Becoming Legend

Prince Aesril, along with Gelethorn, dashed back to the cavern after losing his connection with Jack. Tiny hills of sand came into view and disappeared in an instant. They left a trail of sand in their wake towards the other elves with their speed no monster of Grade E could match.

"What happened?" Gelethorn said between the whistles of wind. His blade was unsheathed as soon as he felt the tension coming from the prince.

"It's my fault, Gele," Prince Aesril said, waving a hand to shield his eyes against the sand. He stopped, Gelethorn did the same, over a dune. His mana sense was limited to only 500 meters. He frowned after sensing dozens of beasts lurking under the sandpits. His eyes tracing the ribbons of mana leaks he left to trail their way back to the cavern.

Without relying on his mana sense, everywhere the prince looked was all the same. Dunes, cacti sprouting here and there, the wind blew past them carrying a load of sand. Gelethorn pointed over his shoulder to where the sun was about to set. The prince nodded and dashed.

"It's my fault, Gele," Prince Aesril said in the same manner as before. His voice was breaking. He would be scolded by Elder Calanye by now if he ever learned of what he did. Lifeforce was the root of all life, yet Prince Aesril played with it even though knowing how forbidden it was. "I hurt Gadsi. I did, Gele. I did not know this would happen. I… underestimated the humans. I... Yes. The humans. It's them. It's because of them this happened. Of course, it's not my fault."

However, Gelethorn's eyes darted at the prince. Eyes he would not even show his elf hood friend. He was worried and afraid at the same time, which he should not be. He had known the prince for a long time that he believed to himself, Prince Aesril could get over it. He should, there's only one way to move forward. Prince Aesril should have known it. He agreed to him from the start thinking that the prince was ready. That 'they' were ready. It seemed they were not.

"If that's the case," Gelethorn said, gripping the hilt of his blade. "I'm sorry, my Prince but I have to end the humans." He jumped off the sand dune and swiftly ran towards the cavern. He saw the prince nodded, but did not wait for him to say anything nor react to anything. He dashed forward.

***

The pair rushed towards the cavern and after almost ten minutes of running, which was almost the same as the sun vanishing over the pair of pointy hills, they were near the cavern. Over it was the cliff that borders the first habitat of the Limbo. Over the cliff was a light that shone below them although dimming. But the light was enough, combined with their abilities to innately see in the dark, for them to clearly see the mouth of the cavern. Prince Aesril collected noises of shouting and screeching. The screech however was deeper than the entrance to the cavern. And the screech was more of a reason to rush even faster.

Prince Aesril panicked as soon as the connection between him and Jack was lost. He could sense Captain Creft's lifeforce, but they were waning. No need to send more of his lifeforce after he agreed to Gelethorn to end them. Edok however seemed to be in a much more panic than himself. Sensing that the two were close with each other, Prince Aesril assumed that they were safe. And if what the Captain did to Jack did kill him, he assumed Gadsi was safe. She better be, if not, the prince might not be able to make it back to the land of elves. Under the name of King Ascathan, as Prince of Elves, he was supposed to save them, not hurt them. Worse, kill them.

Seeing the horde of undead elves, Gadsi might have realized how sickening it was to fight their own kin even though they were already dead. Elves fight—yes. But never kill each other. Especially now that they were being pushed to the brink of extinction.

Prince's Aesril mind was held together by Gelethorn, his best friend, the only friend he had. And he thanked him inwardly. He was right, it was the humans' fault, not him. It was never him, all he did was to torment the humans which all the elves would joyfully agree with. And Gelethorn was right, he was always right especially if it was his well-being: the humans must die.

What's more important to him now was Gadsi. They were never intimate with each other, they were never friends like Gelethorn. But he understood her feelings towards him. Prince Aesril was just naive not to realize it sooner. Too naive in fact.

What's even more concerning was the lifeforce he gave to Jack. From the studies he made with Elder Calanye, sending one's lifeforce to others will aid them, or break them. If it's the latter and if the subject died, the lifeforce will return to whoever gave it to them. Making them vulnerable to tracing magic. But no lifeforce returned to Prince Aesril. Jack was dead, and Captain Creft did him a favor. A favor he will soon return in full.

Gelethorn went ahead and conjured a wall of wood that encircled Edok, Captain Creft, and Gadsi. She was safe, conscious but unconscious at the same time, but safe. Prince Aesril could tell it from a distance as he kept on running and never stopping.

Gelethorn did what he did best, proceeded to clear the waves of undead elves. But even Gelethorn hesitated to end them. And it was Prince Aesril's job to watch over Gelethorn if the latter was not watching him. As the Prince of Elves, the elves come first—the living elves.

"Do it, Gele!" Prince Aesril shouted.

Having given the command, Gelethorn darted toward the waves of undead. This time, killing them. It was the first time they encountered the undead, but Gelethorn did apply what he learned from the teachings of his late father. The General of Elves. Gelethorn proceeds to dismember their necks, robbing the necromancer of control over them. Undead may be resilient to attacks, but healing was not one of them. One cut, no magic or potions could heal them any longer. Burning them was the most effective. But most elves were forbidden to learn fire magic, especially the wood elves.

Gelethorn was shouting at the remaining elves. Something about declaring his name and Prince Aesril. Once the remaining elves heard him, Their attacks went to dismember the undead, mostly maiming them, but some did kill them.

Gelethorn was fighting as though dancing flawlessly. The blade accomplished most of the steps while the magic projectiles made the cacophony of sounds.

Prince Aesril arrived at the group, a wooden wall shielding them from a pair of undead elves trying to claw their way towards the living.

Prince Aesril simply waved his hand and the pair of undead dropped down with their heads rolling down the cavern.

Edok held the captain by the waist while supporting him to stand with his other hand.

Gadsi was balled at the corner of the wall of the cavern, eyes still shifting and mind half-conscious, Prince Aesril assumed.

Prince Aesril went to kneel before Gadsi and held her hands tighter. He covered her ear with the flat of his palm which came along light that healed the dark elf's wound.

"I couldn't," Gadsi said, looking up at Prince Aesril with teary eyes. Her lips trembled as her hands were shaking. "I couldn't save them."

Prince Aesril pulled her head closer to his shoulder to lean. She was terribly shaken, and half-naked.

The prince looked up to Edok and sent him a mental command to which Edok did without much resistance. Edok pushed the captain by the wall to where Jack was still planted and took off his cloak and handed them to the prince.

Prince Aesril stood as soon as covered Gadsi and turned to stare at Captain Creft.

The captain was bleeding furiously. He was pale as his remaining hand. Blood was leaking and dripping like cascades of water. Ragged bones were visible under the torn sleeve of his arm. Well, the remains of his arm. He was barely standing as he stared at Prince Aesril, back pressing against the wall.

"Can you heal him?" Edok said but Prince Aesril gave him a cold shoulder and proceeded to pull Jack off the crumbling wall. Half of the wall was outlined by Jack's upper body.

Jack's face was contorted to disparate conditions. An undead was looking more decent than he was. His jaw was hanging as Prince Aesril easily lifted him off the wall and stared at him momentarily. Prince Aesril could barely hold his anger as his eyes met Jack's lifeless eyes. The prince was barely holding his neck, or what was left of his neck. He was holding the bones of his neck. His skin was barely holding together. His chest was caved in along with his shoulder. The eyeball was barely attached and leaking blood from the same vein that attaches it to his skull.

Prince Aesril gritted his teeth and was forced to absorb the lifeforce that he attached to him. Yet, no lifeforce remained.

"And you call yourself the Prince of Elves," Captain Creft said. The skin under his eyes was dark as he stared at Prince Aesril.

Both Gadsi and Prince Aesril looked at the bleeding captain at the same time.

Prince Aesril darted a look at the captain and spoke: "I am and I control your life." He let go of Jack and walked past Edok until he was close to Creft. He leaned closer and continued to speak: "But not anymore." He reached for the captain's chest and absorbed his own lifeforce from him. As he did, Edok's body lightened green. The light dusted and flew towards the prince.

"W-wait," Gadsi spoke, nudging the cloak to her shoulders, pushing her back against the wall to stand. "T-they w—"

Deep down the cavern, a deafening sound boomed and the ceiling cracked open to reveal the first of many beasts. It was a beast, or an insect, so huge its mandibles were enough to skewer Gelethorn ten times over.