MENESIS
We are in the year two thousand and thirty-three, deep within an immense and primordial forest that stretches high across a range of great mountains. This land has borne many names throughout the ages, yet the meaning behind each has always been the same — "the gifted one."
The forests of this region were filled with oak trees and were revered as a sacred place, both by the world of wizards and by that of ordinary men. One of its ancient names was Echedon, and within its domain stood numerous sanctuaries, both ancient and modern.
Because of its vast woodlands and towering peaks, the region had always stirred a sense of awe and mystery in the human imagination. Thus, it became a source of myths and legends throughout the ages of world history. One such legend was the belief that within these forests dwelled an ancient and powerful race of elves, hidden from the rest of the world.
It was a widely held theory, never confirmed by the realm of magic despite countless attempts through the centuries to uncover the world of the elves. And now, once again, the same story unfolds — a group of wizards has embarked on a secret mission to find the fabled kingdom of the elves.
– Mom, can we go outside to play in the yard?
– Nofivos, we can't go out at this hour, it's nighttime. Do you want me to give you some chocolate or your juice instead?
– No! I want to play outside! Outside in the forest!
A dark-haired man, the boy's father, Alexandros, walks into the room. Looking at little Nofivos with a puzzled expression, he asks:
– What's all this noise? Who's fussing?
The three-year-old turns to his father with a pleading look, begging him to go outside and play together.
Nofivos's mother, the light-brown-haired Sophia, tells her husband that she already explained to their little son that it's dark outside, and good children don't play outdoors after nightfall.
Nofivos begins to whine louder, shouting, "I want to go out! Out!"
Then Alexandros lifts his son up into his arms and tosses him playfully into the air two or three times, and the boy bursts into laughter, his complaints forgotten.
"Would you like me to tell you a nice fairy tale?"
Nofivos's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes! I want a fairy tale!"
Alexandros held his son in one arm and, with the other, drew his wand from his belt. He approached the fireplace and with a small flick of his wand made the flames burn brighter. Then he went to the couch and sat down with Nofivos in his lap, ready to tell the story he had promised.
"Once upon a time, there was a terrible and wicked dragon named Atnitos. This dragon spread terror across all the kingdoms of the Earth, and everyone feared him. One day, however, seven brave brothers decided to defeat this evil dragon and drive him far from their land.
But since the dragon Atnitos was very powerful and could not be easily slain, the seven brothers decided first to seek the counsel and help of the wise seers of the Oracle of the Eslons. So, the seven brothers journeyed to the sacred oracle, where they met the priests and their wise leader, who promised to aid them against the dreadful dragon.
The wise seeress first gave them a magical cloak and told them to return to their homeland. She explained that this cloak would protect them and conceal them from the wicked dragon. 'Go back to your country,' she said, 'and wait for us there. We here at the oracle shall forge a powerful weapon—Nyxichor—and when it is ready, we will bring it to you so that you may defeat the dragon.'
Thus, the seven brothers departed from the oracle with the magical cloak, which had the power to hide them and their entire land from Atnitos. Yet the brothers lived in seven different cities, and so they decided to divide the cloak into seven equal parts. They cut it into seven pieces, and each brother took one to hide his city from the dragon.
Time passed, but the wise seeress and her priests did not appear with the promised weapon, Nyxichor. The six elder brothers grew weary of waiting and decided to use the magic of their own piece of the cloak to forge other enchanted weapons, hoping to defeat the dragon who ravaged their lands. Only the youngest brother, the most prudent of all, chose to wait and kept his piece of the cloak intact, remaining hidden just as the oracle had advised.
The six brothers fought bravely, but in vain, for the dragon Atnitos could not be slain and was far too strong. In the end, he conquered their cities and literally swallowed the six brothers whole. Only the youngest survived, hidden along with his city under the protection of the magic cloak.
After some time, the seeress and her priests finally arrived, bringing with them the weapon Nyxichor. But no matter how hard they searched, they could not find any of the brothers. After many days, they at last discovered the youngest, who was still hidden with his city. The seeress asked him what had happened, and the young brother explained that his siblings had disobeyed her instructions, attempting to slay Atnitos, who had defeated and devoured them.
Upon hearing this, the seeress and her priests asked him to show them where the wicked dragon lay, so they could defeat him together. So they went to find the dragon, who was sleeping inside a cave on a mountain. While Atnitos slept, the seeress used the magic weapon Nyxichor to cut open his belly and freed the six brothers he had swallowed whole—still alive. Then they filled the dragon's belly with a great stone so he would not notice it was empty, and the seeress sewed it shut with fabric from the magical cloak.
When they left the dragon's cave, they sealed the entrance once again with the same cloak's power. Thus, the sleeping dragon was imprisoned within the mountain and could no longer escape to wreak havoc upon the Earth.
Finally, the seeress and her priests gave the weapon Nyxichor to the youngest brother—the wisest one—and told him to guard the dragon's cave so that Atnitos would never rise again.
And so the seven brothers defeated the wicked dragon Atnitos, and they lived happily ever after—and so did we."
Little Nofivos had already fallen asleep in Alexandros' arms. Gently, he lifts him and places him next to the bed, where Sophia was lying. Alexandros watches over his son's forehead and goes to sleep on a nearby chair, so as not to crowd them.
After a short while, suddenly, shouts and explosions from spells are heard. Sophia and Alexandros jump up in surprise, open the tent, and see terrifying creatures with human-like bodies but animalistic faces attacking them. Sophia quickly enters the tent, wraps Nofivos in a blanket, and places him inside a basket. She then puts the basket under the bed and casts a protective spell to hide Nofivos.
Next, she and Alexandros leave the tent to fight the terrifying creatures attacking them in the night. Outside, chaos erupts, with explosions and flames from magic spells everywhere. The group of mages tries to defend themselves against these strange and fearsome beings, but they are far more powerful. These creatures also wield magical wands or rods and mostly have goat-like features with dark auras. Some have deer or wolf faces, yet still emit a dark aura, and all stand upright like humans.
The mages realize they are facing a strange enemy with many humanoid appearances. These are the beings who have been fighting for twenty years and apparently set up an ambush. They first appeared in 2013, and their attacks on Earth have continued and even increased. No one knows exactly where they come from or what they truly are, but they always have humanoid forms. They take various shapes, like herds, demons, ghosts, and more. Some believe they might even be extraterrestrials, yet no one knows for sure.
The Ministry of Magic has tried for years to eliminate them, but they are too powerful and usually fail. Attempts at negotiation have also failed, as these beings show no intention of discussion, only chaos and war. That is why the team ventured into the forests of Echedon: to find the mythical tribe of elves, who according to legend have the power to defeat this strange enemy. The Ministry believes this enemy may be linked to these legends, and so they sent this search mission to seek help from the elves. Officially, the Ministry does not recognize these myths, yet they secretly dispatched a team to verify if there is any truth to them.
They do not want to admit it publicly, but perhaps this is exactly what they fear: that they are dealing with fairies. Fairies are immortal beings with immense magical powers and can take various forms, even of animals. These mysterious and powerful beings with dark auras easily annihilated the entire secret mission team. Only little Nofivos survived, hidden inside the basket under the tent bed, and despite the noise of battle, he remained asleep.
However, just before the terrifying creatures left the scene, other mages suddenly appeared, surrounded by golden auras. Observing the flames and cries from afar, these golden-aura mages arrived to investigate and ascertain what had happened.Thus, the mages with golden auras immediately attacked the animal-like beings, and the battle between them was fierce. There were only five of the animalistic creatures, and they were outnumbered by the golden-aura mages, yet they continued fighting by casting summoning spells for monsters. However, the mages were highly skilled as well and summoned beasts into the battle themselves.
The fight escalated as spells collided continuously, and creatures such as dragons and trolls clashed with each other. As a result, one of the terrifying beings was eventually killed, and the remaining four, with their dark auras, transformed into small, glowing spheres and quickly vanished from the battlefield.
The mages with the bright auras eliminated the enemy beasts and then searched for survivors. Unfortunately, all they found were destroyed tents and bodies. The mages, dressed in white robes adorned with golden embroidery, buried the dead and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, however, the cry of a child was heard. The beautiful mages in white robes looked around to find the source and discovered the three-year-old child inside the basket under the bed, crying out "Mama!" in fear. The mages exchanged puzzled glances and, speaking in a strange language, decided to take the little child with them. A stunning young woman approached the child, picked them up, and as she stepped out of the tent, she gently turned the child's face away from the scene of bloodshed.Thus, their leader gave an order, and everyone soared into the sky on their magical broomsticks.
After a few minutes, the beautiful mages landed in front of a cliff with an impressive waterfall. The leader waved his wand, and the cliff split in two, along with the waterfall, which now flowed on either side of the divided cliff. Everyone followed the leader and entered the gorge that had appeared magically, which slowly closed behind them as they progressed.
Little Nofivos watched all of this in astonishment, searching for his parents, but seeing no sign of them, he began to call out their names. The boy was about to start crying when the beautiful young woman soothed him with gentle strokes and smiles, making him forget his fear.
The group of mages in white robes emerged from the gorge and encountered two towering statues carved at the exit. These statues were massive and imposing, wearing robes, holding a rod in their right hand and extending the left hand with an open palm. In the distance, the sun began to rise behind the palace buildings on the city's acropolis.
After proceeding a little further, they approached the city walls, where two guards performed a recognition check and then allowed them to enter. The mages rode the horses stationed near the entrance, and together, they hurried toward the acropolis to report what had happened during their excursion. The city buildings were mostly stone, with some marble structures. The cobblestone streets were also made of stone, except for the three main avenues, which were of a silvery metal with marble panels along the bridges' sides. A large river ran through the city from end to end, with beautiful squares and parks scattered along it, featuring large oak trees and fountains. Additionally, there were numerous statues of animals, humans, and legendary creatures such as unicorns, dragons, and more.
The leader of the mages, wearing white robes and gleaming silver armor, rode ahead and dismounted in front of two men outside the palace on the acropolis. The other mages dismounted as well, and the leader reported to the two men, who were apparently his superiors, about what had transpired in the forest at midnight.
"General, a group of Onia attacked human mages camping in the forest and annihilated them all! The only survivor is this little child, whom we brought with us, as all his family perished in the Onia assault."
The General and the commander beside him descended the steps to inspect the child, who was being held carefully by the beautiful young woman. She was the commander's daughter, and with great courage, she spoke to him:
"Father, we must protect him and care for him! He's a small, helpless, orphaned child."
"Do not rush. For now, the child is under your responsibility. Take care of him, and later the council will decide his fate. And I've told you before: when you are in the regiment, address me as Captain, not Father. Go home to your mother and do what you must—give him food or whatever he needs. Surely he will be shaken and frightened after what happened."
Meanwhile, the group detailed all the events of the night with the terrifying Onia in the forest to the General and the Captain. The General appeared concerned about the report from the elves in mithril robes and then told them to rest and be ready for the morning briefing at the council, which would take place after the regiment's breakfast.
After resting and having breakfast, Captain Oxydar took the group of elves to the council, so they could recount the events. At the same time, the beautiful Enali entrusted little Nofivos to her mother, Lydia. During the council, after hearing the account from the elves who participated in the night mission, the elves concluded that the magical veil had begun to collapse. "Exactly as we expected," said Begalor, the king of the elves.
- The magical veil develops cracks every three thousand years, allowing the Onia to infiltrate our world. It is well known to all of us that when the celestial body Menesis appears near our solar system every three thousand years, the magical veil weakens. This results in the world of the Onia interfering with our own dimension.
Exactly, this is how an elf, Elanor, responds to King Begalor, adding that as the planet Menesis approaches the sun, more and more of the exiled Onia will manage to enter Earth.
- It is crucial to strengthen the magic of the veil in order to prevent the continuous invasion of the Onia, because if they manage to come too close to our world, Earth will again be at risk of being conquered by these horrifying beings.
- You are right, my king, and the truth is that we may not be as fortunate as we were twelve thousand years ago, when we managed to defeat them and exile them from our world into this magical prison.
An elderly elf, Lastor, then speaks, reminding everyone that the amount of magical ether they possess has begun to run out.
- My friends, the magical ether we possess has begun to run out, and I must present to you the dilemma we face. We must either use almost all of the magical ether to keep the rift in the magical veil sealed, or continue to use the ether source to keep our kingdom hidden from the rest of the barbarian world, as has been done for millennia.
- So we can't do both, Lastor?
- No, my king, it is impossible for both to happen.
-Then we must decide which of the two we will choose, says King Begalor.
Another elf adds that even if they use their magical source to hide the kingdom, it is inevitable that the magical ether will eventually run out, and thus they will be exposed to the world again.
Thus, the elves begin to argue, reaching no useful conclusion.
Finally, Elanor, who is respected among the elves for his magical and combat skills, stands and begins to explain the situation to the elves.
- Well, my friends, listen to me. In reality, we have two choices. The first is to ensure that the magical veil remains sealed, so that the problem of the Onia will trouble us again only three thousand years from now. Of course, if we do this, it is certain that within the next fifty to a hundred years our magical source will run out, and thus the harmony and prosperity of our kingdom might be threatened by the remaining barbarian nations of Earth, who would then be able to locate us. Moreover, it goes without saying that when our ether magic runs out, we will lose the ability to produce powerful weapons, armors, and many technologies that depend on this kind of magical energy. It is also almost certain that future generations of elves, without access to ether magic, will likely have shorter lifespans. Furthermore, their health could be at risk, as many of our magical treatments rely on our magical source.
Hearing all this, the elves began to argue and discuss heatedly among themselves. One elf claimed that all this was an exaggeration and should not concern them. However, Elanor raised his voice and told them that he had not finished his speech.
- In the first case, as I was saying, we seal the rift in the magical veil and thus prevent the Onia from invading Earth. We then hope that in the next three thousand years, when the magical veil opens again, we will have discovered some magical weapon strong enough to defeat the Onia or at least another method to reseal the magical veil that keeps the Onia from entering our world. And, of course, all of this depends on our advanced and peaceful world not being threatened over the next three thousand years by the remaining barbarian nations of Earth, who will now know of the existence of our kingdom and our superior civilization.
On the other hand, you should know that the magic of our ether source is strong enough to provide protection and concealment even from the Onia, as it did twelve thousand years ago. Therefore, I would like to inform you that the magic of the ether source can continue to protect us and provide its benefits for the next ten to twelve thousand years, if it is not wasted on the rift in the magical veil. And anyone who doubts my claims can ask any member of the respected elf council to confirm the truth of my words.
Finally, I would like to point out that we could allow the rest of the world to handle the rift in the magical veil with the Onia, and who knows, perhaps they will surprise us. Meanwhile, while we observe their efforts to prevent the Onia from invading Earth, we will have a window of twelve thousand years instead of three thousand. This way, it will be more likely for us to find a way to defeat this dreadful enemy, having an additional nine thousand years, as well as the advantage of observing them and discovering any weaknesses. And all of this without having to risk exposing the existence of our glorious kingdom, Knosaeon!
All the elves shouted loudly, "Glory to Knosaeon!" and unanimously agreed to follow the second proposal of the wise and courageous elf, Elanor. Thus, King Begalor announced to them, for the time being, that they would not intervene with the magical veil to seal it, and would simply observe the events silently and secretly.
- If we see, in the end, that the barbarian tribes cannot cope with the invasions of the Onia, then we may intervene and help them, should we change our minds.
The elves began to rise to disperse the council, but then the daughter of Commander Oxydar, the beautiful Enale, spoke up and told them that the session was not yet over, as the matter of the small orphaned child remained unresolved. And just as they were about to leave, Begalor called them back to sit in their places.
- Wait! Sit down again! We forgot what to do with the unfortunate human child.
Most of the elves suggested returning him to his people, but Enale, who had taken a liking to the child, tried to change their minds.
- I believe it is wiser to raise the child as our own, since he has no parents. Moreover, it is too risky to expose the existence of our world if we return him to the humans. Humans are not so naive and will realize that logically we, the elves, must live here in these forests. They might send more groups of mages to search for us.
Elanor stood and told everyone that, although he did not like the idea of keeping the child in Knosaeon, he must admit that Enale was right.
- I agree with Enale, and the worst part is that the humans might inadvertently lead the Onia to our doorstep in their efforts to find us.
Begalor proposed keeping the orphaned child under the protection and care of the house of Oxydar Adathou.
- Enale, you will have the responsibility to care for the child, and he will be under your supervision for the time being, if you agree. We will monitor events in the outside world, and if things change, we may return the child to his people.
-Stay calm, my king. It will be my great joy to raise the child in our home.
"No problem," replied Captain Oxydar.
- It will not be a problem for our family to raise the child with us. After all, Your Majesty, it is obvious that my daughter is thrilled with the idea of having a little brother.
The session was dismissed, and all the elves left the council hall to attend to their duties. The beautiful Enale did the same, eager to inform her mother, Lydia, of the joyful news. She quickly arrived home and impatiently knocked on the door to see the little boy now under her care.
- Welcome, my little one, her mother Lydia said.
Enale was already thirty-one years old, but in the elf world of Knosaeon, where they could live up to seven hundred years, her age was considered that of a teenager.
- I am no longer little! I have served in the royal army for six years! Where is my little friend? Is he awake?
Lydia opened the door wider and, with a gesture of her hand, showed her beautiful daughter the little Nofivos.
- Here he is! He is helping me knead the dough to make bread.
How was he when he woke up? Was he looking for his people?
He cried, my bird, and looked around the house trying to find them. He called out "Mama" and some other words, which were probably the names of his parents. I couldn't understand exactly what he said, because I don't know many human words myself. Only that he was calling for his mother. So, I held him, wiped the tears from his eyes, and sang him a couple of poems until he calmed down. Then we came here to the kitchen, and I gave him some dough to play with and distract himself.
Enale approached the little Nofivos with a smile and gently stroked his head.
- What is his name? Do you know?
- I know that. From what I understand, his name is Nofivos. I showed him myself, telling him that my name is Lydia. Then I pointed to him, and when I asked him, he pointed to himself and said, Nofivos.
Enale looked gently into Nofivos's eyes and, in the language of the elves, said, "My name is Enale, I am your friend." Nofivos looked at Enale with curiosity, unable to understand what language she was speaking. Enale pointed to herself and repeated her name, "My name is Enale," then pointed to the little one and asked him, "And you?"
The little boy pointed at the beautiful Enale with his hand and said her name loudly.
- Well done! My name is Enale. And what's your name?
- Nofivos!
Thus, Enale and her mother were now certain of the little boy's name. In the meantime, Enale recounted everything that had been discussed at the morning elf council and told her mother that it had been decided to host little Nofivos, at least temporarily.
- Well, look at that! Just when you were complaining all this time about not having siblings, now we'll see how you manage with little Nofivos.
Meanwhile, little Nofivos played quietly with the dough, shaping it into various forms. As time passed, Nofivos grew up within the Adath family, and slowly his sadness for his parents began to ease. The family treated him with great love and care, granting his every wish, so the little boy had no complaints. Moreover, Nofivos gradually began to learn the elves' language, allowing him to communicate quite well.
Days, weeks, and months passed, and eventually the elves decided to raise the little boy as their own and let him remain in the kingdom of Knosaeon. Enale and her parents gladly agreed to take responsibility for him, having loved him for so long. The only thing left was to make him an official member of Knosaeon.
The elves organized a baptism ceremony so that little Nofivos would receive an elven name and become a legitimate part of their society. During the ceremony, he was given the name Foskar, or Foskir, which in the elven language meant "heart of light." The ceremony was attended by many and took place in the grand temple of the acropolis, near which stood the magnificent palace of King Begalor.