Hidden in the Rubble [Book One]

Chapter 18: The Tyrannic Truth

Chapter 18

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The Tyrannic Truth

Fully facing Ari, he sighed. Lettvind put his hand on her shoulder, letting his mind flow deep into hers. A few strange emotions popped up, but he quickly shielded them from her. Then, he slipped the words into Ari's brilliant mind.

Ari, I know this sounds as if we have no privacy, or at least the ones who are registered as citizens, but what I say is true. We have Masters that control our every school, house, and even what we are fed. I do not have a selected Master because I am unheard of and mysterious. Solv and Drepe have different Masters, therefor they do not get to hang out as much. Dark Elves who have the same Master get to see each other more often, while people that you only know through school or met randomly through friends aren't as close as they wish they were. Thankfully, Drepe and Solv have full access to my house, where they are free to eat and talk as much as they want, Lettvind said, his facial expressions changing as he thought.

When did this start? Who was the monster who invented this cruel way of living? Ari asked him.

Queen Alflyse started this, just as I said before. When I was little, and her husband died and left her with her only child, she created this rule to keep citizens from making the same mistake she did. She did not like the thought of being exposed to such grief and horror of losing loved ones by making the wrong choices or being so independent. So, she created the Masters. Alflyse saw future in this system, but her citizens did not see what she saw. That's not all; she gives no rights to warriors and honorable veterans who return from deep and horrible battles. She treats them like insects who feed their queen bee with the finest of honey and nectar, only to be thrown down to the black soil in which they were raised in. Idiotic, it is, and most would agree. Would you agree?

Of course! She deserves to have her head stuck on a pike and fed to the dragons. I feel as if I would much rather Malekith on the throne now, hearing of what she's doing to these poor elven creatures. Veterans deserve much better than to be kicked back into their home without any rights or signs of greatness. That's as if they outlawed happiness!

Exactly, my princess, because she even blinds them from ever seeing home again, if you can believe that. She keeps the spoils of war far from the reach of our people, thinking that it will help them not have to deal with her past. Sorry to say, but I think this is all that I remember about this subject. The Masters have a maximum of 36 people in a Master's reign. Let me fetch you some food now that we are done and it is reaching nightfall.

He stood up, his tank top accidentally stretching above his stomach. "Oh, sorry." Lettvind pulled it back down, red embarrassment spreading across his cheeks. "Its seems a bit small," she commented while chuckling. Pulling away from the conversation, he went to his kitchen and pulled a few strange fruits from his refrigerator. Each fruit was white and spiked, each tip of the spike ending in black. They were shaped like pears, but the top of them were shaped as if somebody had pounded them with a mallet. In all, they were like black and white spheres of unnatural food.

He put them on a pearl plate, each one sounding heavy as they plopped onto the plate. Lettvind brought them to Ari, holding them out in front of her. "What are those? Are they safe?" she asked, eyeing the strange delicacies. "Stop asking questions, Ari, and just enjoy what we give you. I guarantee that you will love these," he said, taking one from the plate and putting it in her hand. The spikes dug into her, but she ignored them.

Taking a small bite of the outlandish fruit, she was surprised by its condition. It was beautifully ripe, and in perfect health. The inside of it glowed a fantastic green that melted in her mouth as she chewed, making Ari's mouth water. "Ghandari fruit from the branches of a shadow tree. They're rare in the cities, but they flourish down here like weeds in a garden. The only difference is that these plants are treasured," he said, taking a seat next to her and gobbling down a Ghandari fruit, "Do you like it?"

She nodded between bites, not caring how many of the fruits she went through, just as long as the supply was unlimited. Lettvind went to go get something else from the fridge, but before he could go, Ari grabbed his arm and asked, "Are there any other fruits that taste like this? At least any other foods?" He nodded and went to the fridge only to pull out a bottle of wine. "Drowish Ghandari fruit wine," he said, "But do you drink?"

Lying, she said, "Yes, sometimes."

"Good."

Letty welcomed her to the bar-like kitchen counter and poured a good amount into two, pearl glasses. The others had apparently gone outside, exploring the Stone Forest while Lettvind and Ari celebrated their escape. "It's nice to have you here, princess. I think that you really have some special qualities. So, what shall we talk about?"

Ari thought of the question, pondering on the thought of being in Svartalfheim. "Alright, so tell me about Queen Alflyse. Why hasn't anybody tried to stop this madness?" she asked, resting her head on her fist which she had propped on the counter.

"Because nobody has seen what I've seen," he replied.

"What do you mean?"

"If I hadn't been captured by you, I would have died along with the rest. Soldiers die daily, Ari, and the people who witness that have absolutely no problem with that. Me and the rest are grateful for your kindness and how far you've come to rescue us. You truly belong in the Dark Elf society."

"You're suggesting I become a Dark Elf? That's gibberish, Letty. Anyways, what are we going to do about this? We cannot leave the poor elves to suffer such agony! They have families to go home to, but the Queen kills them before they have a chance to say goodbye."

"If you plan on stopping them, I'm in. By the way, becoming a Dark Elf is not gibberish. It's absolutely possible, if you would allow us." He smirked a smirk that told her that the next week ahead was going to be a life changing one.