"Oh, so this Hooman is finally awake?"
An arrogant voice was the first thing I heard when I opened my eyes. Rather, it seemed like he started speaking before the light even entered my vision. Elven ears are terrifying.
My body felt sore.
The pain I once felt stabbing me in the chest was now gone, leaving me with nothing but a heavy feeling on my chest.
I looked down, and there was that heavy feeling. A mess of blonde hair spilled out over my chest. I was wearing a faded tunic-like shirt I had never seen before. A girl's chest heaved up and down ever so faintly as she sat on a stool next to my bed.
Like always, Poppy was soundly asleep at my side, despite all the things I had done in my past. Her being here felt wrong, but it was welcomed.
I looked around the room. Once again, I found myself in the same room that Korne had allowed me to use for free. Well, that should have been a given considering that Poppy is resting at my side.
Nevertheless, the thought lingered. Just how many times has it been? How many times will I find myself waking up to the same ceiling after being unconscious for one reason or another?
It has not even been a month, yet this felt like I've been here for years, yet at the same time, I felt as if I had done nothing with my limited time remaining.
"So, Hooman,"
I turned towards the figure I had purposely avoided looking at when I scanned the room. His tone felt familiar and made me recall a horrible memory of when Korne thought it would be funny to knock me out and play his game. However, I do not recall ever meeting anyone with one eye, though his shiny-looking armor rings a bell, but I can't place my finger on why.
"I heard you take arms against your fellow hoomans." He said, gazing at me with his lonely sapphire blue eye.
"It's human, not hooman." I corrected him. He rolled his eye in response.
He stood next to the window, with the curtains fully drawn. The morning light shone on his annoyingly beautiful face, despite his being a man. I would lie to myself and just say this must be an elven thing, but Korne does not hold a candle to this man.
His beauty took a major hit with the plain black eyepatch, giving him a cooler look. Either way, something about his face pisses me off.
"But yes," I continued, trying my hardest to hold back my distaste for this pretty boy. "And by judging that you know who I am, are you a friend of Korne?"
"HAHAHA!!!" He let out the most forced laughter I have ever seen. "Perish the thought." He then narrowed his eye towards Poppy, who was still asleep, with a frown lining his lips. "That man hid the one who stole my only salvation in that cursed family. I would refer to him as an asset I require in unearthing the truth behind my father's actions."
I noticed his hands were balled into shaking fists. He caught my gaze and took a deep breath as if trying to calm himself.
"However," he said, sounding calmer than before, "just because we have an alliance does not mean I wish to bury the hatchet. You had caused me a great deal of stress these past few years while dealing with the war. And that girl robbed my sister of her breath. You and that lowlife cultist deserve nothing but death. But, I am not so proud that I cannot recognize that I owe you two, and that demon girl, a massive debt after my pathetic display the other night." His voice then softened, "I was told you came over and fought that other human on equal footing when the three of us struggled."
"I understand…but who are you?"
That came out a bit harsher than I expected. I could see his long, pointed ears droop low as I watched the loneliness build on his face. I hit a nerve, and it looks to be one that comes with a lot of trauma.
It was an honest question. One of the many questions that swirled violently in my mind. Sure, he looked familiar, but I seriously don't recall ever meeting anyone with one eye.
By the God Stamps on his ears, I could tell at a glance he was a noble, but the only nobles I have met were the stuck-up prince who drunkenly vented to me at the bar and the dark elf in the forest.
Wait…
The name came to me. That blonde hair, those—rather—that shade of blue in his eye. The armor, his damn tone. It all came to me.
"Adrian Locke?" I said. The same man who threatened to kill me and was stopped by Korne? I kept that part to myself.
With moves like that, how on earth did he get stomped by Al without his armor?
His ears shot upwards, and he replied with a smile and a cocky tone, "That is correct. Remember the name."
I'll remember it alright, just not in the way you think I will, venting drunk.
With a quick smile that faded as soon as he finished his statement, he gave a concerned look.
"So, do you hoomans—ah humans—usually sleep for three days?" The one-eyed elf said.
So it was three days. I wish I were more surprised, but something in me felt empty. I shook my head in response. Three more days were wasted, meaning that it's been about two weeks since my betrayal.
I felt my waist, just near Poppy's face. While the injury was gone, one cannot just simply forget getting ripped in half.
"We humans," I spoke, "only need about seven to nine hours." I turned towards Poppy. "I assume you elves require the same?"
"Nay." Adrian shook his head. "We only need about five. We spend most of our time hunting and living in harmony with nature. Well, that's how we elves used to live under the caring hand of the forgotten one." He glanced towards the girl sleeping on top of me. "I believe you asked that regarding the girl who is asleep on top of you. And based on your…indifferent response towards a…cute girl resting peacefully on you, this is not the first time this has happened."
Was being sharp also an elf thing? Korne could somehow predict things with shocking accuracy. Poppy, well, she's just a maiden in love who won't let anything slip past, and this man could figure out this situation just by looking at me.
"She," he continued, "only began resting mere hours ago. At first, I thought it was due to the assassins the evil sect had sent after her, but even after she returned to your side, she stayed on watch until sleep won her over." He glanced out the window. "There is something stalking you. I know it's a beastman, not anything else. Perhaps it's that slave that escaped."
An escaped slave. The beastman I killed that night mentioned something about how a slave ran away after killing a lot of his men. Honestly, that was karma for a slave trader to get killed by their own goods; however, it seems like my past will continue to hunt me.
Will I have to claim the life of another person whom I have wronged for the sake of my own survival?
"And here you are, covering for her while she sleeps," I said in a joking tone. I could see a slight blush on his cheeks.
"Don't be foolish enough to think I am protecting you." He said, clearing his throat afterwards. "I merely thought it would be a waste to let not only her efforts go to waste after killing a few cultists last night, but also a powerful tool to die in his sleep."
Cultists? Just what kind of developments have I missed while knocked out? Actually, he called Poppy a cultist earlier, didn't he?
"What or who are these cultists you are talking about?" I asked with genuine curiosity. If something was out to kill Poppy, I wish to at least be able to know what it is so that I can return the favor for her protecting me.
Adrian's face twisted a little as he forced himself to relax. He faced Poppy with his fists still balled up.
It was not hard to tell there was some kind of bad blood here.
"Cultists. Evil sect. Here in the elven lands, there exists only one group that bears those names—The Hand of Aerivorne, the current deity who rules over our people. This cult operates in the shadows. Executing anyone who dares to disobey the teachings of Aerivorne or speak the true name of the forgotten one. As recently as now, their aim was unknown. But somehow, a demon brat, a person related to you in name alone, pieced together their aim. Though their leader is still unknown—"
"Shaelvir."
I said with a simple breath. Adrian bit his tongue and stared at me in almost disbelief. What I said was true. Shaelvir, that dark elf I met in the forest, was their leader.
I could still hear his words. His provocative words, coercing me into believing that murder was an art form meant to be embraced.
But I also remember spilling his blood. Several times. It was no illusion, no lie. I felt my blade tear through him. His blood lined my clothes and filled my nostrils. Yet he still reappeared time and time again. No matter how many times I sliced him.
"Young Master." At some point, Poppy had awakened, gripping my hand. I felt myself get pulled back from my thoughts, back into reality.
"You know that name?" The noble elf said, dropping his tone as if he were trying to intimidate me into speaking.
"He's—" Before I could finish what I was trying to say, Poppy interjected.
"Their leader." She stood up and stretched before rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She then inched her hands towards the hem of her skirt as if she were reaching for a dagger.
"Relax, killer maid," Adrian said. "I'm not picking a fight. I just want answers." He seemed to have taken another breath and looked at me with a serious expression. "Why do you know this man? He should have been at the capital." He thrust a finger in the air towards Poppy. "And you, what do you mean he is their leader?"
"It is as I said." Poppy barked back immediately. "Or would you rather have me strip down again in front of the man I love just to prove my point of Shaelvir being the leader of that sect?"
Huh? I cocked my head. What did she mean by again? What happened between these two for the air in this room to be so tense?
"It is as the Young Master said. The man named Shaelvir is the head of the cult." Poppy said in a rude yet polite way. "I have hardly seen his face around, but I can confirm that the head priest of Aerivorne is in fact the puppet master."
"And you, human, how did you know of his name?" He gave me the same look he had given Poppy.
A look that reflected the rage in his eyes that burned ever so passionately. He was like me, the old me. The me who was ever so desperate to chase the truth, unaware of the burn I was gonna have to endure afterwards.
"I met him in the forest while trying to find the ruins Korne said Poppy would be at."
"…"
"…"
Poppy and Adrian exchanged similar looks despite their mutual hatred. Poppy stood up straight as if she were a proper maid standing next to her master, while Adrian approached us, closing the curtains on his way.
"Did you kill several people that day?" he said in a low tone, leaning forward towards me. Poppy let out a noise as she pushed him away. He sent her a glare, which she returned.
"I don't know." That was the truth. "There was a beastman that I know I killed on top of a ruined-looking tower. However, in the forest, where I met that dark elf…" I noticed that Adrian's expression shifted uncomfortably. "…I swear I killed him. Several times. Each time, a new figure appeared, bearing the same face and voice. I kept killing until I gave up. That is how I learned his name."
"That just about confirms it." He said, his expression melting into something more worried than serious.
"Indeed, it does, bastard prince," Poppy spoke, provoking yet another glare from the noble elf.
"It would be wise of you to hold your tongue should you have nothing meaningful to say, criminal."
"In that case, are you gonna still be a pawn in his game, or are you gonna put on the big boy pants and revolt?"
"That…" His voice trailed off. "I don't know. I cannot just take the words of a criminal and a genocider to heart. However, the evidence is as clear as the sky."
I feel a little lost here. It seems there is more to this story than I know, and a large pot is about to boil over. However, as a source of their problems, I feel I should not involve myself, as it does not pertain to me. My only aim is Al. He is not one to take a beating silently; he will return, of that I am certain.
While Poppy and Adrian were talking about the specifics of the conflict they are preparing for, I got up from the bed and made my way towards the door.
"Hold it," Adrian said in a commanding voice. "Where are you going?"
"Does it matter? I'm getting some fresh air." I said as I opened the door and left.
It was a long walk.
A long…painful…walk.
I found myself back in the forest with the sun at its peak. A warm wind dances through the air, carrying the smell of burnt wood along with it. Burnt stumps stood where trees had once reached for the sky.
On my left, with graceful, yet somewhat uneasy movements, was Poppy. Unlike before, her movements seemed unsteady. Was something preventing her from walking like she used to?
And on my right was an unwelcome guest who carried around a shiny mechanical bow on his back.
Why was this a painful walk? Well…
"I'm surprised that a prince could walk this long," Poppy said, snickering. "I thought you only traveled by dragonback."
"Well, if you must know, my mount is currently resting after her mating season. So I don't have much of a choice until she recovers from being in heat without a mate. Had she been by my side, I would not have been defeated by a human using me as a stepping stool."
"Hmm, maybe if you had not been so gun-ho about killing me for the wrong reason, you would still have that eye to help you see how pathetic that battle you fought was." Adrian clicked his tongue in response.
While walking to the forest, I learned many things between these two, the main thing being that Poppy was the one who took his eye that night. But their throwing jab after jab was starting to give a headache. These two were about fifty years old. I have no idea what that means in elven years, but in human years, they act like twelve-year-olds.
"Can't you both just get along?" I said, nearing my limit.
"Your maid killed my sister; I will not get along with her."
"This bastard prince humiliated me, tried to get me to strip bare, and nearly killed me. Sorry, Young Master, I will veto that order of yours."
"Yet here you are, walking together, so just shut up already. Both of you."
Then they both stopped in place. I turned around. They were staring at me, then motioned towards the front. It was as if they were waiting for something.
I turned around, and then I noticed what they had been looking at. Several bodies lay across the ground. Each was torn apart differently by my weapon. However.
This was not how I remembered this place.
They were grotesque.
They did not resemble any living creature I had ever seen.
Their skin, patched together.
Their faces were like incomplete combinations of people.
Their muscles and tendons were exposed beneath the stitches.
The pinkish-red color filled my eyes as I followed their bodies to their entrails. Their organs spilled out from my clean cuts, filling the air with a repugnant smell that dared to rob my stomach of its contents.
"You said this was Shaelvir?" Adrian said, somewhat doubtful, holding a cloth to his nose.
"Young Master would never lie." Poppy pulled a dagger from her thigh and poked the corpse with the tip. It went in easily. "That explains the clean cuts—ah, no offense, Young Master, not doubting you. But these cuts seemed to have experienced no resistance."
"None taken," I said. She was right. Cutting them down that night felt too easy. "But yes, I was sure of this being that man."
However, now getting a clear look at them in the daylight, there was no resemblance. Had I been imagining it? Was the madness consuming me that night?
The thought sent a chill down my spine. All the thoughts of wanting to kill—were they all fabricated by me? Was I trying to find a reason to kill? A reason to justify the spilling of blood?
I hunched over.
I felt sick.
There was no way I would have done that. I swear I would never. Was I going mad? Was I fighting my own desires that night?
"So, maid," Adrian said. "You thinking what I am thinking?"
Poppy made her way towards me and stroked my back. "Seeing the Young Master's expression towards the corpses, maybe."
"Illusion magic," Adrian said as he kicked the corpse. It rolled onto its back, revealing a large branding on its skin. "Research into immortality and artificial life. If this human believes that he saw the same man over and over in all of these corpses, then I am forced to believe it to be a case of Fossilization."
"I would not put it past that man to commit the highest of taboos," Poppy said, still stroking my back.
Once the feeling of nausea faded, I turned towards Poppy. "What is Fossilization?"
"It's," she said hesitantly as if carefully picking her words. "A taboo ritual where a person's body and soul are forced into a stone and are unable to die. They live in endless pain as the user uses their power until the moment the stone breaks."
"Not only that, it allows other races to use powers that are not their own." Adrian chimed in. "For example, given your statement is true, Shaelvir, an elf, can use demon magic thanks to the stone."
"I can't believe the dwarves mimicked this process in the creation of their power stones, just minus the living creature part of it," Poppy said with visible disgust. "Only angels and demons know of the knowledge to perform the ritual."
Adrian nodded. "Which means that he had help from someone. Or father, who has been around since the dawn of elvenkind, he might know the ritual."
There was a long silence that carried with the wind.
"So, Mister Unlikable Prince. What is your plan?" Poppy said, standing at my side.
"I…" Adrian took a deep breath and looked at me intently. "If it's not a problem, allow me to work with you. That demon said you were searching for the truth, the meaning behind the long war your people and this world had fought. I believe that the truth will lead to my father's undoing. And I will claim the throne, strike down Aerivorne, and find the priest who worships the forgotten one. Then I will return the elven people to their former glory. But I cannot do it alone."
"It's fine with me, just don't go power hungry with your status," I said.
"Nobody cares for a nobody like me anyway, so that won't be much of a problem."
"This is why you are at the bottom of the race," Poppy said.