Blessed are the Burdened: Chapter 2 – Wake Up Call

Chapter 2 – Wake Up Call

The birds sing their morning song to wake me up and let me know that a new, wonderful day has begun again. I go about my daily routine: praying, saying good morning to neighbors, getting dressed, and fixing my hair. Going downstairs, I have breakfast while my father talks about current events, complaining about them and what should be done. He mentions something about people becoming bandits and criminals because they didn’t like the results of the recent wars and political decisions made in light of them, all of which go over my head.

“You should take the day off to do some training just in case they attack,” are the only words my father says that catch my attention.

“No, I can’t. I told Oshry and Ziv that I’d help them out and this time I will for certain,” I say.

“I can get someone to take your place, you know. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“No, I don’t want to make someone work harder just because I can’t be there.”

“Okay, fine, but you should make time to train, especially since you can’t fight that well.”

“I will, father.”

At first, I do my best to get done my work as efficiently and as quickly as possible, and by lunchtime, it seems like I’ll keep my promise to get my work done and help my friends, however, I feel burned out by the time I get back to work and start to slow down. I try to take it easier, but I end up slowing down more than I expect to, and the beauty of Matias distracts me so much that I notice that it’s almost sundown by the time I get up from my rest. Now I have to rush even more to get done and help my friends. While doing the best I can to get down, I hear the sounds of commotion and see strangers wandering the gardens and farms. New workers come here all the time and travelers are allowed to take from the gardens and farms assuming they put a day’s work in, so I pay no attention to the strangers.

As for the commotion, this place can get rowdy sometimes since there are restaurants, bars, and halls for celebration in this tree, so hearing it isn’t out of the ordinary for me either, especially this close to the end of the day when people stop working. While I finish pulling the last of the grapes and filling my baskets, a knife is put to my throat from behind me. I freeze in place not knowing what’s happening, what to do, or what to say. Looking to my side, I see a gloved hand picking the grapes and hear someone eating them behind me.

“Stay here, act like this never happened, and you won’t die,” a woman says from behind.

I can only struggle to speak before stopping myself and swallowing my nervousness.

“I’ll take that as your agreement. Thank you for the food. It’s some of the best we had in a while.”

People clothed in leather armor and hoods take all the baskets I have and silently walk away from me. Despite them leaving, I stand in place in complete shock and embarrassment. I feel like I should’ve done or said something instead of letting those people steal from my family’s garden. What do I do now? This has never happened before. Do I go to my parents or the guards who were supposed to be around here to tell them what happened? Should I just forget about it?

Before I can decide on anything, I hear the sounds of screaming and fighting. Running to see what’s happening, I see the guards, my coworkers, and my friends fighting against the hooded bandits who stole from me. In the chaos, I see Oshry and Ziv poorly defending themselves as they appear too tired to fight. Even though the sight of violence around me is hard to handle and I can’t do anything to help, I absentmindedly run to my friends’ aid with no plan for how to help them. Two people kill each other next to me and drop their blades in front of me. I pick up one of the swords while trying not to mind the blood on it and continue to run to my friends with the expectation of using it, but I freeze up again and only end up distracting my friends with me being in the midst of the fight, leading to their deaths.

The sight of seeing them die and a bandit approach me isn’t enough to get me to move, and by the time I do, I can only swing the sword a few times before it slips out of my hands during the fight. I do my best to dodge the bandit’s attacks while trying to get away until a guard comes to my aid, killing the bandit, and taking me to safety as the rest of the guards, workers, and hunters drive away our attackers. Once the guard takes me home, he sticks around with the other guards to keep me safe and promises that my father and mother are safe and will be home soon. What he says turns out to be true as my father and mother come home with two guards and workers with weapons behind them. My father is bloodied with a bow on his back and daggers in his hands, but he doesn’t have any cuts on him while my mother is completely uninjured and not dirtied by anything besides the dirt of the day’s work.

I embrace my parents in tears and tell them everything that happened from the grapes being stolen to witnessing the deaths of my friends. They hold me tight and tell me that it’s fine and not my fault that my friends died. My father then commands the guards to hunt down the last of the bandits and take the remaining workers home. The guards do as they’re told while two of them convince my father to stay with us until the situation has calmed down. It’s sunset now and my mother offers to make dinner, but I tell her I’m not hungry and simply stay in my room while trying not to cry anymore.

An hour passes before a messenger comes to the house to tell my father that the bandits have been dealt with, some of which have been arrested and interrogated. My father then rants about how they took advantage of our kindness to steal from the gardens and farms of this tree and how the government doesn’t do enough to exterminate the criminals that roam this part of the Holy Land despite our importance to the world. I block out all the yelling and talking as I cry myself to sleep. Waking up the next morning, it feels as if what happened last night was a nightmare until I smell the blood on myself that I didn’t manage to fully wash off. Images of my Oshry and Ziv being killed fill my mind, especially the image of their blood flowing to me as if their blood was pointing at me, blaming me for their deaths.

Again, I start to cry, causing my mother and father to run up to my room and reassure me that everything is fine and that what happened won’t happen again. I hardly eat my breakfast since my stomach still feels sick from yesterday and hungry at the same time because I didn’t eat anything.

“There will be more guards and hunters patrolling the area for a month to keep this tree and the neighboring trees safe,” my father says. “I know you’re going through a lot now, but I need you to learn how to defend yourself.”

“Honey, she needs to rest. Look at her. She’s a mess,” my mother says to which I disagree in part.

“No, mother. I’ll…I’ll go for training. I need something to do to keep my mind off of what happened,” I say.

“Working in the gardens and farms will do the same thing.”

“I don’t think it will because it’s where everything happened. I need to be away from it for a bit.”

My mother sighs and reluctantly allows me to go for training. I then go with my father further up the tree where people train to master fighting with weapons, magic, and influence over animals and nature. For the first day, I train with daggers, bows, and swords, none of which I’m terrible at given my minor training with them already but I improve a bit through today’s work. On the second day, I try wind magic for the first time. My trainer shows me how the wind can cut through almost anything if harnessed correctly and tells me to use it with the mindset of cutting something with a dagger.

With my trainer’s advice, I attempt to use wind magic but only end up using it as a blunt weapon rather than a cutting one, which isn’t bad but also not what it’s always used for. Still, I’m not that good at using it, and if there were anyone around in our personal training room, they’d get hurt by my slippery handling of the wind.

My trainer says, “Don’t worry about not being able to handle the wind. As with all magic and talent, God dictates your proficiency in it and will to do it, and failure could be your hint that you’re not meant to use it.”

“You’re right,” I say as I pick my head up and smile. “Thank you.”

The third day sees me training with animals and nature to see if they’ll obey my command and act nice to me. Unlike the other training sessions, I have to leave the tree to train. Once I leave the tree, I look up and realize that I can’t even see my home from here because of how high up it is and see that there are many more buildings and people down here than I previously thought as a small town surrounds not only my home tree but the others as well. I am taken to a clearing where many hunters and trainers are working, some of which are bringing the animals I’m training with today such as a white deer, a brown bear, and a golden lion.

“Are you sure these are the right animals I should be training with? I thought I’d be starting with birds, cats, or dogs,” I say.

“Nature is more willing to listen to us wood elves, so these animals are perfect to test the talent within you. If anything goes wrong, we have their trainers here to help you out,” my trainer says.

“Okay, I guess. I’ll try.”

First, I try my hand at handling the deer. This animal is easy to handle and the animal trainers allow me to ride it around for a while before coming back to try to influence the other animals. Feeling confident, I reach my hands out to try to get the lion to act like a kitten. The lion doesn’t take too kindly to me doing this and starts growling at me.

“You have to make it do something that fits within its nature, but don’t force it,” the trainer suggests.

Going with the suggestion, I make the lion roar, run around, and attack thin air, a display that the trainers approve of. Last but not least is the bear. Not sure if this is one of the cuddly or aggressive bears, I make it stand on two legs and roar out before running to a tree and knocking it down. Despite the trainers being impressed by this display, something feels wrong. The connection between me and the bear tells me that the bear is okay with this but doesn’t really want to do it, so I make it come up to me and cuddle me, which it does like a big dog and makes me laugh.

“It seems like he’s taken a liking to you. Elves who take a liking to a certain animal who likes them back are paired with that animal. Would you like to have this bear as your partner?” my trainer asks.

“Yes, I would,” I say with a smile while the bear nudges my head.

For the rest of the day, I train with the bear whom I learn to fight with and command. I’m even able to ride the bear around just like the deer. In addition to being with the bear, I command the trees to bend to my will, the ground to open up, and the vines in bushes to whip around. By sunset, the training ends and I head back home, impressing the trainer with what I’m proficient in.

“I guessed you would be talented in using nature since you’re a gardener, but I would never think that you’d be able to connect with a bear,” my trainer says.

“Me neither. I can’t wait to see what my parents say,” I say while petting my new friend, bear.

Sure enough, my parents are shocked and happily surprised to hear what I say and to see my new friend. While we celebrate and watch the daily fireworks, a messenger arrives with an invitation to Oshry and Ziv’s funeral. This funeral is a combined funeral that is paid for by all the owners of the businesses in this tree as a way of giving the deceased a proper funeral because of the tragic circumstances of their death. I’m surprised to hear this news and thank my parents for contributing to it and I agree to go. While at the funeral, I try not to cry over my friends’ coffins and say my goodbyes.

“I’m sorry that I never really helped you out with work or took the time to be with you while you were alive,” I say. “I’m sure you’re both surprised to see me riding around on a bear and training my hunting skills. If God hasn’t told you my thoughts yet, I’ll surprise you with a new bit of news. I’ve set my heart on becoming a hunter in addition to being a gardener.”

Blessed are the Burdened: Chapter 1 – Another Day of Earthly Paradise

Chapter 1 – Another Day of Earthly Paradise

The birds sing their morning song to wake me up and let me know that a new, wonderful day has begun. After stretching and saying my morning prayers, I look out the window to watch my neighbors do the same and wish me and others a good morning. A benefit of living in Matias is that most of us wood elves live in the same tree with very few people living below us. Most of the buildings below are inns and places of trade for travelers and foreigners since most business and work are done in the trees. It always amazes me to look up at these trees that are as big as mountains and seem to touch the clouds.

I breathe in the fresh air that is cool and smells of sweet flowers, vegetables, and fruits, and then go back into my room to get dressed and fix my messy hair. Many of the clothes in my wardrobe are made of various kinds of thick leaves while a few are made of leather and fur from the animals of Matias, which I only take out for special dinners and celebrations. Ultimately, I choose to wear a green shawl, sleeves, thigh-high boots, and a dark green corset and skirt. I fix up my hair around my antlers so it looks proper and put three flowers in it, one that’s pink, one that’s red, and another that’s blue.

“Ivana, are you ready yet? Breakfast is ready,” my mother says from downstairs.

“Coming!” I say before running to the kitchen.

My father and mother are already sitting at the breakfast table with everything laid out. We have coffee and orange juice to drink and eggs, chicken, and sausages to eat. My mother and father are wearing a similar outfit to mine though my father’s brown skin is lighter than my mother’s and his green, brown, and gold eyes aren’t shining like mine are, probably the result of work. I sit down, say grace, and then dig in.

“How’s work been?” I ask my father.

“The same as it always is in that it’s filled with many annoyances and few things go right,” he says. “What handling the business side of our farms and gardens and being out in the world has taught me is that there are only two kinds of people; those who are underpaid, underappreciated, and overworked and those who are overpaid, overloved, and lazy.”

“That’s something that you always say and why I’ll never take over that part of the business.”

“Your older brother and sister did despite saying the same thing when they were your age, but they eventually owned up to their legacy, so I wouldn’t speak too fast if I were you.”

“I don’t know,” my mother says. “Maybe she’ll take after me instead. She does have a great love for tending the gardens like I do.”

“Yeah, but she probably won’t teach the servants like you do and will just be one her whole life. At this rate, I expect her younger brother to be in charge faster than she will,” my father says while rubbing my mother’s pregnant belly.

“Don’t say that about your daughter.”

“I meant no offense by it, excuse me if I did. Being out in the world can make you colder without realizing it, so I’m glad I’m home in Matias and will be for the foreseeable future.”

My mother and I tell my father how we’re glad to have him back and then talk about today’s duties and the status of our farms and gardens, which are all doing well. Going out for work with my mother, we descend the tree and head to one of the landings on it where one of the gardens is and start getting to work. I start by watering the plants by taking water from the flowing river that goes throughout the tree and bringing them to the plants back and forth for a while until I decide to take a breather and look out at the sight of the garden and the many nearby gardens and farms on the neighboring trees. It’s always a sight that I can’t get enough of, especially after learning in school that this entire area used to be filled with towers of metal and stone that reached the sky until a miraculous event changed it into what it is today and turned the people here into wood elves. Seeing the many platforms on the trees that hold churches, farms, gardens, and even entire towns is truly something that can be found nowhere else.

These wonders and the many natural beauties here are why Matias is well known for its produce that is sent out worldwide. We are even known for our leather, meats, and other products from the animals here, though we don’t create those at my family’s farms and gardens. Even though I know how to fight with a basic bow and dagger, I’m not that good at hunting and wouldn’t want to get in a fight or be in a situation where I would need to hunt for food anyway. All I want is this and everything around me. If I were to do nothing but take care of the gardens and see my loved ones day in and out for the next hundred years of my life, I would be fine with that since the peace that this life gives me is Heaven on earth.

After finishing appreciating the sights, saying my prayers of thanks, taking care of the flowers, and planting new ones, I move to take care of the fruit next. In this section of the garden, I see two of my friends, Oshry and Ziv, who are going about their daily tasks picking fruits, throwing away rotten ones, and taking care of the plants. They’re dressed in outfits similar to mine made of various colored leaves but don’t have flowers in their hair and seem to be working hard because of how much sweat I see on their faces. Despite their tiredness, they look up at me, smile, and wave as if they aren’t tired at all when they see me coming to them.

“Hi, Ivana! I was wondering where you were,” Ziv says.

“You know exactly where she was. You were sightseeing and slowly enjoying today’s work again, right?” Oshry says.

“Haha, you’re right. I plead guilty,” I say.

“I wish I could do that in the way your mother taught us,” Oshry says. “The rush to meet demands and all the work that needs to be done makes it hard to do.”

“You have to take it easier, but he’s right. We don’t want to disappoint our customers and your parents even though we know that they wouldn’t mind if we accomplish everything today.”

“Trust me, my parents wouldn’t mind hiring more people to get help if we were behind in work. Our demand and the buyers we sell to cover the cost and then some.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Speaking of help, would you mind lending us a hand after you drop off that fruit basket? It’s fine if you don’t.”

I think about it for a second before saying, “Sorry, but I can’t. I’ll try asking my mother to send you help though.”

Oshry is silent for a second and then is thankful and understanding of what I say while Ziv is completely fine with it. Ziv’s always been the one who works without complaining. In a way, she’s like me and my mother. On the other hand, Oshry always wants to do more, kind of like my father. I drop off the fruit basket to the transporters at the center of the tree where carriages of horses and animals of burden bring products and materials from all over the tree and the ground below to be transported up or down. Going to my mother who is instructing our workers and picking tomatoes, I ask her if she can send help to my friends.

She gives me a gentle smile and says, “You do know that you can help them, right? I can always find someone else to do what you are.”

“No, it’s fine. I’d rather complete my assigned duty so that no one else has to pick up for me. Either way, someone is getting reassigned to help out someplace else,” I say.

“You’re right. I’ll send two workers out to help Oshry and Ziv once they’re done here.”

“Thank you, mother!”

I go back to my gardening duties then take my lunch not long after in a part of a tree that’s a lunch hall where the workers are being served the produce they’ve picked, various kinds of meats from the area, and water from the flowing river in the tree. There is also a separate area where the river is diverged to create a bath for people to wash up and relax. After finishing, I come across Oshry and Ziv who thank me for sending help their way.

“We’d like it if you helped out as well to get more done to be better prepared for tomorrow,” Oshry adds.

“It’ll only take me a few more hours to get my duties done for the day. Once I’m done, I’ll help you out. How’s that sound?” I suggest.

“Umm, fair.”

“Don’t rush yourself though. We’re doing fine and are progressing on schedule,” Ziv mentions.

Oshry rolls his eyes, takes a bite of his sandwich, and then says, “We could always do more than be on schedule. I’d like not to rush in the morning to catch up previous work and to take it easier throughout the day.”

“You’re the only one rushing yourself. As it’s said, a man’s worst judge is himself.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I say goodbye to my friends and head back to work watering, planting, removing rotten and dead plants, and picking flowers, fruits, and vegetables. While I work, I take a few minute breathers in between and talk to my fellow coworkers who pass by or work in the same area. Later on, my eyes finally notice that the sun is setting and the day is done. Rushing over to where Oshry and Ziv are, I see that they’re nearly done.

“Fashionably late as always, Ivana,” Oshry says.

“I’m sorry. Is there anything that needs to be done?” I ask.

 “Not much that we can’t handle. Don’t mind Oshry. He’s just irritable as always,” Ziv says.

“Alright, you’re right. We’ll be done in a few minutes and on time, but we’ll have to worry about getting the baskets set up and the rest of the spoiled produce thrown away tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s work is called what it is for a reason.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Okay. If you’re good, then I better go help my parents will tonight’s dinner. Thank you for your help as always,” I say while walking away and waving.

Ziv waves back with a smile while saying bye. At the same time, Oshry does the same, but his smile is a bit forced. Next time, I’ll try helping them so they don’t have to work so hard and get to spend more time with them. I only get to hang out with them on the weekends when we visit different restaurants, go for animal riding and flying, and sightseeing, and to be honest, I never really help them out beyond getting my mother to send them help. Tomorrow, I will put aside my wants to help them. This I promise to do for sure.

When I get home, I help my mother prepare dinner while talking to my parents about how my day was, which is just the same as every day and not something that I complain about at all. It’s something that my father misses and talks about it as if it’s the best thing ever.

He says, “Working with my hands is so stress-relieving and fun that it makes me never want to step foot in an office or a meeting room in a foreign kingdom ever again.”

My father then rambles on about current events and what’s wrong with the world while my mother and I laugh, listen, and respond so he feels like everything he says isn’t just going over our heads. Dinner is now prepared and is comprised of beef, pasta, salad, and a side of salami and cheeses for seconds. Once we’re done, we head out to relax, sit on the porch, and watch the starry night sky in silence. Not much time passes before the nightly fireworks that are set off by mages from all over the world light up the sky as a way to celebrate the fruits of today’s work and happily end it. This is truly Heaven on earth for me and I don’t mind if this is how it will be for the rest of my life. I will never stop thanking God for it and never stop thinking of it as such.

My latest book is completed and out today!

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Oron in the Holy Land is the territory of the high elves who are masters of politics and light magic. Among them is a politician named Sarah who seeks to gain a higher seat on the Elven Council next to Evander, the king of the elves and the oldest man alive. She will have to make herself known during today's council meeting and discover Evander's secrets to become greater than she already is.

Blessed are the Imperious: Chapter 3 – End to Another Day

Chapter 3 – End to Another Day

When I get home and tell my family everything that happened except for the parts that I’m supposed to keep secret, they burst out in cheer, kiss, hug, and congratulate me. They then conjure messenger birds to tell our friends about it and hold a spontaneous party for me, one that I’m surprised a lot of people come to on such short notice, but then again, I hold a position on the highest part of the Elven Council, so it’s best for them to be supportive of me if they want me to show them favor or do them favors. During the party, I do my best to keep conversation with my guests and family, however, the secrets that I uncovered won’t stop coming up in my mind. Most people I talk to notice this and I simply say that I’m exhausted over today’s events, which is partially true and an excuse they accept. Half-truths are better than lies and more convincing as I’ve learned in my time in politics.

My mother takes particular note of my fatigue and allows me to step out for some fresh air to recuperate my mind. She not only doesn’t want me to embarrass myself and my family as a result in front of the guests but genuinely cares for my health and knows that rest is equally as important as work. I sit on a chair on the balcony and look out at the night sky that looks more like that of a late afternoon sky in other kingdoms. My family’s home stands equal to many of the medium-sized castles in this city of castles, churches, and buildings that are mixtures of both with some of the biggest castles and churches casting their shadows on us, a constant reminder that there are always people more powerful than us no matter how much influence and wealth we have. Still, the light of the golden moon shines upon all in the city and the stars can be clearly seen.

Speaking of the reminder, today was a reminder of the very same thing. Evander is the most powerful man in the world now that the wars have brought every other kingdom to their knees, but then again, he was always the most powerful and influential out of all of them. I may have a high seat on the council, but my wants and will cannot override his if he has his mind set on something. His experimental light magic is both amazing and terrifying in how it can warp a person’s perception of reality and move their will toward the caster’s goal. Even though his ambition is noble, I have a fear within me that warns me of the possible ways it may be misused, but at the same time, what can I do about it besides pray and trust in Evander and God that the best results come of it?

The life of a royal and politician such as myself is exhausting. Many who are poor, from other kingdoms, and who don’t have as much as me think that I live a life of comfort, luxury, and power, but it’s taxing just as any life of work is, if not greater due to the many responsibilities I have. I’ve done much work today, and yet, there is more to be done and things that could’ve been done today. Remembering my father’s wisdom, he said that there’s an infinite number of work to be done, and breaking yourself to get ahead of it will not make a dent in the future’s work, so we should never sacrifice our time with family and loved ones and push ourselves too hard lest we cripple ourselves and make us regret what we could’ve done. He’s right, as he usually is.

Today is just another day in my long life and the day’s work is done. I am satisfied with what I’ve managed to accomplish and look forward to doing more tomorrow for the glory of God, my family, and my people. For now, I will rest and enjoy the fruits of my labor and leave tomorrow in God’s hands as I do with my present and past.

The End

Blessed are the Imperious: Chapter 2 – The Blinding Light of Truth

Chapter 2 – The Blinding Light of Truth

With tea in hand and various desserts and sandwiches on the table, I sit with Evander in his personal library. He joyfully eats the sweets on the table, and if I didn’t know who he was, I’d think he was just a light-hearted and simple boy who always enjoys the present moment.

“Go ahead and eat what you want, Sarah. Don’t mind taking the sweets either,” Evander says.

“You can have them. I know how much you enjoy your sweets,” I say.

“I guess my tastebuds haven’t aged just like my face, voice, and some of my mannerisms haven’t. Tell me, what kind of books do you like reading?”

“Fiction and theory crafting. There’s a book called Fantasy and Reality’s Fine Line that I’m currently reading that reflects on how civilizations of old used to talk about orcs, elves, and beastmen as beings of fiction and legend and wonders if the legends are just facts that have been obscured by time, forgetfulness, and the loss of records.”

“I like that one a lot too. I even got to meet the author and talk with him here just like how we’re talking now. To be honest, I can’t blame the people of the past for thinking that fantastical stories are nothing more than fiction. Even the history we know to be true seems made up such as the ships that sailed the stars and a war that extinguished suns. We would’ve labeled them all as fiction if we didn’t have the remnants of that final war still in the oceans, littering the lands, and occupying our museums and libraries.”

“Speaking of libraries, yours is impressive. I like the modeled ships of the past that hang from the ceiling and the number of books that look like they could take centuries to read.”

“I have been alive for centuries so I was able to read them all. You’ve only been alive long enough to see the rise of the ratmen, right?”

“Correct, so I’m still fairly young. I think I was only ten years old when I first heard about them infesting most cities in the world.”

“What did your family do during that time?”

“We protected ourselves and got involved when we could, especially after everyone in the Holy Land turned into elves as we were endowed by God with new powers. I have family in the military that were involved in the war against them.”

“So I’ve heard. What do you think of the orc’s requests?”

“They’re justified in a sense, but too eager to see things done in what they consider the right way.”

“It was a smart move giving them a competition to work out their frustrations in. I just hope that they keep their want for fighting contained for a year.”

“Thank you and I hope so too. Also, I wasn’t lying when I said I would compete in the competition myself. My family in the military has trained me to fight like them so I’m able to use light magic more effectively than most lords.”

“We’ll see when the selection process happens. You’ll have to prove yourself in sparing first before you’re selected.”

“Of course.”

“On the other hand, what do you think of Draco’s demands?”

“They’re more reasonable than the orcs, but they’re just the other side of the same coin. I admired them when they took advantage of current events to become the most powerful kingdom in the world, spread their influence, and reach every corner of it. It was a grand display of legal manipulation if there was ever a case of it but is the work of amateurs compared to your leadership and decisions.”

Evander smirks.

“I would like to think so.”

“It’s true. They threw away their lead once they got too ambitious for their own good by taking land and getting rid of or turning their enemies into allies too quickly to appear natural and legal.”

“Indeed. Part of me doesn’t blame them for their impatience since the places that they controlled became more orderly and I forget that normal men hardly live past the age of fifty while we’ve lived for centuries. In terms of other foreign powers, what do you think of the United Kingdoms of the Americas?”

“Fractured as they are now because of the bandit kingdoms, they are no competitor to us, but they are a useful ally because of their unique resources on their side of the world, their beastmen, and their magic users. We should keep them as close as possible. Is that why you kept one of their members as one of your personal bodyguards?”

“Not really. Priscilla is a unique individual who has a conviction to do what’s right that I don’t see in most individuals.”

“I’m still surprised that you let Draco have her as an assurance of our alliance.”

“She is allowed to come back every now and then. Draco’s Odollam spies haven’t been able to do much to her that she hasn’t been able to handle, especially since we don’t have much of anything to hide besides our private affairs. Priscilla should be around here today since she’s been given an extended leave because of what’s going on in Draco and they see no use in keeping her around at the moment.”

One of Evander’s personal servants comes into the library and whispers something to him. He looks at me, nods, and whispers something back.

“Speaking about private affairs, you must excuse me since there is something that requires my immediate attention.”

“You don’t need to justify yourself. I’ll wait here.”

Evander smiles and nods before heading off. Our entire conversation was the interview for my higher position on the council. He was testing me with everything he said, well, everything but the eating the sweets, I assume. This must be another test and part of the interview. Perhaps he’s testing my patience or wants me to do something, but what could it be? The last thing he mentioned was Priscilla, so maybe I should go looking for her since he said she should be around here. I’ve been dying to question her ever since she came to this side of the world with a dark elf child in tow.

The dark elf was rumored to be able to manipulate the minds of people and is said to have been cursed by occult magic. As for Priscilla, there’s nothing special about her that I can see on the surface. She seems to be a normal human except for her exceptionally long lifespan. Everyone knows that Evander must’ve done something to her to allow her to live so long, but what was it, and why her? Now I really want to go searching for her. Getting up from the chair, I move as quietly and quickly as possible out of the library and begin my search.

Evander’s house is like that of a church and a mansion combined with many statues, paintings, and stained glass windows that have God, Mary, saints, angels, and scenes from scripture or history on them. These halls are emptier than they were when I first arrived, and yet, they appear to have just been cleaned. Perhaps the servants are done for the day and are resting. It is almost midafternoon after all. Still, it feels like I’m being watched or judged by an unseen force, and every time I turn around, the feeling disappears.

After a while of searching, I see a person robed in white walk through the halls. I follow them and see them push a stone in that reveals a hidden staircase that goes down. Firstly, I wait for the person to head down the stairs so they don’t notice me following them down and then head down myself. Once in the hidden basement, I’m surprised to see that the robed person has completely vanished. I don’t think I was that far behind them or it could be possible that they knew I was following them. There doesn’t seem to be much in this completely empty basement other than webs and dust. That is until a flash of light forces me to shut my eyes and reopen them to find that the place is now filled with golden light and people who appear to be angels.

No, these are just people. They’re high elves who ascended to a higher state of being through their faith and practice of light magic. I’ve heard of these people and read about them, but never thought I’d see them in person because they’re said to guard the Church’s most valuable treasures and only be deployed as soldiers when Evander commanders, which is incredibly rare. Their golden body parts, skirts, and wings are disconnected from one another, especially their heads which have no facial features and look like the crest on a knight’s helmet. They don’t seem to mind that I’m here even as I walk passed them and they look directly at me and simply keep floating back and forth with their hands in constant prayer.

Further into the room of light, a white robe is thrown at me as I am attacked by a masked assailant who wears brown leather armor, wields a sword and shield, and wears the mask of a snake. Immediately, I burn the robe into ashes, conjure two daggers with my light magic, and meet my attacker's blades with my own. This is not the time to be asking this person any questions so I attack with a flurry from my blades and make beams of hot light shoot out from them to create more distance, breathing room, and to keep my enemy on their toes.

My beams of light manage to hit my enemy, though the beams only push them back rather than incinerate them into ash. This person is good and prepared whoever they are. If anything, I hope it’s another test from Evander and not an actual assassin. Still, the enemy comes at me with the intent to kill at lightning-fast speeds, forcing me to keep on the attack and not stop for a second. I haven’t fought this hard since I trained with my siblings, and yet, this person seems tougher than them in how they counter many of my attacks and are hardly phased after being stabbed and cut by my blades and burned by my magic. Eventually, I’m able to cut their mask off, revealing my enemy to be…Priscilla? I recognize her black and red hair, golden eyes, and beige skin anywhere.

My surprise causes me to hesitate during the fight, allowing Priscilla to stab me in my side, but I’m able to recover by slashing back at her and pushing her back with a barrage of light beams that hit her and force her to fall to the ground. I then put my conjured knife of light to her throat and cut at her arm that was holding her sword, forcing her to drop it. Victory is finally mine.

“What is the meaning of this?” I ask with sweat flowing down my face and in an out-of-breath voice. “Why did you attack me? What are you and Evander hiding down here?”

“You passed the test. Congratulations,” Priscilla says with a smile.

The sound of clapping makes me turn my head to see Evander approaching us with a smile on his face.

“I was wondering if you were going to fail because of how long it took you to find Priscilla and the secret passageway down here. Most give up and go home or simply stay in the library until I return and tell them that aren’t getting the position on the council,” Evander says.

“What about those who face Priscilla and lose?” I ask.

“They simply leave with their damaged pride and told that they failed and to keep quiet about what they found unless they want to lose their position and be denied publicly of what’s down here and what they went through. A leader is not worthy of his position unless he can fight and defend himself and you proved that you are a true leader. I might even put you in that competition against the orcs without making you go through the selection process.”

“What is down here?”

“A secret that I’ve been working on for centuries that only my most trusted allies can see, and since you passed my test, I’ll allow you to see it. It will change the world for the better and bring about true peace.”

With no other choice, I follow Evander and Priscilla deeper into the basement and find a singular ratmen who is dressed like and has the body and makeup of a woman. This man is walking around and praising God while having a bright light shine on him.

“What is this degenerate doing here? Is he your secret?” I ask.

“He’s part of it. He used to be one of the many human trafficker madams who kidnapped women, ran brothels underground, distributed drugs, and forced innocent women to give birth to ratmen. It sickens me to no end to think of the people who watch women give birth to ratmen only for the mothers to be eaten alive by her children,” Evander says. “This is why we captured men like this and put them through our rehabilitation process.”

“This process involves the light around him?”

“It’s in the light around us and is the result of research done by elves from all over the Holy Land and men from all over the world. It puts the subjects in a situation they think is reality but is a tailored dream reality that pushes them to repent of their sins and love God.”

“Amazing. Why are you hiding this miraculous magic?”

“It involves forcing the subjects to comply and isn’t perfected yet to the degree I need it to be, but once it is, the whole world will be made better by it.”

For an instant, I not only see the ratman in front of me but also hundreds of thousands of people who are under the light’s influence. The sight is enough to leave me speechless and lose my train of thought.

“Why do you get up every day, Sarah? What is your reason for existing and the motive behind every action and thought?” Evander asks me.

“To serve God and my kingdom,” I answer already knowing it from rehearsal.

“A typical answer, but a good and right one, nevertheless. In my countless years of living, I wondered why God chose me to become the first elf and live the longest out of every other human being, and with this power I’ve discovered, I see why. With it, we can convert even the worst of sinners to repent and believe and make the world a peaceful place.”

“I agree. You are truly blessed and I’m sure this magic will do much good for humanity,” I say while not knowing what to say at all.

“Thank you for seeing that and also thank you for leaving me the sweets in the library. For that, you get the bonus of having my personal carriage driver take you home and your higher position on the council starting tomorrow rather than next week like the usual candidates who take this test and pass. Congratulations on your new job. I’m sure your family will be happy for you but don’t tell them about what you saw here, or else what you’ve been through will be for nothing. Nevertheless, cheer up and walk with your head high. We’ll accomplish great things together and bring a wave of peace to this world that it’s never known.”

“Thank you for everything, my king. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

Evander and I bow to one another before I say my goodbye and leave. While in the carriage, I feel completely drained of life after having gone through so much. What am I even going to do with all I’ve learned?

Blessed are the Imperious: Chapter 1 – A Day in the Life of the Powerful

Chapter 1 – A Day in the Life of the Powerful

Today is a special day, and representatives from all the kingdoms in the world have come before the Elven Council for aid now that the recent wars have ended. People from Draco to Phasianus to the United Kingdoms of the Americas, Leo, Canis, and Polypus are here. The building we are meeting in is said to have been the home of the Holy Family and is more like a chapel than a meeting room with each kingdom having its place in the room. The high elves like I sit at the highest point of the Elven Council and are dressed in a combination of white and gold colors with rays of light designed on their trims. As for the wood elves, they are dressed in outfits that are made of leaves and colored gold, brown, and green. Lastly are the dark elves whose outfits are long, colored black, grey, and gold, and elongated at the end as if each of their sleeves is a blade.

First up is a lord from Leo who is dressed in knightly armor and flowing kingly robes who stands up and says, “We request that you convince Draco to give us back our land. During the war and before it, we allowed them to keep it after they cleared out the bandits and cultists that claimed it, but now that we require resources and our budget is tight, we would like to have back what was ours.”

“Your request is denied. What you want should be negotiated only between you and Draco as it is a private matter you both agreed upon,” Evander decides.

Evander is our king and the oldest man alive. Despite his age, he looks younger than most people. His green and gold eyes are striking and his blonde hair is like that of a high elf while his skin is beige like that of a normal human from the West whereas most high elves have golden skin. He wears a crown that has twelve jewels in it representing the twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, and twelve ruling parties of the Holy Land, and also wears a white royal garb that is covered with high elf light armor that is colored white and gold. If I want my family and me to get ahead in the world, he’s the one I need to appease.

“We have already tried to negotiate to get our land back to no effect.”

“Then that is the reality you must live with and I can only recommend that you try again later.”

Defeated, the lord from Leo sits down while a lord from Draco stands up.

“I am here to represent Emperor Jianyu while he recovers from what happened to him during the war and his family stays by his side,” the lord of Draco explains.

“Emperor Jianyu is in our prayers.”

“Thank you. We request that greater security be implemented to ensure that the orcs and their allies adhere to the terms of peace that were agreed upon after the end of the war. As you know, the orcs and their allies, especially those in Canis, are quick to use violence and slow to debate and reason and were the ones who started the war to begin with.”

“If I’m not mistaken, the orcs started the war due to the Odollam spies from Draco silencing dissenters from Bernhard and Canis by converting them to your side or outright killing them.”

“What you heard was nothing more than an unfounded conspiracy.”

“It is a reasonable assumption given Odollam’s history, especially since they humbled the Church’s own thieves guild when they discovered a conspiracy against Draco.”

“As if your hands are so clean.”

Evander grins.

“If I am guilty of anything, then I must be better at you for hiding for it so long. You’re a child at this game of politics while I am an elder, lord. Do try to play it better and subtler. In fact, I will show you how it’s played in that I will go back on my previous decision with Leo and allow them to have their land back. Draco is stretched thin as it is.”

Hearing the words, “child” and “elder” coming out of Evander’s mouth sounds strange since his voice is young, and yet, so filled with experience. The lords representing Draco burst into anger and argue incoherently at Evander. This is my time.

Standing up, I yell, “If you call yourselves civil, then sit down and accept what was decided with humility! You came here asking for help, not to demand it, so don’t expect to get what you want like a begging, spoiled child.”

The other lords rally behind my words. This makes the lords of Draco sit down in embarrassment and accept Evander’s decision. Confidently, the lords of Serpentis and Equus request the same things as Leo and obtain it along with relief from their debts from Draco, both of which Draco has to begrudgingly accept. Next up, the lords of Canis and Bernhard stand up together.

“I speak for both our kingdoms when I ask that Draco pay greater reparations for the damages down before and during the war,” the orc lord from Bernhard says.

Immediately standing up, one of the lords of Draco says, “We are giving away land and forgiving debts left and right, but we will not be impoverished from all these demands. We can only do so much within reason.”

“Come now. Isn’t Draco the most powerful kingdom in the world? You snakes have your handprints and agents everywhere, even on the other side of the world, so surely you can give more, especially since you’re mostly to blame for the war.”

“You were the ones who struck first, and speaking of having handprints and agents everywhere, you orcs have your guards and soldiers stationed everywhere as well.”

“It’s not our fault that people prefer to hire our soldiers as guards and knights in their armies because of our renowned strength and craftsmanship.”

“I must take a center position in this,” Evander interrupts. “Draco will pay reparations, but only within reason. In addition, Bernhard and Canis will do the same for their part in starting the war since the blame is split between you.”

“I beg you to reconsider. Draco is notorious for taking advantage of law gaps and rulings to get their way. It’s one of the reasons why we started our just war against them,” the orc lord argues.

The orcs and fiery men of Canis begin to get rattled up, so I stand up to say, “Accept the decision to show the world that your kingdoms aren’t just barbarians that participate in politics because you have to, and if you want to hold a fighting competition to get what you want, then that can be arranged. I’ll even personally participate and humble all your knights if you desire.”

The lords of Bernhard and Canis smile and some of them laugh.

“I like you, girl. You actually have a backbone and know our ways. Because of that, I’ll agree with your decision and the men of Bernhard and Canis leashed as long as we can have that competition to change your decision, Evander,” the orc lord says.

“So be it. The competition will be arranged for next year. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, it is. It’ll give both our warriors enough time to heal from the war and prepare themselves for the fight.”

As we all sit down, Evander says to me, “Good work, Sarah.”

His tone sounds slightly disappointed. Is this result not what he wanted or have I upset him in some way? The corpse men of Corvus and the knowledgeable men of Polypus stand next with an octopus man from Polypus representing them. They ask for simple things they need to rebuild their homes and guards to keep them safe. During this, I missed my chance to add my thoughts and suggestions as other elves recommended and said what I wanted to such as an exchange of books and knowledge from the halls of the libraries in Polypus and valuable materials from the dead lands of Corvus. I can’t forget that I’m not the only one trying to move up in the world and must be doing my best at all times.

My next chance immediately arrives as the beastmen from the United Kingdoms of the Americas present their pleas to us. The representative of their group is a man with the head of an eagle and dressed in a large red, white, and blue royal garb. It’s always strange to me to see a normal-looking human with them whenever they show up.

“First of all, I’d like to thank you for all the trade you’ve given us recently,” the eagle man says with a bow. “But now I must ask for help in our conflicts with the bandit kingdoms in our land, which we’ve been at perpetual war with for centuries.”

“What kind of aid do you need?” Evander asks.

“Troops. Many of our own were sent to help Phasianus in their civil war and Bernhard’s war against Draco. As a result, the bandits took advantage of the lower number of troops defending our homeland and have been taking territory at an alarming rate.”

“We’re already recovering from one world war. Why should we involve ourselves in another conflict?” a high elf lord asks.

“Because they need our help,” I say. “Criminals and sinners will continue to act on their devious plots. It doesn’t matter if we’re taking part in a war or licking our wounds from one. The world moves on and we should move with it.”

“Well said, Sarah,” Evander says with a gentle smile. “You shall have your help from us. We are allies and recently made our alliance official, after all. Talk to my generals for specifics. Oh, and speaking of Phasianus, are their representatives not here?”

A dark elf lord says, “They said they sent their prayers and regards for everyone in this meeting because they’re still taking care of the poor in their kingdom and the Asiatic states that were harmed during their war and said they saw no reason to involve themselves with this meeting.”

“Those emperors are just like their father. Good. Have a messenger conjure a bird to tell them that they’ll get whatever they want. What of the fishmen of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans?”

“Absent like always since they never seem to want anything on their floating ships,” a wood elf lord says.

“Sometimes I feel jealous of their peaceful lives. Your Holiness, you have been oddly quiet during this meeting. Do you not require any assistance from us?”

Pope Jude the Third, who is a high elf, stands up from his part of the room that represents the land of eternal night, Noctua, and says, “If I had a need, I would have asked you. I’m only here as a formality to oversee it and make sure the right decisions are made.”

Evander grins.

“Of course, Your Holiness. Thank you for coming and thank you all for being here. May the work we’ve done here glorify God in the way He desires.”

The final prayers of the meeting are said and everyone is dismissed. As I leave with the other elves, I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to see Evander.

I bow my head and then ask, “Yes, my king?”

“I’m impressed at your initiative in the recent meetings, especially this one where you kept the peace,” Evander says.

“Thank you. I learned from the best, my teachers, family, and you, of course.”

Evander chuckles with a grin and then says, “Your brown-nosing has rewarded you with a chance to obtain a higher seat on the council for you and your family. We’ll discuss everything at my personal library over lunch.”

“I cannot thank you enough for your generosity and this wonderful opportunity.”

“Wait for me at the entrance while I go say goodbye to the lords. After which, we will see if you are truly deserving of the opportunity given to you.”

“Of course, my king.”

Before leaving the chapel, I look at myself in the mirror. My black hair which is put into a royal pigtail style is still composed, there is not a blemish on my light gold skin, and my black lipstick and eyeshadow aren’t smudged or ruined in the slightest. I don’t think I should do anything to the beauty mark below my mouth on the right, so I should be good to go. Looking into my grey eyes, I smile at myself, thank God, and calm my emotions. This is the opportunity I worked so hard for and I need to do better than my best to take advantage of it. I can’t fail now and I won’t. There’s not a chance that a high elf like me at the top of society can fail at this point, after all.