Elder Taria left my mind in shambles. Fern inclined her head in a brief bow when the Elder walked out of the hut before turning to me with a look that held more questions than answers.
I couldn't hold that against her since I felt just as confused.
Elder Taria's short visit taught me a lot, and none of it made me feel any better.
"I guess I now know why the Order's Wizard looked at me like that." I chuckled mirthlessly.
He definitely wanted me dead. It was a good thing he didn't actually do anything. His glares didn't harm me.
As for Elder Taria's history lesson… I didn't know what to think about that.
A story about a human and his Power. A tale about the death of millions. I mused to myself, suppressing a deep sigh.
It had to be an old story. One old enough to be barely known. Otherwise, either I or someone else from my hometown would have known about it. Yet nobody did. No one had known about Black Powers, the Order's Wizard excluded. And Father.
My father's reaction had been odd. Did he know more about Cursed Powers than he let on, or was there more to it? My mind churned, yet there was no answer. Only more questions.
"Are you okay?" Fern's voice tingled in my ear, soft and worried.
I looked up to smile at her but said nothing. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she reached out for my hand, clenching it tightly.
"At least we now know you can live here. Elder Taria's support will make life easier for you in the grove." She tried to reassure me, yet her voice betrayed her.
"That's good… I guess?" Honestly, the Elder's promise didn't sound too bad. Having an Elder's support had to count for something.
As for her 'gamble,' she'd been honest. Her demands were not particularly unreasonable either. I'd fight for her if someone were to attack her. Hunting monsters in the Eserian forest was also not a bad thing. It would accelerate my growth. Focusing on my current situation, I managed to brush aside most questions. They could wait a little longer.
"How bad is the situation with the Zetrian Empire?" The fae didn't feel all that weak to me. Elder Taria and Fern certainly weren't weak.
Fern's expression dropped at the mention of the empire, but her soft fingers still held mine.
"The empire is a problem. A few years ago, they invaded the Eserian once a year. By now, they lead several campaigns against the Eserian. Not necessarily to kill all fae, but to expand their border and push the Forea Alliance back." She snorted, her hand tightening around mine. "But that doesn't really matter now, does it? They still kill our people. They tear down the forest, take our living space away, and kill and kidnap my people."
Weakening the fae protecting the Eserian was smart. From the Zetrian Empire's point of view, the Eserian was the Forea Alliance's first line of defense. It was a border that had prevailed for a long time, and the Zetrian Empire wanted to get rid of it. Whether they would invade the Forea Alliance's lands once the Eserian forest was gone, I couldn't tell. All I knew was that the fae would suffer greatly. The Eserian was their home, and it was being taken from them.
"But as much as I hate the empire, the Eserian is more of a problem these days." Fern didn't sound like she wanted to say that. If anything, she hated the words coming from her mouth as much as the empire.
"What do you mean?"
Fern thought for a moment before answering. "To understand what is going on, you have to know that our Mediums have been in contact with the Eserian's flora and fauna ever since the first fae settled here. That being said, the Eserian has been changing. It is nothing like the weak and harmless place it was once said to be. The Eserian is alive, and it does not like what humans–as well as some of the Forea Alliance's races–have been doing to it."
"As foolish as the Forea Alliance is for allowing their young to do so, it is a necessity to deal with the ever-increasing danger of our enemies," Fern sighed. "The Forea Alliance sends their young into the Eserian for training purposes. The Eserian is a place of overabundant Essence. It helps the young grow much faster than most other training grounds could. But the Eserian is tired of it. The Mediums of Flora and Fauna complained to the Forea Alliance, but they would not listen. Hence, the Eserian retaliated."
"Monsters," I mouthed quietly when Fern stopped to take a breath.
"Correct. The Eserian has been strengthening its monsters over the years. Some mutated, which resulted in increased birthrates. That is how the pests came to be. The Kerink, Hnolls, and many more monsters that not only harm the grove and the Zetrian Empire's forces as they grow stronger and stronger, but also destroy the ecosystem."
"The Eserian made a mistake and cannot deal with them alone," I concluded. "It lost control of its own experiments."
She glared at me but didn't deny the accusation.
"This year is worse than ever. The Hnolls formed several settlements, and some of their strongest mutated into monstrosities. They give birth to even stronger Hnolls, and we do not believe it will get any better in the next few years." Fern grimaced. "If things continue as they are, our greatest problem won't be the Zetrian Empire, but the Hnolls, Kerink, and other pests. We already asked the Forea Alliance for help dealing with the pests and humans, but they denied it, saying they too are struggling to keep up with their enemies' growth."
The Forea Alliance could have easily sent their young out to deal with the Hnolls and other pests. That way, the Eserian forest and the Forea Alliance could have worked together. One side dealing with the pests to accumulate more Essence and nurture their Cores, while the other adapted by helping the Forea Alliance's young grow even stronger.
To create a symbiotic relationship rather than leeching from one another.
Is that even possible, though? Exactly how intelligent is the Eserian? What exactly is the Eserian forest, anyway? Is it a dryad with immense power, an ancient Treant, or something else entirely?
Honestly, it could be anything. I, for one, had no idea.
All I knew was that I'd be a great help if I killed a bunch of pests.