So much for his plan for getting her to trust him again, Tansy sighed, feeling utterly defeated and hopeless now. This was going nowhere…and if things stayed this way, neither one of them was likely to live for long anyway…
But then the man spoke again, and all thoughts of defeat faded instantly from her mind, replaced by curiosity instead as he began explaining his theory…his belief…about the origin of all things.
"There are many legends, but the one that comes closest to describing what you might be thinking about now dates back to the time when humans were still just learning how to farm and raise livestock, and we lived alongside the dragons who flew above us and guided our lives for millennia. Our ancestors learned early on that farming was a hard and demanding life to lead, requiring lots of physical labor and endless amounts of patience in order to grow crops. At first, they weren't nearly good at raising livestock either, so they relied heavily upon dragon guidance from day to day as they struggled to grow food for themselves and their families."
He paused for a moment to glance down at the silver object in his hand, staring at its engravings in silence for a brief moment before continuing with a faint chuckle that hinted at amusement beneath his serious demeanor. "In the beginning, most farmers simply thanked the dragons for helping them in their daily work, although over the years, thanks became less frequent and eventually stopped altogether as people forgot the reason why they needed help in the first place."
Then he chuckled again, glancing up at Tansy to find that she was staring intently at him in astonishment.
"Sorry, I guess I lost myself for just a second…it happens sometimes when I try to remember old times." Then he returned his attention back to his explanation as he glanced down to gaze at the silver object once again. "Anyway…back in those early days when we depended on dragon guidance every single day of our existence, we took great care of our surroundings…as you can see for yourself here on my land today."
He reached out and gestured with the object in his hand to show Tansy that it held several symbols carved onto its surface that depicted different parts of nature, including a symbol of a tree and another of birds flying high in the skies. Other images included a flower, a fish swimming deep below water, and others as well. He pointed to each one briefly before speaking further:
"Back then, these were known as Nature's Symbols, since they represented specific elements of nature. But later on, as people grew increasingly lazy, they stopped carving them on trees and stones and started cutting them into jewelry instead. The practice continued for centuries until, finally, most people had forgotten the true meaning of the symbols they used to wear everywhere. They were merely objects to them…a sign of status…just like this ring here that I'm wearing. That was the last real piece of natural wood remaining on my lands, so I decided I wanted something unique made using only metal, hence I commissioned these craftsmen to carve them into rings."
He slipped his fingers over the smooth surface of the ring where the designs were engraved into the material, feeling their texture under his fingertips as he stared deeply at Tansy. It reminded her somewhat of her father's face, although the lines and creases that framed his features were deeper here, making her wonder if he too was part elf. It was certainly possible; after all, her mother was half-elven too.
"I suppose it's easy to forget what we once knew, isn't it?" he mused softly, gazing into her eyes with his own bright green ones, causing her breath to catch in her throat for a moment in anticipation. "That's exactly what happened to us. When we started working together with dragons, we quickly realized that our skills as farmers improved dramatically when we followed their instructions, and that helped us become much more efficient than ever before. Over the course of a few generations, we became more accustomed to the presence of dragons than any other species, becoming so reliant upon them that we almost completely forgot that there were other creatures that roamed free in this world…other than the dragons that ruled this place."
And he nodded slowly, reaching up to touch the top of the golden crown atop his head with reverence, admiring its intricate design as though he was marveling at the artistry. "For thousands of years, we worked closely together…with the dragons who watched over us from the skies…and we shared everything equally…all of our knowledge, wealth, and resources…even our women…in return for protection…for security…for peace."
A sudden chill ran down her spine as she recalled the horrible event that had happened on the day of her parents' death. She shivered involuntarily, recalling the screams and cries of agony she'd heard coming from outside in the distance, which caused her to realize that the terrible scene she'd witnessed in the vision she'd seen must have been real. The screams belonged to human victims…or perhaps elves? No, it couldn't have possibly been either. After all, the elven king never ordered humans killed. Was there anyone else besides herself left alive in the entire kingdom? She couldn't imagine there being any survivors, but it was impossible to know for certain unless someone came forward to tell what happened. She hoped desperately that they would, but it wasn't looking likely at the present. She didn't dare let go of hope yet, however. She would wait patiently until the right person or creature arrived to reveal the truth of what transpired that fateful night.
"We were safe and secure," the man continued softly with regretful expression, "but then something changed…"
"What do you mean?"
"Our safety was always assured because our alliance with the dragons was absolute. We could rely on them to protect us from other predators, from thieves and invaders alike, and since we were both so powerful, our enemies knew better than to risk war or challenge us directly. So we were safe from harm most of the time, except for rare occasions like when a band of raiders attempted to steal our livestock or cattle. Or when someone tried to assassinate one of our leaders during a gathering of his peers."
"Or when someone attacks you personally?" Tansy whispered, glancing back at him with concern as she remembered how he had attacked her while she was riding along the road, intending to kill her without warning.
The man smiled grimly at that as he turned away from her to gaze off toward the horizon again where he spotted some dark clouds starting to form in the sky beyond. It looked as though it was about to rain soon…which meant he would have to move inside sooner rather than later, but he remained focused upon his words for now as he replied.
"No…that would be when the gods decide to interfere in the affairs of men."
He turned back to Tansy and nodded solemnly as he gazed intently at her with compassion in his eyes as he said:
"It was just one of those things…like a storm cloud passing across the moon…something unexpected that caught everyone by surprise…and when it happened, there was no escaping it…"
His gaze hardened, growing distant as he stared straight ahead for a moment before speaking with intense emotion behind his voice.
"One year, two hundred and fifty winters ago…there was an outbreak of a strange disease that swept through this land like wildfire, killing every single person who fell ill within days…and the same fate befell all who survived afterward as well. Within a matter of weeks, the whole countryside had become infected by the plague itself…except for the valley in which I stood in now, since its location protected it from the effects of the virus…although not completely, since it did manage to reach our village eventually…"
The man paused momentarily, letting out a weary sigh as he leaned against the tree trunk again and closed his eyes tightly as though to shut out some unpleasant memory. "But for most people, it didn't take very long before they began to fall sick, and before they could even seek refuge in the mountain caves that were home to my tribe, they succumbed to the sickness and died. My tribe managed to escape infection ourselves, but many others perished in a horrific manner before they were able to run to the mountains to hide for protection. Some of them even went mad from the disease, attacking their fellow villagers for no apparent reason…some even murdered their children and grandchildren in their sleep before ripping their throats out and feeding on their flesh. Others became violent and savage beasts, lashing out at anything they came in contact with for no particular reason whatsoever. Most frightening of all, some simply vanished into thin air one night and never returned. Those who lived to tell about such events often told us that it seemed as though they had been consumed by the shadows themselves, leaving nothing behind. And some claimed that the shadow spirits had taken their souls into themselves…"
The man shook his head slowly as he spoke softly:
"When our villages became overrun with the dead who wandered aimlessly around like mindless zombies, we knew that it was only a matter of time before the shadow spirits moved upon our lands as well. In desperation, we fought back with whatever weapons we could find at hand—weapons made from stone and steel…weapons forged in fire and ice…but it proved ineffective."
His shoulders drooped with sorrow, his tone suddenly filled with despair as he spoke.
"As it turns out, the shadow spirits themselves were unaffected by physical pain or suffering, and that allowed them to survive for decades until their numbers gradually increased over time due to the fact that we didn't attack their strongholds anymore. Instead, we cowered behind the walls of our fortresses, waiting for salvation from afar to come and save us. But none came. Our pleas for help were ignored." He gave a bitter chuckle and sighed heavily, shaking his head ruefully. "Some say our ancestors begged their gods for assistance…but I don't believe that's true. If our ancestors really believed in the gods that they prayed to on a daily basis, they wouldn't have abandoned their ancestral ways so easily when faced with trouble…"
He opened his eyes once more and stared off into the distance, gazing past the trees where he noticed something dark moving among the shadows, watching carefully as he observed the mysterious shape slowly walking closer until it was finally revealed as it stepped forth onto a large rock near the edge of the forest clearing in front of him.
"If our ancestors truly believed in the gods they worshipped on a regular basis," he continued with a frown, staring intently at the approaching figure as it raised its hands above its head with palms facing upward as a sign of respect before lowering its arms and stepping forward slightly with measured steps. As it drew nearer, he saw that it was indeed the bearded man he'd spoken to earlier, wearing the black robe with its hood pulled up to conceal his features as he approached.
"Then why did they abandon their beliefs so easily?" He demanded with confusion in his voice. "Why didn't they try harder to defend our lands?"
He glanced around curiously as the other man walked closer, observing his surroundings as he took in the sights and sounds that surrounded them for the first time, and the look on his face showed that this place was far different than any place he had ever seen before in all his life.
"What are you doing here, Brother?" The bearded man asked hesitantly as he peered closely at the man's face with concern on his face as he studied him closely. "You're not from here…are you? Who brought you here…to these woods?"
The other man nodded slowly in response, turning away from the man and motioning for him to follow as he started making his way across the open area toward the center of the clearing where the towering trees formed a dense barrier between him and his destination, causing the ground beneath his feet to rumble as he passed underneath the branches overhead.
"Yes…I am here by myself," he answered quietly, following along silently beside the tall man with his eyes fixed firmly on the path ahead of them, "but there used to be many others like me who also came here to worship the great spirit that dwells within the forests."