Sothoryos X
As he climbed off the back of Silverfang, Jarod's white tiger, Jon watched the latter with curiosity. The Elven man was looking around carefully, his ears twitching slightly.
"Are you curious?" Saynna asked, causing Jon to nod in response.
"As mentioned before, we Elves have a connection to nature. Our magic keeps us in tune. And our ears allow us to hear certain things," Jon listened intently, watching as Jarod placed his hand on a tree and closed his eyes.
"The wind whispers things to us when we ask for it. And nature reveals things to us when we come into contact."
"How? How is that possible?" Jon asked, totally confused.
Saynna smiled slightly and said, "Magic has existed since ancient times, when the gods walked the mortal plains. When they walked these lands, their great power and consciousnesses were slightly embedded in nature. Those things, over time, gave things a certain consciousness. And we, use our connection and magic to ask."
"Trees and the earth, can show us certain things."
"Similar to greensight?"
"I'm sorry. Our terms seem to be different. Can you explain greensight?"
"It is said that it was the ability to see things. I seem to remember that… a tree… an weirwood tree was used to be able to see what has happened and what might happen."
"Ah, yes. You're right, it is similar. Although we can use it on any tree. We can't see the future, but we can see what has happened and what might be happening elsewhere. After all, roots can spread everywhere."
"What gods do you believe in?"
"Several, actually. There are two we consider the main ones, though. Siblings. The Sun God and the Moon Goddess."
"You? You have a god?"
Jon tilted his head slightly. "In southern Westeros, people believe in The Seven. According to Maester Luwin, a man who is supposed to have studied many things and taught me when I was a child, he told me that it is actually one deity with seven aspects: The Father, the Mother, the Warrior, the Smith, the Maiden, the Crone, and the Stranger."
"In the Iron Islands, further west of Westeros, they believe in the Drowned God. And in the north, where I lived, we believe in the Old Gods; we have no names for them. They are part of nature: the stones, the rivers, the birds and the beasts, and they bring the deceased down to the earth and the trees. It is said that the Old Gods watch over the world from the trees, especially the heart trees, where the children of the forest carved faces. We believe that the gods can tell when someone is lying, so we make promises and oaths at these heart trees."
Saynna couldn't help but smile at the Old Gods part.
"Sounds similar to us. We also make promises to nature, especially at our main shrine, where the world tree is located?"
"World tree?"
"Yes. It's a huge tree that seems to reach the heavens. Its branches are bigger than a hundred dragons. When it's daytime, its leaves shine like the sun. And at night, a beautiful silver color, like moonlight."
"That big?"
"That big," Saynna smiled even more brightly at Jon's expression.
Jon was about to say something else, but Jarod stepped away from the tree, frowning as he approached.
"Did they answer you?"
Jarod nodded, his expression sad.
"They're dead."
"What?!" Saynna exclaimed angrily.
"The stinking men attacked. I saw a bloody mist surrounding them, overwhelming our rangers. All of them died, save one. But… if she was captured…"
Saynna gritted her teeth tightly, to the point where Jon could hear a slight grinding sound.
"If someone was captured, then those abominables sacrificed her to their God."
Jon frowned upon hearing that.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Jon. They fought with all their might and did not kneel to the enemy. Besides, it's not your fault."
Jon nodded, but asked, "If they are enemies, haven't they tried to invade that city?"
"We have. Believe me, we have tried. But…" Jarod frowned as he fell silent. Saynna was the next: "The foul magic they use makes the inside... one of the worst things you can ever feel in life. The moment you step inside, you'll smell the nauseating smell of death and putrefaction. It's so strong, you'll start vomiting and spasming. We can't just smell it. We feel it in our flesh. Deep within... and it doesn't make you sick, literally."
"When I fought that little group, I also smelled a putrid smell. It was really bad."
Jarod and Saynna nodded.
"We should head back. We can't do anything for our companions anymore. Their bodies were taken, probably as food. And the last one, serving as a sacrifice."
"The elders will be angry and saddened. Something like this hasn't happened in years," Saynna commented, receiving a nod from Jarod.
"Jon, come on. Get on Silverfang. We'll move on to the elves' home."
Nodding, Jon did just that. It seemed like there was nothing left to do. And now it was time to travel once more. But, this time, it would be a much more comfortable and faster journey. Thanks to the white tigers, the speed of travel was simply impressive. Although, he couldn't help but think of Ah' Kazan and the things he had hidden from Jarod and Saynna. But, he couldn't tell them the truth. He himself didn't even know the whole truth. There was a god who gave him his blessing but who was he? What was his goal in giving him the system? What did the god want by sending him to Sothoryos? If he wanted something like spreading his name, he might as well do it in Westeros, even in Essos where it was said that many gods were worshipped.
Jon still had to learn certain things. He didn't know everything. That was also one of the reasons that made him continue the journey. He needed to find answers. But could he find answers in the land of the Elves? That remained to be seen in a short time.
I just hoped that things would go well in the land of the elves.
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