Hello, Everyone!
We’re finally in Myth Adofhaer. At first look, it seems like the city is full of unfriendly elves who don’t really like our heroes. When Mary, Aurum and Bruno arrived, they had a stern elf named Noanar cite all the rules and punishments in the city limits, and then got pushed from one bureaucrat to another, without any real idea when they were going to be taken to someone who could actually help them with their mission. The last thing a particularly unpleasant clerk told them was that they should see ‘The Council’ but it could take days to be received by them.
Morning came to the mirky barracks. Mary woke her friends and they prepared for boredom. After all, they weren’t allowed to do anything, even get out of the building.
A knock came through the door. It was Noanar. The elf was carrying a tray with some food and beverages on it, and gave them a nod upon entering.
"You are lucky," he said. "The Council of Hundred is gathering this morning and they've decided to let you speak."
The party cheered. They took the tray and proceded to distribute the food among themselves. Mary turned to Noanar.
"Do you want to eat with us?" she said.
He shook his head.
When they were ready with the breakfast, he accompanied them on the way towards the Council. He was their only guard now, the blond one was nowhere to be seen.
They approached a huge building made from the living trunks of dozens of trees. A marble staircase led to an enormous closed door. Behind it, some heated discussion was taking place. A woman’s voice rose above the common chatter but her actual words were too muffled to catch from the outside.
"Don't speak out of turn," Noanar instructed. "Be concise. Tell them what you need from them and in what way you can be useful. If you see that they're set on something, don't argue or insist. And just…" he gave Aurum a stern look, "don't do anything stupid."
The bard grinned.
Before they were allowed into the Council chamber, Mary took Aurum aside.
"Hey, “she whispered. “Can you, um… take over the talking this time? I feel like I didn't do a very good job yesterday, and the ‘Council of Hundred’ sounds like a lot of people in one place. You're so much better in convincing the crowds than I am."
"Sure thing, Mary," Aurum said. “No problem.”
After a while, a timid-looking half-elven woman opened the door and invited them in. The Council chamber was huge. The trunks of the giant trees formed the walls and their branches intertwined many feet above their heads to make a magnificent green ceiling. A three-cornered table stood in the middle of the room, a trio of very important-looking elves sitting on each of its sides. Two circles of seats formed around them, and in every seat there was an elf. Mary was willing to bet that there were exactly a hundred of them.
The half-elven woman directed them towards a platform to the right of the door. It was raised above the floor level so that each of the people in the two circles was able to see them from their seats. An older elf with a pile of papers in front of him asked them to introduce themselves and wrote the names Aurum gave him. The bard wasn’t joking around the same way he did when presenting himself to Dynatos Perres. Maybe the elves had intimidated even a man as confident as him.
Mary’s head was ringing from all the eyes staring directly at her. But when she remembered that Aurum was going to take care of all the talking, she calmed down enough to observe instead of worry. She wondered whether she was going to recognize any elf she’d seen or heard of before.
The people on the three-cornered table had turned to them. She knew their faces from some portraits she’d seen in books – they were the Elders of Myth Adofhaer.
Balaine Endoras was the first of them to speak. He was a massive person, well-built and strong-looking. Mary remembered what Aurum had learned about him in Zerakas tol – he led his people in battle and fought on the front lines. No wonder he was so burly!
“We’re ready to hear you,” he said simply, leaning on the table.
Aurum started talking. He was so eloquent, it was amazing! He managed to say everything that needed to be said about the undead attacks and the trio’s goals on the matter. He emphasized the fact that they were all non-elves, a thing that was expressly asked for six years ago. Mary noticed that, upon hearing that, many of the people around the tables relaxed their shoulders, as if relieved by the realization.
She quickly Messaged Aurum about something she wanted him to ask for.
“Also, my friend Mary would like to check out your archives for documents detailing the events of six years ago,” the bard effortlessly inserted into his speech. “She…”
“Of COURSE she’d want that!” a woman’s voice whipped from the center of the room. It was the same they’d heard from outside the building.
Tiriel Elaire, the second Elder and the most senior of the three, rose from her seat in anger. Her eyes threw daggers at the trio and her lips were so tightly pressed that they formed a straight line, almost white from the tension.
“Who doesn’t want to have access to Myth Adofhaer's Archives?” the Elder woman screamed. “Each and every nosy intruder would love to learn all our secrets!”
Mary was ready to try and defend herself, however weakly she could, but was interrupted. The third Elder, Kirios Ibre, raised his hand in a pacifying gesture. He seemed younger than the others. His long black hair contrasted with the blond of Balaine Endoras and the white of Tiriel Elaire.
He sized them up and tilted his head in a manner which could mean either respect or mockery, depending on the situation and his intention.
“I can’t help but see that the three of you are marked as Heroes of Belfast,” he said. “Of course, that gives you some… credibility…” he stroke his chin and smiled, but his eyes stayed serious. “At the same time, Belfast is not Myth Adofhaer, and the interests of Belfast are different from ours.”
Oh, no! Why did they have to wear the patches?! Everybody knew about the age-old hate between dwarves and elves! That’s why Bruno didn’t really want to go to Myth Adofhaer. And now their biggest achievement could be the thing that hindered their chances to win the elves over.
Uh-oh! Who knew being a hero might have its negative sides? What do you think, are Mary & Co. screwed, or could they get out of this situation? And which of the Elders do you dislike the most so far? :)
See you next time!
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide and the Glossary for the series. You're welcome!)