The Mysteries of Tiber

Chapter 54: Returning

Ailmar's PoV

It's been a couple of months and I've been getting very anxious. I want Nightbreeze to come back and the others to come back.

When they finally get back some soldiers rush to tell me. I go out and I'm in my Speaker robes. There are so many Elves. To my surprise I see a mixture of Qualinesti, Silvanesti, Kagonesti, and Half Elves. Nightbreeze and my friends come over to me because they are leading the group. Me and Nightbreeze hug and I ask them "How did it go?"

Nava tells me "We won. The Evil Gods are gone."

I invite them all to eat and tell me what happened. I intensely listen to there stories.

Half a week later we are all eating lunch and enjoying ourselves when Farrow's brother walks in and starts talking in Old Silvanesti. Farrow gets up and responds in Old Silvanesti. By the sounds of their voices it sounds very heated. Rosa gets up and she looks concerned. Nava gets up and walks over to me, Nightbreeze, and Quintrine while Rosa stands by Farrow. Nava tells us "I don't know Old Silvanesti but I'm catching some of the words. It sounds like they are arguing."

Nightbreeze stands up and says "I don't know about any of you but I'm not going to stay here if they keep arguing."

She starts walking to the door when they abruptly stop arguing. Farrow asks in Common "Nightbreeze can you tell my brother how it was being a slave."

We all look at Nightbreeze and I can tell she doesn't want to keep talking about it. After a moment she turns and faces Farrow's brother. She rudely tells him "You may be the Silvanesti Speaker but you are full of yourself. If you can't see how bad slavery is then having me tell you won't help you change anything."

Farrow's brother replies in Common "Please forgive me. Allow me to introduce myself because I never did. I am Ruven, the firstborn and now Speaker of Silvanesti. Nightbreeze please enlighten me and tell me what you say was slavery. I do not recognize you so I know you were not at my home working for my family."

Nightbreeze says "You're right, I didn't work at your home. I was a slave here in Qualinesti which Ailmar is fixing and getting rid of slavery now but he didn't know back then how bad it was. As a slave we weren't allowed to talk unless our slave owner gave us permission. We would do anything our owner wanted us to do. If we didn't do it fast enough we got punished. Sometimes my slave owner would punish me and his other slaves to show his power over us. If we tried fighting him and showing our opinions he would beat us and whip is. I was forced into slavery at a young age just like most of the Kagonesti. They lured us out and away from our families then kidnapped us. I know how to speak in different Elven languages and Common because they forced me to. I got stolen from my home in the woods and forced into learning and serving. If we disobey our owners they would take away our meals. They would give us enough to eat to not starve but not make us strong enough to rebel. How would you like to be a slave?"

"I would never be a slave. Being royalty helps. Try being royalty."

"I was born into royalty."

"Oh really? Where are your Speaker robes? Oh wait. You are a female Kagonesti Elf. Females aren't Speakers. And Kagonesti don't live in one place. How does that work for you?"

Nightbreeze yells something in Old Silvanesti to Ruven and he seems very surprised and angry. He storms out of my dining hall and leaves. Nava asks "What did you tell him?"

Nightbreeze shrugs and says "I'm not really sure."

Farrow is laughing and Rosa doesn't seem to know. Farrow says "She told him off. I can't translate it all but she was telling him something like stop being so high up. You're not a God. You're an Elf whose full of himself."

We all laugh with Farrow and when we all stop laughing Rosa asks "What were you and your brother saying? It got really heated."

Farrow sighs and says "You don't need to worry about it. It's my brother being full of himself. He doesn't like that you aren't part of the Noble Elf class. I reminded him that most of the Silvanesti Elves are dead including the Noble class so it limits my choice. And I'm the secondborn son so I can date whoever I want. I'm not leading our people. And I told him off after arguing. I asked him if he knew anything about slavery. That's when we stopped fighting and I asked Nightbreeze to help."

Rosa says "I don't understand why you two don't get along."

"He was raised to be Speaker. And you never noticed but my parents were often like him. Full of themselves because they are part of the royal family. They thought no one could remove them from the throne because my father's bloodline is part of the royal family. High Elves are always full of themselves. I was too which is why I would date all kinds of different Elf women. I was a player and I hurt them. I was safe from there anger because my parents protected me. Eventually I stopped being full of myself and started taking risks. My brother isn't going to stop being full of himself and bossing me around. I'm used to it. And I'm dating Rosa no matter if he likes it or not."

I tell him "I know I'm not the same as you but my parents were also full of themselves. Not as badly as most Silvanesti are. No offense to you guys. After my parents died I had to grow up without them. And I let the Council Members control me until I left and came back. So I know how being royalty and higher up makes people full of themselves."

Nava asks "Where did Nightbreeze go?"

Quintrine says "Oh she left. I'm guessing she got bored with our conversation."

We all head out of the dining hall and start looking for her. I ask the soldiers and they say she went outside. They point the direction she went and we follow it. We go outside and into our huge courtyard and garden. Nava says "I never noticed how big the palace is."

I tell her "That's because you've never been here long enough to really notice it. And it's not that big to me but that's because I'm used to it. Does anyone know where she might have gone?"

Quintrine suggests "Maybe to the woods? She's Kagonesti."

Farrow says "I hope she's not doing anything stupid."

Nava says "Whatever it is, I don't want to have to rescue her again."

We hear Nightbreeze's voice say "Hi guys."

We all look around and we don't see her. She says "Look up."

We all look up and she's on part of the roof. I ask her "What are you doing up there?"

"I got bored. And I'm enjoying the view."

I look at the direction she's looking and there's a sunset. It's slowly going down. She says "If you look carefully you can see all the colors. I've never really seen it from up high before."

I look and I'm focusing on seeing what she's seeing. I can see the colors she's talking about. Nava asks "What's so special about a sunset? You left without telling us and we all got worried."

"Talking about slavery reminded me that me and the other Kagonesti's only happiness was when we saw the sunset. It helped us know that we survived another day in slavery. And every day we spent in slavery meant we would be closer to getting free. The little things really do matter the most."

"As much as I enjoy you being happy I think you should get down before you hurt yourself or damage the palace."

I tell them "I don't mind her being up there. And the palace is thousands of years old. It falls apart every now and then which allows some of our Elves to come fix it. It gives them an important job to do. And I don't think she's going to get hurt. If she does we have Healers to help."

Nightbreeze says "It seems like you're getting used to me living here full time. Because I'm definitely not going to sit inside all the time."

"I know you aren't. You're Kagonesti. Kagonesti live for danger and adventure."

We all stand there and enjoy the sunset

*Picture at the top of the chapter is a Elven dress*