Sage of the Forlorn Path
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Across Eternity: Book 7 - Chapter 2
🕑 Added 2025-08-28 02:30:23 +0000 UTCTHIS STORY CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT AND ADULT THEMES AND SHOULD NOT BE READ BY ANYONE UNDER 18.
Bad Influence
Elisandra rested in one of the windows of her palace, gazing out across the forest. It was where she had sat with Noah during that summer storm, when they decided what to name their child. Rain, she loved the name more and more with each passing day, her elation growing like the baby within her. Elven pregnancies lasted much longer than human ones, but the day was soon to come when the heir of Sylphtoria would be born, and her intuition told her it would be a prince. Half elf and half human, the things he was sure to accomplish would be incredible, especially if he was anything like his father.
Noah was with her in her waking thoughts and her deepest dreams, with every day spent wishing to see him again. The time they had spent together was so short, but even for someone like her, who had lived for over a thousand years, the time they had been apart felt like an eternity. How many women had felt this pain throughout history? Waiting for their dearest love to return from war? Waiting for their family to be made whole? True, Elisandra was never alone here in Sylphtoria, but nothing could match the feel of Noah’s arms around her.
Of course, she also missed Valia, the two of them having grown quite close during that magical summer. She often liked to imagine Rain being her student in swordsmanship, training under her to become the greatest warrior the elven race had ever seen. Elisandra hoped Valia was taking care of Noah, keeping him safe. Those summer nights the three of them spent in her bed were the best time of her life, and she longed for the day when they would be united, and their moans would once more echo.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soldier entering the palace. The guards let him through, and he approached with a bowed head. “Your Majesty, you’ve received a parcel from Uther, delivered by messenger bird.”
“Word from Leuca?”
“No, My Lady. It appears to be from Lord Noah.”
It took all of Elisandra’s strength and control not to snatch the package out of his hand with a grin of excitement. She opened it up to find a spherical diamond, the size of an apple, with a small gem at its center. The surface of the diamond was etched with runes, just like the Star of Sylphtoria. Only Noah could create such a beautiful craft. There was also a note, not the long love letter she had been hoping for, but a short missive.
‘Elisandra, within this orb is a harkonen gem linked to one in my possession. If you’ve received this gem, please channel your mana into it. Should your power reach me, we may be able to communicate. Keep it close.
Wishing luck and love, N.’
Elisandra had heard of harkonen gems before, and the premise intrigued her. She held the diamond with both hands and sent a large surge of mana into it, feeling the gem swallowing her power like water swirling down a drain. There was no immediate reaction, so she tried again, but the second attempt yielded no sign of success. Then, after the third attempt, a voice echoed from the orb.
“Hello? Elisandra?”
That voice sent her heart racing, and she held up the orb. “Noah! Noah, can you hear me?”
The air before her shimmered and filled with mana, soon changing color and beginning to take shape, much like an animal forming within a summoning circle. The image sharpened, and Noah stood before her, a warm smile on his face.
“Hey, Ellie,” he said.
“Noah,” she gasped with tears of joy.
“Aegasviel!” the soldier exclaimed.
The guards through the palace were drawn by the commotion and rushed over, each of them shouting the same word.
Elisandra reached out to hug him, but passed right through. “What is this?” she asked.
“Sorry, but this is only a projection of my presence. I’m here in spirit, as you might say.” He reached out to touch her cheek, though his fingers could only pass through her. “That said, I can clearly see you, and you’re as beautiful as the day I left.”
“Noah, Noah!” she happily exclaimed, with her joyful tears turning into a wellspring. She quickly tried to wipe them away and collect herself. “Forgive me. My emotions have been all over the place throughout my pregnancy. Everything I feel has been multiplied.”
“You never have to apologize. I’ve missed you.”
The doors of the palace then burst open, and Lour and several guards rushed in. “Is it true?!” They then stopped when they saw Noah, and Lour immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Aegasviel! Welcome back!”
The guards all did the same. “Aegasviel!” they proclaimed.
Noah turned to Elisandra. “Aegasviel?”
“‘Divine craftsman,’ it is the name you have been given by the people who have experienced the light of your star. You’ve had a massive influence on Sylphtoria and have become a subject of worship by many.” She turned to Lour. “Now, while I understand your excitement, Lour, would you mind taking everyone and giving us some privacy? My love and I have much to discuss.”
“Yes, of course, My Lady.” He and the guards all cleared out of the palace, leaving Noah and Elisandra alone.
“It is good to be back, even if I’m not really here. I’ve thought about you often, dreaming of the day when I could return here for good, free of my curse and ready to live my final life beneath these branches with you.”
“You’ve been in my dreams as well, you and Rain.”
Noah crouched down, resting his phantasmal hand on her swollen belly. He could not feel her warmth or the movements of their unborn child, but he could easily imagine them. “And how is everything going with our little summer storm?”
“He’s getting ready to greet the world. I was hoping you might be here before he’s born, but I take it that’s not the case.”
“I’m afraid not. The answer to my curse remains elusive to me, and the war against the Profane is in full swing.”
Elisandra sat on the nearby couch and beckoned Noah over. “You don’t need to tell me that. They have been a persistent thorn in my side for several months now. What happened since you left? I want to hear the stories you have for me.”
He sat beside her. “It’s been a lot of ups and downs, one step forward and then one step back. Valia and I managed to reach Lupin, and we spent several months helping him fight the Profane and their beastman minions. We took down numerous bases in Handent where these parasites were being made to create Profane, spent a lot of time improving the city of Welindar, and killed one of the enemy leaders. Lupin even managed to win the respect and support of the beastmen, but then we received word that the king of Uther had been killed. Before we could do anything, we were attacked by a fiend army. Though we managed to kill their leader, all of the beastmen in the city were turned into the Profane and marched on Uther.
Colbrand was saved by an angel, but had fallen under the control of Prince Galvin, whom I told you about before. It turned out that his mother, Ziradith Herald, had been working with the Profane, orchestrating the war all to get her son on the throne, and, in turn, seize control of Uther. Galvin broke free of her control and went mad with power, trying to exterminate all beastmen in Uther. I helped his brother, Prince Seraph, regain his powers and supplant him. Galvin was slain, but the city of Uther was leveled by a surprise attack from the Profane. There were a lot of casualties, but we killed their leader. That said, I doubt the Profane will just roll over and surrender.”
“We’ve been having to deal with them as well. We’ve raised the security around our borders, making sure none of the monsters like what you encountered would be able to slip into our country. That said, those hulking beasts are always probing our defenses, trying to find a way in. They’re just as eager to capture my people as to kill them, and I dare not ponder the horrors awaiting those taken alive.” Elisandra gave a bitter laugh. “Look at us. Ever since you’ve left, all I’ve wanted is for you to come back, and now that I can finally see you again, all we can talk about is war and horror.”
“We’re just getting it out of the way to talk about the more important things. Forget the war, forget Sylphtoria, how have YOU been?”
Elisandra sighed and closed her eyes. “Scared, but you know me; I’m always scared. I fear for Rain and the world he’ll be born into. I fear I won’t be a good enough mother for him. I fear that right now is the safest he’ll ever be again.”
“Take it from me, that fear is something every parent goes through, especially new parents. You’re going to be a wonderful mother, and though this world might not be perfect, and Rain will face dangers and trials, you and I will keep him safe and raise him to be strong enough to handle them on his own. Once he’s born, you’ll be scared, confused, and worried, feeling like you’re not ready and don’t know what you’re doing, just like every woman who’s ever given birth, but I will help you. All of Sylphtoria will help you. Whatever you don’t know, you’ll learn. Whatever you struggle with, you’ll get better at.”
Elisandra smiled in bliss and looked at Noah lovingly. “I’m also happy, so incredibly happy. Thinking back on that beautiful summer we spent together, feeling our child growing within me, and dreaming of our future as a family, it’s made me happier than I’ve ever been.”
“Yeah, me too. I think I’m feeling… hopeful… about the future, something I haven’t experienced in a long time. I was telling Valia that I’ve come to like this world, that I feel comfortable in it, finally able to be my true self instead of wearing a façade and blending in. I have to believe I’ll be free of my curse, and when I do, I cannot imagine a better final life than spending it here with you.”
Elisandra gazed at him with sparkling eyes. “Why must you torment me with such beautiful words? You tease me with such a tender gaze, knowing that I cannot hug you, that I cannot kiss you. You’re so cruel.”
“Believe me, I wish I could do all those things as well. But for now, we can’t be greedy. We just have to be glad we can see each other.”
“I trust Valia is also taking good care of you. I miss her.”
“She misses you as well and wanted me to tell you.”
“And I hope she’s the only one taking care of you.”
“Well, she and I picked up someone while in Handent. Her name is Shannon, a member of the Petosic horse tribe. Her tribe was wiped out, her kin either slaughtered or turned into the Profane. She’s been with us since before we reached Lupin, fighting alongside me and Valia, supporting us through the harshest battles and moments of peace. She’s sworn an oath of servitude, calling us her Lord and Lady. For that, and due to the feelings she developed for us, Valia decided that she deserved to be… brought into the fold, you might say.”
Elisandra sighed. “The two most beautiful elves in the world share your bed, but you had to pick up a mistress.”
“Not the ideal news, I know, but she’s kind, gentle, and loyal to a fault, and has earned her place at our side. If she were here now, she’d bow and pledge her life to serve and protect you and Rain, and would move mountains for the honor of being his nanny.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I suppose I could give her a chance. Besides, you wouldn’t be the first great man to have many wives, just so long as I’m number one.”
“Valia has already established she’s number one, and you’re the close-ranked second, and any woman that tries to supplant either of you is getting put in the ground.”
Elisandra laughed. “She had you first, so I guess I have to accept that. It’s nice to see she’s looking out for me. Is there anyone else I should know about?”
“A female Profane did have her way with me while I was tied up. Apparently, she had heard the rumors about my skill and wanted to see if they were true.” Elisandra stared at him, struggling to process his words. “You can ask Valia and Shannon about it; they were made to watch. I’m fine, by the way.”
Elisandra rubbed her eyes. “By the spirits, Noah, do I have to put a chastity belt on you?”
“Valia said she’d do just that.”
Elisandra laughed. “You are going to be a horrible influence on our son.” She then held up the diamond orb and examined it. “Tell me more about this jewel. I’m curious.”
“The harkonen gem in the center is a fragment of a much larger piece I received for some work I did in Colbrand. A spell channeled into one shard will be released from the other, but I’ve enchanted it so that only mana can go through. I don’t want any of these falling into the wrong hands and hitting me with a spell. The burst of mana you sent through caused all of the plants around me to suddenly grow out of control. I’m thinking I can use these jewels to create a communications network, allowing me to stay in contact with various leaders so we can organize against the Profane. I’ve already left one in Colbrand.”
“You’re not there right now?”
“No, my friends and I are traveling at the moment. We were planning on going to Vandheim, but something else came up.”
“What happened?”
“We received word that a dark elf with silver hair was spotted in a village in Uther, acting strangely, so we’re on our way to investigate. It can only be Valon. I don’t know what he’s doing there, and I can only hope things will go smoother this time.”
“After what you told me about Kisara Island, I can hardly imagine it going any worse.”
The two continued to talk, making up for lost time, but eventually Noah felt a tap on his real body. “Sorry, but I have to go. My friends are calling me back.”
“Do you have to go so soon?”
“Don’t worry, I may be gone, but I’ll be in reach. If you ever need me, just send another burst of mana through the gem. And I’ll be keeping in touch. I’ll let you know how things go with Valon.”
“I understand. However, I would love it if you could find a way to visit in the flesh. And when all this is done, let’s get married.”
Noah smiled. “I’d love that. I’ll see you soon.” He leaned in and kissed her, and though no physical contact was made, they could both imagine the sensation. Noah’s illusion faded away, and back in Uther, he opened his eyes, seeing Valia’s beautiful smile.
“You look so cute leaning against Shannon like that, like a sleeping baby,” she teased.
While projecting his consciousness, it was hard for Noah to maintain an upright position, so when he did it on Shannon’s back, he’d lean against her, looking like he had passed out. Shannon seemed to enjoy it, holding his arms around her waist.
“Well, Shannon is so comfortable, I really could have fallen asleep.”
He sat up, stretched with a yawn, and looked around. The group stopped for the evening and made camp within a wooded thicket. It was him, Valia, Shannon, Alexis, Sophia, Cyrilo, Daniel, and Seraph, and though they were out in the countryside, Noah’s collection of magic tools was making camping a breeze. He had tools for gathering, purifying, and boiling water, as well as tools for producing a magic flame that required no wood and emitted no smoke. He also had insulating bedrolls and heat-reflecting tents, self-cleaning cookware, and magical security tools to alert him if anyone or anything approached their camp from any direction. Almost all the work that went into making camp and preparing for the night ahead had been removed.
Everyone put up their tents, and Alexis soon returned to the camp, having procured their dinner. Cleaning and preparing it was still a task that had to be done by hand. As night fell, the group gathered around the magical campfire and dined on wild rabbit.
“So how is Elisandra doing?” Valia asked.
“She’s in good spirits, and from the looks of it, soon to deliver. I gave her your regards, and she said she misses you.”
“So, the three of you really were… involved?” Alexis asked.
Valia gave a sly smile. “Elisandra and I… have an understanding, and discovered the joy of each other’s company,” she said, making Alexis and Sophia blush.
“I’d love to meet her,” said Cyrilo. “I need to know if she’s really as beautiful as she is in that picture.”
“Believe me, she’s stunning. Even when she looks like she’s about to give birth to a pumpkin, she’s downright radiant,” said Noah.
“I just want to see that baby. I can just imagine those little tiny pointed ears!” Sophia squealed.
“I bet that’s going to be one good-looking kid,” Daniel said.
“How else is everything going in Sylphtoria? I hope the Profane aren’t wreaking too much havoc.” Valia asked.
“She said that they are probing the border, looking for a way to slip past their defenses. They’re holding strong, though. The elves won’t be caught off guard like they were before. Besides, with the Star of Sylphtoria protecting them, nothing can even get close to the city once night falls. It has become so beloved by the public that I’ve earned a new title. When I appeared, Lour and the guards all got down on one knee and called me Aegasviel. Apparently, both the star and I have become symbols of worship.”
Valia’s eyes widened. “Aegasviel? Avinor, the Enochian who used the Cymerian Bow to kill Zyrga, received that title. That is a powerful name.”
“It would certainly help if we had one of those.”
“I remember Lupin saying he would have given anything to see the elven capital,” said Seraph. “It was his dream, ever since he was young. Is it as beautiful as they say?”
“It is spectacular,” said Noah. “Ancient trees reach up higher than any I’ve ever seen, with trunks a hundred feet in diameter and shaped to form the homes of the elves. The branches weave together, forming bridges spanning across the open chasm. They produce every type of fruit and nut you can imagine, and they never rot or go bad so long as they hang. The elves decorate the city with art of every medium, and have vast libraries rich in lost knowledge.
Then, once the sun sets, glowing moss and flowers illuminate the city, and fireflies and other bioluminescent insects fill the sky. Priests and priestesses walk the bridges in their holy robes, singing an ancient aria throughout the night. It is a prayer of protection and a lament for the dead, filling the air with sacred energy. The Star of Sylphtoria is a gem that I crafted, situated at the highest point of the city, above the royal palace. It bends and refracts that holy energy, turning it into purifying light that leaves no shadows. The first time it was activated, it brought the elves to tears.”
“I would love to see it someday,” said Sophia. “I know you plan on returning there after you break your curse. Do you think the elves would mind your friends coming to visit you?”
“If they did, I’d like to think they’d keep it to themselves. They were pretty cold to me when I first arrived, but warmed up once I proved myself. If you come with me and are polite and friendly, they will show it in kind.”
“If we could go there, then maybe we could make copies of their books for when we restart the literature program,” said Cyrilo.
“We could have an entire wing dedicated to elven writing, shelves upon shelves of their knowledge and art,” Sophia replied. Though we definitely wouldn’t be able to fit it all in the Knight’s Sheath, no matter how large we rebuild it.”
“You and I always talked about opening a library separate from the Knight’s Sheath. When we return to Colbrand, I think that will be when we do it. We’ll build a vast cathedral full of books.”
“I’m more interested in the dwarves. I bet they have some fine liquor over there in Vandheim. We’re going there after nabbing Valon, right?” asked Daniel.
“You’re in luck, this town we’re heading to is a dwarf colony,” said Valia.
“Dwarf colony?”
“Banishment is a common punishment in Vandheim,” Cyrilo explained. “Dwarves can be quick to anger and hold long grudges, so when an individual breaks the law or commits a taboo, they may be exiled from the country, even their entire family, depending on the offense. That’s what happened to Berholm. This town is one such place where families like these often end up. We should reach it by tomorrow.”
“So, Daniel, how’s the songwriting going?” Sophia asked.
“It’s going, it’s going,” he replied. “The problem is that I’m great at the chords, but I’m terrible at the words.”
During his time in Colbrand, Daniel had written a few songs based on Noah’s exploits to sing at the Knight’s Sheath, mainly to keep his performance fresh and leech off Noah’s popularity, but since leaving, he had doubled down, wanting to become a “true bard.” He was trying to write multiple songs about the adventures of everyone around, but mainly Noah, and his tales from across the multiverse, calling him his muse.
“Noah, give me something to work with. Tell us a crazy war story.”
“Crazy war story, huh?” Noah went silent for a moment, diving through his memories in search of a fitting tale. “Ok, here’s a good one. A long time ago, I was fighting in a war against the country of Yelnan. My country, Thrain, was actually just helping an allied country that was in a trade dispute with Yelnan. Normally, such a squabble wouldn’t interest me, but the primary tools in this conflict were giant robots, and I couldn’t turn down a chance to pilot a giant robot. For the rest of you, basically imagine a suit of armor anywhere from thirty up to three hundred feet tall, with weapons that could obliterate armies and flatten entire towns. Goliaths, we called them, massive steel juggernauts.
Of course, not every soldier had one. Few people had what it took to adequately pilot them. It was a skill you either had or didn’t. In major battles, you could see up to a dozen of them blasting each other while regular troops fought below. We’d march across the battlefield in these things with our ground troops and artillery following us, sticking to our shadows. We had to be so careful not to step on our own allies, because one wrong move and they’d be crushed like ants. With every rainstorm, you’d see Goliath footprints fill with water and turn into ponds. Now, the Goliaths were unbelievably heavy due to all the armor plating, but they had to be to resist counterattacks. A weapon is only really useful until someone finds its weakness.”
As Noah spoke, Daniel was fervently scribbling details. Noah held out his hand and used his illusion magic to produce a special rocket launcher. “This baby shot thermite missiles; flying projectiles full of powdered metal and explosive material that burned like dragon fire. An enemy soldier could be hiding in the brush with one of these, and a well-placed shot to an exposed joint would melt steel as if it were butter and cripple a Goliath like severing a major tendon. There are few feelings better than piloting a giant robot, and more frustrating than getting taken out by one scrawny fucker with a rocket launcher. Half a trillion dollars in machinery rendered immobile just like that.
One day, I’m in a huge battle to conquer a city, with explosions going off every second in every direction and buildings being reduced to powder. Almost everyone on both sides has been slaughtered, and it’s basically just me and one remaining enemy pilot. Our Goliaths were about the same size, but we had both run out of ammo, so how did we settle it? With our giant metal fists. We’re duking it out, trading blows and doing everything we can not to fall over. When you’re in a boxing match between two Goliaths, every punch is so rattling that you’ll feel like your teeth are going to pop out and your stomach rises into your throat. They could supposedly hear our strikes from miles away.
Anyway, we’re pushing these machines to their absolute limits. Everything is in the red, rivets and bolts are shooting off like champagne corks, and I’m just waiting for my suit to crumble. Then, my opponent slips up and throws an awkward punch, missing me by a mile, and I manage to destroy his arm. I beat him into submission and claimed victory. We took the city, or what was left of it, but that fistfight was the real win for me. Ah, fun times. How’s that for story material?”
“Oh yeah, this is that GOOD shit!” Daniel said with a grin.
“I swear, even after all this time, your stories still sound impossible to me,” said Valia.
“How did the war end?” Shannon asked.
“We won, if I remember correctly. That said, there was so much damage with little to show for it, so it was a bit of a hollow victory. Still, I really enjoyed piloting Goliaths. There have been other lifetimes with similar machines, but the Goliaths were the best in terms of design and function. In fact, hold on….”
Noah stood up and turned away from the group, holding out his hands in front of him. He began projecting his mana, shaping it in the air before him and giving it color as he focused on the Goliath’s image. The amorphous structure grew in size, detail, and complexity. When replicating objects from his past, he was mainly restricted to handheld items, such as weapons and tools, with his limit being something the size of a piano. To shape his mana into larger forms like the basilisk, he needed his grimoire with the summoning spell inscription; otherwise, it was like wrangling a giant blob of clay on a potter’s wheel.
That said, with all his projection training, thanks to the headband in his hat, he had pushed his limits enough to replicate a small Goliath, the 50-foot model. Everyone watched in awe as the details solidified, showing the metallic titan standing over them. For the natives of this world, it really did look like a giant suit of armor, but with all of the pieces interlocking together like the rings of chainmail.
“Here’s one of the smaller ones, much more agile and able to maneuver down city streets. I piloted this baby for three months and won battle after battle. The problem was that the interior was hard to clean, so if you threw up or bled out in there, the smell would linger for a long time.”
As much as he would have loved to show what the machine could do, he had reached his limit and was forced to release the illusion.
“How well would you say it would do against the Profane?” Seraph asked as Noah sat back down by the fire.
“I’m sure Scyler would have sliced it to pieces, but it would have made short work of his fiend army.”
“It’s amazing to me how much ingenuity goes into crafting weapons of war,” said Sophia.
“War is the mother of invention, as they say,” replied Cyrilo. “You’d be surprised how the study of medicine and healing is expanded upon due to war.”
“And laziness is the father,” Daniel added, “a father lying in his hammock, thinking up tools he can make so he won’t have to get up. Ok, so that was the giant robot war?”
“That was A giant robot war, not THE giant robot war.”
“A giant robot war. How many wars have you been in? Not just of the giant robot variety?”
Noah leaned his head back, deep in thought, while everyone leaned in, curious as to the answer. “Well, that would depend on how you define war, but under the parameters of lethal combat, I would have to say….” Noah trailed off, whispering to himself for several moments. “I would have to say around forty or fifty. I’ve lived through some exceptionally violent lifetimes. Sometimes I would join in simply for the thrill, other times I would do it because I thought I was making a difference, and other times, well, I just got dragged into it.”
His answer left everyone stunned to various degrees. They had all seen combat and been in life-or-death struggles, but the only one among them who had experienced true, ongoing war was Valia, and though she had stood on countless battlefields in her long life, that was but a fraction of what Noah had gone through.
“Which one was the worst?” Daniel asked.
Noah released a long exhale. “Ok, so a long time ago….”
.
.
.
The group had a slow start the next morning. No one had slept well, plagued by bloody nightmares spawned from Noah’s horrific story. Still, once they ate breakfast and started riding, they made up for lost time. Shannon set the pace, and the horses followed her, with everyone enjoying the beautiful weather. Uther boasted some gorgeous countryside, and though monsters prowled in search of vulnerable travelers and distracted adventurers, they were easy enough to deal with, not even requiring the group to dismount. Seraph needed only to blast them with some light magic to scare them off, or Noah would conjure an illusory beast to put up a front. No wolf, bear, or other predator would dare try its luck against a snarling wyvern. Fortunately, Shannon was there to calm the horses, who did not appreciate or understand the façade.
After stopping for lunch at midday, the dwarven town of Wahr Village appeared in the distance. They knew it was the right town because the men and women working the fields remained small whether seen up close or from afar. That wasn’t to say there weren’t humans, but the ratio was quite askew. It appeared to be a peaceful and prosperous little village, with the forests cleared to make way for farms, and walls marking the property lines made from stones collected from the fields.
As the group rode through the town, the villagers spotted their knight rings and emblems and bowed their heads. Even Cyrilo, Daniel, and Shannon had been specially knighted for their contributions in fighting against the Profane, and offered rings with the storage enchantment. Both Cyrilo and Shannon already had rings of their own, but Daniel gladly accepted the magic trinket and had been smugly grinning at it since, like a kid with a new toy. A dwarf woman appeared before them, stout and stocky like her male counterparts, but missing a beard.
“Greetings, honored knights! Welcome to our town. What can we do for you?”
“Hello. We are following rumors of a dark elf being sighted in these parts,” said Noah.
“His hair and eyes would be silver like mine,” said Valia with her voice lifted by desperate hope.
“Aye, he comes and goes, muttering nonsense and acting crazy as a loon. You’d best talk to our chief or one of our resident knights. Best place to look would be the tavern.”
They followed her directions to the local watering hole, where even in the middle of the day, men were deep in their cups. Village heirlooms and hunting trophies adorned the walls, and candles burned in every corner.
“Now we’re talking,” said Daniel.
“Work first, then drink,” Alexis chided.
Then a familiar voice echoed. “Well, break my nose and gargle my balls! The legendary Noah!” They all turned to see Foley sitting at one of the tables, holding a beer stein the size of a milk jug.
“Wahr Village, that’s right. I was wondering why it sounded familiar. Hey, Foley,” said Noah as he approached.
“What in the world would bring you to this little backwater anthill?” He then spotted Valia. “Oh, I see, you’re after the pointy-eared bugger. Come! Come! Take a seat!” The group joined him, but Foley’s expression soured when he saw Seraph. “Oi, what’s the deal with the royal pain?” he asked, not even bothering to lower his voice.
Seraph immediately bowed his head. “Please, I offer my sincerest apologies for my behavior back at the academy. I was rude and arrogant, and am trying to turn my life around and make amends.”
Foley grunted and turned back to Noah. “Some crazy stories have been coming from the south, saying that Colbrand was flattened by a monster attack.”
“It’s true,” said Alexis. “The Profane leveled the city with a dungeon crab and then set loose an army to kill the survivors. Colbrand is rebuilding, but it’s a long road.”
“I swear, that city gets destroyed every couple of years. Anyway, I’m guessing you’re looking for the dark elf, right?”
“Have you seen him?” Valia asked.
“Oh sure, plenty of people have. He shows up every couple of days, acting weird, then he’ll disappear into the woods, I assume. I caught him talking to a scarecrow, trying to explain some complex theory of something or other. He won’t accept food or drink, barely even acknowledge you, but he can get really dangerous if you grab him or anything. He nearly blew me up when I tried to put some shackles on him. I don’t know what he’s doing here or why, and I get the feeling he doesn’t either.”
Noah could sense Valia’s dread as the details of Valon’s madness emerged. Back on Kisara Island, it was clear he was switching back and forth between crazed mania and emotionless nihilism, but it sounded like he was leaning more towards the former as time went on. The longer he went without help, the more he seemed to be slipping into madness.
“When was the last time you saw him?” Noah asked.
“Some farmer caught him finger painting runes on the side of one of his cows yesterday, but he ran off. He should show up again tomorrow or the next day.”
“We’re going to wait until he shows up and try to talk him down. If that doesn’t work, we’ll do what we can to capture him without collateral damage.”
“Good luck. That’d be like trying to teach a rabid dog to play fetch. If you’re sticking around, you should stay with my family. My brothers all want to meet you. We can put you up in our barn. It may not be the Knight’s Sheath, but you won’t find many spare human-sized beds in this town.”
“Thank you, we appreciate the hospitality,” said Noah.
Foley then shot Seraph the stink-eye. “Try not to say anything rude to my family, like calling them “stumpy,” like you did to me.”
Seraph once more bowed his head. “I promise, I won’t!”
They followed Foley out of the tavern and across Wahr Village to a large homestead on the edge of town. Foley said he was the middle son of seven, so even with their short bodies, such a sizable family needed an adequate house to accommodate them all. Foley’s brothers were busy working the fields, cutting lumber, and doing all manner of chores. It was hard to tell who was the youngest and the oldest, each one looking like a beard with limbs. One of them was also the father, but telling him apart from his children was impossible.
“Oi! Line up, you nut warts! We got guests!” Foley hollered.
His kin all gathered around, curious as to what all the fuss was about.
“Bah, you showing off your knight buddies? Mr. Big Shot?” one spat.
“Weaseled out of chores to go hang out with his fancy entourage!” another teased.
“Looks like the big city boy remembered he’s got family!” barked a third.
“I wonder if these lankies know how much better they could do in the friend department!” said a fourth.
“Shut your traps, all of ye!” Foley shouted. He then pointed to Noah. “This’s the guy.”
All of their eyes widened. “This’s the guy?” one asked.
Foley grinned and nodded. “This’s the guy,” he said again.
All the dwarves suddenly threw up their arms and cheered, then swarmed towards Noah. Before he knew what was happening, they had hoisted him onto their shoulders. “Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi Oi!” they chanted as they carried him to the house.
Noah looked back at Valia and the others, all equally dumbfounded. He had heard that dwarves could be rambunctious, but this caught him by surprise. He was brought inside, finding the house more than large enough to accommodate non-dwarf guests.
“Now what’s all this, then?” a stout, dwarfish woman with graying hair asked, stepping out of the kitchen and wiping her hands off on her apron.
Noah was carried to a large dinner table and given the seat of honor, with Foley and his kin all gathered around. “Tell us the story of the Knight’s Sheath party,” one of them asked with twinkling eyes.
Noah couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. Of course, that was why they were so excited.
“Aye, not this silliness again,” Foley’s mother groaned. “I swear, none of my boys will ever get married because they all think with their balls.” Valia and the others hesitantly entered the house, wondering what they’d find. Foley’s mother walked over to greet them. “You must be friends of my boy. I’m Ginger, the matriarch of this sorry gaggle of goblins.”
“Please forgive the sudden intrusion. Your son offered to let us camp in your barn while we’re in town,” said Valia.
“As much as I wish I could grant you more comfortable lodgings, for a party of your height and number, I suppose that would be for the best. Besides, such beauties like you will probably be safer from these lechers in the barn.”
All the chores and yard work that Foley’s family was doing were put on hold, as steins and mugs were pulled out and filled with ale. Hearing the story of the Knight’s Sheath seemed like as good a reason as any to drink. Noah regaled them with the salacious tale, while censoring some details for his female listeners. Cyrilo and Daniel helped fill in some details, and as Noah explained what led up to his tryst with Ziradith, he also omitted Sophia’s name, something he could tell she and Alexis were silently grateful for. He also confirmed what Foley’s family had refused to believe: that he had been invited to serve as a performer for the masked nobles attending the party, and how he and Yolanda put on a show of their own. This resulted in Foley’s brothers hoisting him onto their shoulders, just as they had done with Noah, and carrying him around the table.
As day became evening and the drinks kept coming, the Foley family became even rowdier and desperate for stories. The cabinets and pantries were emptied as a lavish feast was prepared for dinner, with Noah telling tales of his adventures from the Clive dungeon crab to the Petosic Steppes. Daniel made himself right at home in the midst of the dwarven debauchery, and Valia and the other women, who had initially intended to stay reserved and clear-headed at the other end of the table, ended up succumbing to their mugs. When Foley’s brothers started singing folk songs, Alexis and Sophia joined, their faces flushed and their voices slurred. Shannon ended up passed out on a couch, while Cyrilo sat with her eyes shut, gently swaying from side to side while purring and hiccupping. Valia clung to Noah, leaning her head on his shoulder and playing with his hair.
The night ended with Noah engaged in a drinking contest with Foley’s father, Bart, trying to restore his family’s honor. His sons, all so drunk they could barely stand, would hum in a rising crescendo as each glass was lifted. It was taking all of Noah’s stamina to match the seasoned dwarf, but with experience on his side, he once again cinched victory. As Bart fell out of his chair, his sons wailed in anguish, their family having been bested in the game of drink by a human twice. Foley raised Noah’s arm and declared him the champion, but Noah had already blacked out.
Eventually, the sun rose, with its light shining upon Noah’s face and burning his eyes like a flamethrower. Every sound that reached him felt like bullet ants chewing on his eardrums, and his head hurt so much that it gave him flashbacks of being scalped. Despite the agony, he sat up and looked around. The Foley home looked like the scene of a battle, with bodies strewn about everywhere. His friends were lying out on the floor or various pieces of furniture, either asleep or in too much pain to move. The only one up and about was Ginger, getting the kitchen in order. Looking around, Noah could see the twitches of discomfort on everyone’s faces from the noises she was making. The more they came to, the greater their pain.
“So much for sleeping in the barn,” he muttered to himself.
“Well, one of you finally wakes up,” Ginger said, her words causing several whimpers of discomfort from those too hungover to open their eyes.
Noah struggled to get to his feet and staggered over to her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few diamonds. “One for your hospitality and kindness, one to pay for all the food and liquor, and third for a quiet morning, if you would be so kind.”
“Oh, I can’t accept this! This is too much!”
Her voice made Noah wince. “Please accept it. I’m begging you.”
He then stepped outside, promptly vomited onto the grass, and limped back to the dinner table and took a seat, breathing like he had just climbed a mountain. From his ring, he conjured a bone with runes inscribed on the side, from the ribcage of a sea beast. He took an empty pitcher and dropped the bone inside, once again wincing from the sound. It was a magic tool that began to glow with a blue aura, with water flowing out of the hollow rib and filling the pitcher. Noah mixed in a handful of sugar crystals and drank deeply from the pitcher, replenishing his body’s fluids and glucose. Once his thirst was quenched, he began picking at the leftovers of last night’s dinner. In his condition, a piece of fruit and some stale bread were a divine feast.
Slowly, everyone began to stir and repeat the same process: first stepping outside to empty their stomachs, then coming back in to fill them. Sophia offered to help everyone with their hangovers using healing magic, only to realize she herself was too hungover to cast any.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I hope Valon doesn’t show up today,” Valia groaned. “Tomorrow, sure, but not today. I… I just… I don’t have it in me to deal with him, especially if a fight starts.”
“Or at least, not until the afternoon,” said Noah.
He shared some morphine pills with everyone, and Ginger began putting out breakfast, but after last night’s huge dinner, there wasn’t much food left. Once everyone had eaten, she approached Noah and the others.
“You lot might want to cover your ears.” They wisely followed her orders, right before Ginger started banging pots and pans together to the anguished cries of her husband and brothers. “On your feet, you drunken slobs! You had your fun, now back to work! All of your chores from yesterday are still waiting to be finished! Move! Move! Move!” She chased them outside as if cracking an invisible whip. Watching them, Noah couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Daniel asked.
“I had several mothers like her in the past. You’ll never find a tougher woman than one who has raised a house full of sons.”
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Shannon whispered for her and everyone else’s sake.
“First, we’ll take a bit of time to recover and let those morphine pills kick in. After that, Foley, can you show me all the places Valon has been sighted? Maybe there is a reason to his madness. Since we don’t know where or when he could appear, I’d like the rest of you to scour the village and surrounding territory and keep your eyes peeled for him. If you should see him, don’t try to apprehend him. Talk to him if you can and use magic to signal me, but be careful not to set him off.”
They stuck around to help Ginger clean up after last night’s party, and once everyone had properly hydrated and their hangovers waned, they set out, moving in pairs. Alexis went with Sophia, Daniel with Cyrilo, Valia with Shannon, and Noah with Foley. Seraph was the odd man out, but if he did encounter Valon and things became violent, Noah trusted him to hold out long enough for help to arrive. While everyone moved about aimlessly, complaining to each other about drinking too much the night before, Foley showed Noah all the locations where Valon had appeared. In each spot, Noah would perform magical tests, gauging the ambient mana in the environment and searching for whatever it was that drew Valon to this location.
“So, what’s the story about this guy?” Foley asked as Noah knelt in a field, inspecting his instruments and various magical circles.
“He’s Valia’s brother, and he went crazy and disappeared after an experiment gone wrong. He was the one who caused that huge mess before Knight’s Day three years ago by letting all the prisoners loose so he could raid the royal vault.”
“Ah, so it’s him that I have to thank for letting me out. I owe him a few rounds of drinks.”
“What, were you in the Red Revelry?”
“The knights thought I was.”
“Despite his mental condition, I think Valon can help me break a curse I have. Plus, with the Profane acting up, he’d be a powerful ally.”
“Any idea what he’s doing in these parts?”
“Last time Valia and I saw him, he spoke of becoming the most powerful being in the universe. He had amassed a large collection of ancient and powerful relics, molding them together to create some kind of catalyst that would enable him to surpass even the gods. He may be looking for a magical relic or substance he can add to advance his work. According to what I’m seeing here with these tests, the ambient mana is slightly higher in this village than normal, but it’s not really anything special. It could just be that there is something mixed into the soil like meruleum powder, or perhaps a deposit that can be mined.”
“Or he could just be crazy.”
“That too.”
“Surpass the gods, eh? Quite the ego on him.”
“It wasn’t like that. I think attaining that power is merely the means to an end. There is something he aims to do with it once he has it, but considering his condition, he may no longer know what that is. But I—” Noah stopped and looked around with his hand on his sword.
“What is it?” Foley asked.
“Hopefully nothing.”
Off in the distance, Voraith observed Noah’s behavior with a growl. “His senses are sharp,” he muttered, perched among the branches of a tree. It was daytime, but he was protected by a robe that left nothing but his eyes exposed. He dropped down to the forest floor below and walked over to the entrance of a nearby cave, where Miasmarda was waiting in the protection of the shade.
“What do you see?” the ghoul asked with a raspy voice.
“The Wandering Spirit is here, but I don’t yet sense Valon Zodiac. When he appears, we’ll have to move quick.”
With no sign of Valon, everyone returned to the Foley home once the sun fell. This night, however, they abstained from drinking, and after dinner, they set up camp in the nearby barn. It was a warm night, so they didn’t need a fire, but they kept a lantern burning in the middle of their circle. The group gathered around the flame, with Foley joining them.
“I’m sorry that we couldn’t find him today,” said Alexis.
“It’s all right,” Valia replied. “I didn’t expect him to show up, but there is always hope for tomorrow.”
“Tell us about Valon. What’s he like?” Shannon asked. She was lying on the ground in her centaur form, with Noah and Valia resting against her like a couch.
Valia smiled and leaned against Noah. “Very kind and sweet, the kind of person you always want at your side and to have your back. You wouldn’t think him to be any kind of fighter, given his gentle disposition, but he’s as strong as he is smart. Still, he is a scholar at heart, and once you ask him about something he’s interested in, his smile lights up the room. He believes that every single problem in the world can be solved with knowledge, and if he can just learn everything there is to know, then there will be nothing he can’t do.
The dark elf tribe built their community atop Enochian ruins, and he spent so much time exploring and examining them, hoping to discover a secret passage or hidden room containing lost truth. He’d badger the elders for their knowledge of what once stood and read every book and scroll he could get his hands on. The walls of his room would be covered in notes, rubbings, and sketches from everything he studied.
Once he learned magic and runecraft, I remember my parents and I nagging him to go to sleep, but he’d stay up late, practicing and studying until the candles burned out. Eventually, I learned to figure out what he was practicing by the smell of the ink he used, clinging to him like a perfume. After we unlocked the power of Zodiac, he found a new avenue of study. He would conduct all kinds of bizarre experiments to try to understand this power, and, of course, I was often part of his experiments. One of them went bad, and all of my hair ended up burning off.” Valia laughed as she thought back to it. “I didn’t speak to him for days after that.”
“How did you unlock that power?” Sophia asked.
“We were stargazing, and he pointed out a constellation that looked like a rune. I remember seeing sparks of silver mana glowing around his finger, and when I mirrored him, the same thing happened. We could both feel energy flowing into us from those stars, and when we figured out how to shape and use that energy for ourselves, our magic circles appeared. However, it must have been something we had since birth. Our silver hair and eyes are something unheard of among dark elves.”
“And aren’t twins exceptionally rare for the elven race?” Cyrilo asked.
“That is true, but you also have to consider our low birth rate.” Valia then paused, and Noah sensed a shift in her mood. He gently clutched her hand and held her close, giving her the courage to continue speaking. “After the accident, he was manic, hysterical, and there was nothing I could do to calm him and alleviate his fears. The stars that we had spent so many nights counting now terrified him. The universe that he wanted to explore and understand broke his spirit.
When we were on Kisara Island, he was completely different. He was cold, devoid of all emotions, looking at me and everyone else like we were insects. That bleakness in his eyes still scares me. I have to find him and fix him so he’ll never look at me like that again. I just want to see him smile like he used to.”
She stopped to wipe away the tears budding in her eyes, and Shannon rested her hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find him and help him. I’m looking forward to meeting your brother. I’m sure he’s just as amazing as you are.”
“Valon and I would pick each other’s brains from time to time,” said Cyrilo. “He was a brilliant and good man, and I know you can make him one again.”
“Thank you, all of you, for all of your help,” said Valia.
“Think nothing of it,” said Alexis.
“So, if he really is as crazy as Foley says, what makes you think you can fix him?” Daniel asked.
“I have plenty of methods to use to bring him back,” Noah replied, “and Sophia here is going to be a big help.”
“Me?”
“Your healing abilities might be able to undo some of the damage.”
“But you know Valon also has healing powers,” said Valia. “What can she do that he can’t? And after his accident, I had numerous healers flood his body with holy energy to repair the damage he suffered.”
“By focusing on specific areas of the brain instead of a broad application, I believe we can get better results. Sophia, you still remember what I taught you about the brain, right?”
“Of course!” she chirped.
“And it’s not just about physical healing. Extreme trauma, like what Valon suffered, can inflict debilitating harm to the brain, causing symptoms like psychosis. Because he couldn’t properly handle all of the information he received during his experiment, it’s burning in his mind like a hot ember. No matter how many times his brain may heal, that ember keeps smoldering. I need to help him come to terms with what happened and everything he saw, or else it’ll just keep eating away at him.”
“You were able to fix me, so I’m sure you can fix him,” said Seraph. “Though, for Valon’s sake, I hope your methods are different.”
“Just tie him to a chair and let my ma yell at him for a while. That’ll straighten him out,” said Foley.
“Or maybe just a hard crack to the back of the head,” said Daniel. “If TV has taught me anything, it’s that if the first hit makes someone crazy or gives them amnesia, the second hit will make them normal again. Maybe that’s the problem: he’s only taken an odd number of blows to the brain, so that’s why he’s screwed up. We have to hit him one more time to get him back to normal.”
“Thanks, Daniel. That’s a… That’s a really great idea,” Noah sighed.
After a moment of silence, Sophia spoke. “Noah, tell us a story. I want to hear another tale from the multiverse.”
“Sure, I’d love to. So, a long time ago—”
“Hold up, hold up, hold up,” said Alexis. “I know how much you enjoy telling these stories, but can we make a rule where every other story has to be a happy one? I think half the reason we all drank so much last night was to forget that story you told us. I really did not need to hear you describe all the dead bodies at that internment camp in such… vivid… detail.”
“I’m sorry, My Lord, but I second that,” said Shannon, with everyone nodding in agreement.
Noah chuckled. “All right, that’s fair.” He then paused, digging through his memories. “A long time ago, I was a teacher in high school. For those of you from this world, high school, or school in general, is like the knight academy, but with sports and athletics replacing all the combat training, with more emphasis on skills in mathematics and science. It’s actually mandatory until you’re 18. I taught social studies; things like grammar, literature, that kind of stuff. I also served as a substitute for math and science.”
“What about history?” Daniel asked.
“Believe it or not, history is one of my worst subjects to study. So many timelines, all with their own chain of events. Names, dates, events; they’d get jumbled and mixed up in my head. It gets… it gets pretty frustrating. I learned a great deal about the history of this world while I was at the academy, and the knowledge remains fresh in my mind. Still, if I reincarnate again, all those names and dates are going to get added to the melting pot in my brain, and I’m going to end up naming some famous elven warrior on a history test.
Anyway, the school I taught at was poor and destitute in a crime-ridden district, with most of the students destined to either end up in jail or dead from a drug overdose, and they knew it. It took a lot of work and patience, but I was able to connect with them and helped raise their grades. Their raised grades earned the school grant money to make repairs, clean up graffiti, and all that. That change in environment, in turn, helped the kids do even better, and as the years passed, you could see the effects rippling through the community. I was good at what I did, and everyone adored me. I was my students’ favorite teacher, the parents would send me gifts, and my fellow teachers nominated me for awards.”
“You didn’t sleep with any of your students, did you?” Valia asked.
“Like you did?” he teased. She gave him a soft slap on the chest in response. “No, I didn’t sleep with any of my students, but plenty of young women wanted to. They’d be neck-deep in puberty, filled with adolescent lust and confusion, desperate for a kind and attentive male figure in their life. Sometimes it felt like I had to beat them off with a stick so I wouldn’t get accused of something.
I encountered plenty of kids who came from bad homes where their parents were poor, neglectful, abusive, on drugs, in and out of prison, and so on. I’d see all the signs in their writing assignments, having grown up in similar situations many times before. Even if it was just writing a report on a book they were assigned to read over the summer, it would be painfully obvious that things were awful at home or elsewhere in their lives.
For many of these kids, those assignments were their only means of asking for help. They were too scared, too proud, or too ashamed to actually say what was happening, so all they could do was pour out their hearts into their homework and subconsciously hope that some adult would save them from their wretched lives. I did what I could to help them, and often the first step was getting them to admit they needed it. From there, I’d get them in touch with school officials, law enforcement, therapists, and anyone else who could help them. I had to be careful because a lot of these kids were like turtles on their backs, pulling into their shells the moment they were given attention, wanting their problems to go away but not if it meant being helped. Funny, isn’t it, how often the prospect of being helped is scarier than being hurt?
There was one girl I taught, Michelle. She was fifteen and being molested by her father. She was in my poetry class, and though most school officials would be blind to the signs in her work, I saw them and reached out to her. She was in such denial about what was being done to her because she was so afraid that acknowledging it would make it real. Then, one day, as I’m getting ready to leave for the day, she appears in my doorway, tells me it’s all true, and spends the next hour sobbing harder than ever in her life. I consoled her, I comforted her, and got her the help she needed. Her father was sent to prison, and she went to live with her grandparents, but we kept in touch. After she graduated, she decided to become a teacher like me, and when she got engaged, she asked me to walk her down the aisle. She even named her son after me.
By the end of my career, I had received numerous awards and commendations, and the town had undergone significant changes. A retirement party was held in my honor, attended by hundreds of my former students. They swarmed me, offering their thanks and wanting me to know how much I had improved their lives and set them on better paths. In worlds like that, I can’t help but wonder what my funerals were like.”
“That was so beautiful,” Alexis sighed blissfully.
“I agree, a truly wonderful story,” said Cyrilo.
Sophia didn’t say anything, simply wiping her eyes and gazing lovingly, looking like she wanted to pounce on Noah and hug him so tight his ribs would break. Valia turned and wrapped her arms around Noah. “This is why I love you,” she said, while Shannon whipped her tail happily. Like Sophia, Seraph, Daniel, and Foley didn’t say anything, simply nodding their heads in respect. After that, the lantern was extinguished, and everyone retired to their bedrolls, sleeping soundly through the night.
Please comment! Tell me your thoughts!
Comments
Rielly
Eleven pregnancies lasted much longer than human ones, but the day was soon to come when the heir of Sylphtoria would be born, and her intuition told her it would be a prince. Noticed in this sentence at the start of the chapter I think you meant to put elven pregnancies. Thank you for getting the book out by the end of the month I’m very excited to read it just finished reading back through the first 6.
Cinereo
I've reposted it with a warning. Hopefully that'll keep the admins off my back.
Anodes
Gee, I’m shocked, shocked, to find sexually gratifying content on Patreon.
