Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 486: The king to rule them all (2)

Even though the boy was an Elven he was similar to a human.

With white hair that looks like snow and blue eyes that looks like the sky, the young boy even when sleeping emits some noble aura.

Although Orpheus had expressed a ready willingness to obey the cruel behest of the king at the time of receiving it, he manifested, as soon as he saw the child, innocent and perfect in every way, an extreme degree of anxiety and distress. 

He then decided. He kidnapped the boy. And put him behind his back ready to carry him away.

But not more than ten steps as he exited the room, he felt such guilt that he could not bear it.

For some reason, even though his character was unyielding with this boy he can't. But then he heard a voice so cold and so menacing that he almost dropped the boy from his back.

'Release my child' a woman voice can be heard from in front of him.

In front of him was an Elven woman beautiful like the stars in the sky, illuminated by the moonlight, she stand there majestically like a noble lady of enormous power.

Her words and action emitted a kingly aura and her eyes that were beautiful as the light of the moon, shine with a menacing glare.

This is the Elven woman. Velamina the Great Matriarch Elven of Atheniss. Orpheus tries to fight the elven woman but it ended as fast as it begins. 

With magic that paralyzes people and agility beyond of human capability in but three seconds he was pinned down to the ground gasping for air.

Orpheus did not complain or beg. He just sat in pain, silence

The child did not once wake up from his sleep, peacefully sleeping while his mother put him back to his bed.

'Now tell me your intention!' Velamina said as she bounded the kidnapper of her son to the pole of her house. 

'I could not tell you' Orpheus said stubbornly. Velamina looking at the man glares at him like she wanted to rip the man apart. 

But she wanted to get to the bottom of this incident. Who would dare kidnap her son?

Even though she is not that influential here, she is the matriarch of the Great Forest of Atheniss. 

She still deserves a modicum of respect. If not for her title, then at least her ancestry deserves respect and reverence. 

As a half blood High Elves she is regarded as the Holy Children of the Starry Forest. As the Dragon is the Children of Heaven and as Dwarves were the Children of the Earth, High Elves were the Holy Children of the Starry Forest.

In Arakath, her lineage alone made her special. She did not have to bow or kneel to any royalty of Arakath and the 8 Races are very protective of her since High Elf is not only powerful but also holy and sacred.

The blood of Old Gods flows in their veins.

'Do you want to die?' She asked. 

The man did not show any fear but only resolute determination not to say anything about the mastermind of this harm

'That is preferable' the man said. He would rather die than said the name of the person who hires him.

Velamina scoffed.

'Oh, you will tell me the truth. You just don't know it yet' and smiling mischievously she made her decision.

She opens a secret small compartment in the ground of her house and in her hand was a vial of a blue and red liquid in the same vial but never fusing with each other like oil and water.

Velamina then knowing that this man would not cooperate make him drink the Water of Terrible Truths.

'Then you will drink this' she said as she poured it down the man throats and he unconsciously gulped a huge portion of the drink. 

The moment he drink it, his head was attacked with a splitting headache and he could feel something is enveloping him, some kind of energy..but the energy was tyrannical and hostile.

She then interrogated the man and each time the man lies his bones are broken from the insides like something, a force he could not understand or explains keep torturing him each time he told a lie. 

In about half an hour, Orpheus broke. She finally knows the perpetrator of this crime and the reason why. 

Hearing from the Orpheus truthful statement, that the reason why her son is targeted even she felt stricken with fear. 

'This cannot be.' She said in fear, trembling could be seen in her delicate hands and her voice quivered in uncertainties.

'His father alone. has great destiny. Could it be his son too would be.like him?' But she did not want her son to be a part of the Great prophecy.

The Great Prophecy refers to Prophecy which would affect the world. Of course another well-known prophecy is the Ages Prophecy.

After all she knows that people in Great Prophecy usually have their life rife with hardships and rarely do they live to an old age. 

The exception is Arial who was bestowed with a dragon heart and like her, in Arial body flows the blood of Ancient Gods

So, she gives a sleeping potion to Orpheus and then she erected a protection spell on her house.

Then after making sure that her spell would hold even the staunchest of attack from mortals, she rushes to the Great Forest. 

Running with the fastest speed she could muster, she finally arrives at the largest tree in the Great Forest and fireflies could be seen flying around the trees like a decoration highlighting the tree.

It gives the feeling of serenity and tranquility. Magic is ever-present under the tree.

The tree almost seem like it will glow. The area under the shades of the tree was glowing in a color only she could see, faint traces of ancient magic could be felt.

Looking at the tree, Velamina sighed.

Velamina know the true face of magic. None dare claims as she did. To see the true face of magic. 

She knows True Magic. It is said that in this world there is bloodline magic. Inherited through the bloodline some would say.

Then there is Nature magic. Utilizing the elements of nature. Then there is chaos magic. Then there is healing magic.

And the rarest Sealing magic, utilizing ancient runic marking using external tool as the catalyst for such magic.

Humans and their finite way of categorizing thing, even magic. Magic is crazy. It is not supposed to be rationalized, studied or ponders upon.

But Velamina in her quest for higher level of magic gain enlightenment by looking at the stars in the sky and speaking to the Old Ancient Trees, where Old Stories are remembered and Old Words are spoken.

She spoke with the Ancient Spirit, communicate with the Starry Forest and she finally found out that there is only two magic that matters.

Light Magic and Dark Magic. 

Most people believe that magic could only be done by people who have magic in them. OH, how wrong they are.

It's not about whether you have magic or not. In this world, every inch, every matter of being has magic surrounding them.

Magic is about faith. About believing in some power greater than oneself.

Magic is not an intellectual endeavor. You don't need to think about it. It does not make sense and it never will be. 

It is magic. It wasn't supposed to make sense. Yet, people keep trying to make sense of it, and then complained when their studies lead them nowhere.

Magic is emotion. 

You need to feel it deep in your heart. Great emotions bring great magic. Great love and great hate will produce great magic. 

It is the reason why people with no emotions cannot conjure magic.

Looking at the huge tree and the stars lining the sky above her head, she feel the power rising inside her and she summon her most wonderful memories, the first moment she look upon the face of her son and she could feel the magic running through her veins and then she ask.

'Open the Veil for me' and saying this words, her voice trembled and nervousness fill her as the tree in front of her glowed with golden color and one of the stars in the sky suddenly shined with greater light and Velamina closes her eyes.

But she could not close her eyes to see Beyond the Veil until she comprehended the price she has to pay. 

And the Ancient Tree of Life spoke to her with ancient words and one word could contain so many meanings, and the Stars guided her way and she nodded, agreeing with the price, for all magic demands a price.

Especially this kind of magic that goes against the nature of law of the world. 

Too see beyond the Veil, to see a fragment of the Creator plans, His master plan, surely the price would be a steep one.