Chronicles of Aetheria

Chapter 8: Who is Arctic?

Chapter 8: Who is Arctic? 

LOCTRUM CAVE 

The banging sounds of metal rent the air as Eleven, along with other laborers, hammered the cave walls, searching for hidden treasure.

Lord Arctic of the Loctrum clan, upon discovering the existence of hidden treasure in the Loctrum cave, arranged for a group of laborers to work every day, chipping away at the hills in search of the treasure.

Most of the laborers consisted of prisoners, slaves, and those who defied his orders.

Eleven fell into the third category. Three days ago, he defied Lord Arctic's order to behead Brakor during an all-out war against the resurrected Vagnar.

Brakor played a crucial role in the fight; without him, none of them would have survived. Eleven couldn’t bring himself to decapitate him, so he dropped the sword as soon as he raised it.

His action cost him his freedom but also saved Brakor’s life. Both were now in the Loctrum cave, working as if their lives depended on it.

“Gosh! I'm tired,” Eleven muttered, breathing heavily. He rested his chin on the handle of the hammer he used to break down walls, his face dripping with sweat as he struggled to catch his breath.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt, just blue shorts like everyone else. His body was covered with scars from the Reaper’s whips.

After defeating Vagnar, he thought he was free from the whips, the oppression, and the Reapers.

But no, the whipping continued.

“Hey you! What are you doing?” A guard's voice reached him, but he was too tired to move.

A whip descended on his back, and he winced in pain. “There’s no resting, you black fool,” the guard shouted in his ear, but Eleven couldn’t move.

The guard raised the whip again, but Brakor was quick to stop him. “He’s tired. He’s been working all day; he needs rest.”

“Yes, we are tired,” another laborer voiced out.

🗣️ “We are tired.”

👥 “We can’t continue.”

The guards were stunned to see the laborers protesting. This had never happened before, and it was all because of one boy. A boy who defied the Elves' rule. A boy whose race was unidentified.

“I have to report this,” the guard thought, his whole body trembling as he struggled to claw his way out. Eleven exhaled heavily, glancing at Brakor, who flashed him a smile.

Brakor always blamed himself for Eleven’s predicament, but Eleven always assured him there was more to it.

Suddenly, Brakor staggered backward, coughing up blood. “Brakor!” Eleven called, rushing to catch him before he fell.

. 

. 

ELVARIN KINGDOM 

“Welcoming His Royal Majesty, The Great King Jade,” the guard's voice echoed as everyone in the room stood up when the door opened.

This was the official meeting room of the Elvarin Kingdom, located in the Grand Palace of King Jade, the Great Lord of the Elves.

Present in the room were four Elves, exuding nobility. Each controlled a village, and together with King Jade, they ruled the great Elvarin Kingdom, the realm of the Elves.

King Jade sat at the end of the room, a rectangular table before him with three chairs on each side.

The four chiefs present took their seats after the king, leaving two vacant chairs.

The door closed, and King Jade cleared his throat, directing all attention to him.

“It’s been a long time, Chief Mowen, Chief Kai, Chief Damien, and you, Chief Jun,” King Jade addressed his officials, who bowed in response.

“Chief Jun, you called this meeting.”

“Yes, I did, but it’s not a matter of urgency.”

“Spill it out,” Chief Damien bellowed, impatient to hear what his fellow chief had to say.

“This concerns the south. We should be six chiefs here, but as we speak, one is dead, and another is imprisoned,” Chief Jun started.

Everyone listened silently, aware of the situation but waiting to see where he was heading.

“Word must not reach the neighboring kingdoms, especially the Goblin Dynasty, that two of our villages have been conquered by one person,” he continued, squinting at his fellow officials. “And I’m afraid to say this enemy is marching east. My village is under threat,” he concluded.

“And who is this enemy?” King Jade asked.

“He is known as Lord Arctic. According to reports, he has established a deadly clan in the south, the Loctrum clan,” Chief Damien answered. He also controlled a village in the east.

“Arctic… Arctic… The name sounds familiar,” King Jade mused.

“We have to stop him before he becomes a pest if he isn’t already,” Chief Kai added.

“We can’t fight a war now,” Chief Damien said.

“Why not?” Chief Kai replied. He controlled the west alongside Chief Mowen, who had been silent throughout the conversation.

There are seven villages in the Elvarin Kingdom. Two in the south, two in the east, two in the west, and the last, most versatile village in the north, where the Grand King Jade Palace is situated.

“We are weak in military forces. We Elves do not specialize in physical prowess. Most of our elites are on watch for the Goblins. Leading them to war would be a great mistake…”

“And any mistake would be advantageous to the Goblins,” Chief Jun completed Chief Damien’s sentence.

“So we are considering both external and internal threats,” King Jade said calmly after listening to his chiefs.

“Any step we take must be thoroughly calculated. For now, we must be patient.”

“Patient? Mowen, I believe you weren’t deaf when I stated that my village is under threat,” Chief Jun rebuked.

Chief Mowen opened his mouth to respond, but the door opened, interrupting their meeting.

All eyes turned to the door. The intruder bowed before the officials.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” he said calmly, looking down.

“Rise, General Thalric, and state your reason for interrupting our meeting,” King Jade’s voice came out like a soft whisper. No one dared interrupt the meeting, but Thalric wasn’t just anyone. He was a general of King Jade’s armies, the Great Lord of the Elves.

“A report on the whereabouts of the Princess,” General Thalric stated, and King Jade adjusted himself in his seat.

“What did you find about my daughter?”

“Your Majesty, my lady has been reported to be held captive by the Loctrum clan alongside Chief Brakor of the southern part of the kingdom,” he said, dropping the bombshell. King Jade’s eyes widened, and he became uneasy.