26. Elves of Old

"Many thousands of years ago, the elves lived eternal lives. They wandered the forests in their white robes, with no need for material possessions.

Deaths were a rare occurrence, as there were few who could manage to kill a being who had been around before the first humans walked the Earth. Hence why births were also few, as the need for new members rarely occurred.

That doesn't mean they weren't sociable. Elves were loving beings, yet they often wandered the forests alone, spreading their bright light. 

They would, however,  gather at times and dance around the forest. That's when their passion truly came into bloom.

Their dances would go on for days, as the once forever white trees with golden leaves would accompany their every move.

Some say that anyone who stepped into their forest instantly fell in love. This love was not directed at people or places. It was a love that encompassed everything.

The forests of the elves were the elysium everyone knew about, yet nobody dared touch.

To this truth, nobody was an exception. Gods, witches, sorcerers, and lords would all remember their time around the elves with a nostalgic smile, talking about how they wished they could live there forever. In fact, many started researching immortality for this sole goal.

But in this world, nothing is eternal. And one day Death made sure elves were no exception.

With no explanation, no conflict, and no negotiation, the Rider of Death placed a curse on the elves. Scared that eternal life may spell His doom, He cursed them with mortality.

The lifespans of the elves remained long, yet there were some among them who had already lived many thousands of years. Those withered first, and within days, the elven population had fallen drastically.

I was born well into this time of change. A time that, while lasting for ages, felt like a mere moment for many of the elves used to eternity.

Of course, we elves wouldn't fall so easily. With the knowledge of a witch who had witnessed the disaster, elves were able to create a thriving civilization—one in which I was also born.

The white trees slowly changed, their colors turning normal during the day. However, the darkness of night would always bring back the serene, white and purple looks of old, which we elves would dance around like our ancestors used to.

Still, many things had changed. We needed houses and castles. We started consuming food and water to survive, so we also started trade. We learned to use swords and bows for protection, and aging became a concern for us as well.

That's when I took on adventuring. I was one of the few in the elven guild of adventurers. We used to go around solving all kinds of problems. We would keep monsters away from the elfdom we had built. We would ensure trade proceeded smoothly, and we would walk the forests in search of the benevolent witch who had one day disappeared with no trace.

And that's how I used to spend my time back during the days of the elfdom."

*****

"..."

Yumino waited with his ears peeled, but the girl stayed there, in her room, with a silly smile on her face, as if she were waiting for something.

"... Is that it?"

"Huh? What do you mean? I was pretty strong, I'll have you know," said Nima with a pouting face.

"No, not that. You've mostly talked about elven history. You've barely said anything about your days as an adventurer!"

"Ah... I guess you're right..."

Nima took a couple of seconds to think about stories from that time, but...

"Yeah, I have nothing! Days just flew by, I guess. It was a happy life, but not an eventful one."

Of course, for an elf who had lived some hundreds of years, mere moments were not worth noting. Yet memories never left.

"So what about the second disaster? What were you doing then?"

In just a second Nima's face turned grim as Yumino managed to sour the mood. She looked at the ground and spoke in a low voice.

"I fought, of course. The whole guild battled against the vampires. But there were just too many..."

As she sat down on her bed, Nima brought her knees to her chest.

"In the end, only two of us adventurers survived. Looking back at it, we stood no chance really. Every time those vampires would get one of ours their numbers would increase, yet every victory on our side would only bring tears to our eyes, having to look at the twisted faces of our loved ones."

Without noticing, her nails started to dig into her skin.

"They laughed at us. Mothers mocked their sons. Fathers hunted down their daughters. They didn't care about us; we were the only ones with a heart."

"Nima..."

"Luckily, Lucien found the two of us one day. Back then, vampires would often come to the forest to finish us off. Lucien took us in, and protected us right here, in the middle of a kingdom infested by vampires. The only condition was to not go out at night. But even so..."

"I take it Erolith never forgave him?"

"Please don't speak his name!" Nima shouted. "I still can't understand it... For many years, he was contempt. Even with those hardships, we found a place for ourselves... yet..."

While struggling to hold back her tears, Nima felt something touch her head. When she looked up, all she saw was Yumino, as he stayed in an uncomfortable position trying to reach her with his hand.

"It's ok, Nima..."

That alone amused Nima very much.

"Pfft! Ahahahaha!"

"Eh?"

Be it his kindness or his awkward actions, Yumino managed to get Nima in a good mood surprisingly quickly.

"I'm fine. It's been more than a year since then. It's about time I learned to look forward!" she said with a smile on her face—contrasting the tears she was wiping off.

But for Yumino this sight was enough. Seeing the "fiery beauty" fight back her past made him happy. So he took the same attitude and offered her his hand with a smile.

"Come on! It's about time we met with the others. The whole hero party going to a tavern... the last two elves on the continent can't miss such an occasion!"

"Hmm... Are you sure it isn't because you've started missing those two girls~? Your ears were turning awfully red when you read that invitation..."

"Hk! Come on, what are you saying? Of course I would miss my friends, right? All four of them! We've barely seen each other since that adventure, haha..."

Nima intentionally delayed her answer, making Yumino feel like he was being lit on fire. Even the scar on his chest started aching at one point.

"Hah... Fine... Let's say I believe you," she said after a long pause.

*****

By the time the two elves reached the tavern, the sky was already getting dark.

Both of them felt on edge as unpleasant memories started surfacing. Especially for Nima, this was her first time spending a night out willingly in many years.

As they opened the door to the tavern, they ran into someone trying to get out. Staring right at them was a tall lady with pale skin and red clothes.

Yumino's hand tensed as he reached for the bow he had brought with him as a safety measure.

"Don't worry! We were just leaving!" the vampire lady said with a nervous smile before signaling to her friends to follow her.

One by one, all of the vampires left the tavern. Some looked at the pair of elves with disdain, while others completely avoided eye contact.

One thing was clear: nobody was going to touch them that night.

"Seems like somebody's earned their respect!" A voice resounded from inside. It was Gavin, pointing them towards the open seats at their table.

Was it really because of their display of ability, or was it because they were friends with the hero's party? They didn't know for sure. One thing was clear: at least for tonight, they could enjoy themselves to the fullest.