'We came here uninvited and the Parliament of Leaves is likely to still be deliberating the issue after the scouts reported our presence.' Aalejah said.
'The what?'
'Their governing organ. Elves have no king. Each main elven clan has its own representative who speaks on their behalf in the Parliament. Many heads also mean a long discussion every time a decision that affects the whole community has to be made.
'As a fellow elf, my presence should reassure them but they have no way to know if I'm here of my own will or if I'm being coerc-' Aalejah yelped in surprise as a delegation of elven warriors walked toward them before she could even finish the phrase.
Mind links were very fast, the elves had come out of their hiding place a few seconds after Lith's taunt.
The group was comprised of two women and two men dressed in hunter clothes that had been made by weaving together leaves, vines, and tree bark. A combination of magic and technology had turned them into a mottled fabric as soft and light as cotton.
The hunting suits were comprised of a shirt, pants, and soft-soled boots. Their various pieces of clothing had small mana crystals for buttons and were embroidered in Adamant that further boosted their enchantments.
The suits fit like a glove, emphasizing the grace of every one of their movements. They padded towards Lith's group, producing no noise as they approached.
Also, the outfit changed its color based on what was on the warriors' backs, making them invisible when they lay still amid the trees or grass with their hoods down and their gloves on.
Even now that they were moving, aside from their exposed heads and hands the rest of their bodies was a blur to regular sight. Anyone without Life Vision would have had a hard time aiming at them while they walked, let alone if they ran.
Their blades were hung to their hips and their bows rested on their backs, but from their slow and controlled movements, it was obvious that it would have taken the elves a split second to draw them out.
Lith checked them with Death Vision, discovering that aside from the slower aging, they could be killed the same way as humans. The delegation died several times in a few seconds in front of his eyes, their head severed, their hearts pierced, and their bodies charred by spells.
Poison and suicide were less likely but still possible.
"The Parliament of Leaves welcomes you to the vine city of Setraliie and its woods." The first one to speak was the elvish woman in front of Lith, quickly followed by the rest of the hunters.
He didn't miss how they had each taken place in front of someone of the opposite gender and moved according to the most logical pecking order. The Dragon first, then the elf, and the Lesser Dragons last.
The elves would have all been considered very attractive by human standards. They had oval faces, perfectly symmetrical features, and long straight hair with several elemental streaks each.
Each elf had long hair of a different base color, but they all shone like gold under the sunlight. If one had to find a flaw in them, was that their lithe frame was perfectly proportionate, making the women's chests small and the men's bodies so slender to be effeminate.
The long, pointed ears coming out of their hair and their light golden skin that seemed to shine from an inner light were the only traits that made the elves impossible to mistake for humans.
"I apologize for my rudeness, my Lord, but before introducing myself I need proof of your identity." She said. "Your lack of a Soul Projection is an admirable feat that very few among the non-elves can achieve but it also makes it harder to identify you."
Lith took a pebble from the ground and breathed a burst of violet Origin Flames that turned it as smooth and shiny as a precious gem by removing its superficial impurities.
"Is this enough?"
"Almost." Her eyes shone like stars and her cheeks flushed at the sight of the legendary Flames that were essential for a Forgemaster to craft a true masterpiece.
The abundant world energy that coursed through the Fringe could generate countless natural treasures, enchanted metals, and crystals over time, but only Origin Flames could remove the impurities and unlock their full potential.
The elves lived there for a long time and had mastered the workings of their ancestors, but there was only so much they could do without the help of someone capable of manipulating the mystical fire at will.
"Forgive me for being blunt, but even a mere Wyvern can use Origin Flames." The elven woman dropped to her knee, her head so low that her long golden hair reached the ground.
"Consider yourself forgiven. What more evidence do you need?" Lith said, knowing that the others didn't share his indifferent attitude on the matter.
Faluel and Ajatar were glaring at the elf woman with spite for addressing the Wyverns in such a condescending way. Despite their poor character, their cousins were the closest to the Dragons among the Lesser descendants of Leegaain.
It was the reason Wyverns were so arrogant and so insecure at the same time.
"Please, write down the runes of the spells I am keeping at the ready." She replied.
Every Awakened with Life Vision could distinguish the types of spells that their opponents had weaved and the elements they used, but only a Dragon could read those spells like an open book and memorize them.
"Sure." Lith went all out, conjuring with Light Mastery a life-sized character sheet of the elf woman that overlapped with her.
It listed all the spells she had at the ready in her head and even those she had already infused in the various pieces of her equipment. Boots, blades, clothes, and even every arrow in her quiver had been imbued with at least two deadly spells by using the elves' bloodline abilities.
Were they proper enchantments, the Eyes of Menadion would have taken some time to analyze them, and quite a toll on Lith's mind since he was using the artifact by himself.
The elf woman's spells, however, were out in the open without any pseudo core he had to decipher or cloaking device to crack, making it child play for the Eyes to record them.
She was flabbergasted by both the detailed description of her own equipment's status and the use of Light Mastery, one of the highest branches of magic that was considered lost to time.
According to the legends, only a true genius with a high affinity towards light magic could discover it by himself. Light Mastery was very difficult to teach and based on the outdated knowledge of the elves, only the now-dead Rezar tribe, the trolls before their fall, and Leegaain knew its secrets.
"Is this enough or do I have to take a look at your friends as well?" Lith wore a smug grin, in a high-and-mighty expression that he considered his best Leegaain impression.
"It's perfect!" The elf woman jumped to his neck, giving him such a deep kiss that he was certain she had a taste of his tonsil.
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