III
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Arc III Chapter 5
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25th Anima Lunar 753 AAC
“Here, my notes, I doubt you can read them anyway.” Nelaeryn presented her with his notes. Not that they were of any use to the doll-loving country bumpkin. They were written in Alfreikian. As if the plebeian peasant could read them. Education was a rare good among humans, a privilege of the few and rich.
Aurora stared at his writing. The letters were ... cryptic, to say the least. Unrecognisable in shape and form, alien. Nevertheless, they appeared ... familiar, as if once known. Yet she was equally lost and at a loss, unable to decipher the incomprehensible text before her eyes. The letters didn't trust her with their content. Beaten by a piece of writing. Such a dishonour.
Relishing in her inevitable defeat, Nelaeryn celebrated his moment of victory with a petty grin. He was a terrible loser, and a terrible winner. He knew perfectly well that the girl wouldn't be able to read Alfreikian.
Nelaeryn poked her nose. He had scored a victory, restoring his wounded manly pride. “Told you so, country bumpkin.”
“You are such a meanie. You knew, didn't you?” Aurora puffed up her cheeks. Such a predictable reaction.
His lips grinned. Having the upper hand warmed his heart. Victory made him magnanimous, not to say arrogant. “Doesn't matter, victory is victory.”
Aurora grumbled, “But I must say your handwriting is pretty. Your letters are beautiful. Elegant, yet simple. No wasted movement, requiring the smooth guidance of a firm hand.”
“How flattering.” Nelaeryn cleared his throat, content with his calligraphy finally being acknowledged.
Aurora merely smiled. A healthy dose of tactical flattery never hurt. Nelaeryn thought highly of himself. Despite his numerous years, youthful naivety and vanity still guided him. He should know better. Holding his head high, her simple words flattered him, visibly improving his mood.
“You are a smart girl for being a human, and smart girls deserve a reward. Didn't you asked me what we are doing?”
Aurora nodded.
“Have you ever heard about archaeology?”
“Not that I know.” Aurora tilted her head.
“Archaeology is the study and documentation of the past. Arwing and I are both archaeologists. We try to preserve the past. We are preserving the past through our efforts for future generations. Sadly, much knowledge was lost.” Nelaeryn soliloquised again. He liked his own voice a bit too much. Not that Aurora cared. A talkative fool was a useful fool to extract information from. Better not to interrupt him.
Nelaeryn elaborated, “The world one millennium ago was a world of chaos and decline. The Age of Strife and the subsequent Weltenbrand ushered in centuries of darkness, centuries of destruction that nearly pushed all of civilisation to the brink of extinction. The entire known world burned.
Scholars still disagree about the causes of the events. It's an era now mostly confined to the realm of distant myths and legends. The Weltenbrand brought untold devastation to the land. Entire cities were razed from the map, vast stretches of land depopulated. Even our forefathers took part in the war, long before the foundation of Alfreik. We elves fought at the side of our ancient ma ... at the side of the humans of Valyria, the Pearl of the North.
Unfortunately, we know little about this period. The Kingdoms of Valyria and Valentia have both long since perished, and with them most of their secrets. The language of the Ancients might have survived to this day, but the same cannot be said about their knowledge ...”
A sharp pain befell Aurora, like a knife driven into her skull, as her headache returned. Nelaeryn's tale sounded familiar, yet differed from what her tutors taught her. From one moment to the next, she saw things much clearer.
Nelaeryn noticed her absence. “Hey, are you listening?”
“Uncle Nelaeryn, ... there is something I don't understand.”
“Such as?” Nelaeryn raised an eyebrow.
“Unless I am mistaken, Valyria was a ... human city state, wasn't it?”
“Yes.”
“Don't you realise, Uncle Nelaeryn, you are contradicting yourself.”
Nelaeryn dismissed her observation, the words of a mere child. “Tch, what would a human child like you understand? The intricacies of history are beyond your feeble mind.”
Aurora smirked, a dark, calculating glee filling her eyes. Old habits died hard, as a glimmer of her true self resurfaced. “If you think so. In your arrogance, you think you are privy to the ultimate truth, but history is a delicate art indeed. Looking beyond bias and narratives is not always an easy task to accomplish.”
His eyes narrowed. “Stop obfuscating, what are you talking about, girl?”
“You elves take considerably pride in your lineage. Some more. Some less.”
“You are right, we are a proud and noble race, proud of our origins, proud of our superior intellect and magic talent.”
A giggle accompanied Aurora. “That might be true, but if the elven race is the crown of creation, blessed by the gods themselves, tell me, what are you doing here in Valentia? Why are you here? Why are you studying the ruins of an ancient human civilisation? Don't you have any ruins of your own glorious and splendid past?”
“...” Nelaeryn stiffened like petrified. His widened eyes betrayed his shock.
Aurora grinned. She got him where she wanted. Her lips moved on their own, privy to knowledge no simple girl should possess. “Am I not right? Do not take me for a fool, Uncle Nelaeryn, I noticed your slip of the tongue. Unless I mistake, you Elves were fighting at the side of your masters, weren't you? Though, I must confess that I am hardly surprised. Loyalty and obedience are only proper for a race of mere forest dwellers, for a race of uplifted slaves.”
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damn she's making a whole BBQ meal enough for a family(that the unfortunate evil uncle wouldn't get)
That wasn't a very nice thing to say Aurora. :(
Critical hit
She remembers a part... Wait, is the old aurora in the doll? Or just mentally unstable?
Hehe he got too invested in his ranting and let a mistake slip.
Oof, poor guy
@Assurbanipal_II a sacrifice for a good cause
Meow