(Moderator Note: Continued after the events of: ~Chapter Two~ and is part of an ongoing series!!!)
Elthas had become a wandering spirit.
A relic of the old world, there were secrets that needed finding.
His shadowy, wisp-like form was the physical manifestation of his current state.
Appearing as a wraith, Elthas had taken the various traits of a young one of his current kind.
He stood in the middle of a clearing, deep in the depths of Ruild.
The swirling cloak he wore, moved with the wind and created a mysterious and menacing form about his person.
The cloak he wore as a wraith seemed almost alive.
He'd denied final judgment and chose to make his own destiny carved with blood and the promise of tomorrow.
He'd fought a deck stacked against him and won.
Yosef Terrentius, the man who first killed Elthas Belthasar was not dead...and enemy that Elthas himself defeated.
The wraith stood in place for a long moment, many days passing by as he planned his next move.
Thoughts coursed through his mind, thoughts and possibilities. He knew that his current state was bound by the rules that worked, sometimes against him. Sometimes in his favour. Always present. The rules of his kind would always be a thorn in his side. So for the time being, he found himself in the quiet clearing and contemplating. As he stood there, he considered what to do, and where to go. In the other place, somewhere in the Antifirmanent, Seth Terrentius, and Hylda Terrentius awaited his return. That would only occur when Elthas was done his current work. He'd gone too far already to stop at that point, and there were far too many evils in the world of Althanas. Elthas considered where to go from there, all he knew was what he'd learned on his own. Further, he had acquired a considerable amount of lessons from Seth Terrentius.
The information at his disposal would allow him to get where he needed to go...
But that was the thing...where?
After some time passed...
"I knew I'd eventually find you if I searched hard enough." It was a familiar voice. The voice a man who was once an ally. John Winshire. The powerful wizard that assisted Elthas with the rebuilding of The Great Tree of his people. "You've been busy, Elthas Belthasar." John said, he kept a respectful distance.
"John Winshire..." Elthas said calmly and slowly turned to face his former ally. "It has been many years since the last time I saw you. You have aged well."
"Elthas." John said in response. 'This is not a social visit. Ever since the night Yosef Terrentius was killed, that area of Corone has been in complete chaos. There are no accounts of what happened. The town Yosef took command of in his life has since gone abandoned. Corone is weakened." John said with a grave and serious voice. "Once. You honoured the old allegiances and saved a man's life." John continued. "That man's life was Seth Terrentius. You risked it all to save an old man you knew nothing about."
Elthas frowned. The memories of the night he rescued Seth Terrentius came back in his head, he hated having to relive the past. "I trust you did not come all the way out here to take a trip down memory lane?" Elthas asked. A part of him wanted to flee.
"I'm getting old, Elthas." The man named John Winshire lowered his hood and Elthas was stunned at how much he'd physically aged since he last saw him.
Has it really been that long...? Elthas wondered to himself.
"There's too much work that needs doing and I cannot do it on my own." John Winshire continued. "An old enemy of yours has resurfaced. A man named Theo Terrentius." John suddenly said.
Elthas frowned, and quickly became angry. "Theo..." He whispered in a hushed voice. "What do you need?" Came the sudden response, he answered that without really thinking about it.
"The Prophets of Apocalypse are moving against us even as we speak. The Great Tree stands, as a key to their ultimate defeat." John kept talking. "As I said earlier, Elthas Belthasar. Once, you honoured an allegiance between Men and Elves." The man said. He suddenly knelt before Elthas. "I beg of you, please honour that old alliance with us. Honour an old man's dying wish. Please. Help us. One last time."
***
Elthas moved in silence as they entered the area where The Great Tree sat.
He was certain he would never see it again...there he was, years later.
There was no way for Elthas to know how many years had passed, time flowed different for his kind.
Elthas could see the glow of The Great Tree even before he entered the township that it belonged to.
Many houses were built around the expanse of The Great Tree.
Elthas looked around and much to his disbelief, saw a community of Men and Elves.
There was no way for Elthas to know the current year, it didn't matter to him.
He was surprised at one thing, the gathered folks were not afraid of him.
There were many tradesmen and workers that rebuilt the town his people once lived in.
Elthas's eyes looked around carefully, some faces he recognized from his previous encounter with John Winshire.
Others were totally new settlers.
Elthas felt uncomfortable facing The Great Tree in his current state.
Is this wise? He wondered to himself.
John Winshire guided Elthas Belthasar to the location of The Great Tree.
"You've done an excellent job rebuilding the place." Elthas said casually.
"It has taken many years of non-stop work and labor. The project has helped unite the people of Men and Elves. Where once, Corone stood divided in civil war. Now there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon."
Elthas paused for a moment. "What do you expect to accomplish here? The Great Tree has been reawakened, why do you need my help?" Elthas had to know the reason why.
John Winshire looked at Elthas calmly. "Theo is an old enemy of yours...we do not have the means to fight what he has become."
Elthas had a serious expression on his face. "What do you mean...?"
And it all began with that simple question...
A tale of vengeance on an old enemy...an enemy that laughed in the dark.
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