XVII. Land of Dreams

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***

"Hey, Rin!" It was Mary.

"Come with us, we're going for a drink after class. It's gonna be fun.", Mary said giggling.

She almost said yes, but she remembered her schedule. "I would want to but.."

"But, what? Come, on! You didn't go with us for the whole week. It's Friday anyway, having fun for a day will not ruin your studies or your future empire.", Mary teased. She was referring to the business empire of Irina's father. As an only child, she was destined to be the heiress.

Mary's right. The same could be said with her training. Except the Trials would be in two days. Both Eve and Lucian said she was learning in an exceptional rate. Still, would that be assurance for her to slack off?

"Sorry, I can't tonight.", she replied after thinking thoroughly. Seeing Mary disappointed made her a bit guilty. "But I promise, I can go next week if you still want me to come." Mary's face brightened and they got a deal.

***

After class, at the Mikofujo Lodge.

"Are you really that bummed you couldn't go?", Eve noticed. Irina was having difficulty focusing. Her spirit energy had not been more unstable. Clearly, something was bothering her.

"I told you, you're quite ahead in your training. If you want, you could still go out, have fun.", Eve suggested. "I was gonna teach you shaman stuff but who cares about that. Here, you can have it as a souvenir from me." Eve chanted in Japanese and handed her some paper runes.

"No, that's not what I'm thinking.", she said, reaching for the runes.

"Still feeling guilty you won't be meeting that Arthur guy?"

"Actually..", she paused, carefully thinking about how it would sound. "it's about Lucian.

She recalled last night's events to Eve. The last thing she remembered was leaning on Lucian's shoulder while pouring her predicament on him. She didn't even remember falling asleep. The beating must have taken a toll on her body, as well as Lucian's, since he seemed to have fallen asleep too.

They woke up to the screaming of the students who were about to train in the morning. She didn't understand what the big deal was with Lucian sleeping sitting on the floor, while she's asleep on his lap.

It turned out that the "sacred" House of Vigil, was religiously sacred and conservative to an extent. The old traditions and values were given the utmost respect. Together, they had to explain everything to Mang Raul.

"Ooh! Did they ground you? Were you whipped?", Eve teased the conservativeness of the manor. She answered with a grin.

"No, no punishment at all", she said, "but the thing is, I thought we had resolved, you know, that little quarrel, but now this. Another stuff that's gonna make things awkward between us.", she added.

Eve examined her intently with her brows tangled in a frown, "You're not just bothered. You're anxious."

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying and I don't know why I feel that way. It also doesn't help that Lucian is too poker-faced to read. How embarrassing will that be if I'm the only one feeling that way. I would look assuming.", she said blushing.

"You're better off jumping off a cliff."

"Right? Why is this happening to me? Ugh!"

"For starters, I think you soul bonded."

She was flabbergasted with Eve's words she thought she heard them wrong. "I did what, now?"

"Not just you. You, both. You soul bonded."

"What does that mean? Sounds like a serious thing."

"Yeah, it is. You wokes have no passion for romance. Soul bond. With your soulmate. Really? Never heard of it?" Eve called the day off and gave insights about this soulmate thing. Irina needed the spring bath anyway to recover quickly.

Throughout the decades, some things were just lost, even words, including the idea of a "soulmate", which as Eve explained, properly called soul bond. It's when you met a person and you had an instant connection driven by an unknown force.

"But I don't love him. I mean, we barely know each other. Also..", Irina stopped herself from saying too much. The truth almost slipped itself out.

"Silly, it's not a romantic connection. Wait. Actually, I think most soul bonds are definitely romantic. Although, not always", Eve said.

"How come you know so much about that stuff?", she asked.

"I don't. The myth was just passed down from generation to generation. As shamans who pride ourselves with soul and spirit knowledge, our predecessors just came up with an explanation, but it really is just a myth."

She sighed, relieved. A lot of things already occupied her mind, romance may be the least of her worries, but she didn't have time for that now.

"But if it's true, I bet it's just a fancy word for love." Eve teased. They would spend the rest of the day talking about everything and relaxing in the spring.

***

Alfheim.

Home of the elves, fairies, and other elemental beings that fit the category of Fayfolk. Most people, especially those that belong to the generation of technology, call it as a myth. Alfheim was both in, and not in Terra. It's an alternate dimension, parallel to earth. One only needed to know the entrance.

Two men approached a massive Acacia tree, somewhere in Visayas State. One of them was Marcus Vigil. Beside him was a tall man in mid 20's who's rather good looking in his eye glasses. The man touched the tree and uttered a spell in Chinese. A couple of seconds later, the dark cave-like opening the tree had was now shining with white light. They stepped inside.

Alfheim was once a mighty realm, the size of Asia and Africa combined. Its population was more than a million, which seemed not that many. True, but most of these folks were immortal. A million magical beings: wish granting fairies, metal forging dwarves, singing nymphs, prankster trolls and leprechauns and dozens more. If Umbra was the land of Nightmares, then Alfheim was the land of dreams!

For millennia, the realm stood strong against anything thrown at them. Disasters. Plagues. Wars. But the recent decades were worse than hell for the Fayfolk.

The once blooming population was quelled in half. More than a tenth of the land was lost to darkness and blight. It seemed to swallow Alfheim and there's a boundary separating the darkness and Alfheim territory that spread subtly and steadily.

Fayfolk tried to enter this dark land to understand and retake it, but anyone who stepped unto the blight could not be seen from the lighted part of Alfheim. It's as if they entered a different dimension. Most of those who entered, didn't come back. No one knew how long it would take for this dimension to just shrink into nothingness, and with it, the Fayfolk abandoned hope of retaking the land.

The men entered the tree. It's a shortcut to Alfheim Royal Court. Right before the Queen of Fayfolk, her High Priest, and two dozens of her Royal Guards.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. May the sun strengthen your flesh, and the moon bless your soul. I'm Marcus Vigil, ambassador of ARK.", Marcus remembered his curtsies in front of the queen. She wore a long green gown made of the finest silk, her crown crafted from the antlers of stags, and it shone from the gems embedded on it.

"Greetings, Sir Lord Archknight.", Her Majesty replied.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty, it's former Lord Archknight. I'm just a humble ambassador now. This young, talented gentlemen here is Lee Wei Hao, he currently has a seat in the Senatus.", he introduced.

"It's an honor, Your Majesty", Lee greeted.

The queen looked surprised. "Hao, as in Hao Global Trading Industries, the one known for its alchemy?", she said excitingly. The elf queen had an uncontrollable taste for gemstones, like any other Fayfolk. But she's the queen, which meant she had royal standards to satisfy.

"That's the one, Your Majesty.", he looked at Lee saying, "If you would, please." Lee nodded and smiled. He knelt to touch the ground with both palms and uttered a spell.

"Dakai". A magic circle about three meters in diameter appeared and slowly, a treasure chest rose from it. Lee opened it as it sparkled with all the gemstones and jewelries inside. The queen, now looking overwhelmed, couldn't even contain her excitement.

"The Alliance offers our aid to Your Majesty's kingdom. Please accept this token of goodwill. These gemstones that were salvaged from the war 15 years ago, store tremendous power that can prove vital to the restoration of the realm.", he courteously explained.

"This is a most gracious offer, Sir Ambassador. What does Alfheim need to give to reciprocate such generosity?", the queen asked with a bit of a suspecting tone.

"The Alliance wishes to enter your realm with a full platoon, 50 of our best hunters. The High Council unanimously believes that with the help of our men, it would be possible for the Fayfolk to reclaim the land lost to blight.", he answered. Truth be told, Marcus had a thin patience for curtsies. He saw the brows of the queen flinched, just as he expected.

The High priest whispered to the queen.

"And how does your High Council believe that 50 of your best hunters would make a difference?"

"They won't be just hunters. The platoon will be composed of Rangers and Exterminators-"

"Ranks. They mean nothing. What can your men do that my people cannot?"

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, Rangers are experienced hunters who fight in and out of Umbra. We have reason to believe that the darkness swallowing your realm is another Umbra phenomenon."

Silence. The queen didn't seem surprised. She looked as if she knew that it's the Umbra, spreading blight in Alfheim. The High Priest whispered again to the queen.

"I cannot approve this proposition, Ambassador. I'm already extending my hospitality for letting your dirty feet step in my royal court. Having 50 more of you is just too... filthy. My Royal Guards will show you to the exit.", the queen concluded.

"Good. You dropped the curtsies first. I don't really get you dumb royalties. Now I can speak my mind.", Marcus said with a wicked grin.

"How dare you-"

"Oh, shut up old man.", he interrupted the High priest from speaking up. "Listen, our platoon will enter your realm. Your son, the elf price, violated the Treaty. He killed four Hunters, attacked two Rangers and a human which he attempted to abduct. We will search every inch of Alfheim if that's what we need to find him."

The Royal Guards raised their arms, ready to defend and kill for their queen.

"You have no power to do that!!", shouted the queen, losing all her majesty.

"Actually, we can. Mr. Hao here is from the Tribunal. They have the go on this. We don't need to remind you that this is part of the Treaty. He's here to make sure that the Treaty is honored, when ARK needs to deliver justice. And of course, he's here to make sure I don't break the Treaty as well by disrespecting you." Lee Wei Hao suppressed a laugh on that last remark.

"So if you don't want our Rangers and Exterminators traipsing your land of dreams, we can avoid all this hassle if you'll surrender that son of an elf."