Duties of a Leader

The morning sun bathed Greenwood in a golden glow, the starbloom grove shimmering under Sylthar’s barrier, its silver-blue runes pulsing softly. At the greenhouse site, the air buzzed with activity. Akira, Fenwick, Tilda, Mira, Torin, Liora, and a dozen elves worked in harmony, their hands steady as they fitted the glass panes into the massive frame of the big greenhouse. Kael had joined them today, his auburn hair tied back, his bow slung over his shoulder, his hands deftly lifting glass with elven magic. The three smaller greenhouses gleamed nearby, their completion a testament to days of labor, their glass catching the light like captured stars.

Akira paused, wiping sweat from his brow, his dark eyes scanning the structures. Almost done, he thought. But with all these greenhouses, we’ll harvest more than we can eat. We need a storage house, or the extra crops will rot. His mind churned with plans—when a deep, resonant voice echoed in his head, startling him.

"Human… Akira, what are you doing?"

Akira flinched, his voice a whisper. “Sylthar? I’m still not used to this telepathy.”

Sylthar’s tone carried a hint of amusement. "You’ll adjust, Akira. But more importantly, what are you doing?"

Akira glanced at the others, their hands busy, and replied mentally, "We’re finishing the big greenhouse today. What’s wrong, Sylthar?"

Her voice grew serious. "We have company. Three humans at the village gate, in a carriage. They want to enter, but my barrier stops them. What do you want to do?"

Akira’s heart quickened, his voice firm. "Don’t open the barrier yet. Wait for my signal."

"Understood," Sylthar replied.

Akira raised a hand, his voice cutting through the chatter. “Everyone, stop for a moment.”

Kael paused, a glass pane hovering in his magic, his brow furrowed. “What’s wrong, Akira?”

Akira’s tone was steady. “Sylthar just contacted me—three humans are at the village gate. They can’t get in because of her barrier.”

Tilda’s emerald eyes narrowed, her white braids glinting as she set down a pane. “Humans? Here? After 400 years of silence? What’s their game? Don’t tell me they heard about you, Akira, and think they can waltz in to resume trade. Just because we trust you doesn’t mean we’ll roll out the welcome for every human.”

Fenwick adjusted his green cap, his voice cautious. “Tilda’s got a point. Humans don’t just show up in Greenwood. Could be trouble.”

Akira shook his head, his tone calm but firm. “Let’s not jump ahead. They might be lost, stumbled here through the Whispering Woods. We’ll find out. Liora, can you take over here? Tilda, Kael, come with me. If anything happens, Sylthar will let you know through telepathy.”

Liora nodded, her moonstone bracelet glinting as she directed the elves. “We’ve got this. Go.”

Sylthar’s voice echoed in Akira’s mind again. "Bring them to me, Akira. If they’re up to no good, they won’t dare try anything with me here."

Akira smiled, replying mentally, "Thank you, Sylthar. That’s perfect. Can you tell Thalion to meet us there, too? And… maybe roar, loud enough for them to hear. If they’re thieves or worse, it might scare them off."

Sylthar’s laugh rumbled in his head. "Clever, Akira. I’ll do it."

Akira, Kael, and Tilda hurried toward the village gate, the starbloom grove parting around them, its petals glowing softly. As they approached, a thunderous roar shook the air, Sylthar’s voice echoing through the forest, deep and primal. The ground trembled faintly, and Kael’s eyes widened. “That’s Sylthar-sama. She’s not playing around.”

Tilda’s lips twitched, her tone dry. “If those humans have any sense, they’re running already.”

At the gate, a carriage stood before the shimmering barrier, its horses snorting nervously. Two men stood beside it—Garrick, his weathered face familiar from Havenbrook, and a taller man in a velvet cloak, his posture stiff with authority. Garrick’s eyes scanned the barrier, his voice low. “This must be what’s stopping us. Never seen anything like it.”

The cloaked man, Lord Drayce, frowned, his tone sharp. “A barrier? How do they come and go, then? If we use force, we can break through.” He stepped forward, pressing his hands against the barrier, his muscles straining. The runes flared, unyielding, and he stumbled back, cursing. As he is doing that, they hear the roar.

Garrick grabbed his arm, his voice urgent. “Wait, Drayce. You heard that roar? That’s no ordinary beast. This barrier’s likely it's doing. We can’t force our way in.”

Drayce’s eyes narrowed, his voice skeptical. “A creature casting a barrier this strong and beautiful? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Garrick placed his hand on the barrier. "We never came here until now. Who knows, maybe this forest's creature."  

As they spoke, Akira, Kael, and Tilda emerged from the grove. Akira’s voice was calm but firm. “Garrick? What are you doing here? Lost in the forest?”

Garrick’s face lit up, his tone warm. “Akira! Long time no see. No, we’re not lost. We came to talk with you.”

Akira glanced at Sylthar through telepathy. "Sylthar, I know Garrick. Open the barrier, but stay ready."

"Bring them to me," Sylthar replied, her voice steady. "We’ll talk with them, where I can watch."

The barrier shimmered, parting like a curtain of light, and Akira gestured. “Come inside. Bring your carriage. We’ll sit and talk.”

Garrick and Drayce guided the carriage through, the barrier sealing behind them with a soft hum. As they followed Akira, Garrick’s eyes caught the greenhouses in the distance—three small ones complete, the large one half-built, its frame gleaming. Plant houses, he thought, remembering Akira’s talk with Durin in Havenbrook. He actually did it.

They reached the field where Sylthar lounged, her granite scales glinting, her amber eyes fixed on the newcomers. Rhygar played nearby, elf children giggling on his back. Garrick froze, his voice a whisper. “A stone drake… That’s what roared. That’s what made the barrier.”

Drayce’s face paled, his tone shaky. “A legendary creature? Stone drakes don’t live in villages. They could raze a city with a single spell. How do they control it?”

Sylthar’s voice boomed, her eyes narrowing. “Humans, you think they control me? I’m here because I chose to be. I am Sylthar, guardian of Greenwood.”

Thalion stood nearby, his silver hair gleaming, his posture calm but alert. Sylthar’s voice softened. “Everyone’s here. Let’s talk about why you came.” She raised a claw, green light flaring, and a long stone table rose from the soil, six chairs forming around it, their surfaces smooth and warm.

Garrick’s jaw dropped, his voice awed. “That… that’s incredible.”

Drayce swallowed, his tone nervous. “As the book's written, it's actually Dangerous.”

Akira smiled, his voice warm. “Thank you, Sylthar.” They sat—Akira, Kael, Tilda, and Thalion on one side, Garrick and Drayce on the other. Akira’s tone was direct. “Garrick, introduce your friend, and tell me why you’re here.”

Garrick cleared his throat, his voice steady. “This is Lord Drayce, a merchant and a noble from Stonehaven. I’m Garrick Louis, as you know, from Havenbrook. We came to discuss something important.”

Akira leaned forward, his eyes sharp. “I am Akira Sato, this is Thalion, this is the gnome's leader, Tilda, and this is my friend Kael. Now, what’s this about?”

Garrick glanced at Sylthar, her presence looming, then at Tilda, his brow furrowing. A gnome? I heard their harvests failed, and they closed their borders. Why’s she here?
He shook his head, focusing. “Akira, in Stonehaven, we grow and trade vast crops—wheat, barley, from Havenbrook, too. But over half rots before we can use it, even as our people go hungry.”

Akira’s brow raised, his tone curious. “You have scholars in Stonehaven, yet you come to me? Why?”

Garrick’s voice got quiet. “Our scholars tried storage methods, but they failed or fled with the coin. I’ve never met anyone like you, Akira. You told Durin you’d build plant houses—and here they are. You know things others don’t.”

Akira leaned forward. "Ok, I have something in mind, but what I get, what Greenwood would get, if I share my plan with you guys. Don't tell me you guys think I would do it for free."

Garrick's voice starts to rumble. "Of course. We didn't think it would be free. It's just the king tells us to bring you to Stonehaven, that's why we didn't bring anything to trade."    

Drayce leaned forward, his tone impatient. “The king himself sent us. He wants you in Stonehaven to share your knowledge. Just because you get accepted by other races doesn't mean you forget that you are human in the first place.”

Thalion slammed his fist on the table, his voice sharp. “Stonehaven? You think you can summon Akira like a servant? That’s nonsense.”

Akira raised a hand, his voice calm. “Thalion, it’s okay. Garrick, I’m not going to Stonehaven. I won’t leave Elara, especially now. I’ve settled my duties to stay here, with Greenwood. There's just no way I can go with you guys.”

Drayce shot to his feet, his voice indignant. “You are refusing the king’s order? You have a duty to help humanity! Where’s your leader? I’ll speak to him!”

Kael stood, his bow in hand, his eyes fierce as he stepped beside Akira.

Drayce turned to Thalion, his tone demanding. “You’re the leader, aren’t you? We’ll take him to Stonehaven, no matter what. It's the king’s orders!”

Garrick grabbed Drayce’s arm, whispering urgently. “Drayce, don’t be a fool. They’ve got a stone drake. If we offend them, they might not let us leave here. The king’s army can’t fight that; nobody from this world can fight that thing. They haven’t forgotten what humans did 400 years ago.”

Sylthar rose, her roar shaking the ground, her amber eyes blazing. “Human, this isn’t your home or Stonehaven. You’re a guest here, nothing more; know your place. Think you can force Akira? Try it with me standing here.”

Drayce’s face paled, his voice trembling. “I… I didn’t mean it like that.”

Sylthar’s tone was cold. “And you seek the leader? Akira is the leader.”

Garrick and Drayce froze, their eyes wide. Akira’s voice was calm but firm. “Garrick, I know you guys have come a long way, and you helped us find Durin’s shop in Havenbrook, and I’m grateful. But I don’t owe humanity anything. My duty is to Greenwood, to make it thrive, to help other races—like the gnomes and Drawves.”

Garrick’s shoulders slumped, his voice quiet. “Akira, Then---”

Akira’s eyes softened, but his tone held firm. “But, you guys will just sell stored crops at high prices when they’re out of season.”

Garrick, his voice calm. "I swear, that’s not our intent."

Akira's eyes softened, his voice tone warm. "Then here’s my offer: tell your king to come here himself. Bring something to trade—something fair. If he cares about his people, he won’t mind the journey."

Drayce’s voice rose, incredulous. “The king, come here? You think—”

Sylthar’s growl cut him off, low and menacing. Akira raised a hand, his voice steady. “It’s fine, Sylthar. Drayce, if your king won’t come, that’s not my problem. I don’t need this deal; it's you guys who need this deal. If you’ve nothing else to say, you can go.”

Garrick stood, his voice pleading. “Akira, please—”

Akira cut him off, his tone warm but final. “We don’t send guests away empty-handed. Kael, fetch a jar of Mom’s apple preserves and a basket of froststrawberries. Bring them to the gate.”

Kael nodded, sprinting off. Akira, Thalion, Tilda, Garrick, and Drayce walked to the gate, the barrier parting as they approached. Kael returned, handing Garrick the jar and basket, their ruby fruits gleaming. Akira’s voice was kind. “Give these to your king. A gift from Greenwood.”

Garrick’s eyes softened, his voice low. “Thank you, Akira.”

Drayce climbed into the carriage, silent, his face still pale. As they rode off, the barrier sealed behind them, its runes glowing. Akira sighed, his voice weary. “That wore me out more than building greenhouses.”

Kael grinned, his tone light. “You handled it like a true leader.”

Tilda’s lips twitched, her voice approving. “You put those humans in their place. Well done.”

They returned to the greenhouse site, where Liora and the others worked, the glass panes gleaming. Tilda recounted the encounter, her voice animated, the elves laughing at Drayce’s bluster. The group resumed, Torin, Fenwick, and Mira weaving their magic, soil transforming into molten glass, each pane flawless. Akira and the elves fitted them into the frame, their magic precise, the structure rising like a cathedral of light.

By afternoon, the big greenhouse stood complete, its glass sparkling, its interior vast and ready for crops. The elves cheered, their voices echoing, Akira’s heart swelling with pride. “We did it,” he said, his voice warm. “Greenwood’s future is brighter.”

The group dispersed, returning to their cottages. Akira entered Hana’s cottage, finding Elara on the porch, her silver hair glowing in the evening light. “Elara,” he called, his voice soft. “You okay?”

She smiled, her hand on her belly. “Perfect. Just enjoying the barrier’s glow.”

Akira bathed, the warm water easing his tension, then joined Elara, Hana, Saya, and the silver spirit for dinner. He recounted the day—Sylthar’s roar, Drayce’s arrogance, the greenhouse’s completion. Hana’s eyes sparkled, her voice proud. “You stood tall, Akira.”

Elara squeezed his hand, her tone warm. “Greenwood’s lucky to have a leader like you.”

The silver spirit giggled. “Tasty day!”

As they laughed, the barrier’s glow bathed the cottage, a quiet promise of safety and home.