Chapter 241: News and Arrangements
The giant eagle Angola circled once around the Tree of Life before spiraling up toward Gewen's residence: an elegant wooden cottage with a small courtyard, nestled atop the vast canopy platform.
With a beat of its wings, Angola descended steadily into the courtyard. Unlike its somewhat clumsy maneuver out in the open, the eagle's landing here was precise and cautious—for if it so much as stumbled, its massive bulk could easily flatten the entire house.
"Please, come inside."
Leaping down from the eagle's back, Gewen waved his staff, opened the door, and gestured for the group to follow.
Wang Yu and the others stepped into the house and settled down into seats around the living room.
"Sieg, if I'm not mistaken, you've come here to seek contact with Aurelian, right?"
As Gewen clapped his hands, several supple vines extended from the walls, delicate cups balanced atop their curling ends. The vines gently laid the cups on the table before each guest. The cups were filled with a clear, pale-green drink.
"Indeed," Sieg nodded. He took a sip of the drink. "There was... trouble in the human kingdom I lived in. We're technically fugitives now, so we had to leave. Before settling elsewhere, I wanted to see Aurelian—especially so that Noelle can meet her sister."
"Oh, how much little Noelle has grown already!" Gewen exclaimed, glancing at the red dragon girl seated beside Avia.
"She likely doesn't remember much of Aurelian," Sieg said with a soft smile. "She was far too young back then."
"I can imagine." Gewen exhaled with a hint of emotion. "Family should reunite when they can. But... I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I can't contact Aurelian at the moment."
Sieg paused, frowning ever so slightly. "Did something happen?"
He didn't press. Rather, he calmly awaited Gewen's explanation.
"Well, I suppose you must not have gotten much news since leaving for the human lands. About a century ago, there was a cataclysmic battle on the southernmost coastal plains.
"All information about the incident was sealed afterwards, but there were still quite a few in the know were aware. I suppose no one in your former kingdom caught wind of it."
Gewen's tone remained steady. The long life of an elf had granted him an almost unshakable composure.
"And this incident involved Aurelian and other dragons?"
"Indeed. The battle was between a dozen dragons of various breeds and a single silver dragon—the very last recorded appearance of dragons on the continent. You, of course, don't count.
"No one knows where those dragons came from. They chased the silver dragon across the skies, their breaths tearing through the clouds, rending the plains below. The devastation was so great that the land has not healed to this day—entire mountain ranges now rise where flat coast once lay.
"And you can probably guess the outcome. Every one of those dragons fell, slain by that silver dragon.
"Our elders managed to capture only one clear image of that battle. All else was lost to the overwhelming shockwaves of magical energy.
"Draconic might is truly extraordinary. If there were even a single dragon clan left on this continent, I doubt any of the Five Races could hope to compete."
As he spoke, Gewen raised his staff. A projection bloomed in the air—not a flat image, but a vivid three-dimensional vision that felt almost tangible.
Across the skies, multicolored draconic breaths surged like streaks of lightning as they converged on a single figure.
The sheer energy twisted the air into visible ripples, distorting the image itself and conveying the unimaginable might at play.
From the silver dragon's maw burst a beam of incandescent light. It met the oncoming breaths head-on and erased them in a radiant clash. The silver dragon soared and weaved gracefully, evading the rest of the barrage with ease.
The missed blasts struck the land below, carving horrific, jagged ravines into the earth.
"She truly is unmatched... That strength, that composure—I've always looked up to her." Sieg's voice was reverent as he gazed at the recording of the magnificent silver dragon.
Avia and Noelle sat in stunned silence. Wang Yu, meanwhile, smacked his lips as he mentally estimated the strength of each dragon.
"Not long after that battle, Aurelian came to me," Gewen continued. "She destroyed the token we once used to contact each other.
"She had grown stronger, and her realm more complete. But she told me she needed to hide for a time—she wasn't yet ready to face what lay ahead. She left something for if you or Noelle came seeking her."
Gewen relayed Aurelian's message. The implications made Sieg narrow his eyes slightly.
"This item can only be activated with the Corewell of the Skyborne City," Gewen explained. "It's a safeguard to keep anyone from tracing her through it. For now, there's no way for you to reach her directly. We'll have to wait until the Skyborne City arrives."
Gewen took a small box out from his robes and placed ti before Sieg.
"How long will that take?" Sieg asked, opening the box. Inside, nestled in soft lining, was a single, gleaming silver dragon scale. It radiated no discernible power, but its metallic luster and finely etched pattern left Sieg no doubt that it had come from Aurelian herself.
"About half a year. You've come at just the right time. The Skyborne City circles the continent once every twenty years. In six months it will stop at Liaheim for a few days.
"I'm one of the Elven Elders now—getting four passes for your group won't be an issue."
With that, everything would be resolved. All Sieg had to do now was wait. Sieg gently closed the box and pushed it back.
"Thank you. But... please keep this scale for the time being."
He had gleaned something from the scale, though he didn't explain precisely what.
"Think nothing of it. The help you and Aurelian once gave me is a debt I'll spend my life repaying."
Gewen smiled and waved off the formality.
"So, what do you say—would you like to stay in Liaheim for the next six months? It's a far cry from a human kingdom, but I trust you'll adapt quickly."
As he spoke, he turned to Wang Yu and Avia. With half a year before the arrival of the Skyborne City, it was only natural that he would want to make them feel at home.
"No objections here," Wang Yu replied cheerfully. "It'd be an honor. I imagine there's much I can learn, and even more to marvel at."
"Thank you, Mr. Gewen," Avia added.
Wang Yu was very pleased for the chance to explore the land of the elves, and Avia felt the same way.
"Excellent. I'll have Angola fly you down. Here—this is my token. While Liaheim has been closed to strangers lately, honored guests are still very welcome.
"If you need a place to stay, simply ask any of the elves—they'll see to your lodgings. And if you need to contact me, just channel your magic into this seed."
Gewen clapped his hands once more. This time, the same vines that had delivered their drinks earlier brought forth three acorns, each about a quarter the size of a clenched fist, and placed them before Wang Yu, Avia, and Noelle.
"Now then, Sieg and I have private matters to discuss. Angola will escort you down."
As an elf, Gewen wasn't one to mince words. After they accepted the acorns, he dismissed them: there were things he could not disclose in their presence; it was time for them to take their leave.
"Very well. We'll take Noelle down first."
Naturally, neither Wang Yu nor Avia had any intention of prying into matters that didn't concern them. They exchanged farewells with Sieg and left Gewen's dwelling with Noelle in tow. The giant eagle Angola began the descent to the elven city below.
Through the window, Gewen watched as Angola's form slowly dipped out of sight, its wings vanishing behind the great trunk of the Tree of Life. The faint smile on his face faded and was replaced by a solemn expression. He turned to Sieg, who was looking intently at him.
"This part concerns the conflict with the dwarves. I hope you'll forgive me for keeping it from them—for now, I can only place my trust in you and your sister."
"Wang Yu and Avia are utterly trustworthy," Sieg replied, "but your caution isn't misplaced. Go on. What happened?"
He straightened slightly as he gave Gewen his full attention.
"The Tree of Life has been behaving oddly. It's begun drawing in external energy at an accelerated pace and converting it into life force in far greater quantities than usual. If I had to describe it, I'd say... it's hungry for life itself.
"The truth is, those rampaging war-trees aren't going berserk because they lack life force. On the contrary—they're trying to harvest it. They're channeling that gathered energy back into the Tree of Life through the system of roots that underpins the Forest of Origin.
"This is the first time we've seen the World Tree so overtly demand life force. Until now, it had always been the one nurturing life, not devouring it. Something's wrong. We're still investigating.
"And that investigation has led us to the dwarves, to a recent operation of theirs—a certain Deep Delve on which they've embarked."