The Chronicles of Valana Volume 2: Elaria's Bane

by AB

Chapter 2

Trouble Comes to Those Who Wait

"We require food and a bed to sleep in." Drake turned to see three men in black and red hoods. They had a teenage-looking boy with them.

"For how many nights? Will you require any… pleasuring?" Beck and Drake had changed a lot since they had acquired the management of " Moonlight" but they still needed to make ends meet so it still served as a high-class boy harem.

"No, just food and a place to sleep, no questions either." The hooded man replied and gave him a pouch of gold.

"That should be enough to cover the expenses." He said.

"That, my dear customer is enough to eat, sleep and buy the whole damn place with everyone in it." Drake exaggerated.

"Drake, stop tiring the customers with your exaggerations." Beck punched his twin brother on his shoulder playfully and quickly grabbed the pouch of gold before the man could change his mind.

"Kaval, show the men to their rooms, they are not to be disturbed." Beck ordered one of the huge-looking guards, who nodded and led the men to their rooms upstairs.

"Something's off with them." Drake stated.

"Yes, I better go write a letter to our friend in the center-sea. He shall want to learn of this, and that boy… he reminds me of someone we once knew… know?" Beck rubbed his cheek trying to remember.

"He reminds me of Lucas when he was younger." Drake provided what Beck was trying to remember.

"Yeah, but not entirely, and did you look how he walked? T'was like he was drugged or something."

"Yeah… I'll go write that letter." Beck disappeared in the back room.

"The Ambassador of Oghelle is coming later right?" It had been a month since that incident with Dara and all hell had broken loose in Dara. Lucas had sent emissaries to all the Kingdoms. Aer'andil suspected he had also sent spies and hired mercenaries in order to find his son, but there had been no further developments so far.

Now Aer'andil lay on the grass on a clear tempered day. Norion was sitting on him, holding his hands behind his head. They loved doing this, lying about like so, talking and snogging. Aer'andil loved doing this with either Norion or Tha'ala or both.

"Yes, and I probably know what he'll be asking… " Aer'andil's voice trailed as his breath was sucked out of his mouth by an eager Norion.

Aer'andil tried to sneak his legs under Norion, Norion grinned and pressed down with his pert buttocks entrapping Aer'andil's crotch between his cloth-covered butt cheeks.

"F… uck!" Aer'andil did not even pretend to fight the urge to shove his hips upwards. He held Norion's head from behind and drew him in for another passionate, sloppy kiss.

"Ahem… " Someone cleared their throat to the left.

Norion turned his head grinning impishly to see three teen humans. Two boys and a girl.

The older of the two boys spoke. He was of average height and he was sporting a belly, he had a long face with brown eyes and brunette spiky short hair. "You should not be this… affectionate in public, it is not proper." He said with some disdain as if he had smelled something ugly.

Norion's face went serious and he tried to stand up but Aer'andil held on to him by his waist unwilling to let go.

"We think differently than you, human. Perhaps you would be less… of a prude snob if you had someone like Norion Anorion here snogging the life out of you." Aer'andil replied to the older male teen sporting a goofy smile.

The girl seemed to be completely lost unable to take her eyes away from him and Norion while the younger human boy stifled a giggle.

"I am Lovikor Averegn, the Crown prince of Oghelle here to see your High-King with my uncle, the ambassador of Oghelle. You will speak to me with respect, boy." Lovikor Averegn replied to Aer'andil who continued to grin. Norion tried to say something but stopped when he felt a squeeze on his waist, a signal from Aer'andil to stop.

"Respect? Earn it. I feel sorry for Oghelle then. They must feel very… ashamed of you," Aer'andil continued, seeing Lovikor Averegn change shades of red in anger.

"Why would the High-King, his royal awesomeness want to see you?" Norion said making Aer'andil laugh. He had taught him some of Earth's teen-speak the last forty years.

Lovikor Averegn tried to cover his anger with more poshness. "We are here on a very serious diplomatic mission from my father, the King of Oghelle and rightful ruler of all of Elaria. He will want to see me." Aer'andil stood up holding Norion by his hand.

"Why? Why would his Highness want to see a snobbish little brat like you? Your uncle is the ambassador, you're here probably because your father got tired of spanking your sorry ass and shipped you here for a few weeks." Aer'andil made everyone giggle except for Lovikor who clenched his fists and started walking with them.

"Excuse my cousin, sometimes he forgets that just because no one in Oghelle pushes back, everyone else outside of Oghelle will accept his bullshit." The girl noted. Norion looked over at her. She was taller than Lovikor, with long dark hair and a darker skin and blue eyes. Norion found her quite pleasing with her full red lips and penetrating stare. "My name's Bava Averegn and this is my younger brother Uer Averegn, pleased to meet you… what are your names?" She introduced herself obviously not to pleased with Lovikor.

"Well I'm Norion he's… what?" Norion looked at Aer'andil when he felt his love shoving his ribs.

"Nothing… well this is the Royal palace… his royal badass will see you in a bit I'm sure… " Aer'andil hoped the human teens wouldn't pick up that the guards actually opened the gates for him and not for them.

"This place is amazing… the island is soooo beautiful." Bava said, mesmerised by the carvings and architecture of the Royal palace. Uer just looked around taking it all in.

"He doesn't talk much does he?" Aer'andil ruffled Uer's hair smiling at the younger boy with his small frame, middle-eastern-looking complexion blue eyes and dark short hair. Uer smiled back at him. "No, I don't speak unless I have something to say." Bava rolled her eyes while Aer'andil grinned and passed a hand around Uer's shoulder. They walked the rest of the corridors and chambers to the throne room in almost silence as the Oghellen teens admired and took in the Elven craftsmanship.

The guards opened the throne room's doors to them with Aer'andil revealing his crown from inside his vest and placed it on his head before walking up to the throne with everyone bowing and sitting on it, crossing one leg over the other and draping his hands on the sides.

"You… you are the High-King!?" Lovikor exclaimed with Norion laughing. Bava and Uer looked surprised.

"Well yes… did I forget to mention that?" Aer'andil grinned.

"Why did you not tell me?" Lovikor continued.

"You did not ask and I did not feel like parting with the information without being asked." Aer'andil shrugged his shoulders replying in a very matter-of-fact manner.

His mother sat on the smaller throne to his left and slightly behind, Tha'ala entered the room a second later smiled bowing her head to Aer'andil and sat to his right. All three thrones were made of bark, tree trunks and leaves. Aer'andil's throne also had carvings on the legs and hands as well as a crown of yellow and red leaves above his head.

The various Ambassadors entered the room shortly after and bowed before Aer'andil before creating a semi-circle in front of him in the center of the room.

"I'll talk, you'll listen." Aer'andil spoke breaking protocol, then again it was not the first time by a long, long shot this new King-ling of the Elves did so in the forty years of his reign so far.

"Oghelle wants war, and what Oghelle does with the human kingdoms of Elaria is none of my concerns, BUT since the intelligence that has reached my ears and eyes your kingdom is preparing war against the Orkhavocs without provocation, it makes this my concern. Oghelle and Nikorn have sent out Ambassadors not just to my Kingdom but to all the Human kingdoms of Valana bartering for allies, support and pledging land and privileges for a war against the Orkhavocs. Lastly you come to me, High-King of all Elves and Elven lands to ask that I send armies to aid you. Have I got it down right Ambassador of Oghelle? Brother to the newly risen king of Oghelle?" Aer'andil never broke eye contact with Uer's and Bava's father.

"Imer Averegn, your grace. You are indeed quite well informed. Yes, that is what we have come here to ask of you." Imer knew better than to deny Aer'andil's words and gave a small bow with his head in acknowledgement.

"I am afraid that recent events prevent the Elves or Humans from providing any help to a war created against the Orkhavocs." A sly smile appeared on Aer'andil's lips.

"Recent events, my Lord?" Imer asked apprehensively.

"Quite, as of this morning the Orkhavocs are members of the Valana Alliance. Attacking them would be attacking all the member Kingdoms, at least attacking them without just provocation and empirical evidence of that provocation." Whispers erupted all over the throne room. Just then an elf dressed in all black and wearing a hood entered the room. Aer'andil saw him and motioned for him to step closer.

The elf walked hurriedly to the throne and kneeled before him before standing up and giving Aer'andil an envelope. Aer'andil nodded to him and he left as quietly as he had appeared.

Aer'andil opened and read the letter before whispering something that burned it up in his hand. Clasping his hands clean of the ash he looked up to those gathered and then to the Ambassador of Oghelle.

"For a few decades now the Elarian Human Kingdoms have invited me for a state visit… if you will have me I think I'll leave with you when you return to Oghelle." Aer'andil said in a neutral voice. His facial expressions had not revealed much while he had read that letter.

"Of course your highness, it would be Oghelle's greatest of honours for the opportunity for us to demonstrate our famed hospitality to you." Imer replied giving another small bow with his head and torso.

"Then it is decided, when you leave for Oghelle, I leave for Oghelle." Aer'andil looked to his mother and nodded, she nodded back and standing up she walked out of the throne room.

"Excuse the Queen-mother, state visits are a nightmare for logistics, security and whatnot, it keeps the regency council quite busy." Aer'andil expressed. "Until then you are all guests of the High-King, you will be given beds in the Royal palace and dine with me tonight, I believe you are to depart for Elaria the day after tomorrow?"

"Once again your highness is very well informed. We thank you for your hospitality." Imer stated.

"If you will follow me, sir." An Elf servant requested of Imer and the teens. It took Aer'andil three hours of sitting there until he was done for the day, all matters settled and attended to.

"You are going to Elaria?" Norion asked him as soon as the throne room was empty.

"Yes, there's trouble brewing there, trouble that could affect us." Aer'andil knew this was coming. Norion and Tha'ala had wanted to go visit other nations outside the Elven islands for the longest time.

"What did that letter say?" Tha'ala asked.

"It was from Beck and Drake… eight days ago three men, at least, passed by Eri'Adar and the new "Boys' pleasures". They had a boy with them."

"That's not exactly strange for their establishment." Norion stated.

"No, it was not that kind of… Beck said that the boy reminded him a lot of Lucas when he was younger… we know his son has been abducted."

"Oh… well you're not obliged to aid a friend who insults you." Tha'ala stood up from her throne and stood next to Norion in front of him.

"I know but this may not be your average ransom demand… Oghelle and Nikorn are gathering their armies for a fight against the newly formed Orkhavoc confederacy and reports are stating that Oghelle wants to expand amongst the human kingdoms as well. I would not put it beyond the King of Oghelle to have abducted Lucas' son to blackmail him into joining the war of aggression against the Orkhavocs. If Dara joins, then the rest of the alliance has to join as well whether we want to or not. In a single stroke the regicidal King will have managed his goal without giving any of the Human kings of Valana trade privileges or land or anything else. I do not want the Elves to join a needless war if I can avoid it."

"Hadn't thought of that… " Norion rubbed his chin in thought.

"No, neither had I but Terastil is quite the military strategy mind… and apparently politics as well." Aer'andil shrugged his shoulders and scratched his cheek.

"Many doubted you when you decided to keep the regency council and your tutors separate… I think I can see some of the merits." Tha'ala responded with Norion nodding his approval.

"I could not have the people that help me govern also teach me and thus influence me, sooner or later there would be trouble from the nobles and the people." Aer'andil reiterated his reasoning behind this particular action. Tha'ala and Norion already knew this but he liked to review his reasoning again from time to time and reevaluate it.

"What did you think of the Crown prince of Oghelle?" Norion asked him.

"Arrogant, self-important little bitch… what do you expect from the son of a general who killed his own king to become king I suppose… his son's ego is big enough to eclipse the sun." Aer'andil had no problem speaking his mind, he would have said the same if he had been asked this with Lovikor present. His passionate personality was aided by the fact that he was the highest authority in the Elven Kingdoms as well as Valana and he knew it.

Norion giggled. "Yes, I thought you'd say as much. Uer is cute though… and Bava… "

Aer'andil tried his best not to giggle or laugh at Norion. Being an Elven child nearing teenagehood, well for Elven standards at least, was a pain and a half. Elven puberty hit at around five hundred years old, but prior to that Elven boys particularly would be increasingly horny from the very first decades of their lives. Everything that walked on two legs caused their overactive libidos to go over the edge. It was not all bad for them though as their sperm would not become fertile until they were almost adults at a thousand years into their lives. This meant that they could fuck, screw and sex with anyone they wanted without any fear of unwanted pregnancies and their seed would taste of flowers and honey making for some very, very interesting times.

"I suppose… " Aer'andil replied with a chuckle.

"Variety is a good thing you know." Norion poked his tongue out at his lover.

"I am only interested in Tha'ala when it comes to girls, are you telling me you want us to fuck around with other boys?" Aer'andil tried to keep a straight face.

"Well… how about we… sample some of the best offerings out there? I mean we are young… very young after all." Norion replied re-arranging his family jewels.

"By all the magic… you are such sluts!" Tha'ala mocked in exasperation, making them burst into laughing. Aer'andil shrugged his shoulders with an impish smile, and standing up he held Tha'ala by her hand and gave her a deep wet kiss.

"Damn… you kiss… yum… " Aer'andil whispered making Tha'ala blush and bite her bottom lip.

"I want to come with you, we want to come with you." Norion said breaking their romantic trance.

"To Elaria? No." Aer'andil's face turned from erotic to serious in the blink of an eye.

"Yes, and you had better accept it."

"Don't do this okay? I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you two."

"No, you don't do this, neither me or Tha'ala are defenseless pets, I am very adept at magic and sword and Tha'ala can create some of the best illusions known to man or Elf."

"Besides, none of this matters when you have an angry host of tens of thousands men descend upon you, I've been in that situation and all your knowledge goes out the window. I nearly died three times in the last war and… I can't lose either of you two."

Tha'ala squeezed his hand. "There is no war currently in Valana or Elaria, you are going on a state visit to one of the most powerful nations in Elaria, it is a state visit, we'll have Elven Royal guards as well as Elarian Royal guards."

"Yes, that's what I'm afraid of… look I'm not going to debate this, you're not coming." Aer'andil barked at them and left.

"Ugh! Fine!" Norion left the throne room. On his way to the Royal bedchambers he felt himself impact something before stumbling back and down on the floor.

"Oh… ouch… " Someone said, it was Uer.

"Oh, hey, sorry wasn't paying attention." Norion helped himself up and then offered his hand to the younger boy.

Uer gave a small smile and stood up dusting himself. Norion thought he was ever so delectably cute. He wanted to strip the boy naked and suck him dry, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for now and looked at Uer.

"Where's the others?" Norion asked the boy.

"Walking around the gardens I think. I am trying to avoid Lovikor." Uer replied.

"Yeah he's a big douche isn't he?"

"Douche? I do not know this word." Uer said in his thick accent in the common, human language.

"Oh, sorry it's a word Aer'andil taught me, it means asshole or bad person."

"Yeah, he's a huuuuuge douche then." Uer grinned. It was the first time Norion had seen him smile and he liked it.

"Do you want to find the others and go to the "Tha'odath"? and spend some time there?" Norion asked him.

Uer raised a brow, curious and uncertain what that word meant.

"What does Tha'odath mean?"

"Oh, it means love caves, it is a system of caves just north of here, underground caves with bio luminescent algae in the water, it is pretty amazing if you haven't been there before." Uer nodded his approval. They walked until they found Bava and Lovikor in the southern gardens looking at the statue of a long dead Elven King. At least Bava was studying it and Lovikor was picking on his nails seemingly bored to death and annoyed.

"Bava, Lovikor." Norion acknowledged them. Bava beamed a smile at him.

"Where's your "lover?" Lovikor asked with a mocking sneer.

"He's around, thank you." Norion ignored him. "Me and Uer are going to the "Tha'odath" just north of here, want to come?"

"Sure, who is this?" Bava replied, pointing to the statue.

"That's Urelas, Aer'andil's grandfather." Norion told her.

"He looks so… regal, so sad." Bava caressed the statue's sword hand.

"Yes, he lost a son and grandson to war, a daughter to illness and he lived for almost sixty thousand years, I think he had a lot on his mind when this statue was made near the end of his life."

"Must be nice, being an immortal, have an eternity to rule and become ever more powerful." Lovikor said dismissively.

"To quote my love's spirit, "there is no immortality, but a being whose life ends at six to seven decades is going to perceive a being whose life ends at sixty or seventy thousand years as immortal. Likewise Elves perceive spirits as immortal for the same reason, perhaps." Norion recalled something Aer'andil had told him a few years ago.

"You live for tens of thousands of years you might as well be immortal." Lovikor dismissed what Norion had said.

Norion ignored him, "so shall we go?"

"Why would I want to go to some stupid caves?" Lovikor fired back, making his cousins roll their eyes and sigh.

"You don't have to come, Bava, Uer, coming?" Norion continued to ignore Lovikor's negativity.

"Yes, lead the way." Bava replied with dreamy eyes. Uer grabbed Norion's hand, Norion looked down and gave him a warm smile.

It was a half hour walk to the Tha'odath through thick pine forest and remote cliff sides full of birds and flowers of all colours.

"It'll rain later. I can feel it." Norion noted in the caves' entrance. Moss and ivy drapes hang over the entrance making it difficult to see if you didn't know it was there.

Norion pushed the moss and ivy drapes out of the way gently and held them open for Bava and Uer closing them behind him before Lovikor could enter. He heard the older teen grumble something pushing the drapes out of the way.

The only light in the cave was the bio luminescent algae's blue light emanating from the water. The only sound they could hear was a distant thundering, probably a subterranean waterfall.

"It is so beautiful in here." Bava remarked looking around.

"It is fucking wet and dark, I'm leaving." Lovikor barked but Norion had had enough.

"Then leave us in peace and take your infinite negativity with you, you spoiled brat." Lovikor looked at him with a completely stunned look in his face, for a moment Norion thought Lovikor would punch him instead the older boy turned and left.

Norion started removing his clothes. "Ehh what are you doing?" Uer asked him almost panicked.

"How else are we to swim?" Norion grinned. "Your bodies are nothing to be ashamed of." Norion told his younger friend as he removed the last of his garments standing there as naked as the day he was born. He knew that both Bava and Uer were checking him out and he cared not. He stood there for a few seconds before jumping in head first.

His now wet mob of wet long black hair came out of the water's surface, glistening in radiant blue. He grinned and waved for the two of them to join him.

Bava removed all but her underwear and jumped in. Uer thought about it for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and removing his clothes.

Norion of course made no effort to hide his checking them out. He had to admit that Bava had a very lean and athletic body. Her breasts seemed to be almost fully developed and her exposed thighs made Norion shiver from excitement. Uer was a child still, puberty was a long way away, he was lean and losing the baby fat. Norion if he had to guess would place him around ten to eleven years of age. His penis seemed to be somewhere between two and three inches and a bit on the chubby side of things. Norion thought he wouldn't mind in the slightest to pleasure both sister and brother. Not at the same time of course, but his raging hormones led his thoughts towards sucking Uer and fucking Bava. He shook his head and splashed at them showering their heads with the radiant blue water. They laughed and played and talked with Norion telling them of Elven Lore and stories of old until Bava said she was feeling cold and so stepped out and left, leaving them alone.

Norion grinned a mischievous smile and dove for Uer tickling him on his ribs and legs. Uer fought back trying to tickle him and soon enough their bodies were rubbing, before long Uer felt something rub his pecker. He looked down surprised and almost stunned before looking at Norion.

"Ooohhhhh… " Uer moaned feeling Norion skin his almost three-inch tool. "W… what are you doing?" Uer asked Norion in astonished bliss.

"This is called jerking off or wanking, trust me you'll be doing a lot of it from now on." Norion replied and started pulling it back and forth. Uer passed his hands around Norion's neck and used them and his legs for balancing as he could only touch the bottom of the cave standing on the end of his toes.

Uer's scent excited Norion almost as much as having his hand around the boy's penis tugging at it slowly. He had almost developed a rhythm when Uer shuddered moaning loud. His erect penis throbbing before going flaccid.

"Wh… what happened? That felt amazing!" Uer announced after catching his breath.

"You had your first orgasm, it's what happens when you over-excite your penis. Later on in a year or two you'll start shooting sperm or cum from it, it's how babies are made." Norion explained to the younger boy.

"Huh… babies are made by me shooting my sperm?" Uer asked perplexed.

Norion giggled at Uer's ignorance.

"No, silly, you stick your penis in a girl, fuck her for a bit and then shoot inside her, sooner or later she'll get pregnant."

"Uhm… how? What?" Uer seemed to still not get it.

"You know how girls have holes called vaginas or pussies instead of penises down there?" Norion asked him trying to not laugh and hurt the kid's feelings.

Uer thought on it, "Yes, but...ooohhhh eeewwww… why would anyone want to do that?" Norion couldn't hold himself anymore as he burst laughing.

"It is how babies are made and it can be quite intensely pleasurable for both, fuck a girl, touch her breasts, kiss her… you'll start liking it sooner or later… " Norion grinned at Uer and unwrapping the kid from around him, he walked-swam to the pond's edge and climbed out.

Aer'andil stood on the main veranda across from the Royal Bedchambers with his hands on the balusters gazing into the bright red setting sun and thinking.

"Sometimes you remind me so much of your father… " He turned to see his mother smiling warmly at him. She sat in a wooden bench near him crossing her hands on her knees.

He sat next to her placing his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her hands around him slowly caressing his cheek and shoulders. He could not even begin to express in words what those moments meant to him.

"You have been transforming into your bird more and more lately." Aer'andil whispered. He was worried.

"Do not worry my heart, I will not leave you before you are adult and ready but all things do come to an eventual end, even Elves have to learn this at some point in their lives." She placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"I have learned this lesson before I knew I was Elf." He rebutted her.

"It is true, you have faced more sorrow and death than any child should but the spirits have deemed it so and we must all do our duty in this world." She continued in her calm way.

"The spirits had nothing to do with it." His spirit sounded in his mind.

"I know, she does not, would you like me to tell her?" Aer'andil knew the answer to this and so did his spirit. Aer'andil did not expect an answer, this question was more along the lines of "I know, stop bothering me."

"The Dark Generals are out and about, we have waited long enough, trouble comes." His spirit continued, expressing its' worry, not something Aer'andil was accustomed to.

"Spirits… you are over a million years old and yet you have no patience, forty years is nothing and trouble is always here and there, Darkness requires no sleep or food." Aer'andil replied and switched his attention to his mother who was looking at him intently.

"Where are your thoughts taking you my young King?"

"High-King… " Aer'andil corrected her not out of actual concern for his title but because he knew what her answer would be and he liked hearing it."

"You may be High-King to all and everyone else, to me you are and always will be my son, my creation." Aer'andil smiled at her, hugging her back for a moment before sitting upright removing his head from her shoulder. He placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward on them looking down at the marble tiles.

"I have to go again and… Norion and Tha'ala… " His voice trailed, he knew what his mother would say even before she said it.

"You are afraid the people you love most in the world will end up getting hurt and it tears your very soul to pieces."

"Yes. I want to keep them safe and they want to come to Elaria with me… "

"You are perhaps feeling a hundredth of what your father and I felt when we had to send you away to that other world or when you had to go to Zah Dah, the lands of Shadow and Darkness when all we wanted to do was lock you up inside Gel'anr and never let you go. We could not do it then and you cannot do it now."

"I could actually… I am the High-King, one order from my lips and the guards will not let them out of the Royal Palace… "

"You'll only end up making them resent and hate you, you can't lock up those you care about just because you want to protect them. You have to let them go and hope that they can and want to return home safe to you. Abusing your power as a High-King will not only make Norion and Tha'ala resent you, it'll make other Elves start to doubt and distrust you."

"Sometimes I hate that you are right most of the time… " Aer'andil tried to chuckle.

"Most of the time?" His mother gave what could be considered a small laugh.

"You're not always correct you know!" Aer'andil whined.

"I'm sure there must have been times when I was not correct… I just can't remember any of them." She teased him making him poke his tongue at her.

"That doesn't mean you are always correct. It only means you have selective memory." Aer'andil teased her back.

"Oh sweetheart, that's called being a woman, get used to it, Tha'ala is bound to start acting her part sooner or later… once teenage urges subside a tad." She made him blush crimson.

"Well at least we… I have a few hundred years for that to happen." They both laughed heartily.

"I know you want to protect Tha'ala and Norion and you should, but you should also know when to compromise, otherwise the next few tens of thousands of years with them will be torture instead of a mutually happy relationship, if they stay with you." She stood up looking at the sinking sun and the tree leaves shaking to the light afternoon breeze.

"Yeah, I know… I just wish they would listen to reason and stay behind." Aer'andil rubbed the nape of his neck. His mother knew he did this whenever he felt uncomfortable or pressured.

Felwyn Galay chuckled, "Because you always listen to reason when I ask similar things of you? Jumped off the waterfall today?"

"Yeah… it feels so… free." Aer'andil stretched his hands outwards like wings enjoying the breeze.

"You are your father's son and mine."

"You have never done anything dangerous in your life." Aer'andil stated.

"Oh no? And since when have you known all of my life young man? I have committed plenty a dangerous feat when I was young and foolish but then I became a mother and when you lose a child… or two even temporarily, you tend to change your view on things. But you are still a child and you should live like one, why not find your friends and your loves and bother them for a while?"

"Geeze mum, you came to me, I was just thinking on my own here." Aer'andil rolled his eyes giggling.

"Yes, and you would have stayed here until adulthood if I had not come to your rescue, now off you go." She poked her tongue at him making him giggle more.

"Since when do you do that?"

"Since you have been doing it so often the whole of Gel'anr knows what your tongue looks like." She chuckled.

Aer'andil saw Tha'ala with Bava approach from the Palace and Uer with Norion from the forest to the west, Uer looked… blissful. Aer'andil did not need to have thousands of years of life and experience to know what probably had happened. He found it weird that he felt jealous over it when for four decades now the two of them would fool around with other guys their age here and there. Perhaps because Uer was human, Aer'andil thought.

Tha'ala waved at him. He walked towards them.

"Bava, Uer, could I talk to Norion and Tha'ala alone for a bit please?" Aer'andil asked the two human teens after greeting the two Elves he loved the most.

"Of course your Highness." Bava motioned for Uer who followed her a few meters away near the cliff.

"I've been thinking… Norion how would you like to come with me to Elaria?" Norion's face lit up like the rising sun as he nodded "yes".

"Just Norion?" Tha'ala asked irritated.

Aer'andil looked at her, there was sadness in his face. "Yes, I have a task for you, or rather two tasks but one of the two is more long term than the other. I need you to stay behind not just to protect you but also so that you can begin your apprenticeship by my mum's side."

"Y… your mother?" Tha'ala was stunned, the High-Queen did not just take anyone as her pupil and rumours had it she was a powerful magic user able to bewitch the minds of lesser men to believe what she wanted them to believe.

"She will teach you how to be my Queen and how to make even a spirit believe what you want it to believe. I need you to learn illusions, I need you to Master them."

"I… of course, when do I start?"

"Tomorrow." Aer'andil turned his head to Norion. "Send a missive to your father, we'll need to make a stop at Udala on the way to Elaria and Oghelle, tell him to search the old battlefield and gather any of the fragments of the gem that was set on Olan's sword." He looked around left and right and continued in Elven. "Feradloth ial evi Riathnol, cil pavadi."

Norion nodded his head and left to send the message to his father. He was worried of Aer'andil's last words, "beware of the Darkness, it moves," but his excitement over going to Elaria with Aer'andil soon dispersed the worry from his thoughts.

Aer'andil headed over to Uer and his sister, "come, tonight you dine with me. I want to hear all you can tell me of Elaria and Oghelle, I find myself very interested in your part of the world." He told them as they started walking towards the Palace, Aer'andil with one hand around Tha'ala's waist.