Chapter 104: Fate is...

"I welcome you home, my children"

The smile of the boy with long golden hair was immaculate, even from afar, the soldiers that were advancing could not help but stop as they listen to his divine voice.

"I-is that the Great Spirit!?"

"Did the great spirit come here to help us!?"

"No, you idiot! The Great Spirit does not like war!!"

"Is the Great Spirit here to intervene!?"

Soon, the elves started clamoring as some of them began kneeling on the field of grass that was supposed to be their grave. Even a majority of the human soldiers prayed and kneeled, as most of them are devoted to their faith.

"Yes, my children, I am here", the divine voice continued to echo throughout the field, "You can finally rest now. You may have many titles… the Hero, the Great Spirit-"

"Psst! Skip that part! Skip that part!", a loud whisper came from Ilrina as she tried to call for Viel's attention, who was currently dramatically immersed in his own performance.

"Greetings, so you are the wives and companions of my child", Viel said while waving his hand elegantly, "I am Mirella, you may-"

"Stop copying the Earth Goddess! The demons! Tell them about the demons!", Ilrina almost died in frustration.

"...The demons", Viel's voice echoed.

"Demons!?"

"Why is the Great Spirit talking about demons!?"

"C-could they be real!?"

"I heard from my friend in Burgerstatter…"

Once again, both armies had their own chatter. But they quickly stopped as soon as the voice echoed again.

"The demons are real", Viel continued, "While you wage your useless war, they are amassing their army"

The people of both sides started to panic, even those who did not easily believe it were anxious. If the demons are real, and if they really are preparing to wreak havoc, would they be able to stand a chance?

The fear inside of them started to brew.

The stories of their mothers were the only things that spinned on their minds. The tales of the demon's strength, and of their brutality. That if they go out at night or disobey their parents, the demons will tear their flesh and eat it right in front of them.

They started to tremble in their boots, how will they be able to defeat those? An enemy much stronger and much brutal, hiding in the shadows. Impossible.

And then, the voice echoed again.

"The only chance of defeating them is by uniting!", Viel started to float in the air, "Unite your armies and defeat the demons!"

It was quiet after that, but soon, thoughts started. And the thoughts became whispers, and then chatter, and soon, it was a shout.

"UNITE! UNITE! UNITE!"

Like a wave, both armies drowned the battlefield with their howls. A call for alliance.

Hundreds of years of war, stopped by a single entity, a single cause.

Stopped by fear.

But fear, fear disappears- and the Queen of the Elves knew that.

"So, this is your plan? To put fear in our men?", the Queen spoke softly to her daughter, "What happens when we do defeat the demons?"

Being questioned suddenly by her mother, Ilrina was perturbed. But she cleared her throat and looked her straight in the eye.

"Not fear, mother. Faith", Ilrina said.

"Faith also disappears, child", this time it was the King who spoke.

Hearing this, Ilrina looked at Sofia, who revealed a sinister smile.

"It's… faith in fear", Ilrina said as she released a muddy breath,

"...Absolute fear"

Both the sovereigns were confused at first, but they did not have to wait long for them to know the meaning of Irina's words.

"If you fail to unite, or defeat the demons…", the voice echoed again, "...I will destroy this world"

As soon as he said that, the light that bathed the field disappeared, and darkness swept for a mile. And soon, the heavens itself howled.

"W-what's happening!?"

"L...look at the skies!"

"What is that!?"

"Is that…"

A hammer. A hammer big enough to cover the skies itself. Only its silhouette could be seen, but its ominous shape could not be denied. It stayed there, still. As if waiting for the time that they would make a mistake.

And if they happen to… It will swallow their world whole.

Replace fear with something absolute, with something infinite, and men will follow.

They know now that they were being watched… being judged.

They were in the presence of a True God.

And so, once again, they kneeled.

They kneeled along with their King.

They kneeled along with their Queen.

Viel looked on as the people worshipped and feared him. The wave of chants, of whispers, of admirations.

But it was not pride he felt, it was… loneliness.

Absolute loneliness.

And for the first time in his life, he asked himself.

"Is… this my fate?"

To rule? To stand on a pedestal?

But he is young. He spent half of his life in a cave. Does he even know what that meant?

Even with everything that has happened to him, deep down, he still had desires.

A desire to play. A desire to make friends and go on adventures. And perhaps one day, unbeknownst to him, a desire to love.

But fate is…

Fate is impartial.

Viel closed his eyes. His heavy breath, heard by thousands of people. And like what Xing Cai said, the world had no choice but to follow him.

The people too, breathed heavily. His choices, his actions, will decide the fate of a world.

And so, he decided to go.

To find a place where he will be treated the same as others, to find the World of the Gods.

But fate…

Fate can also be fickle.

"Viel…"

A single voice pierced Viel's ears as he awoke from his stupor. He opened his eyes and slowly looked down.

And there, in the vast field of grass, a flower bloomed.

In the thousands of people that dared not to look at him, in the thousands that worshipped him. There, stood a single voice.

Looking at him not with fear, not with reverence. He did not exactly know what it was, but the only thing that mattered was that she was looking at him.

"...Miss Sofia", Viel whispered as he slowly descended to the ground.

The hammer that covered the skies disappeared, once again bathing the field with light. But the people that were kneeling remained still, Sofia and Viel remained alone as they stared at each other.

"Where are you going?", asked Sofia as she furrowed her eyebrows.

Viel was silent at first as he remained looking at Sofia's eyes. And then he smiled, and the smile turned into a chuckle.

"...You're creeping me out", Sofia stuttered as she fixed her spectacles.

"Nowhere", Viel answered as he shook his head. He then slowly approached Sofia...and hugged her, "Thank you… Miss Sofia"

Sofia's eyes widened as shivers went down her spine. "W-what are you doing?"

"I am saying thank you", Viel said as his embrace remained wrapped around Sofia's body.

"Yes, but why? And why are you hugging me?", Sofia could not even look at Viel as her hands stayed far away from him, "...And please wear some clothes!"

Sofia may have spent most of her time in research, but she knew that she was not interested in prepubescent boys. True, Viel was a good looking lad, probably the most beautiful boy Sofia has ever seen. But he is a boy!

Maybe once he grows older? Sofia thought. But she quickly shook her head. What's important right now was that Viel was too young!

Soon, the kneeling people started to stand one by one. Only to see a half naked Viel hugging Sofia.

"Oho...Not bad, daughter", the King quickly praised.

"AAH!", Ilrina shouted as she pointed at the two, "What are you doing to Vie...to the Great Spirit!?"

Queen Silvia could only sigh, "You were too slow, daughter"

"I am not interested in boys!"

Ah yes, such fine words to start the era of peace between two warring races.

Even with the peace, there will still be discriminations between the two races. But that is to be expected. Discrimination exists even with the same race.

And so, the two sovereigns shook hands.

And the two armies, albeit alert, were also now starting to get to know each other.

There were lots to be done. There were still demons to fight.

But that is for the King and Queen to discuss.

For Viel, as Mirella said, it was not their place to interfere. For now, he just wanted to go on adventures.

And once he is ready, he will find the Mother of Treants and go home. Back to his friends, his family.

And with the curtains of war closing between the Humans and Elves, another opened.

And as always, fate can be very fickle.

A thousand miles away, old man Felix, the demon that escaped from Burgerstatter was peacefully looking at a horizon.

...Or at least his head was.

Felix's head was currently on the hand of a woman. The woman's eyes were like that of a phoenix, bewitching. Her long black hair slithering on the golden robes that were adorning her body.

"Matriarch, I think that is the last of them!", A man kneeled behind the woman. He was also wearing a golden robe, but his did not glimmer like that of the woman's.

"No", the woman spoke softly, "They are but the first...", she said as she let go of Felix's head, causing it to roll down from the cliff they were standing on.

And the head did not stop until it hit a foot. A foot of someone kneeling below the cliff.

The man kneeling also wore golden robes, and so were the dozen men and women beside him.

And behind them...

A thousand more. Most were humans, but some were elves… and a few had horns on their head.

"We will not stop until this place…

...becomes the new Golden Pavilion"