to say farewell. Hajas led the way, directing the group along the path he envisioned. As night fell, a small camp was set up with all the necessary supplies at hand. Nevertheless, even the delicious food didn't help to prevent the fear and panic of the travelers. Neither did it help when the next day many traces of fights and elves appeared. So far they were lucky not to meet any opponents but as time went by everyone got more and more tensed. Now Lynia was much more cautious in finding a place to camp. She and Ryu scouted the nearby area and decided on a place. As the other warriors were eating and chatting with each other, Leo stayed away from these groups. There was no way he could settle down, he had a bad feeling throughout the day.
" Hey, are you sitting here alone again? Won't you try to make some friends?"
"That's not the issue at the moment. Ever since this morning, I've been plagued by this bad vibe that just won't leave me alone."
"Well, that's quite normal. We're passing right through the enemy's territory so we have to be on guard all the time. I think it would be strange if you were completely calm and collected."
"No, this is different. This has nothing to do with being paranoid."
"Are you sure about that? Or do you not trust my qualit-"
Before Lynia could speak further, Leo glared in a different direction as his eyes snapped open.
"What's the matter? What's supposed to be there?"
"Don't look so obvious! I told you something was wrong, we are being observed. Slowly turn around and peek between the two trees. A small glimpse and nothing more!"
Lynia listened to his words and saw the green glowing eyes peering at their camp from a distance.
"Now calm down before you take any sudden action. While their eyes may glow, it's not the same gleam as the other soldiers. In my opinion, due to their clear minds, they are able to just observe us without actually attacking."
" The way they behave means they are completely passive. Someone surely ordered them to do so so we should find out who it is as soon as possible."
" Taking them by surprise is impossible and attacking them directly would just cause turmoil. From what I can tell, they know this area much better than we do.
"So you want to do absolutely nothing about it?! After all, who's to say they won't really strike during the night?"
"They may be greatly outnumbered against us yet even if we attack, we will lose. Their leader purposely chose to send this amount of people."
"Because he knows we cannot defeat them?"
" And he expects us to be clever enough to not take action here. In the end, he took a small chance to test us. Most likely, even in our attack, I think he made all the preparations necessary to wipe us out. He is toying with us and we can do no further if we want to survive. Still, what is his aim...?"
"To vanquish our people on the grand stage. I don't think he will defeat us unless he is present. It is possible that everything here is just a farce and that we would actually have a shot."
"Either he is a madman or a genius, however, one thing is clear: our enemy has us in the palm of his hand and is messing with us as he pleases. Every step we take could be our last. For the moment we have no choice but to obey his game...
All of a sudden Leo heard rustling behind him. Both were sitting right at the edge of the clearing next to the trees meaning that everything behind them was hidden in the dark. Turning around, they saw five elves dressed in black with a mask over their faces. Then Ryu suddenly appeared next to them and watched the situation with one hand on the sword handle. However, when he saw the pair of blades each carried along with the masks, his aggressive aura disappeared. It seemed that these people appeared to be too strong even for him to annihilate all of them or was there some other reason? At any moment, Leo expected that they had something planned for Lynia. It was obvious that she was the leader of the group of dark elves and thus an extremely important person. Instead, the elves all turned their eyes to Leo and pointed at him to follow them. He was completely astonished yet for Leo there was no more hesitation. Neither of the three noticed any sort of offensive aura or attitude towards their person. While it was clear that they would not kill Leo, their intentions were much different.
"Guys, settle down, there's nothing we can do right now. Lynia, you remember what we were talking about. Likewise, Ryu knows what behavior is best right now. So long as I follow them, you should be safe."
Once Leo stated this, one of the elves nodded and indicated once again for him to come with them.
"Don't do anything stupid now and don't take any action that might harm you and the others. My life is not worth that of hundreds. Trust me, I will be back."
"Tch, I get it. Still, why do they want you again? That guy actually cursed you."
A murderous look was on her face as she looked at the elves.
"If you hurt him I will personally get back at you!"
The group couldn't care less about her threat and took Leo with them. On the way, a cloth was tied around his mouth preventing him from speaking. In addition, his hands were also tied and a blindfold was put on him. But in return he listened to what his abductors had to say.
"She certainly must be convinced of this person. His strength isn't even enough even close to one of us."
"You are aware that there is something even far more essential to her. His talent may lie within that, perhaps he is extraordinary in her eyes."
" Shut up you two and don't question her decision. She knows exactly how to proceed best."
They led Leo through the forest to a huge fortress. It was nearly three times the size of the one Lynia had built. The gates opened up without saying a word and they brought Leo into one of the big houses. Bringing him into a room, they sat him on a chair, untied his hands and freed him of the blindfold. After that, one of the group took one of his blades, put it on the table and left the room with the others. The room itself was nearly completely empty with a table and another chair in front of him. As he analyzed the weapon he saw different runes aswell as emeralds and rubys embedded in them. These weapons weren't normal, they looked like longer daggers with a curved blade. This weapon was specially made, the handle made the blade far more easy to wield and to put more strentgh in blows.
("So you want to test me huh?").
Instead of hiding the weapon in order to be able to surprise attack, he took the blade and cut the cloth that was tied around his mouth. Afterwards he put the blade back on the table.
"Hm, so you really aren't tainted by stupidity as others of your people are. I was right in my decision."
The door opened again and in stepped a beautiful woman with gray long hair and orange-red eyes. She was dressed all in white with a dark green cloak. Her appearance was almost that of a human if not for her ears being those of elves. Usually any man would desire and devote themselves to such a lady yet Leo was oblivious to her charms.
"Oh, that look of yours shows me that I am more than just a lady in your eyes. As you surely already guessed, I am the one who summoned you to this place. To start with, I must confess to you that you are mistaken: we' ve been watching you for two days straight. It was precisely during these two days I found myself attracted to you most. In the eyes of others you are just a simple average replaceable man, however, in my eyes there is more to you than just that. Oh, and let me tell you: It's no use trying to belittle yourself, it only wastes our time."
"Time is precious, therefore why am I of such value to you if I am traveling with your arch-enemy?"
"Just because you follow them doesn't mean you're true to them. Throughout the ages, there have been hundreds of such individuals who ultimately chose betrayal as their decision. Maybe you are a spy or you are waiting for the perfect opportunity to assassinate their leader...but enough of this nonsense. I have enough information to know that you are loyal to them. Loyalty is healthy, it's important. Once you find it, hold on to it as long as you can. Still, that's not all there is to your nature. Can you trust them and all their decisions? Are you doing everything on their behalf without any question? No, I don't think you' re that blind. Trust is so easy to lose...but YOU know all about that, right?"
Leo felt pierced by her as if she could see through him completely. Something was strange about her. It seemed like she knew all about his life.
" Well as you know, actions speak louder than words. But have your actions been significant enough to convince them of you or are you not fitting into their picture? Do they even need you anymore? You see: People...need to be needed by someone in order to live. If a person isnt needed, they're worthless!"
" Perhaps you're right but that doesn't mean they will remain so. Even the weakest on the battlefield can create a difference that overturns everything."
"Oh please, such miracles have long been extinct. Weaklings must realize their place or it will be made clear to them until they have to face it. Why do you think there are soldiers? How come they are below you even though they have more experience or are older? It is because their will is too weak! The weak compete and the strong dominate. It has always been like that and it will never change."
"So you really think we have no chance against you at all?"
"Oh, so that's what you interpreted from that? Don't think I'm as stupid and naïve as others to see victory before it all even begins. You will try, you will get hope but with time I will slowly show you that it never would have worked out. Just look at them, barely half of them knows how to handle themselves in battle. Morality and determination can only take you so far...in the end they are nothing more than illusions they delude themselves ending in blind naivety and false self-conviction."
"Being optimistic in a negative situation is not naivety, it is the qualities of a leader."
" Someone who meant a lot to me said the very same thing. Now he' s lying in the ground knowing he was mistaken. It all could have been avoided had he not been contaminated by self-conceit. Ultimately, it was his arrogance which cost them his life. So tell me, what do you think is true arrogance? I can tell by your expression that you're very familiar with that term."
Leo needed to cooperate in her game. The way she spoke reminded him a little of Zaphiel as well as of himself. Although it was the enemy, it was a conversation which he could carry on. Moreover, the term arrogance was part of his hatred before.
"Arrogance is nothing more than weakness disguised as strength. The result of overconfidence and one of the most foolish and deadliest things in existence."
His gaze grew darker and calmer, for an instant he transformed back to the man he once was and wanted to stay. She enjoyed his sight, it was exactly that what she wanted to get out of him.
"And yet it is only arrogance if you are wrong or if you fail. As a result, heroes and legends have been born so many times who were able to conquer their own arrogance. I am neither a hero nor a legend and yet I am far superior to you. I don't need a title to succeed as my father once had...until those maggots KILLED him!"
All of a sudden she took the blade and pointed it directly at Leo's throat. The latter showed no fear or anxiety but awaited her reaction. After a couple of seconds, she put the weapon down and steadied herself.
"Ugh, you seem to have little interest in anything. Even fear and panic seem to be beyond you...that must be boring huh?"
"The more you worry like that the more you have to lose."
"And yet the more you can grow. To see the world with your own eyes is one thing, however, to see it with clarity you must first uncover its flaws and perks. If you don't learn the truths of this world, you' re not far off from ignorance and naiveté. Those plans of yours consist of nothing more than desperation and necessity and yet they seem to work out almost every time. I heard about what happened to this army, about how miserably they decayed in spite of their superior numbers. No ordinary elf or dark elf would have ever come up with such an despicable effort goin beyond ethics and qualms. Though you may not believe it, even we have rules that your method far exceeded. If it were up to these rules, you would be lying here with your throat slit a long time ago.
She circled around him and examined him more closely.
"Yyou are not a person, not as I know them, who is so easy to figure out. In fact, you are not easily replaceable being different and thus a precious asset to me...which is why I need you a little longer."
Were for that reason I need you a little longer."
Suddenly she held Leo's head back, bowed her head and locked her lips with his. In complete shock, Leo couldn't do much and was frozen to the spot. Her embrace continued until Leo eventually noticed that she had just drugged him. Losing all his strength, he was unable to defend himself. The whole time she looked into his eyes, completely excited and deeply enjoyed this moment.
" Be honored, that was the first time I ever gave a kiss to anyone. Others would chop off their arms for such an opportunity but you are the exception, something much more important. All of your secrets, your thoughts and your very nature...from now on they are mine... if you allow them to be. For your information, my name is Vega. Starting from now, you won't ever forget it."
After a couple of seconds he felt dizzy and could hardly see anything. Initially he suspected an aphrodisiac, however, it was something other than just pleasure that would befall him...something he craved for without knowing it.
("This is not what I envisioned, she is more substantial of a character for thou. And yet, despite her significance, her vision is obscured. It' s nowhere near late for you to alter the course. It is on your own this time, I have no power as to interfere. Take a decision and precede. Foresee your enemies and allies, the boundaries are fading as truth is unfolding. Thy every path shall direct thee unto mine; I wonder how hard thou wilt make it?")
("What does he mean by "obscured"? Might she have other intentions? As for me, what am I to do without support, it leaves me without any choice. We really need something to turn around before it all comes crashing down.")
In the next moment, Leo woke up in a small bed. Despite its size, it was comfortable and pleasant. A few seconds later, one of yesterday's soldiers stepped into the room.
" It seems that you have quite a bit of experience after all. Dress and hurry up, I don't want to test her patience."
Leo realized that he was almost completely naked. All of the scars he gathered over the years were visible. Swiftly, he took his clothes next to him and put them on. Afterwards, he followed the soldier out of the house. Even though this man was not wearing a mask, Leo was convinced that he was one of yesterday's abductors. For this reason, it was all the more strange to Leo that he appeared to be a human being.
" While you are smart enough to avoid any stupid actions, the cuffs won't be needed. Come with me, she's waiting for you."
The soldier was right. Even though he got drugged yesterday it was better to just complay with them.
Upon stepping out of the house, he saw the same routine as the dark elf fortress only there was military troops everywhere. All around training grounds and firing ranges were filled with soldiers. Just like the humans, various leaders gave orders to the soldiers. The severity and harshness of their training matched exactly the ones that Leo once had to go through.
Regardless of the fact that he was human, no one glared at him as though his presence did not matter at all. Eventually, they found themselves in front of the enormous building in which he passed out yesterday. From the outside this structure looked astonishing, never had he seen the size of that keep like that.
"So that's where she lives. Quite a lot of room for herself."
"Dare to disrespect her and you WILL be disciplined by us. After all, it's a surprise that someone like you is allowed in here at all."
"He's not a prisoner but rather a visitor who just needed a little push. Thus, behave normally like the rest, only I have something to clarify with him. Once I require you I will call but until then stay within these walls together with your fellow brothers."
"But then we don't know what the enemy will do. Suppose they suddenly attack?"
"They won't, we' re unlikely to be their target. Their intentions are elsewhere, we've just given them a heads up."
"But then they will soon join the resistance and get reinforcements. Wouldn't it be better to take out the enemy now before they grow any stronger?"
"Hm, that is a very good approach however then I cannot uncover any further mysteries. Indeed, they were fully alert, nevertheless, judging from their reaction, I am sure they were not expecting our presence. Moreover, even if this resistance were to be increased, his destiny would be nothing more than a coin toss. All of us know that that ruler has returned. If they're really going to go on the offensive, I don't think they're going to focus on this place instead of straight at the heart of their enemy."
"Milady, this is a risk that you' re taking. I mean, what if they do actually attack this place together?"
"Then I ask you: Have we ever lost in all these years? Are they really going to risk the lives of hundreds of their people only for this human? I believe he himself is aware of the fact that his life isn't worth that of hundreds...at least for them."
Vega knew everything about their plan and the enemy's thought process. If her father used to be the former lord here, then it was clear that no defeat was to be taken.
"Enough of the arguments, you're going to stay on standby. Now let's keep the enemy under the illusion of having a measure of security."
Leo figured she had to be a strategic mastermind.
"Are you sure you're not lulling yourselves in too much safety. Two eyes on the enemy are too plenty, but one eye on them is a necessity in battle. For what reason do you turn away from them?"
"You are observant and your senses are sharp but they lack the final touch. I always used both eyes however on things which could guarantee me advantages. An eye on myself and an eye on that which is all around me. I spent long enough looking to the enemy, now it is time to pay attention to oneself. Will my troops be ready? How is their range, variation, and resilience? How diversified can I deploy them and what is their capability to fight? For what reason do you think there is exclusively the military in this area? This allows me to keep track of and focus on one particular sphere of responsibility. You just have to teach the same thing to any one of your trusted warriors. Once done, a chain reaction will develop in which everyone comprehends the essentials of battle. That' s why I can stand here, because anyone who wants to be a true ruler has to be ruled first. In this way, the competence as well as the consistency of oneself and the troops improves."
Leo didn't know what to say. Her words surpassed anything he had ever thought in previous times as commander.
"And what about the other eye?"
"Oh, excellent, I've piqued your interest. Now we're getting somewhere. Did you ever consider that a fight is definitive, that a fixed result emerges which cannot be altered? That sometimes it takes more than one fight to prevail? They say that losing the battle does not mean you lost the war. Let's apply this factor to those who suffered and lost their lives. As far as my opponents are concerned, I look at it this way: just because you have suffered losses does not mean that you have lost. However, if this process is repeated, it will eventually lead to a final result, to a real result. Just like the enemies before, I am giving them a chance to choose. I shall not engage in attacking but limit myself solely to defending ourselves. Gradually they will have to suffer losses or flee. They slowly kill themselves until they reach much to late clarity. Precisely at the moment when they realize their suicide strikes are of no use, I will be the one to surprise them and liberate them of their foolish presence with superior force. So I give them the time which they need. However, if it continues and they want to settle here, I' ll be forced to challenge them. And trust me: I have more than sufficient means to do such things."
"So you''ll wait until they start to butcher themselves and then you''ll take care of the remains..."
"If you want to put it that way, fine, but you have to realize one thing: I'm not the one who's gonna kill myself, I'm just the one who's gonna watch and finish the job. Just how long do you think this iron stronghold has been here? Nobody here has ever heard of the word defeat. Even if everything fails, I am still comfortable in the knowledge that I fought for what is right in my sense."
" Indeed, a savage way to fight. Nevertheless, if your words prove to be true, I cannot deny that you are the victims first."
"The victim role is the wrong term. We are the trigger for the cause. Originally I wanted to discuss these things in private but I can never hold back when it comes to such conversations. It's refreshing to see someone who gets it like you. Now come with me, I want to show you a specific thing."
Leo accompanied her into the building. The hallways were neat and tidy decorated with the finest materials. Vega led him into a room full of trophies and weapons.
"Take a good look at everything, you might enjoy something in particular."
Leo took her up on the offer as he looked around closely. The weapons seemed to be old and yet they were of good quality. Any weapons he could think of were right here. Lots of individual weapon parts hung on the walls bearing the names of their braves.
"You have quite a few famous people with so many names around but why do you hang them here?"
"It's a tradition of ours for many years. The soldiers deserve to be honored for the price they had to pay. The ones who stood out are the ones who are immortalized right here."
Leo was going through everything until something shook him to the core. What he saw was a broken part of the sword that shattered during the gladiatorial tournament against Sezur. He felt his hand being pulled in until it almost touched the broken piece. Cracks started to appear on the glass in which the piece of the sword was placed. For an instant the blade lit up and went out again. However, Vega had gotten her proof.
"How can this possibly even be here? And why are there any remains?"
"Why there are remains? Well, because you're probably the most legendary figure in these games that's ever going to exist. No use denying it given the reaction you showed. Still, it had little effect on you."
Vega was an opponent for Leo that he couldn't win against. He didn't have anything on her and Vega knew this.
"You... have lost that power correct? No, it has to be true otherwise I surely would have felt that aura. Nevertheless, your identity as well as your value has finally been verified. You know, I almost forgot something interesting for you: You see, none of us can use magic properly. Our troops have been fighting without these powers for a long time. You better recognize the strength we' ve been building up here."
"You're lying, aren't you?! None of this makes any sense. Why didn't Yrasil do something about this?"
"Because that leader knows about our strength. And why change anything about a perfectly functioning component?"
" What are you going to do with me now that you know I won't be able to do any magic?"
"Haven't you been listening? It hasn't mattered to me from the beginning whether you control magic or not. I wanted to have your identity confirmed, I thought your appearance was about right, your answers backed me up and now your past abilities confirmed that you are truly him. What do I intend to do with you? To test your loyalty to these vermin."
"Is eradicating them really that important to you? Are you that obsessed with hate?"
"No, it is not hatred that guides me, it is solely retribution. These people brutally murdered a part of my family and the previous ruler in spite of us keeping a peaceful attitude. In the beginning I didn't understand why the elves feel such hatred towards these people but this evidence of killing father was strong enough to convince me. They have dug their own grave and I am the one who will put them in it, one way or another."
Her eyes lit up like those of a snake facing its prey. While she spoke of retribution there is more behind her and the future she has plotted out with Leo.