Chapter 15: [15] Elder

Night had fallen. Eliron was seated on a log in front of a large fire, staring into its depths and occasionally taking a look around.

It was dinner time, so the little eleven village was fraught with activity.

The women were going about, preparing a bug pot of food, the large fire providing both warmth and light for the village.

Little elven children were running from place to place while being scolded by the older ones to keep their horse play away from the fire.

As Eliron watched them, a small smile crept up on his face, and then he sneezed, causing the fire in front of him to shake from the little gust of wind.

“Ouu, that means someone is talking about you.” Yennefer said with a smile.

Eliron glared down at her. “What are you doing?”

Yen was lying down on the log and using his laps as a pillow… she was too light for him to feel any numbness, but it was annoying.

Yennefer grinned. “This is the best pillow in the village, it is not my fault your body is so tender.”

His eyes twitched. “T-tender? You must have a death wish.”

“Yeah, yeah… wake me up when the food comes…” Yennefer yawned and went back to sleep.

This girl…

He could have tossed her off, but his arms felt like jelly from chopping trees all day, and he was too unmotivated to do so.

’Did I over do it?’

This was the first time he was cutting trees, so his body was still getting used to it, hence the after effects were severe.

Anyways…

Eliron smirked. “That was a good workout session.” He muttered to himself.

Now it was to allow the body tampering ichor to do the rest, tomorrow he would be back again in the forest and continue from where he stopped.

As Eliron was thinking, a child stumbled up to him and tugged on his trousers, his green eyes filled with life.

“Wanna play hide and sheek?” He asked with childish innocence.

Eliron pointed at Yennefer, who was already deep in sleep. “I’m sorry kid, even if I wanted to, this lazy elf won’t let me go.”

“Aww… but I want…” The boy froze mid sentence as a man walked into his field of view, standing right behind Eliron and casting an eerie shadow over them.

Without as much as a whisper, he turned around and ran back to his friends.

The elf then circled around, casting a curious gaze on Yennefer before sitting on a log beside them.

He was a mature man with a long ashen beard, long hair of the same colour and sharp, experienced eyes.

Drakili Evaborne, one of the twelve elders.

Elrion instinctively had his guard up, because among all elders, he was by far the most rebellious and controversial.

“That is one pretty Elf you’ve got there. I dare say she outclasses even the high Elves in beauty.”

Eliron gave him a black stare, then defensively placed his hand atop Yen’s shoulders.

“Odd time for a visit, don’t you think?”

Drakili pretended to not hear his question, and instead, asked one of his own.

“You said you found her where? As a captive of one of the mercenaries?”

Eliron smirked. “Of course… if you were at the battle, instead of hiding away in your cottage, maybe she would have you to thank for saving her life.”

Drakili smiled in false pretence. “Hohoho, it seems the rumours about your shift in demeanour are not falsified, it is amusing I must confess.”

Shrugging in response, Eliron absently played with the sleeve of Yennefer’s clothing. “Everyone must change at some point in their life, don’t you agree?”

“Well of course, change is the only constant in our vast universe.” Then Drakili’s gaze darkened. “But not all change is good.”

There it was, the purpose of his visit was finally revealing itself.

“It looks like the elders are not too welcoming to my proposition, might I ask why?”

Drakili stroked his beard, confidence practically oozing out of his body.

“Because your ideals are foolish, mere aspirations stired up in the spur of the moment.”

’A direct insult…’

Only Drakili would dare insult him right to his face. He had built up his connection in the village, his reputation as a fierce man widely known.

And yet, during the attack, he sat back.

Eliorn was silent for a moment.

’If the elders have sent Drakili, then all preparations to have him removed must have been completed already.’

’That was why they were bold enough to send someone as disagreeable as him.’

“Be realistic young lord, do you think we can actually bring war to the high elves? You may have awakened a divine ascension, but that is just a drop in the pond.”

Drakili shook his head. “The best we can do is hope for an amicable solution, with you leading us, we may make headway in our negotiations!”

Silence…

“Keh….”

Eliron’s face at this point was as red as a tomato, and he was doing everything in his power to hold back his laugh, but it all came tumbling out.

“Hahahaha!” He rocked back and forth, causing Yennefer to groan lightly.

“Drakili, my god! That was one hot pitch, but did you really think I would buy it?”

Back when his brother had been in power, Drakili had been his biggest contender, holding multiple conclaves in hopes to replace him as leader.

And now, that man was saying he would willingly follow his leadership?

“I never knew you were filled with so much bullshit.”

Drakili stared at Eliron calmly while he stroked his beard. “Well… I guess that plan failed phenomenally.”

Then his face twisted into an ugly smile. “Of course I would never fall under the leadership of a weakling like you. Your brother’s reign was a mistake, only I can lead the wood elves!”

He crossed his legs and smiled smugly.

“Why waste your time? Who do you think the elders will side with? You, a feeble boy who couldn’t even protect his brother? Or me, an age old elder?”

Drakili sighed and looked at Eliron with pity.

“If there is a brain between those two ears, then you know your fate is already decided… you will be deposed in the next confluence.”

Eliron’s face hardened. In a way he was right. If a conclave was to be held right now, Eliron would lose badly.

But the confluence wasn’t for another two weeks, Drakili’s mistake was thinking nothing could be done in that time.

’No need to get him agitated… Having his guard down is the best way to make my plans go smoothly.’

Eliron bit the insides of his cheek, and tightened his fists, pretending to be conflicted, all which made Drakili’s smile deepen.

’At least he’s not a fool like his brother, he knows when a battle is hopeless.’ Drakili mused while stroking his beard.

“What do you want me to do?” Eliron asked, his shoulders slumping, and his gaze downcast.

Drakili chuckled. “I want you to peacefully accept the results of the confluence…”

Then he glanced down.

“And I want that Elf.” He licked his lips. “I will have better use of her, back in my chambers.”

Like a flicker of the flames, unexpectedly, the atmosphere shifted.

A sudden chill encapsulated the space in a moment, causing Drakili’s blood to run cold.

He could sense it, feel the young man’s bloodlust rush out in unhinged waves, and crash into him like a tide.

It was like breathing air layered with ice, and weighed with stones… it was suffocating.

’How does someone so young have such intense blood lust?!’ Drakili panicked.

“I-if you do not agree with my terms, then after the confluence, I will brand you as a traitor who only survived because you are secretly a spy for the high elves—?!”

Eliron carefully placed Yennefer on the log, and in a flash, his Saber was out of the sheath as he moved.

In less than five seconds, the cold tip of his blade was pressed against Drakili’s neck, beads of sweat running down his face.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Do you know who I—”

“Old man.” Eliron’s voice was cold, devoid of any form of emotion. “Do you want to die?”

It was not a question, it was certainty delivered plainly.

Right then and there, Eliron was ready to end his life without as much as a thought.

Drakili swallowed, cold sweat running down his back, his body paralyzed in both shock and fear. He had let his guard down in a moment, and that was all it took to put him in such a precarious position.

“Eliron?” Yennefer’s voice reached him.

Letting out an annoyed breath, he pulled back the sword and glared at Drakili, his eyes sharper than the cold edge of his steel.

“Get out.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. When he was far enough, he turned to face Eliron and spoke.

“Make the wise decision Eliron! Your life is more valuable than that position, or that elf!”

Then he angrily stormed away, his face red with rage.

“What was that about?” Yennefer asked while rubbing her eyes.

Eliron sat down and placed his Saber beside him. “It was nothing…”

’He wants Yennefer huh…’ He thought.

Bringing her into this was his mistake. Initially, all Eliron wanted to do was retain power as the lord.

But now…

He would crush Drakili to the point where he could never rise up again.

As for Drakili, he too was having similar thoughts, only several times worse…

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