"I am the ruler of this forest," Veldra said, his voice low and absolute, resonating through the trees themselves. "Do not test me."
With that, he turned away.
Without another glance, Veldra resumed walking, Lucien falling into step beside him. Behind them, the group remained frozen in shock, the space they occupied heavy with fear and disbelief, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
"My Lord," Lucien asked quietly as they moved deeper into the forest, "who were those people? And… who was that woman?"
"I don't know the others," Veldra replied, his gaze fixed on the endless, pathless stretch ahead. "As for the woman, she is someone I once had a relationship with. That is all." His tone remained steady, detached. "It's over now. It doesn't matter."
They walked in silence for a long while, the forest swallowing their footsteps, uncertainty stretching endlessly before them.
"Are there any named ones in this forest?" Veldra asked at last.
"There are," Lucien replied. "But only four, apart from me and you, my Lord."
"Only four?" Veldra asked, genuine surprise flickering through his voice. He had expected far more. Are names truly that scarce? he wondered.
"Yes, my Lord. Only four beings in this forest possess a name."
"Who are they?"
Lucien inclined his head slightly as he explained. "There are three races that primarily reside within this forest, though many others pass through or exist on its fringes. The forest itself is ever-expanding, ever-growing. These three races are the Elven race, the Druid race, and the Beastkin race."
He paused, then added, "I am Beastkin, a wolf. And among the Beastkin, the one who governs us… our king… bears a name."
Veldra frowned slightly. "Wait. I thought I was the ruler of this forest. Why does another king exist?"
Lucien answered without hesitation. "My Lord, everything within this forest is yours. It is your domain, an extension of your will. However, races seek order among themselves. They appoint kings to guide them, to lead their people in matters of survival and unity. These kings govern their races, and thus, the forest itself grants them names."
He lowered his voice, reverent. "Every race has its king. But every king is still only a resident within this forest."
Lucien met Veldra's gaze briefly before finishing, "And you, my Lord… are the forest itself."
"Can I meet these kings?" Veldra asked, his tone calm but unmistakably interested.
"Yes, absolutely," Lucien replied at once. "Would you like to visit them now, my Lord?"
"Yes, of course," Veldra said. "One should see their subordinates for themselves, shouldn't they?"
"Of course, my Lord."
"I want to meet them now," Veldra continued. "How do I do that?"
Lucien slowed his steps and turned slightly toward him. "If you were merely a resident of the forest, my Lord, you would have to walk… or run. Distance would matter. But you are the forest itself." His voice lowered with reverence. "You need not obey such limits. You may simply will it, wave your hand, and appear where you desire."
"Oh?" Veldra murmured.
They came to a halt. Without ceremony, Veldra raised his hand and made a simple, effortless motion, more thought than gesture.
In the next instant, their forms vanished.
There was no distortion, no rupture of space, only absence, followed by presence.
They reappeared still within the forest, yet in a place far removed from where they had been before. Towering trees pierced the sky above them, their trunks thick and ancient, branches stretching outward like living pillars. Dense undergrowth crowded the ground, and lush, dew-laden grass shimmered with life beneath their feet.
The air was pristine, cool, fresh, and heavy with the breath of nature itself. Every inhale felt cleansing, as though the forest were welcoming them into one of its deeper sanctums.
"This is quite a nice place," Veldra said, surveying the surroundings.
"Indeed it is, my Lord," Lucien replied.
Then Veldra felt it.
Presences, many of them.
High above, scattered across the towering branches, figures lay concealed among leaves and shadow. They did not move, yet their attention was unmistakable. Eyes watched from the canopy, silhouettes blending seamlessly with bark and foliage, as though the forest itself had grown vigilant.
Veldra's gaze lifted slightly.
The kings… or their sentinels… were already aware of his arrival.
Immediately, an arrow tore through the air.
It flew with terrifying speed, the force behind it compressing the atmosphere itself, a sharp crack trailing in its wake as it nearly broke the sound barrier. The shaft was aimed straight for Veldra's heart, precise, lethal, unquestioning.
Lucien moved first.
He stepped forward calmly, almost lazily, and caught the arrow between two fingers. The impact sent a violent tremor through the air, yet Lucien did not so much as flinch. The arrow's tip stopped a hair's breadth from his skin, the shaft quivering helplessly before falling still.
"How dare you attack the ruler!" Lucien thundered, his voice erupting through the forest like divine judgment.
From above, a sharp voice answered.
"A Beastkin dares to enter the Elven Realm?!"
Leaves rustled. Branches bent.
An elf descended from the canopy with fluid grace, landing soundlessly upon the forest floor. He was tall, his long ears sweeping back through strands of golden hair that shimmered like sunlight caught in autumn leaves. His eyes glowed a deep yellow, almost gold, sharp and ancient, reflecting centuries of vigilance. His face was impossibly refined, as though the forest itself had carved beauty into his bones.
He stood six feet tall, his body honed with bone and muscle beneath finely wrought armour. In his grasp rested a bow fashioned from sacred wood, its surface etched with runes that pulsed faintly with life.
"The ruler, you say?" the elf scoffed coolly. "Did the kings favour him? Or did the forest choose him?" His gaze hardened. "Either way, he does not set foot here without the king's permission."
Lucien bristled. "You dare speak to your ruler in such a manner?"
The elf's lips curled slightly. "If he truly is our ruler," he said calmly, eyes shifting to Veldra, "then let him speak for himself."
Veldra stepped forward.
The air seemed to bend around him as he moved, the forest subtly responding, branches lowering, roots tightening, silence thickening. His expression was calm, but beneath it stirred something vast and absolute.
"Why do you block our path?" Veldra asked.
His voice was deep, resonant, carrying the unmistakable weight of command, not loud, not aggressive, but final. The voice of a ruler who did not need permission.
"If you are truly our ruler," the elf replied, lifting his bow slightly, "then pass our challenge."
"There is no need," Veldra said simply.
He walked past him.
Reality hesitated.
== <<[| You have received a quest |]>> ==
== <<[| QUEST |]>> ==
Objective: Subdue the Elven Realm and its King
Step 1: Wage war against the Elven Race-pending
Alternative: Eliminate the King of the Elven Race-pending
== <<[| --- |]>> ==
As Veldra passed, the elf's eyes widened. His body reacted on instinct alone, he spun, drawing his bow in a single fluid motion, energy surging along the string as he prepared to loose another arrow.
Too late.
Veldra did not turn.
"I define you," he said calmly, his words carrying the authority of existence itself, "to be a dead man."
The forest went utterly silent.