Interlude 3: FürIn a dimly lit room, visible only by the faint moonlight from the window, a figure sits with a glass of wine in her hand. Her twinkling erald hair would be a srizing sight, if not for the unkempt state it's in right now. The lady behind the table is Avera Everwood, who is now weighing her failures. Twirling the now tasteless wine glass in her hand, the glistening red liquid reflects her sloppy attire. Pouring it onto the ground, Avera calls for her faithful Head Maid.
"Wake up my husband and daughter, we need to talk."
From the shadow of a curtain, Agent steps out and bows. "As you wish, Mistress." She fades away to fulfill her task, leaving Avera alone to tidy herself up.
The elven lady turns on the light before fixing her hair. She contemplates for a bit before leaving her attire be, no point in changing it out right now. Sitting unceremoniously on the chair, Avera uses the ti before her family arrives to think about her life so far.
In the old world, Avera used to be a caring and peaceful woman. That changed when the human gods set their sight on her elven hos, their desire for cultivation resources there known no bound. Thus, they sent out armies to raze Avera's city to the ground and pillaged it with anything of value. The n were forced to beco slaves and alchemy materials while won had it much worse. Avera was luckily led away safely by her quick-witted husband, yet, the loss of her family scarred her to this day. It was at this mont that Avera was hellbent on revenge. The corrupted Gods, all must die!
Avera, alongside her husband and like-minded individuals, ford an army in secret. When the drumroll of Ragnarok was heard across the realms and the Ruler of the End appeared. Avera was among the first to offer her allegiance to the female Ruler. Led by the Ruler herself, Avera's army helped the Ruler to kill deities and gods and burned the old world to ashes. Though they paid the price of blood, none of the fallen regret picking up arms against Heaven. It was at Asgard, the last bastion of the old gods, that the Ruler stopped.
"You've served well, but this is the end. What cos next, I need not your sacrifices. I declare your participation forgotten, you shall bear no sin in the annal of history. The sins of the world are on and mine alone to carry." The Ruler's words echoed, bending the universal laws to her will. That day, causality was rewritten, Avera's army dispersed, and like mindless puppets, they boarded Yggdrasil's seed. Leaving Avera and a few others to stay behind.
Stepping up to her, the Ruler gave her a blessing. "As an aide, you dutifully fulfilled my every desire in our cause to rebuild the world. Though we acted in accordance to Yggdrasil's whims, for her to reward you is out of the picture with my ddling in causality. Thus, I can only give you this boon." The Ruler touched her index finger, glowing a dark light on Avera's forehead.
At that ti, Avera felt a rush of unknown energy heading for her lower abdon. Perplexed, she was about to pose a question to the Ruler but she was cut off. "Avera, when you wake up, it will be a new era. An era where all have but forgotten about our sacrifices, our purpose in destroying the world, the omniverse. So I want...No, I hope that you will be the living witness of what we've achieved. As the Archivist of the past, when you think the world is ready, spread our tale for all to know. If not possible, then let the past be buried by the Sand of Ti."
The Rule crouched down before putting a palm on Avera's stomach. "The boon I gave you was a Boon of Pregnancy. I hope that the daughter you will soon raise would be a caring one like the old Avera. Not the Avera of now that is full of prejudices, biases, and hatred. Now go, this will be our farewell." At her last words, Avera's mind went blank.
Before she knew it, Avera woke up in the new world alongside many others. Yet, she's the only one that could rember the past. Honoring the words of her liege, Avera successfully sired a High Elf, her loving daughter Elysia. Raising her with the care and the best education she could provide, minus Avera's bad sides, she hopes that one day, her daughter will be the greatest there is.
Sadly, it may not be possible for her to witness that.
*Knock* *Knock* "Mistress, excuse our intrusion." The door is opened, revealing her maid alongside her husband and daughter.
Letting them settle down, the maid heads out to make tea and light snacks.
"You're here," Avera says with one hand tapping her desk, while the other supports her chin. She sighs before saying. "I lost."
Her husband, Wilheim, frowns before realizing her aning. He too sighs before standing up and moving behind his wife. Putting his hands on her shoulder, he massages Avera and says. "For what's worth... You've done well. It's ti for you to stop, Avera."
Avera closes her eyes, feeling the warmth and care that her husband is providing her. She revels in it for one last ti. She looks at her daughter, now a fine woman, with care.
Elysia, her raison d'etre, shares a worrying look with her. "Mom, Father, what's going on?" Her sky blue eyes and pink pupils quiver slightly in anxiety.
Smiling at her daughter, Avera cryptically says. "It's just my wrongdoings, catching up with at last. Though my liege bears the sins of old, the treacherous things I committed now will damn my soul." Her words confused Wilheim and Elysia.
Shirking off her husband's hands, Avera turns to offer an apologetic smile before moving to Elysia. She kneels on both her knees, grasping the palms of her daughter. "Elysia, do you know why I asked your father to discard his last na, and for you to not have one?"
Shaking her head, Elysia responds. "That, I don't know, mom. I've speculated reasons but none makes sense."
Chuckling at Elysia's words, Avera explains. "Well, the na Everwood bears the blood of an entire civilization. It's not a pretty na, never been ever since that day. The things I did," Avera puts a hand on her heart. "none of them deserve to be passed on to my family. As my liege chose to bear the sins of her follower alone. I too shall do the sa for my loved ones."
From her heart, a shining light, dwarfing even the many light bulbs in the study, appears. Forming a fist, Avera pulls out a glass ball, containing a plethora of multicolored light. "This is my Archive, containing it are the lost knowledge of a ti long past and many more. So are my forbidden research, others are things I stole from others... I now hand it for you to keep."
"Mother...!" Elysia is about to say sothing when Avera thrusts the Archive into her heart. After that, Avera caresses her daughter's cheek.
"I'm sorry, the pain that's about to co may prove unbearable to you." She said before Elysia keeled over with a heart-wrenching scream.
Wilheim rushes to his daughter, pulling her into his arms. He directed his anger toward Avera, shouting. "What the hell did you do to our daughter!?"
Offering a wry smile, Avera responds. "Passing on the torch, just as my liege had done to ."
"Who the fuck is this liege you've kept talking about!?"
Shaking her head, Avera says. "You wouldn't get it."
It's at this ti that the maid return with their late-night refreshnts. Agent, seeing the screaming Elysia, has a frown on her face. "It seems to the tea would be unneeded here."
Sporting an apologetic smile, Avera says. "That's right, isn't it? Sorry, I've wasted your effort." Without waiting for Agent's reply, Avera addresses her panting daughter. "Elysia, soon, the Archive will integrate with you. And with it, you will co to understand everything, including my mission and desire. Use it, forget about it, pass it on to soone else, the choice is yours to make, my daughter. My journey has ended, but your is yet to begin."
Hugging Elysia one last ti, Avera kisses her daughter on the forehead. "My last wish for you is to find your other half, one that cherishes you no matter what. And from them, your last na will be granted. Farewell, Elysia."
Standing up, Avera orders Agent. "You know what to do."
Bowing to her Mistress, Agent says. "As you wish."
Befuddled, Wilheim protests. "Avera, what's going on? Just slow down and we can work through everything!"
Avera smiles lightly. "Sadly, my ti has run out 2000 years ago." Her smile is the last thing Wilheim and Elysia notice before Agent knocks them out.
Sighing, Avera goes to pour herself a teacup. "Take them to Castle, what cos next need not concern them."
Bowing towards her Mistress one last ti, Agent says. "Of everything I've witnessed about you, it's the love and dedication you showed to Elysia that I admired the most." Before a surge of darkness swallows them, teleporting them elsewhere.
Thus leaving Avera alone, her face now has a faint smile. "Coming from the undercover Einheri that's been beside all this ti, that's high praise. Truly, I've never had the chance from the get-go."
Avera finishes everything Agent made in perfect silence. After that, the elf packs up to head back to her territory. There, the last vestige of the previous era shall burn, one last ti.
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Avera's territory is a valley city flanked by two lush forests. Aptly nad Parallel Covert, the city is ho to a population consisting of 95% wood elves. Usually, the city tends to have a pleasant atmosphere as many of the denizens are peace-loving individuals. Yet, an oppressive atmosphere now lingers in the air as a strange sll of sulfur and searing heat waft through the city.
Sitting atop a hill, a bit away from the city populace, is Castle Itter, the headquarters of Avera's supremacist faction. Soon to be their burial ground, also.
Avera, now dressed in an elven attire from the pre-Ragnarok period turns to peer over the horizon. "So she has co personally for my head. I'm flattered."
On top of a balcony of her castle, overlooking the square filled with her loyal soldiers, Avera addresses them.
"Here we stand at Castle Itter, waiting for the ones that usurped our rightful place! Through ans of espionage and intrigues, we have been gaining the upper hand in our just cause. In ti, we should have been the final victor and our Elven pride should have been the one on the Throne of Obsidian. Yet, Yggdrasil waits for no one, the enemy is now hellbent on destroying us for good. They fear the power, the possibility my daughter possesses and now they co to claim the lives of us all."
Unsheathing her one-handed sword, Avera points it toward the sky. "Yet, I will not let them off so easily! With my daughter now in safe hands, we have no qualms laying down our lives so that she can live on. For the future of elvish kinds, for the glory of the High Elf. We! Fight! On!"
"Für Avera! Für Elysia! Fight!" Echoed the many elven soldiers and Converted humans in the square. With their rifles raised high, they await the order from Avera.
With a wave of her hand, Avera shouts. "To your positions! Let them co!"
With a cry of acknowledgnt, the soldiers disperse to the many emplacents Castle Itter has. Leaving Avera to retire to the throne room in the inner castle. Sitting on her embellished wooden throne, Avera waits with a calm smile for the inevitable.
All of them will die today, one way or another, right beneath the storm cloud that's fast approaching.
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