Corvis Eralith
A beak tapping on my window woke me up, the pale light of autumn filtering through the leaves of the Watchful Willows and washing my room in soft shades of gold.
The familiar sound pulled me from a dreamless sleep, and I blinked against the soft glow, my mind still heavy with the weight of everything that had happened in the Hearth.
Coco chirped, greeting me as I moved to open the window behind my bed. The glass slid up smoothly, and the crisp morning air rushed in. The robin hopped onto the windowsill, her golden eyes bright and her feathers ruffled from the flight.
"Good morning, milord," Coco said, her voice warm and familiar in my mind. "I find you well this morning."
"How is the flock doing?" I asked, stretching my arms above my head, feeling the pleasant pull of muscles that had rested too long. "Are they getting acquainted with Zestier?"
I had ordered each member of the Clan to watch over one of Zestier's fifteen Boughs, with Soleil tasked with the Bough of the Royal Palace.
The flock had accepted the assignment gladly, taking their Sambhogakayas and beginning their vigil over Sprout City: the first step to create a society of Asuras and non-Asuras, the dream that was the base of the Hearth itself.
"Everyone loves Zestier, milord!" Coco informed me, her voice bright with enthusiasm. "Yours was a wonderful idea!"
"Thank you," I said, hearing Berna stir behind me. She shrugged herself awake, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep with a soft growl. "I will visit the Company today, Ayden is in Riverside Yard right? He hasn't switched Boughs with anyone, right?"
"No one would dare," Soleil said, and I sighed.
"If someone wants to change Boughs, come and tell me," I said, my voice firm but gentle. "We will resolve it. My orders are not absolute; I want that to be clear."
"Understood," Coco said, taking flight again, her small form disappearing into the golden morning light.
—
I traveled to the Vedette Grove with Wind Surfing on my new wand-cane, the wind currents carrying me smoothly through the streets of Zestier.
The autumn air was crisp against my face, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and distant woodsmoke, and for a moment, I let myself enjoy the sensation of movement, of freedom.
The cane beneath my feet was perfectly balanced, responsive to my slightest shift in weight, and I moved through the city like a bird skimming the surface of a still lake.
But this time, I didn't have Avicenna to chat with during the trip. The absence of his voice in my mind was a hollow space, a silence that felt louder than any conversation.
So I just fidgeted with the jade bracelet around my wrist, tracing the smooth surface with my thumb, feeling the faint hum of magic that pulsed beneath the stone.
Evascir's craftsmanship was impeccable—I could almost sense the armor beginning to form, layer by patient layer, waiting for the day it would be needed.
The Unraveler's Company headquarters welcomed me again, its familiar facade rising before me like an old friend. I had walked through these doors as the Prince of Elenoir, as the candidate for Throneholder of Darv, and now as Highprince of the Asclepius.
Each identity was a mask I wore, a role I played, and yet they were all part of the same person.
I walked to my office, Berna laying in her usual corner, her massive form curled into a comfortable heap, her green eyes tracking my every movement.
I sat on my armchair, the leather creaking beneath me, and I let out a long, slow breath. Just a week until the Darffest, I said in my mind, trying to put order to my thoughts.
The most important festival in dwarven culture, the celebration of Darff's birth, that would be the culmination of Finn Warend's campaign for Throneholder.
I had to get my Lifework done before it, but time wasn't a real problem as long as I had REtrocurrent. I could just try and try again with my Lifework until I managed it. Death was no longer an ending—it was a reset button, a chance to learn from my mistakes and do better.
Yes, I would finish a bit of paperwork for the Company and then head to Azellio to meet up with Evascir, now disguised as a Sornèvaine in the newly blossoming Holy City.
The Titan had already begun integrating himself into elven society, building connections, establishing trust. It was a slow process, but it was progress.
However, as I prepared to read some unraveling reports that the good clerks of the Company had left on my desk, a bird entered from the open window.
A bald eagle—but with feathers of a completely different color from those of Earth: a charcoal-grey body, eyes of a deep red, and a white head bleeding to orange and gold in some plumes. The sight of it was striking, almost otherworldly, and I recognized it immediately.
"Ayden," I greeted the Asclepius tasked with guarding the Bough of Riverside Yard.
"Eralith," Ayden greeted me back, walking around my desk with the easy confidence of someone who had known me in another life. He was very carefree with me, and I wondered what kind of relationship we had shared in my past life. "Should I call you Lord? But I really don't want to..."
"It is fine," I replied, looking at the bright red eyes of the eagle on my desk. "Call me however you like. How are you finding yourself in Zestier anyway?"
"New Farethra is a very nice city," Ayden replied, his voice bright with enthusiasm. "And this neighborhood you have tasked me with protecting is just as beautiful. I love fishing in the Winetail—it lets me practice with my beak and find very tasty meals."
"New Farethra?" I asked, confused.
"We call Zestier New Farethra," Ayden said, cocking his head. "Farethra was our hometown in Epheotus. Featherwalk Aerie."
"Featherwalk Aerie?" I repeated, the name stirring something in my memory. "Isn't that home to the Avignis Clan?"
Ayden made a powerful eagle's cry, his wings spreading wide. "Those Phoenixes are nothing compared to us Eralith!" he said, puffing his breast with pride. "We are the true masters of the Phoenix race."
I chuckled at his zeal. I shouldn't have pressed the button of Asuran rivalry.
"Thank you for telling me," I said, turning my attention to the papers before me. "Now I have some paperwork to do."
I took a sheet of paper reporting about one of the many unravelings that had happened in the last two weeks. Ayden hopped closer to take a peek, his red eyes scanning the text with obvious curiosity.
"The ruins of the peaceseekers?" he asked. "Eralith, can I become an Unraveler too?"
"Ayden, I cannot exactly make you an Unraveler," I started, shaking my head. "You are, well, an eagle."
And he was also an Asura.
"But you made Berna an Unraveler," Ayden objected, his voice taking on a note of indignation. "Actually, she is a two-time Unraveler: Dungeon Crawlers and Moonguards."
"And how do you know that?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I have been listening to every conversation held in my assigned territory," Ayden said, puffing his chest again. "In case anyone tried to do something bad, you know? In fact, I have already stopped five robberies."
I blinked in surprise. He was taking this role very seriously—that was good news. Sprout City had a very low crime rate thanks to the Leafguard and the Royal Police, but crimes still existed. If Ayden helped prevent them, I would not complain.
"You want to be assigned as someone's bond?" I asked, trying to understand his angle.
"What?! No!" Ayden recoiled, his feathers ruffling in indignation. "I am an Asclepius! I was more thinking about going on an Unraveling with you. Like the good old times, in the chambers of the Hearth when it was still under construction!"
I felt a pang of nostalgia at his words, a ghost of a memory that was mine, but I couldn't quite focus.
"I am flattered," I said gently, "but I have too many things to do." I paused, considering. "Are you sure you do not want to be assigned to someone else? Actually... I know someone who might be a perfect partner for you."
Said partner slammed the door of my office open. Speaking of the devil, Albold Chaffer stood at the threshold, his face split by a triumphant grin as he saw me.
"Corvis, finally I found you," Albold said, walking to the chair in front of my desk, the one for guests. He sat down without being invited, crossing his arms, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my stomach clench. "You are Finn Warend, right?"
I opened my mouth at this sudden declaration. Ayden moved to the edge of the desk and stared down at Albold, his red eyes unblinking. For a second, I feared the Asura might annihilate the Chaffer right there—but he just stared.
"You have a new pet?" Albold asked, reaching out to pet Ayden's head. The Asclepius beaked the hand about to touch him, causing Albold to yelp in surprise.
"Bad eagle!" he shouted, shaking his hand.
"Yes," I admitted, not finding any reason to lie. "I am Finn Warend. Are you... angry?"
"No," Albold replied, leaning back on the chair and folding his hands behind his head. "Now. I need a new Unraveling party."
"You fought with Ashton?" I asked, a familiar weariness settling over me. Couldn't those two elves get along? "Again?"
"Auddyr has nothing to do with it," Albold said, looking away. "For once..."
"What happened to Ashton, then?"
"He wants to retire from being an Unraveler," Albold said, shrugging. "He became one in the first place because his family wanted him to get closer to you, and because he wanted to visit the Wild East. The first: he is one of your only friends. The second: the guy is not interested in Unravelings anymore."
"I see," I said, a bittersweet pang settling in my chest.
Losing an Unraveler like Ashton would be a heavy hit to the Company, but if that was what he wanted, I was happy for him, and in the end...
We would still meet when Tessia wanted him as her "knight" in our spar games, or when he wanted to train with Alwyn. It was not like I would never see him again.
"Well, I have a perfect proposal for you!" I said, taking Ayden by his legs. The Asclepius complied after an initial surprise. "This guy right here is going to be your new fellow Unraveler!"
Both Albold and Ayden cried out in surprise—a "what?" from Albold and a short eagle cry from Ayden.
"That is right," I confirmed. "Albold, I present to you the new member of the Dungeon Crawlers. Like that, we will not need to disband the party, and both I—still as Finn—and Ashton will be able to join new Unravelings when we want."
I offered Ayden to Albold. Both the elf and the Phoenix awkwardly looked at each other. Ayden hopped down from my arm and saluted Albold with his wing.
"What is his name?" Albold asked me. Ayden too turned his head to ask me what his name was—he couldn't use Ayden.
"Ehm..." I stuttered. I knew what name Tessia would give an eagle—Eagly—but I was sure as Fate was real that Ayden would hate it. "Altair."
Altair was the name of the brightest star in the Aquila constellation on Earth. It fitted a Phoenix. Surely more than a name like Coco.
As proof of that Ayden seemed glad of his cover name, making a satisfied sound.
"Nice to meet you, Altair," Albold said. He tilted his head to look at me from Ayden's right. "What does he eat?"
Back in the Hearth, while we celebrated Ran and Palmyra's wedding, I had seen Ayden eating lots of dried fruits and meat that looked like venison.
"Venison... dried fruits..." I listed. "Get creative. I will sign the papers to have his Unraveler's tag forged. Now get out; both of you—I have work to do. You can start getting to know each other."
And finally, I was left in peace with my thoughts and my paperwork. The silence settled around me like a familiar blanket, and I returned to working.
Tessia Eralith
"A little bit of mana, and here you are," I murmured, my mind deeply focused on the task at hand. I traced a gentle pattern through the soil of the flower pot, feeding a whisper of plant magic into the roots, encouraging them to drink, to grow, to thrive. "All good."
I was tending to the plants of one of my neighbours in Milicas Liane—a sweet, elderly lady who lived all alone after her husband's death and her son's move to Asyphin in search of a new life.
Her garden had been neglected, the flowers wilting, the herbs fading, and I had made it my mission to restore it. Every visit, I brought a little more life back to her small patch of earth.
"Thank you, Princess," the old lady said, her voice trembling with gratitude. "Your help is truly a gift from Everbosk."
"Anytime," I said, standing up from the flower pots and brushing the dirt from my hands. "Call me whenever you need. I insist."
"I will, Your Highness," she said as she accompanied me to the door. I waved goodbye and went to Hoofy's side, my heart swelling with affection for the patient creature who had been my companion through so much.
"Good job, warrior," I complimented my beloved Elenoi Highcolt, caressing his long, braided mane. His ears flicked at my voice, and he nuzzled against my shoulder, a soft whicker escaping his throat.
In Azellio, Hoofy had been gravely injured.
A tendon had been severed during his frenzied flight from that bastard of a Caduchicilist. Aya had found him dying in the valley when she went to explore by Dad's orders, the Lance discovering the poor thing lying in a pool of his own blood.
When she brought him back to Zestier, I had not waited a second to bring him to one of the best veterinarians of Sister House Vernisser. They had done everything they could, but the damage was too severe.
They said Hoofy would not be able to gallop anymore. He would never carry a rider on his back again.
Hoofy brushed his head against the side of my face, and I felt the warmth of his breath, the gentle pressure of his muzzle. I smiled, but it was a sad smile, tinged with the grief of what had been lost.
"I will never replace you," I told him, my voice steady despite the tears that threatened to spill. "We will find a way to make you run again."
For an Highcolt to be denied the right to run... the Forest herself recoiled at the insult to her natural order.
Speaking of the Forest, the Woods Wide Web was finally giving me some peace.
Too much peace, truth be told.
If I focused, I could still use it as much as I wanted, but she no longer called for me directly. And I did not like that. I was the Princess of Elenoir. After Mom and Dad, I should be the first one the Forest asked for help.
And while my parents had their two Lances. I had the Woods Wide Web. So why wasn't the Forest asking me what she needed? We were like sisters!
I sighed in frustration and gently walked Hoofy back toward my home in Milicas Liane, using wind magic to make it easier for him to walk, cushioning each step, reducing the strain on his remaining legs.
"Good boy," I told him. "Like this. One small step at a time."
The people passing through the street let us through, making space for me and my steed. I politely greeted them, thanked them, until I stood in front of my door.
"You did it, Hoofy!" I praised him. "You deserve a treat."
I kept many pots to decorate the entrance to my home, one of them containing verdant flowers that hid one of the greatest food sources the Forest had gifted us: Swift Carrots, or Carrottevit in ancient elven—a language the Woods Wide Web had given me an unsettling knowledge of.
I used plant magic to make them sprout even more, their orange tops emerging from the soil. They were called such because a plant mage could make them grow in just minutes if they had enough mana.
I picked two and offered them to Hoofy. He accepted them gladly, the sweetness easing his pain a little. But a knot tightened in my gut. Hoofy was suffering. He did not deserve to live like this.
However magic could not heal him. His right posterior leg was unrecoverable. The veterinarian from Sister House Vernisser had been forced to amputate it.
While I looked at Hoofy, trying to come up with a plan, I heard noises behind me. I turned and saw Aya Grephin exiting my house.
"Princess, good morning," the Lance said, dressed in simple clothes that did not reveal the deadly warrior she truly was. "I see you still have Hoofy with you."
"What is that supposed to mean, Grephin?" I asked, perhaps too venomously.
"You should consider his quality of life," the Lance said, her voice calm. "Nothing more."
"You dare imply I should kill my own steed?!" I clenched my fists, anger flaring. "No. You might be my teacher, but I do not have to listen to everything you say."
"I never said the contrary, Princess." Aya inclined her head. "If you will excuse me, I must return to the Royal Palace."
She walked away, leaving me alone with Hoofy and my dilemma. Dilemma? I was not going to kill him.
"Let us seek Corvis," I said, stroking Hoofy's mane. "He lost his hand, and he is clever. He will know what to do for you."
I whistled, using wind magic to send my call for Coco. The robin soon arrived, landing on the back of my hand as she always did.
"Where is Corvis?" I asked her. "I need to speak with my brother. Take me to him."
Coco chirped and took flight. "Stay here, Hoofy," I told my steed. "I am going to heal you. I swear it, as a Princess."
With that declaration, made to myself, to my steed, and to the Forest, I followed the robin.
—
I found my twin as he was gliding across Zestier on his wand-cane, "surfing"—as he called it—on the wind currents.
He passed through Portal Plaza, directed toward the archway of the Ancient Mages at the center of Zestier's busiest square.
"Corvis!" I called, waving my arms above my head. "Come here!"
He crouched, balanced on the shaft of his wand-cane, and changed direction toward me.
"Tessia," he said, stepping onto the ground and catching his cane as it flew upward. "Yes? I have to go to Azellio, I—"
"Yes, yes, Azellio," I interrupted. "I need your help with Hoofy."
"Hoofy? He is alive?" Corvis asked, surprise flickering across his face.
"Of course he is alive! What did you think?" I crossed my arms.
"Sorry, it is just that I have had so many things to do lately," he apologized. "Hoofy just never crossed my mind."
"Well, he needs our help," I said, ignoring his apology—which he always exaggerated anyway. "He lost a leg. I thought that perhaps you had a plan for him, seeing as you have a similar problem."
Even the Forest chastised me for how rude I sounded. Evoking the trauma of losing a hand just to get help for my steed was beneath me.
"Actually," Corvis said, "I was heading to Azellio for a similar reason. I want to work on something better to replace my hand."
"Really?!" My eyes widened, hope surging through me.
"Yes. If Hoofy is going to be my first client, all the better."
"First client?" I echoed. "Are you thinking like Finn Warend right now? That..."
"Oh, should I interpret it as you not wanting my help?" Corvis teased me back.
To shut him up, I threw my arms around him, hugging him so tightly that Coco flapped her wings in surprise.
"Thank you!" I shouted. "You are the best brother ever!"
Corvis Eralith
We arrived in Azellio from Zestier's portal—which was now secure from people like Nylith or whoever had built it originally, after I had locked it down with Avicenna's help.
The ancient Djinnic archway hummed with energy, its surface gleaming with the faint light of mana that pulsed through its carved runes. The connection between the Green Gem—or should I say New Farethra, as my Clan had started to call it—and Cradletown was now official to the public, albeit still limited and heavily controlled.
Only authorized personnel could pass through, and every arrival was logged, monitored, and verified.
The addition of Tessia was a surprise, but not unwelcome.
I hadn't expected her to insist on coming, but when she had learned I was heading to Azellio to work on my Lifework, she had refused to be left behind. I didn't know how much she could help me with my project, but making her meet with Evascir could turn useful in the future.
Azellio, in just a week since the last time I had been here, was completely transformed. Even with the mist still thick as usual—due to the valley's unique geography—the Treeful Phalanx had established a camp around the portal that already had the features of a proto-city.
Tents had been replaced by wooden structures, their walls reinforced with stone and mortar. Pathways had been cleared, the air was filled with the sounds of construction. It was the birth of something new, something that would one day rival the great cities of Elenoir.
"Your Highnesses, a pleasure to have you here today," Elder Jarnas Auddyr greeted us, his voice carrying the weight of a lifetime of command. He stood near the portal, his posture straight, his eyes sharp.
By his side stood Ashton, his grandson, his expression carefully neutral.
"Prince Corvis," Ashton said, his tone formal, but not cold. "Princess Tessia."
"Elder Jarnas," Tessia replied, her voice warm. "It has been a while."
"Ashton!" I said, genuinely surprised to see him. "You are here too?"
"Ashton is here to help me manage the troops in Azellio," Elder Jarnas informed me. "He has reached the age when he is suited to lead. This will be good experience for him."
I nodded, though inwardly I felt a pang of something darker. Lead the troops, I thought. I fear that will come in handy sooner than all of us would want.
The threads of Fate were already beginning to tighten, and I could feel the weight of them pressing down on my shoulders.
"If you need me, I will be in my tent managing the troops settled here." Elder Jarnas gave us a curt bow before excusing himself and leaving.
That elf was intense. Thinking that he and Grandpa were friends... those two couldn't be more different. Grandpa was warmth and laughter and thw wisdom that came from loving deeply. Jarnas was cold steel and unyielding discipline.
"Ashton," Tessia said, watching the departing Elder. "What kind of grandfather is Elder Jarnas?"
The question left the young Auddyr speechless. He wasn't used to personal questions. Strangely enough, it was with Albold—someone with whom he couldn't get along—and to a lesser extent with me, as Finn, that I had seen Ashton share the most of himself.
"Grandfather is an experienced and resourceful elf," Ashton said carefully. "I never stop learning from him."
"But?" Tessia prompted.
"Nothing else," Ashton replied calmly, shaking his head.
The question clearly left Tessia unsatisfied, but a large black bear interrupted us before she could press further: Lugano.
Evascir's bond padded through the clearing made by the Treeful Phalanx around the Djinnic archway, ignoring Ashton and walking straight toward me and Berna.
His growl was low, amicable, a greeting that seemed almost intimate—especially to my own bond.
"Who is that bear?!" Tessia exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise at the appearance of the giant Lugano.
Berna growled back at Lugano, turning her head away and moving closer to me. Oh, playing hard to get now, are we, Berna? I joked in my head.
Tessia's mouth fell open in shock at how the two Guardian Bears were interacting. "Corvis! That bear is shamelessly flirting with Berna!" She exclaimed, stepping toward my bond and pushing against her side in a futile attempt to separate them. Berna ignored her completely.
"Berna, this is not how ladies behave!" Tessia shouted, her voice carrying an edge of indignation. "Ashton! Who is the master of this black-furred monster?!"
"He is the bond of one of the new settlers of Azellio, Princess," Ashton replied, watching Lugano with a wary eye. "He is not new to making problems."
"Corvis, don't you have anything to say?!" Tessia demanded. "Am I the only one worried for Berna?"
I shrugged my shoulders, a gesture of helplessness that only seemed to frustrate her more. Then, a familiar Asura—perfectly disguised as an elf—walked toward us, coming from the road of beaten earth that led away from the portal.
"Lord Ashton," Evascir said, his voice smooth and measured. "And... Your Royal Highnesses. I apologize for the behavior of my bond."
He bowed, both as an apology and as a greeting.
Seeing an Asura bow to lessers was a sight that would shake the very foundations of Epheotus. Windsom, in all his shortsightedness, would never suspect the identity of Lidayoz Sartobel.
Lugano glanced at Evascir, and the two exchanged a look—speaking telepathically, probably—and reluctantly, the black Guardian Bear moved away from Berna.
"Tessia," I began, stepping between Evascir and my sister. "This is Lidayoz Sartobel, a Sornèvaine settler. Lidayoz, this is my sister, Tessia Eralith."
"How do you know each other?" Tessia asked, crossing her arms. She didn't seem to like Evascir.
Was she sensing something about his identity with the Woods Wide Web?
"His Highness kindly offered me to settle in the Holy City," Lidayoz said smoothly. "I thought this would be the perfect place for me, leaving behind the ways of the Sornèvaines."
"Our Dad offers a much more convenient life in Zestier," Tessia rebuked, her tone sharp. "Less taxes. Crown endorsement for whatever job you would like. Even a place in the Royal Police, seeing your bond."
"Tessia, I don't think—" I began, but Evascir didn't need my help.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Prince Corvis," Evascir said, a faint smile playing at his lips. "But I can handle Her Highness's questions myself."
He turned to Tessia.
"While your observations make the most sense, Princess, you did not consider the importance of the Holy City to us. This is the birthplace of our people. What better place to settle than this?"
Tessia's lips moved as she tried to come up with a counterpoint, but no words came.
"Moreover," I interjected, "I already told Dad about giving the same privileges to the Sornèvaines who settle in Zestier to those who settle in Azellio. And I need Lidayoz's help here for Hoofy's leg as well."
"What?!" Tessia's eyes widened. "How? Ugh... fine!"
I smiled, a small victory. "Lidayoz here was a caravan leader. He offered me materials that will be very useful for my project."
"Like that bracelet on your wrist?" Tessia asked, pointing to the jade band Evascir had given me.
"Yes," Evascir replied, perfectly maintaining the cover story we had studied together. "It is a trinket typical of my caravan. I offered it as a sign of peace."
"Sure..." Tessia murmured, her voice laced with suspicion. She didn't believe me. Perhaps I would need to tell her the truth sooner than I had planned.
"Lidayoz, have you brought the malachite?" I asked him, steering the conversation back to safer ground.
He nodded. "Please, Your Highnesses, follow me."
And so we did, following the "Sornèvaine" through the new streets of Cradletown. The Treeful Phalanx had only built a single street for now—one that had the portal as its center and that then followed the coast of the Cyricon River.
The path was beaten dirt, far from being as elegant as the Promenades, Lianes, and Racines of Zestier, but it had a raw, untamed beauty that spoke of new beginnings.
We passed by the former ruins, now in the process of being renovated. The fog was thick, even at midday, but there was a strange coziness to it. The mist softened the edges of the world, making everything feel dreamlike, half-real.
"It is a bit hard to see here," I pointed out, "but I find it kind of cozy, you know?"
No one seemed to care about my comment. Tessia was too busy boring holes in Evascir's back with her eyes, while the Titan was not the kind of guy to make small talk—especially not while playing a role.
Only Lugano and Berna growled in response, a low, rumbling conversation that I could not decipher.
With the renovation works in Azellio, I could see that together with normal apple trees, there were other ones—much larger and taller.
Watchful Apples it seemed, another species of Watchful Trees, visible through the fog like ancient sentinels guarding the valley.
"Tessia, those are Watchful Apples!" I exclaimed, pointing at them.
"Yes, I felt them the first time we were here," Tessia replied absently, her attention too focused on Evascir. She leaned closer to me, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Corvis, I do not like this guy," she whispered.
"Don't be rude," I said. "Princesses don't whisper behind their people's backs."
"He is not one of our people," Tessia insisted. Was she seeing through Evascir's disguise? The thought sent a chill down my spine.
"Oh, and what proof do you have?" I asked, testing her theories as we walked through the foggy street.
"The Forest tells me so," she replied. "The Woods Wide Web is wary of him."
"Just that?" I asked, glancing at Coco on Tessia's shoulder. The robin was trying hard not to chirp in amusement.
"What if he is a human in disguise?" Tessia continued, her voice dropping even lower. "Sent here to spy on Azellio? A city with an Ancient Mages' portal?"
She had no idea about Evascir's true identity, but the Forest could still tell he was not an elf. But Asuran Narmanakayas were able to perfectly mimic other races—Soleil had explained it to me; actually it was not that different from how REmould worked.
Was the Elshire Forest seeing Evascir's soul? As far as I knew, there was no way to mask that.
"You sound ridiculous, Tessia," I said, keeping my voice light. "Why a Sornèvaine, of all disguises?"
"That is a good point, but..." Tessia trailed off, unable to find a reply.
A human, or even an half-elf, could disguise himself as an Arbèvaine, but a Sornèvaine? Their ways of life were difficult to imitate. The nomads of the Elshire carried their culture in their bones, in their traditions, in the very way they moved through the world.
"We have arrived," Evascir said, stopping in front of a renovated house nestled between a small thicket. "This is my current residence."
The building was modest, its walls freshly whitewashed, its roof thatched with reeds. A garden of medicinal herbs and wildflowers surrounded it, and the air was filled with the scent of mint and lavender.
"Thank you for your hospitality," I said, stepping through the doorway. "Tessia? Are you coming?"
"...Yes," she said, following me inside.