20 Captain Vadis

Under the scorching noon sun, a slight fragrant wind blew a grassy field in the Great Forest known as Mathras. The occasional sounds of birds chirping and the faint howls of beasts whistled through the air. Apart from a group of four traveling through the grassy field, nothing looked out of the ordinary in the picturesque scenery. They small group walked through the only path carved in the field which led towards a fairly large settlement made from a sturdy gray wood. Since the grassy field sloped downwards, these travelers had a perfect view of the military like settlement. From their standing, position, they saw an oddly shaped wooden barrier surrounding the perimeter of the settlement. They also saw over twenty soldiers station at different locations. However, the most obvious attraction of this settlement, was the massive female statue which stood at the center of the city. Its elegance and majesty was on display, and it made the settlement look like a spiritual, holy land.

"We are finally here. It has been three weeks already. It was tiring traveling such a long distance," Deython said. He had a weary but satisfied expression on his face as he stared at the settlement below.

"Stop complaining, Deython. It's your fault we lost our mounts. If you had done your job, we would have arrived here a long time ago," Arilya said. Unlike Deython, she had a somewhat stern expression on her face as she stared at the settlement below. Because of the scorching sun, beads of sweat covered the top of her forehead.

"Captain, are you really blaming me for that? It's obviously the fault of those vermin from the Black Lands. How…" before Deython could finish his statement, Arilya interjected. "I don't want to hear your excuses. We are still a long way from reaching the Capital. Hopefully, the captain of this station will lend us some mounts," Arilya said as she stared at Deython. However, she suddenly diverted her gaze towards the two individuals standing behind him.

"Elhorn, are you still experiencing symptoms of the mind corrosion?" Arilya asked.

"High-Arilya, I better now. Thank you for looking after me and Elder Lumvug over the last three weeks," Elhorn said as he bowed his head in gratitude. Just like him, Lumvug also bowed. However, Arilya said nothing in response. She only nodded her head, while cleaning the sweat from her forehead with a small white handkerchief, and her expression was not as fierce as when she talked with Deython.

After the events of that day, the small party journeyed towards the capital city of Mathras. Unfortunately, their mounts at the hands of an unknown assailant. But, they suspected it was the handiwork of the taskmasters from The Order. With the death of their mounts, they had to journey on foot for the past three weeks. To prevent a repeat of the former calamity, Oravera and Valolora stayed behind to heal and protect the residents of Elhorn's settlement.

With the amount of resources in the forest, they did not starve or thirst. They ate fruits and killed beasts as they traveled, while drinking fresh water from hidden springs and flowing rivers.

"Let's not waste any more time. Deython, do you still remember the plan?" Arilya asked with a meaningful look in her eyes. Deython, on the other hand, felt somewhat embarrassed by her question.

"Captain, you don't have to make fun of me. I know what I've to do. Once we get to the settlement, I'll take some of their guards and head back to their village," Deython said as he pointed at Lumvug and Elhorn. "After which, I'll join up with Valolora and Oravera. Hopefully, we will catch up with you on your way to the capital," Deython added.

"All right, let's move," Arilya said with a rare smile on her face. But, Deython felt terrified after seeing her smile. Meanwhile, Elhorn and Lumvug said nothing. Because, they knew their status as Forest-Elves was lower than compared to the High-Elves. But, they wondered what made Deython terrified by Arilya's smile. Since no natural barrier obstructed the view of the guards in the settlement, they had already noticed the traveling group. But, they could not determine their identities.

Within the settlement, a Forest-Elf wearing a leather armor took hurried steps as he climbed the stairs of a four storey building. As he got to the third floor, his breathing became somewhat heavy, and he had an anxious expression on his face. Unlike the previous floors, he did not climb beyond the third floor. Because, two High-Elves manned the staircase leading to the final floor.

"Who are you and what business do you have here? Don't you know the third and fourth floor is forbidden for Forest-Elves?" A High-Elf dressed in casual clothing said. He had an obvious condescending look in his eyes as he stared at anxious Forest-Elf. Just like him, his counterpart also had this same expression on his face, but he had a somewhat livid expression on his face.

"High… High… High…" scared out of his mind, the Forest-Elf stuttered. Although he knew what he wanted to say, the pressure from the two High-Elves made him too nervous to compose himself.

"Speak, fool! If you don't have a good reason for coming here, you will definitely be punished" the other High-Elf yelled. His hands were already curled into a fist. Unfortunately, his reaction only made the guard more scared. To the extent, his legs wobbled. A few seconds later, he fell to the floor. Infuriated, the High-Elf who yelled earlier, kicked him in the gut. Which sent the pitiful Forest-Elf into mid-air, as he vomited on the silver boots of the High-Elf.

"Hahaha… It seems you're tired of having a peaceful life. A mere Forest-Elf dares to vomit on my shoes? When I'm done with you, it will teach other lower beings to know their place," the High-Elf said as he stared at the Forest-Elf with a subtle smile on his face. Meanwhile, his partner folded his arms across his chest. With an amused expression on his face, he stared at the pitiful Forest-Elf who continued to cough. He did not even have the strength to beg for mercy.

With his left leg raised, the High-Elf towered over the body of the Forest-Elf. Calculating the trajectory of his raised foot, it would land on the right leg of the Forest-Elf. Although it did not look like the High-Elf had the intention of causing any permanent damage, the Forest-Elf would nonetheless feel a great deal of pain. With an indifferent expression on his face, the foot of the High-Elf came charged towards the leg of the Forest-Elf. But, seconds before impact, a gentle voice reverberated within the room, "Feynron, stop!"

With superhuman agility, the High-Elf named Feynron retracted his foot as if nothing had happened.

"Addor, heal him. Let's hear what he has to say. If he broke the rules for no reason, Feynron, send him to the prison; he will spend the next two months there," the mysterious person added.

Feynron and Addor both had faint smiles on their faces as they stared at the Forest-Elf. They did not

take delight in his misery, rather; the command made them slightly surprised.

"You better answer before Captain Vadis changes his mind and increase you punishment," Addor said as he approached the Forest-Elf. With only a few inches between them, the diamond-shaped mark on his forehead glowed in a radiant green glow which fell on the body of the Forest-Elf.

Although the glow only appeared for a few seconds, it caused a great change in the body of Forest-Elf. He stopped coughing and his face looked livelier.

"Speak. My time is limited," the voice of the Elf called Captain Vadis echoed again. But, this time it did not fluster the Forest-Elf which was because of the effects of the mysterious green glow.

"Captain High-Vadis, I'm sorry for intruding. But, I had no choice. While manning my station, I and some of my brothers noticed a strange party of four approaching from the distance…" Before the Forest-Elf could finish his statement, Feynron interrupted him. "The closest settlement is that of a Forest-Elves. Did you break the rule because of that?" He said. Addor also had this thought in mind. He felt it was pointless for the Forest-Elf to report the arrival of other Forest-Elves. Although it happened rarely, Elves migrated from one settlement to another based on a myriad of reasons.

"Feynron, let him finish. I don't believe he broke the rules for such a travesty. But if that's all there is to his report, then send him to the prison. Instead of two months, he will spend the next six months in the pits," Captain Vadis added.

While his voice echoed, sweat covered the forehead of the Forest-Elf. "High-Ones. That's not all," he hurriedly said. "Among the four arrivals, two of them are High-Ones, and they demanded to speak to the Captain," the Forest-Elf added.

Meanwhile, Addor and Feynron had surprised expressions on their faces. Because, it was rare for another High-Elf to wander to their settlement.

"Where are they now?" Captain Vadis asked.

"Captain High-Vadis, they are at entrance of the settlement," the Forest-Elf said.

Seconds after he finished his statement, the sound of an old creaking door drifted into their ears. A few seconds later, they could hear the sounds of light footsteps. A minute later, a tall High-Elf wearing a blue leather uniform stood at the bottom of the staircase. Like most High-Elves, he had a devilishly handsome face and the same diamond mark on his forehead. But, he wielded no weapons. Instead, he wore two silver gauntlets on both arms. With his deep blue eyes which resembled a serene ocean, he stared at the Forest-Elf who looked overwhelmed and the two High-Elves. Unlike Addor and Feynron, he looked like a peaceful and gentle being. With an aura that matched goddesses of peace.

"Addor, Feynron, wear your uniforms. Let's go greet our brethren," Captain Vadis said. Turning his head to the Forest-Elf, he said, "Lead the way."