When Death Walked the World

Chapter 15

Ellee was attending a conference with the high elf council of the Dryadalum kingdom. Though she had founded this nation of elves herself, since then a lot of changes occurred. Because she was a child at the time, she had many high-born elves support the internal transition, and as a result they rose to power fast.

Today, it would be risky for her to try and remove them from the council, because they held great influence over the people. Great diversity characterized her nation, as all kinds of elves came under her rule. Be they moon light, wood, dark, or the typical kind of elves which first comes to mind, her nation had them all under a single banner. It was not easy to manage, and keep the people united.

Today's topic was the usual discussions about internal and external affairs, but as always nothing noteworthy happened. At least on the surface. In truth, before the usual meeting there was a secret gathering held where none of the council members were present.

She was there to confirm her hypothesis about an unremarkable item she always kept hidden on herself. It was a wooden doll, which she received from an elderly woman long ago. The woman was very protective of the item. She guessed then, it must have a sentimental value equal to the woman's devotion. It really did, however there was something else to it.

Ellee would have ignored it, had the woman not cry out for her. She decided to humor the human and listen to her. The woman sounded crazy when she told her story before passing away, but Ellee kept the item just in case if even a flicker of what was said was true.

From what she understood the item belonged to a being close to God if not a God, even though she heard about the 6 Great Gods, but she had never met them personally. From the description it sounded like the woman was talking about Surshana the God of Death, however the woman had highlighted that several times that she is talking about a different entity. One with more power than the Gods themselves, more power than the famed Dragon Lords could ever muster.

She did not believe the ranting of a lunatic, but she held onto the item just in case should the need ever arise, it wouldn't hurt to try using it.

...

After the council meeting, she was going down on the corridor connecting to the audience room, where she would receive the honor guests for the night. Today was a holiday after all. They celebrated the New Moon, the renewal of life.

However, when she was sitting on her throne for 10 minutes straight, yet no-one came she became suspicious. She called for her guards, yet none answered. "Huh, this is strange." She thought. Unbeknownst to her the unassuming dummy was glowing inside of her pocket, and slowly disappeared into light particles.

...

The guards would always fly to her side when she called. The only explanation would be if they were dead or did not hear her. "How? Magics? Did the Dragon Lords find our city? No, impossible it is hidden perfectly. Then-" Her musing was disrupted when she heard a staff hitting the marble floor. The sound carried on and made up a rhythm.

She hastily turned her head around in every direction, yet she couldn't see anything. She heard the knocking of the staff closer and closer to the throne and yet there was nothing there. She couldn't see anything. "What? Invisibility?! The intruder must be a competent mage." She steeled herself. She wouldn't show weakness whoever it is.

Then slowly the outlines of a man became visible, as the figure formed dark mist spread out in the room accompanied by a feeling of utter despair. Finally, she could see the man. Her heart skipped a beat. Death stood before her, in all His might.

She paled as she discovered that the figure bore a strong resemblance to the one seen at the day of the Great Catastrophe. "Did he come for revenge? No, my troops even if they were captured wouldn't have betrayed me, even if they were tortured." However, as she kept gazing at the personification of Death she couldn't help, but shudder at the thought; "No wonder they spoke. Anyone would break under this pressure. This presence is not of this world."