The setting sun shone its rays on the treetops of the Northern Elf Empire, gradating the trees in a beautiful shade of red. But it was not only the treetops that the sun was painting; it was also coloring the sky, too. The afternoon glow of the sun illuminated the busy port city of Paledhel below, which was still bustling with the coming and going of ships and dragons.
A little further away from the main commotion, young elves of the city were training with their tutors in military skill. Apparently, they were training in different techniques of sword fighting.
Aeryn Illuminati, one of the students at the training ground, sighed heavily. Her group of elves had been training the whole day, only resting for an hour during lunch. It was not that Aeryn was lazy or did not want to practice. In fact, she liked training, especially sessions with the sword. It's just that I'm too tired at this moment, she thought to herself as she brushed one of her several loose strands of hair out of her face.
Aeryn wanted to call out to her teacher, Ecthelir, to ask if she could have a break from training, but she also knew clearly that Ecthelir would not like that. She was a stern, no-excuses mentor who drilled her students until they reached a certain level.
Ecthelir, or Supreme Commander Ecthelir, was the head of the alliance, which consisted of elves, dwarves, and men. She was clearly a good leader and scholar, but apparently, she was not a good teacher. Aeryn knew her teacher well, and she was the type who said "no" to excuses.
Just then, Prince Erdaes Eryn, her swordmate, spoke to her. "Is something wrong, Aeryn? I can see concern on your face. Brighten up." When she heard him say those words, Aeryn tried to smile at him. From the day they first met, Erdaes had always been a good friend, always supporting her and righting things she got wrong or awkward.
"Thanks. I'm just too tired," Aeryn said. She did not want to make Erdaes worry, since he had lately been concerned over the duties of a good leader. Aeryn picked up her sword again and began to train with her swordmate.
Aeryn was only too relieved when Ecthelir finally called the training session off. "I expect you to train harder now that you are fifty-nine. We will meet tomorrow, same time, same place," Ecthelir said before she left to do her paperwork. Since elves age three times slower than men, that means we are about twenty in men's age, thought Aeryn as she did a quick calculation in her head. As she left the ground, she could hear her sister Alyssa laughing with her friends.
Aeryn and Alyssa Illuminati had been orphaned when they were young. Their parents had died in a battle with goblins at Gruthing, the goblin fortress. Thankfully, the government gave the sisters some money and a caretaking home to live in. The caretaking home was next to the academy, and the sisters had become close with Erdaes and Orphon Eryn, two elfin princes, each from the Northern Elf Empire and the Eastern Elf Empire.
The Eastern Elf Empire had originally been the elfin home, but after a war over succession, Prince Aegolis Eryn had led his victorious followers to the land where the Northern Elf Empire is. Unlike the Northern Elf Empire, which was prospering from ports, politics, military, and education, the Eastern Elf Empire had slowly become weak, and now the title "empire" did not fit it well anymore. Orphon Eryn, prince of the Eastern Elf Empire, was being held as a captive of the Northern Empire. He had his complexes and problems, Aeryn assumed from when she was young, but she was not that close with Orphon. Plus, he seemed to like Alyssa more.
Erdaes had been more of Aeryn's type—calm and thoughtful, with leadership when needed. She often thought of him as a good member to do a group project with and often consulted him for ideas and texts. Lately, Aeryn noticed Erdaes flush slightly when she asked him a question, but it was late summer, and Aeryn thought that he was only hot. Boys are keener to heat than girls, anyway, she thought as she waved goodbye to Erdaes. He was flushing again.
As Aeryn began to pack her bag and prepare to go, her sister Alyssa ran up to her. "Aeryn, I am going to come home late because I am going to a party. Do excuse me, okay?" Before Aeryn could call out to her to ask when she would be returning, Alyssa sprinted up to her friends. Aeryn only sighed. She is fifty-eight now, and how can she still act so carelessly? she muttered to herself as she slung her bag on her shoulder and walked out of the training ground.
Aeryn entered her home, stretching herself. Her home was a dormitory in the walls of the city. Like many elfin cities, Paledhel had tall, white towers, elaborate decorations, and beautiful rooms. Because of a large population but few houses for all of them, each wall had some multi-room place with windows and bathrooms where a family could live. These houses were called dormitories, or dorms, popular among visitors, students, workers, and scholars because they provided quiet and affordable spaces. Of course, a dorm's price differed based on the view it provided, the room it had, and how high or low it was, but it was generally cheap and affordable for many who could not afford their own homes. To have a home meant that an elf had to support the building of it with his own money, and that required a lot of gold. Even those who could afford their own mansion preferred dorms since they did not have to spend a lot of money on them.
Aeryn had bought two dorms, each for Alyssa and herself, with the money the imperial government had given her because she was orphaned. Aeryn had bought herself a dorm in a high tower with a view of the port. It was the highest dorm in the tower, located on the 57th floor, and the view was beautiful. Aeryn loved to see the sunset from her window in her free time. Her dorm consisted of a bathroom and a living room where she did her homework, wrote letters, and drew. Alyssa, on the other hand, just wanted the cheapest one in the tower, so Aeryn bought her a dorm on the 6th floor. Though it still provided views, most of them were hidden by city walls and the market.
"How has it been, Lou?" Aeryn asked as she fed her carrier pigeon. Lou was whitish-gray, female, and a good pigeon. She served Aeryn well when Aeryn needed to submit her homework. Lou just flew to Ecthelir's office window. Aeryn began to cook dinner for herself. "Let's see, how about mushroom soup with bread? Well, I think that'll do for today," she said to herself as she searched for ingredients while the setting sun shone through her window.
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After Aeryn bathed herself, she changed into her robe and began to do homework. The night was cool and clear, and only the sound of Aeryn's quill scratching the parchment and the faint talk of the elves could be heard. She enjoyed the quiet as she completed her work one by one.
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Erdaes went into his room in the palace to do the paperwork he was assigned. It was just another evening—quiet, with a little murmur escaping the seal of his bedroom window. Nothing peculiar, and no events. But the imperial palace was still a place full of pressure for Erdaes. He had to constantly prove himself in front of the lords, ladies, his mother, and father. He just wished all of that would go away—leave him alone.
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Alyssa drank the orange juice in one gulp. As her friends talked loudly around her, making conversation about the upcoming ball, Alyssa reached for another drink. Enjoying life was the best for her, and what could possibly beat that? She looked at the clock. 11:00 p.m. I'm gonna be damn late, she thought to herself as she gulped down another juice.
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Orphon looked out of his window, sighing. He was given a good home with elves to do laundry, clean, and take care of him, but he still was not happy. They don't know about living as a captive, he thought. The only memory of his parents was the day he left for the Northern Elf Empire. His father and mother, King Euol and Queen Seliel, had cried so hard when Orphon went to the Northern Empire. Queen Seliel had been seven months pregnant at that time, and it was when Orphon reached the Northern Empire that he was told of the birth of his sister—a sister whose name he did not even know. Furious, he turned around and went to his bed.
None of them knew at that time that a surprise would be waiting for them the next day—a notice written and signed by Ecthelir Diescuss, their teacher.