The old couple shared a look after Lapia's translation.
“My na is Natasha Novak,” I introduced myself. “I am a Halve Warrior. Who is it I am talking to?”
Lapia gave a glance, her lips curling into a small, amused smile. She turned to the Fox-Elves and translated.
The collective of Elves knelt down and lowered their heads. The old couple stood up first and said a good amount of words back.
“They're thanking you for sharing your na,” Lapia translated. “They call themselves Dark Bog Dwellers. The gentleman's na is Tak'Alo, an extrely old na in Elvish. The lady's na is Azhi'Thara, also an extrely old na. The two have accomplished feats deserving of leadership, and guide the tribe as the strongest fighters and main hunters. The spiritual leaders are the group of elders behind them.”
As Lapia said, a group of really old Elves were kneeling behind the old couple. Their wrinkles were impressive, and their dark hairs had very noticeable gray strands mixed in.
I looked around us and humd. Not swamp, but bog? I wondered. Maybe it's the different between center and centre? Or chips and crisps? Stupid language, I sighed and focused back on the Elves.
One of the really old people asked sothing in a wheezy voice. A confused expression accompanied the words.
Lapia replied with her na and a few more words in Elvish.
I observed the forr Noble, mber of an affluent family in a distant and ancient country conversing with people who perhaps had no concept or knowledge about abstract things like justice and nationality.
The leader couple were looking at with concerned and troubled faces. Their eyes jumped between my face, my armor, and my spear.
“Ask them why they ca, please,” I requested Lapia.
She nodded and translated.
The couple listened, looked up to where the tree previously, and said sothing. Their tall ears shifted when insects got too close.
“They want to know why the tree was removed,” the Wizard told , then added, “They're using extrely courteous words, by the way.”
I nodded, turning to the old couple. “I was told the tree was dead for a long ti and needed to be removed so the surrounding vegetation can survive the winter,” I replied truthfully. “Danuva inford .”
The Fox-Elves reacted imdiately to the Goddess' na, returning to their kneeling posture and muttering under their breath.
My eyebrows climbed my forehead at that. The few faces I could see weren't scared or fearful of her na. They were similar to the ones every Warrior I have t eyes with gave .
Adoration.
Lapia gave an uncertain look.
“Go on, tell them,” I urged her with a nod. “They need to know.”
She took a long breath in and translated my words.
The Tulmi Elf collective was silent for a while after hearing Lapia's words.
One of the elders said sothing with a deep and raspy voice, pointing at the hole in the ground where the stump was.
The rest of the elders suddenly started chanting a song, and the rest of the collective joined.
Confused, I gave Lapia a look.
My girlfriend was smiling from long ear to long ear. Her eyes squinted with glee and a few giggles escaped her.
I arched an eyebrow at her.
“The elder said there was a bad thing under the tree,” Lapia explained. “And now they're singing the story of how the tree got sick and the swamp ford afterwards. They have a vague idea that the Gods have a ho nearby so they've never dared to alter nature in case they return.”
“A vague idea?” I inquired in a quiet voice, not wanting to interrupt the Fox-Elves' song. “Have they t them? Did their ancestors or predecessors et them and pass it on or sothing?”
“They've seen the eye in the sky, whatever that ans,” the Domi Elf told with a shrug. “They call it 'the oft-seen sun third',” she added.
“Ah,” I uttered with a nod, recalling the eye I had a staring contest with. “Makes sense.”
The tribal people sang for a minute, then slowly went quiet.
A few said so things to each other, then directed their words to the elders and the leaders, which prompted a conversation for a few minutes.
I observed them in silence, noticing their gestures and tones. I quickly noticed their Elvish was more guttural than the one used by Elena, Pokora, Alyssa, and Lapia. They also were naked under the poncho, so I averted my eyes whenever they moved their arms to gesture, causing the clothing to flap around.
When the short exchange concluded, the old couple turned to and said sothing.
“They think you ate the tree, and are worried you'll get sick just like the tree did,” Lapia translated. “They know you're not of flesh, but want to share so dicine with you.”
I tightened my stomach to keep the laughter in. Ate the tree? That's cute in a weird, primitive way, I thought with a tiny smile. “Do they not know about storage items?” I inquired with curiosity.
“I told you they reject technology,” Lapia reminded . “I'd say they don't.”
I nodded. “Right,” I muttered and showed them my spear.
The collective took a step back.
I stored the weapon, showing them the vanishing item.
Their eyes widened to the limit, and they got close to while speaking loudly.
A wide smile ford on my face at their ignorance, and I retrieved my spear.
A chorus of “oooh!” and “aaah!” echoed in the small hill as the tribal people witnessed storage magic for the first ti.
I gestured at where the tree was, produced a root, and stored it back. “I didn't eat it,” I explained to them.
Lapia translated my words.
The Elves stood close to and said things quickly and loudly, but didn't touch or my armor. Their faces showed fascination and awe, and so laughed while others shared looks of light suspicion and heavy confusion.
Among the group present, the Tulmi Elf that had spotted us was near the back, looking around at attention. The reddish orange hair stood out extrely noticeably in the sea of black and brown heads. The individual stood next to a group that was scanning the surroundings.
“They're impressed and confused,” Lapia translated the words thrown my way. “Most are saying things like 'As expected of the Eternal Protector, such high-grade spells!' and things like that.”
I chuckled at the silly situation. “Thank you for offering the dicine, but I'm perfectly fine as you can see,” I told them.
After Lapia translated my words, the leaders and elders took control of the collective and cald them down. Turning to , the old couple said sothing.
Lapia humd in interest, then translated, “The bad thing the song talks about is a word I don't know, maybe a monster or sothing. They want to know if you'll kill it so it doesn't spread the sickness.”
“If there's such a thing, I will. Rest assured,” I replied with determination, looking into the couple's eyes to convey the ssage.
Both nodded before Lapia could relay the information, then turned to the tribe and said so words. Then, as soon as they arrived, they started to leave while singing.
Lapia and I watched them until they vanished between the trees right where they ca from.
“That was fast,” I comnted. “Didn't even say goodbye,” I lanted with a sigh.
“That's what the last song was about,” Lapia corrected . “They wished the Eternal Protector the best of outcos.”
I turned to her and my eyebrows climbed my forehead. “Seems awfully cold,” I joked. “Just saying good luck and leaving?” I sucked air through my teeth. “The world is cruel.”
The Wizard chuckled while shaking her head. “Do you think there's a monster down there? Can you feel any danger?”
I turned to the hole left after removing the stump and focused on it.
Nothing seed out of the ordinary.
“Nope,” I denied. “Maybe a dead body? I don't know how it works, though. So spore maybe infected the tree or sothing like that.” I walked to it and moved the dirt with my armored boot. “Give a hand for a second. Let's see if there's so foul thing under here. If not, we go back.”
Lapia approached and retrieved her staff. “It'll be faster this way,” she stated and activated a skill. Chunks of dirt vanished from the ground, reappearing a few ters from the hole. After Lapia shifted ten or so chunks out of the way, a bone-white surface was revealed.
It had familiar engravings on it, and the material reminded of sothing.
I squinted my eyes at it, searching my mory for anything similar to it.
Lapia humd and crouched next to the hole. “Doesn't look like a monster to .”
Then, it hit . “That's a dungeon door,” I blurted out, recalling the one I pushed open in Mountroad. I turned to the Elf with confusion. “Can that happen?”
My girlfriend gave a doubtful look. “Are you sure? It looks nothing like a dungeon door. Not like I'm an expert in the field, though.”
I held my chin and considered the circumstances. “We should get Alyssa and Yolin to co and take a look. They're the experienced Chasers,” I proposed.
“Mhm,” Lapia agreed with a nod.
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