After Darkus pretended to be understated, he talked about Lustria, and then brought the topic to Lauren Loren. For example, the library that Colonia and Belloda are interested in still retains precious manuscripts from the Balshana period. What interests him is that there are also some research records and scrolls about ancient saints and related relics.
After all, one of the earliest purposes of establishing Tal Litanel was to study the magical places created by the ancient saints in the long past. Under the branches of Lauren Loren, there are a large number of fulcrums, nodes and road stones that changed the natural environment.
Now that most of these sites are fragile from acts of vandalism or the passage of time, Aenir knows that allowing the legacy of the Old Ones to crumble would threaten the fragile balance of nature and ultimately lead to Lauren Loren's death. But they don't have a good solution. In Kaia's opinion, maybe there will be a good turn after Darkus comes? After all, Darkus claims to be the messenger of the Ancient Saint.
As Kaia talked, Darkus discovered that Lauren Loren seemed to be in danger. Either this valley or that river had magical powers, or there were strange changes.
There are many strange places in the Stormwind area alone. In addition to guarding against predators from the sea, Kaia also has to monitor a strange sunken forest, which is a shelter for mutants. Whenever the double moon is full, Kaia will The woods will be submerged by the waves, leaving behind saltwater wetlands and petrified woods, and the mutants will also turn into demon-like beings. But fortunately, those mutants have always been honest, especially after several attempts with the Enils. Later, he became even more irritable.
There is a polluted Valley of Despair in the inland direction. The scroll records that it was once a roadstone node, but now it has become a bottomless rift. The Deha energy emanating from the rift turns the trees gray. When the Twin Moons are full, mindless Chaos Spawns crawl out of the Rift, sometimes accompanied by Chaos Daemons.
The dryads near the rift valley had strange growths on their bodies. They were filled with terrible anger and became pitiful twisted creatures. Fortunately, the Enirs were able to deal with them.
There is also a huge stone basin of unknown origin downstream of the Valley of Despair, which is said to be able to purify polluted river water, but the Enils don't know how to use it. What's interesting is that human legends describe it as the Fountain of Youth, and the Aenir legend records an ancient blade enchanted by the spring, which was used to defeat a forgotten evil being.
At the junction of the Storm Zone and the Southern Shower Zone and close to the Empire's West Territory, there is a strange place called the "Golden Pond". According to Kaia, the spellweaver guarding there is no less powerful than her, but due to the special nature of the place, the mage needs to stay there as a guardian. In the legend of Lauren Loren, there is a very ancient man there. Forest guardian.
A city-state relative got a little drunk and started talking about things in other border areas. The Frostfall area has been plagued by plague since last winter. According to Enil, who came from the Revenge War, the characteristics of the plague are a bit like that of that period. , and there are still undead in human settlements.
The lords of the Shower Zone had been at war with the greenskins and beastmen who were moving northward in the Duncanwald Forest since the winter two years ago. It was not until recently that the situation improved.
However, these seem to have nothing to do with Darkus and the others. He is just here to visit and investigate, just like the first time he went to the Lustria continent, and he was looking for the existence of the ancient holy ruins. He didn't ask for these Enil or Aslay, maybe he came to join the group to do the mission. Besides, it’s a bit funny to ask these elves living in the woods to participate in King’s Landing in Ulthuan. Apart from political factors and other reasons, even if these cousins give him the face to participate, he can still gather a large army. It’s more symbolic. Meaning, except giving up two Lorens, go with them all.
The situation in Lauren Loren in the north is relatively better than that in Athel Loren in the south. Although Athel Loren is close to Bretonnia and the Empire, it is a land of four wars, and there are orcs, beastmen, undead or Skaven every now and then. Invasion, and it seems that the political situation there is not very stable? Aslay needs to take on the role of protecting the forest when the spirit is sleeping in winter. To put it bluntly, he is completely integrated with the forest. Similarly, due to population, geography, environment, invasion and other reasons, the situation in Enil in the north is also not optimistic.
Therefore, it is a bit nonsense to expect Aslay and Enil to intervene in the war between Druchi and Asul. Maybe when the situation in Ulthuan stabilizes, we will have to mobilize forces to help Aslay and Enil. ...
In Darkus' opinion, the old world is more dangerous than the new world, and it is a hundred times more dangerous...With this skill, he might as well run Nagaroth and Kauchen Plains well. After solving the Kane sect, he will be able to Make sure that there are more Druchi female workers in the Ashril Textile Factory than there are Aenir in the Storm Zone. He and his companions roughly judged that the number of Aenir in the Storm Zone was only over 20,000. Adding the other two edge zones and the core Sun Zone, the number of Aenir in Athel Loren should be between 100,000 and 100,000. Between two hundred thousand.
Instead of filling a big hole, it is better to let Lauren Loren become the springboard for the elf to return to Elsin Alvin. Perhaps the pattern of the elves will undergo subtle changes by then. For example, Ashriel who belongs to Darkus will Become a Kingdom, the same goes for Maranur's Isle of Obion and Aenir's Lauren Loren.
Maybe if we adjust the political system, there is still a chance to turn the kingdom into a province. Darkus remembered that Lauren Loren truly became a kingdom after Finubar succeeded to the throne. After thousands of years of separation, Tal Litanel finally became independent, and the dialogue with the Phoenix Court was restored. The Kingdom of Lun became the eleventh independent kingdom that listened to the announcement but not the tune.
The main body of the elves is already very clear, including Asur from Ulthuan, Druchi from Naggaroth, Aenir from Lauren Loren, Aslay from Athel Loren, and the elves from various colonies. As for the elves from various colonies, Forget about the shadows in the Naggaroth Mountains, they are nothing. Darkus has to think of some way to combine these branches in a way in the future, instead of continuing to split or become separatism. Don't let the Cawchen Plain and Albien Island give birth to two independent cultures. .
Of course, these are things for later. As the saying goes, one step counts as ten steps, but after a hundred steps, who knows where it will go in the process. Darkus, who has some ideas, decided to do a good job in the current matter.
——The
cool breeze blew through the woods, the branches rustled, and the leaves trembled slightly. The songs of birds came from the treetops, and in the bushes, thousands of small animals shuttled among them, constantly looking for food and feed. Squirrels frolic in the tall oak trunks, while starlings forage for worms on the ground. A slender brown deer, speckled with white markings, chews on the lichen on the trunk of an old ash tree.
Darkus's slender body moved smoothly in the quiet forest, and every movement was full of natural elegance, which fascinated all the creatures in the forest. The cool breeze caressed his black hair and swayed on his shoulders. As he moves through the woods, the light flickers around him like an ambient light, dancing around him in a display of exuberant energy. Sometimes pulling his hair, sometimes playing with his delicate kaitan. The red light played with the laces of his boots, seemingly fascinated by the way the slender rope could be tied into different shapes and knots.
Darkus tried not to pay attention to the naughty behavior of these wood spirits. He knew that these wood spirits were more curious than malicious. If he reacted to the Kodama's antics, it would be like handing him a ladder to climb, and the Kodama would become more energetic.
He could only suppress a smile when one of the small lights landed on the tip of Darkus' nose and began chirping like a cricket. He frowned again as the little lamp became a tiny, shriveled imitation of his face. Sensing his change in mood, the wood spirit began to climb up the pole, and when the imitated form became more comical and distorted, he chuckled to show his dissatisfaction. The little light flew up from his nose, perfectly imitating his laughter while hovering happily above his head.
After staying for a few days, Darkus had a deeper understanding of Lauren Loren's wood spirits. Some wood spirits would independently serve as guards, guarding sacred areas or sleeping tree people. When the drone is activated, these wood spirits will also launch from the tree man's body like a swarm of drones, looking for opportunities to attack the target.
Others act as sentinels, reporting information to their Aenir allies. But there are many more wood spirits who are in a state of uncertainty unless there is a target to attract their curiosity.
These wood spirits may take the form of miniature elves, or humanoid thorn creatures with autumn leaf wings. They sometimes ride animals, but to Darkus these mounts are an extension of themselves.
There are as many types of forest spirits as there are fallen leaves on the ground, and a Kodama can be any one of them, or none of them.
Darkos has encountered many kinds of wood spirits in the past few days, such as shrike spirits, which usually appear in large groups. They move quickly and appear in the form of birds or red-hatted warriors. They launch cruel and ruthless attacks to cut and cut. Taking pleasure in the enemy's weakest point.
There are also troublemakers who like to confuse humans. They appear in front of humans in the form of shimmering lights or strange luminous bodies. Humans do not have the affinity of elves’ magic power, and those who are attracted quickly fall into a trance-like sleep.
There are also fear spirits that like darkness and shadows and are usually not seen during the day. Their greatest pleasure is to scare humans or elves. They think the extremely panic expression of the frightened person is very funny and can please them.
A sigh floated in Darkos's chest, and troubled thoughts surged again. Time was flowing strangely in Lauren Loren, but time could not completely ignore the passage of time in the world outside the boundary.
The wood spirits around Darkus suddenly changed, the flashing green light began to dim, and the flight path became a little softer. Soon the wood spirit seemed to have a new goal. It turned around and left him, flying back into the woods, disappearing among the branches and hiding among the leaves. Only the red light playing with his shoelaces and the wood spirits imitating his laughter did not abandon him, but he could feel that the colors of these two wood spirits had become darker and their attitudes had softened.
This change is also reflected in the forest around Darkus, where the trees become darker and branches reach out like the claws of a giant beast. The bushes were covered with thorns and the grass was covered with thorns. The birds stopped singing, the squirrels stopped running, and the only sound was the warning hoot of an owl. Soon, he broke through the bushes and saw his prey far ahead. He quickly skimmed the ground and ran towards the prey.
The huge stag hesitated, turning its head to look at the road ahead. When it stopped, the trees leaned back, creating a new path beside the path. It glanced down the narrow path, then dashed into the space between the trees.
Darkus was still chasing, running along the path and moving along the newly opened forest path, gradually closing the distance between him and his prey. The path wound through the forest, skirting around poplars and pine trees, and the aenils on the trunks of the trees stared at him, watching the chase with scrutiny and interest.
The chase grew faster and faster, the path twisting every so often so that Darkus could not shoot an arrow at the stag before it disappeared around the next turn. Soon he came to a clearing and saw the stag panting beside a stream, its sides heaving as it sucked air into its lungs. In one fluid motion he raised his bow and placed an arrow on the string.
An arrow whistled across the glade and pierced the stag's eye.
"Good shot. The long hunt has a happy ending. I salute you." Enil jumped down from the tree trunk and said to Darkus.
"Thank you for your praise, and I also want to thank you for teaching me how to hunt." Darkus said in a humble tone.
Standing in front of Darkus is the best archer in the Storm Zone. He came to the old world not only for overall needs, but also for personal needs. He wanted to learn how to use bows and arrows correctly. After all, this place is full of An expert in the use of bows and arrows. Then learn some things from the war dancer system, such as the use of two-handed weapons and weird body skills, etc.
The War Dancer system belongs to Loic, which belongs to the same religious system as the Adreze Order founded by Darkus, so it is found in both Lorens.
However, the long-range system, which mainly uses bows and arrows, is different. Although most archers believe in Kunos, and some believe in Morayig Heg, there is no related supporting system.
Similarly, Lauren Loren's Aenir society does not have the system of forest guards, forest scouts, rangers and wanderers. Instead, it has developed a unique faction of its own. The forest rangers are divided from beginners to advanced. , Phantom Walker, Wind Shadow Hunter, and Fury of the Forest.
As for the difference between the two systems, Darkus believes that there is no difference between the two other than naming, although he has not been to Athel Loren. The forest is sacred in the eyes of these archer groups. Archers search for enemies in the forest, protect the forest from destruction, and practice the art of hunting throughout their lives, at least that's what he sees now.
——Just
after Darkus finished hunting, a hunt was also going on in the woods of the southern shower area.
"You deserve this! You shot the arrow, and the prey is of course yours," Talos said with a frown.
"Can I forget the proper etiquette for what I say next?" Seth shook his head and said after Talos motioned for him to continue, "It was your mount that broke into the open space first. If you shoot an arrow , the prey is yours, not mine, and I don't want charity, even if this charity comes from my master."
"No insult is meant, since we talk to each other as elves, then I also forget the burden of kin, said Express my thoughts instead of empty polite words. I did reach the clearing first, but I hesitated." After Talos finished speaking, he cast his gaze into the distance. He saw the flowers in the crevices of the rocks and saw the other side of the creek. Dead wood, he said with a forced smile, "I know this place, here are my precious memories, so I was distracted."
Seth jumped off the horse, and he looked at Talos with a deep look in his eyes. Deeply worried, he paused and wanted to say something, but then he hesitated and never came out. He shook his head and walked across the meadow, picking up the dead deer and placing it on his horse. He hesitated before remounting, then turned and stared closely at Talos.
"Is this where you met her?" Seth's voice was serious. Talos did not speak, but nodded slightly in response to him. He frowned and continued, "Sir, when this kind of thing enters your heart, it will only bring trouble to you." You bring pain. What future will there be for the guardian of the Golden Pond, who loves you? It can only end in tragedy!"
"Pain reminds me that I am still alive!" Talos said as he stared at the grass, and he thought again of his first time long ago. The day I saw Aiwan for the first time. Aiwan was washing his hair by the creek, and the sun was shining down from his hair. He had never seen anything so beautiful, and it was one of his most cherished memories, one that had brought him comfort during the years of loneliness and separation.
"You go back first, I'll stay here to think alone for a while."
Seth reluctantly left his master, turned the horse and returned to the narrow path.
Talos slid off his horse and let it graze on the grass while he strolled along the creek. Closing his eyes, he could almost smell Ivan's sweet perfume and hear Ivan's soft laughter.
When Talos opened his eyes again, Ivan was standing in front of him, with a seductive smile on his beautiful face. He took Aiwan into his arms and pressed Aiwan's slender body against his chest. Ivan's lips were velvet soft against his. In an instant, all sadness and longing disappeared from his heart.
"Is there any love more destined to tragedy than ours?" Talos whispered in Ivan's ear.
"Orion and Ariel sacrificed their love so that Aslay in the south could live in Athel Loren. From their sorrow, great kindness was born." Ivan answered, and then she looked at Talos said seriously, "If someone asked you to make such a sacrifice, would you be willing?"
Talos did not answer. He could see the pain and worry flashing in Ivan's eyes. "The forest may ask for more from you, and the forest guardian wants to see you." Aivan said in a low voice.
Ivan's words sent shivers down Talos' spine. The forest guardian was a legendary existence in Lauren Loren. It was hard for him to believe this was true. He thought it was just Ivan talking to a capricious sacred tree ghost. Or communicate with ancient tree people.
"When does it want to see me?"
"In a moment." Ivan said with a smile.
"Very good, this leaves us with some time to ourselves." Talos tried to put a smile back on his face. After he finished speaking, he hugged him tightly and kissed Ivan's soft lips.
Under the leadership of Ivan, Talos passed through a fence made of thorns. At that moment, he felt every hair on his body stood up. This place gave him a dark threat, hidden unknown and terrifying. the impression of power. This feeling becomes even more apparent as Ivan leads him into this blighted clearing, a combination of rich and barren soil that he has never seen before in Lauren Loren.
Aiwan stared at her lover with keen eyes, waiting for the existence in the pool to reach out to her lover. She was now more alert than ever to the deception of that existence, and at the same time she was worried that her lover, who was not used to the temptation of the golden pool, would succumb. With the new power in Chi, once her lover shows signs of being deceived, she will use magic to break that existence's control over her lover.
"So this is the Golden Pond." Talos, trying to put a hint of humor in his voice, continued to comment, "It looks...beautiful, but I can't help but think that without such a thing, the forest might ...will it be better?"
Aiwan felt a little surprised. She would always remember the way she looked when she faced the golden pool for the first time. She looked very eager, and it took a lot of effort to remind herself that the power contained in this pool was Destructive and evil. How could Talos be indifferent to the call of the Pool? Unless the pool is somehow immune to the pool's temptations?
Doubts crept into Ivan's mind. Is this why the forest guardian asked Talos to come here? Talos' resistance to the pool is important to the Forest Guardians?
Avan loved Talos, but as a Spellweaver, as a protector of the Golden Pool, she knew that such a thing could only lead to tragedy. She could never be Talos' true wife, never Talos's lifelong companion. The forest demands her strength, demands her responsibility, and she cannot deny her obligation to Lauren Loren or abandon her role as protector of the golden pool and servant of the forest's guardians. Her love would only bring heartache and loneliness, let alone love for a city-state kinsman and the son of a border lord. She accepted this, but what she wasn't prepared to accept was that Talos would share her pain.
Ivan knew the right thing to do was to set Talos free and deny her heart's desires.
Maybe one day, Talos will forget about Ivan. He would find another elf, one who would make a suitable wife, one who would bear him fine children and ensure the prosperity of House Cloudwalker.
Ivan knew it was the right thing to do, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. No matter what pain her love caused her, she was too weak to let go, even if it hurt Talos to hold on.
"When will the forest guardian show up?"
Talos's words pulled Ivan out of his thoughts.
"It won't, the guardians of the forest never show their faces, even to me, and I don't think any elves have seen it. And even if elves did, they wouldn't talk about what they saw." "
But you did. If you can talk to it, you must have seen it!" Talos retorted.
"I've never heard it speak, and it speaks to me here, and it projects ideas into my mind." Ivan said, shaking his head and putting his hands on his temples.
"Why do you serve the Guardian of the Forest if you have never seen it or even heard its voice?" Talos asked, looking at Ivan in confusion.
Ivan closed his eyes and thought about Talos' question. It was a question she had asked herself many times, as her role as Protector of the Golden Pond, communing with the Wardens of the Forest, set her apart from other Spellweavers and Spellsingers, making her a member of Aenir society. of abandoned children.
"It is ancient and wise, older and wiser than the elves and the treants. It was here before Elsin Alvin appeared, when there was no wilderness in this land, only icebergs and mountains that never melted. Looking at the sea, it predates everything we know and everything we can understand," Ivan replied.
"The last survivor of a forgotten age? Haunting in the shadows until its time is over?" Talos whispered in awe.
"Perhaps waiting for its time to come again?" Ivan asked with a shrug.
A ray of light shone from the edge of the clearing, catching Ivan's attention. Talos also noticed this, and he strode over and walked towards the other side.
"A war blade!" Talos exclaimed, staring down at the source of the light.
This is a long and slender war blade, made in the style of Aenir. Just by looking at the war blade, Talos could appreciate the delicate balance between the curved hilt and the leaf-shaped blade. The perfect balance allowed the war blade to strike quickly and accurately.
It seemed to be the work of a Vaal priest, surpassing anything Talos had ever seen. Not even in his father's estate had he seen such a fine weapon. The hilt was made of a strange wood. Sanded and polished to a mirror-like luster. The grip is inlaid with tiny hand guards to hold the user's hand firmly, and the weighted ball at the back appears to be movable and can be unscrewed.
The warblade itself was made of a strange material, not forged from any metal Talos had ever seen. Instead, it appears to be composed of gemstones, a glassy substance with a brownish-yellow color. The glaive is somewhat translucent, and the supporting roots can be seen behind the leaf-shaped edges.
When Ivan saw the war blade, he gasped. She knew where the war blade came from, and only such a place could have such a war blade. That's amber! It's Gu Erzhifeng! Drawn from the golden pool!
"Blade of Dawn?" Talos said looking at the Blade Rune.
"Yes." Ivan replied.
"This is ridiculous! It takes dozens of years to build such a war blade!"
"Look carefully at the runes!"
"These runes are newly carved, and there is even a grain of juice in one of them." Tower Ross said after looking at it for a moment.
"This is why the forest guardian wants you to come. It hopes you can help me eliminate the enemies of the forest."
Talos nodded and tried to reach out to take out the war blade from the strange tree root fixed to the ground.
An unexplainable feeling of fear flashed through Aiwan's heart. She tried to call out to her lover, but reason silenced her. Only one being can create such a war blade, and only one being will leave the war blade near the golden pool for them to find. It seems that the guardian of the forest wants Talos to have this war blade.
However, Morayeg Heg seemed to have made a joke. The moment Talos got the war blade, the war blade suddenly disappeared...
"What does this mean?" Talos frowned, his eyes Revealing confusion and confusion, he asked the pool.
"The Guardian of the Forest says you don't need this weapon to overcome the corruption that threatens the forest. It has discovered that your will is far stronger than this weapon! No weapon is more powerful than the warrior who wields it!" Ivan tried to block it. She could see Talos' wounded pride at the thought projected into her mind, and she hurriedly explained.
"Like Aenarion wielding the sword of Khaine?" Talos nodded and asked himself, but he always felt that something was wrong? Then he shouted to the pool, "Guardian of the Forest! Thank you for your affirmation of me! If you can hear my words it proves that you can rely on me! My kin and I will defend Lauren Loren until our last breath!" Talos
finished speaking and began to study the trees and thorn walls guarding the clearing, waiting for any response. Finally, there was a commotion from behind. Bushes were uprooted, creating a path to cross. There was no response after that, and a long few minutes passed without any movement. He turned around in surprise when Ivan's cold hand pressed against his cheek.
"It's time for you to go. You must gather your relatives and prepare them for battle. Maybe the enemy will attack us soon." "
What about you? Where are you going?" Talos asked, holding Aiwan's finger. road.
"I want to stay here to communicate with the forest guardian to see if it can tell me more information about the enemy's plan. I think it will talk to me after you leave." Aiwan said with a smile, she tried her best Suppress your sad emotions.
"Then I'll set off now! Isa will guard you, Mistress of the Golden Pond."
Ivan watched Talos striding out, watching the bushes rearrange themselves tightly, and she kept watching until a long time later, until she even Talos' footsteps could not be heard.
"I know you are here! You are watching all this! Tell me why! Why don't you let him take away the weapon?" Ivan roared at the pool emotionally out of control.
"He will die, but he will save this forest!"
"He will not die, and I will not let him do it. When the battle begins, I will stand by his side!" Ivan clasped his hands. Fist, she said through gritted teeth.
"No matter what misfortune you foresee, I will never abandon him!" Tears rolled down Aiwan's cheeks, and she stared at the water, begging the existence hidden behind the water to help her. Maybe that being couldn't feel the emotions she felt, but maybe it could understand her, maybe it could sympathize with her plight.
"Your tears broke my heart. I saw a new turning point! He will not die, this forest will still be saved, and you may..." After a long time, the voice echoed in Ivan's mind again.
No missing chapters. . The title is wrong. . I even took a special look at it