Inside the tent, the standoff continued. Vulkan sat comfortably on a small stool, enjoying his breakfast. Today's meal consisted of toast, sausage, a few cherry tomatoes, peanut butter, half a fried (dinosaur) egg, and a steaming cup of coffee.
The starving Wood Elf, Carona, was tied up with several ropes in front of Vulkan. She could smell the food's aroma, and in her heart, she cursed the human before her. After revealing her name, she refused to say anything more, glaring angrily at Vulkan with her green eyes as he calmly ate his breakfast.
Vulkan, on the other hand, observed Carona as if she were a work of art, eating with a grace and precision that made each motion a form of art. At first, Carona was furious, but as she watched Vulkan eat, she had to admit that even the Asur, the high elves closely related to her kind, could rarely match this human's elegance at the dining table.
"Alaralos, Alaralos the Brave, is your father?" Vulkan casually asked as he handled his cutlery. The Primarch had developed a love for the local cuisine since arriving in this world, particularly dishes prepared by halflings.
Carona remained silent, still glaring at the shameless human.
"I know Alaralos. He is a hero of the Wood Elves. He defeated Morgur in the Battle of Arden Forest and fought in the Second Battle of La Maisontaal Abbey and the subsequent Battle of Mousillon." Vulkan cut a piece of his egg, savoring the halfling-cooked dinosaur egg, which tasted surprisingly pleasant despite its usual strong flavor.
"Hmph!" Carona's pride surged as Vulkan mentioned her father, and she lifted her head with pride.
"I also know Ryan, Ryan Macador, Duke of Mousillon, your Asrai's neighbor, the Crown Prince of Bretonnia, and your only trade partner." Vulkan continued, stirring his coffee with a small silver spoon before taking a sip. "Do you know him?"
"Hmph~" This time, her response was longer and slower.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vulkan, commander of the Ash Legion and Ryan Macador's brother." Vulkan put down his coffee and picked up his sausage. "Your father and my brother have fought side by side more than once."
"Hmph?" Carona looked up at Vulkan in disbelief. She still refused to speak, but her expression shifted from anger to confusion.
She knew of Ryan. Alaralos had fought alongside him several times, which was no secret in the Woodland Council. But what did that have to do with this human in front of her?
Carona pondered for a moment, unsure if this silver-haired human was truly related to her people's only trade partner. Having been tied up all night and affected by the chameleon poison, Carona felt exhausted and hungry. However, as a Wood Elf, she was far more resilient than humans. After a brief moment of doubt, she returned to her anger, continuing to glare at Vulkan. She made no sound apart from her breathing and disdainful grunts, eventually closing her eyes altogether.
Elves had always been like this. In ancient times, they were the embodiment of kindness and civilization. But over the millennia, the winds of Chaos had hardened the High Elves, turned the Dark Elves into hedonists, and made the Wood Elves reclusive. What remained unchanged was their haughty arrogance. As Vulkan enjoyed his breakfast, he considered what to do with the Wood Elf in front of him. He knew of Alaralos from Ryan and understood that Alaralos was Queen Ariel's chosen champion. He had heard the commotion last night.
So, what should he do with this female elf? While Vulkan's expression remained serene, he felt somewhat conflicted internally.
Given that she was Alaralos' daughter, it wouldn't be appropriate to kill her. Vulkan was no Angron, who would swing an axe first and ask questions later.
Letting her go was out of the question. Not only could this leave a potential threat behind, but if a Waywatcher were to hide in the forest and seek revenge on his army, it would be unacceptable.
After finishing his breakfast and considering his options, Vulkan changed his expression to one of warmth and friendliness. "Since your father is Alaralos and your mother is the ruler of Wendelich, that makes you a princess of the Wood Elves, doesn't it? In honor of the friendship between my brother Ryan and the Wood Elves, I won't hand you over to the men outside."
"Hmph." Carona proudly lifted her chin, seemingly relieved. She gave Vulkan a scornful look, as if this was how things should have been from the start. After all, she was indeed a Wood Elf princess. As the daughter of Alaralos, the Woodland Lord of Talsyn, she was truly a princess.
"But I must tell you that I'm on a very important mission. Until this mission is completed, you will have to accompany us and stay within our ranks. What do you say?" Vulkan proposed his terms.
These people were obviously planning to enter Itza! Carona thought. If she could get inside, she had to seize the opportunity.
After a brief moment of thought, the elf found the idea feasible and nodded decisively. "Untie me quickly. I agree to your terms and will temporarily forgive your and your men's rudeness."
"Pleasure doing business. Men," Vulkan called out with amusement in his voice, "come in and untie Princess Carona of the Wood Elves. Prepare the same breakfast for her!"
"Yes, sir!" Two greatsword warriors entered, their faces showing sly grins. They quickly untied Carona, who shot them a few angry glares. "Return my bow, dagger, and quiver!"
"Uh…" The greatsword warriors hesitated and looked to Vulkan for guidance.
"You can't have your weapons, Princess Carona. Please 'lower yourself' and accompany us. I hope you understand how dangerous this environment is. If it weren't for us, you would have already been tied up and tossed into a Carnosaur pit." Vulkan's voice was as melodious as a musical instrument, yet it carried the burning intensity of hellfire. "Also, if it weren't for us, if it were other humans, you might not be so lucky. Not everyone knows of Alaralos the Brave, and not every commander is Ryan's brother."
"Curse you! You humans are always like this. That's why the Asrai hate unwelcome guests entering our forests, whether it's a misunderstanding or not, it's always an unpleasant experience." Carona's tone was tinged with grievance, and she muttered, "Father and Mother never taught me that humans could be so cunning. You're like the trickster Loec—a strange old man!"
Strange old man? Vulkan's smile stiffened. He was about to ask why a Wood Elf princess was in Lustria alone when the halfling, Habbie, entered with a tray. "Commander, the same breakfast as yours for the princess. May your song be as clear as the morning dew on the leaves~"
"Thank you~" Carona responded politely to the halfling. Ignoring Vulkan, she took the tray and stepped outside to start eating her breakfast.
Fine. If it's just her, there shouldn't be any major issues. If she can be recruited, great; if not, we'll just keep an eye on her. If things get too complicated, we'll send her back to the Old World by ship. Vulkan made his decision after a moment's thought.
And so, after breakfast, the Ash Legion had a new member in their ranks: the Wood Elf Waywatcher Carona. The group broke camp and continued their march toward the First City.
Initially, Carona thought the commander would treat her as a guest of honor, at least allowing her to stay by his side. But that wasn't the case at all. Vulkan handed her over to his Phoenix Guard, who assigned her to assist with caring for the horses. Wherever she went, two Phoenix Guards closely followed, and Vulkan spent most of his time engaged in conversation with the Skink Priest, the Golden Mage, or Julius. The Wood Elf princess rarely had the opportunity to speak with this strange old man.
However, the soldiers of the Ash Legion were eager to chat with the female elf. On the dull journey, having a woman among them was a rare occurrence, especially a Wood Elf, a rarity in itself. The soldiers, their hormones running high, constantly tried to strike up conversations with Carona, most of which were filled with praise and admiration for their beloved commander, Vulkan.
Through their chatter, Carona gradually learned about Vulkan's series of glorious achievements: holding off the Lizardmen armies, destroying the Chaos tribe Skoggi, battling a Greater Daemon at the Dawn Pyramid, defending Itza, fighting against the armies of the Four Chaos Gods, and facing off against the Skaven at a crucial moment, as well as heavily damaging the pirate king Luthor Harkon's fleet at the Vampire Coast.
Each of these great victories was described in such a way that Vulkan seemed like an omnipotent deity. The Wood Elf princess felt dizzy from all the information, wondering if this human could really be so powerful.
He sounds stronger than my father, the hero of the Wood Elves, Alaralos, she thought.
Carona was aware of Ryan's illustrious deeds, so she figured it wasn't surprising that his brother would be just as accomplished.
After two days of travel, Itza finally appeared before them. They beheld the most magnificent sight on this mysterious continent: towering Lizardmen temples standing tall above the dense canopy, shining brightly under the brilliant sunlight, with hundreds of
lasers shooting from the pyramid tops straight into the sky.
The younger races stared in awe at the scene before them. Even though they had seen such sights before, the soldiers were still amazed. Each temple city was ancient, built during the age of the Old Ones. No younger race had ever possessed the ability to construct such grand and simple yet awe-inspiring cities. The colossal pyramids and magnificent buildings remained standing, their scale unmatched and breathtaking.
Now, under Kroak's leadership, Itza had regained its former glory. Every creature in the city fulfilled its role, making the city more magnificent. The Skinks ensured the city's smooth operation, while under the ornate arches, Lizardmen armies set out on missions. They obeyed Kroak's orders to reclaim the lost temple cities. Hundreds of Cold Ones patrolled the city under their riders, and Triceratops slowly dragged heavy building materials prepared for the Stegadons. Although Itza's vibrancy and splendor were just a small reflection of its past miracles, at least Kroak had brought the hope of revival.
"Watch over her. I'm going inside to deliver the tablet." Vulkan gave his orders to his men before following the Skink Priest toward the central pyramid. The massive and majestic stepped pyramid towered over everything. The Skink Priest opened the door to the observatory, signaling Vulkan to enter. He was the only one allowed inside; the rest of the army had to wait outside the great pyramid. Carona had already spotted the Pool of Emerald Waters, its shimmering surface possessing a healing power that would make even Isha, the Elven goddess, envious. The Wood Elf princess suppressed her inner excitement, knowing it wasn't yet time.
Vulkan entered the inner chamber. In the mist-filled observatory, he gently placed the tablet on the ground. "As promised, I've retrieved the tablet."
Dressed in the Sun God's bas-relief armor, wearing the Itza Amulet, holding a malachite staff in one hand and the Sacred Serpent War Banner in the other, and with a golden death mask covering its face, the First Generation Slann Lord Kroak sat upon the supreme throne. It exhaled a thick mist and spoke, "Lay it down, Child of the Old Ones. You've done well."
Vulkan set down the Old One's tablet. The Primarch was curious to see if the First Generation Slann had any expression, but the golden death mask completely covered Kroak's head, revealing only a pair of eyes filled with wisdom and magical power. These eyes stared at Vulkan. "Child of the Old Ones, the power of the stars is fading. The Great Ward is gradually failing. My deal with your father still stands. Our efforts may not prevent the End Times, but we still have a chance to preserve enough power to strike back. All of this is part of the Grand Plan."
"The Grand Plan, what exactly is it?" Vulkan finally voiced the question that had been troubling him.
"The Grand Plan is a deep understanding, one that cannot be conveyed through words." Kroak's psychic echo reverberated through the hot, thick mist. "The Old Ones, my masters, formulated the Grand Plan not through language, but through deep comprehension. The whispers of thoughts conveyed in an ancient language directly into my mind. Child of the Old Ones, you cannot grasp the true meaning of the Grand Plan. Perhaps your father, that young Old One, can, but you cannot."
"Not even me?" Vulkan was both puzzled and instinctively displeased by this answer. He had always been supremely confident in his abilities and couldn't fathom why Kroak wouldn't explain.
"You lack the ability to understand the will of the Old Ones, Child of the Old Ones. Even your father cannot fully comprehend the Old Ones' will," Kroak continued, seemingly sensing Vulkan's confusion and thoughts. "He is too young. Youth sometimes leads to shallowness and naivety."
Vulkan remained silent, clearly unwilling to accept Kroak's words.
Kroak sat on the supreme throne, observing Vulkan's expression, and continued.
"Your father is a young Old One. Perhaps, to you, he seems immensely powerful." Kroak's words resonated with the power of the stars and the source of creation. "But among the Old Ones, he is too young, only a little over forty thousand years old. Among the many supreme beings in the millions of years of Old Ones' history, he is not particularly remarkable. Master of Mankind, your father is just one among many such beings. Child of the Old Ones, you have never witnessed the creation power of the Old Ones, but you must know of the Aeldari god Asuryan? He once pulled nine stars together to form a nebula. Your father is strong, but he is not invincible. This is... an exchange. I give him the knowledge of my masters; he resurrects me and helps purify the spawning pools, rebuilding our home. We each get what we need."
"....." Vulkan remained silent, reluctant to admit that the power of his revered father, the Emperor, the Master of Mankind, had been rated as just one among countless supreme beings by Lord Kroak. But his reason told him that Kroak had no reason to lie.
"Very well, very well, you understand. Very well, Child of the Old Ones, follow me." Kroak signaled Vulkan to follow his supreme throne. "I have two tasks for you."
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