263 Gleam

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"Do you feel okay? You can walk?" (Jon)

"Yes, Jon. It is my eye, not my leg." (Jull)

"You can see well, right? How many fingers do I have?" (Alina)

"Everyone has ten fingers, Alina." (Jull)

"Do I look fluffier than before?" (Nefertiti)

"... Yes, Nefertiti. You actually do." (Jull)

"Don't worry, Hooman. She sees good." (Nefertiti)

"... You really are as smug as Jon." (Alina)

"Hooman and I are perfect at everything." (Nefertiti)

"Except modesty. We are too great but we are not perfect." (Jon)

"Okay, my eye actually hurts." (Jull)

"""What?"""

"No, it is the right one, the left one is actually good."

The three let out a sigh of relief. They still never expected that Jullanar would have a Heterochromia case in her eyes but that's nothing to be worried about. Apparently, she didn't have it before but when Jon and Alina restored the Astral Form of her left eye, they neglected to focus on the eye colors.

Still, Jullanar herself was excited about it. She started comparing the two eyes on a mirror all the time with all smiles.

"So… we are all done here." Jon said.

"Yes. Everything is done, I guess that goes with our vacation." Alina said.

"Eh! No, we are not ending the vacation."

"... It has been two weeks already. Do you have anything else to do here?"

"We are going south."

"South?"

"Yes, south. Riften south."

"... You are taking us to Riften?"

"Yes, I actually missed that stinky town, ever been there?"

"No, but I heard stories. Thieves, smugglers, serial killers… creepy people."

"Well, you don't need to worry about those rumors, these are just the start of what Riften has to offer."

"Oh! Great."

"Just kidding… I am friends with a serial killer though, he was trying to eat me ever since I was twelve but he never caught me."

"... okay."

"Let's back up then. To Riften." Jon seemed excited.

"""... yay...""" But only Jon alone.

As the four picked up their things at dawn, they cleaned up the place after them and started packing up their luggage.

Jon and Alina retrieved the stuff they left in their secret cave to after a round of flirting then headed out from the Eldergleam Sanctuary with the rest heading south.

After they left the sanctuary, a figure appeared in the cave behind the Eldergleam tree.

"They finally left, those mortals were really scary!"

The figure that appeared in the cave was that of a pretty woman, so pretty that she can put any other world in the world to shame. She was mostly naked and moved as if she is an ethereal being out of this world. Her actions and movements were so delicate and shy, a strong aura of Anuic Energy could also be felt around her.

As she rose from the water pool in the hidden cave, she started to look around the place and sighed.

"Those two young mortals acted to lively in my place. They did annoying mortal things here and there but at least they cleaned the place."

The woman who is apparently not a human or an elf floated in the air and checked her cave carefully, she then flew out of the cave and came towards the Eldergleam tree, she checked the tree carefully and felt its trunk to check its cleanliness.

"A few absurd mortals this time. It looks like a fight happened her with some evildoers, they also defended the place and revived the kids… how thoughtful of them!"

The woman landed on top of a branch on the Eldergleam tree and sat on it, the branch didn't move at all as if the woman had no weight to begin with. The woman looked up through the gap in the cave which sunlight shines from and spoke to it.

"You can come in."

Following her words, a gust of wind descended through the opening and kept blowing around the tree, it politely slowed down and reached a state of stillness in front of the tree becoming a small aura of cold light.

"It has been a while, Elder Gleam." a voice spoke to the woman sitting on the tree.

"It has been indeed, Young Ayula."

"I was roaming recently and came to notice that you woke up. Something troubling you?"

"Not at all, can't I wake up every once in a while?..."

"Was it your late visitors? Should I go after them?" Ayula spoke cutting the words of Gleam.

"Do shut up, dear. You will get yourself killed if you do so."

"Wha… these are some mortals, very young at that. I don't think there is anyone among them over fifty years of age. They are what mortal call 'babies'." Ayula pride was hurt.

She seemed to have an aggressive nature rather different than Gleam who seemed tranquil and calm.

"Sigh! One of us is guarding them." Gleam made a tired face.

"One of us? Who? Your daughter Gilder? She involves herself with humans way too much and never listens. She will consume herself soon..." Ayula kept talking and complaining.

Gleam made a tired face and just looked away.

"It is not Gildergreen, it is another one… a new child."

"..." Even the talkative Ayula came to a halt with words.

She stared and Elder Gleam for a while before asking.

"A- A- A newborn! How is that… I have never seen any young ones growing up to be called a newborn… I am roaming all over the place and I know everyone. Who is the little greeny?" Ayula seemed flustered.

"It is not a little greeny…"

"Eh?" Ayula was taken aback.

"It is a little blacky." Gleam smiled.

"... I don't understand." Ayula made a dumb response.

"Sigh! Its origins are of a beast… a young black cat."

"... Aha~ I see~."

Ayula seemed to have finally understood.

"But I have never felt it at all, there was no signal… was because of your presence?" Ayula asked.

"No, I hid my presence and returned in my body at that." Gleam patted at the tree. "It is mostly because of the presence of that mortal."

"Oh, you mean that strong presence. It wasn't that big but it was really suffocating once I got near it. I felt like I was going to be seen through so I waited until the mortals left."

"Same here. I kept to myself and gave them the place. That human mortal was really a league of his own. His nature was so tyrannical."

"Oh! To be acknowledged by Elder Gleam, I see why you said I shouldn't go near them."

"Exactly, he shielded the other two mortals from the evildoers on his own, he just stormed through the entrance and just started waving his sword and magic around… so amazing!" Gleam was waving her arms and acting like Jon.

"Oh, yes. Mortals out there do that all the time, you can come outside once and watch it for yourself."

"Maybe one day, I saw that mortal once some time ago when I first sobered up and he exchanged some energy with me. I didn't think he would be this different in so short time."

"Oh! What about the others, are they ordinary or special mortals."

"Hmmm! The other two are a bit different, one of them is a regular in my place with a northern scent, seemed to be one of North Wind's people, her fate is strong too. She could communicate with me and borrow some power to heal the other mortal."

"I see, the ones they call druids? What about the third mortal?" Ayula asked.

Gleam made a sad face.

"Mixed blood, weak fate… too thin. Just like Gildergreen."

"... I see."

Ayula seemed to feel Gleam's depression and tried to change the subject.

"Enough with mortals now, we learned there is a newborn from bestial origins, we haven't seen that in ages in our parts."

"You are right, there are many of them however south of Dawn's Beauty." Gleam said.

"Right, that makes me excited."

"So, what else out there in the world?" Gleam asked.

"Nothing much, mortals fighting mortals, evildoers coming and going, the world is a mess and the Hist are keeping to themselves as usual."

"Nothing unusual then."

"There is more…" Ayula said.

"Oh, go on."

"Some mortal evildoers are apparently acting against the towers."

"Hmmm… are they mortal elves?"

"Who else do you think?"

"Sigh!... this may not end well for everyone. Who else is aware?"

"Ayalea of the west is having speculations on her own, she thinks that trouble would arrive at her door." Ayula said.

"Yes, she lives close to a tower. Well, it is all up to mortals in the end. I believe there are those who are aware of the towers' threat. If some mortals act against the remaining towers, then others will rise."

"I agree with you, Elder Gleam." Ayula said.

Gleam and Ayula started talking from a subject to subject, as long as there is no mortal to interrupt them, their conversation may last for months.

That was how their nature is, mysterious and unpredictable.

***

A week later, in front of the gates of Riften.

"Oh… the stench! *inhale* *exhale* This is Riften. DADDY'S HOME, BITCHES!"