Chapter 37 - Handover.

Selmer arrived in the elf village after the rain had stopped and when she got home. Alvinia stood outside while watching her.

"Come with me" Alvinia said as she proceeded to drag Selmer to follow her to the forest.

When they arrived at the forest Alvinia took Selmer to a certain part of the forest. "Mother where are you taking me?" Selmer questioned.

"Since you can spend so much with the forest animals and even communicate with them. I need to see if you can see what I am also seeing" Alvinia said.

"But mother isn't this place where the festival of giving takes place?" Selmer asked again.

"Yes it is. That's how I brought fruits" Alvinia replied as she gave Selmer one of the fruits that she had brought with her as they entered where she had seen the Ikdorn once.

Alvinia stood rooted in her spot as Selmer asked her a question "Mother what is that creature stands on two of it's legs. How is that possible?"

"That creature that you see is the Ikdorn" Alvinia said.

Selmer's eyes widened.

"It's good that the both of you can see me" said Ikdo.

Elves could live for 300-350 years and Alvinia was at her prime when Selmer claimed that she had seen the Ikdorn. It was enough for Alvinia to know what was going on.

She walked forward a bit and said "My daughter has been chosen to continue the mission that I have held for so long" She said.

"Yes" Ikdo replied.

"You are growing old and will soon pass on. Someone has to take over sending my wishes to your people" He added.

Alvinia turned to Selmer and gestured to her that she needed to go to the Ikdorn.

Selmer not knowing the reason why, decided to obey the instructions of her mother and not believing anything bad was going to happen to her.

As soon as she approached the Ikdorn, he stared at her before placing his hand on her forehead.

Selmer flinched upon contact but she didn't move. The Ikdorn looked at her before his eyes glowed. Selmer's eyes also followed and glowed his before they became normal.

Alvinia on the other hand felt a slight pain in her head as if her connection to Ikdo had been disconnected. And she couldn't use sensory energy anymore.

*Ding* Your relationship with the Ikdorn has been terminated*

The Ikdorn's second messenger who was Selmer had been chosen. "Do your best to follow the instructions of the Ikdorn" Alvinia said to Selmer.

"Learn all that you must, I will have to go back to the village to make them prepare for your return" She added.

Selmer nodded but within her heart she knew what she had to do. She had to prepare herself for the responsibility that will be thrown at her.

Alvinia remembered the previous conversation that she had with the Ikdorn while she was in the sensory realm.

"Master Ikdo, I am getting close to the end of my lifespan. I am afraid that I cannot continue to complete the tasks and missions that you will give me. Please allow me to choose my successor" She said.

Ikdo who sat on the ground in a relaxed posture said "You do not need to choose your successor. Anyone in your tribe, who can communicate and bond with animals and spends a lot of time in the forests.

Once they are brought into the place you first saw me and they claim that they can see me. Then they are worthy to continue your mission"

Alvinia remembered those words clearly and that was why she took Selmer to the forest with her. Alvinia returned to the elf village where all the villagers gathered to listen to her.

"My dear brethrens, today I must tell you all that my position as the Ikdorn's messenger has been passed down to my daughter by the Ikdorn himself"

The elves in the village all gasped upon hearing her words.

Alvinia continued "Please do your best to respect her as you have respected me. Do not make her duty hard for her"

All the elves nodded upon hearing her words. They had no leader. The Ikdorn's messenger had slowly become the de facto leader of the village and Selmer was already given the position which meant that she had a lot of tasks to do.

A few days later, Selmer returned to the tribe and was welcomed by the elves. Although, she had spent many days learning from the Ikdorn, she knew that Alvinia could teach her more before she passed away.

During times that she was not busy, she would enter the sensory realm to try communicating with the Ikdorn and when she was busy, she would deal with the affairs of her elf village.

Selmer eventually created the Forest Laws of the Elves which she claimed was given to her by the Ikdorn to give to her people. The elves had to follow these rules when they were in the forest for any purpose.

In the western jungles of the Southern Continent, the tribe of Hor was slowly integrating itself to become a horde.

Himlo preferred it that it was his own descendants who were rulling the tribe to be able to and if possible, control the entire haran race living in the southern continent's jungles.

The Tribe that Hor led grew and expanded it's territory. After many years, they finally had contact with other tribes within the dense jungles.

The Hor Families were families that traced their descent from Hor. Every time a new tribe head was to be chosen these families would choose their best warrior to compete for the post of the tribe head along with other warriors who had interests.

The contest would involve the participants try to best each other and see who was the strongest. However, only those who had passed the test of manipulating the flames could participate in that.

The Dimoa tribe continued it's tradition for centuries after hor had passed away.

Dimoa Harans gathered around a certain area within the jungles that was close to the tribe's settlement to watch the chieftain competition that was going to occur beetween the Arialo families.

A haran approached the area and faced the Dimoa's before addressing them.

"Greetings my fellow tribe members. As we all know, this is the fifth chieftain contest that our Dimoa tribe is having. Whoever is declared winner from the two tests will be the leader of our tribe"

"Can the contestants step forward please" He said.

In front of all the harans of the tribe, seven figures walked towards the cleared area which they came to know as the arena.

"Please you should all introduce yourselves" The Haran instructed.

Among the contestants to introduce themselves, one of them was called Lulm.

"Let us begin the first test" The Haran said as Harans walked forward and dropped sticks on the ground.

After arranging the sticks, a shaman was called to cause fire to appear on the sticks. The fire burned from the sticks and also released smoke.

"Remember that the flames you are trying to control are flames that are controlled by the shamans of our tribe. And none of you here possess the aptitude of one" The Haran added and left.

The Shaman gathered stones and placed them in a specific pattern around the sticks before he stood in front of the gathered sticks and uttered a few words while staring intensely at the sticks and pointing his own stick at the unburnt sticks.

After a few moments of frequent incantations, the shaman struck the sticks and small sparks emerged from it before slowly spreading to form a fire.

"It is done" The Shaman said and left.

The participants walked one by one towards the burning fire in their bid to try and control the flames.

After six of them had done their try, only three managed to control the flames created. When it was the turn of lulm. The Haran walked towards the flames and pointed his spear at it.

By the rules, the haran has to point his spear at the fire and maintained it close to it while wielding it using their spear.

Lulm gripped his spear tightly as he pulled it from the flames. As his spear was been pulled, a part of the flames followed the tip of the spear.

Lulm proceeded to roll the spear as the flames wrapped itself around the spear.

Lulm continued as he swung his spear around before sending it back towards the fire. When he drawed his spear back, the flames did not follow as they had returned back to their original place.

The Harans cheered as they saw Lulm's performance.

Now only four Harans had passed the test of flames. The Haran who was addressing his tribe appeared to address them again.

"Out of the seven harans who have decided to participate in this contest. Only four have made it this far to enter the next stage"

Lulm and the other three harans who had passed stared at each other. Each of them letting the others know that they were not backing down.