The Elven Town
After Elanor's intricate explanation, a sudden rustle of the vines catches our focus. The trailing plant inhabiting the walls deliberately stretches out, revealing an unlit cave of some sort. As it gradually opens up the tunnel, a bright yet petite figure appears at the centre, striding towards our direction.
"I have been waiting for your arrival, father." The mysterious, divine, and feminine voice spoke to us with tranquillity as it walked closer to our direction. Her features gradually appear from the luminance, revealing the exact characteristics of an elf.
The slender woman has two extensive and pointy ears alike from Elanor. She also shares the same shade of skin and eyes as the representative elf, together with her arcane running rampant around her core. Her white dress implies that she came from royalty, which explains a golden pendant dangling on her scrag.
"Yes, my dear. I am terribly late for our meeting," Elanor said while lowering his head.
"Father, who are these people?" The girl shifts her gaze over to the three of us goblins, with Grer lying unconscious on my back. She hurries to our aid and palpates the skin of our friend, checking his present conditions.
"Is he poisoned?" The girl elf asks with her eyes earnestly staring at both Izz and my face.
"Yes, he is." I answered with a hint of despare showing on my eyes.
"Father, we need to hurry and bring them to the infirmary." She said and scurried through the dark alley without bringing her any sort of light.
I wanted to retort, but a flame akin to Elanor materialises from her shoulder, circling the same way as his; even brighter than the usual lantern.
"You heard the lady," Elanor utters, signalling us to chase her tail and enter the unknown cave.
"By the way, who was the lady elf from inside the tunnel?" I could not help but ask about the immediate events happening to us, especially the girl who has yet to introduce her name. "And where exactly are we going?"
"She is my daughter," Elanor simply replies. "Are you even listening?"
After hearing his answer and setting foot at the end of the cavern, a beaming light momentarily blinds our eyes. After a short while, our surroundings materialise and show hundreds of developed tree houses in every vicinity.
Each building resembles townhouses, cabins, and other architecture found back in my world, but they are all standing on the surface of the antediluvian boughs. They also have helix-shaped staircases like roots reaching for the barks and branches, giving life to the place. Once in a while, long- and short-eared elves roam around freely from the woods, communicating and working with their tasks as if humans would do.
"Woah!" my nonplus voice escapes my mouth as I survey the environment full of creatures- elves, that I have only heard about from literature and games that I have played.
Our entrance distracts most of the elves nearby, creating a crowd peering at our group. They soon chat to themselves, talking about a different species, let alone goblins, getting in their space.
The lady, already up ahead, motions her hands for us to pick up the haste to the apartment half a kilometre away. Following her instructions, we spring forward and bypass multiple elves up ahead. Fortunately, they are considerate of our situation and made way for us to proceed as they see our fallen friend turning into a lilac coloured goblin from the poison. All of them must have a vague idea of what was occurring to Grer digesting the infamous hemlock plant.
"Uncle, I need your assistance!" The elegant woman cried as she barged inside the wooden ingress. We follow suit and enter the tavern enough to cater some bottled potions and other substances on the high and low shelves.
The mixture of smells coming from the distance welcomes our nostrils, with thousands of particles hovering at the ceiling. It almost feels like it surrounds the roof with stars glittering from the night sky despite the blazing sun shining through the gap of the windows.
I shift my head and notice each flask has its own descriptions, purpose, and ingredients, making them the medicines that I have seen in this world thus far.
"Who the hell wants me again?!" A grumpy voice response from the second floor along with a pair of heavy footsteps descending from the stairs.
An old man appears before us with his enlarged, flopping belly jiggling at his infinitesimal movements. His skin was still as white as the sugar, opposite from his ginger beard. He has facial recognition of a bloke in his forties of the human age paired exceptionally with his tank top shirt and obsidian shorts.
"Princess Natalia, what brings you here?" His voice changes into a more jollification manner as he witnesses the girl standing near the entrance door.
The man runs around the corner and offers a plate with herbal teas and biscuits to her likings. However, the young lady tugs my shoulders and places me in front of the man, preoccupied with preparing another set of snacks.
"These goblins need your help," Natalia said while pinching the cheeks of the aged man, trying to get his wholehearted attention.
Finally, the graybeard snaps and gazes directly at us goblins, specifically to Grer resting on my back.
He wanted to know the explanation behind the girl's actions and our motives as green sprites. But having Elanor stand beside us reassures our suspicions against the old man.
"Hang on a second," The elder spoke while rummaging a chest at his flank, throwing various stuff that he thinks he does not need. After a few minutes of searching, he eventually stumbles upon a bottle more antique than what had Elanor used and hands it over to us.
"Goblin,"
"Lake." I recapitulate.
He raises his eyebrow in surprise at hearing a goblin having its own name. The man pays it no mind and continues to his elucidation.
"What Elanor did was to ameliorate his symptoms. It is a good thing that you have him around at that time,"
"Is he going to be alright?" I asked, hoping for another reassurance.
My eyes ogle both at the man and Grer's figure while I restlessly fidget with my fingers, anxious about the results. Elanor, standing by the side of the door, undresses his robe and places it on the rack. Judging from his actions alone, he might know this tavern even before we came inside.
I switched my gears from getting nervous about Grer's health and accepted the lady's offer to sit on the close-by chair. Izz does the same while nonchalantly takes one bite of the prepared biscuits and sips her tea.
The young lady was eager to speak with us, especially a goblin that can communicate well with the common tongue; the human language.
The human speech also compromises the dwarves, elves, and half the population of demi-humanoid species; including goblins.
"My apologies for the late introduction," Natalia said while composing herself in a posture befitting for a noble. "I am Natalia Windsor, the next heir of the Elven Dynasty."
She confidently states while dunking his lips on the honey tea readied by the grey elf. Natalia then points his forefinger towards Elanor while flashing him a (sinister) smile.
"And that person is my usel-," She bites her tongue and pauses for a moment while trying to retract the word she was about to say. "My father, the King of this place."
Elanor abruptly spits out the liquid inside his mouth upon seeing her daughter's angered expression. He immediately reacts to her image and frankly comprises himself back to the mysterious elf that we know.
"As my daughter has said, I am the King of this village." Elanor clarifies to us while attempting to quaff the brew in one gulp. Luckily, he was successful in doing so and let out a satisfying exhale after tasting the tea. "Just like Markus, but in a different city."
Natalia shits his pointing finger to the much-aged man with a burly figure.
"That's my uncle, Delwyn Leef. He runs this entire place and sells all sorts of things; from the puny weapons to the mediocre medicinal bottles,"
"Sweetie pie, this place fetches me some hefty coins." Delwyn refuted.
"And what makes you say that?"
With Natalia's last remark, the two vigorous men shut their mouths tight and unable to retort her claims. It looks like they are powerless in front of the girl with an exceptional ability to blurt out things that can hurt one's family heart.
Surveying the room, I discern that what Natalia had said is accurate as it seems. There are innumerable amounts of potions that deal with poisons and healing one's magic and health. As Delwyn mentioned from the far end wall, there are quivers, swords, and stout shields commonly used by the Elven race with their price tags dangling beside them.
"Are you some sort of smith?" I asked the brawny man who is fighting back his tears from flowing to his eyes.
"Yes, my boy." Delwyn crookedly answered my question while proceeding inside the room from the back.
"Anyway, your friend is healing. He will need as much as two days for him to function back to normal," He added before glancing his eyes back at my comrade lying on the temporary wooden, flat surface.
"I will let you stay here for the time being. You are a good friend of Elanor, and my niece has taken a special liking to you, Lake, the goblin."
"Thank you for your patronage," I reply, unsure of what face should I make after hearing such a peculiar compliment; or maybe an insult.
"I was wondering why you four idiots are taking so long returning to the campfire. And look at you lots, all grouped up together without inviting me over!" A recognisable voice resounds the tavern which sends everyone shivers down our spine; everyone except for the sassy young elf.