The group was extremely efficient with their travels, and crossed the Vadim Death Gorge in no time. Ahead of them was a vast expanse of elder trees, each of them as thick as a house. It towered up into the sky like pillars. One wouldn't be able to see the clouds above.
This was known as the Lowshroud Forest, the front lines of the elven kingdom. It was a well known fact that the Greatwyrm, a Legendary archdragon obsessed with knowledge, lived somewhere in this expansive habitat. There were massive rivers and waterfalls across the forest. A beautiful sight if one ignored the dangers.
As the carriage rolled on, a pack of gibbons swung across the treetops. Gibbons are white furred monkeys that live on the tall branches of the canopy. Aiden was now on top of the carriage while Shu remained inside. The king and the sword demon were fully concentrated on a table game that resembled chess.
"Tch." Shu clicked his tongue.
Solomon was sweeping the samurai's pieces without batting an eye! It didn't even seem like he was trying. The sleepy man rubbed his temples. It wasn't an unexpected result, but experiencing it would leave one bitter. The archmage wasn't called a wise king for nothing.
"Hahahaha! Don't let it get to you. Instead, use this as a way to open your mind." Solomon exclaimed.
'Blah blah blah. This game sucks.' Shu thought.
"Don't blame the game for your loss." The king spoke as if reading his mind.
"...Whatever."
Currently, Aiden and Shu weren't in their usual battalion uniforms. They wore pristine silver and gold robes, seeming like advisors to the king. Their weapons were nowhere to be found. Of course, they made sure to exude the aura of a fighter. It would be suspicious if they made it here without fighting.
Time passed as they went deeper into the forest. It was relatively peaceful. The monster hierarchy was orderly due to the dragon's rule. Zariel was nowhere to be seen, but Solomon acted as if things were all according to plan.
Eventually, the trio sensed multiple figures on the treetops above. The red eyed commander stood up on the roof of the carriage. Shu had already appeared on the roof as well, but he remained sitting on the edge. His hands were hidden in his flowing sleeves.
"State the purpose of your arrival!" A melodious voice called out from above.
"The Merchant King of Valsir has come to visit. He seeks an audience with the King of Nature, Lux Vaelkyn." Aiden proclaimed.
"King of Valsir?"
Hearing these words, the elves revealed themselves from the shadows. There were at least thirty of them, and they all looked down from above. The majority of them had blonde hair and green eyes.
One of the elves dropped down from above. It was the speaker from earlier. She had blonde hair as well, but it was a greener shade than the others. Instead of emerald, her eyes were grey, resembling steel. Glimmering armor covered her body along with two unique swords on the waist. A tiara sat on her head.
"If it isn't the wind maiden! Gwynneth Virre, a swordswoman blessed by the world." Aiden spoke eloquently as if he was a noble. Shu only watched with sleepy eyes.
"Greetings. Excuse my rudeness, but do you have any proof? Your entrance will not be allowed otherwise." She responded.
Aiden turned to the other man on the carriage. His gaze caused the elf woman to also look. Shu realized they were looking at him and dropped from the carriage. Taking out a royal insignia from his inner pocket, he presented it to her.
The insignia was that of two butterflies, one of darkness and light. It couldn't be copied or counterfeited. Gwynneth took the item from his hands and frowned. During the exchange, she noticed the roughness of his hand. Those weren't the hands of an attendant. Of course it wasn't too suspicious, since not being able to fight would cost you your life in most cases.
After giving the sleepy man a knowing look, she inspected the item. It didn't take long for her to return it. She also noted his attractive features. He was a bit pleasing to the eyes. Was he an elf in disguise?
"Your claims ring true. Please follow us. Do know that we're currently on a hunt, and our prey is nearby." She announced.
"...Oh." Shu finally spoke.
The lackluster response caused her face to twitch. Did he not learn about etiquette? Either don't speak, or say more than that. Regardless, Gwynneth was now more alert against the two royal attendants. One of them looked intimidating while the other seemed harmless.
"Don't interfere with our business. Understand?" The wind maiden stared him down.
"...Mnn." Shu hummed in response. A yawn escaped his lips as he returned to the carriage roof.
The elf returned to the trees above. After glancing at both Aiden and Shu, she moved forward. All of the elves followed while staying close to the carriage. There didn't seem to be any tension between the two groups.
"ROOOAAAR" A bestial warcry reverberated through the area.
"Ready! Fire!" Gwynneth exclaimed.
A plethora of arrows launched further into the forest. There was a snarl full of pain and anger. Soon after, a massive bear-like monster barreled into the scene. It had no eyes, only a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Arrows were sticking out of its hide.
The beast continued to sprint as arrows rained down on it. It was on a straight path to the carriage. Seeing its course, Gwynneth jumped down in front of it. Her two blades were drawn. Wind mana revolved around her as she cleaved at one of its limbs.
SLASH
A razor sharp wind blade shot from the sword and severed its front limbs. The beast crashed into the ground and slid forward due to its momentum. As if waiting for this moment, one of the elves shot a piercing arrow from above. It glowed with energy as it drilled right through the beast's head and into the ground.
Several other elves quickly jumped down and began to skin the monster for its necessary parts. Gwynneth only looked toward the carriage to see Shu and Aiden watching her without an expression. It didn't seem like the close proximity of the beast affected them.
"Shu I'm going back inside. Just be yourself. It's honestly better than pretending to be someone you're not." The red eyed man spoke.
"Understood." Shu responded sleepily.
Once everything was settled, the escort resumed. The group of elves made sure to protect the carriage the entire way. If something happened to them in Zariel's territory, it could lead to war. On top of this, the elves knew how closely tied Valsir was to their nation. Straining their relations would be a stupid thing to do.
Eventually, the entire group stopped. In front of them was an endless forest that went on forever. Luckily, all was not as it seemed. Gwynneth made a symbol with her hands. They shined with mana, and the sight in front of them changed.
A colossal tree appeared in the distance and reached the clouds. Surrounding the base were a plethora of buildings, streets, and infrastructure. The majority of it was built to accommodate nature. Everything contained the breath of life. Trees were twisted and turned throughout the place, acting as bridges, rooftops, bars, and more. Beautiful flowers could be seen anywhere one looked.
Gwynneth turned to Shu, who took in everything with a slight smile. He really enjoyed new sights. Wandering for a long time gave him this appreciation of nature.
"Welcome to Zariel, our home."