Chapter 29: The Star Return

Zed took Elastor to a cave with Eva and Alata waiting outside. Alata said:

"What did Zed bring Elastor here for?"

Eva replied:

"I don't know, he said he was special training so what did he come here for?"

Alata said:

"I bet Elastor will be smashed."

Eva replied:

"Me too, we'll just have to wait for them."

Inside the cave, Zed took Elastor down to the deepest part and left him standing there. Elastor said:

"Zed, why did you bring me here? Why do I have a feeling this place is so deep?"

Zed replied:

"Because you are always easily attacked by Grim with his smoke. You are disoriented because you don't know where he is. So this training is to help you increase your ability to sense enemies through your ears, nose and skin. ."

Elastor said:

"Wow, from a keen wolf said."

Zed summoned the Returner sword and said:

"Dark Matrix, two meters radius."

Elastor replied:

"Hey, what are you going to do?"

Zed thrust his sword into the ground creating a dark circle around him and Elastor, the dark dome that trapped them inside the matrix. Elastor summoned the Volt greatsword and said:

"Oh great. You plan to train by killing me? How do I know where you are when I'm blind and can't run inside the matrix?"

Zed replied:

"Speak a little."

Zed jumped up and kicked the dome to push him into Elastor. Zed moving very quickly around Elastor confused him. Zed said:

"Feel away, sound, smell, feel. Feel your surroundings and counterattack."

Zed leapt forward and slashed Elastor's back, enraged him and said:

"Hey, easier said than done."

Zed replied:

"So do you want to defeat Grim? You've been defeated by him with smoke twice. You fail miserably each time when he releases smoke."

Elastor said:

"I know, but this is hard."

Zed replied:

"So you've let Julia down."

Elastor said angrily:

"Hey, don't use that trick. Everyone knows for Julia I'll fight for her."

Elastor slowly quieted down and felt, he thought:

"Sound."

Elastor heard the wind every time Zed sped, the crackling of rocks, the sound of water flowing in the cave.

"Smell."

Elastor smelled the foul smell of Zed's mouth, the smell of the sword rubbing against the air creating a slight burning smell.

"Feel."

Elastor imagined where Zed was moving very quickly around him like shadows. Suddenly Zed kicked Elastor in the face and joked:

"Think quickly, Grim won't wait for you to think."

Elastor continued to be attacked more lightly by Zed, confusing and distracting him. Elastor sighed and immediately turned around and swung his sword but he slashed in the wrong direction. Zed kicked Elastor in the back, who immediately turned around and swung his sword. Zed said:

"What's wrong? Are you confused?"

Elastor replied:

"No, because I just want a perfect slash."

Zed leapt forward and swung his sword at Elastor, this time he turned quickly and swung his sword to parry Zed's slash. Zed smiled and said:

"Very good."

Zed stepped back and said:

"But this isn't enough, let's increase the challenge. Dark matrix, five meter radius."

The matrix got bigger and Zed said:

"Now I'm going to do a real attack, which is to cut and bleed you."

Elastor replied:

"Then come here."

Zed continued to speed around Elastor and train him to feel better in battle. Elastor parried Zed's attack repeatedly but he was still a bit clumsy and injured. But Elastor still didn't give up and continued to stand up to parry Zed's attack. Outside Eva and Alata train together. She shot arrows really fast and many arrows at him. Alata practiced dodging quickly and rushed to stab Eva with a spear. Eva used the limb of her bow to parry Alata's attack, increasing her ability to fight in close combat. Alata stabs Eva repeatedly. She parried repeatedly and jumped up and kicked Alata in the face causing him to back down. Alata rushed forward and swung his spear causing Eva's bow to drop. Alata swung his spear again and Eva immediately slid down to dodge. She used her feet to hold the bow grip and pulled the bowstring with her hands. Eva shot an arrow of light at close range at Alata's stomach but he quickly dodged it. Alata stepped back and said:

"Well, let's continue. I'm still slow."

Eva replied:

"I'm still very slow, but I'll shoot faster."

Eva and Alata continued to train together with Belle watching from afar. Bella said:

"What do they train for? To become stronger or to be able to protect the people they care about."

Behind, Eculida replied:

"What are you talking about, Belle?"

Belle was startled, she turned to Eculida and said:

"Mother? You surprised me, I didn't say anything."

Eculida replied:

"I know you are still trying to be a worthy heir to the throne and when you learned that Elastor is your big brother, you were worried that you wouldn't be able to become a queen because maybe Elastor would become king of kingdom."

Belle said:

"No mother, I was just wondering if the people of the Gloria kingdom weren't as recorded in our books. The people of the past have recorded the Gloria people as rude, lowly people and solved things with war. They made fun of each other with drunkenness and joked about nonsense. But they were talented warriors, fighting with honor and glory. But they were the first kingdom to wage war on the entire continent."

Eculida replied:

"I know you're a curious person, wanting to understand the world around you. But really those documents were written in The First War when their worst was unleashed across the continent. But two thousand years ago, all kingdoms lived in peace and only resolved small or not too big conflicts in their kingdom. After three years of war, Gloria people changed and lived peacefully together. We just like a goldfish in a large aquarium, there's so much we don't know about the surrounding kingdoms."

Belle said:

"I know King Urizen's deal will help our kingdom open up and trade with the surrounding kingdoms but why should we help princess Eva defeat Urizen and lose that beneficial deal? This is our chance for our kingdom to develop more after many years of being closed to the outside world."

Eculida replied:

"I know Urizen's deal is dark, he also has a good attitude when he doesn't force us to agree with him. But I know Urizen will fail with his plan because he is not liked by many people in the kingdom because his father was evil in the past and because he broke the royal law of illegally usurping the throne. But I know princess Eva would be the right person to continue Urizen's plan, she has love of everyone in kingdom, but she hasn't become suitable successor yet. Princess Eva has a long way to prove herself. And look at them, they've gone through a lot of hardship together, cared for each other and had a bond between each person, when a person is left behind, they are ready to come back to help that person no matter how difficult it is."

Belle said:

"Yes, that's why Elastor is so eager to return to save the person he cares about. Thank you mom, then I'll help them too."

Eculida replied:

"And what did Wizard Emanda say? Is she preparing the ritual?"

Belle said:

"I went to her house while she was sleeping, so she was very angry and confused. But when I told her to prepare the ritual, she said she would do it after sleeping and then sent me out."

Eculida replied:

"Haiz, I knew Emanda would say that, but she's the best Wizard. Anyway, the ritual will happen tonight."

Belle nodded. Back to Elastor, after special training with Zed, he suffered a lot of injuries on his arms and legs. So did Zed, who said:

"You're still slow to anticipate and parry when you attack by surprise."

Elastor replied:

"So are you."

Elastor knelt down, he said:

"I'm not strong enough yet."

Zed helped Elastor up and replied:

"Get some rest for tonight. We'll continue tomorrow."

Zed and Elastor left the cave and went up to meet Eva and Elastor. Eva and Alata stopped training and ran to meet them. Eva looked at Zed and Elastor and said:

"Haiz, your clothes are dirty and you're both injured."

Zed smiled and replied:

"We're fine, just Elf wine."

Immediately Zed was punched in the face by Elastor and Eva. He said painfully:

"What? Why can't I drink Elf wine?"

That night everyone went to Nova Waterfall, they went down to a dungeon deep below the castle. On the stone in the dungeon were ancient drawings depicting the formation of the faith of the Elves, they believed in an entity called Horux-an blue shining entity that created the world, the universe, creatures and everything. The Horux entity had vanished leaving his children to go their own way and bestow mystical powers, magic, and Elemental Spirits. The Elves worshiped the entity Horux in gratitude for his creations and considered him the source of light magic. Eva admiringly looked at the pictures and thought:

"This place seems to contain the whole history of the Highland Continent."

They reached Nova Waterfall, it was a waterfall deep in a big cave. The water of the waterfall was as clear as a mirror, shining bright in the cave, the water came out from the white diamond on the marble wall, the water flowed down into a small lake and there was a stone in the middle of the lake. Everyone looked overwhelmed with Nova Waterfall, Eva said:

"It's so beautiful, I've never seen such a beautiful waterfall."

Eculida replied:

"Welcome to Nova Waterfall, the source of our power."

The Wizards gathered here, they drew a magic circle around the lake and inscribed Elf charms on the stone. Wizard Emanda went to meet them, she looked like a drunk, dirty woman and did not look like a skilled wizard at all. Emanda said:

"Eculida, you've arrived. Then who will participate in this ritual."

Eculida replied:

"My son, Elastor Magnum."

Emanda took a sip of Elf wine and approached to take a closer look at Elastor, she said:

"Hmm, looks stupid. The smell is bad too, is he an Elf?"

Emanda sniffed Elastor and licked his cheek. Zed, Elastor, Eva and Alata were startled and said together:

"What the hell?"

Emanda tasted it and said:

"Hmm, ok undress him."

Elastor replied:

"What the?"

Immediately Zed and Alata took off Elastor's clothes, he struggled and said:

"Hey, what are these two idiots doing?"

Eva and Belle covered their eyes out of embarrassment. Emanda put the Elf bottle of wine on the ground and said:

"Throw him in the lake. My show's about to begin."

Zed and Alata replied:

"Roger."

Elastor said hastily:

"Hey, throw me in the lake? Don't let those two idiots do it."

Before he could finish speaking, Elastor was thrown into the lake by Zed and Alata, he emerged and said:

"What the hell? I don't know where to go!"

Emma replied:

"I'm tired of this noisy talker."

Emanda used magic to make Elastor fly and let him sit on a rock in the middle of the lake, she said:

"Be quiet and concentrate on what I have to say."

Elastor sat down and replied:

"Okay then what should I do?"

Emanda hiccuped from drunkenness and said:

"This is the Nova Ritual to heal wounds, increase power, the power of light will do anything to transform you. Only very few people can participate in this ritual because it is difficult to survive but in return you will become into a more extraordinary person. Fortunately for you, I, Emanda Hamony are the celebrants of this ceremony. May the magic of light help you."

Zed said:

"Uhmm, may I ask. How's the last person who participated in this ritual?"

Emma replied:

"Let me remember, the last time the ritual was performed was a hundred years ago. This is my first time doing it."

Elastor shouted:

"What!!!"

Zed and Alata laughed, Zed said:

"Good luck Elastor."

Alata said:

"Let the enmity between you and me end."

They were slapped hard in the face by Eva, Eva said:

"Do your best Elastor, this is the only way to help you."

Belle said:

"Good luck big brother."

Elastor replied:

"Wait, did you just call me big..."

Elastor fainted and he sat up straight. Emanda said:

"Rite of Nova, begin."

Emanda read spells in Elf, it was ancient languages ​​and few people could read it. But it could be interpreted as "O nature, we ask you gathered here, judge that person whether he is worthy of the power of light, his ancestors and the great Horux. If unworthy, purify his flesh and if worthy give him the power of light to bring balance to the world.". The wizards around the lake also began chanting in unison. The magic circle and Elf letter glowed a golden color and activated the Nova magic. The water bubbled up and a stream of water rose and engulfed Elastor, he was still breathing normally and his wounds were slowly recovering. Eculida told Alata:

"Alata, now it's your turn. Use your Elemental Spirit and get inside Elastor's mind, lead him to The Star."

Alata replied:

"Yes, queen. The Ghost!"

The Ghost was summoned, Alata continued:

"The Ghost, take me inside Elastor."

The Ghost nodded and flew close to Elastor and took over his body. Alata sat down and focused, he got into Elastor's mind. In Elastor's mind, he opened his eyes and found himself in a land of light, Elastor said:

"Where am I?"

Suddenly Alata jumped out from a nearby bush and happily said:

"Yeah, this place is fun."

Elastor replied:

"Alata? What are you doing here?"

Alata said:

"Queen Eculida asked me to come into your mind to help. I'll bring you to see The Star again."

Elastor replied:

"Then let's go."

Since Elastor was still blind in his mind, Alata took him along. Elastor said:

"Hey, you've been here once before, do you remember the way?"

Alata replied:

"Don't worry, the way there is very close. I just forgot the way."

Elastor said:

"Haha, why am I asking you?"

Alata replied:

"Stop, I've never seen this before."

Elastor said:

"What do you see?"

Alata replied:

"A land of darkness before us."

Elastor and Alata stood on the border between the land of light representing Elastor's Elf blood and the land of darkness representing his Dark Elf blood. Alata said:

"Hey, there's The Star's thunderbolt. But it's far away."

Elastor replied:

"Then let's go. I don't care how dangerous that land is."

Alata said:

"I'm worried if there's something dangerous and haunting there."

Elastor replied:

"It's fine if you bring me here. I'll go here myself."

Elastor entered the land of darkness and walked towards the lightning symbol of The Star. Alata said:

"Damn it, don't be reckless, Elastor."

Elastor replied:

"The Star is very important to me, it is my Elemental Spirit. If the spirit is gone, so is the owner."

Alata was angry so he ran to Elastor, he said angrily:

"Follow me, you idiot. You don't know the exact location."

Elastor replied:

"Just leave me in the exact spot, and I'll go straight up there."

Alata said:

"Even though I hate you, I can't leave you alone."

Elastor and Alata reached the mountain where the lightning symbol was at the top, and Alata said:

"Let's climb up."

Elastor and Alata began to climb the mountain, although the path was very rough, but they still managed to get there. Suddenly, a Dark Elf rushed to attack them. Alata promptly summoned the Horror spear and parried his attack. The Dark Elf stepped back and summoned his weapon a greatsword like the Star greatsword. Elastor said:

"What's attacking us?"

Alata replied:

"A Dark Elf and he looks a lot like you."

Elastor said:

"What?"

That Dark Elf was the dark Elastor, the version of the Elastor when the Dark Elf bloodline ruled. Alata said:

"You just climb up and keep going, I'll hold him."

Elastor replied:

"I know but you don't have the strength to fight him."

Alata said:

"That's right, that's why I want to stay here to win."

Elastor nodded and continued climbing up the mountain. Alata and Dark Elastor rushed to confront each other. Alata swung his spear rapidly and repeatedly at Dark Elastor, he parried Alata's attack repeatedly and jumped up and kicked Alata in the chest causing him to fall back. Dark Elastor said:

"You're that weak to even stand up to me? Have you forgotten why you came here? To kill me to avenge your brothers and sisters. I did it myself."

Alata was breathing heavily because the kick hurt his lungs, even though he was an agile and physically strong fighter, Alata's body was quite weak, too heavy injuries to him would make Alata much weaker. Alata breathed and said:

"I know you killed my brother, sister, brother. But now is not the time for revenge, but for me to help my enemy because he has forgiven me so that I can see them again. Then I will win Elastor someday."

Alata lunged forward and thrust his spear at Dark Elastor, he dodged quickly and swung his sword at Alata. Alata slid down so he dodged in time, then he slammed the spear shaft into Dark Elastor's leg, knocking him to the ground. Alata immediately stood up and stabbed Dark Elastor repeatedly with his spear, he was stabbed repeatedly but the stabs pierced his body like a shadow. While Alata held off Dark Elastor, Elastor reached the top of the mountain, he looked at The Star's lightning symbol and said:

"It's time to return, The Star."

Elastor touched the lightning bolt icon and was electrocuted, causing him to let go of his hand. Elastor said:

"I know I didn't actually awaken you at first and had to use this ritual to reawaken you. But I know only you can help me in this battle."

Elastor grabbed the lightning icon and he was electrocuted very hard but he still didn't let go. Elastor tried to say:

"Do you remember why I named you The Star? Because I want you to shine like a star, to guide me to fight in this dark hour. I need you The Star!"

The symbol shattered and the shards reassembled on Elastor's left shoulder and transformed into his lightning bolt tattoo. Elastor turned to see Alata being defeated by Dark Elastor, he said:

"The Star!"

The Star was summoned, it's back and it's as stupid as ever. The Star said:

"Look at me. The star is back."

The Star launched dozens of lightning bolts at Dark Elastor. He jumped up to dodge and said:

"Grr, Elastor. You've got The Star back."

Elastor replied:

"That's right. And listen, I'll defeat you and get out of here."

Dark Elastor laughed and said:

"You cannot kill your own Dark Elf blood. I am you and you cannot deny or throw it away. One day I will take over your mind and take over your body."

Elastor replied:

"So let's see, thunder or darkness. Who will win."

Dark Elastor said to Alata:

"You remember what you said, defeat Elastor to avenge your brothers and sisters. No matter what you say, you are enemies."

Dark Elastor snapped his fingers, sending Elastor and Alata back to reality. Outside the Nova ritual ended, Emanda was covered in sweat and knelt down to rest, several Wizards got tired and passed out. Alata returned first, he breathed continuously. Zed ran over, helped him up and said:

"Alata breathe. And how is Elastor?"

Elastor replied:

"There he is."

Everyone looked at Elastor, his whole body releasing lightning on the left half and darkness on the right half. Emanda smiled and said:

"A half-elf between Elf and Dark Elf. It's interesting that the strongest warrior of the two worlds has appeared."

Elastor opened his eyes, his left eye releasing lightning and his right eye releasing darkness.