Chapter 33: The Journey to Thornvale

Chapter 33: The Journey to Thornvale The sun beat down mercilessly as Eren trudged behind Viva through yet another seemingly identical stretch of forest. His feet ached, his water supply was dwindling, and his patience had worn dangerously thin. They had been traveling for days now, each one bleeding into the next with Viva’s constant assurances that they were "almost there." "You’ve said we’re almost there for the past two days," Eren finally said, wiping sweat from his brow. "And you said we would find horses along the way, but there are none. You claimed it would take five days to reach Thornvale, and now we’re on our seventh day of walking." Viva turned, adjusting her armor which had once again slipped off one shoulder. "I only said we’d get horses if we were lucky enough to find them. Not my fault we weren’t lucky," she replied with a shrug. As they continued walking, the dense forest finally gave way, opening to a vast expanse before them. Eren blinked against the sudden brightness, taking in the strange landscape ahead. "What is this place?" Eren asked, staring at what appeared to be a plain stretching before them. The ground looked peculiar—almost as if the sand itself was floating just above the surface, creating an otherworldly effect. "Are we in a desert now or what should I call this?" Eren questioned, bewildered by the abrupt change in terrain. Viva paused, looking around with a slight frown. "I think I may have... lost my track a bit. That’s why it’s taking longer." Rather than responding further, Viva suddenly held up her hand. "Wait." She crouched down and tapped the ground three times in a deliberate pattern. Before Eren could ask what she was doing, the ground before them shifted. Eren watched in astonishment as a figure clothed in assassin’s garb emerged from the earth behind Viva, two daggers already drawn and aimed at her neck. "Watch out!" Eren shouted, but it was too late. The attack happened so swiftly that Eren didn’t even have time to finish his warning. But he needn’t have worried. With astonishing speed, Viva spun and countered the attack, her movements fluid and precise—nothing like her usual clumsy demeanor. The two engaged in combat, trading blows at a dizzying pace that spoke of years of training. Eren stepped forward, reaching for his dagger, ready to help—only to freeze as two more figures appeared silently from the ground behind him, their voices low and threatening. "Move and die," they whispered in perfect unison, the cold edge of a blade pressing against Eren’s back. Though he couldn’t see their faces beneath their hoods, he sensed strange movements beneath their cloaks. Viva and her attacker continued their dance of blades. The assassin spoke during their combat. "Why would you eat my moonberries?" the attacker demanded, blocking one of Viva’s strikes. "I didn’t eat any moonberries!" Viva protested, still fighting with impressive skill. "They’re fighting over... moonberries?" Eren muttered to himself, utterly confused by the bizarre scene unfolding before him. The two figures behind him seemed equally unimpressed by the spectacle. "Those two never stop fighting, do they?" they sighed in perfect synchronization. "I’m tired of being around those two," they continued, their voice revealing boredom rather than hostility. As the duel continued, the attacker launched another accusation. "Did you leave your cat’s cage open?" "Yes,why?" Viva admitted between parries. " Don’t ask me why, I’m going to kill that cat of yours," the attacker threatened, executing a complex maneuver. "Don’t you dare!". One of the twins released Eren and stepped forward. "No need to hold the princess anymore. If she had interfered at that moment, she would have gotten herself killed." They guided Eren to sit on a nearby rock. "Sit down. This will take a while." As the duel continued, Eren tried to catch glimpses of his captors’ faces, but their hoods remained firmly in place, concealing all but the occasional glint of eyes. The fight before him had evolved into something more like a sparring match than a genuine attempt at murder. During a particularly acrobatic maneuver, Viva’s already precarious clothing slipped further, exposing more of her body than intended. Her opponent burst into laughter without breaking stride in their combat. Nearly an hour passed before the two combatants finally showed signs of exhaustion. The attacker eventually stepped back, sheathing her weapons. "We are ready," she announced. "You can open the tunnel now." Viva followed suit, sheathing her own weapons with a flourish despite her fatigue. The figures beside Eren rose simultaneously. "Now it’s time to go," they announced in perfect unison. Viva nodded and said, "Eren, this is Mika, my best friend," she said, gesturing to the brown-skinned elf who had been fighting her. "And these are the Lens twins," she added, indicating the two identical figures. "Step back," the twins instructed, and Eren complied, watching with curiosity. What happened next left him speechless. The twins moved their hands in perfect synchronization—right, then left, then upward. As they did, the earth beneath them shifted and groaned, the ground splitting open to reveal a stone-lined tunnel below. ’So this is earth elemental magic,’ Eren thought in wonder, having only read about such abilities in the palace library. Without hesitation, the twins jumped into the opening, landing gracefully on the stone floor below. Eren peered down to see them enter what appeared to be a box made entirely of stone. Viva leaped down after them and beckoned to Eren. "Come on! It’s perfectly safe," she called up, adjusting her disheveled clothing. Eren hesitated, still wary of these strange people and their unusual methods of transportation. Mika approached and finally lowered her hood. "It’s best for you to enter before the desert monsters catch your scent," she said matter-of-factly. As she removed her cloak, Eren stared in fascination. Her skin was a rich, warm brown with intricate silver markings spiraling across her exposed arms. She was powerfully built, her musculature more defined than Viva’s, suggesting years of rigorous training. Most striking was her appearance—Eren had never seen an elf with brown skin before. In the Moonlight Kingdom, all elves shared the same pale complexion, with variations only in hair and eye color. Realizing he had little choice, Eren carefully lowered himself into the tunnel and entered the stone box. It was surprisingly spacious inside, with smooth walls and glowing crystals embedded in the ceiling providing soft illumination. "You’ll love our kingdom," Viva said excitedly as they settled into the box. "Mika is our best warrior and my closest friend since childhood. The Lens twins—" she gestured to the identical figures, "—are our finest earth manipulators." The twins positioned themselves at the front of the box and extended their hands. With another synchronized gesture, the box began to move forward through the tunnel, accelerating smoothly until they were traveling at remarkable speed. Eren leaned close to Viva, whispering, "Why do they always speak in unison like that?" Before Viva could answer, the twins responded without turning around. "We just do," they said simultaneously. Viva smiled knowingly at Eren, clearly amused by his surprise. The journey continued mostly in silence, each occupant lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, the tunnel widened and brightened, opening into a vast cavern that took Eren’s breath away. Before him spread a city unlike anything he had ever imagined. Unlike the delicate silver spires of the Moonlight Kingdom, this city was a marvel of earth and stone, rising organically from the cavern floor as if grown rather than built. Massive structures of gleaming obsidian and amber crystal stretched toward the cavern ceiling, which itself was studded with countless luminous gems that recreated a night sky. Waterfalls cascaded down from unseen sources, splitting into smaller streams that flowed through the city in carefully designed channels. Bridges of polished stone arched gracefully over these waterways, connecting different levels of the city. Most astonishing were the transportation boxes—similar to their own but in various sizes—floating through the air on invisible currents. They moved in orderly patterns above and around the buildings, carrying passengers and goods throughout the vast underground metropolis. The people themselves were as diverse as the architecture. Elves of every shade—from pale cream to deepest ebony—moved through the streets, their clothing rich with colors that seemed to glow in the crystal light. Some had markings like Mika, while others displayed different patterns or none at all. "You like our kingdom?" Viva asked, watching Eren’s expression with obvious pride. "It’s quite beautiful, right?" Despite his determination to remain aloof, Eren couldn’t hide his wonder entirely. "Yes, indeed," he replied, his tone cooler than his eyes betrayed. Their stone box glided smoothly through the city before docking at a large platform. They disembarked and immediately entered another, more elaborate box decorated with intricate carvings. As the doors closed, the previous view of the city vanished, replaced by darkness. "You thought that was something?" Viva grinned. "Wait until you see something truly beautiful." The box accelerated rapidly upward, then suddenly emerged into blinding light. As Eren’s eyes adjusted, his breath caught in his throat. "This is Thornvale Palace," Viva announced proudly. Where the Moonlight Palace was ethereal and delicate, the Thornvale Palace was majestic and powerful. It seemed to grow directly from a mountain peak, its towers and spires formed from the living rock itself. Gardens cascaded down terraced levels, filled with plants Eren had never seen before, their colors vibrant against the stone backdrop. Water features incorporated natural hot springs, sending steam rising in artistic plumes that caught the sunlight. The entire structure seemed alive, as if the mountain itself had decided to become a palace. Windows of crystal and polished stone caught the light and broke it into rainbows that danced across the surfaces. Unlike the symmetrical design of the Moonlight Palace, this structure embraced organic curves and natural formations, celebrating rather than taming the mountain’s wild beauty. "The Moonlight Kingdom has always believed Thornvale to be a realm of darkness," Mika commented, noting Eren’s expression. "But as you can see, we simply prefer different kinds of light." "Queen Elena awaits you," one of the twins said, her face identical to her sister’s, though her skin was a shade lighter amber, while her twin was dark as midnight. ’So these are Thornvale’s elven tribes,’ Eren thought, piecing together the diversity he was witnessing. As they entered the palace, Eren’s first step onto the polished stone floor sent an unexpected jolt through his body. He gasped, momentarily frozen as an electric sensation rippled from the soles of his feet up through his entire being. "Did you feel that?" Eren asked Viva urgently, his voice low. "That spark when I stepped on the floor?" Viva looked at him with confusion. "Feel what?" The strange energy continued to hum faintly within him, like a distant melody he couldn’t quite make out. Eren frowned but said nothing more as they continued forward. Eren observed that most of the interior was formed from the earth itself, polished and shaped but retaining its natural character. The corridors followed what must have been ancient lava tubes, widened and refined but still organic in form. They passed an open training ground where warriors practiced combat forms that seemed eerily familiar to Eren—the very movements he had seen in his visions. As they noticed him, the warriors paused, their eyes following his progress with undisguised curiosity. Distracted by their stares, Eren collided with Mika’s back, who stopped abruptly. "Show respect," she hissed, and Eren looked up to see what had caused their sudden halt. Before them stood a woman whose presence commanded immediate attention. She was tall and powerfully built, with numerous battle scars visible on her exposed arms. Most notable was a jagged scar that ran from her right temple down to her jaw, cutting across her cheek. Her eyes, sharp and assessing, contained both wisdom and warning. She gestured for them to approach with a single authoritative movement. ’Who is she?’ Eren wondered, noting how everyone, even his guides, had fallen silent in her presence. Viva took a small step back and leaned close to whisper, "That’s Commander Maria. She’s... very nice." "Huh," Eren replied skeptically, then glanced at Viva and added, "Your breast is exposed, by the way." Viva looked down and gasped, hurriedly adjusting her clothing with an embarrassed flush. "I’m sorry!" she stammered, her face reddening. Commander Maria’s stern expression didn’t change. "What took you so long?" she demanded. "It was Viva and Mika," the twins replied in perfect unison. The commander merely looked at them disapprovingly before turning and leading them toward an imposing door adorned with intricate carvings depicting what appeared to be ancient battles. As they entered, Mika nudged Eren forward. "Step to the front," she instructed. The chamber beyond was vast, its ceiling lost in shadows above. At its center sat a throne carved from what appeared to be a single massive crystal, catching and refracting light in hypnotic patterns. And upon it sat the figure Eren had glimpsed through the window days ago—Queen Elena of Thornvale. Everyone in the entourage dropped to their knees in a synchronized motion. After a moment’s hesitation, Eren followed suit, though his pride rebelled at the gesture. Elena rose from her throne, her movements fluid and graceful. She approached Eren directly, stopping just before him. "Welcome to Thornvale, Eren the Veilwalker," she said, her voice carrying easily through the chamber despite its soft tone. ’Veilwalker?’ Eren thought in confusion. ’Who is Veilwalker?’ The title meant nothing to him, yet another mystery to add to the growing pile of questions surrounding his existence. As he knelt before this foreign queen, Eren wondered just how much deeper the secrets of his life in this world would go.