Chapter Four: Green Envy

[Debaglio]

The hull of a ship came crashing into the shore. Its sail shielded the rays of the sun beams that bathed the crashing tide.

"Home again!" Shouted an elven man as he lept from the mast.

Floating like a feather, he fell onto the ground. His body accepted the harbors embrace as he rolled in the sand. Turning to his back he lay still for hours, looking into the sky watching the clouds pass. He was relieved to be back after a long absence. As the sun began to set, he climbed back aboard the ship and threw his bags and chest overboard. Several trips were needed to secure the belongings inside his residence.

The sounds of the forest echoed even more than he had remembered. It seemed to him as though the spirit of the forest had changed. It was not certain if this was a gain or loss in energy. Smoldering his fire, he then retired so that he would be ready to leave for Main bright and early. The next morning the elven lust had caused him had beaten the birds to breakfast. He was already on Main before the sun broke the horizon.

He was very excited to see his old friends, and speak of the tales he had experience while he was away.

He overheard some pirates talking about a death. It was a surprise that his distant cousin had been killed. Startled by the tale he lost his balance and fell over, knocking his mug spilling its contents onto the ground causing a huge scene. He tried to stand but a blade was pressed to his chest. A pirate stood over the top of the elve snarling the name of his distant relative. The pirate demanded his blood and applied more pressure to the tip of his weapon.

A small man stepped from the shadows and kicked the blade from its offensive position.

"This is clearly not a dead man sir." The small man looked at the fallen elve offering to help him stand by outstretching his weapon hand.

"Stand, and do not be frightened." He said with confidence helping the elve to his feet.

"Although you look vaugly familiar, I see no harm coming from you."

The elve quickly revealed his relationship with the man of the story, and was then taken out of the pub with haste. Confused, and curious he accepted this mans invitation to another building. They stood inside the post office behind the desk, hiding from view.

"Sir your cousin has caused a great deal of turmoil within all of the surrounding kingdoms."
"I suggest you consult Bile, to bring the essence of your relative to this world once again, so you may know the truth of his actions."
"Many slanderous stories from the east and west have caused his true story to be twisted."
"People of great wealth and power have spoken out about him, and he has been banished by death."
"His story is so epic, they young still look for him around every turn."
"They have made a legend out of your cousin, and now laws have been created so that such an incident will never happen again."

Angered by the past, the elve thanked the man and set off towards the north. Bile would be his only key to understanding the events that had happened in his absence. Reaching the alter with blinding speed, he removed his hat. Bowing before the alter he prayed for hours. Weeks passed and the he did not move.

It was on the twenty sixth sunrise that he felt it. His soul possessed, Bile gave him the true vision that he had been asking for. Now angered by the truth of the situation the elve could not hold his composure. Limping from the alter he pushed his way through the trees, trying to stand and run. His atrophied legs gave way and he was sent rolling down a hill.

His roll stopped at the feet of a King and Prince. They were in the middle of a lord hunt, when their attention shifted to the dark looking being. The King ran to the elve with his sword drawn for blood.

Remembering his encounter with the Pirate in the pub his atrophy was lifted, and his innate nimbleness replaced. The King missed his mighty blow, and then turned to question the man. It seemed to him that they were seeing only his distant cousin standing before them. Furious with rage the elve avoided being hit while slandering the Kings ignorance.

He then managed to slip out of sight and vanish into the water. Its touch to the skin forced him to pass out, and he lay face down drifting towards the mouth of the stream.

A beautiful woman was seen pulling him from the river. He awoke staring into her eyes entranced by her deep gaze. She too looked deeply into his soul, showing signs of empathy.

She spent the next few weeks nursing him back to health, teaching him of the kingdoms, and explaining the current political standings according to the new rule. In the corner of her house he found a small book titled the Pact of the InnerWood. This was written by his cousin of old.

Shocked that he had not been told about this book, he left her house angry. After he had read its contents, it was clear to him what had happened, and what was to be done. Feeling guilty about having feelings for his dead cousins love, he ran franticly away. He ran for days, trying to escape his thoughts.

The confused elve lay once again on the shores, allowing the tide to cleanse his body.

His face shadowed by the presence of the maiden who had rescued him from the river, he rose. The maiden confessed to him that she had grown quite fond of him in his absence, but was unable to get close because of an outside factor. It was not known to him that the essence of Bile was so strong. It had caused the elve to go mad with mental sickness. She recommended that he change gods and return to her when he was sane.