The first challenge they would face together was undoubtedly navigating the tangled and treacherous paths of the Lunathys Forest, through which they had chosen to flee. Edward carried Luthien's cold body in his arms, feeling the weight of his loss in his soul. The death of his wife had been a devastating blow, leaving him with a void that seemed impossible to fill. Auri walked beside him, her small, fragile hand clutching her father's arm, as if seeking a little comfort and protection in his touch.
They were fleeing the cabin where they had lived many happy moments together, leaving behind the dreams and memories they had built. The night was dark, and the forest around them was dense and impenetrable, the broken branches and scattered leaves indicating the brutal attack they had suffered. An attack that would change Edward and Auri's lives forever.
Crossing Lunathys at night was not advisable for anyone, not even Edward, a former combatant who had ventured far into woods, jungles, and thickets on almost glorious missions. This was because the enemies on the road were not deer, raccoons, or squirrels, but hydras, chupacabras, and cyclops, among others. After all, many monsters inhabit the forests of the world of Krymorian. And if Lunathys was a magical place by day, with trees forming beautiful canopies in a green and yellow puzzle and clear streams to bathe in, when night falls, it gives way to roots that protrude from the ground, writhing like snakes, and muddy swamps that lure the unwary in, never to return.
As they entered the forest, Edward remembered the time he had faced a giant salamander with a skull-like head, a scaly, moist body, long arms with sharp claws, and a large armored protection on its back. At one end was its enormous mouth, with which it swallowed large animals, while at the other end it had a long, mobile tail, which it used as an infallible weapon. It jumped out of the water about three meters with natural ease. In the fight, both sank into the swamp, and the warrior almost succumbed to drowning from the violence of the blows of that sea monster. However, he achieved victory by thrusting his sword upward into its neck, piercing the demonic amphibian's brain. Now, all the father wanted was never to have to go through something like that again, as he didn't know if he would be able to protect his daughter.
Edward wasn't sure where to go, but he remembered his friendship with Alanis Maele, the druid who had fought alongside him on several missions. She lived on a farm far away, and she was the only person he could trust to help him protect Auri while he buried Luthien with dignity.
Father and daughter walked for hours. The light of day was already breaking. It seemed that the gods understood that they had suffered enough for one night and, fortunately, allowed them to cross without further trouble. They had to stop several times, as carrying Luthien was heavy in every way. Until, from the top of a mountain ridge, almost exhausted, they finally saw the druid's small house below, on the edge of the forest. Contained joy took hold of them, as if to ease their suffering. They descended the valley and arrived at the porch. Edward rang the bell, with Luthien still in his arms, while Auri clung to his leg, tears streaming down her face.
The door opened, and Alanis appeared in the doorway, a look of surprise on her face, which did not quite turn into a smile, as she saw, still not quite understanding, the body in Edward's arms, as well as his sad face.
"What happened?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
Edward, his voice breaking, asked:
"Can I come in, Alanis?"
Alanis nodded, opening the door wider and allowing Edward and the girl to enter. The atmosphere in the house became heavy. Auri continued to hold her father's arm.
"Where can I put Luthien's body?" asked Edward, his voice low and trembling.
"Leave her on the living room sofa," Alanis replied, pointing to the piece of furniture.
Edward strolled to the sofa and, with extreme care, laid his wife's body there.
"Alanis, could you help me prepare Luthien's body for burial?" asked Edward, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Of course, Edward," replied Alanis promptly. "Let's take care of her together."
Alanis's house was very similar to theirs. Small and cozy, it had a fireplace. In fact, both elves and druids do not feel the need for luxuries, since their shared preferences are nature and knowledge. Few female druids managed to survive the devastating persecution of hostile groups. For Alanis, being alive was due to the influence of her greater deity, whom she called the mother goddess. For her, this was the feminine expression of the force of nature, which she idolized so much. Alanis was inclined towards philosophy and law, which is why she possessed transcendental knowledge. However, despite her intellectual development, she had fought hand-to-hand for survival alongside other druids and humans, such as Edward, when they had common goals.
While elves possess perfect, almost angelic beauty, druidesses are naturally sensual. Alanis had fair skin, black eyes, dark straight hair, pointed ears, and eyebrows that extended beyond her face. She wore little clothing, revealing her stomach and legs. Her garments were made of fine linen and foliage. Unlike the elves, the druidesses did not possess magical powers, only healing powers, but these could no longer help their friend Luthien.
For a moment, Edward sat in an armchair in the living room, resting while he looked at the flames in the fireplace. He then remembered that a few hours ago, the fire had been his last sight before the evil began. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, he got up and, together with Alanis, they began to prepare Luthien's body, cleaning it and dressing it in the clothes Edward had insisted on bringing, the ones he thought Luthien would have wanted to wear to say goodbye to a world that was no longer hers, if it ever had been. Auri watched everything, still shocked by the loss of her mother.
During the process, Edward and Alanis exchanged few words. In that difficult moment, she watched him silently. He could sense that she was waiting for an explanation to understand what had happened. She was waiting for him to tell her the truth about Luthien. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked at her:
"Luthien died during an attack by the human purity cult. They broke into our cabin and killed her in front of us."
Alanis felt a tightness in her heart when she heard this, and placing her hand on Edward's shoulder, she said:
"I'm so sorry, Edward! What now?"
"Now, I believe the Cult won't stop. They'll come after me and Auri. They can't tolerate the existence of half-breeds like her."
"You mean they'll still come after you?"
"Yes. They know the attack was only partially successful and that my half-breed daughter is still alive. They must already be looking for us."
In a second, Alanis thought of the Celtic people she belonged to and all the struggles they had gone through to survive. They had a history of persecution, massacres, and extermination sponsored by humans who wanted to dominate territories and peoples, increasingly expanding their hegemonic and authoritarian power. It was another era, one that had passed and would never return. Having someone so evil looking for you in your home was a warning sign. If they found her there, they could find her here too, she thought. All of this went through her mind without Edward noticing. Still trying to act natural, she asked:
"But what can we do?"
"The only way to end this once and for all is to attack the nearest headquarters of the Human Purity Cult in Ravenstown, because that's probably where all the information about Auri is stored." Alanis's eyes widened, adding yet another worry to the one she already had.
"Attack the sect's headquarters? That's crazy, Edward. You can't do that!"
"There's no other option, Alanis. If I don't act, they'll find us and kill us."
Alanis tried to argue.
"But what about Auri? She's so young. You can't leave her alone."
"Alanis, you're my only option to take care of her. I know asking this makes you uncomfortable, after all, you'll also be in danger. I need you to take care of her while I'm gone. You're the only person I trust to do this. However, if you prefer not to take this risk, I'll understand and move forward."
Alanis paused to think for a moment. Her history of struggles with Edward and her friendship with Luthien left her no choice but to help. Before deciding, she asked one more question:
"I understand, Edward. But why don't you run away with her? You can go far away, where they'll never find you."
"No, Alanis! I won't run away. I can't let Auri live in fear for the rest of her life. I need to end this once and for all."
Alanis sighed, realizing she couldn't change Edward's mind.
"Then I'll go with you. I can't let you do this alone. I want to help you."
"No, my friend! What I need is for you to stay here with Auri. It's safer for everyone."
Shaking her head in frustration at not being able to convince him, Alanis looked at little Auri, then at her dead friend in her living room, and said:
"I'm sure that's what Luthien would have done for me, so this beautiful girl will be my companion for the next few days. But you have to help me with the chores, okay?"
She said this, hugging Auri, under Edward's relieved gaze.
With that decided, they began preparations for Luthien's funeral. Elves know that they are eternal, their spirits free after death. For this reason, they are usually buried without ceremony. Sometimes they are placed in a glass crypt to be mourned, always close to nature, as if to allow their spirits to leave their bodies amid the green trees and the scent of flowers. In Luthien's case, there was no time for a lengthy funeral. Even so, they let the afternoon pass as they dug a small grave where Luthien's body would be buried, amid denser vegetation on the outskirts of the house.
The sky was cloudy and a light rain fell on them. Auri stood next to Edward, holding his hand tightly. In front of the grave, Alanis stood beside them, a sad expression on her face. She had prepared everything for this moment, and now she was saying goodbye to her friend. Her father looked at the girl, who was holding a bouquet of white flowers. He knelt before the grave, placing a flower on top of the earth.
"Rest in peace, my love," he said, his voice breaking.
Auri placed her flower next to it, looking at her mother with tears in her eyes.
"I'm going to miss you so much, Mom," she whispered.
Alanis placed her hand on Auri's shoulder, comforting her.
"Your mother was an incredible elf, Auri. She will always be with you, wherever you go."
Auri looked at Alanis, grateful.
"Thank you, Aunt Alanis."
They stood there for a few minutes, in silence, remembering Luthien and her adventures. The rain continued to fall, but no one seemed to care. They were together, remembering their beloved friend and wife. When the last shovel of sand was placed on Luthien, the rainwater and tears mingled, revealing feelings of fear and revenge. It was the end and the beginning.
Sitting on the porch of the cabin, Edward and Auri watched the sun set over the trees. The world of Krymorian no longer seemed so beautiful. Auri had a sad look on her face, and Edward wondered what was going through her mind.
"Daddy, why do you have to go?" asked the girl, her voice embarrassed.
"I already explained, my daughter. I have to destroy the Human Purity Cult so that you and I can live in peace," replied her father, trying to keep his voice steady.
"I want to go with you!" insisted Auri, now with tears in her eyes.
Edward sighed, running his hand through his hair.
"Auri, you can't come with me. It's too dangerous, and I don't want to put your life at risk."
Auri looked at her father with sadness and frustration.
"But I don't want to stay here alone! I want to help you!" "Helping doesn't mean putting your life in danger, my daughter. You would only get in the way," explained Edward.
Auri lowered her head, sad.
"I'm so scared, Daddy. They'll find us and take me away..."
Edward put his hand on Auri's shoulder, trying to comfort her.
"Don't be afraid, my love. I'll finish them off and everything will be all right."
Auri looked at her father and insisted with determination:
"I'm a half-breed too, I have as much right as you do to destroy the Human Purity Cult!"
Edward was silent for a moment, watching his daughter. She continued:
"But I'm strong, I'm fast, I can fight!" argued Auri.
Edward knew that Auri was being stubborn.
"Daughter, please understand. You are my little girl, and I won't let anything bad happen to you."
Auri stood up, angry and frustrated.
"It's not fair! I don't want to stay here alone. I want to fight. Otherwise, what am I going to do?"
Edward wanted to end the conversation and was firm, looking her in the eyes:
"Earlier today, Alanis said that you will be her companion for a few days, and I'm sure you'll get along very well. You're going to stay here with Aunt Alanis. She'll keep you safe."
Auri looked at her father in disbelief.
"Aunt Alanis? But she's a stranger! I hardly know her!"
"I trust her, Auri. And you can trust her too," explained Edward, finally convincing his daughter.
Then, realizing she had no other choice, Auri said:
"All right, Daddy. I'll stay with Aunt Alanis."
But please promise you'll come back..."
Edward hugged his daughter, kissing her on the forehead.
"I promise I'll come back, my daughter. I love you very much."
Auri hugged her father tightly, feeling tears run down her face. It was hard for her to let him go, but she accepted that he was doing what was best for her. Edward stepped away from his daughter and approached Alanis, who watched the scene with sadness. "My druid friend, I know how vital the equinoxes and solstices are to the Celtic clans. However, I do not intend to stay until the next ones. I also know that you revere various deities, so I ask you to pray to them for me.
If I succeed, my revenge will be peace for many.
Alanis listened attentively to what Edward said, without judging his intentions and trying to push negative thoughts out of her head. He continued:
"Luthien didn't have time to develop her elven side in Auri. The magic, the instincts, the powers, the supernatural... Perhaps you will be responsible for advising and teaching my daughter to help her develop her strength. I know this is asking a lot, but only druidic knowledge can attempt to replace elven strength. You have a lot in common: nature, spirituality, love of life, plants, animals, the moon, the sun, enlightenment... Well, it's time to go! My daughter is now yours too, and that reassures me and gives me the strength to face what lies ahead.
Alanis was moved by those words. It was as if the unexpected situation gave her a new meaning in life. Protecting Auri would be more than just the struggles of the past. Beyond survival, she now had a mission sent by the gods.
With a heavy heart, Edward turned and headed toward the city of Ravenstown. In a battle he knew would be very difficult, he was determined to end the Human Purity Cult, thus protecting his daughter, Alanis, himself, and many other mythical and mixed-race beings who were suffering persecution.
Auri watched her father walk away, still feeling alone and vulnerable, but resigned. She would be strong and wait for his return. Then she turned to Alanis, who hugged her affectionately.
"Come, my dear. Let's prepare something to eat. We'll spend some quality time together while we wait for your father."
Auri smiled shyly. She sensed that her life was about to change.
Edward would spend another night in the Forest of Lunathys, this time alone, advancing toward the nearest town, Greyfield. This was a mandatory stop before Ravenstown to further his sole intention: to end the Human Purity Cult and protect his daughter.