6 Elder Bran

Elfheim is the city of the elfs. Though the place was smaller then a city and was more like a town, but the trees were livier here then anywhere else in the forest. The elven living here all were very happy. They were chatting, working and playing all around. There were no markets or shops in the whole place, which Joseph asked from Leafa.

"We are trading items with items, or do work for eachother. We are not as barbaric as the orcs and goblins to use money."

'So using money is barbaric for them. It is very strange.'

As they were moving through the place he saw blacksmithes, tailors, farmers and other kind of people all around.

"I don't see any children around."

"They are in school in these hours."

"Schools? Aren't they learning from the masters?"

"Hahaha... First we learn to read and write, then we learn about culture, history and other stuff. Only children at the age of 16 can learn from the masters of different jobs."

"Huh? A 16 years old is only a child? How long do you live?"

"Around one-two thousand years? Some of the ancients lived over three thousand years. Though they all moved to the prairie. The Elder is the oldest one here. He is more than two thousand years old. Anyway we arrived at his place."

They stopped before a giant tree, which was slightly bigger than the other ones and had a lighter brown colored trunk. Leafa leaned back slightly and then kicked the front door open and shouted in.

"GRANDPA BRAN! I'M HOME!"

'What the?! Is this how you go in someone's house?'

The interrior was pretty, but simple. There were bookshelfs all around the walls and in the middle there was a table with chairs. In front of the entrance there was a stairway leading up, on the left and right side of the room there were doors leading to other rooms of the house.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

An elf who looked like he was in the thirties came down on the stairs. He had short black hair and his face looked almost the same as Leafa's. As he came to the bottom, he adjusted his glasses, then walked to the girl and gave him a head chop.

"I said it countless times! Never barge in like you live here, even if you are my grand daughter!"

"Ouch! Okey! Okey! I understand."

She hold her head and stood back.

"I brang back a boy with me!"

"You got a boyfriend? And you didn't even tell me? Show me who is i...?"

He stopped talking, when he saw Joseph.

"Who is that? No! What is that?"

"He is Joseph and he said he is a human!"

Joseph was a little emberrased.

"Good day sir!"

Bran ignored him totaly.

"It's not just that you brought back a random creature from the forest, but he is also your boyfriend? Do you think I will accept this?"

It was visible, that Leafa loved to tease Bran. She was snickering while talking.

"He is not my boyfriend. I just found him and brought him back."

Grandpa seemed to cooled down a little, then he looked at Joseph.

'What is this feeling? I feel like he is looking right through me.'

"Hmmm... Interesting."

"What is it gramps?"

He waited for a moment before speaking again.

"I've never seen anything like this!"

He held out his hand and a book flew to him, then held his other hand above it and it opened on it's own.

'Magic! He is using magic!'

"His aura doesn't look like any of the three gods's creatures. Though he has a trace of the God of Existence on him, but it is trivial."

Leafa was just as suprised as Bran.

"What? But every creature should've been made by the gods! Noone else can create living!"

"Well... At least we haven't seen anyone creating living. You! Where are you from?"

Joseph felt an immense pressure. It felt like he can't lie.

'It is definetly magic. Is it like a truth zone? Then I should dodge the answer, instead of lying.'

"I'm from a far away place!"

'What? I didn't want to say that! I couldn't even dodge it? It is a really strong spell!'

"Far away? What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know exactly, but not from this place, that's for sure."

'It is not working. I answare without thinking. I can't stop it! Though it is strange that I don't say I'm from an other world?'

"Curious! There is something else outside the mountains?"

"I don't know that either."

Leafa spoke in the middle of the two's chat.

"How do you not know, even though you said you came from an other place?"

"It is very complicated."

"Interesting!"

Bran hold his hands out again, the first book returned to it's place. Then an other book come out of the shelfs and a pen to his other hand.

"Please enlighten me!"

'I can't resist!'

He spoke about what happened, that he came from an other world and how did he do that.

"That is very strange! But doesn't seem like impossible. Now please speak about your wor..."

Before he finished speaking he showed a pained expression. It looked like he couldn't end the sentence. Leafa hurried to him and held him up.

"Grandpa! Are you all right?"

"Ugh... Yes it is fine. Seems like someone powerfull doesn't want you to share specifics about the other world."

Joseph felt the spell weaken and then it ended. He could talk again.

"That was strange! Why did you use that spell on me?"

Bran stood up right, like he didn't even felt any pain a minute ago.

"Hahaha! Sorry it's just a bad habit. I always do this to the prisoners. Well sorry about that. Anyway you shared a lot of interesting things. Anything else you want to say?"

Joseph was suprised.

"What? You don't want to imprison me? Or do anything to me? Or get more informations?"

Bran adjusted his glasses again.

"No and I can't. Seems like someone doesn't want us to know about all that stuff. If I ask more, either you or me will end up dead. Also we are not that barbaric to be too rude to our guests."

'I don't belive that. Leafa basically dragged me around and you just used a spell to interrogate me...'

"Then can I stay in this village? I promise I'll help you with my knowledge!"

Leafa clicked her tounge and Bran answered.

"It is impossible for you to stay in our city."

"Huh? Do you have any laws against other races to stay in your city?

"Oh no! We are not that short sighted! It is our God, that won't allow you. They are the reason that all the older elder and everyone else has to leave. Those who are not aknowledged by our god can't live in the city. If you stay here, you will be cursed!"

"That is troublesome!"

"You can stay for two days, but at the end of the second day you have to leave, or face the consequences!"

"I see. Then could you help me out with some questions at least?"

"Yeah! If you have any, just ask them, but before let's have dinner!"

They went to eat dinner. It consisted from bread and different fruits of the forest. The dinner went by in silence. Noone spoke while eating. When they finished Joseph started to talk with the elder again.

"Do you not eat meat, or is it just that sparse in this land?"

Bran look unamused by the question

"It's the later one. It is almost impossible to find any other creatures, then the monsters and the wolves in the forest."

"I see. So that's why the wolves were so skinny! But why is that?"

"We don't really know. We suspected that it was the effect of overhunting, but then we tried to keep animals in the city under our watch. They all died because of our god."

"Wait! Aren't animals the creations of your god?"

"Yes they are. Which is why we don't understand it either. But it isn't really a problem. We have enough fruits and other foods. We don't require meat."

"I see."

They spoke until night about the world and different things. When the night came, he went to bath first in a long time.

After the refreshing he went to his guest room and fallen asleep as he went in bed.

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