Chapter 8 - Elowyn, Lady of Magic.

It felt like an eternity since she spoke. I was frozen in fear. Not only was Grace taken from me, but here I was about to die. “Wait…I’m not a threat. I’m not going to kill you.” I reasoned. However, I had no way to prove it.

“I don’t trust butchers.” The woman exclaimed.

I looked at her straight in the eye. If I screwed up here, I was dead. “I’m hurt…you see, I’m still recovering from a fight. I couldn’t even hurt you if I wanted to.”

“Even the smallest ripples can become fierce waves when given time.” She replied calmly. Before that, of course, she lifted my head with her staff to get a better look; she saw the ‘1’ tattooed on my cheek.

Suddenly, I could feel a strange sensation run through my body. It felt calm, serene, and peaceful. I didn’t feel any different, but it was like pure magical essence flowed through my very soul.

“You…” She commented. I had a feeling she was going to say more, but held her tongue. Her face was a little surprised. “Rejoice, you shall be spared. On one condition.”

I looked up at her. I didn’t know what to say. What did she do to me? Why was she letting me go?

“You join my fight against the Goddess.”

The proposition sat still between us for a moment.

“Fight the Goddess?”

I remembered the distaste and unease I felt. The sense that she felt above everybody else. But she was a goddess, and she was giving me a second chance at living.

Then I remembered all the death. The fact that Grace and her kind were more or less oppressed due to her actions. She organizes these games that result in innocent lives getting caught in the crossfire.

“Fine, however, I’ve got something personal I need to take care of. I’ll join your fight or whatever. But I need you to help me get Grace back.”

The woman nodded. Then removed her hood, revealing her face to me. At least in greater detail, anyway. I noted one peculiar little detail.

“You’re an elf?” I pointed out her ears.

“You’re a human.” She responded. Pointing at my relatively normal human ears, her tone was more sarcastic than curious, like mine. “Come on, get up, we don’t have all the time in the world to dilly dally.”

I slowly got up I felt a lot better. Grace’s healing did the work, but it shouldn’t have been that fast.

“I sped up her magic; she is quite potent. But I’ve been studying magic far longer than either of you has been alive.” She explained. “As for my name, it’s Elowyn, just Elowyn. You’re Razan Hamada, correct?”

I was stunned. Not only did she speed up her magic, but she was studying magic for far longer than both of us; she even looked to be about our age. Of course, I had read and heard stories of the Elves' immortality from Argas. But it was entirely different seeing it up close. Still, I had one question.

“How did you know my name?”

Elowyn took a moment to digest my question before responding, “It’s magic, and a mage never reveals her tricks. Isn’t that a saying in your world?”

“I have a distinct feeling you are dodging the question.” Still, I wasn’t in a position to be pressing her; time was not on our side. “We should get going. I’ll be revisiting this discussion later.” With that, I made my way through the woods. Oren was a ways away, and the sooner I started, the better.

“Wait for me!” Elowyn shouted as she ran to catch up with me. “We should go in with a plan of attack; it’s clear as day your opponent is setting up a trap.”

“I suppose so, still, they know we’re coming. Hard to sneak in. Besides, if we try anything funny, the possibility is there Grace might get harmed. Most I can do right now is honor the agreement.” I reasoned.

To that, Elowyn had no response. I did have some questions for her.

“So why exactly do you want to fight the Goddess? I mean, she seems quite powerful.”

Elowyn focused for a moment as she walked alongside me. “She stole something of great value to the Elves. Our sacred crystal.”

“The sacred what?” I asked. I had never heard of such a thing in any of the books or stories I’m familiar with.

“It’s what grants us our immortality.” Elowyn looked down. “Without it, we Elves age like any other.” She looked so sad, still it was still hard to feel particularly sympathetic to her either. “Why would you want to live forever?” I asked.

“You ask me this, yet explain that ‘1’ on your cheek, mister, ‘I want a second chance of life’.” I felt exposed.

“Still, I’d say there’s a big difference between wanting a do-over and living forever?” I retorted. It was then I felt something burn within me. My soul.

“Call it selfish.” Elowyn began, “However, it matters a lot to my people who pride themselves on their longevity; a human wouldn’t understand.” She looked at me as I clutched my chest and fell to the ground. “Your soul is bound to me; you cannot hurt nor defy me as per the contract of our agreement.”

“Ngh! You!” I cursed her name under my breath, but any will to resist fled my mind as the pain became more unbearable. “Ok!” I relented, and the pain went away. I crashed to the ground.

“Don’t feel so bad, it’s a mutual agreement, if I turn my back on you. I will meet the same fate; we also share our power. In such a volatile relationship, it’s rather beneficial, isn't it?” She retorted, appealing to practicality.

“Still, a little heads up would have been nice!” I grunted as I picked myself up once again.

“Where is this place we're going to anyway?” Elowyn hastily changed the subject. “More so, a general direction.”

I was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden shift in subject. But I responded. “It’s a day's walk from here, I believe. That way.” As soon as I pointed towards where Oren would be, Elowyn closed her eyes and began to concentrate.

“What are you doing?” I asked, I felt like I was asking a lot lately, but she was so damn confusing.

“Getting us there faster, now shut up.” She scolded before continuing her concentration. I simply stood there and watched her do her thing, waiting for something to happen, when suddenly I found myself in the air. About five feet above ground, to be specific.

“Wait! What?!” I said as I crashed onto the ground, Elowyn appeared right in front of me. “What did you just do?” I glared at her. “You’re awfully careless, you know.”

“You’ll be thanking me in a second, look behind you.” She gave me a smug grin as she said that. I could punch her, but I felt my body tingle, and I figured it was a feeling not worth exploring. So I did what I was told instead, being greeted by…Oren?

“Wait? We’re in Oren?” I looked at the streets of the happy village in shock.

“Of course, it was a teleportation spell. It was nice of you to provide the location and all. Ah, the great Elowyn strikes again!” She cheered. I couldn’t exactly be mad anymore.

“Thanks. That’s very useful.” I complimented her begrudgingly. This prompted Elowyn to cross her arms and give me a snide look. “Perhaps I’m a lot more calculated than you give me credit for, schoolteacher.”

“Then that was intentional.” I gave her a look. Before we could argue, a noise could be heard.

“So you arrived, and sooner than I anticipated.” The Golem appeared at the entrance of the town. Grace was not with him.

“Where’s Grace?” I glared at him. I needed to make sure she was alright first and foremost.

“She’s safe. You wish to see her? Go right ahead.” He beckoned for us to follow him in. I hesitated, and Elowyn signalled for me not to. But I went in anyway, Elowyn followed after a frustrated sigh.

After a few minutes of walking, Grace was found, bound by rope to a nearby pole. A cloth was placed in her mouth to gag her. A muffled shout came from her. She looked to be in decent shape.

“I can assure you, aside from not binding her to this pole, I didn’t hurt her, Razan.” The Golem spoke out. “If you want to free her, however.” He got between us. “You will have to defeat me first.”

We were both, however, interrupted by Elowyn.

“Screw that, how about I blast you here and now!” She shot a blast of fire at The Golem, with a smirk, he simply caught the fireball, fizzling and dissipating in his hands. “Nice try, little one.”

I stood there in shock at just how easily a fireball was destroyed. Elowyn looked more or less the same way. She likely wasn’t used to people doing that in her hundreds of years of existence. “Just who are you?” Elowyn asked.

“Who am I? Razan would know.” The steel around his face began to melt, revealing a more human face. The eyes, the face, the hair. It was an exact copy of him.

“Tetsuo Yagami!” I yelled.

“Long time no see, sensei.” He spoke rather plainly. His face looked pained, masking itself behind a thin wall of stoicism.

Remaining participants: 79/100.

Game status: In progress.

Razan Hamada Status: Alive.