NOVEL WEB 80: Lying as easy as breathing
Elven City
The reluctant receptionist wanted them off her neck quickly, especially Eliz, so she pointed behind her to the platform. "Please, you may go. It's the top floor." At least she added the word 'please', so her attitude improved a little.
Eliz had the same feelings about her, so she led her group to the platform and looked around as she didn't see any controls anywhere. Should she give a voice command? If she were alone, she would try it, but if she tried it now and it wasn't right, she would look stupid.
Then Eliz noticed that Peterik was suppressing a smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What's funny?" she asked.
Peterik quickly got over it and was no longer laughing when he remembered how this woman could change moods as suddenly as the weather. He was a little scared that she might have another fit of being laughed at. "Nothing! Nothing," he quickly assured her.
Eliz looked at him for a moment before looking around again. "Okay. How do we get this device to work?" She decided not to guess and ask the elf boy directly.
Peterik cleared his throat. "The platform is controlled by an Earth elemental. Just tell it where you want it. Top floor, please," he said the last in a louder voice.
The platform shuddered a moment later, shook slightly, and began to rise upwards. Eliz wobbled a little because it certainly wasn't as smooth as riding an elevator. Alobela, who was closest to her, quickly steadied her.
Eliz looked back at her and smiled a little before looking up and watching the ceiling approach. Her brain was running a little wild, and she thought about how easy it would be to let the platform fall from the height, or smash it against the ceiling and make pancakes with them.
Luckily, none of that happened, and the platform stopped on the top floor where the only door they could enter was. They stepped off the platform, and when Eliz looked back at it, she was a little scared because a strange creature was looking down at them from the surface of the stone platform.
It had a strange skin texture, it looked a bit like greyish plaster. It had a prominent chin, a flared nose, small elongated eyes that seemed to be completely black. Even the whites were black, giving it a somewhat sinister look. It had long pointed ears and moss and tufts of plants and roots for hair.
The thing smiled at them with a wide mouth that revealed large, flat, blunt teeth.
"Is that the Earth Elemental?" Eliz asked Peterik, and they all looked around.
Peterik nodded. "Yes. Earth Elementals are rather shy compared to Water and Wind Elementals. They only show themselves to those they like."
Eliz shuddered inwardly. Other elementals who were interested in her? No, thank you. First, the horny ones and now the shy ones. What's next?
Everyone was waiting for her, so Eliz went ahead and opened the door. She didn't knock, not because she didn't bother, but they were already waiting for her, so it was pointless.
She walked in, and everyone followed her. Eliz looked around the large room in surprise. She was actually kind of expecting something like a Study, considering this place was on top of a skyscraper, but this place was more like a temple.
The ceiling was high and arched, letting in plenty of natural light that occasionally shaded the wildly growing greenery. The room was made of white stone, but it wasn't marble; it looked more like sandstone.
The columns were thick and detailed with floral designs, and in the shallow niches were stands for candlesticks that burned only a few to chase away the dark shadows. Stone bookcases with books or scroll stands covered many of the walls.
There were three stone tables with comfortable chairs, but in the center of the room was a low, circular table surrounded by soft, colorful cushions.
Eliz first thought it was a table, but looking at the fact that there were three people standing on the table, she changed her mind. She looked at the scattered cushions on the floor, and all she could think of was that it was something like a 'stand-up' where someone was standing on the table presenting their idea and the elves who were sitting were listening to them.
The three Elves standing on the pedestal looked rather dignified. Only one of them looked like a real 'elder'. All of them were naturally around two meters tall. The eldest one wore a green-brown cloak with only a smaller ornate trim. He had long blonde hair and an equally long blonde beard. He was the first bearded elf Eliz had ever seen.
In fact, she kind of thought that there was this stereotype where all the elves had faces as smooth as a baby's butt and the only ones who actually wore any long beards were dwarves and maybe sailors. Not this one. This elf had a really solid beard.
With the next elf, she wasn't entirely sure if he was a man or a woman because the elf's face was one of those where they could have been both. Still handsome, of course. Long, smooth hair that was also blonde though it was a bit lighter and looked almost white in the sun.
It was also wearing a green robe, but it had a flashy collar and long sleeves. Eliz thought this way of dressing was a bit reminiscent of the witches' school robes in a certain story about a boy who survived. Only they were more colorful and overly decorated.
Finally, the last elf was a woman with platinum hair, prominent cheekbones, and an aristocratic nose. Unlike her companions, she wore a sky blue robe, also decorated with an intricate pattern, but still the previous one was more exaggerated.
Eliz wondered if this was some sort of dress code?
Eliz was silent. Not because she wanted to be rude, but because they weren't alone. She had just seen the other elves about to leave when they entered. Three women.
One adult and two teens. The tall elf was even taller than the council of elders, and even though they were standing on a pedestal, she didn't have to look up at them much. Her hair was the color of periwinkle green, a color she hadn't seen here before. Her eyes were a mysterious amber color.
On her head was a pointed, elegant crown with a red gem in the middle. She wore a dark red dress that revealed her cleavage a little more than would have been polite and showed off the sensuality of her rounded hips.
The two girls with her were obviously twins. Similar as egg to egg, the only difference in their appearance was their clothing and hairstyle. Both had the same light green hair and bright eyes of the same green color. They wore green and white airy dresses with wide sleeves and lots of golden ornaments.
One of them had not only a crown on her head but also a wide golden waistband, while the other had an intricate golden tiara in her hair that stretched almost all the way around her head and an epaulet around her neck.
In fact, Eliz had seen so much gold perhaps only in movies set in ancient Egypt. Were they some kind of temple priestesses?
The high priestess looked them over as they passed, her amber eyes lighting up with interest. "My, my. What an interesting group?" Her voice was rich and smooth as honey. She paused beside them and propped her fingers elegantly against her cheek and chin.
Eliz stared at her, a little stunned. She reminded her a little of her mother, if only she were over six feet tall. Dignified, beautiful, sensual, intelligent, tall! Just the stuff for people to say 'Please step on me'. If this were the scene Eliz was reading, that's exactly what she'd say.
"I'd say you stole my words," Eliz replied to the elf goddess, who smiled at her.
"Priestess, please," a male voice of a bearded elf sounded from the group of three. But the elf priestess ignored him and kept looking at Eliz's group. "Stop by the temple later. I must insist."
Eliz suppressed a frown. That didn't sound very good. In fact, it sounded like something that would bring her even more trouble. This elven goddess certainly had a very high status if she could so blatantly ignore the council of the elders who ran the entire city.
"If there is an opportunity," Eliz replied ambiguously.
The elf priestess nodded and finally walked out of the room with the girls. Eliz watched until the door closed behind them and figured she'd have to think about it.
She turned back to the council, who were looking at her in silence. Eliz could still see the superior look in their eyes, but these weren't some obnoxious secretaries. Now she had to be more careful about what she did and said.
"Welcome, Lady Elizabeth Von Roseblood. We are honored and surprised to have the daughter of Duke Von Roseblood visit our humble city," the eldest elf spoke.
Eliz cleared her throat quickly as she covered the fact that she almost sputtered. This was supposed to be a humble city? It was more impressive than the capital, after all!
"Thank you for the welcome, Elder," Eliz remembered her manners and bowed. Everyone in her group also bowed to show respect to the elders.
This softened their gazes a bit. It seemed they expected her to behave differently after what Eliz had shown downstairs.
"I'm sure you have a busy schedule just like us, so let's get right to the point. What was the reason you sought us out?" the elf of indeterminate gender asked, but the voice sounded feminine so probably female as well.
"Yes. I came to request access to the World Tree." Before Eliz could explain further, she was interrupted by the elven woman. "Impossible!"
Eliz bit the inside of her cheek and sighed inwardly. Why did all the elves have to be so dismissive, and she hadn't even had time to finish talking yet?
The older elf cleared his throat. "Considering where you are and how confidently you speak, it's clear to me that you are absolutely certain of the World Tree's presence. But we honestly cannot grant this request. No outsiders or other races are allowed to access it. Please understand and do not make it difficult for us."
Eliz was actually pleased by these words. Finally, someone who didn't deny that the World Tree was here. They're getting somewhere!
"I'm really not here to make things difficult for you. I'm here to help. I know the World Tree is in a bad situation right now, and I have a solution for that," Eliz began the process of persuasion.
The androgynous woman's voice cracked like a whip, but it wasn't in ordinary language.
[Nonsense! Ever since she entered the city, she's been nothing but trouble. How could she help?] she said in the language of the elves.
The elven woman in blue frowned at her. [Calm down. You get too upset when you talk. It doesn't look good. Remember, she's a noblewoman.]
The androgynous woman looked disdainful. [She's a human noble. It doesn't mean that much.]
The bearded man interjected. [Suppress your dislike. You've never left our town, so I have some understanding. But our home is still in a kingdom ruled by humans. We cannot act rashly.]
[So what do we do? There's no way we're letting her go to the World Tree.]
The elf woman in blue pondered. [We can give her something of value as an apology for rejecting her request. If we give her something of value, she wouldn't have to make a fuss.]
[It's rude to speak in front of your guests in a language they don't understand. Well, fortunately, I understand it. And by the way, I'll gladly accept your valuable gift anyway.] Eliz stepped closer and spoke in Elvish as well, causing all three to fall stunned silent.
This was exactly why Eliz had been waiting to reveal that she understood the Elven language. She knew that some such opportunity would come up once she was in the Elven city. After all, speaking in someone's presence in a language they didn't understand was the same as speaking in private. This was, after all, a language exclusive to the High Elves. And given the nature of the High Elves, it was clear to Eliz that they would do something like this eventually.
Now Eliz planned to turn this to her benefit. She smiled at the three Elves in front of her, who fell silent and stared at her in three different kinds of shock. Disbelieving, dumbfounded, and angrily stunned.
[You... understand the High Elf language?] The man was impressed enough to ask the obvious.
Eliz nodded and gave a small smile. [Yes. The World Tree taught me.]
That made the three of them fall stunned silent again. [World Tree? What nonsense!] The androgynous woman refused.
In fact, they weren't the only ones amazed that Eliz could speak the language of the High Elves. Even her group was surprised by it. Fraril even laughed softly and shook his head.
Alarr blinked a few times quickly, but his expression didn't change. Alobela stared intensely at the back of Eliz's head, and she had a vague feeling like something was tickling the back of her head. That's how intense Alobela's gaze was.
Raiana and Grash looked a little intrigued, but the most impressed was Holm, who perhaps, besides Fraril, knew well how rare the High Elf language was and that there was perhaps no one who wasn't an elf that could speak it. He was so disturbed that his face turned significantly red.
[Why would that be nonsense? How else do you think I would be able to learn your language? Do you think one of the High Elves would teach it to me if I paid him enough? Or that I would have a lover whose affection I could use to teach me? Or can you think of any other way?] Eliz asked how they thought she could learn their language.
The council of elves fell silent for a moment as they considered this, but Eliz didn't leave them much time to think.
[The World Tree taught it to me. The moment it contacted me to help. I know it's in trouble now. It can't communicate with its Guardians. I'm the only one who can solve this.] Eliz explained, speaking seriously and touching her chest with her hands to emphasize that she was the one.
The woman in blue looked at her two companions. [Is that even possible, but why would she contact a human in particular?]
[Because no one else can. Even though you may have a prejudice against the human race, it still won't change the matter. I am your savior.] Eliz answered her.
The two younger elves, especially the woman in green, had a sour expression; the one in blue was just doubtful at the same time. The only one who didn't seem bothered by the idea was the oldest bearded elf. Eliz had suspected as much. If elves could choose how old they looked, this elf had to be pretty old. The decision to look older than they must would only be made by someone who was very stable and reasonable.
Eliz would have preferred to deal only with him, but she understood that it would probably be too burdensome for him alone to lead a city of this size.
[What you say makes some sense. But surely the lady understands that we can't trust only this. The World Tree is very important not only to our race but to the entire world.] The older man spoke first.
Eliz suppressed a smile. Now she could start touting her triumphs to gain access to Shannon and finally end this farce. The Blue Rose Estate was finally in her sights!
[Then perhaps this will convince you. The World Tree's name is Shannon. Its roots have been infested by Dark Mana, which it has been unable to rid itself of because the plague is constantly being fed by the Dark Mages who have taken up residence in the city. Shannon must constantly focus on fighting the plague, so she has stopped communicating with her guardians. I have a way to solve this,] she said.
The elf in blue gasped. [She really knows the name!]
But as Eliz looked at them, she could still see them hesitating. Was she supposed to bring it up? Her ultimate attack? It was a bit of a risk, and it could backfire on her.
[You have to admit, I can only know this if Shannon told me herself. I'm sure you're well aware that no High Elf would reveal these things. Besides, I have a feeling that even regular Elves don't know the name of the World Tree, right?] She tried to push and avoid saying that she knew about the secret of longevity. She was still worried that the elves might try to kill her if they found out she knew. After all, it really was a giant secret! The thing that could start a world war and a reason to exterminate the High Elves so that others could gain access to the World Tree and extend their lives.
Even for Eliz, it was more of an apocalyptic scenario. The idea that people who breed like rabbits would still be long-lived. Eliz wasn't a politician and didn't deeply understand economics, but something like that would cause overpopulation and eventually a complete collapse. It only worked for the Elves because the fertility rate for their race was very low.
The Elven man reasoned, and Eliz hoped this would be enough. It was convincing. After all, who else could have information like she did? No one. Unless the World Tree itself had revealed it. Then finally admit it and let me go complete the task, dammit!
[Good,] the elder elf finally agreed, and Eliz mentally shrieked in delight. The victory flag waved in her head.
[You'll have an escort. We won't take our eyes off you,] the elf added, and Eliz nodded.
[All right. But I want one of my people with me. I'll need help,] Eliz wanted someone with her too. She looked back and surveyed her group. Then her eyes fell on a single person.
Eliz's eyes met the expression of green eyes that said nothing. In the end, she listens to Eliz's words, even if she occasionally lectures her on morality. Alobela is the perfect one for any bad thing Eliz comes up with.
Eliz is definitely here to do what needs to be done. But she was also going to get a proper reward for all the trouble she's had over this. Shannon has a lot to pay back.
Earth Elemental
Council
Priestess and acolyte
