Silence fell upon the group as they stared at Rot's now lifeless body. Oreon's face read a bit of concern while Celestia's expression remained unreadable. Sylvanie, however, wiped her foot against the grass, trying to scrub whatever remained off her sole.
Celestia finally let out a slow breath, her shoulders sagging as the tension finally left her body. "Unbelievable," She spoke, her tone disappointed. "One of our own corrupted by the Order…willingly." She sighed, closing her eyes once more. "First Vel'Andria, and now treachery from within our own walls, even if it was from the Outer Regions."
"Don't waste your pity on trash like him, Sister," Sylvanie said, standing on one leg, pulling her other leg up, taking one last look at her foot before putting it back down. "He made his choice long before the Order ever found him." She tilted her head toward Rot's corpse without looking directly at it. "You heard what he said—he enjoyed it. He made sure to repeat it enough."
Celestia didn't respond immediately. Her gaze lingered on Rot's broken form a bit longer as her expression softened." I know," She answered quietly. "But knowing this doesn't make it any easier to accept. To know that an elf would gladly side with the Order's sickening ideals of purification makes me wonder if others did the same. Was our fall really caused by just the Order itself?" She posed a question, more for her own thoughts than to solicit a reply.
"Does it matter?" Sylvanie's expression hardened. "Whether it was the Order alone or a handful of traitors, the result's the same. Our kingdom fell. Our people are scattered, enslaved, or worse." She turned away from the corpse, looking forward as she began to walk away. "And if there are others out there with the same ideals as him. Then they're nothing but a bunch of cowards who will end up just the way he did." She gritted her teeth.
Celestia lowered her gaze as she took another deep breath, the thought still weighing on her, but exhaustion was the more pressing issue.
"I suppose you're right…" She returned.
Oreon, still kneeling near Rot's corpse, finally spoke up. "…What he was saying before," He glanced back at the two sisters. "I suppose neither of you knows what he was talking about?" Oreon asked.
Celestia slowly shook her head before she answered. "No…I've never heard of anything called the 'Divine Season." She admitted her voice uncertain. "The Order has always been secretive about its true goals, even despite our capture. But this…" She trailed off. "The ramblings alone are bothersome. 'Down falls the elves, corruption chases the dwarves.' She began to repeat as she placed one hand up to her chin. Her brain working as the words repeated themselves in her head.
"Judge the beasts for their sins?" Oreon said out loud as he slowly stood up, his legs wobbly underneath him, but he quickly composed himself.
"For they are a cause no more," Sylvanie finished, her eyes narrowing as she turned back toward them. "It sounds like some crazed prophecy or something…obviously, a plan, or something bigger, because that traitor also said they need that dragon shard you stole, human." Sylvanie placed both her hands on her hips as she looked at Oreon. "Dumb luck or not, stealing the shard may hold off whatever they are trying to do, but it still sounds like the world is in hot water."
"Yeah, but a prophecy to what, though?" Oreon thought to himself as well.
"To eradicate anything that isn't human or loyal to their cause," Celestia answered grimly. "The Order has always preached about 'purification—cleansing the world of what they deem impure. But if what he said is true…" She paused, her voice dropping lower. "Then their conquest has just changed to extermination."
"So, a mass purge, which equals the possibility of a mass genocide." Oreon stretched, trying to get some feeling back into his body. "Well, I know one thing; trying to figure it out here isn't going to get us any—" Oreon turned around to walk in the direction that Sylvanie had walked in, but suddenly bumped into the dark elf, forcing him to fall on his butt as he looked up at Sylvanie who stood over him with her arms crossed."–Ow, what the hell you crazy elf."
"Don't think I've forgotten, human." She glared at him. "You still owe us some answers, Order spawn."
Oreon winced, rubbing his lower back as he looked up at Sylvanie's glare. "Really, we're still on that?" He muttered, pushing himself back to his feet with a grunt. "I already told you—I'm not with the Order, ok. I'm not out here doing my father's dirty work."
"Oh," Sylvanie sarcastically raised an eyebrow. "The son of the Purifier refusing to do Order work, and why should we believe anything you say?"
Oreon glared at her as he tried to walk past. "Could you knock it off already?" Before Oreon could walk past her, she grabbed his wrist tightly, her eyes boring into his.
"No," She said flatly. "Not until you explain why we should trust the son of the purifier and what you plan to do with the dragon shard that you stole from them." Sylvanie's grip tightened.
Oreon tried to yank his arm free, but despite her exhaustion, Sylvanie's grip held firm.
"Let go—" He gritted his teeth.
"Make me." Sylvanie challenged him.
The two stared intensely at each other, their eyes in a deadlock, but before the situation could escalate further, Celestia stepped between them, her hand gently but firmly pressing against Sylvanie's shoulder.
"Sister," She said softly, though there was a note of authority in her voice. "That's enough, release him."
Sylvanie's eyes flicked towards her sister, irritation evident in them. "He owes us—"
"And he will answer," Celestia interrupted, her tone calm but unyielding. "But not like this. Think about it, Sylvanie. We're all exhausted, wounded, and standing over the corpse of a traitor who just warned us about something far worse than any of us anticipated." She paused, her gaze shifting to Oreon. "Hostility won't get us the truth—only cooperation will."
Sylvanie held Oreon's gaze for a moment longer before finally—reluctantly—releasing his wrist with a sharp exhale. "Fine," She released her grip, but not taking her eyes off of him.
"I'm not letting this go, human, and if you try anything—"
"I know, I know; you'll kill me in my sleep or something stupid like that." Oreon cut her off, rubbing his wrist where her fingers had dug in. "Geez, you think you'd get the picture by now." He turned away from the Elven sisters, walking away from them.
"I can see the picture clearly, human." Sylvanie crossed her arms, her voice no less accusing. "You're the son of the purifier, that's all I need to see."
"Sylvanie," Celestia called out, glancing over at her sister. "Enough is enough."
Sylvanie clicked her tongue in annoyance but didn't press further. Instead, she turned her gaze away, arms still crossed tightly against her chest. "Whatever," She mumbled under her breath, causing Celestia to take a deep breath before suggesting the group's next move.
She glanced back at Rot's corpse one last time before turning her attention fully to the two. "We need to move." She spoke calmly. "We're wasting time standing here, we need to continue downstream to find a different place to rest, preferably one that isn't—" she gestured towards Rot's fallen form. "–slowly decaying in the open fields."
Oreon looked back at the defeated elf and turned his head forward. "Yeah," He replied, almost reserved. "Pretty sure the Order sent more than him, and if not…they will when they find out what happened," Oreon added as he slowly walked towards the direction they were initially heading to begin with.
Celestia nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We should put as much distance between ourselves and this place as possible." She began to follow behind Oreon, fatigue showing in her steps as she moved. "The longer we linger, the more likely we are to be discovered."
"Just make sure you keep your hands to yourself, human. Wouldn't want any accidents happening." Sylvanie growled lightly as Oreon continued to walk in front of them, ignoring the comment, leaving Celestia with her sister.
Celestia sighed softly, watching Oreon's back as he trudged ahead. She turned toward her sister; her expression remained gentle, but exhaustion was clearly there.
"Sister…" She began quietly. "I understand your distrust—truly, I do. But constantly antagonizing him won't help us. If I must say, you're being unnecessarily harsh towards him."
"Harsh? Are you kidding me right now?" Sylvanie slightly narrowed her gaze towards her older sister. "Sister, he's the son of the man who orchestrated Vel'Andria's destruction—the purifier himself. "She gestured sharply toward Oreon's retreating figure. "How am I supposed to just…ignore that? Besides," She glanced back at Oreon's retreating form. "You're too soft on him. You're probably thinking he has some good in him because he fought beside us," Her head turned back towards her sister. "But fighting with us doesn't erase who his father is or what he represents, and even worse, what he's done."
"I know," Celestia replied steadily as the two began to walk behind Oreon, keeping him in their sights as they talked. "But people are not defined solely by their bloodlines. You and I should know that better than anyone." She paused, letting her words settle. "If we judge him purely by his lineage, then we're no better than the Order itself."
"That's different—" Sylvanie replied, clearly frustrated.
"Is it?" Celestia interrupted gently. "We are daughters of a dark elf queen and a high elf king. Our very existence defies the rigid purity the Order preaches. If they had their way, we wouldn't exist at all." She continued to walk at a steady pace. "Give him a chance to prove himself. That's all I'm asking."
They both looked at Oreon, observing his tired body while he struggled to walk straight. For a moment, Sylvanie said nothing, just walked in silence beside her sister, arms still crossed defensively over her chest. "
"…You always do this," Sylvanie muttered lowly. "You always see the good in people, even when they don't deserve it." She exhaled sharply through her nose. "One of these days, that kindness of yours is going to get you killed, sister."
A faint smile touched Celestia's lips, but her eyes showed a hint of sadness at Sylvanie's comment. "Perhaps," She admitted softly. "But I'd rather risk being deceived than become someone who judges without understanding. After all," She turned her head towards her sister as they walked. "Mother did teach us that being judgmental is for those who lack understanding." She gave her sister a light smile.
"Tch…You're impossible, you know that?" Sylvanie turned her head away from Celestia. "Mother also taught us not to be fools," She returned. "But that's just like you, throwing mother's words at me as a secret weapon, but you failed to mention that she also said understanding is one thing. Blind trust is another."
Celestia's smile softened, but she didn't look away. "I haven't forgotten that lesson either, Sylvanie. I'm not asking you to trust him blindly—just give him the chance to earn it." She paused, glancing back at Oreon before returning her eyes to her sister. "Besides, if he truly meant us harm, don't you think he could have acted by now? He had plenty of opportunities."
Scoffing quietly, Sylvanie spoke. "Maybe he's just waiting for the right moment. Or maybe he's stupid enough to think we'd actually accept him or something." She kicked a loose stone on the path. "Either way, I'm keeping my eyes on him."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," Celestia replied warmly, though exhaustion weighted heavily in her voice. "Your caution has saved us more times than I can count."
For a moment, Sylvanie's own expression softened, but just barely before her usual defiant glare returned. "Save the phrase, sister, someone has to keep you from getting yourself killed with all that 'compassion' of yours."
"And I'm grateful for it," Celestia's voice sincere. "Even when we disagree." She said as she gently placed her hand on her sister's shoulder.
Sylvanie didn't respond immediately, but she didn't pull away either. After a beat of silence, she muttered under her breath. "…You're still too soft."
Celestia chuckled lightly despite herself. "And you're still too stubborn."
Sucking her teeth. "Takes one to know one," Sylvanie replied.
Time passed as the three continued their walk, the sounds of danger now non-existent. Oreon continued to lead the way, with the Vel'Andria sisters trailing behind him, and they eventually reached a new clearing. This one was more stunning than the previous one, and remarkably, they saw no Order soldiers or animals. The moon illuminated the clearing in the oak trees, where the water was clean, the grass was short, and the trees flourished.
Oreon stopped at the edge of the clearing, his shoulders sagging with relief. "Finally…" He breathed out, turning to face the sisters. "This looks safe enough. Think this will do for now?"
Celestia stepped forward, her eyes scanning the area carefully. The moonlight reflected off her pale blonde hair, making her appear almost ethereal despite her exhaustion. "It's…beautiful. A major change since our last stop." She murmured before adding more. "The trees provide a better cover, and it seems that there is only one entrance at first glance." She said, spotting another way out of the clearing, but it was easy to miss if someone wasn't paying attention.
"Two, actually," Sylvanie corrected, her sharp eyes already mapping the area. She pointed toward a narrow gap between two massive oak trees on the far side of the clearing. "There's an exit over there, so if anything happens…" She glanced over at Oreon. "Well, let's just hope for the human's sake it won't come to that."
Rolling his eyes at the comment, Oreon walked alongside the stream, looking at it cautiously, his eyes staring down at the water, slightly narrowing at his reflection as he walked as if something seemed off to him as he walked next to the stream.
"Is something wrong?" Celestia asked, noticing Oreon's cautious demeanor immediately as she stepped closer to the stream herself, her blue eyes searching the water's surface.
Oreon crouched down, his fingers hovering just above the water without touching it. "I don't know…Something just feels…off." He admitted quietly. "The water's too still. Too…Clean." His brow furrowed. "Maybe it's because everything we've been through tonight, but finding a place this perfect just seems…"
"Suspicious?" Sylvanie finished for him, her eyes narrowing as she approached the stream from the opposite side. "For once, we agree on something human," She knelt down, studying the water carefully. "No ripples, no insects skimming the surface, no fish…" She trailed off, her hand hovering over the water just as Oreon's had. "It's like nothing lives here."
Celestia moved closer, her expression growing with concern. "That's…unusual." Her eyes were surveying the area as well. "Even the cleanest streams have life within them." She glanced around the clearing again, this time with more scrutiny. "The grass, the trees—They all look healthy, but now that you mention it…" She paused, listening. "I don't hear any animals either. No birds…Nothing."
Oreon stood slowly, his hand instinctively moving toward his daggers as he turned in a slow circle, eyes scanning the tree line. "It's too quiet here. Way too quiet for a forest at night. We should at least be hearing something."
Sylvanie rose to her feet as well. "Could be a ward," She suggested, placing one hand on her hip. "Some kind of magical barrier that keeps creatures away. The Order uses them sometimes to secure their camps."
"Possibly, but I don't think that's the case here," Celestia responded, slowly looking around the area as well. "This part of the forest doesn't look like the rest of the forest we walked through."
"What do you mean?" Oreon asked, turning his attention fully to Celestia.
The blonde-haired elf gestured toward the surrounding trees, her voice taking on a more analytical tone. "Look at the bark—it's darker, almost black in some places. And the leaves…" She pointed upward. "They're too vibrant, too green to be natural." She turned her gaze towards the water. "Even if you look at the stream, the water…It looks clean, but…Nothing is moving in it. Almost like it's void of life," Her eyes faced forward following the stream. "There are no waves, no current, the water is too still. Like it's just here for show, and nothing else."
Oreon followed her gaze. "So, what you're saying is…this whole place is fake? Like some kind of illusion?"
"Not exactly fake," Celestia clarified, kneeling to examine the grass more closely. She ran her fingers through it, feeling the texture. "It's real—I can feel it, touch it, but it's…wrong somehow…Unnatural." She looked up at both of them. "It's like someone—or something—created this place deliberately."
"Magic then?" Oreon crossed his arms casually.
"Dark magic," Sylvanie corrected, but was unsure of her own statement. "Still, it feels altered…Like its dark magic, but with nothing behind it."
"What exactly are you getting at here?" Oreon questioned his gaze directly towards Sylvanie. "Dark magic with nothing behind it, what does that exactly mean?"
"To put it simply for you, human. It's dark magic, but it's void of any intent behind it." She stood in front of a nearby tree, gazing at it for a moment. "It feels like dark magic, but it's not. It's hollow, like this tree, for example." Sylvanie placed her palm flat against the bark, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly as she focused. "It looks like a tree, it feels like a tree. But there's no life force within it—no energy, no essence." She pulled her hand back, staring at her palm as if expecting to see something there. "It's like touching a corpse that's still standing."
Oreon blinked at Sylvanie's comment. "Ok, creepy." He finally said. "And your analogies could use some work."
Rolling her eyes, Sylvanie responded. "I'm saying this place is like a shell. Something mimicking reality but lacking substance. "She turned to face them both. "This whole clearing—it's a construct. Someone made this place, but they didn't quite get it right. They—" Sylvanie's eyes quickly narrowed, followed by both Celestia and Oreon as the sound of a faint whispering could be heard.
At first, it sounded like it was coming from the stream, but then it started to echo, and the sound seemed to bounce off the trees and the grass, projecting as if it was coming from all directions.
Oreon's hands immediately went to his daggers, his body tensing as he turned into a circle, trying to pinpoint the source as the whisper grew louder, overlapping each other in an incomprehensible chorus.
"What the hell? What the hell is that?" Oreon's eyes glanced around, unsheathing his weapons and getting into the best fighting stance his body could muster.
"Don't move," Celestia commanded sharply, her voice cutting through the cacophony. "Everyone, stay close. We don't know what we're dealing with."
Sylvanie, quickly following instructions, huddled by her sister and Oreon, her eyes scanning the area as the whispers seemed to surround them.
Incoherent words continued to surround the three. The clearing that they were in slowly started to change,
The vibrant green grass beneath their feet began to wither, turning a sickly gray as if life itself was being drained from it. The once-still water in the stream started to bubble and churn violently, releasing a putrid smell that made Oreon gag slightly.
The leafy trees died within seconds, their branches exposed as the sky darkened, the moon seeming to flip and become invisible.
Suddenly, the churning water's blue color faded into a black, murky liquid. The once lively clearing where the three now stood was now a desolate wasteland, devoid of life.
"By the ancient…" Celestia gritted her teeth, looking around, her eyes trying to comprehend what was happening around them.
"Sisssttteerrr!" Sylvanie called out, her expression the same as Celestia's. "What the hell is this? What are we supposed to do?" She asked as her red eyes darted from left to right, trying to locate the source of the power that turned the clearing upside down, but couldn't find anything.
"Isn't this kind of thing normal for elves!" Oreon screamed as he backed up a bit, his back pressing against Celestia's and Sylvanie's.
"What about this is normal to you?!" Sylvanie snapped back, trying to contain her panic. "This isn't even elven magic, human—this is something else entirely!"
"Well, can't you figure out what it is?!" Oreon shot back. "Since your knowledge is, you know, extensive!"
"If I knew what it was, don't you think I would've said something by now, you insufferable human?!" Sylvanie's voice rose as her eyes continued to dart in different directions.
"Silence! Both of you!" Celestia's shout cut through their bickering, causing them both to cease their pointless argument as their surroundings continued to change. "We have bigger problems to contend with right now!" She added.
Sylvanie quickly followed orders and covered her sister's rear. "Can you tell what it is?" Sylvanie asked urgently.
"No, I'm trying, but I'm completely out of magic!" She yelled in response, her blue eyes briefly seeming to glow before returning to normal. "This is bad, I can't even sense what it—GET BACK!" She screamed as the three quickly leaped backwards, their bodies slightly as they rolled to the ground, looking as a crater appeared where they were once standing, as the whispers stopped completely, a presence that caused both elves to feel a chill running down both their spines as a small figure appeared at one of the entrances.
The sounds of small footsteps could be heard with a light childlike hum coming from the figure covered in the tree's shadow. Suddenly, a grey foot could be seen walking calmly towards them, almost skipping as the figure finally came into sight to reveal a small girl, who appeared to be no older than 12. Her white hair hung at her feet. Her purple irises locked onto the group as she tilted her head slightly at the sight of them, almost confused at what she was looking at it. Her body was covered in what appeared to be a white nightgown that covered most of her arms and legs, and what really stood out was the small horns sticking out from her head.
"Harbinger?" She asked, confused, her voice echoing throughout the clearing. "You're not supposed to be here. It's too soon."