Audience with the Elven Queen
The dawn of the Emerald Tree Sea arrived quietly amid the pulsating faint lights of countless Dawnlight Ancient Trees awakening. A soft, gauze-like golden-green halo replaced the brilliant starry sky, sprinkling through the layered leaf gaps, adorning the fine floating spores into flowing gold dust. The air still permeated with the reassuring scent of grass and wood, along with the moist earthy aroma, but after last night's warnings from Elder Serandir and the haze of water source pollution, the initial wonder of arriving in this pure land in Fa and her companions' hearts had quietly been veiled with a layer of vigilance.
Under Arya's guidance, they ascended along a spiral staircase naturally coiled from massive tree roots. The staircase wound around an immensely majestic Dawnlight Ancient Tree resembling an emerald mountain—this was the base of the elven royal court, the "Eternal Crown." The higher they climbed, the denser the life magic flowing in the air became, nearly condensing into substance; each breath felt like drawing in the purest life essence, cleansing the deepest fatigue and dust from body and mind. Beneath the canopy, aerial platforms woven from huge leaves and flowers, and walkways entwined with glowing vines were scattered like stars, with elegant elven figures shuttling among them, like spirits nurtured by the forest.
Finally, they reached the core area at the very top of the Eternal Crown—the "Moon Crown Sanctuary."
There was no resplendent palace dome here, only an open platform naturally interwoven from the massive branches at the top of the ancient tree. Cascading glowing vines like waterfalls hung from the platform's edges, serving as natural curtains that swayed gently in the wind, scattering specks of starlight. At the center of the platform was not a cold throne, but a crystal-clear pool emanating a soft moon-white halo. In the center of the spring water grew a peculiar-shaped, entirely silver-white small tree as if condensed from the purest moonlight, its branches slender and graceful, leaves like miniature crescents, radiating a serene yet powerful fluctuation—this was the elven sacred relic, the "Moonshadow Tree."
Beside the Moonshadow Tree stood the Elven Queen Sylvia Sunshine, quietly poised.
The moment her figure entered everyone's view, time seemed frozen by an invisible force.
She was not a stern monarch perched high on a throne in the traditional sense. She wore a seemingly simple long dress that flowed with moonlit luster, its hem like gathered night mist, moving without wind. Her ankle-length, nearly transparent silver-white hair cascaded like a frozen moonlight waterfall, shimmering with fine star specks in the Moonshadow Tree's soft halo. Her countenance transcended mortal definitions of "beauty," the creator's most perfect masterpiece, every line containing rhythms of harmony and eternity. What was most captivating were her eyes. Unlike Elder Serandir's profound wise gaze, they were two pure silver moons reflecting the boundless starry sky.
In the depths of her pupils, real nebulae seemed to slowly rotate, collapse, and birth. Her gaze was calm and unruffled, yet carried an supreme authority and compassion that pierced through the river of time and overlooked all beings' myriad states. Merely standing there, the entire space of the Moon Crown Sanctuary seemed to exist centered around her; the life magic flowing in the air became tame and orderly, even the subtle tremors of the ancient tree branches beneath their feet seemed synchronized with her breathing. She was not the forest's guardian; she herself was the highest and purest incarnation of the forest's will. A sacred aura originating from the source of life, compelling one to bow in worship, silently enveloped everyone present.
Even the defiant Kayla, upon meeting those silver moon pupils in an instant, subconsciously restrained her aura, the ice-fire patterns on her Lava Hammer dimming slightly. TISK held his breath, his dwarven instinct for power sensing unprecedented awe. Celestia's pitch-black four wings slightly folded, her ice-blue eyes filled with shock. Lin Ya's natural forces within him leaped in jubilation. The glow of Yuyuer's crystal orb receded inwardly, as if not daring to compete with that silver moon. Zhamisi's forked tongue halted for a moment, her crimson vertical pupils filled only with pure astonishment and wariness. Rex's electronic eye data streams scrolled madly, yet unable to parse this existence beyond technological scope.
Arya had already knelt on one knee, right hand on her chest, her voice carrying devotion and excitement from the soul's depths: "Supreme Queen Majesty, Sylvia Sunshine. Your loyal daughter Arya, with companions bearing an important mission, comes to audience."
Fa took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the intense resonance and stinging pain in her right star eye from close contact with this immense life source. Mimicking Arya, she also knelt on one knee, her voice steady and clear: "Honorable Majesty Sylvia Sunshine. We come from the Muret Continent, to pursue our companion Aelius imprisoned by Doomsday Rebirth, and to uncover this evil organization's conspiracy eroding the Emerald Tree Sea. Elder Serandir guided us; only your wisdom and insight can dispel the fog for us and point the way forward." Her right eye swirled with deep blue glow, striving to maintain the courage to meet those silver moon pupils directly.
The queen's gaze, like gentle moonlight, slowly swept over the group. That gaze seemed to penetrate flesh, directly viewing the essence of souls. When it passed over Salsa's quiet mechanical cat shell, the nebulae in those silver moon pupils seemed to accelerate slightly for an instant.
"Rise, far-traveling wanderers, children of the forest." The queen's voice rang out, not grand, yet clearly echoing in everyone's deepest heart, like clear springs flowing over pebbles, carrying a peculiar power to soothe all anxiety. Her voice contained the forest's whispers, the moon's cool clarity, and the stars' vastness. "When you stepped onto Bosera's soil and your auras merged into the Emerald Tree Sea, the land's beings had already informed me of your arrival." She slightly tilted her head, her gaze returning to Salsa, a rare hint of inquisitive interest rippling in her silver moon-like eyes. "Especially you... walker on the boundary of life and death. The cold constructs you command... those not belonging to the domain of the living, their existence itself is a peculiar... interpretation of life's laws. In this pure land of life, they are like cold stars in the dark night, particularly 'striking.'"
Salsa's mechanical cat shell trembled slightly, her amber electronic eyes instantly lighting up, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible tension: "Your Majesty sees clearly. They are tools, weapons, and my shields and spears to protect companions. Their coldness originates from enemies' remnants; their actions are only to defend the light of the living. No intent to desecrate the forest's sanctity." A few almost undetectable strands of shadow energy overflowed from her shell's seams, converging the lurking undead auras to the extreme.
The queen's lips seemed to curve in an extremely faint, almost invisible arc—not mockery, more like a tolerant understanding of unknown constructs. "No need to be tense. The forms of life are like the myriad tree species in the forest, diverse in posture. Death, too, is an indispensable part of the cycle. As long as the core will points to protection, not destruction, the forest will not reject any form of 'existence.'" The profundity in her words made Salsa's electronic eyes flicker a few times, her core seeming to sigh in relief.
The queen's gaze returned to Fa, those silver moon pupils becoming incomparably profound, as if reflecting the flames of Dark Tide Island in Fa's soul depths, the anxiety over Aelius, the heaviness of Doomsday Rebirth's shadows. "The 'Lab 52' you seek, and the 'Emerald Heart' it belongs to... this name carries deep malice and desecration."
Fa's heart sank sharply, but the queen's tone was not denial. She continued, her voice like cool moonlight flowing over a still lake surface: "Serandir's confusion is genuine. Under the light of the Eternal Crown, the core areas of the Emerald Tree Sea do not hide the kind of... filthy furnace using life as material that you describe. Evil's tendrils have not yet directly tainted the forest's core."
Before a trace of disappointment could surface in Celestia's eyes, the queen's next words were like a stone tossed into the calm lake: "However, the forest's tranquility is not without ripples. When you brought the name 'Emerald Heart,' when I sank my will into the pulse of this ancient land, listening to every leaf's tremble, every drop of spring water's murmur, every wisp of wind's sigh... some deliberately hidden, instinctively rejected by nature 'voids' and 'noises' clearly emerged."
She raised one hand, her slender, perfect fingers like extensions of moonlight, gently brushing a silver leaf of the Moonshadow Tree beside her. With her motion, the Moonshadow Tree's soft halo suddenly spread, interweaving and condensing in the air before the group, forming a crystal-clear three-dimensional light map—that of Bosera Island and its surrounding seas in miniature. The main island resembled a massive emerald embedded in azure satin, with forests, mountains, and lakes vividly detailed. Outside the main island, two tiny light points were marked: one southeast of the main island, one directly west, far apart.
"Evil is like a cunning vine, choosing the forest's relatively thin power, hard-to-reach peripheral areas to take root." The queen's voice carried a hint of coldness. "Southeast, adjacent to the peripheral seas of the 'Rockheart Clan' dwarven mining area, the coral reef islands. West, near the ancient swamp lizardfolk tribal activity range, the misty dark reefs. These two areas have recently transmitted... 'silences' and 'distortions' incompatible with the Emerald Tree Sea. Especially the western misty-covered dark reefs, where nature's feedback is shielded by a powerful, unnatural force, like a thick shadow curtain, rejecting the forest will's intrusion."
The fire of hope reignited in Celestia's eyes; she stepped forward eagerly: "Your Majesty! Which of these two places is more likely the location of 'Emerald Heart'?"
The queen slowly shook her head, nebulae swirling in her silver moon pupils: "Based solely on nature's aversion and isolation, it's insufficient to conclude. Evil excels at disguise and may deliberately lay false trails. I have dispatched 'Forest Whisperer' sentinels to these two sea areas for close reconnaissance. Truth requires more solid 'eyes' to witness."
Waiting, in the sacred and serene atmosphere of the Moon Crown Sanctuary, became extraordinarily long. Time seemed stretched by an invisible force, each minute and second tugging at Celestia's taut nerves. She paced anxiously, her gaze frequently turning toward the cloud sea at the sanctuary's edge. Kayla and TISK whispered, speculating on possible defensive forces. Yuyuer and Zhamisi discussed in low voices the potential impacts of sea environments on battles. Lin Ya closed his eyes in focus, attempting to sense the distant sentinels' auras through the omnipresent plant network, but the distance clearly exceeded his limits. Rex silently adjusted his armor's detection modules, preparing for possible underwater or complex terrain combat. Salsa lay quietly, her electronic eyes locked on the marked western sea area, as if piercing through spatial barriers.
Fa stood quietly not far from the queen's side, her right star eye swirling with deep light, striving to parse the grand, invisible information exchange in the air between the queen, the Moonshadow Tree, and the entire Emerald Tree Sea. She could "see" countless subtle life light points converging from all directions into the queen's invisible force field, then parsed and filtered by those silver moon pupils. This was a supreme realm beyond words, symbiotic with all things.
Finally, after three hours of waiting, a emerald-green light shadow shot like a gale from the southeastern horizon, landing lightly on the Moon Crown Sanctuary's platform. The light dispersed, revealing an elf sentinel clad in light vine armor, carrying a longbow; his breath slightly hurried, but eyes sharp.
"Your Majesty!" The sentinel knelt on one knee, speaking quickly. "The southeastern coral reef islands have been thoroughly investigated. The underwater reef structures are complex, inhabited by numerous sea spirits and friendly marine creatures. Magic fluctuations are stable and natural, with no traces of artificial structures or energy barriers. Only a few ancient dwarven underwater mine ruins, covered by coral and seaweed, emanating the aura of ages, without evil remnants."
The southeast is ruled out!
This news was like a boulder plunging into calm waters, instantly gripping everyone's gazes and hearts toward the west—that misty-shrouded misty dark reefs!
Almost simultaneously with the southeastern sentinel's words falling, another somewhat disheveled emerald-green light shadow rushed from the west. The landing elf sentinel had disordered breath, his vine armor stained with damp cold dew, even carrying a faint, uncomfortable fishy odor. His face bore shock and defeat.
"Your Majesty!" His voice carried urgency. "The misty dark reefs... have issues! The mist there is abnormally thick and... 'heavy,' containing weak mental interference that greatly weakens perception. I attempted approaches from air and underwater at multiple angles to the core area, but..."
He took a deep breath, a flash of palpitation in his eyes: "At about three nautical miles from the core dark reefs, I encountered a powerful composite barrier! In the air, there's an optical camouflage force field distorting light and energy; naked eyes and conventional magic detection can hardly identify its boundaries. If not for my caution, I nearly crashed into it! Underwater is even trickier, not only with high-strength magic interference wards disrupting elemental perception and water flows, but also... energy-absorbing metallic active fungal mats covering large swathes of the seabed and reefs! When my probing magic touched that fungal mat, energy was rapidly devoured, feedback returning only cold 'void' and slight stinging! The situation inside the barrier... completely undetectable! That feeling... like a 'dead zone' forcibly severed from nature!"
"Composite barrier! Fusion of magic and technology... and that energy-devouring fungal mat..." Rex's electronic eye instantly erupted with high-bright analysis glow. "This is definitely not natural! Highly matches Doomsday Rebirth's technological features! Energy absorption... this aligns with Dark Tide Island's partial defense mechanism data at 90.5%!"
"Mist... mental interference... energy-devouring fungal mat..." Yuyuer gripped his Dragon Bone Staff tightly, face solemn. "This is a meticulously arranged defense system! Isolating inside and out, devouring probes... it's it!"
Celestia stepped forward, ice-blue eyes burning with resolute flames, her pure white four wings slightly unfolding in agitation: "Your Majesty! Please allow us to head to the misty dark reefs immediately! Aelius must be inside that barrier!"
Elven Queen Sylvia Sunshine quietly listened to the sentinel's report, her silver moon pupils reflecting nebulae calm and unruffled, only the swirling starlight in the depths seeming more profound and inscrutable. She did not immediately respond to Celestia's request but turned her gaze to Fa, that gaze seeming to penetrate Fa's body, landing on her right eye swirling with deep blue star glow.
"Fate's threads have guided you here, pointing to those shadow-shrouded reefs." The queen's voice remained ethereal, yet added an undeniable decisiveness. "The forest's will abhors that dead silent shadow; it's like stubborn stains attached to emerald. Eradicating it is not only for your companion but also for the Emerald Tree Sea's own purity and balance."
She raised her hand, not pointing west, but gently brushing the Moonshadow Tree's branches. A perfectly shaped leaf like a miniature crescent, emanating warm silver glow and rich laurel fragrance, drifted from the branch, as if held by an invisible hand, slowly floating to Fa's front.
"Take it, holder of the star eye." The queen's voice rang directly in Fa's deepest heart, carrying a hint of imperceptible, almost prophetic profundity. "The Moonshadow Tree's leaf contains a trace of the purest moon essence. When lost in darkness or facing mental erosion, it may... illuminate a moment of 'truth' for you. Beware the shadows beyond that barrier; they not only devour energy but may also... distort will."
Fa solemnly extended both hands, catching the floating silver leaf. It felt slightly cool upon touch, the rich and familiar laurel leaf aroma instantly drilling into her nostrils, even purer and more primal than the scent at Elder Serandir's residence! This aroma was like a key, abruptly prying open a sealed door in her memory depths—blurry image fragments flashed: warm hearth fire, a vague female figure also emanating faint laurel scent, gentle whispers... This sensation passed in an instant, yet stirred stormy waves in her heart. She gripped the leaf tightly, knuckles whitening from force, carefully storing it close to her body, feeling that cool touch and the continuously emanating, mind-soothing aura.
"Thank you for your guidance and gift, Your Majesty." Fa bowed deeply, the glow in her star eye resolute. "We will tear through that barrier, rescue our companion, and thoroughly eradicate Doomsday Rebirth's filth from the forest's edges!"
The queen nodded slightly, speaking no more. Her figure appeared increasingly hazy and sacred in the Moonshadow Tree's halo, as if merging with this sanctuary, with the entire Emerald Tree Sea.
Without the slightest hesitation, Fa turned, her gaze sweeping over her companions already boiling with battle intent: "Target, misty dark reefs! Salsa, summon the Shadow Wing Guards! Full speed ahead!"
"Understood!" Salsa's mechanical cat shell eyes blazed with deep glow. Dense shadow and icy chill erupted again; five tall, silent undead wing guards with shadow ice wings condensed from the shadows, like death knights awaiting the charge command.
The group swiftly mounted their rides. Kayla roughly handed the weak but venomous-eyed Dakeli, carrying a hint of secret anticipation, to Queen Sylvia Sunshine. Celestia's four wings and the undead wing guards' shadow ice wings unfolded almost simultaneously, stirring strong air currents.
"Go!" Fa commanded.
Whoosh—!
Five shadows wrapped in deathly chill and vengeful fury, like ink strokes tearing through a serene painting, burst from the sanctuary platform at the Emerald Tree Sea's pinnacle, ripping through Bosera Island's clear blue skies above, with unyielding resolve, hurtling toward the west—that deathly sea area shrouded in eerie mist and cold barriers: the misty dark reefs!
Elven Queen Sylvia Sunshine stood quietly beside the Moonshadow Tree, her silver moon-like eyes gazing distantly at the rapidly shrinking black dots on the western horizon. A breeze brushed her moonlight-like long hair and skirt hem; in the sanctuary, only the faint rustling of Moonshadow Tree leaves remained, along with her silent whisper dissipating in the wind:
"Laurel's scent... stars' trajectories... chaotic shadows... fate's loom, the threads have become increasingly tangled. Children, may the dawnlight protect you."