Investigating the traces of the mysterious hooded figures took the group an entire night, and soon, it would be dawn. Drayce looked at the still dark sky and remembered he had promised Seren that he would be in front of her when she wakes up.
“We are yet to conclude our search but it’s better for us to continue again at night,” Drayce spoke as his gaze flicked around the forest.
“Looking for them is not an affair you can finish in a night or two anyway,” the elf said as he too looked around the dark forest. “Aside from destruction, stealth is also one of the features of black magic that makes them difficult to deal with. They are hiding their existence very well, to the point none of us knew they’re around until they moved in the open.”
Slayer turned to Drayce. “Your Majesty, we can deploy our soldiers to search around this entire forest. As you mentioned, we need to gather as much information as we can. I believe our men can help us see if there are clues we missed.”
“No use using our numbers advantage,” Drayce countered. “It’s not even easy for us so clues that involve magic won’t be caught by soldiers. And if those people meet our soldiers by chance, it will only lead to casualty on our side.”
Slayer backed off, a little disheartened that the enemies this time were beyond human means.
“I will try to find out more on my side,” Aureus said. “I can search during the daytime.”
Drayce looked at him. “Do not move alone. You know you can’t defeat them, and not only that, you are one of the targets they are trying to catch. If you go search for them, it’s like you are offering yourself to them.”
“But I can’t be idle. I need to avenge my mother,” Aureus countered as his eyes showed he would not back down. “It is what I have to do—no, this is something I must do,” he said with determination. There was another concern plaguing him, one he could not voice out in front of this group. ‘They might come back for Seren. I cannot let her be in danger again. It’s better to catch them first instead of waiting for them to come to her.’
“Good. I will be with you in that case,” the elf said in support of the young shapeshifter before Drayce could say anything. “I was going to search for them on my own, but having the help of a Divine Eagle will make things easier and more efficient.”
Drayce gave a long hard stare at the determined face of the winged man, and in the end, he sighed internally. Given how stubborn Aureus seems, prohibiting him could not stop him. “Fine! But don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger.”
It surprised Aureus that Drayce was showing goodwill towards him. ‘Is it because I saved his wife?’
The elf spoke towards Aureus. “You know where I live. Come to me once you are ready to set out and we can continue our search.”
Aureus nodded.
Drayce turned his attention to the elf. “I do not trust you yet, Moon Elf, but—”
The elf scoffed at him. “Who are you calling a Moon Elf? Are you looking down on me, young man?”
Drayce narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired elf. “To speak with such arrogance towards your kind, then are you a High Elf?”
The elf simply crossed his arms in front of him, refraining from saying anything.
However, Drayce found his suspicions confirmed by that silence. “From what I heard from my mother, the entire clan of High Elves was slaughtered, and only one descendant remains. Are you that descendant, the one saved by the King of Agartha?”
A sly look of interest passed through the elf’s face. “Before answering you, I would like to know who your mother is. Looking at you, I thought you are the offspring of those roamers or hermits hiding in the human kingdoms, kind of like me who is powerful enough to survive outside of our people’s protection, but for you to have all this information and familiarity of affairs, it seems like your parents have quite a status among the supernatural beings.”
“My mother indeed has a high status,” he replied.
“May I know her esteemed name?” the elf asked.
“Esther Ivanov,” Drayce replied.
“Hmm,” the elf muttered. “Ivanov is the royalty of this human kingdom. I never came across anyone with the name Esther. It makes me wonder if she is someone I know but if she’s young or if she used an alias…”
“She had been living among humans for a while, and from what I know, she cut off relations she had with any supernaturals so not many must know of her.”
“Is that so? But if she’s of high status…hmm…Can I check something?” the elf asked.
Drayce offered him a questioning gaze and the elf answered his silent question, “Your hand.”
Drayce looked at his hand and then looked at the elf. Thinking it wasn’t much, he complied.
The elf held his hand and closed his eyes for a few seconds. Feeling the gentle probing power of nature surrounding him, Drayce already understood what this elf was trying to do— he was looking inside him to check the kind of energy core he had.
When the elf opened his eyes, it clearly showed that he was surprised.
“What did you see?” Drayce asked, as if trying to test the elf.
“Something that you already know. I was just making sure of it for myself,” the elf answered vaguely.
“Now you should answer what I asked,” Draycespoke.
“I am a High Elf,” the man with silver hair said, “but technically speaking, I am of mixed blood. My mother was a Moon Elf while my father was a High Elf. However, for elves, it’s the dominant power in our blood that determines our clan.”
“No wonder I thought you were a Moon Elf.”
The elf smiled and said again. “Of the slaughter you mentioned, I should have been there had I not been a sharpshooter assigned to a different mission…” He then changed the topic, as if he did not want to dwell on it. “The last surviving descendant with pure High Elf blood is someone else. That kid is living with the King of Agartha.”
“The King of Agartha?” Drayce repeated and asked, “You speak of Draven Aramis?”
The elf didn’t feel surprised at all. “Is there anyone else who claims that title aside from him? You must know how prideful, no, arrogant us supernaturals are. We will not bow down to anyone weaker than us. I am sure your mother warned you about him and our world.”
Drayce had a serious look on him. Even though it had been decades, he still remembered the look his mother had when he spoke of that man. “My mother was the only connection I had with the world of supernaturals.”
“Was?” the elf probed with a raised brow.
“Something like that. Let’s head back now,” Drayce said before the elf could ask him more about his mother.
It was the first time Drayce had talked to a stranger about his mother, and though he wanted to know more, he decided to stop. The elf seemed to have no ill intentions, but he needed to get to know this elf first and test if he was truly trustworthy. Afterall, the elf was after the powers residing inside Seren.
The elf smirked and asked no more. Just as they decided to turn back towards the direction of the palace, the elf said something in passing.
“Hmm, how curious,” the elf started. “Young man, did your mother ever tell you that the power of darkness inside you resembles the powers that the King of Agartha possesses? The resemblance is uncanny to the point it seems to be the exact same power.”
Drayce stopped and looked at the elf with a questioning gaze. “What do you mean?”
Not just Drayce but Slayer and Aureus also threw the same look on the casually smiling elf.
“I said it clearly and I don’t have intentions to repeat myself,” was all the elf said.
Feeling annoyed, Drayce simply continued leading their group back towards the palace. After a while, the elf spoke again.
“Did your mother ever mention to you that Draven Aramis is of the Dragon race?”
Drayce replied without turning to look at him, “She told me that he is a Black Dragon and I am a Red Dragon.”
“How curious,” the elf commented once more, and his manner of speaking was making Drayce uncomfortable. “Both of you are Dragons, and both of you have the same powers of the darkness attribute. Don’t you think it’s curious?”
“I don’t.”
The elf commented, “What makes me more curious is the explanation as to why he is a Black dragon while you are a red one. I have been alive for a long, long time, but other than him, you are the second person with this kind of darkness attribute that I have come across and I doubt if there is any other.”
Aureus decided to intervene. “Why is that curious? Don’t members of elves have similar powers within their respective clans? What is wrong with dragons having powers of the same attribute?”
“Young eagle, you should know, though elves within the same clan have similar powers, the essence of their magic is different. Think of it as a signature to identify the owner of the power.” The High Elf turned his attention back to Drayce. “In your case, you have no difference when it comes to the power of darkness inside you. I know because I’ve met the King of Agartha in person. It is so unusual to have your essence to be so similar.”
“What are you trying to imply by bringing this up, elf?” Drayce snapped.
The elf raised his bare hands in front of him as if to say he meant no harm.
“Nothing. I am merely stating an observation. However, I am convinced that you are connected to Draven Aramis, given your powers are like they are the sides of the same coin. The reason? I have no answer to it. I can only assure you that my judgment can never be wrong.”
The elf then made an exaggerated bow as a show of courtesy.
“It’s time for me to head back to my pets who must be waiting for me.”
The elf then disappeared as if he was the swiftest wind, leaving Drayce with many questions in mind.
