Just being a dark elf in Warhammer

"Ms. Liv, I didn't expect you to have quite a reputation. I thought..."

Facing Darkus's teasing, Liv smiled bitterly. She didn't respond. Her family knew their own affairs, and maybe... it wouldn't be long before Darkus wouldn't say that.

Darkus looked at the forest in the distance and pondered. When the team entered the forest, it was dusk, but now, in the blink of an eye, the sky had lit up, and the sun was shining among the leaves, illuminating the entire forest. . Not only did the scene change from dusk to day, but the seasons also changed. In sharp contrast to the cold winter outside the barrier, this woodland seemed to be in another world.

"It's...amazing, a strange place."

Darkus looked up at the bright sunshine that he had never seen before. He had never seen such bright sunshine and such a green forest. The dense woods are full of life, the green leaves are shimmering in the sun, and the breeze blows with a fresh breath. He felt a strange energy flowing in this forest. That power was different from the magic he was familiar with and different from the normal state of nature. This forest seemed to have its own rules and order.

Other members of the team also began to feel this special atmosphere. Some people talked softly about the beauty of this woodland, while others silently observed the surroundings, vigilantly guarding against possible dangers. Although the changing seasons and weather confuse them, their mission remains the same.

"Ms. tour guide, what are your plans next? For example, can you introduce this place?"

"Alain Locke..." Liv nodded first, and then introduced.

Alanlock means summer beach in Elsalin, but there is no river beach here... One of the twelve territories of Athel Loren, it is a high-level territory and is led by the woodland lord Amadi Ironbark. Here, bright sunshine fills the forest all year round. Similarly, night rarely falls in this corner of the forest. Even if night falls, the dark time is short and fleeting, which makes the existence here almost unaware of the night. What is it.

Therefore, the wood spirits and dryads of Alanlock are always full of vitality, and the changes of seasons will not affect them. The Aslay of this collar are generous and hold grand banquets whenever they have an excuse. Unlike many of Athel Loren's residents, they are very welcoming to peaceful outsiders and do not hesitate to invite outsiders to their festivals.

"So...it's time to drink spring wine next?" Darkus said while looking at Liv with suspicious eyes.

"That's it, there's nothing to worry about, Darkus. You are elves, and...I'm here."

"In this case...then follow the arrangements of the tour guide."

"By the way, the temple of the Moon Goddess is here..."

"I thought it would be at your residence."

"Of course there is in my residence... I have seen many things, Darkus. For others, the future is an impenetrable veil, but for me it is not. I can see a hint of it through the veil. , it is not fixed, there are many fates waiting for us, and even the most powerful prophet cannot know them all.

I could feel that a critical moment was coming for Aslay, and in my many waking nightmares to come, I saw you. I don't know what role you will play in the coming days of blood and war, your destiny is too powerful, but your presence there is enough for me..."

When Liv finished speaking, she closed her eyes and saw once again the wooded clearing, the stream red with elven blood, the blazing fire, the guttural sounds of twisted orcs, and the agonizing screams that haunted her every nightmare. What she told Darkus was the truth. The world was a dangerous place, and the Asrai people were full of enemies. Every nursery rhyme the old man sang to the young people told them this cold truth. Athel Loren is one of the last bastions of pure magic in the world, and she will do whatever it takes to protect it.

"Time is a winding river, you know what I am here for." Darkus responded to Liv's tirade in a serious tone, and then he changed the subject, "Now we have reached Athel Loren. , is it time to talk about the Dome of Winter?"

Liv frowned. She had known Darkus for a while. She knew Darkus a little bit, and she also knew that Darkus knew many secrets. When the taboo word "Winter Dome" came up, she didn't have the slightest clue. surprised.

"Yes, 'Thor-Shinnan'! A stone that predates us all."

"?" This time it was Darkos's turn to frown, and he heard brand-new terms and stones again.

"Thor-Shinnan, echoes of past lives, connections to other realms.

When I was young, I spent decades trying to decipher and study the secrets of those stones, but it was a laborious and thankless task. The wisdom on the stone seems to be related to our wisdom, but... actually has nothing to do with our wisdom, or there is an insurmountable gap. The best I can tell is repeated references to something called the "Turn" or "Dark Path," a circular magical network connecting ancient ruins, centered on the Winter Vault.

Besides me, some of the most powerful spellweavers have dedicated their lives to the mysteries of Sinnan-Tor, but even now we still don't know how many there are, or who created them. There are places in Athel Loren where Tor Sinnan exists, but these ancient ruins have been tainted, Tor Horoth, Tor Maloch, Tor Dobar, and somehow outsiders are taking advantage of them. Connect with the forest.

There is a legend, the legend of Sinan-Thor, located in the northern part of Mount Drune. Long before we came to the forest, it lay hidden deep within the Winter Dome. It has a different name, Tor-Idana, but this place... we can't enter, we're forbidden. "

"prohibit?"

"It is one of the places in the forest that can never be entered. Our ancestors swore long ago never to enter the Winter Vault. It is the dark center of the forest, a treasure trove of secrets that are most closely guarded. Aslay and the Dryads There is an ancient agreement.”

"So?" Darkus asked, and at the same time, he stretched out his hand and waved to signal Liv to stop talking. He already understood. He knew why Liv appeared in Lauren Loren, and he also knew that outsiders had arrived. What will happen to Thor Edana is nothing more than those few things, but each of them is fatal, and now he has a variable.

The team continued to set off. At first glance, there was no difference between Athel Loren and Lauren Loren, but there was a big difference. As for what the difference is, Darkus can't tell yet. It feels like using a mobile phone. If Lauren Loren is the regular version, Atsol Loren is the plus or pro version. If you are not an expert, you will not be able to feel it at the first time.

The air here was as vibrant as the one Darkus had breathed before, but there was a raw, menacing quality to it, as if it had a wilder, more energetic essence. His skin prickled, and he felt Athel Loren's power sinking deep into his heart, warmth and love coursing through his veins like an elixir. The forest itself seemed more alive here, and he could feel a darker presence lurking in its depths, a brooding presence looking at him with unfriendly eyes.

The team rode along a wide but overgrown path. If Liv hadn't been there, perhaps only Enil in the team would have noticed this path. The subtle contours of the road blended perfectly with the forest.

Darkus was aware of how subtly the changing patterns of the forest could mislead, and as the procession progressed, the air was filled with magic, full of possibility, as if filled with restless movement. He could feel it in every breath and see it in the glow that filled every tree with light. The songs of the trees grew stronger and stronger, an uplifting chorus of wondrous power, leaping from branch to branch, spreading outward from somewhere ahead.

Athel Loren is a realm of magic and light, with towering trees as tall as the tallest towers in the human world, with thick trunks and incredible girth. Except for a few guards at the door, the team did not encounter any Asrai along the way, only white-furred wolves, sinuous cats and golden-feathered birds, some meandering in the bushes or flying between the trees. Fly, energetic and fearless.

It may be because Alain Locke is very big, or it may be because there are very few Aslays. The team did not walk day and night, and stopped to rest when they were tired. Time lost its effect here, and the hands of the pocket watch stopped turning after entering Athel Loren. The team may have walked for only one morning, or it may have traveled for centuries. Occasionally, darkness comes, and the branches of the forest are decorated with moonlight and sparks, but they are fleeting, as if driving at double speed.

The procession moved slower and slower, the branches, roots, and bushes growing thicker with each step forward. Darkus pushed aside the low branches and squirmed in the saddle, thorns and brambles catching his armor. Although he had a weapon in his hand, he was not ready to use the blade to clear the way, his instincts warning him of the dangers of such an action.

May I ask where the restaurant is? There is another village with dark trees and bright flowers.

Arches, columns, roofs and beams all suggest signs of habitation, life and life here, arches of foliage sparkling with sunlight reflecting off broad leaves and drooping leaves.

An ancient and mysterious scene appeared in front of Darkus, as if he had traveled through the long river of time and arrived in a mysterious time and space. As he walked through the leaf-strewn paths, distant sounds and tree songs filled his mind with unexpected longing. He felt an ancient sense of melancholy, and he seemed to be able to hear the call and song of nature.

Passing through the leaf arch, the team came to the woven structure of the Elf Hall. Tall tree pillars supported the gently curved leaf roof. Sunlight fell through the gaps in the roof, forming mottled light and shadow in the hall, exuding a sense of mystery. The ancient atmosphere is reflected in the ancient stone pillars and trees.

This Asrai gathering place is a holy place that connects the elves and nature. Here, Darkus saw a vivid and warm scene. A mother and child were sitting on a piece of green grass, concentrating on shaping a delicate bowstring. The mother gently twisted a long branch in her hands, carving it into a smooth and tough bowstring, while the child watched attentively.

Not far away, another Asrai was sitting by the roots of a big tree, holding a bunch of golden cone flowers in his hands, and was skillfully peeling off the hard skin outside the petals. Each move was accurate and skillful, like a set of ritual movements.

When Dakuus waved to the Asrai, the Asrai responded with a stunned look and a surprised expression. He noticed the Asrai's reaction. Obviously, this Asrai gathering place is rarely visited by outsiders, and the arrival of the team obviously broke the calm and usual rhythm of life.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" asked Anil, a member of the Cloud Walker family. He was dressed very standardly, with a standard Phantom Walker coat.

"Most of them have never seen Anil and Duruchi before. They have only heard of them in legends and stories? Maybe they don't remember who their ancestors are?" Talos, who was riding a giant stag, answered without looking back.

"Really?"

"Didn't you notice? This place is different from Laurent, where magic is more abundant and more closed. Have you met any human adventurers along the way? Not to mention the elves outside the forest, they have rarely seen humans. They are not like us and have no interest in contacting people outside the forest." Talos turned back and stared at his kinsmen with strange eyes for a moment, then said speechlessly.

Dacus believed that Talos's judgment was accurate. Visitors to this mysterious forest would first enjoy an endless feast. Many of these "guests" resisted at first, but overcame most of the resistance after a sip of spring wine.

Then the outsiders would spend long centuries in the woods of Alanlock, eating, drinking and having fun, rarely paying attention to the passage of time. Few people noticed that the banquet would change over time, or that their hosts were more cautious in tasting delicacies.

Even fewer outsiders noticed that their companions were numb due to laziness and were carried away from the banquet by silent tree spirit waiters, and these well-fed creatures were left at the entrance of the Winter Dome. Those ancient caves are the work of a civilization older than the elves, and are the homes of creatures that feed on stench and souls addicted to happiness.

Therefore... the guests who ate and drank well left this world with happiness and satisfaction, and were sacrificed to satisfy those creatures, otherwise those creatures would prey on the elves of Alanlock. This is why Dacuus responded with a suspicious look after Liv mentioned this, he knew the ins and outs of it.

However, having said that, hospitality and not having seen guests are not actually contradictory, just like some legends and regional impressions.

There are too few outsiders who can cross the Gray Mountains and enter Alanlock. The imperial guys on this side of the mountain are not stupid. They are seeking wealth, not death. They all know the horror of this forest and will not easily break in. As for those on this side of the mountain, they don’t have to go around so much. They can enter Athel Loren from Bretonnia, provided that they avoid those rangers.

"What are they all doing in the middle of the forest? I don't see any houses or residences."

The words of another member of the Cloud Walker family caused a small range of laughter. They were the city-state relatives, descendants of the original Lauren Loren colonists, and they were naturally the upper class of Lauren Loren. They had lived in the remaining buildings or restored ruins of the original colony for generations, and the ancient laws protected their rights, allowing them to always occupy the highest level of Lauren Loren society.

The woodland relatives were the middle class, descendants of refugees who came to Lauren Loren during the War of Revenge. They lived in the woodlands and lived in treetop houses, just like the members of the Cloud Walker family saw now.

"Don't make trouble!"

Talos turned his head and replied viciously. The intoxicating aroma of the sweet juice and pungent flowers made him feel dizzy, and he had to force himself not to take a deep breath. As he continued to move forward, he could see the suspicious eyes of those cousins, first surprised, then either outright hostility or faint curiosity.

Then, Talos found that the orderly team seemed not to be the only one that attracted suspicious eyes. Liv, who was walking in front, also attracted the same contemptuous eyes. At first, he was a little uncertain, but he soon realized that his judgment was correct. Along the way, the shadow of Ivan kept lingering in his mind. As long as he saw Liv, he would think of his lover first. In his opinion, there was no essential difference between Liv and Ivan, except that one was walking and the other was guarding the golden pool.

The spring water gushed out from the cracks in the rocks on the ground, flowing into the crystal pool along the channel formed by the curved wood. The pool was lined with wonderful wood carvings, which looked as if they grew there instead of being handmade. Dacus could feel that each wood carving was moving, as if it had its own inner life, and the wood carvings reshaped themselves in a newer and more elegant form, just like what he saw when he first arrived in Lauren Loren.

Soon, Dacus was attracted by something else. He patted the big guy's lizard armor and signaled the team to stop.

Liv was wearing a white and green dress, with a gray-feathered owl, Otto, sitting on her shoulder. She sighed as she walked out of the team, leaning on a staff, to greet a group of Asrai who were blocking the road.

The leading Asrai looked like a powerful elven warrior, riding on a golden elven warhorse with a pale mane and tail. The elf's bare chest was decorated with countless twists, kinks, thorns and beasts tattoos, and his long cloak of leaves and feathers rippled with movement. His oval eyes were completely black, seemingly without pupils, and he carried an Asrai-style green-handled long sword on his back, wearing a crown woven with branches and leaves, and a noble scrutiny on his face.

Darkius could feel the power of this Asrai, who had extraordinary power, as if he was endowed with the magic of the forest. He saw obvious hostility and disdain in the eyes of this Asrai, but he did not think that this Asrai was the forest lord of Alanlock, because he knew what the forest lord of Alanlock was like, or he could no longer be called a forest lord. This Asrai was at most a person who took a feather duster as a command arrow, or the ruler of this residential area.

Liv smiled as she recognized the Asrai on horseback as Aldaid Dawnspear, and she could feel Aldaid's suspicion of her like a red ripple in the magical air of Athel Loren. She was used to this, and whenever she went to a territory, she was invited to the hall by the woodland lords and treated warmly, and she could also see the wariness in their eyes.

All Asrai knew that Athel Loren's spellcasters would not go anywhere without reason, and they were still wary of spellcasters, even if they were their family. Although all Asrai called Athel Loren home, they had few contacts with each other, and any dealings between them were full of suspicion.

Apparently Aldaid did not want Liv to come to his territory, just like Indra, and he knew better than to offend a powerful spellcaster by refusing. But this time...

"Who are they? The Prophet."

"Guests," Liv responded calmly to Aldaid's questioning.

"Guests who entered without my permission? Who are they?"

"Guests of Athel Loren." Liv responded calmly, but this time she shrugged, a move she learned from Dacus.

"Guests of Athel Loren? Enough! Have you forgotten? You are wrong!" Aldeid, who suddenly lost control of his emotions, roared.

"No! I didn't, and I don't need you to remind me! I see it every day, every time I close my eyes I see it! Aldeid! You are not qualified to question me!"

"But you can't change the facts, right? You can't save them with your divination, right? I lost my father! My father became like that, and I lost my brother! No! I lost much more than that!"

"What are you arguing about? Are you so exclusive?" Dacus muttered, turning his head to look at the Twilight sisters not far away.

At this time, the Twilight sisters had moved and came behind Liv. Nestra supported the shaky Liv, while Arohan stared at Aldeid with a bad face.

Liv listened to Aldeid's harsh words and felt sadder. It was like this with Indra before she left Athel Loren, and it was the same with Aldeid after she returned. Her family would never understand the choice she had to make. Those terrible facts made her cry at night because of the scenes of death and destruction. These woodland lords would never understand, but would instead put the responsibility and reasons on her.

Otto, who began to fly after returning to Athel Loren, landed on Liv's shoulder and cooed. Liv closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed down. She thought that what Daquus said might be right. The prophecy itself was a curse. When you see the prophecy, you have been designed. Trying to frantically change the predicted future may itself be a trap. Past events have confirmed this sentence. Thinking of this, she was a little tired.

"Now, please leave here with your friends!"

"It's not over yet, right?" Daquus muttered while comforting the big guy, and then he turned his head to look at Ren, who had been looking at him and acting a little eager. He was somewhat speechless. He knew what Ryan was planning. Thinking of this, he smiled and challenged Ryan.

Receiving the signal, Ryan jumped off his dilophosaurus, raised the flag and walked forward. (End of this chapter)