Part 9 ~ Prologue

…

“So… How’s the banquet?” Helmut asked. “Found someone?”

“The food’s good,” Riecca replied.

“Glad to hear that… But what about your choice?”

“I don’t know father. I was thinking, maybe Darkwood or Winterwind. Or maybe Florendo,” Likka answered.

“Good good. Riecca?”

“Can’t find one.”

“Now now Riecca. Surely there’s got to be one…”

“None.”

Helmut crouched so that he could face Riecca. His eyes stared right on to hers. She felt that there was disappointment in his eyes. Then Helmut said, “Riecca, I said it was your choice, but actually it is us parents who choose for you. We simply honor you by letting you choose and tell us, so that we could choose the right one for you. But if you cannot find one, then I guess I will be the one choosing then.”

There was strictness in his voice. Riecca knew she could not argue further. She would not want to disappoint her father. She just had to agree with whoever he chose. She followed her father to near the wine table. Helmut approached someone she recognized. They started talking and she could see that the other person was happy. She looked at the boy next to the person. Lermir Florendo.

Prince Lermir, she thought. From what she could heard during the Union earlier, at least he was decent.

~~~~~~ End of Prologue~~~~~~

Part 8 ~ Prologue

…

The night was busy. Riecca was forced to converse with adults and children alike. All members of elven nobility. Some she found boring, some interesting. But in the end, she was still so young. She could not make any decision then. Especially one that would determine her future life.

“Ohh… It is fun isn’t it, sister?” Likka asked. She was standing beside Riecca, smiling, beaming away at people who looked their way. “I think Juleon Darkwood is charming.”

“But he’s 7 winters older than you. He’s too old for this.”

“Nevermind that. Look, that’s the son of Lord Hayworth. Nice boy, but looks weak…”

“Sister, why are you enjoying this? This is old-fashioned. I mean the Order has been signed for almost 300 winters ago, but why are we still maintaining purity?”

“Shush!!” Likka stopped her sister. “You do not want father to hear that. Besides, it’s important for us to do this. It’s called preserving tradition. Even though the Order was signed, that does not mean we need to throw away our tradition.”

“Yes. But this started after the Order. It’s not our old tradition. It’s a tradition made to undermine the Order. It is…”

“Quiet!! Father is coming,” Likka snapped.

…

Part 7 ~ Prologue

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As the elves went off, Drake asked his father, “Father, what is a Union?”

“It’s a tradition of some elven families. They invite other elven families to bring their sons or daughters and let the children choose their partner in life.”

“At such young age?”

“Yes.”

“Can I go?”

Diether laughed at Drake. “No son. Didn’t I tell you they only invite elven families?”

…

Part 6 ~ Prologue

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“Good fight. Good fight, Mr. Swift,” Helmut said. “And your son’s showing promise to be another worthy wielder of the Sharpwind.”

“Mr. Lenleaf!! Good day. And to your daughters as well,” Diether Swift approached the Lenleafs. “What brings you to Cillka?”

“We were just visiting Sangreen Forest. We’re on our way home,” Likka answered.

“Father , who are these people?” the boy asked.

“Ah… Mr. Lenleaf, this is my son, Drake. Drake, you remembered I told you how your great grandfather was good friends with an elven duke. That elf was Mr. Lenleaf’s grandfather.”

“Drake, was it? Good fight there, boy.”

“But I lost…” Drake said. Disappointed.

“It was good. You were impressive,” Riecca said.

Drake looked at the little elf girl. She was smiling at him. “Th, thank you…” Drake said. Blushing.

“Well then, we must be going. Come on Likka, Riecca. We have a Union to host,” Helmut said. “Good day, Mr. Swift. And good luck young Drake.”

…

Part 5 ~ Prologue

…

As the Lenleafs reached Cillka, they passed through a backyard. Two people were sparring. Riecca noticed that the boy couldn’t have been older than her sister. But he was fighting someone much older. Maybe his father, she thought. The older man was wielding a black katana. He looked relaxed, unlike the boy, who was practically panting. She could see his hands were trembling.

The man leaped towards the boy, sword over his head. He swung it down, hitting the ground. The boy had jumped sideways just in time. As soon as he landed, he charged at the man. The boy slashed a few times. He is fast! Riecca thought. But the man blocked every slashes the boy made.  Riecca was awed. She had never seen a fight like this.

The boy jumped back a few steps. He needed the space. He needed to think.

Frontal attacks are useless. He could read me. I need to move around. Now is the time to use the next technique. He controlled the wind around his body, especially around his feet. Controlling wind was never a problem for him. Or for his family, in fact. They were all born with wind element. That was the second technique in Swift Strike. He needed to move fast.

He moved towards the man in a zigzag manner. Fast movements. Then he slashed at the man, blocked. But he immediately spin to the right and slashed. Blocked again. Then he moved again to a different spot and attacked. He was circling the man, while slashing here and there.

The older man smiled. His son showed quite a progress today. Then he saw the audiences standing by the backyard fence. He recognized the old elf. He decided that the session was enough.

As the boy strike from behind the man, he remembered bringing down his sword from the left. Then nothing. It was so fast, all he recalled was his sword flying and the Sharpwind next to his throat.  The training session had ended. Just like that. He lost again.

…

Part 4 ~ Prologue

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The boy held his blade with both hands, palms covered with sweat. He knew that his father was not an easy opponent. His father held out his sword, the black-bladed katana that had been the family heirloom for generations. The Sharpwind. A movement caught the boy’s eye.

Left. He turned just in time to block a slash from his father. But the force of the strike unbalanced him. Sensing this, his father continued to attack, forcing him to jump back. He regained his foothold and decided to start the offensive. However, before he could even charge, his father was already on his right side, swinging his sword hard.

Damn! The boy applied what had been taught to him by his father. Apply the wind to your movement. That is the key to our family Swift Strike technique. His father’s word sounded in his mind. And he did that.

Clank! He managed to block the slash yet again. This time more steady. He jumped back, as did his father. They needed to catch their breath.

…

Part 3 ~ Prologue

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The Union. So there will be a lot of people tonight. But I guess all of them are from other elven families. Why can’t we choose our partner from other races? The tree said I will meet my soul mate today. Does that mean he’s an elf? It’s not fair, I don’t want these arranged marriage. It’s stupid, it’s pointless… I want to know more people…

“Are you alright Riecca?” Helmut asked. “You don’t seem well.”

“It’s nothing father. I think I am done. What about Likka?”

“I think she’s passed too. How was it Likka?”

“It did not tell me my future,” Likka whined. “Why?”

“I did say they only see the future sometimes. Come on, don’t whine.”

“Father, why can’t we choose our own partner?” Riecca asked. Desperate.

At that moment, Riecca swore that her father’s eyes were full of anger and bloodlust. Never before had she seen her father like this. “No. The Union is important for our purity. It is our tradition,” Helmut barked.

Likka and Riecca were scared to see their father like this, and Helmut could see that too. Finally he said calmly, “besides, at the Union, you will also be choosing. There will be quite a number of families visiting later. Including the Florendos.”

“The Florendos? Father, can I wear my favourite gown tonight?” Likka sounded excited.

“Of course you can, silly girl. Now come on, we have to prepare.”

“But what if I do not like all of them?” Riecca said.

“You will!” Helmut said sharply, with the same gaze that made Riecca gave up arguing further. “Now come on! We still have to pass through Cillka.”

…

Part 2 ~ Prologue

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“Treated equally, yes. But that doesn’t mean we should lose our tradition. We elves have always been the protector of nature.  This forest was the first one our ancestors bonded with when they first arrived 600 winters ago. The trees are old, but they are powerful. They can sometimes tell you about the future,” Helmut Lenleaf explained to his daughters.

Likka’s younger sister, who was already caressing the bark of the oak tree, tried to link her consciousness with that of the tree. She tried to apply what she had learnt from the books and what she heard from the Tutor earlier. It seemed impossible when she suddenly felt the presence of the tree. Surprised, she looked up to her father.

“Looks like little Riecca had passed,” Helmut said proudly.

“Yes, but she looks scared,” Likka sneered. Jealous.

“Father, it… It talked…”Riecca sounded confused.

“It is trying to communicate. Good Riecca, good.”

“It told me I was going to meet someone special today. What does it mean father?”

“Well, it seems like you are lucky. I did say the trees could sometimes see the future. What she said is true because tonight we will be holding the Union.”

…

Part 1 ~ Prologue

The sacred ground was crowded, filled with parents and children who were there for the ritual. Children aged between 10 to 14 winters were accompanied by their parents. It was a ritual for the elves held every 2 winters.

“So father, what is the purpose of this ritual again?” asked little Likka as she touched a very ancient oak tree.

“Well Likka, it is for us to bond with the trees, to communicate with them, to feel and share our feelings. It is the first step for us elves to embrace our racial traits,” her sister chirped in.

“That’s correct. Likka, even your little sister knows that and she’s only eleven,” their father said. “It is true that this is a very important ritual for you, so that you understand what we elves could do. How we are different from the other races.”

“But I thought ever since the Order was signed, every races are treated the same?” Likka asked again, clearly sounding flustered.

The Order was signed 297 winters ago. It was after the period of warring and destruction. The different races of Perl fought over the continent. 600 winters ago, the humans and the orcs were the dominant races, until the elves arrived from the western continent. Their purpose was to spread their tradition of coexisting with nature. However, soon they were involved in the conflict between the humans and the orcs. For 300 winters the world of Meta Omega had been rampant with wars, but it all changed after King Mercus of the Human Front, Borg’arnak chief of the Orcs, Queen Varsha of the Elves and Brutos Goldhom of the Dwarven Alliance signed the Order. After the order, the continent of Berl was not the same. The different races lived together since then, although there are still some nobility who prefer to keep the bloodlines pure.

The Lenleafs are one example.

…