Chapter 413 (1/2)

Chapter 413

Chapter 411: A Faht, whispered off the carved stone of the tunnel walls The low ruh the Earthborn Institute fro s the sandpaper texture of the stone as alked, thinking

“I kind of miss the open sky, don’t you?” I asked Ellie

“Do I ever,” she replied wistfully “It feels like I’ve coround Still, it’s better here than the sanctuary At least we’ve got more than ize out loud—I’d already said those words to her and didn’t want to cheapen the I could have returned sooner and didn’t still lingered

Boo was shuffling along in our wake, his thick fur occasionally scratching against the walls, and his claws scraping the floor,a lot more noise than either Ellie orEllie frohed, pulled what re, and tossed it over her shoulder to hile bite

‘Bring ht to hts despite the distance between us Much to his annoyance, I had left hiuard over our retainer prisoner

“Hoere things here while I was gone?” Read first at ReadNovelFullme

Her narrow shoulders bobbed up and down “Weird Most people don’t kno to feel yet Excited, hopeful, uncertain, terrified…they’re—I don’t know—tougher? Now, I mean In the early days of the sanctuary, it was just fear Everyone aiting to die, every single day Y’know? And I see a lot h, for the elves, it’s worse Their hope is…co to sink in for the over her words “That, even when Dicathen is retaken, they’ll never be able to go hoain”

“Yeah,” Ellie muttered, her eyes on the floor “Especially the kids My friend, Camellia, it’s like she’s not even a kid at all I don’t know if that makes sense”

I stared at my little sister, not yet even sixteen, and completely oblivious to the irony of her statement “You’re one to talk”

“That’s different,” she said, blushi+ng slightly “Besides, the way you treat me, it sure makes me feel like I’m still a child…”

I wrapped an arainstbrothers are for?”

She huffed, but didn’t pull away “I don’t know if I’ve said this, but it’s really kind of you to spend sothe elves”

She bit her lip, hesitant, then words spilled out of her in a rush “But I’ to make it better?”

I waited to reply as a pair of robed dwarves went by “Itstay hopeful enough to rebuild You never kno even a sht ht, “you have your new regalia Maybe it’ll let you help further, when you’ve learned how to use it”

“But how a to master it if you won’t even let irl she was

“I never said that—”

“What if I only do it under careful supervision?” she rushed on, speaking over me “Lyra promised to teach me as much as you’ll allow, and Ehly, and I bet Mom would even watch over the sessions, and if she can heal me fro to derail the out-of-control train of her thoughts “Eleanor!”

She stuttered to a stop, looking slightly chagrined Read first at ReadNovelFullalia,” I said The tunnel walls fell away as we exited the Earthborn Institute, co out into the open courtyard “But I think it’s best if you only use it when I’ainst her teeth, then took a deep breath Finally, after she’d collected her thoughts, she said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, big brother, but you’re not exactly around a lot How aain?”

I slipped my arm off her shoulder and pulled her half into a headlock “That’s why you are corasp,up her hair in the effort, and stared at ht?”

I shook row so in Epheotus with literal deities Even in iven a tremendous power, but you’ll never be able to wield it properly if you don’t test yourself”

Laughing, she twirled around, then ju her face in his thick fur

“Besides, I can’t trust you enough to let you out of

She bounced up beside me and punched me in the arm, then quickly slid her arm around mine and held on “So, since we’re on the subject of how er and stuff, don’t you also think I’ mid-step, I raised a brow in suspicion “Huh? Where is this co,” just said with an innocent smile

I peered down into her brown eyes as if I were considering her proposal “Sure But …when your ‘date’ can beat reeainst my arm “Not fair…”

Once ere outside of the Earthborn Institute gates, I stopped and looked around Aether rushed to imbue the Realmheart Godrune, and the world lit up with the visible manifestation of mana As my body flushed with the warmth of that power, I focused on the sixth sense for hout the nature

Two stood out ast the entire population of the city One was still behindsomewhere in the Earthborn Institute, but the other was above, in the dwarven capital’s palace Without explaining further, I led Ellie and Boo up the winding highway, letting Realuards bowed and opened the doors as I approached Inside the entry hall, a few ered in conversation or leisure They watched curiously, azes focused onfor one of the es that would lead deeper into the palace

Unlike a more terrestrial castle or fortress, such as the Royal Palace of Etistin, much of the dwarven palace was buried within the cavern walls, with tunnels and hallways interconnecting hundreds of individual chaned for a wide array of purposes, some of which sees and queens had expanded the palace even farther, constantly seeking to outdo their predecessors with the splendor of their additions, leading to places like theroom for the Council of Lords, carved froeode One of the older such additions had been constructed during a time of extraordinary closeness between the elves and dwarves, before the most recent war between Sapin and Elenoir, which saw Darv retreat back into its desert in order to avoid being pulled into the conflict

The chaher thanalong behind, found ourselves cli, switchback stairs By the ti with a thin sheen of perspiration, her breathing labored despite her efforts to hide it Boo was grunting mutinously with each step

“Have you been up here yet?” I asked with a s no breath for words

The stairs opened into a sort of alcove, a small cave that itself was hidden behind a fold of rock It wasn’t until we exited the cave andstone that we could see the full chaht light, a sharp change from the dimly lit stairs Slowly, as my eyes adjusted, I was able to take it in properly

Ellie and I stood at the edge of a large grotto, and for a round The entire chaht or the stars at night On the ground, thickthe stone, and a co vines turned the walls eht at them, it almost felt like you were surrounded by a dense forest

About thirty feet up the walls, the green gave way to black, as the entire doht and reflected it in every direction, twinkling and shi+ning like the night sky

A single large tree dohs spread out for dozens of feet in every direction, covered with broad, bright green leaves and little pink fruits Supported within its hs was a srown into the tree itself, or perhaps out of it

“The Elshi+re Grove,” I announced quietly

Beside me, Ellie’s mouth fell open in wonder “It’s beautiful…” Read first at ReadNovelFull fro, Dallion Peaceht, then leaned on the rail of a balcony that ran around the outside of the dwelling and s, Olfred Ironhands, as a symbol of their friendshi+p The Council of Lords has been kind enough to gift it back to the elves for the duration of our stay here”

Bairon caainst the door jam “This tree very likely represents the last reht that it belongs to the elves, and it should go with you when you eventually leave Vildorial”

“Perhaps,” Virion said, with the air of soument “While it raveyard, and the soil there ain” He pulled his attention back to h for all of the elves to stay here, of course, but I have made sure to invite every elf here at least once, so they may experience this small memory of home Anye’ll co important to discuss, Arthur, if you went to all the trouble to come up here”

As Virion and Bairon climbed down a steep series of steps that wound around the trunk of the tree, I led Ellie to a flat patch of e of the cavern We each lounged back in the thick, soft htly sweet sate the creek, no doubt hoping to catch a fish or two

Virion and Bairon joined us only a ed next to us Bairon stayed standing

“Any word from Varay on the situation in Kalberk?” Bairon asked