Beneath The Tree (Starting Anew Epilogue)

Beneath The Tree

The forest was dense with fog, just as it always has been. A lone figure cut through it, not losing his way like the others who dared enter it. He walked in between the trees as if he knew every single one of them by heart. Soon, a crumbling wall became visible through the woods.

The afternoon sun was visible through the opening that was once covered with an intricate wooden gate. The intricate carvings that once showed glory, were now mere cracks in the wall. The man continued to walk deeper into the ruins of the once great elven city. Over six centuries have passed since an elf has walked these streets. The once great market square was now eerily empty as the figure walked down the streets. The buildings had vines growing on them, branches sprouting in every possible opening.

Everything was quiet as if the place was frozen in time. No explorer has ever found these ruins, and no explorer will ever find them, for the forest hides the city just as it always has. A city once founded by great minds, by a family line that lasted longer than any other royal line. The last Eralith passed just as the forest swallowed the city whole.

By now, no one truly remembered if the great city of Zestier has ever even existed, most thought of it as merely a myth. By now some even started doubting whether elves ever roamed this continent or were they just legends, like the horned gods of the other.

The man continued his journey deeper as the sun started moving lower and lower above him. Soon the remains of a large building were visible on the horizon. The royal palace. A place the golden-eyed wanderer knew all too well. The once shining palace was now dim, the trees that once lined the garden now almost consuming it entirely. After sparing it no more than a glace, he continued towards his destination.

His weathered cape flowed in the breeze as the air around him began to smell of water. He soon neared a lake, where a large tree has stood for over 2 millennia. A tree that once caused him much worry yet now, brought up happy memories. And beneath the tree, two graves, one held no more than a purple orb, while the other held someone dear to the man.

A grave for someone who cannot die. And the other for someone who already has. The man knelt in front of the tree, placing down a bracelet before it. A bracelet that was crafted in this very city oh so long ago. A bracelet that he had worked tirelessly for as a child.

A single tear left the man's eye as he laid his head in front of the gravestone. A stone that never aged, never crumbled, one that shone just as the day it was made. One that wore the name: 'Tessia Vritra, Born: Tessia Eralith'.

A short description followed the name, one that drew tears into the man's eyes as he read them. 'Beloved wife, mother. Empress of a great empire.'

As the sun set over the horizon, the man lifted himself off the ground, his horns leaving a line in the dirt. He could still barely believe it. It had been six centuries since he heard her voice. Since he last held her in his arms. And in those six centuries, both of them have been almost entirely forgotten.

After all, who would believe that the empire that once ruled a whole continent was founded by a god, only because of his love for an elven girl? It was a fool's tale, only a few ancient beings knew the truth behind it. And even fewer knew that the ancient emperor still walked the earth.

The man turned and walked away, knowing that he would return, just as he had every single year. With the sun no longer illuminating the ground, the ancient city was plunged into darkness, as the one who once ruled it walked through the streets.