The Return

It has been six months since the troops were sent out, and a message was delivered that said they would return soon. I'm guessing maybe 30% came back, with the rest either fleeing or being eaten by Val'tiir. I might be surprised though, they might have won even with the odds stacked against them. I think I'd enjoy that outcome over my own prediction, but more likely than not, I'll be disappointed by the reality.

For the most part, my time during this period has been spent nourishing Specter and Spirit with my Aura, as part of an experiment. So far, it has made their coats more glossy and their gems more lustrous. They also seem to be developing stronger and more defined muscles, though they haven't grown much. I suppose this much exposure won't change too much, but I think I'll see much larger advancements when they mature. I could try forcing in more Aura than they could handle to try and expedite an evolution, but I won't, I'm not about to become their torturer. These horses have become a part of my life, I don't think I could handle their loss.

I'm still planning on using everyday animals as test subjects, so I can find out what causes them to become monsters. This isn't something that is normal, this trend started 100 years ago, that means something is making animals into monsters. It isn't a Human, Giant or Beastfolk that's for sure. And it is occurring only in this region of the continent, no where else. A possible explanation is that a Lich is experimenting with something like Shadow or Curse Magic, changing animals as a form of animal trials then moving on to the Races.

It'd be impossible for a Cleric to come to the Elven Territories without some form of Ambassadorship, which is rarely given, if ever. Clerics are acolytes of the Human's Church of Ulder, meaning they can only be Human. Of all the Races, High Elves disdain Humans the most, due to their rampant disregard for the lives of others. If it is a Lich, then an Adventurer would have to be the one to get rid of it, and there aren't many of them here. Most of the ones that do live here wouldn't even come within 500 meters of a Lich, for fear of losing their life and becoming Undead. A bunch of cowards is what they are, taking the easy requests and celebrating their good fortune but never bothering with the ones that may bring death.

I'm certain of the fact that no Elf is willing to cut short their long lives just to save others, only if it were orders from their ruler would they do such a thing as self-sacrifice. But that's enough rambling about the timidity of the Elven Races. I think it's about time the soldiers arrived.

(City Gates)

Outside the massive steel gates, what remains of the High Elf army is camping, waiting for the approval to come back in. In the largest tent lies the wounded General, who has a light smile upon his face. They had succeeded, at the cost of 87% of the troops. Maybe a hundred soldiers remained, the rest of them were sacrificed to force the Val'tiir to retreat back into the wilds. Unfortunately, the Giants will return soon if the Ruins aren't occupied by the Elves. Scattered throughout the camp were the remains of what were once Dwarven-made armaments. Though high quality, these weapons were still made of steel and iron, which Giants could easily bend and break. The bows were cracked and their strings were frayed, showing how worn they had become. The swords were caked in dried blood and the remains of flesh. Spearheads were blunted and the shafts were split, and what remained of the great-swords was shards the size of daggers.

Not a single weapon was spared, and the armor was gone. An entire year of work by 45 Master Dwarves was gone in a measly six months. This equipment should have lasted at least a decade but its use by the mostly untrained sealed its fate. This fact was of no concern to the Elven soldiers, who wielded these weapons like they were clubs, not elegantly crafted weapons of war. Gildor and the other Dwarves would cry at the sight of their destroyed crafts.

As the Elves eat and try to be merry to forget about death, the door of the gates slowly open. This is the sign that they may once again enter Arves. Home, they had been dreaming of coming back, but they weren't received like they thought they would be. Sure, the streets were lined with fellow High Elves, but they weren't cheering, they were silent. Aside from the marching soldiers, nothing else could be heard, as though no one could speak a word. The general, on his horse, knew why they weren't applauding: They weren't supposed to come back. Unbeknownst to both the army and Lugh, everyone had been betting on whether or not the soldiers would come back. Everyone, and I mean everyone, had bet they wouldn't come home. They thought they were marching towards their deaths. Of course, there was good reason to believe such a thing. They were up against Giants, and most of the army could barely hold a sword properly.

Here's the thing, no matter how much the High Elves try to take the moral high ground, they are just as bad as the rest of the Races. They will backstab and cheat like anybody else while condemning you for doing the same. Though they may not have slavery, they do have an extremely high degree of racism towards the other Elven races, calling them things such as low-born, tainted, dirty and other demeaning names. This all stems from their belief that they are the closest to the original Fey people and take too much pride in it. That's why an artifact like the Fairy Crown holds such sway over them.

Maligned purposes aside, the people of Arves had bet a lot of money on this, losing a good portion of their savings as a repercussion. Though "brave" Adventurers could plunder the Ruins for gold and treasure, this capital would be hard to regain. These affairs meant nothing to the general and his men, they just wanted their audience with the Queen. And so they made their way to the Palace, the one place they'd be given proper respect.

When the general arrived in the throne room, Queen Allisia made her appearance, though not with a good mood. Her face had a light scowl, and her arms were crossed, accentuating her breasts. This wasn't the kind of result she wanted, but she did slightly expect it. There was no way an army as poorly trained as this one would have excellent results.

"I'm not happy, General Kuoda. This is an embarrassing outcome, more than half our soldiers gone. We don't have an army any more, we have exactly one platoon. Though you did manage to succeed, there are no men to defend the Ruins. I'll have to rely on both the Guild and Union to defend them now. And that means more money spent."

Her once gentle voice had taken a sharp tone. The air in the room had taken on an icy chill and any fire in the men's hearts had extinguished. Kuoda took the brunt of the cold, instantly dashing any hope of a promotion. All the men there instantly prostrated themselves, hoping to somewhat appease her anger. A brief moment of respite was given to them, as she turned away for a second. A maid had arrived, carrying a child. This was obviously Lugh, who was brought here by Allisia's orders.

He was placed in the Queen's arms, alleviating her mood. Her scowl turned into a bright smile, and the atmosphere quickly changed to a more cheerful scene.

"Well, I didn't exactly give you much of anything to help in this skirmish. You won't be heavily punished, but you still won't be receiving a promotion. Maybe a slight cut to your salary? What do you think Kuoda?"

"I'd be perfectly fine with that Your Majesty. But my men-" the General's voice was taut, his forehead dripping from earlier.

"They'll receive the same thing, of course." Queen Allisia's cheerful tone made it difficult to argue. All the soldiers had to accept their monetary loss.

(Lugh POV)

Well, that was kind of harsh, but I think Mom did a great job coming off as a Queen. But while I'm here in her lap, I think I should try something. I'll infuse a bit of Aura into her, seeing if I can't replace some of her lost vitality. It shouldn't have any side effects, I didn't see any thing happen with Specter and Spirit. Slowly, I can't do it too fast or it could be detected by the others in the room.

(3rd POV)

Unseen by anyone, a small golden light exits Lugh, creeping its way around to Allisia's spine. There, it enters and slowly begins filling her up. At this point, the Queen starts feeling a bit giddy, her face taking on a healthier glow. If one were to look at her eyes, they'd notice a golden glow coming from her sclera. As more Aura enters, it changes from giddiness to arousal, her breathing becoming heavier.

(Lugh POV)

Oh shit, better stop there, I don't think that she's feeling right. Her breathing is way too heavy, and her glow has changed from healthy to erotic. But, I have proved my theory, her Aura is much more stable now.

"I need everyone to leave, NOW. I'll be returning to my chambers, any visitors will have to come tomorrow." Her voice cracked, this is not good. Whoa, she's sprinting down the hall, and I'm coming along for the ride. HOLY CRAP, she almost missed the bedroom and the breathing is getting worse. Her entire body has turned crimson, I shouldn't have gone this far. Oh man, I guess both Dad and I aren't getting any sleep tonight.