"No! Don't do this!" The witch's voice reverberated through the room, with urgency and warning she looked desperate. "If you go ahead with your plans, not only will you disrupt the delicate balance between humans and elves, but you will also face the wrath of nature itself!"
Arnar let out a deep sigh, his frustration was very evident. "And why should I care about the laws of nature or the relationship with humans? Nature has already taken my life, and humans have always been beneath me."
Without a word, Arnar reached for his sword and swiftly decapitated the witch.
Her head fell to the ground, severed from her body, like a splash of water on the grass, greeted by the dawning light.
As he stepped out of the witch's house, Eira, his youngest wife with sapphire-like pink eyes, approached him, she gazed…
She watched his every move, trying to discern what had transpired.
Arnar swallowed, knowing he couldn't let Eira witness the beauty of nature and the witch's demise.
The witch had been well-known among the circle of elves, and Arnar had sought her out for the truth, revealed only through their intimate encounters.
However, her final words about the broken laws of nature had infuriated him.
After all, why should he care about nature when the very elements had betrayed him? And why should he concern himself with humans when the elements themselves had turned against him for their sake?
"She will no longer suffer alone. Let's go. We need a plan," Arnar muttered to Eira.
"But did you receive the information you sought?" Eira asked, her eyes glanced at his hands.
Arnar's throat tightened as he realized he couldn't allow Eira to witness the truth—the consequences of his actions.
He possessed newfound power, the authority of a king.
What could humans offer him but their selfish desires and demonic tendencies? They were powerless, and even if his three wives were to unite against him, they would all end up beheaded.
Eira tilted an eyebrow, her expression questioning. "Elaborate."
"Have you ever wondered why the four elements, meant to bring life and freedom, exist solely to serve me?" Arnar began, his voice tinged with bitterness.
Silence filled the air, and Eira listened intently, trying to grasp his words.
"You too, Eira. That's how all four of you came into being. The king of elves will always possess and control the four elements, with or without your presence…" he tightened his fist, "I will absorb the power they hold and offer their heads to the orcs as a feast."
"But..." Eira started to protest.
"No 'buts.' Let's go," Arnar commanded, leaving his words hanging behind him.
Arnar believed he was unbeatable, with his newfound power and abilities as a king. No one, not even the entity within him, could stand a chance.
Understanding that his love for his wives had blinded him, causing him to forget his own needs and priorities, he spoke.
"Eira, have you ever thought about what will happen when all of us eventually die?" Arnar asked, with a softer voice now.
Eira paused, her shoulders shrugged uncertainty. "I'm not sure... We will be reborn, won't we?"
"Yes, but only your powers will be reborn. Your minds, memories, and bodies will be sealed away. You will never experience the same things, like a shattered vessel. Replaceable," Arnar explained.
"I don't understand," Eira said, while sour water began to fill her eyes as her husband referred to her as a mere object.
"I didn't mean to make you cry... It's too late for this knowledge, but listen," Arnar sighed, his tone sounded regretful. "Elves are objects created to live and procreate. There's a seed within a man's body, which makes men not objects but creators."
"Arnar..." Eira whispered then paused.
"To free elven women from objecthood, they must carry the seed in their bodies and give it life," Arnar continued. "Once that seed is born from an elven woman, she is no longer an object but a life-giver. And when she dies, her soul doesn't disappear into thin air but is observed by the Tree of Everything, which then releases her remaining mana into the man's seed."
Eira's eyes widened as she tried to comprehend the implications of Arnar's words. It suddenly made sense to her, even though she wasn't prepared for such a conversation.
"So, you're saying that all elves are merely objects until they bring forth life?" she asked, seeking clarification.
"Yes, until they create another life. Without that, all of us are objects of nature," Arnar confirmed.
"But what about the elements?" Eira inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Eira, the elements are no different from ordinary elves. The Tree of Everything takes your soul and rebuilds it, but your mana remains outside the cycle of nature. The gift of wind you carry will never dissipate into thin air, and it will not be transferred or left for the mana to be passed into a man's seed."
Confusion clouded Eira's expression as she struggled to understand the distinction between elements and ordinary elves.
"I know you must be wondering why and how. It's because, as an element, you are reborn as an object again—in a bowl of wind, for example. That's where the next wind element will be reborn," Arnar explained. "In that bowl, a small petal will grow and after a few days, it will turn into a baby."
"It all makes sense now. The elements are just objects," Eira whispered to herself, finally grasping the concept, she sighed.
This wasn't exactly what he meant, but he had no more energy to explain.
"Not really, Eira..."
"Then what am I? An object or just your wife for you to use my powers?"
Her statement was bald and Arnar was one step from placing his hands around her neck. He had no time for this anymore.
"I will change that," Arnar declared, his grip tightened on Eira's shoulders as he stared into her eyes. "You will bear my child, Eira."