Chapter 4: Intruder
As she pulled her bow back, she noticed the child she'd been targeting, a trespasser from the sacred forest, was being pulled away by the vines. Tianna scoffed, ''Such a shame,'' and lowered her longbow. The distance to the entrance of the heart of the sacred forest was still considerable, and she couldn't hope to catch up to that trespasser child while carrying a heavy weapon. She was surprised to find a child inside the sacred forest and was convinced that the child she saw was not an elf but a human.
'A human? That old woman must be conspiracies with them..' Distracted from her thoughts, Tianna felt a sudden surge of mana in the air and turned to see her partner, Narhil. He seemed exhausted as his book floated midair, emitting a glowing aura. The mana surged into the gate, a portal device connected to the kingdom. The gate illuminated as the mana was absorbed, creating a bright swirling portal. A figure emerged from the portal, and Tianna immediately knelt as a sign of respect. Narhil, though was exhausted that even kneeling was not an option of his, and he bowed his head as an act of respect.
It was the Majesty himself, King Ravi, the ruler of the elves. He was adorned in a majestic emerald with a mix of gold armor that shimmered under the sunlight. His crown exuded brilliance, showcasing his royal status, while the giant sword on his side displayed his power. His silver hair and unique golden eyes marked him as a member of the distinguished royal bloodline.
As King Ravi continued walking, his gaze was fixated on the heart of the sacred forest, his eyes betraying a mix of rage and disappointment. "The power that was rightfully ours vanished instantly because of that selfish, false hero," he said with disdain.
Four other elves followed the king as they walked out of the portal, all donning silver armor that gleamed in the light. The king raised his arm, and the others lowered their heads in obedience.
"We will take what is rightfully ours," King Ravi declared with determination, setting the tone for their mission.
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Arlo managed to escape safely, thanks to Malek's vines, but he was still in a state of shock. The smell of death lingered in the air, something he had never encountered at such a young age. His legs shook from fear, making standing difficult, but he fought to overcome it.
"Another elf..." Arlo mumbled to himself. He had learned about different races when he was five and knew he wasn't related to his grandmother. But the question lingered on his mind 'Why the other elf is attacking us,'
As Arlo managed to stand up, he felt a sudden burst of energy from the northern part of the forest, where he had been standing before he got attacked. "What was that?" he asked himself. It was the first time he had experienced such a surge of mana, followed by multiple strong presences that were unfamiliar to him. Fear almost engulfed him, but he pushed it aside. "I have to go back," he resolved, dashing through the woods toward the center of the forest where he and his grandmother lived. He knew he had to find his grandmother.
Malek's roots spread across the entire sacred forest, acting as a protective measure. He recognized the sudden energy surge as the opening of the portal gate, a gate he had destroyed before. "Mother of Gaia!" Malek cursed, knowing what this meant.
Using the trees as his vision, Malek saw the elven people, including the king himself, preparing to attack the sacred groves. One of his roots followed Arlo to find Avianna, but there was no sign of her. The situation was becoming dire, and the ancient oak tree knew that it was up to him to protect the sacred forest and its inhabitants from the impending threat.
'"GRANDMA!" Arlo's desperate cry reverberated through the forest as he frantically searched for any sign of his beloved grandmother. He reached out with his magic, trying to sense her presence, but it was as if she had vanished into thin air. His heart raced as he sprinted toward the treehouse, an eerie feeling crawling up his spine. As his hand made contact with the doorknob, his body broke into a cold sweat, his senses tingling with a fight-or-flight response.
With trembling fingers, Arlo pushed the door open slowly, the room beyond revealed in dim light. "Grandma?" he called out, his voice trembling, only to be met with deafening silence. The open window barely cast any light, leaving the room shrouded in shadow. His every step into the room sent a chill down his spine, but there was no sign of his grandmother.
Instead, a woman stood there, her expression devoid of emotion. Arlo recoiled in fear as if she had materialized out of thin air. Though her pointed ears marked her as an elf, she wore a jet-black robe that concealed most of her body, her brown skin contrasting with its dark hue.
"So, you're the intruder," the woman spoke, her eyes remaining closed, yet Arlo could feel her gaze fixed upon him.
"W-who are you?" Arlo stammered, his pulse quickening as he slowly retreated from the treehouse, but his efforts came too late. A gust of wind slammed the door shut behind him, leaving him trapped. Panic surged through him, and he desperately tried to hold the door, all the while keeping a wary eye on the enigmatic woman in the robe.
"Do not be afraid, child," the woman's tone shifted, and as her eyes opened, they glowed with an eerie shade of blue, like the depths of an abyss. Arlo found himself captivated for an instant until her voice once more broke the trance. "Let thy be horror, Daylight Nightmares," she intoned, her words heavy with an otherworldly power.
Arlo's vision began to spin, dizziness consuming him. He attempted to run toward the window, but it felt as though his feet were anchored in place. Despite his efforts to break free, he remained motionless, his gaze returning to the woman. She disappeared into thin air, leaving him trapped and helpless.
Arlo felt himself transported to a void, a pitch-black space that enveloped him. It was as if he were drowning in an airless expanse, struggling to breathe while feeling the oppressive weight of nothingness. His vision blurred, his body convulsed, and the world slipped away.
The elven woman regarded the unconscious child with a sinister smile, her eyes tracing his form. However, her triumph was short-lived. A sudden wave of discomfort washed over her, and the world tilted. Dizziness overcame her, and she struggled to maintain her balance. A dryness clung to her throat, and she coughed, her fits escalating until blood spilled from her lips.
"What is this?" she thought, panic coursing through her. The magic she had wielded had backfired, but it was different, tainted somehow. Poisonous air seemed to choke her, and she coughed again, struggling for breath.
In the midst of her agony, her eyes fell upon the child, who stood before her, unconscious but now standing, eyes filled with malevolent intent. A sinister aura emanated from him, an inexplicable magic that both intrigued and terrified her.
"You're not a hum—" She never got to finish her sentence. With a snap of his fingers, Arlo unleashed a similar spell. Her body contorted and twisted like brittle wood, her life extinguished instantly as her blood painted the floor.
Arlo awoke abruptly, his scream piercing the air as the gruesome sight of the elven woman's twisted form and the pool of blood seared into his memory. As he staggered toward the exit of the treehouse, he nearly tumbled from the height, but a massive vine, Malek, caught him just in time.
"AHHHH!" Arlo screamed again as the vivid nightmare clung to him. Overwhelmed and unable to comprehend what he had witnessed, he clutched his mouth, attempting to suppress the nausea threatening to consume him. Speechless and traumatized, he barely registered Malek's calming telepathic voice.
"Calm, child. What happened?" Malek's words resonated in Arlo's mind. The boy was still trembling, his hands shaking uncontrollably, but Malek cast a magic a life magic on him to make him calm because of that he managed to gather his courage. 'Arlo, help me to find your grandmother.' Malek asked. With a deep breath and tear-filled eyes, he stammered, "I... I'll find Grandma."
"May nature guide you, Arlo," Malek responded, his vines receding to the ground to protect the forest as Arlo set off on his harrowing quest to locate his missing grandmother, all while struggling to erase the haunting image etched into his mind.
"Grant me Experience, a physical boost," Arlo incanted, his voice resonating through the sacred forest. An orange radiance enveloped his form, indicating that the magic had taken hold. Arlo stretched his newly enhanced muscles, a newfound vitality surging within him. As he began to run, his speed was remarkable, yet perfectly under his control. His destination lay to the western edge of the sacred forest, where he believed his grandmother might be.
With each stride, he leaped effortlessly from tree to tree. Time was of the essence; his newfound power would last only five minutes, a limitation of his inexperience with this spell. He focused his mind, silently invoking "Detect," allowing him to perceive the subtle movements of the forest's mana. Blue lights danced before his eyes, tracing the ebb and flow of energy in this mystical haven, where the forest itself seemed imbued with life due to its rich, conserved mana.
Perched atop a massive tree, Arlo narrowed his gaze, seeking anything out of the ordinary amidst the intricate tapestry of mana. There it was – a fading, golden-hued mana signature, foreign to the forest. Without hesitation, he bounded into action, pursuing this elusive energy trail. With just a minute of his magical enhancement remaining, he managed to trace it to its source.
"Woah!" he exclaimed, momentarily losing his balance as his magic-enhanced speed dissipated. He staggered but quickly regained his footing. He now stood at the forest's far end, where an impenetrable barrier held intruders at bay. The trees encircling the barrier had thickened, their energies melding into the impervious shield. As Arlo reached out to touch it, he sensed Malek's immense magical presence reinforcing the barrier.
Panic gripped him. He feared that the same assailants who had attacked him in the treehouse might now threaten the sacred forest. Casting his gaze beyond the barrier, his "Detect" spell still active, he detected a faint golden mana signature, intertwined with another he recognized all too well – his grandmother's.
"Grandma," he whispered, feeling her mana signature dissipate beyond the forest's boundary. Arlo was torn between a desire to protect his grandmother and the fear of the same adversaries lurking on the other side, poised for another assault. Hesitating, his hands pressed against the barrier, he found himself unable to push through his trepidation.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, an elven figure materialized before him, outside the sacred forest. Towering and masculine, this elven presence wore resplendent golden and emerald armor, his silver hair and golden eyes exuding an unsettling charisma. His gaze bore into Arlo, filled with malevolent intent and an undeniable thirst for blood. Arlo's breathing quickened as he observed the blood staining the elven figure's hands.
"So, you're Arlo," the elven figure purred, their sinister smile accentuating the tension in the air. With a gruesome display, the elven pressed his bloodied hand against the barrier, crimson droplets trickling down. "I am Ravi, the Elven King," He declared, his voice dripping with malice. Staring down at Arlo, he appeared ready to shatter the fragile barrier separating them, unleashing a potentially catastrophic confrontation.
Weekly Power Status
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