The memory did not dissolve abruptly this time. Instead, the forest slowly emerged until the scent of nature was all I could smell. Honestly, it's as if I'm truly standing here rather than merely observing something that had already happened.
I watched Veneri beside me. For a moment neither of us spoke, but the tension around him was obvious enough that I eventually broke the silence.
"You've been quiet this entire time."
My voice sounded strangely distant to my own ears.
"I didn't know."
I folded my arms, tilting my head slightly.
"Didn't know what?"
"That she suffered like that. Honestly, I thought Veylonar was just… normal."
"Normal?"
"You know. A typical royal. Prideful, detached, probably useless."
"Charming opinion you got there."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"But he wasn't. He actually helped her."
For a moment I followed his line of sight, and then I noticed the bow again in the memory ahead of us. A figure sprinted through the forest shifted between the trees.
"I even know what to say."
I glanced sideways at him.
"About what?"
"If we meet her, it won't be easy to say what she wants me to say."
I was about to respond when something suddenly tore through the forest ahead of us.
"Veneri."
He looked up.
"Mmm?"
I pointed forward.
"There."
At first it looked like nothing more than a shifting shadow racing between the trees. Then the figure became clear.
Elyonari was flying through the forest.
Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground as she ran between tree trunks, sliding over roots and leaping across fallen logs with such speed that even I had to narrow my eyes to properly track her movement.
Ahead of her, a deer burst through the undergrowth.
It was an ordinary deer either. Its slender body moved with explosive bursts of speed. It kept running through the forest with the kind of agility that made it almost impossible for most hunters to track and yet, Ely was gaining on it. Even Veneri looked mildly impressed.
"She's fast."
"That's an understatement."
We followed them through the memory, though "followed" was perhaps generous because Ely's pace made it difficult to keep her within sight. Her white bow suddenly rose in her hand and pulled back her bowstring.
The arrow flew. A flash of silver flew through the forest and struck the deer directly through the skull.
The animal collapsed instantly. Ely however, didn't in time. She slammed into the ground at full speed.
"Ah—"
Her body tumbled violently across the forest floor, rolling through leaves and dirt several times before finally coming to a halt beside the fallen deer. For a few seconds she just lay there and then she groaned loudly.
"Ow."
I covered my mouth to suppress a laugh. Veneri exhaled through his nose. He sure knows how to hide a laugh.
Agree a few seconds, several figures suddenly emerged from the surrounding forest. Five of them appeared almost instantly as they approached Elyonari's sprawled form. These were clearly the bodyguards Veylonar had assigned to her.
One of them stared at the dead deer.
"She actually got it."
Another crouched slightly beside Elyonari, who was now sitting upright while panting heavily.
"You're only twelve and you've already surpassed us in archery."
Elyonari wiped sweat from her forehead.
"I've been practicing."
The guard gestured toward the deer.
"That's a Swiftwind deer. Those things outrun most hunters and you shot it while sprinting. You've already reached Master level in weapon mastery."
One of them laughed softly.
"A normal child her age would still be a Novice, especially someone with a mage constitution."
Elyonari pushed herself to her feet, still catching her breath.
"I worked hard to get here. Help me carry it."
One of the archers lifted the animal easily over his shoulder. Elyonari stretched her arms briefly before looking around the forest.
"We should head back to the city. We're too far from the Borough to make it back tonight. So, we'll stay there."
The leader of the guards scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Are you planning to go there without disguising yourself?"
"Why would I do that?"
He looked mildly confused.
"Well… you are a princess."
She waved dismissively.
"It doesn't matter. All of you are Divine Rank. Technically I'm Essentia, but still... anyway, you can protect me from anything. Also, disguises are useless for Elves anyway. Every Elf has a unique Nature Energy signature. Anyone sensitive to energy would immediately realize I'm from a Dynasty."
The guards exchanged amused glances. Ely suddenly froze. She slowly turned toward them.
"Wait. Do any of you have money?"
One of them stared at her.
"You're a princess."
Elyonari crossed her arms stubbornly.
"I'm not putting it on the Dynasty tab."
"Why not?"
"Because that's embarrassing. My brother sends me money every month but I forgot it in the temple."
She clasped her hands together dramatically.
"Please lend me some money!"
One of the guards burst out laughing. Another covered his face.
"Our princess just asked her bodyguards for pocket money."
"I'll pay you back! Eventually!"
The leader of the guards shook his head with a helpless smile.
"Let's just get to the city before nightfall."
°°°°°°°
The scent of damp soil and wild growth was replaced by bustling city life. I found myself standing beside Veneri at the edge of a Village at night.
In Spheraphase, civilization is structured deliberately. There are three recognized fractions of civilization; Villages, Cities, and Boroughs.
Villages are the smallest, though even that term is misleading by most standards. They can sustain up to ten million inhabitants at maximum capacity, functioning as fully independent areas rather than simple settlements. The one in this memory is far smaller with a rough estimate of half a million.
"Cities exist above that threshold, ranging from ten million to two hundred million inhabitants. And Boroughs are megacities. They can hold populations between two hundred million and five hundred million.
The Destras Cataclysm led to this, by the way. The First and Second Generation Deities turned against one another and in doing so, they erased vast portions of the world without consideration for those beneath them. The aftermath left behind what are now known as the Entombed Wastelands. Living there is either impossible or so hostile that even Immortals hesitate to traverse them.
Civilizations could no longer afford to spread outward endlessly. They had to find alternatives and so, these three fractions became the standard across Spheraphase, regardless of race.
Well… almost.
Angels and Demons are exceptions. Their existence is confined to their own realms so they have another civilization type.
My attention returned fully to the Village before us or more accurately, to what made it a village.
What stood before us were not buildings carved from stone or constructed from artificial materials but a colossal living tree. It stretched thousands of meters into the sky.
Oh, and they were hollow.
Unlike most regions of Spheraphase where the Entombed Wastelands destroyed territories that refused to heal, Mintheris remained largely untouched by that devastation. Its vast rainforests stretched endlessly, providing both shelter and sustenance on a scale few other kingdoms could rival.
And because of that, Elves became the most populous race. They surpassed Humans and Therianthropes. Daknow what expression he wore. Darling never needed to consider this before because it existed beneath the threshold of his concern.
He was a Divine Being. The lives of Mortals and Immortals, their systems and their struggles have hey had always existed below him so of course this would surprise him.