Welcome back to MELF book 5! Please make sure you read them in order to understand the plot and enjoy!

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It wasn't the first time Thistle visited the Ruins of Gods, but she was ever awed by it. The sheer size of her surroundings always made her dizzy. She looked up into the skies to see the treetops of the oaks, but they seemed to reach for the heavens, much too tall to even try climbing. When an insect died nearby, its flesh could feed Thistle for days and whenever something larger walked past, the world would quake under its steps.

Thistle couldn't hope to understand the beings that lived in these lands. The titans were as wise as they were tall and when they spoke nearby, Thistle's bones rattled in her body from the might of their voices. She was scared of them, even when Morana explained their kindness and invited her to join their classes. Getting taught by titans? Thistle much rather disappeared beneath their massive leaves.

Usually, when she came to visit, she stayed near the border, not delving too far into the caves and temple ruins since she didn't want to intrude. But today, Morana asked her to meet inside.

So Thistle trekked among flowers big as houses, ducked under towering ants and slipped past pine needles the size of her body. She used one of them as her walking stick when the distance seemed near endless, but the quaking of the earth underneath her feet gave away the speed of the titans crossing their lands.

Thistle was mindful of animals and not getting squished by one of these godly beings, but she was so small and insignificant that nothing but the insects picked up on her presence. Easily blending with the forest ground, she dashed through the thicket.

Morana waited for her near the entrance of the cave. She was more than a head taller than Thistle by now, her arms wired with hard muscle from fighting all day. So often, they went on their adventures together. Soared through the skies on raven wings and giggled when stealing some fruit from a field.

Morana was Thistle's dearest friend, and seeing her always made the goblin's heart flutter in her chest. Though being a princess and half demon, Morana and she shared their elven side. And their interest in adventure.

When Morana spotted her crawling below some orange mushrooms, she lifted her hand into the air to wave at Thistle. As if anyone could overlook the streak of shining white in her dark hair tousling around two pairs of horns and the huge raven by her side.

Thistle hopped over to her side to clasp Morana in a tight hug. The smaller raven, Onyx, hopped around them and tugged on the leg of Thistle's pants with a friendly beak.

Morana held her tightly, her cheek squeezed against Thistle's hair. Some old scabs were healing on her arm and her hair was wild, but her grin was bright.

As much as Morana was strong, a specific grace stuck to her. The pale shine of the moon through her grey skin. The gloss of the hair falling around her delicate features. She was breathtaking, even if she was never aware of it, stomping through forests and ripping her fingernails on wooden spears.

Thistle shyly pulled back when her cheeks felt warm. It had been a few weeks since they last saw each other, so Thistle had been overjoyed when Onyx brought her a hazelnut, their way of communicating that the princess wanted to meet.

"Come along! We have much to do," Morana grinned at her before she reached for the goblin's hand, interweaving their fingers so naturally to tug Thistle over to Obsidian, the big raven. They easily found space on her back together, and Thistle clung to Morana's waist. Obsidian took off with a bat of her inky wings, carrying them the rest of the way.

"How have you been?" Thistle asked against Morana's back, always scared of flying, while Morana loved to do tricks in the air as if she couldn't fall and break her spine. Morana's hand secured Thistle's on her stomach, making her feel safer.

"Busier than ever. My athair is packing to leave, so everyone is all over the place," Morana snickered with her scratchy voice. The hand axe she always wore on her belt glinted in the sunlight breaking through the towering trees to make the runes carved into it glow. A gift from the tribe of gryphon-borns that took her in when she was small.

Morana had a peculiar family. Born to the fallen elven emperor of their lands and his demon husband, he had so many other uncles and three siblings. Her family consisted of kings and warriors and the most fascinating beings. They were kind to Thistle, even when she was a goblin, but she was still terrified of them after several years of friendship with Morana.

"You're leaving? Where are you going?" Thistle wasn't too worried since they had Obsidian to see each other, but she would mourn the adventures with Morana. But alas, a princess had many duties, and she promised to restore their home.

"Not me, them," Morana grumbled. "They are leaving to do their political business while Aodhán and I are supposed to stay behind and twiddle our thumbs." The disappointment tugged a frown on her features when Thistle peered over her shoulder.

Aodhán was Morana's elder brother. A boy so beautiful it was almost painful to look at him. He was charming and sweet, his speech witty and educated. Not a warrior, but a scholar. Thistle didn't talk to him often, but he always smiled at her with such warmth that Thistle didn't know what to do with herself.

So the kids would stay with the titans while the adults left? That sounded mighty boring, even to Thistle, who had no home or family to call her own. She usually curled up in fox burrows and explored the forests by herself, not fitting with other goblins.

Obsidian circled over white ruins before she dipped into a cave, carrying them under the cool earth. Darkness enveloped them, but the faint blue light of naturally glowing mushrooms across the walls mapped out their surroundings.

"Is it dangerous?" Thistle wondered, since that was usually the reason Seonghwa, Morana's athair, gave for leaving her behind.

Not that the word usually bothered her.

"Apparently. They want to face off with the orcs and claim I'm too young to fight with them." The annoyance in her voice gave away how often she discussed this with her family. Morana liked to fight, and she was good at it. Maybe not as good as a demon, but much better than an elf.

Thistle was on her side. She never understood why Seonghwa wanted to leave her behind instead of joining forces.

"But that's where you come in. I'm not bored with you here," Morana grinned over her shoulder, and Thistle was relieved she could do something for her friend. She wasn't the wisest, neither did she have any power to save their home. But if her presence helped Morana find her joy, she was glad to help.

Obsidian lowered onto the rock, carved out from the earth to match the daily life of the titans. Trees stood in full bloom on the unwieldy terrain and many flowers blossomed nearby as the magic of the elves nearby nourished the ground.

Indeed, everything seemed to be in motion. Wings fluttered tirelessly through the air and younger titans dashed about, carrying boxes and people. Thistle spotted Yeosang, one of Morana's uncles and a dryad, near their belongings, checking items off a list. When the two girls hopped off Obsidian and came closer (Thistle with wobbly knees but she tried hard to play it off), he looked up to greet them with a smile.

"Good morning, Morana. And hello Thistle." On cue, the spikey purple flowers blossomed from his limbs that were made of wood and moss. He was a walking piece of nature, some sort of tree, but ever-sprouting flowers and mosses, looking different every time Thistle saw him.

And he was kind.

"Thistle came to play while you are gone. Is everyone ready to leave?" Morana hopped over to the small golem wandering past, not with any proper goal or task in mind, just looking around. That one was called Pebble, like a small rock. She was animated by magic and even though she didn't speak, she was fun to be around. Morana often kept her close at home. During explorations, Pebble would get lost and then show up weeks later, unharmed and not speaking a word, just marching back in with endless determination.

Golems were funny to Thistle. She never got used to talking rocks.

Pebble was smaller than Thistle, reaching to her hip and to Morana's thigh. But she grew without any signs to stop, if very slowly.

"Almost. Stick around for a while so you can say bye, yes?" Yeosang asked her, and Morana nodded with a sugary grin. Thistle eyed her from her peripherals. She rarely saw Morana standing so eagerly at the ready, posture straight and gaze attentive.

But the moment passed when more of her family members showed up. Her seraph uncle with the six wings and the hair like the rays of the sun. He wore his full armour for the journey and chain mail rattled against the sword in the white sheath when he marched over to Yeosang. He only wore one glove, the other hand was a construct of white magic that wove into the shape of a palm. Morana told Thistle he lost that hand to an orc.

So it was finally time for his revenge.

Morana's favourite uncle also arrived. The gryphon-born with grey wings and talons for feet. He was accompanied by his gryphon - a scary creature with a beak that always made Thistle duck behind Morana, even now - who cawed shrilly in greeting when he spotted the girl. On his back and shining like the moon in the night sky, was Morana's athair.

The emperor of the elves was a magnificent being. Skin glowing bright like the moon, hair dark and inky like the night, and every movement graceful in his flowing dresses. When he took Wooyoung's hand to slip from the back of the gryphon, his soft features pulled into a smile when he saw his daughter.

Thistle was always speechless, witnessing his beauty. As if a star had fallen onto the earth to walk among them. He was fitting to a throne, to luxury and castles. In this cave, he looked out of place.

When he stepped over to them, Thistle hid behind Morana even more, praying she wouldn't stand out too much.

This emperor suffered a lot under the orcs, one of which fathered her. While Thistle didn't agree with the orcs or other goblins, she knew her sight might sadden him.

But his singing voice greeted her with kindness. The fabric of his soul so bright, so gentle as Thistle could hear its song.

"Thistle. It's a pleasure to see you. Morana always misses you the second you part," he smiled at her, not forcing her to come out even when Thistle nervously clutched her hands to Morana's shirt.

"Emmya..." the princess whined, embarrassed to be exposed, but Thistle shyly peered around her.

The moon elf smiled back graciously. He didn't forbid their friendship, partly thanks to Yeosang arguing that Thistle was a good person upon meeting her. On the contrary, he even thanked Thistle before for taking good care of Morana. Thistle had been shy all week after that.

She always wondered how much the mighty emperor knew. Was he aware that Morana and she sometimes kissed under the moonlight? Did he know that Morana once killed two goblins trying to undress Thistle against her will? Was he aware of how much Morana loved him and wanted to be by his side?

Their story was complicated and full of sadness. The girls related in that regard. But Morana found back to her family, so Thistle only found it fair they stuck together.

When Seonghwa turned to Yeosang to catch up with him, Thistle used the moment to whisper to Morana.

"Won't it be boring here for you?"

Morana was never tied down easily. She was always out and about getting up to no good and exploring the world. They spent so much time laughing and running together that it was hard to imagine Morana sitting down to waste her time in boredom.

Stars glinted in her fully dark demon eyes. And they shone bright with mischief when she smirked, exposing her pointed corner teeth.

"Deathly boring. That's why I made a plan for us to break out."