The forest had always been watching.
Its trees stood older than the towns they bordered, their roots sinking deep into soil saturated with mana from countless rift incursions. To most humans, it was a place of danger and uncertainty, a domain claimed by monsters and invaders. To the dark elves, it was something else entirely.
Shelter.
Farid stood at the edge of a natural clearing, hands clasped behind his back as faint motes of violet mana drifted lazily around him. His skin was the deep ash tone common to his kind, etched with age lines that marked centuries rather than years. His silver hair was bound neatly behind his head, eyes glowing faintly with arcane sigils that shifted as information passed through them.
Before him, projected in midair by a lesser illusion spell, was a recording.
A battle.
Water blades shattered reinforced ki barriers. A human mage shifted seamlessly into a monstrous melee combatant. Demons moved not as mindless beasts, but as disciplined guardians. A martial elder was crushed into the earth as if his decades of cultivation meant nothing.
Farid let the illusion fade.
"So this is Aldwin Everett," he murmured.
One of his attendants, a younger dark elf scout with a scar across his cheek, nodded. "The humans call him a hero. The gnolls call him a calamity. The martial clans call him a mistake."
Farid smiled faintly.
"And the demons?"
"They do not speak his name lightly," the scout replied. "Even lesser demons defer to his presence."
That alone would have been enough to warrant attention. But Farid saw more than raw power. He saw control. Restraint. Purpose.
The dark elves had fled a world ruled by demons not because they were weak, but because they refused to kneel. When the rift had torn open and offered them escape, they took it without hesitation. Unlike other invaders, they did not slaughter the locals. They carved out space in the forest and kept to themselves.
Now, the forest was no longer neutral ground.
"Prepare an envoy," Farid said calmly. "We will seek an audience."
The scout hesitated. "You believe he will listen?"
Farid turned his gaze toward the distant town, where mana still lingered thick in the air.
"A man who protects his people does not ignore those who come in peace," he said. "Especially when they offer value."
Aldwin Everett was reviewing reports when Corvus landed beside him, wings folding neatly as his talons scraped against stone.
"Movement in the forest," Corvus said. "But not hostile. A group approaching under banner."
Aldwin looked up from the map spread across the table.
"Dark elves," Corvus continued. "Led by an old one. Strong mana signature. No weapons drawn."
Aldwin leaned back slightly, fingers tapping against the Tidecaller's Staff.
"Bring them in," he said after a moment. "No ambushes. No tricks."
Flambe stirred nearby, lifting his head slightly as heat rippled along his scales. Hatch remained seated against a reinforced wall, his injuries still mending under layers of bandages and demonic resilience.
"They claim they can help," Corvus added. "Specifically with Hatch."
Hatch snorted. "I do not need help from tree dwellers."
Aldwin glanced at him.
"You need help from anyone who can offer it," he said flatly.
Hatch grunted but said nothing more.
When Farid entered the town, he did so openly.
He walked at the head of his group, staff held upright, robes embroidered with arcane runes that pulsed softly. His escorts remained several steps behind, hands visible, posture respectful but alert.
The townspeople watched from a distance, wary but curious. They had seen enough enemies to last lifetimes, but Aldwin stood calmly at the center of the square, his presence alone keeping panic at bay.
Farid stopped a respectful distance away and inclined his head.
"Aldwin Everett," he said. "I am Farid of the Umbral Canopy. Sorcerer of the Dark Elves."
Aldwin nodded once. "You asked for an audience."
"I did," Farid replied. "And I appreciate that you granted it."
Silence stretched for a moment.
Then Farid continued.
"We are refugees," he said plainly. "From a world ruled by demons who saw us as assets to be consumed. When the rift opened, we escaped. Not to conquer. Not to dominate. Only to survive."
Aldwin studied him carefully.
"You took territory," Aldwin said. "Forests humans used to travel through."
Farid did not deny it. "We did. And we defended it only when threatened. Your scouts will confirm that we avoided conflict whenever possible."
Corvus shifted slightly, acknowledging the truth of it.
Farid raised one hand gently.
"We have no interest in your town. Or your people. But we do have interest in stability. And you, Aldwin Everett, are stability made manifest."
A faint ripple of amusement passed through Mulligan's presence within Aldwin, but Aldwin kept his expression neutral.
"You watched the battle," Aldwin said.
"Yes," Farid answered honestly. "And I understood something important."
"And that is?"
"That opposing you would be foolish," Farid said without hesitation. "But standing beside you could ensure survival for both our peoples."
Aldwin considered this.
"What are you offering," he asked.
Farid gestured subtly, and one of his attendants stepped forward, producing a crystal vial filled with shimmering green light.
"Healing magic refined over centuries," Farid said. "Capable of accelerating regeneration even in demonic physiology. We offer it freely, as a sign of good faith. For your injured guardian."
Hatch stiffened.
Flambe looked at Aldwin, eyes burning softly.
Aldwin nodded once.
"Do it," he said.
The dark elf healer moved quickly, chanting softly as mana flowed into Hatch's wounded form. The effect was immediate. Blackened veins receded, torn flesh knitting together at a visible pace. Hatch growled in surprise, then laughter.
"Hah," he said. "Effective."
Farid inclined his head again.
"In return," he said, "we ask for recognition. An alliance. Shared information. Mutual defense of this region."
Aldwin stepped forward.
"This town is my responsibility," he said. "Any threat that comes for it will be dealt with. If you align with us, that protection extends to your people as well."
Farid's eyes brightened slightly.
"And in return," Aldwin continued, "your forest remains yours. No forced conscription. No interference with your customs. But if hostile factions move through your territory, I expect warning."
"Agreed," Farid said immediately.
They regarded each other for a long moment.
Two leaders. Two survivors of broken worlds.
Then Aldwin extended his hand.
Farid clasped it.
The system chimed softly in Aldwin's mind.
Global Ranking Update
Rank: 63
The number meant little compared to what had just been secured.
With the dark elves as allies, the forest would no longer be a threat at his borders. It would be a shield.
As Farid and his people withdrew peacefully into the trees, Aldwin watched the forest canopy sway gently in the wind.
Another faction aligned.
Another step taken.
And for the first time since the rifts had appeared, this region felt less like a battlefield and more like the beginnings of a domain.