Taranath continued walking down the path, passing by the tree next to us without a second glance. I hurriedly caught up with him and fell in step beside him.
"Are we not going up that tree?" I asked, pointing at the tree we just passed.
"Not that one, no," he said, not looking back. "That leads to a different part of town. If you want to learn to fight, you'll need to see Althidon, and he's this way." He pointed in front of us.
"Who is Althidon?" I asked.
"He is the man that trains our fighters," Taranath said. "We are not a militaristic society as the orcs are, but every elven man trains with the sword, spear, and bow. Those that want to take things a step further and help protect our lands see men such as Sword-Master Althidon."
"Sword-Master," I said. "That's an impressive-sounding title."
Taranath nodded. "He has worked hard for hundreds of years to earn it. You would have to travel for many days, months perhaps, to find someone better with a blade than Sword-Master Althidon."
Hundreds of years? My own mortality suddenly stood out in my mind like black text on a white sheet of paper. Humans that lived to be a hundred were rare, indeed. Although, Silvy had worked her magic on me and done something with my blood. She said I would live much longer as a result.
"This one," Taranath said, pointing to an enormous tree looming in front of us.
Calling it huge was an understatement. It seemed more fantasy than reality, with a base that must have been at least fifty feet in diameter. I couldn't tell how tall it was, as the tree rose to the dense canopy far above the ground and I couldn't see anything above that.
Taranath began walking up the stairs and I moved in behind him, my hand on the smooth wooden railing. While I had felt some trepidation that the steps might break, they felt solid as a rock beneath my shoes. The railing was the same; I jerked on it and it didn't budge, not even an inch.
"This is incredible," I said as I continued up the stairs. Taranath didn't slow, but my legs quickly grew tired. "So did the tree grow these or was it something with magic?"
"Magic," Taranath replied, not even sounding out of breath. "We talk to the trees and ask them to grow these steps, and in return we care for them, keeping them healthy and alive for far longer than they would live on their own."
"And how long is that?" I asked, curious.
Taranath shrugged. "I don't know the exact numbers, but most of these are more than a thousand years old. As long as we're here, they'll stay healthy and continue to live and grow."
"Hold on a sec," I said, pausing. My thighs burned from all the stairs.
Up ahead, Taranath stopped, then turned to look at me. "Are your legs already tired from the stairs?"
"Hey, I'm not used to this many steps," I said. I then made the mistake of looking over the edge. The world reeled as I looked at a hundred-foot drop, and I clutched the railing tightly.
"You're not used to heights, are you?" Taranath asked.
"Not like this," I said, taking a deep breath. "Okay, we can continue."
Taranath smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, we're halfway there."
We continued up the stairs, Taranath not bothered at all, me panting and breathing hard. By the time we reached the top, my thighs burned like fire. But the view I saw made the climb worthwhile.
A ring of thick branches spread out from the main trunk in every direction, and where they met they grew together, as one solid piece. Branches from nearby trees met with them, forming into wide pathways, gently arched bridges, and large wooden islands, all grown from the tree.
At the top of the stairs, we stepped onto a wide landing, a space perhaps ten feet by ten feet. The main trunk of the tree continued straight up, and I saw what looked like a second level to the elven city another thirty or forty feet up.
"Welcome to Caelora," Taranath said with a smile. "I should note that our cities tend to be made up of islands and connecting bridges. Most have railings or walls on the sides to reduce any risk of falling, but I wanted to bring it up since heights seem to make you uneasy."
"Thanks," I said, still looking at the elven city like I was seeing a dream.
Three low, arched bridges led out from the landing we stood on and connected with other wooden islands. Many of those had buildings on their edges, also made of wood, although I noticed everything looked heavily carved and decorated. The houses—at least, I assumed they were houses—were small and circular, with pointed roofs to keep the water off. Looking at them, it was clear that the tree had been coaxed to grow into that shape, as opposed to something man-made.
"This is incredible," I said, trying to take it all in. There was a simplicity to the city around me, but immense beauty in it as well. The beauty seemed to follow functionality.
"I'm glad you like it," Taranath said. "This way."
I followed him across one of the bridges, and of course the first thing I did was take a peek over the railing. We had to be two hundred feet in the air. My stomach lurched and I straightened up and focused on Taranath's back in front of me.
Other elves watched me curiously as I passed by. They all had similar looks as Taranath: tall, slender builds with delicate features. Green and brown were the colors most often represented in their clothing, although I saw plenty of blue, yellow, and red, like wildflowers on a grassy field. In fact, they seemed to rather enjoy bright colors.
The women were every bit as beautiful as I had hoped. Most of them were my height, with a slender build that somehow managed to avoid looking overly skinny even though many of them were probably only a hundred pounds. Their dresses were modest, although I saw plenty of necklines that gave pleasant views of their small breasts.
After being around Silvy and Zia, I had come to absolutely adore the ridiculous proportions of the goblin women. So, while the elven women were among the most beautiful I had ever seen, I found their tall, slender figures…boring. I mean, I was certain they would look beautiful lying on their backs with their legs spread, but their almost waif-like bodies didn't do a lot for me. It was like seeing a single chocolate chip after eating an entire double chocolate cake.
"You needed clothes?" Taranath asked. He smiled as he saw me staring at an elven woman.
"Yeah," I said, picking at my t-shirt. "I have some more money. I can pay."
He nodded. "Right this way."
I followed him into one of the larger buildings. The doorway was open, so we walked right in.
Shelves grew from the wooden walls in the same manner the stairs grew from the trees. Bolts of cloth filled the shelves, cloth in every color of the rainbow. Wood from the floor swooped up into a large counter, behind which an elven woman stood. She had the same beauty as the rest, but gray streaks decorated her brown hair. She smiled at Taranath as we entered, but eyed me suspiciously.
"Who is this?" she asked, her eyes running from my feet to my hairline.
"Good morning, Elasha. This is Aaron, of House Parker," Taranath said. "He comes from a far-away land, and has asked for our help."
Elasha frowned at me. "Well, I can see he certainly needs help with his clothing. What are you even wearing? What is that horrible painting on your blouse?"
I looked down at my Slayer t-shirt. "It was a band," I said. "Somehow, I have a feeling you guys wouldn't like them." Yeah, I didn't think elves would enjoy Reign in Blood too much.
Elasha grabbed a measuring tape and walked up to me, still muttering no-so-quietly under her breath about my t-shirt. I supposed the elves just couldn't appreciate good thrash metal. To each their own.
"You're broad, here," she muttered, drawing a fingertip along my back from shoulder to shoulder. "Tell me, what are you?"
What was I? Did she mean my race?
"I'm a human," I said.
"Human," she repeated, as if tasting the word. Apparently we weren't too common in the area.
"Any recommendations?" I asked. "I'd like something comfortable, but stylish. To be honest, I don't really know what to ask for other than those two qualities."
Taranath shrugged. "Everything she makes is comfortable and stylish." He gestured at his own clothing to offer evidence at that.
Taranath looked like one of those guys that went all-out for the Renaissance Faire. I had to remind myself that I was in a different world, so clothes were going to be not only different, but probably inconvenient.
Elasha measured my inseam, then went back to her counter. She dipped a large quill into an inkpot and began writing on a large ledger. "So, precisely what did you want?" she asked.
I looked over at Taranath. "I guess clothes like his. Maybe a little simpler; I don't need anything fancy."
Taranath chuckled slightly at my comment, leading me to believe that his clothes weren't fancy at all.
"I'll get started on them later today," Elasha said, not looking up from her ledger. "I should have something for you tomorrow. I'm assuming you have money?" That time, she did look up.
"Yeah," I said, reaching into my pocket. I withdrew four silver coins and set them on her counter. "Is that enough?"
"More than enough," she replied, pushing one of the coins back to me.
I pushed the coin back at her. "To say thanks for helping me," I said, offering her a smile.
"Alright, now let's get you to Althidon," Taranath said. He left the building and I followed.
We passed through more of the city and I saw all sorts of incredible things. Branches curved around into a fine mesh square, twenty feet on a side. It had been filled with soil, and plants grew there. I saw a variety of berries, as well as what looked like beans and some type of squash.
The distinct clang clang of a hammer on an anvil echoed through the area. To my surprise, we passed by a blacksmith, whose shop was also made from the tree. The forge itself was small and made from stones and brick, held up by thick branches. A barrel of rainwater stood nearby, for quenching metal. Notably, the forge held no bellows.
I watched as we walked by. The elven blacksmith was more thickly built than the others, but still a slender man. He placed his hand above the red-hot coals and spoke a few words, causing them to glow bright yellow. After a moment, he used a heavy pair of tongs to hold a piece of hot metal, which he set on a nearby anvil. Grabbing his hammer, he beat at the piece of metal. The way he hefted the hammer made it seem nearly weightless, but sparks flew from the hot metal as if it were a ten-pounder. It must have been magical as well.
"Seems dangerous, having a forge up here," I said.
"It is," Taranath said. "But we need quality steel, so we accept the risk. Aymer is a careful man, so no fires have ever broken out."
After that, I saw a large metal cauldron resting on four square stones. While no fire burned beneath it, the contents of the cauldron bubbled as if boiling. It only took one whiff for me to realize that it was stew. A handful of elven men and women stood and sat around the cauldron, talking while drinking from wooden cups.
After a few minutes, I saw another cauldron set up in a similar manner. More elves surrounded that one, once again happily chatting with each other.
"Is food a communal thing here?" I asked.
"Of course," Taranath said. "Is it not, where you come from?"
"Not really," I said. "You eat with your family, at the most. People getting together like this usually only happens on holidays. And even then, it's usually family members."
"Huh," Taranath said. "Here in Caelora, groups of houses garden together and eat together. We find it builds tighter communities and happier people."
"That certainly sounds pleasant," I said. Whatever the stew was, it smelled absolutely fantastic. I took mental notes on several things like that as we walked through the tree city of Caelora. If the day ever came that I actually became king of the goblins, I wanted to make sure I worked to keep my people happy. Not like this Ralcor guy, who apparently no one liked.
An arched bridge gave way to a large platform, upon which a group of a dozen young elven men practice movements with wooden swords. Barking orders at them was an older elven man, his face only slightly lined with age despite his solid white hair. Before him, the dozen men all moved like a single unit, feinting and then dropping into a lunge.
Taranath and I stood there for a moment, watching the young soldiers train. Their movements had a certain precision to them that was impressive to see in person.
"These are new recruits," Taranath said quietly, leaning over to speak quietly. "They've been training maybe two months."
I had no idea how long it took to learn how to fight with a sword, but I suddenly began to worry about just how long this was going to take. Living with Silvy wasn't bad, but having to sneak down that hallway every day and hide for two or three months didn't sound very appealing. And I still had to learn magic!
After a few minutes, the white-haired elven man told the new recruits to rest. Then, he came over to see us. His eyes were hard on me the entire time, like polished gemstones and not nearly as forgiving.
"Sword-Master Althidon," Taranath said, bowing low with his hand over his heart. "An honor to see you. I bring to you Aaron of House Parker."
I bowed in the same manner Taranath had, with my right hand over my heart. It felt a bit dumb but I understood the need for propriety. "Honored to meet you, Sword-Master Althidon," I said, hoping I had used the correct greeting."
He acknowledged our bows with a nod. "And why did you bring him to me?" he asked in a gruff voice.
Taranath smiled and held a hand out to me.
"I need you to teach me how to fight, sir," I said. "With a sword, spear, with anything, really."
The Sword-Master crossed his arms and frowned at me. "You're an outsider. Why would I teach an outsider? How do I know you aren't learning this to turn around and use our tactics against us? Why would I trust you?"
I produced the wand Silvy had given me, holding it up for a moment so the filtered sunlight could catch the diamond set at the tip. After that, I handed it to Althidon.
"I offer this as payment," I said. "I am staying with a goblin woman, who recommended I spend time with the elves to learn the art of swordplay."
Althidon grunted at my phrasing. He examined the wand closely, then frowned at me again.
"So, I'll ask you again. Why would I teach you?" He kept the wand in his hand and crossed his arms.
I wasn't entirely sure what the man was looking for. "Because I need to learn how to survive in this new world," I said. "I come from a different land, from very far away. Something magically brought me here; it was not of my own choosing."
"Thanks for the story," he said, still frowning at me. "Once again, I'll ask you why I should teach you? If you can't give me a good reason, you can turn around and go back down the steps. And if you waste much more of my time, I'll just throw you over the railing."
While not a large man, his arms were corded with hard, stringy muscle. I had no doubts he could throw me over the side.
I took a deep breath and hoped this didn't backfire. "A goblin witch woman has been praying for more than a hundred years that the gods would send her someone to kill Ralcor. That someone is me."
Both Althidon and Taranath stared at me for a moment. It was Althidon that spoke.
"Are you saying you want to kill the goblin king?" he asked in carefully measured tones.
I nodded, ready to take a chance. "That's what I'm here to do; kill Ralcor and become the new goblin king."
"But, you're not even a goblin," Althidon said. Taranath barked a laugh.
"Yep, and I can't fight, either," I said. "So we had better start my training soon."