The village of Duskmire had returned to its quiet rhythm, but beneath that calm surface, careful eyes still observed every movement.
Knight Commander Luther moved steadily through the narrow pathways, his boots pressing into the soft earth as he went from one villager to another. His four knights followed behind, maintaining formation, their presence alone enough to make the villagers uneasy.
"Tell me again," Luther said calmly to an elderly man, "what you saw that night."
The man swallowed slightly before replying, "A tall man… wearing green clothing. He used wind magic… and fought with two swords."
Luther's expression did not change,
"His face?"
"…Not clear, sir "
Luther nodded once and moved on.
Another villager….
Same answer…..
Then another...
Same story…..
No hesitation...
No contradiction…..
No mistake...
After nearly an hour of questioning, Luther finally stopped in the centre of the village, his gaze sweeping across the small settlement.
"…Consistent," one of his knights murmured
"Too consistent," another added quietly
Luther remained silent for a moment.
Then he exhaled softly,
"…Or simply the truth "
He turned slightly, "We have no evidence to suggest otherwise."
One of the knights frowned, "But Commander… defeating a Goblin General alone...…"
"Is not impossible," Luther interrupted calmly.
"Rare,But not impossible…."
He looked towards the edge of the village.
"Prepare to leave. I will file the report accordingly."
The knights nodded
Soon, the group mounted their horses once more, the sound of hooves echoing softly as they began their departure.
Duskmire slowly faded behind them.
Inside a small wooden house, Bram stood by the window, watching as the knights disappeared into the distance.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, quietly,...."…Aragorn "
A faint smile touched his lips
"We kept our promise "
He folded his arms gently, his gaze still fixed outside.
"No one spoke a word beyond what was agreed."
His voice lowered slightly
"Your truth… is safe with us "
The wind brushed softly against the wooden walls as the scene slowly faded.
Far to the north, near the borders of Forestfell, another group had arrived.
Five knights stood before a towering natural barrier of thick wooden logs and ancient trees intertwined together, forming the unique border of the elven kingdom.
At the front stood another commander,Commander Raven , an elite knight of Brightshore, his posture firm yet respectful. Behind him stood four knights, their expressions cautious.
The forest ahead was unnaturally quiet.
Then….,
Movement….
From within the trees, two figures emerged.
Elves....
Clad in green garments reinforced with silver armour, their movements were silent, their presence sharp and disciplined. Their eyes carried a quiet arrogance as they stepped forward,
"Halt," one of them said coldly
Raven stepped forward calmly, "We are a unit from Brightshore Kingdom."
The elves said nothing
Raven continued, "There has been an incident in the neutral lands. A village named Duskmire was attacked by a goblin force, including a Goblin General."
The elves exchanged a brief glance
"We are here to inquire if Forestfell has any knowledge regarding this matter."
The two elves turned slightly, speaking to each other in low voices.
Then one of them looked back, "Wait here "
Without another word, they disappeared back into the forest.
Time passed....
Minutes turned into nearly an hour.
The human knights stood still, waiting under the silent pressure of the forest's gaze.
Then...Footsteps....a new figure emerged.
Taller….. Sharper…... Authority radiated from him,
The elven border commander,
His long silver hair rested neatly over his shoulders, and his armour was far more refined than the others.
"Commander Eryndor," one of the elves introduced.
Eryndor's eyes settled on Raven,
Cold...
Evaluating...
"We have heard your words," Eryndor said, his voice calm yet distant. "Forestfell has no involvement in your incident."
Raven maintained his composure, "Understood, However, I was instructed by my king to request a meeting with your diplomatic minister."
For a moment, the air grew heavier.
Eryndor's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…You humans," he said quietly, almost dismissively.
Then he turned away slightly,"Wait..."
He disappeared once more into the forest.
This time, the wait was longer.
The knights shifted slightly, the tension slowly building.
Finally Eryndor returned,
"You may enter," he said
A brief pause
"But understand this ", His voice grew colder
"You are not welcome here "
Raven's jaw tightened slightly, but he said nothing.
Eryndor continued, "Two of our knights will escort you. You will go directly to the designated inn."
Two elven soldiers stepped forward
"You will not wander. You will not explore. You will not interfere."
His eyes narrowed slightly
"If not for diplomatic necessity… you would not be allowed beyond this point."
Silence followed
Raven bowed his head slightly
"…Understood….."
The gates opened, and for the time, the human delegation stepped into Forestfell…..
Not as guests….
But as tolerated outsiders…..
Far away, near the borders of Wolfden, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The massive corpse of the serpent still lay on the ground, its presence dominating the clearing like a fallen titan.
The beastmen stood in quiet awe.
Aragorn and Jessy walked forward, unbothered, as if what had just happened was nothing extraordinary.
One of the beastmen stepped forward cautiously.
"…You two…"
He hesitated
"…You're not normal travellers "
Aragorn smirked slightly, "You figured that out now?, haha yes we are adventures "
Jessy folded her arms, a faint smile on her lips
The beastman exhaled slowly before stepping aside.
"You've done us a great service. This village… it owes you "
Aragorn glanced ahead at the settlement.
Simple…..
Rough...
But alive…..
"…Then let's see what this place has to offer "
Jessy looked at him sideways, "Food first."
Aragorn chuckled lightly, "Agreed…."
As they walked toward the village, the tension slowly faded, replaced by a strange sense of calm.
But not far from them…
Hidden within the trees…
A pair of glowing eyes watched silently
Observing...
Waiting...
And as Aragorn stepped forward the story quietly moved toward its next turning point.....!!