Chương 90: Chapter 86-Chosen Task

The welcoming warmth and the sound of whispers greet me as I enter into the Dark Elf village. It's still a village if it's in a cave, right? Is this a cave, or did they dig this out? Does it matter if it was dug out? It would still be a cave, right? Why am I thinking about the semantics of what is and isn't a cave? Is it because I'm trying to distract myself from the feeling of rage, or am I just naturally this scatteredbrain? Both could be true. Hopper nudges me.

"Should we be worried that the Dark Elves had that symbol etched into the walls of their entrance?" he asks.

"I don't think so. If they wanted to hurt us, they would have done it when we were in the middle of a fight. At least that's what I would've done," I say absentmindedly as I touch the walls.

"Could the two of you stay focused. I would rather not cause a diplomatic incident while we're here," Penelope says as we follow Alyver further into the village. Are we not going to the open space like last time? Odd, I wonder why we're going deeper instead. Must be for safety reasons. Or maybe Hopper is right, and they're going to kill us… Probably not. Alyver stops as we reach the end of the stone corridor." The Chieftain is waiting inside. She wishes to speak with you alone," Penelope translates.

Penelope suddenly gives a confused look as she asks Alyver something in Old Elvish. Alyver nods, but then quickly shakes her head." Uh, what do you think they're talking about?" I whisper to Hopper.

"I… have no idea. I know two languages, CJ. Neither of them is Old Elvish," he whispers.

"Is the language of the beasts not anything like Old Elvish?" I ask.

"Not at all. Old Elvish is, as you can tell, very windy. Beast Tongue is a bit more guttural. We don't even share the same script," he explains. Penelope sighs and then turns to me." The Chieftain wants to see you alone."

"Ok, well, let's go," I say, gesturing to Penelope. Penelope shakes her head.

"When I mean alone, I mean alone." I look over at Alyver, who gives me a nod.

"Uh, not to bring up the obvious, but she does know I can't speak Old Elvish, right?"

"I brought that up to them. Alyver says that she understands the worry, but the Chieftain insisted that you and only you could enter past this point," Penelope says with a mixture of annoyance and worry.

"Well, this should go lovely. I'll just do a bunch of hand signals. Maybe we'll play a bit of charades while we're at it," I say sarcastically.

"I understand this must be frustrating-""Do you?" Penelope and I stare each other down.

"Sorry. I know you're just doing what you can and I'm-""Just doing what you can? I'm no idiot, Charlatan. I know that you're not in your right mind. I won't take anything you say to heart. Now, that doesn't mean I'll let everything pass, so don't get any funny ideas," she says with a smile.

"Thanks… I got this," I [Lie] as I struggle to push open the stone door. Alyver looks confused and then raises her hand. The stone door suddenly disappears, prompting me to fall straight through. They could have told me that before I tried to push open a stone door like an idiot. Standing up, I [Clean] my clothes and walk further in as if nothing happened. As I walk down the stone corridor, I note various rooms with solid stone doors, just like the one that I phased through earlier.

After passing multiple of these rooms, I eventually make it to a circular room where the Chieftain sits at a table. This seems like a herb room, but why does it have a bed in it? Her purple eyes flick up from her book as she sees me enter. Not terrifying at all. She gestures to the seat across from her. I walk over and take a seat. How are we going to have a conversation? Should I use my experience with silent Pete and William? I do a gesture that, based on my experience, means 'How are you?'

Chieftain Mlyver looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Guess that didn't work. How am I supposed to talk with you if I don't understand the language?" I say jokingly.

"I was not aware you didn't understand the Imperial Tongue. You speak it quite well for someone who doesn't know it," she says with a knowing smile.

"You speak… Of course you do," I say with a hint of embarrassment.

"Apologies for not being more upfront with my linguistic ability," she says as she closes her book.

"Wait, if you know the Imperial Tongue, then why didn't you use it during the negotiations?" I ask as a calming aroma floats through the room.

"I find it easier to learn someone's intentions when they don't think you can understand them. Call it a negotiation tactic. Something I learned from my line of work," she says with her silky voice. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"Work? Ah. You mean the work you did for the forces of evil?" I say with a hint of curiosity.

"How astute. Yes, we Dark Elves were what you would call spies for the forces of evil. I, in fact, know a wide variety of languages and tongues," she says as she cocks her head.

"Hmm, marvelous. So, not to be rude, but I am on a timer here. What did you need to see me for, and why so secretive?" I ask. Mlyver looks around and then sighs.

"I assume you've noticed the symbols on the way in?" she asks.

"Yeah. The ancient Giloen symbol of peace, right?" I ask. A hint of surprise passes through her face for a mere moment.

"You are full of surprises. Yes, that symbol was the symbol of peace that the Giloen used, but nowadays it goes by a different name. The symbol of the Wrathborn," she says dramatically.

"Wrathborn? What is that?" I ask as I feel myself calming down.

"Wrathborn is a special kind of Demon, or to be more specific, a Demon that is descended from the corrupted remnants of the Giloen. They are rare and are only born once every thousand years," she explains.

"I may have just learned this, but weren't the Giloen wiped out?"

"Yes, the majority of them were. Very few managed to survive the initial purge, but they quickly found themselves corrupted by the Blight. It's not an unfamiliar tale," she says nonchalantly.

"Ok. Give me a second. That was a lot of information at once. So, this symbol… the one of the Wrathborn, what does it have to do with us meeting?" I ask with a clearer head than normal.

"That symbol appeared at the entrance of our village barely a week ago. None of our guards or scouts even saw who did it. We can't get rid of it, and it's been popping up all over the Whisperwood Forest. Its effects have already started to rear their ugly head," she says as she points at the rooms I passed.

"What do you mean?" I ask with a hint of worry.

"My people have started to succumb to the rage-inducing effects. In order to stop the spread and keep those affected from passing on the rage," she says as she again points to the various rooms I passed.

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying your people are in those rooms? All of those rooms?" I ask, remembering the now startling number of rooms I passed.

"Yes. They are."

"Are they okay?" I ask, remembering my own experience with the rage.

"They have been put into a deep sleep to keep them from hurting themselves. Chosen One, I had you meet me in secret for this very reason. Our tribe is in grave danger, and so are you. If the Wrathborn is moving, then he does so only at the Council's order, and the Council could only have one goal. The death of The Chosen One," she says with a finality to it.

"I expected as much. So, since we have the same enemy, you would like us to work together to stop the Wrathborn?" I ask.

"Yes. We have knowledge of the forces of evil, and you have the ability to act on that information. It seems mutually beneficial. Wouldn't you say?" she asks with a pained smile.

"So it would seem. Let's not dawdle then. How can I help?"

"The Wrathborn's abilities are strong, but they are not infallible. The rage can be broken using a sizable emotional shock or by killing the Wrathborn. The problem is that the Wrathborn is powerful, and a sizable emotional shock is an individual treatment that can not be applied to everyone at once. Which leaves us with one final possibility," she says, dramatically pausing.

"Well, get to it. What is it?"

"The venom of the White Worm. It is a vital ingredient for a Calmness potion. With it, we could render the effects of the rage mute. Although that would only last an hour or so, but that is more than enough time to slay the Wrathborn," she explains.

"Let me guess. You don't have any White Worm venom. Am I right?" I say as I plop my head down on the table.

"You would be correct, Chosen One. Which is why I would ask for your help. Please hunt the White Worm and save both of us," she says with a calculated smile.

"Couldn't you do it? You seem strong," I complain.

"I would if I could."

"What do…" My eyes wander to the room around us. An herb room with a bed that doesn't belong. A calming scent in the air. The stone door on the way in. The way she's been talking…

"You're also under the effects of the rage, aren't you?" I ask with a hint of worry. Mlyver gives me a pained smile.

"Yes. If I take one step out of this room, I will fully succumb to the effects. That would be… disastrous to say the least, but you. You are a Vashrin."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask, somewhat surprised at her sudden declaration.

"The forces of evil have a… hierarchy based on strength. The stronger you are, the more influence you have. This is true except for the Vashrins. They are noticeably the weakest amongst the forces of evil, but they still hold a considerable amount of power. Why is that? They are the peacekeepers in the forces of evil. They make sure that the rules of the Council are followed and their special constitution gives them the edge they need to do that," she says as she points towards me.

"Are you talking about the whole cursed thing?"

"Yes, the immunity to curses is a boon when you live among the most curse-happy beings around, but Vashrins are also naturally resistant to most mind-altering effects, instant death abilities, and other such skills," she says, shocking me.

"Really?" Mlyver tilts her head in surprise.

"I'm surprised you didn't know. That's why I allowed you to enter. You may be affected by the rage, but you won't succumb to it as easily as others. That and you are incapable of spreading it to others," she says.

"Of course, I knew that. I was just testing your knowledge," I [Lie].

"Well, I hope I passed. Chosen One, I am trusting you with the lives of my people. Please succeed," she says this time in earnest. I nod my head.

"I understand. I'll get you that venom. After all, we're in the same boat. Ah, one last question. My friends and I just ran into one of the symbols earlier, but my friends were seemingly unaffected. Why is that?" I ask as I stop in the corridor.

"That's simple. The symbol can only amplify the rage that is already there. Your friends must live very peaceful lives for the symbol not to affect them, but do not be fooled. If only a little, they were affected, and repeated exposure will eventually build up that rage," she warns. My eyes stay locked on hers. Her age seems more apparent in her eyes. Hundreds of years for rage to build up. That seems about right.

"By the way, have you seen my bag?"