Ephemeral: A Journey To Find The Meaning Of Life

Chapter 8: The Elves

I woke up this morning. Today I have to meet that elf woman again.

I just remembered, Helen slept with me last night. Is he not awake yet?

"Helen, let's get up, it's morning" I said.

I tried to wake Helen from her sleep.

"Good morning Luke...." Helen was sucking her eyes.

Suddenly someone entered the house without knocking on the door. He came to check on us, and found myself and Helen in the same bed.

"Sorry to interrupt your fun! Please continue" The elf woman apologized and went out.

"WAIT, THIS IS JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING!" Panicked me.

......................

After getting ready, I went to meet him at the bridge in the middle of this place. I'm on my way to meet him now. Helen didn't want to come because she was exhausted after what happened yesterday. On my way to where he was, I saw countless elves looking at me with unpleasant gazes. At least, they no longer held weapons.

Ah, there he is!

"Hey, did I make you wait a long time?" My toot.

"No. So, do you enjoy it?" Said the elf woman.

"I told you it was ha-"

"Hahaha, yes-yes, I get it. Let's get back to our original goal. Today, I will take you around this village. For his security to be calm, I guarantee no one will attack."

"Let's get started!" Say him.

I followed him from behind as he drove the way. I never expected there would be a day I met an elf in person, even going into their residence. The special ability that the elves possessed was archery. The elves were shrewd hunters, fighting them in the forest was tantamount to an attempted suicide.

We got to the place to train the fighting abilities of the elves in this place.

"Want to try what archery feels like?" The elf girl asked me.

"If you don't mind, I will" I replied.

He took arrows and bows for me. This is the first time I'm going to shoot. He told me to aim a shot at the target that had been set up and I did.

"Well.. Missed" The arrow I fired missed the target.

"Have you never shot before?"

"Yes. This was my first experience" I said.

"Want to do it again? I'll teach you the basics this time." He offered.

"I'm willing."

He taught me how to shoot the right thing.

"The main key in archery is the correct horses. If the way you stand up is wrong, there is no way your shot hit the target. After that, watch the movement of your arms, don't get it wrong."

"Good!" I followed his instructions.

"Hold that position, aim for your current target properly. After that, let go!"

I shot my arrow and hit the target. Not perfect, but at least I'm starting to thrive on this.

"Well, you might have a knack for this" he said.

"Thank you for the compliment"

"Then, it's my turn"

He used the arrow I used. Then shoot it perfectly in the middle of the target. The elf woman did it repeatedly without any mistakes. I was amazed at him, he did it so easily.

After finishing archery practice, we went to go around again. I asked her "Did all the elves here dislike the human race?"

"That's not what you need to ask." Rigorously.

"Ah... I'm sorry, I just don't know what the reason is" I feel bad.

"Huh.... You humans have always been like that, as if you had done nothing to us. Many of the elves were made slaves and traded in the capital. You must have heard it, right? You also consider us to be creatures that defile purity in this world, whereas you are very greedy beings and have unlimited desires, sometimes you kill each other to achieve that desire. I always ask, is that what is called holiness?"

I can't say anything. The shame that I felt at this moment, I realized that humans are beings unaware of their own rottenness. We didn't talk after that.

When we reached the highest place in the village, it was night. Before we got home, we talked about something.

"Do you think elves are dirty?" Ask the elf girl.

"If you ask me, I'll say no. After all, I never realized that humans treat elves badly. I'm sorry about that"

"You don't have to apologize for that." Said the elf girl.

"It'll be night soon, I'll be home." My speech.

"I'll be home too."

......................

When she got home, Helen was waiting at the door.

"How was it today, Luke?" Ask Helen.

"I learned archery today, it's so hard."

"Next time I want to try it too. Come on in, I've prepared some food for you"

There is plenty of food on the table. The shape and smell are very tempting. I can't wait to try it...

I tried that food. And sure enough, it feels like it fits the way it looks. Helen is really good at cooking.

"It's really delicious, you're great Helen!" My speech.

"Thank God, I'm glad to hear it" she smiled at the hearing.

"You're definitely gonna be a good wife"

"Eh?!..." He was surprised to hear the words I said.

"What's wrong?" My toot.

"No one, let's continue eating" he replied.

We ate together while chatting about how I was doing today. Helen has no fighting ability, but she can help in some ways. There's a lot of things I can't do, and Helen can do those things. Including in cooking, he was very skilled. I think if he wants to be a chef, then he will be famous one day.

Tonight I thought of something. Is there any chance that those humans and elves could live together someday? If there's a possibility, I'd like to try it. Although at this time I think it will only be in vain, many elves do not accept human treatment of them. Of course, who wants to be treated like a tool. Well... Instead of thinking that, mending me sleep ajalah.

I'm asleep.

......................

Helen and the elven woman looked quite familiar, was it possible because they were fellow women? At least, no commotion had occurred.

Helen told me she was going to go for a walk with the elf woman. He said he'd be home before nightfall. I let him go and he left.

Right now I was walking alone in this village, I suddenly felt a killing from someone. Apparently it was one of the male elves who said something to the elf woman before she left. I think he really doesn't like the existence of a human being in this village.

"What do you need with me?" My toot.

"You don't need to know what my purpose is, vile man." Answer the elf man.

"What did I do that you called me a vile human being?"

"Shut up! Show me, what a human being can do when he's in this state!" He immediately tried to attack without thinking of anything.

He's fast, I can't let my guard down. Right now I don't have any weapons at all, I have to think.

While dodging the attack he launched, I searched for a weapon to protect myself. He was wearing a long sword and looked very sharp.

I was thinking of trying to take the sword out of his hand, but how?

I tried to find a gap when he was off guard. His movements were agile and fast, but I could still see the movements he was making. I waited for that moment slowly.

Here goes!

I saw a gap to take his sword, the grip stretched out from exhaustion. When he didn't realize it I dodged his attack and then used dazzling lighting magic.

"Akhs! My eyes" He said.

"Because of you!" I got his sword when he couldn't see for a while. I told him to surrender, but he still tried to take the sword back from me.

Suddenly came an elf who looked to have a strong charisma and a well-built body. He looked like someone who had quite a lot of fighting experience.

"What did you do to him, Gorris?!" Said the dashing elf man.

"He desecrated this place, there should be no humans entering this village. I will never accept the existence of humans around this place!" Said the elf man who attacked me.

The elf who attacked me earlier was scolded by that gallant elf man.

"Basar you are... I'm sorry for what he did to you, he's just not used to this. My name is Jorgun, a swordsman. And this kid is Gorris, my student who has no manners."

"What?!" Gorris tries to fight back but his head is hit by Jorgun until he faints.

"Oh yeah, introduce me to Luke, an adventurer. I happened to pass by in this place, please help her from now on!"

"Yes, me too. I want to show you something, come follow me." Bring Jorgun.

We arrived at the place where Jorgun trained the elves, I saw countless elves practicing how to use swords. Most of them were men who looked very young.

"This is where I train them."

"Gee, there's a lot of people practicing here. But, instead of you guys already having good archery skills, why should you practice using a sword as well?" My toot.

"Are you stupid or what? Clearly that melee fighting ability was indispensable. If we could only use arrows, we would lose a battle. Think logically stupid human!" Gorris explained the reason to me.

"You're smart too" I said.

"What's? So you want to say I'm stupid!!"

"Gorris!" Jorgun stared at Gorris with sharp eyes. "Huh... More or less what he said was true. Close combat is very important in warfare, our long-range capability will not always be useful. I saw your fight just now, even if it was just for a moment, I think you have talent."

"Not really, I've only used the sword to protect myself all this time. I've never trained him intensely like this."

"Then, would you like to try?" Jorgun asked me to try his training.

He taught me the basic techniques. I didn't find it difficult at all, I was able to follow his directions well.

"I thought you had talent in this. Do you want to duel with me?" Jorgun.

"okay... Wait, what was it?"

"alright. Let's get started!" Jorgun was excited because he thought I wanted to duel with him.

It's not good, I didn't listen well when he asked me, damn it!!!

Rice has become porridge, I was forced to duel with Jorgun. The training ground was temporarily vacated.

"You ready, Luke?" Jorgun asked me.

"I'm ready!" I prepared with horses that were comfortable for me.

The Jorgun horses seemed to have no gap to me.

He's gonna move, I gotta see him right. Where is the attack going?

Jorgun didn't move as fast as Gorris, I could see his movements very well. I feel like I can fight it, but why am I not sure? He came forward and gave his attack to me. When I tried to fend it off, the attack was so heavy that it made my shoulder hurt enough while holding it.

I have to make some distance. If not, I will lose!

I kept my distance from Jorgun and tried to find his weakness. But he didn't give me time to think at all, I could only follow the movements that came from my instincts. I can see it, but I can't keep up with it, that's how things are at the moment. To the point where I reached my limit, I lost to Jorgun.

"Good job, Luke! It's been a long time since I've felt anything like this." Her speech.

I stood up and shook his hand. He smiled and told me that he would duel with me again tomorrow. It was night, I went home.

I hope Helen doesn't wait long.

When I got home I saw Helen and the elf woman talking to each other. Helen seemed to be having fun with him, I was grateful they could be close friends.

"Have you been waiting a long time?"

"No, Luke. We just got there" Helen said.

The elf woman had permission to go home to us.

"Yes, watch out for Caris!" Helen.

After the woman came home, we went inside the house. Helen said that she had already bought the food, so there was no need to cook anymore because it would take a lot of time for her. I just found out the name of the woman was Caris, I don't even remember to ask her name back then.

......................

This morning I got a message from the village chief of this place. He told me to meet him this afternoon, he had something to say to me. About what he really wanted to say, was something really important?

I saw Jorgun, Gorris and also Caris being called to his place. There seems to be something urgent.

"I'm sorry to interrupt all of you, but there's something important I want to tell you. A few days ago, I got word that someone had found the tree. I want you to be sure of the truth, tomorrow you will depart from this place. Don't you mind this, Luke?"

"No. I'm willing to do it"

A tree? Maybe the tree that connects the two worlds. I wonder if it is really real or not, I want to make sure of that as well.

That was the beginning of the many problems that would come in this mission...

...----------------...