We advance through the forest. Leims leads the way, and I protect our rear. Abbia is not yet in good condition to fight, one meal won't be enough to get her back on her feet, especially with only troll meat. But it's strange, there isn't a single animal around, and this has been the case for over a week! I decide to talk to my companions about it:

  

  
• "It's strange though, it's been five days and I still haven't seen a single animal."


  
• "Yeah, even when you were sleeping there weren't any either," Leims replied.


  
• "Sorry, it's probably because of me."


  

  Leims and I stop. He turns around.

  

  
• "What do you mean?"


  
• "Unlike other types of elves, dark elves repel animals. They flee us like the plague. As soon as they smell us, they hide and don't come out until they're sure we're far enough. I thought that was pretty common knowledge."


  

  I look at her with a mix of surprise and disgust.

  

  
• "What, you didn't know!?" Abbia continued.


  
• "So that's why you asked us if we were sure about taking you along?" Leims added.


  

  It's not a big deal. Come on, pull yourself together. Pull yourself together.

  I try to contain my rage. Am I really going to have to eat troll until the end?

  

  
• "Oh, but on the other hand, monsters love us! Well, they love to eat us." Abbia digs an even deeper hole, but that manages to turn my rage into pity. Besides me, there are now visibly two of us who bring bad luck. But a question pops into my mind:


  
• "But if you knew that, why are you alone in the forest, and without food?"


  
• "I ran away. I was fed up with my family, my city, the other dark elves. So I left. I left through the forest so as not to be seen. I thought I would quickly reach another city. But then I was chased by monsters, again and again. Until I reached the swirling tree. I had to stay there for three days without coming down. Then you arrived."


  

  Leims listens in silence. He, who never had a family, what can he feel facing someone who willingly left theirs?

  

  
• "And how did you end up here?" Abbia asked.


  

  Leims answered first with confidence:

  

  
• "I got ripped off by my employer, I left, and then she dragged me along."


  

  I followed suit, matching his enthusiasm:

  

  
• "I was chased by a troll, I ran into him, and since he has no sense of direction, I dragged him along."


  

  She looks at me with a fearful expression.

  What? Did I say something I shouldn't have?

  She finally decides to speak:

  

  
• "If he really doesn’t have any sense of direction... Why is he leading the way ?"


  

  Huh?

  I look at Leims in front of us. I look at the sun setting on our right.

  We're heading North, not East! Ah, shit!

  Quickly, I move to the front before signaling Leims to go to the back. He grumbles for a moment but finally complies. We truly risk never reaching Leg?u. We decide to resume walking and we’ll talk during this time. Night is falling, we hurry to start collecting mosses and cooking the troll meat.

  As the fire burns, I decide to climb a tree to see the stars. The smell of smoke gradually dissipates and gives way to that of nature. The air is cool, it's almost the end of summer. The leaves gently whistle. Trolls are bedding down in the distance. The stars illuminate the sky. Yellow, green, red, purple, blue, and white. Shooting or fixed. They shine as if nothing ever mattered. Melas and Destras, the two moons named after the goddesses, glow respectively with their turquoise and red hues. Streaks of stars meet like waves on the surface of the water. The nebulae are waltzing again tonight, in this cosmic ballet organized by the Gods.

  Suddenly, a pointed-eared head emerges from the foliage. She settles down on my right. She speaks in a calm, almost melancholic voice:

  

  
• "You know, among the dark elves, what matters most is physical strength. Magic is not our strong suit."


  

  I turn my head in her direction. She stares at the sky, the stars reflecting in her blue eyes. She continues:

  

  
• "Since childhood, every dark elf learns that we are not meant for magic. That we must remain hidden, protected within our city. That every outsider will seek to use us as a workforce, without us being able to use magic to defend ourselves. I wasn't convinced, so I left to check. When I saw you, I must admit that these prejudices were the first things that crossed my mind. That's why I immediately attacked you. After spending these few hours in your company, I realized that was false. I'm sorry."


  
• "Mmh... I don't think you have to apologize. In your situation, I probably would have done the same. As for prejudices, if you want a piece of advice, never lower your guard. Never. Humans are capable of the best and the worst. Unfortunately, the worst is much easier to reach. A Saint's word."


  

  I look at the horizon. The forest stretches as far as the eye can see. The lights of a village are visible in the distance. The solitude is truly palpable, isn't it? Wait...

  The lights of a village?

  I abruptly stand up, Abbia is surprised. I squint and yes, there is a village! I point it out to Abbia. We are both excited by this discovery! I will finally be able to find civilization, take a bath, and even change my clothes! But let's not get too excited too quickly. In my opinion, it will take between one and two hours of walking to reach it. At night, it would be dangerous, and the villagers might give us a very poor welcome. After talking about it with Leims, we decided to spend the night here and set off as soon as the sun rises. I couldn't sleep that night, the excitement prevented me.

  - - -

  The sun rises. Leims and Abbia are already prepared. I quickly pack my things—not that I have much, but still. We set off toward the village we spotted yesterday. It takes a good two hours of walking before we reach an outlying building.

  “It’s strange; windows are shattered and doors have been forced open,” I say in an apprehensive tone, taking a quick lap around the structure. A foul odor emanates from inside the house. I don’t like this.

  Leims, looking just as uneasy as I am, replies, “Yes… yet the lights are still on. And there are visible tracks and signs of recent wear. It’s as if the inhabitants tried to resist a recent attack.”

  Abbia, leaning on her staff, asks, “Perhaps wild animals?”

  Leims, clearly unconvinced, finally reveals what seems the most likely “No, the animals in this region are neither bold nor strong enough to approach humans. As for monsters, they are too powerful to leave so little damage. This can only be of human origin.”

  A thought crosses my mind, and I can’t suppress a whispered, “Or worse…” which finally makes Abbia realize that this situation is truly abnormal. We decide to enter.

  It doesn’t take long to understand what happened to the inhabitants. The walls are smeared with blood. Furniture is overturned. A corpse lies in a corner hidden from the outside. I kneel and examine it. “No pulse and a cold pale-green body. He died recently—I’d say no more than three days ago.”

  Leims, thoughtful, steps out of the house and onto the path connecting it to the rest of the village. “Two days is more than enough time for the villagers to realize something is wrong.”

  Abbia, having never been in a human environment, asks, “Really? Among the elves, we sometimes don't leave our homes for weeks.”

  “Among elves, perhaps, but not humans. We must regularly go to the market for food, pray to the gods, or meet to solve community problems,” I reply, joining Leims on the path. “Well… I suppose we have to go,” I say to Abbia, beckoning her to join us.

  The path is made of packed earth, surrounded by apple orchards. I can’t help myself; I approach a tree, pluck an apple, and eat it. Its sweet taste fills my mouth. A tear rolls down my cheek.

  Finally! The ordeal is over!

  I finish it quickly, then pick another. And another. And another. Leims and Abbia have to hold me back from taking more, though they don’t hesitate to harvest some for themselves.

  After this small snack, we resume our way. At last, we reach the village. What we see curdles our blood. I vomit up the apples I just ate. The same scene, repeated on a loop, over and over again. Corpses everywhere—men, women, the elderly, and children too. Even the animals weren't spared. Guts of all kinds litter the ground. The houses are deserted. A chilling silence reigns, with a stench strong enough to make a fly gag and a sight to drive a warrior mad. Leims observes the scene silently, his grief plain to see. Abbia, meanwhile, stares at the scene with a strange calm. Too strange. I call out to her, “Abbia? Are you alright?” No reaction. I wave my hand in front of her eyes. No reaction. I start shaking her. “Abbia! Abbia! Answer me!”

  Leims places his hand on my shoulder, without turning his gaze from the massacre. “Leave her. She must have lost consciousness. A defense mechanism, I suppose.” He is likely right. But the moment I let go, she finally speaks. “No… thank you… I-I… it’s just… it’s like in the stories. I didn't think it could actually exist. That’s all.” She tries to reassure me with a smile. It is a sad smile. Her eyes, however, do not lie.

  None of us dare to move. Finally, I kneel; there is only one thing I can do. I join my hands and begin to pray for them—for their souls, and that they did not suffer too much. I am joined by Abbia, and surprisingly afterward, by Leims. After a few minutes of prayer, we stand back up. Unfortunately, we don't have the means to give them a burial.

  Leims approaches a corpse. “This one has no eyes, she’s missing teeth and nails, and her stomach is partially torn away. She didn't die instantly, and that was exactly the perpetrator's intent.” Torture. Pure and simple. Looking at the other bodies, the signs repeat. Sometimes limbs were torn off; other times, the corpses suggest they were forced to witness or even commit the tortures; still others show pregnant women who had their babies forcibly removed. A single word crosses my mind.

  Hell. Is this hell in its purest form?

  Abbia finally asks, “But… who could have done this? This can't be the fault of a human, right?” Leims and I lock eyes; he has doubts too. I share my thoughts: “It could be an army or bandits. But none of them have the cruelty to do this to other humans. In my opinion, it's demons.”

  Abbia looks at me with a mix of curiosity and fear. “Demons? The ones who eat us?” Leims listens intently; he doesn't seem to know them. His gaze betrays him.

  I continue, “Yes, demons. They are monsters with a human appearance. They are supposed to live far to the northwest of here, beyond mountains, forests, deserts, and marshes. They are organized, like us. Led by the greatest enemy of humanity: the Demon King. It was likely his army that did this.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Leims gives me a skeptical look. “If they live so far away, why attack here?”

  Abbia nods in agreement. I have to explain the situation to them. “They do live far away. But the Demon King has already tried to take control of the continent. Twice, actually. Each time, he was pushed back, and the demons suffered so many losses they had to regain their strength for centuries. For the last ten years, however, the attacks have resumed. We don't know why. That’s why I was sent here. I was on my way to the Holy See to be inducted as a true Saint. The Demon King doesn't usually attack in such a roundabout way. In my view, these are likely acts of intimidation—hence the torture and the remote location. He wants to show he can strike anywhere, at any time, with no regard for his opponents. Oh, and by the way, if you think you can actually reason with everyone, know that demons have a fondness for flesh, and they maintain farms of humans and other intelligent creatures in their territory.” I look Leims straight in the eye as I say this.

  Shortly after, we decide to explore the village. Sadly, no one survived. Expressions of terror and unbearable pain are etched onto the faces of the deceased. We reach the entrance of the village. A sign reads ‘Welcome to Lau.’ Only one road leads out of the village, and it goes toward Leg?u. Let’s hope the town hasn't shared the same fate.

  After concluding we would find nothing more in the village, and that it would be disrespectful to steal from the remains, we decide to leave while it’s still light. We will sleep on the road, at the foot of a tree; the smell of the village is too much to bear any longer. The end of the day passes in silence; we burn the last of the fat we have left and eat the last of the troll meat. Sleep is elusive; the images of the day loop in my mind, threatening to turn my stomach. Sometimes the sound of Abbia getting up to vomit is heard; other times, it’s Leims walking in circles. The night is hard.

  - - -

  The sun rises. Everyone gets ready in silence, exhausted from the night. The atmosphere is heavy. No one can forget these images, and I doubt we ever will.

  No. We must not. Forgetting them would silence the victim’s testimony.

  "We must go to Leg?u. We need to inform the authorities of what happened here." I said in a determined tone. Leims and Abbia both look at me. They say nothing, but their gaze indicates all the necessary determination.

  After a moment, Leims finally speaks an unexpected but welcome sentence, "I suggest we follow the road. Losing time in the forest would be useless. And if we can warn people on the road not to go to the village, it will prevent me from feeling guilty about traumatizing innocents." The Elf and I nod in silence.

  We resumed walking. Unfortunately, I can't enjoy having edible food and walking on a path actually made for it. Sometimes we cross paths with people. Some decide to try their luck despite our pleas, others decide to wait for the accounts of those who return. I would be lying if I said seeing them leave towards certain trauma didn't sadden us. But unfortunately, we don't have time to hesitate in long negotiations. At least, these encounters allowed us to estimate the distance to Leg?u at another half-day's walk, we should normally arrive by sunset.

  The day continues. The silence is still in place. We do not stop. The sun moves across the sky. The attention we pay to the surroundings is minimal. Finally, as the sky turns pink-orange, we see it. High walls barely allow a glimpse of the city. Surrounded by vast fields, the city is like a structure placed in the middle of a desert of wheat.

  The path grazes the stone walls, it carefully bypasses the city and leads us to the entrance. Night is falling, the guards signal us to hurry if we don't want to stay outside tonight. "Well, well, well... What have we here?" A first guard begins to examine us from top to bottom, a second approaches Abbia and says to her "Oooh, a dark elf, huh? And exactly my type too!" Leims intervenes, "Hey, can't you see you're bothering her?" The guard raises a mocking eyebrow, "Look at that, resistance in this state and at this hour? Quite arrogant, isn't it?" The first guard looks away from me, "Shut up, Carl, leave them. Or you'll take care of them yourself," following his colleague's remark, Carl let out a "Tsk" before resuming his position.

  The first continued to inspect our equipment "So, do you have any identification?" I replied no. "Mmmh, a job in the city?" "Not either." Visibly slightly irritated, he asked, "Then, can you pay the toll immediately?" I lost my purse to the troll the other day, Leims is poor, and Abbia has nothing. Leims asks him the price in a tone halfway between apprehension and anger, to which a "one silver coin" finally makes him say, "HUH?! One silver coin?! But that's two month’s salary! That's way too much!" The guard looks at him mockingly, "You pay or you scram." Leims glances back at me, "And what if I tell you that this girl is Melas's Saint?" The guard doesn't even bother to look away, "Never heard of her." Leims seems to rack his brain in all directions, before unfastening his sword, the guards seem a little more alert, "And how much for this sword?" Abbia and I are taken by surprise, the guard seems pleasantly astonished, he replies, "One silver coin." Leims gives it to him, visible regret in his heart. The guard lets him pass, we follow suit.

  A hand separates us. The guard looks at us with a smile on his face, Leims turns around and asks him, "Hey, I paid, didn't I? Let them pass." The guard gives him a mocking look, "Yes, you paid for yourself. It's one silver coin per person." Anger is very visibly written on Leims' face. I have no choice, it's the only thing I have left that's almost intact, I put my hands to my ears. My earrings are still there. Melas's insignia, a woman with open arms, is distinctly engraved on each of them. "And for these, one silver coin each?" They are pure gold, but unfortunately, I won't get a better offer from them. He takes them, looks at his colleague, then smiles at me, "Welcome to Leg?u."

  Finally, we are inside. We need to find a place to sleep. We truly have nothing left. Abbia looks at the ground, exhausted, just like me. I haven't slept for two days. Leims takes Abbia onto his back. His dark circles are visible too. I finally have an idea, "We should look for a temple, if it's just for one night, the priests should welcome us." With that, we set off for the temple. It overlooks most of the buildings, it's not hard to spot. Once we reached its doors, Leims knocked. It took a good five minutes but finally, the doors opened. An old man, hunched over, in nightclothes, opened for us. He looks at us from top to bottom, but we don't even need to speak to be allowed in. Our state is pathetic enough for that. I don't remember the rest of the night. I must have collapsed right after sitting on a bench.

  - - -

  I slowly open my eyes. A stone arch stretches out before my eyes. A soothing light reigns in the room. The other two are still sleeping, resting on benches not far away. I couldn't do it before, so I go to the center of the choir, facing the large stained-glass window representing Melas, then kneel. I pray. I pray for the lost souls, for my companions, and for all the living. "Well... Such piety to pray upon waking." Yesterday's old man comes out of a back room. This time he is wearing a long white robe, the attire of Melas's priests. "Thank you, Father, for your hospitality." I say, still with my hands joined. He smiles at me like a nice grandfather "Oh no, don't thank me. The followers of Melas must offer hospitality to anyone who feels the need. Especially if they are also followers of Melas." I smile back at him. My outfit, even torn, is still recognizable as that of a nun. "Tell me, Father, I've been away for quite a while. Is there any news from the Order?" The priest touches his chin and thinks. "No direct missive... But it informed us, it must have been about a week ago now, of the death of a parishioner and her protectors in this region due to a troll attack." My heart tightens.

  They think I'm dead. So that's it? They really never recognized me as a Saint, huh? I knew it. I always knew it. It was obvious from the start. So why does it hurt so much? Did I really believe they would recognize me one day? Did I really have that much hope in them? No, the answer is obvious. It's my fault. I believed them, and I shouldn't have.

  "Is something wrong?" The priest sensed my instability. "Ah, forgive me,

  I was imagining the fright of those people. I will pray for them." The priest must have sensed that I needed to be alone for a moment because he went back into the back room. I stay here, alone. I pray, but I no longer know why.

  Why am I doing this? What's the point of serving Melas if her Order rejects me? Did Melas

  really choose me as a Saint? What was the purpose of my life until now? The Order was my reason for living, for existing. What am I destined for now? Maybe death was my destiny that day? Did Melas herself abandon me?

  I lift my head and open my eyes. The light passes through her stained-glass window and illuminates the room. A tear rolls down my cheek. I know it. I feel it. Melas has not abandoned me.

  The creaking of a bench is heard. I quickly wipe my face and turn around. Leims and Abbia are both looking at me. Even though they try to look as neutral and comfortable as possible, pity is visible in their eyes. "Since when have you been awake?" I say in a half-sad, half-aggressive tone. Leims looks me straight in the eyes, he probably considered lying "Since you got up to pray" but he is visibly telling the truth. Abbia lowers her eyes "I don't know what this Order is, but it seems it was very important to you, wasn't it? I'm sorry." I consider for a moment what I should say. "You don't have to be. It's my fault. I knew the leaders never held me in their hearts. And I still chose to entrust my life to them." Leims looks at me, he doesn't understand something "How could you know they didn't like you?" I listen to the surroundings, the priest seems to have isolated himself quite far away. "Saints are beings chosen by Melas. They must guide believers towards a more virtuous life, as well as defend humans against demons. In this sense, they are the true leaders of the Order. To do this, they are trained, educated, and almost deified. This is not my case. The Order was satisfied with basic combat lessons and a limited education. I learned the history of the Saints of the past. That's how I know that while the former Saints were fully functional at their majority, that is absolutely not my case. I don't know why, however."

  Leims looks at me annoyed "So all this time you were making fun of my ignorance, in reality, you weren't any better?" I return his gaze "Even if we're both at the bottom of the ladder, there's still a big difference in knowledge between us, Mr.-I-don't-know-who-the-Demon-King-is." Abbia watches us, amused, before returning to a serious expression "But then what do we do now?" Leims and I think for a few moments. "I propose we go to the town hall to report the situation of the destroyed village," Leims suggests, and I continue "Yes, let's do that first. We'll see what's next later."

  After that, we went to find the priest in the back room. "Thank you for your hospitality, Father." I shake his hand warmly. "I already told you, didn't I? No need for thanks. Believers will always be welcome in my church." Abbia seemed to react "A church? Isn't the place we're in called a temple?" Leims says nothing, but he is visibly asking himself the same question.

  They are bad at hiding their emotions.

  The priest smiles at the elf "Well, we are here in a church. There are three types of religious buildings. Those dedicated to Melas, goddess of life and creation, one of the two main deities, are called 'churches.' Those dedicated to Destras, the other main deity, goddess of death and destruction, are called 'sanctuaries.' As for the other deities, they are temples. Therefore, temples must represent half of the religious buildings, the other half being exclusively reserved for Melas and Destras. Even though it must be admitted, many within the Order are unhappy with this distribution." After this theology lesson, we head toward the Town Hall, graciously indicated by the priest.

  Yesterday, it was dark and we were exhausted when we arrived. Today however, the city seems much larger. It's as if yesterday the city only had one street, but today, thousands had appeared. I can finally appreciate the paved road and the varied smells the city has to offer us. We cross paths with all types of people; adventurers, soldiers, mages, artisans, and peasants share the streets. The sound of footsteps and clanging metal is everywhere. Although most people pass without paying attention, our dirty and dilapidated outfits earn us some amused or mocking glances. But by far, it is Abbia who attracts the most attention. Not only are humans with tanned skin rare, but elves are even rarer. So, as for a tanned-skinned elf, she is almost an attraction. Some children flee her, others point at her. Just like the adults, actually. The most striking remains the animals. They flee her like the plague. No dog dares to bark. No cat dares to approach. All hide or lower their gaze as soon as they smell her. The elf gives off a mystical aura which, with confidence and equipment, would command respect and fear wherever she goes.

  Well, on the other hand, it's better to forget about retiring to a farm.

  After a few minutes of walking, we arrive at the Town Hall. It is a tall stone building, wide windows dotting its walls. A tower hides a bell above the doors. We enter. The room is large, the interior floor is made of sandstone, a chandelier is lit but it is the windows that truly illuminate the room. A single woman, old but neatly dressed, behind a desk, is present. She pores over documents without paying attention to the surroundings, but finally lifts her head after we approach her. "Yes, what is it?" A tone that clearly makes us understand that she did not appreciate being disturbed. After we explained the situation of the village of Lau to her, her gaze did not waver. She carefully examines our clothes. A quick expression of hostility passed over her face when she saw Abbia. She finally explains to us that we are not the first to have reported the situation, and that a patrol of soldiers and priests is about to leave for the village. Finally, we are minimally relieved. Abbia, clearly uncomfortable, decides to leave quite rapidly, quickly joined by Leims and me.

  Once outside, we freeze. What to do now? Leims takes the lead and asks Abbia "So, what are you going to do now? Your goal is to discover the world, isn't it?" I raise an eyebrow, I didn't think he was so perceptive. Abbia looks at the street and the people passing "Well, yes, that's true. But it's not exactly that... It's more like... an optional step towards my real goal." She takes a pause for a few seconds, "My real goal is to become the most powerful mage in the world." Leims and I freeze. "But you're a dark elf..." I breathe, almost desperate. "Yes, that's true. But that's precisely why. I want to show my people, show you, show the other races that dark elves are not the worst race for magic. Thus, I hope to make people stop discouraging dreamers. I'm going to prove to them that anything is possible!" A smile brightens her face, and rubs off on us. "What about you, Raine?" Leims continues, his and Abbia's smiles make me sincerely ask myself the question.

  What do I want to do now? Yes, that's it, I'll do what I want!

  "Well, the Order never appreciated me. It even held me back, actually. I plan to make them pay! I'm going to become so famous that no one will be able to ignore the name of Raine Lehart anymore!" Leims and Abbia smile at me. I look the wanderer in the eyes "And you, Leims?" He seems slightly taken by surprise by my question. He thinks for a long time, then says "Me? I don't really know. But if there's one thing I'd like to do, it's explore the world in search of great riches."

  A purely venal goal then, huh? No, it's normal coming from someone who has never had anything.

  I smile at him "So, what do you say to teaming up? If I also find great treasures, no one will forget my name, will they?" Leims returns my smile "Yes, why not, but we'll need the greatest of mages for that." Our eyes turn towards Abbia. She blushes. "Yes... You might need one... It's settled!" I hold out my hand. "So from now on, we will be partners, agreed?" In turn, they take my hand. Now, we are true companions!