Worshiping the dead

Serenaroth shielded his eyes from the harmful rays of the sun. The joyful light of day aggravated him, as did the content elves streaming down Elrenor’s road. It disgusted him to see so many of the blessed children of Galdrien roam freely upon the streets of a human settlement. In his youth, the city of Melbron had stood on the frontier of the elven kingdom, a barrier against the infectious creatures of peace. His father, Balkan, had managed to enthral the population against the ancient race. Even the Emperor was convinced of his father’s theories and the hostilities between both races boiled to the point of war. Balkan had managed to prove the elven race not to be so friendly. He had managed to show their darker side.

Serenaroth bowed his head, avoiding the light for a few moments as his memory assailed him. The human traitor Halkanur challenged Balkan’s accusations in an open duel before the crowd. Serenaroth watched as the renegade warrior cut down his father. To add insult to the pain of defeat, the coward produced documents against the young boy’s father. In a fury, the boy fled to his uncle, Krawfin, crying for revenge. Although his uncle stayed his vengeful hand, his patience proved well. He took the boy under his care, convinced the emperor he lacked his brother’s ambitions and theories and managed to remain in power in the city.

As the years passed, peace was negotiated with the elves and as a swarm of rats they slowly spread to the human cities along their borders. Some loyal patriots fought off the invasion, but most accepted the elves as friends. Humans started to see advantages of living with the enchanted skinny people. They were entertaining with their songs and dances. Their circuses were quickly becoming world-renowned. The wines they produce stopped being illegal imports, but nothing compared to their magical manipulations. They could magically cure most diseases and heal serious injuries with potions and arts. The showcased spells disgusted Serenaroth as he saw magic as a tool for the government, war and power. He could not understand how these weak willed creatures freely gave out their power, to the point where certain humans were gaining abilities in sorcery. For the first time in history, humans and elves lived more than in peace, they evolved together. The elves were benefited in this newly formed union. They learne d much from human science, technology and politics. As they saw the benefits of having one ruling man, such as the Emperor, instead of many kings, they elected their first Emperor in power, uniting their forces. Serenaroth shook his head in disgust, would the dwarves be allowed to roam the surface freely also?

He resumed his trek, expressing his loathing openly. The younger elves hated the sight of the mysterious man while the older enchanted beings feared him. Both avoided his gaze and fled his path. Finally he found refuge in his mansion; a gift from his uncle in his youth, where his father lay buried in the yard. In the same dark area, he had buried other humans, unknown to all even his uncle, when he dove in the dark art of the necromancer. On nights where the moon defied the world with its full light and power or on cold dark evenings when memories of past events where most present in the people’s minds, he practice the forbidden art. He was obsessed with his father’s death, but even more so in his resurrection. Time and time again, the stars sprayed their light over corpses rising from the ground.