The banging sounds of metal rent the air as Eleven, along with other laborers, hammered the cave walls, searching for hidden treasure.
Lord Arctic of the Loctrum clan, upon discovering the existence of hidden treasure in the Loctrum cave, arranged for a group of laborers to work every day, chipping away at the hills in search of the treasure.
Most of the laborers consisted of prisoners, slaves, and those who defied his orders.
Eleven fell into the third category. Three days ago, he defied Lord Arctic's order to behead Brakor during an all-out war against the resurrected Vagnar.
Brakor played a crucial role in the fight; without him, none of them would have survived. Eleven couldn't bring himself to decapitate him, so he dropped the sword as soon as he raised it.
His action cost him his freedom but also saved Brakor's life. Both were now in the Loctrum cave, working as if their lives depended on it.
"Gosh! I'm tired," Eleven muttered, breathing heavily. He rested his chin on the handle of the hammer he used to break down walls, his face dripping with sweat as he struggled to catch his breath.
He wasn't wearing a shirt, just blue shorts like everyone else. His body was covered with scars from the Reaper's whips.
After defeating Vagnar, he thought he was free from the whips, the oppression, and the Reapers.
But no, the whipping continued.
"Hey you! What are you doing?" A guard's voice reached him, but he was too tired to move.
A whip descended on his back, and he winced in pain. "There's no resting, you black fool," the guard shouted in his ear, but Eleven couldn't move.
The guard raised the whip again, but Brakor was quick to stop him. "He's tired. He's been working all day; he needs rest."
"Yes, we are tired," another laborer voiced out.
🗣️ "We are tired."
👥 "We can't continue."
The guards were stunned to see the laborers protesting. This had never happened before, and it was all because of one boy. A boy who defied the Elves' rule. A boy whose race was unidentified.
"I have to report this," the guard thought, his whole body trembling as he struggled to claw his way out. Eleven exhaled heavily, glancing at Brakor, who flashed him a smile.
Brakor always blamed himself for Eleven's predicament, but Eleven always assured him there was more to it.
Suddenly, Brakor staggered backward, coughing up blood. "Brakor!" Eleven called, rushing to catch him before he fell.
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🕍 Elvarin Kingdom 🕍
"Welcoming His Royal Majesty, The Great King Jade," the guard's voice echoed as everyone in the room stood up when the door opened.
This was the official meeting room of the Elvarin Kingdom, located in the Grand Palace of King Jade, the Great Lord of the Elves.
Present in the room were four Elves, exuding nobility. Each controlled a village, and together with King Jade, they ruled the great Elvarin Kingdom, the realm of the Elves.
King Jade sat at the end of the room, a rectangular table before him with three chairs on each side.
The four chiefs present took their seats after the king, leaving two vacant chairs.
The door closed, and King Jade cleared his throat, directing all attention to him.
"It's been a long time, Chief Mowen, Chief Kai, Chief Damien, and you, Chief Jun," King Jade addressed his officials, who bowed in response.
"Chief Jun, you called this meeting."
"Yes, I did, but it's not a matter of urgency."
"Spill it out," Chief Damien bellowed, impatient to hear what his fellow chief had to say.
"This concerns the south. We should be six chiefs here, but as we speak, one is dead, and another is imprisoned," Chief Jun started.
Everyone listened silently, aware of the situation but waiting to see where he was heading.
"Word must not reach the neighboring kingdoms, especially the Goblin Dynasty, that two of our villages have been conquered by one person," he continued, squinting at his fellow officials. "And I'm afraid to say this enemy is marching east. My village is under threat," he concluded.
"And who is this enemy?" King Jade asked.
"He is known as Lord Arctic. According to reports, he has established a deadly clan in the south, the Loctrum clan," Chief Damien answered. He also controlled a village in the east.
"Arctic… Arctic… The name sounds familiar," King Jade mused.
"We have to stop him before he becomes a pest if he isn't already," Chief Kai added.
"We can't fight a war now," Chief Damien said.
"Why not?" Chief Kai replied. He controlled the west alongside Chief Mowen, who had been silent throughout the conversation.
There are seven villages in the Elvarin Kingdom. Two in the south, two in the east, two in the west, and the last, most versatile village in the north, where the Grand King Jade Palace is situated.
"We are weak in military forces. We Elves do not specialize in physical prowess. Most of our elites are on watch for the Goblins. Leading them to war would be a great mistake…"
"And any mistake would be advantageous to the Goblins," Chief Jun completed Chief Damien's sentence.
"So we are considering both external and internal threats," King Jade said calmly after listening to his chiefs.
"Any step we take must be thoroughly calculated. For now, we must be patient."
"Patient? Mowen, I believe you weren't deaf when I stated that my village is under threat," Chief Jun rebuked.
Chief Mowen opened his mouth to respond, but the door opened, interrupting their meeting.
All eyes turned to the door. The intruder bowed before the officials.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," he said calmly, looking down.
"Rise, General Thalric, and state your reason for interrupting our meeting," King Jade's voice came out like a soft whisper. No one dared interrupt the meeting, but Thalric wasn't just anyone. He was a general of King Jade's armies, the Great Lord of the Elves.
"A report on the whereabouts of the Princess," General Thalric stated, and King Jade adjusted himself in his seat.
"What did you find about my daughter?"
"Your Majesty, my lady has been reported to be held captive by the Loctrum clan alongside Chief Brakor of the southern part of the kingdom," he said, dropping the bombshell. King Jade's eyes widened, and he became uneasy.
Chief Damien glared hard at Chief Mowen as the tension in the room rose.
"Your Majesty, my lady is held captive in Arctic's palace. His plans for her remain unknown," General Thalric concluded.
"We have to get the Princess out of there as quickly as possible," Chief Kai voiced out.
"We can't let her die. She's the future of our kingdom. If Ellcrys is to be awakened, she's the one capable…"
"Still, we can't go to war," Chief Kai replied.
"We don't need an all-out war. We can go undercover," Chief Jun stated, looking at each chief before finally staring at King Jade.
"Thalric, send five of your best soldiers on an undercover mission to the Loctrum clan to rescue the Princess. They must bring her back at all costs," King Jade ordered, getting to his feet.
The four chiefs stood up almost immediately as General Thalric bowed.
"The meeting is over," King Jade announced and walked out.
"Nothing must happen to the Princess, Thalric. We need the Ellcrys now more than ever," Chief Damien said, and Thalric nodded.
"I'll do my best."
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👾 Back to the Loctrum Cave 👾
"What's wrong with him?" Eleven asked the other Elves as they surrounded Brakor, who was slowly drifting into unconsciousness, coughing up blood intermittently.
"This is the aftereffect of the magic he cast during the fight against Vagnar," said one of the Elves, the one closest to Brakor.
"What do you mean? Does magic have side effects?" Eleven asked, puzzled. Ever since he saw Brakor use magic, he wanted to be a magic user. But now, he had mixed feelings.
The Elves looked at each other, wondering if they should share what they knew with him. He was a stranger and not one of them, but the reason Brakor was still alive.
"You should have gotten your freedom, boy. I won't survive," Brakor managed to say, holding Eleven's hand.
"Why? Why is it so?" Eleven sniffed back his tears. He felt lost and knew he couldn't save him.
"Listen, black boy. We Elves are magic users. We are versatile in magic," Brakor started while Eleven listened calmly.
"Our foundational magic is lost, and our magic is limited. I exceeded my limits, and now it's taking a toll on me," Brakor explained, and silence followed.
"What if I find the foundational magic? You'll be okay, right?" Eleven asked, and the Elves burst into laughter.
Brakor chuckled lightly. "No one knows where the foundational magic is, not even the Princess, the last Ellcrys guardian," Brakor stated, and one of the Elves frowned.
"Aren't you telling him too much?"
"He thinks widely. He deserves to know. Besides, our journey ends in this cave."
"There's a way to save him," said a guard who has been eavesdropping on their conversation the whole time. This is not just any guard, but the one who ran out of the cave in fear.
"How?" Eleven asked, rising to his feet.
"There's a flower, a purple flower that grows once in a decade. It can cure him," said the guard.
"He's speaking of Vaitrnim Purpulae," one of the Elves whispered, but Eleven heard him.
"Is he telling the truth?" Eleven asked.
"Yes, but it's rare. It might take weeks or even months, and by then he must…"
"Actually, there's no need for that since one is right under our noses. His cure is there," the guard said, pointing in a direction.
Everyone traced their eyes to a hole.
"That's impossible. No one has ever gone through that hole and come out alive," said one of the Elves.
"Maybe I will," Eleven said, staring at the hole.
"Don't be silly, black boy. You can't survive. It's too dangerous," one of the Elves said.
"But I can't watch him die."
"And I can't watch you die either, black boy. I can't let you risk your life for me," Brakor stated, coughing vigorously.
Eleven rushed to his side and squatted beside him. "Don't worry, old man," He started, patting Brakor's shoulder. "You can't watch me die unless your magic can see through the hole," he whispered into Brakor's ear.
Before Brakor could respond, Eleven dashed toward the hole and jumped in.
"Such a fool," the guard muttered amidst laughter. "Now, get back to work." He added, flaunting his whip.
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🏚️ Safe Room 🏚️
"Take it off."
"What?" Rose glared at Lord Arctic, who had suddenly appeared in the room.
"Take off your dress," he repeated, his voice a whisper. Fear gripped Rose.
"I can't," she said, and instantly her dress left her body, leaving her in only white lingerie.
She gasped and quickly stood up, using her hands to cover her exposed nipples.
She looked straight into his dark eyes, her blue eyes shining brightly.
"Leave," she ordered without breaking eye contact. He turned and headed toward the door. She sighed in relief, thinking she had succeeded in compelling him as she had done with others.
He stopped halfway and turned back to the puzzled Rose.
"You think I'm one of those small fries you can play tricks on, my lady?" He smirked, and she gasped as a force pushed her onto the bed. She tried to get up but couldn't. Lord Arctic released magical essences that restrained her.
He walked up to her and climbed onto the bed, his hands caressing her naked thigh.
"Please stop. You can't do this to me," Rose cried out, trying to close her legs, but her body betrayed her.
Lord Arctic's hands went under her net, feeling the heat between her legs. A smile curled on his face.
"You're lucky to survive, my lady. Your fellow guardians were killed by my armies," he said as her eyes filled with tears.
"I can still feel your connection to him, but by the time I'm done with you, no one will be able to discover Ellcrys, and that will be the end of the Elvarin Kingdom," he said harshly, glaring directly into her eyes.
This was why Lord Arctic kept her. She was the last guardian of Ellcrys, the one upon whom the fate of the Elvarin Kingdom rested.
"I'm going to defile you and break every connection you have with him. Then I'll send you back to your father so he can witness what has become of his last hope," he concluded, grabbing her lingerie.
As he was about to rip it off, a trance hit him, and he quickly rose to his feet.
"Your father is a coward. I can't believe he sent a few soldiers to rescue you secretly. I'll first send their heads to him as a warning before sending yours," he said and teleported out of the room.
Almost immediately, she was freed from his hold, and she exhaled heavily. She burst into tears, thinking about her fate.
Her father's armies can't rescue her; they'll only worsen her situation.