Eternal Fear

Chapter 1 - The Truth

"Come on, Tori, we are almost there."

"Jacob.... I-I can't."

"Yes you can! We will have a happy life with Ellie, o-our own daughter." Jacob was frightened seeing his love fade away. The pregnancy took a toll on her, causing her to lose her strength and sense. Jacob was confident though, elves cannot die from natural causes, and his wife was going to be okay. "One more push, love."

Tori was shaking, feeling something crush her heart, but she needed this child to cherish with Jacob. The pain was a lot to handle for her, and she kept passing out. She looked up at her husband, who is looking scared and concerned. Okay, Tori, just breathe. Jacob will be a good father, even though...

"Tori, she's here! Tori!" Jacob looked down at his wife while holding their new daughter, overjoyed. But that smile soon faded off his face.

It's been years since that incident—an elf actually died from a natural cause. These immortals beings were immune to anything, except dark magic. Jacob had a hard time dealing with his wife fading from the world. His daughter was something he was going to cherish for the sake of Tori. He happily raised Ellie for two years, until...

Ellie was born into a high council family with his father being the Follower. The Follower is the highest position in the council, watching over the elves and the sacred forest. The follow along with the Elder, the one who watches and listens to the forest, are what bind this place together. Without it, the elves would have no place to live without order.

Jacob was running late in the night towards the Elder's sanctuary. He was hiding his daughter from everyone who was awake. Usually, it was more formal to let the forest summon an elf to see the Elder, but Jacob had no time for that. As he waited for the Elder to open the gate, the child kept silent while he paced back and forth.

"Come in, Jacob," the Elder said with his deep voice. He was the oldest of all the elves, wise and protector of the sacred forest. He had bushy eyebrows and a white beard and wielded a staff, growing plant life at will with permission from the forest. "You look scared. What's the issue? You never see me informally unless it's important."

Jacob stepped inside his sanctuary, shaking while his daughter slept in his arms. "I-its, it's this child, Toron," Jacob says, trying not to choke on his own words. He removed the blanket around Ellie, showing two little green and black horns on her head growing out of her black hair. "She-sh-she is growing horns. Horns! Elves don't grow horns! Whatever it is, it is not normal, and I need your help on figuring out what she is."

Toron ran his fingers through his beard, curious at this being. She was obviously not Jacob's child if she has this mystery. He could not stop staring at her. "I'll ask the forest since it can sense if there's an unbalance in the magic." Toron lifted his staff; leaves and flowers started circling around it, like a mini tornado of beauty. Soon, the leaves and flowers turned black while glowing a small, radiant white light. This power caused the Elder to stumble back, leaving him in a bit of shock; curiosity struck him as well, while Jacob looked at him, worried. It took a bit for Toron to say something, the forest was slow with a response. "Hmm... peculiar."

"Toron?"

"Hold on, my child." The wind started to blow, the leaves and flowers from Toron's staff went towards Ellie, before dissipating into thin air, leaving the Elder with an answer. "She's part demon, Jacob. For the love of Yddrigsal, this is new to elf kind!" Toron was enthusiastic about this new being, staring at her big green eyes and horns. He summoned a yellow-green flower and put it in her hair. Toron was smiling until he saw Jacob, looking mad. "I don't have to say anything; you know she isn't yours, but I think Tori loved a demon, as well. But you have done a fantastic job as her father already."

"This... this thing, is not my child..." Jacob had no words, his love of his life, best friend, and family, cheated on him, with a dark being.

"Jac-"

"NO!" Jacob punched the air out of anger, dropping the baby while Toron ran to catch her in time. "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? TORI NEVER LEFT THE FOREST! WHO IS THIS DEMON?" Jacob's anger was taking over; elves are usually calm beings, but this news left Jacob heart broken. His yelling left Ellie crying softly.

"Jacob calm down, you are scaring he-"

"I DON'T CARE IF THAT THING CRIES; IT KILLED MY TORI!" Jacob fell to his knees from grief. It only had been two years since the child was born, and now it was not even his. Tears filled his eyes, only seeing Tori in his mind.

"Jacob, look at me." Toron knelt down beside him, holding Ellie gently. "Whoever the demon was, he is long gone—dead. I know Tori loved you as well, but she probably felt lonely as you were busy working in the council. But for now, please see past it, this child is hers, and she would love for her to be yours." The Elder wasn't getting through him, his grief and anger consumed him.

Toron sighed, "Does anyone know about Ellie yet?" Jacob shook his head. There was a long silence between the old friends. Toron broke the silence, "How about I raise Ellie?" This question made Jacob jump.

"Toron... no, don't raise that thing."

"Jacob, she is still an elf—and if she was a pure demon, then the forest would not have accepted her."

"The forest... accepted that?" Jacon exclaimed in shock, while Toron nodded. "Will she know of her father?"

"If you mean yourself, yes. She needs to know the truth; lying is against our ways, and if I claim her as my daughter, order will go out of place. But I will not tell the other elves of you raising her. This will be the time I go against our ways for the sake of order and peace."

"What do you propose, Toron? That some elf loved a demon? That will create a stir, my Elder." Jacob was calming down as he talked.

"I will say a rouge elf loved a demon since you usually banish them, and I just found her outside the sanctuary. So now, I will raise her as an apprentice for good and not evil."

"What if it doesn't work? You know how we question things that are not with our ways or nature."

"They believe in us, Jacob, if we state this, they will follow. Yes it is skeptical, but they will not go against our choices." Toron was sure of this plan, he is not going to give up an innocent life, especially if the forest welcomed her. Toron didn't mind raising a child, even if it's against formalities as an elder.

The two talked for hours on the speech they were going to make. Jacob was still in a bit of anger, but if anything, he's giving up something that destroyed him; he was glad it will be long gone from his home. As they finished, he thanked the Elder for his time, and slowly exited the sanctuary.