Chapter 92: Return to the Great Elven Forest
"We either reforge the 'Light of Ersten' or we find the elven Holy Right Sword, Athos. There is no other choice," Norne said, choosing his words carefully.
He had a feeling he knew what Rhodes was planning to do with his new spell. In the future battle with the god, he would use it to completely sever the connection between the demons and their divine master. Then, when the demons and their minions were slain, they would leave no corpse, just dust. And it would also weaken the false god's power, at least enough to prevent her from giving orders to the demons at will.
"Where is the Holy Right Sword, Athos, usually kept?" Rhodes asked, turning to Serie.
"Usually in the Great Elven Forest. Athos is the source of the forest's barrier, the most powerful defensive magic in the world. But now... I'm not sure."
The war between the allied forces and the demons was in full swing. The current Elven King might have very well convinced the elders of the forest to lend him the sword, so that the allied army could deploy a defensive barrier anywhere.
To draw the Holy Right Sword, Athos, one had to be a true saint of the elven race. But over the years, the elves had found a way to use a fraction of its power without drawing it from its resting place. And with that fraction, they could create the most powerful magical barrier in the world.
"If the Holy Right Sword was taken to the front lines..." A sudden, grim thought struck Serie, and her voice grew heavy. "Then the Great Elven Forest is completely defenseless, isn't it?"
The thought made her heart race with a strange anxiety. And hearing her words, Rhodes's own face turned pale.
Olivia had said that the remnants of the Sky-Winged had been hit with a 'Divine Strike' from the demons, an attack that could annihilate all existence, a power that was on par with their own. What if the demons used that same attack on the Great Elven Forest?
He didn't dare to think about it, for fear that his worst nightmare would become a reality. Without the protection of Athos, the forest was completely vulnerable.
"We can't delay any longer," he said, jumping to his feet. "We have to go, now. We have to get to the Great Elven Forest."
"We could also go to the allied forces' camp," Olivia said softly. "The Sky-Winged have a pact with them. I can use my authority as a member of the Council of Thirteen to contact the Elven King directly."
"Alright. That works too," he said, clapping his hands together. "Then it's settled. We leave tomorrow morning."
The night before their departure, he found Serie sitting alone under an ancient tree outside the village, gazing up at the stars. He sat down beside her.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Just looking at the stars."
"You can't fool me. Are you worried about the Great Elven Forest?"
She didn't answer right away. After a long moment, she said softly, "Yes. It's... it's my home, after all."
The stubborn elven miss, who had sworn she would never go back. And yet, after hundreds, even thousands of years of wandering, she would still miss the warmth of her home. Rhodes understood. Even now, he often found himself missing the blue planet he had left behind. The forest held hundreds of years of her memories. Even though she had chosen to leave, the bond was still there.
"Whatever happens, I'll be there to face it with you. And besides... you have to look on the bright side."
He reached out and, in a now familiar gesture, gently patted her head. This time, she didn't move away, nor did she complain. She just turned and hugged her knees, looking at him with a smile in her voice, though her words were tinged with a hint of resignation. "What an optimist."
"Well, that's me," he said with a smile. "And I just believe that there's always a solution."
The next morning, they packed their things and prepared to leave. As a token of his gratitude, Rhodes left two of the grimoires from the dwarven treasury for the elven physician who had tended to them. Of course, he and Serie had already learned all the spells within.
"This is too precious," the physician said, shaking his head. He had, in fact, done very little. He had thought the human would not survive, but he had received the help of the Sky-Winged. And the man who had been at death's door now exuded an indescribable aura, the aura of a hero of legend. He didn't know why.
"Please, take them," Rhodes said, pressing the grimoires into his hands. "All magic should be passed down. Think of it as a favor to me. Teach the spells on these pages to more people."
"I understand," the physician said with a solemn nod. He would do as he was asked. Elf or human, as long as they had the talent for magic, he would teach them.
With the entire village seeing them off, the party began their journey back to the Great Elven Forest. The return trip was a smooth one; they covered the ground much more quickly than before.
They just had to cross the mountain ahead, and the Great Elven Forest would be in sight.
At first, everything seemed the same as when he and Serie had left. But as they reached the summit, a strange and unsettling sight met their eyes.
Many of the trees were withered and dead, as if their life force had been completely drained away. Their branches were black and their leaves had crumbled to ash. The entire forest seemed to have aged a thousand years overnight.
"Something's not right," Serie said, stopping in her tracks. She touched a dry, brittle leaf. "The Great Elven Forest is the most vibrant place in the world. Even here, at the very edge, it shouldn't be so desolate."
Rhodes squatted down and took a handful of earth. It was mixed with a grayish-white, sand-like substance. "Strange. The soil has turned to sand."
Olivia's eyes widened. This... this was the same scene she had witnessed after the demons' Divine Strike. At the center of the blast, everything had been completely destroyed. She had been on the vanguard, so she hadn't been at the core of the attack and had managed to survive. And she had seen it then. On the periphery of the Divine Strike, the trees had withered, and the soil had turned to sand.
"Rho... Rhodes," she said, her voice trembling. "This... is the mark of a demon's Divine Strike."
His blood ran cold. His worst fears had come to pass.
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