Athiria and Walter teleport to a pebble-bound riverside full of glowing little flowers. There were glowing orbs floating around that range from Viridian to Lime hues as they see a shining distant waterfall. The subtle serenity captivates them. The abundance of birch trees are excruciatingly delicate in aura.

"Wow... This is a great place to have a date with someone..." Walter says as he eyed Athiria. But even so, His efforts proved for not as he fell into the water from a punch to the gut by the woman he so fervently gazed at.

Splash! They both laughed really hard. "You already know flattery never works on me, Walt!" She gave a fling of her hair facing away.

"Who said anything about flattery?" Walt said with a smirk. She looked back at him and with an evil smile said:

"You're gonna pay for that!!" She summoned her staff. "Salvus Vanguardis" and with those words her dress changed into armor. Walter gave a big smile as if a distant beautiful memory revives. Love is a beautiful memory, it is.

"Just like the old days, huh?"He stood up and they began the spar with a big strong slash of their weapons. They push as hard as they could and Athiria sends his sword flying to the left. She strikes him but he blocks the slash and sent her staff flying to the right and into the river. He ran for his sword which was among the grassy side of the riverside. And with swift hand he takes and looks back to see if she is still there.

But right when his eyes set upon the river, the staff was already heading to his forehead without any accompaniment of hands whatsoever. Then, It struck him forcing his feet to slip on that smooth pebble and for him to let go of the sword. Apparently, Athiria could manipulate the staff better than before. She was behind him.

"Well, Well, Well Milady... That's something new." Walter says as he tries to get up. Athiria returns to her normal form and leaned down on him. "I practiced."

And with that they sat on the pebble-bound sanctuary... Talking about things past and future. They laughed and they succumbed in each other's comfort. The profound serenity of the tranquil light heavens shining upon the multitude of birch trees around them. The sweet sounding waterfall nearby sinks into their minds with the evanescence of the glowing area.

They relaxed until...

"The Pond of the Emerald Elf is no place for lovers such as yourselves."

They looked back and with abrupt aghast faces they were shocked to see someone familiar. Those glittering green eyes and that silky brown hair matched that face full of feeling. Wearing the olive green coat adorned with emeralds was no other than Demetrius Elmgrove, 3rd prince of the Elf Kingdom. "Long time no see... How's Morphe, your little brother?"

"Still a crybaby, only smarter!" Walt said laughingly at seeing how much they have changed. Three friends reunited by happenstance. 

"So, um... How in the world did you get here?" They tell him the whole story as he is rubbing his head.  

"So let's see... You have the book now right Walt?" Demi looks to Walt and is shown the book.

"So that's a good thing! But then... How about your daughter, Athiria? Is she... ok?" Demi says as he nods slowly from analyzing.

"I feel her strength, She is a good girl... She can stand on her own nowadays. Better let go of the leash a little right?" She sighs. 

"You were always like that Athiria-" He was interrupted by a sharp blow with an elbow from Athiria herself. Demy only laughed and insist on warning them.

"Lanskardia is no longer what it was. The sanctuaries may have been safe but the rest of the place would not be... The Unsca'arts have scattered." Demetrius warns them. The overall way he said it made it bad news enough.

"Unsca'arts?" They question him. He replies with " We should go to my city to  speak about this. I know were I could get horses for you." 

He leads them into the clearing from the thick forest of birch to a white horse and... obviously complains about them being three people. Walter had to carry her the whole way until he got to Carina, a town known for it's horses.

It was not a bad town, it was kind of like a mini kingdom. The emerald stables seemed to make one envy Lanskardian Horses. The horse picking was difficult as Walter was as indesisive as Athiria was. In the end they took a black horse each costing Demetrius around 75  of lanskard wisps.

 They left the Town and went into the clear green plains of Lanskardia. The wisps dance so much more freely here. They were as fast as butterflies.

Walter had something to say and it was "Um... If the currency is so available..." 

"The lanskards are not easy to catch. The wisps are shot with arrows and then turn into gems. A true elf is truly rich because of what they can do, not of who they are" Demetrius shoots 3 rows of 4 wisps each in 3 successive shots after this. Athiria gets off her horse of ebony and takes the 12 pieces of Lanskard wisp gems and asks,

"You wouldn't mind If I took a souvenir... would you?" They all had a good laugh until... A big puff of smoke rises under her. 

"THE UNSKA'ART QUEEN!" Demetrius snatches her from the whirlpool of darkness. From it the Queen appears. She was not beautiful, but rather a torn soul. "Hello, Demetrius..."

Her voice was as puffy and scattering as the smoke. "She would've been a beautiful soul to poison... hehe..." She holds part of the riderless horse and it immediately became darker and had a mane of smoke. One could see how she disrupts something.

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Who exactly is this Unska'art queen?

What was it that made her want to take Athiria?

How much money was put to waste for the ebony horse which the queen took?

Find out in Chapter 16: Root of Shadows