Looking back, Kizmel was glad she'd been ambushed.
Make no mistake; the loss of her scouting party, her squad, had been devastating. These were Dark Elves that she'd fought countless battles alongside, only for a random troop of Forest Elves to cut them down like wheat ready for harvest. She was lucky to have survived the encounter, but luckier for the strange humans that had come to her rescue. These same humans had helped her people time and time again out of the goodness of their hearts.
The same humans she proudly called her friends.
It was these same humans that Kizmel found herself standing alongside once again, waiting anxiously to meet with the Forest Elf entourage. The meeting place had fairly good visibility, being nestled within a clearing in a forest halfway between the Dark Elf capital and the Fallen Elf capital cities. This was about as neutral as ground could get when it came to their peoples.
"So what's the plan?" Silica asked with a hushed voice. "Who's playing good cop and who's playing bad cop?"
"Silica, this isn't an interrogation." Asuna half-scolded before scoffing in amusement. "We're just going to talk, that's all. We'll present our evidence to the Forest Elves and hopefully they see reason."
"... and if they don't?" Silica asked.
"Then we get to kick some 'A'." Liz said, grinning and cracking her knuckles. Without really looking, she raised a fist to her side for a blind fist-bump with Sinon, who casually returned it with markedly less enthusiasm.
Kizmel tilted her head in mild confusion. Ever since meeting Kirito and the Renegades - though at the time they weren't called that - she'd learned much of human culture and common colloquialisms, but this was a new one. Yet another custom she'd need to ask about later.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Lokuss said with a sigh.
That particular boy stood out against his peers to Kizmel. Not only was he terrifyingly capable with that grappling hook he even now had wrapped around his arm, but he'd taken a keen interest in the history of her people. One might even be forgiven for saying he'd been obsessive regarding his pursuit of knowledge, but he was never rude about it. It was flattering, to be honest. The Renegades held a friendly, yet noncommittal interest in her people, but Lokuss genuinely enjoyed learning more. It was refreshing.
"How much longer you figure it'll take?" Leonn asked.
"Not as long as you'd think." A voice rang out, alerting their assembled group that they were not alone any longer.
Emerging from the treeline came a small contingent of Forest Elves, headed by one Commander Castien. Arguably one of the foremost Forest Elven commanders among the Kales'Oh, Castien was a force to be reckoned with. Kizmel had fought against him a handful of times and found him to be her equal. It was always a sobering thought to know that there was always someone out there equal to or stronger than you. Despite it all, he'd always struck her as an honorable warrior who prioritized duty above all else. The fact that they'd sent him was evidence enough that the Kales'Oh were taking this potential threat seriously. Either that or they wanted someone capable of eliminating Kizmel and her friends.
She hoped it was the former.
"Hello Kizmel." Castien said, giving a polite salute in greeting. Kizmel returned one in kind. "It is quite strange to find ourselves like this off the battlefield, is it not?"
"These are strange times we live in, Castien." Kizmel said. "I am sure neither of us expected to bring the humans or Fallen into our conflict, yet here we are."
"Indeed." Castien agreed. He turned his head and gave a nod to the elves he'd brought along. With nary a word, they slunk away back into the treeline, leaving only two to guard Castien. Kizmel gave him a confused look as her hand neared the hilt of her blade. He raised a hand placatingly. "Fear not. I have merely sent them into the wood to secure the perimeter. We cannot afford unwelcome ears prying into this conversation."
Kizmel's hand lowered away from his sword. "Most wise. Kirito, could I trouble you to have some of you do the same?"
"Of course." He replied, giving a nod to Sinon, Yuna, and Nautilus. The trio grouped up together and slunk away into the treeline, noticeably more conspicuous than the Forest Elves had been but significantly more menacing given the way they stuck together as a cohesive unit.
"So these are the humans who have constantly thwarted us at every turn." Castien said, his emerald eyes looking over Kirito and the Renegades appraisingly. "Formidable warriors, indeed."
"Shall we get to business, Castien?" Kizmel said, cutting to the chase. "Much as I appreciate formalities and introductions, time is of the essence."
"Hmm… yes." Castien hummed as he approached Kizmel. "I suppose you are right. I assume you have the documents?"
"Indeed." Kizmel said before turning to Lokuss. The loremaster stepped forward and presented a neatly wrapped bundle of paperwork to the Forest Elf commander. "You may keep these. We have already made copies of our own for our records, so the originals are yours to use as you see fit."
"Hmm. A wise course of action." Castien said, opening the bundle and perusing the documents within. "My superiors would not have lent your theories much credence were these mere copies."
A pregnant silence passed as Kizmel, Lokuss, and the remaining Renegades waited while Castien and his attendants combed through the papers. Apart from a few furrowed brows here and there, it was difficult to read how the Forest Elves were handling the information. Were they already aware of the Fallen's treachery? If the information was nothing new to them, then she and the Dark Elves would have lost any strategic leverage needed to broker a ceasefire, let alone anything remotely resembling peace.
"This evidence is quite damning." Castien eventually conceded, wrapping up the paperwork neatly before handing it off to his subordinate. "I believe this will be enough to convince my superiors to break off the alliance with the Fallen. To think they would so brazenly betray us so…"
"Kizmel!" Kirito suddenly shouted, causing both she and Castien to look towards the swordsman with varying states of alarm. "We've got company!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth that a cacophony of shouts and yells erupted from within the forest to the southeast. The sounds of battle could clearly be heard, mostly from that direction but also - to a lesser degree - from all sides. A violent rustling in the bushes preceded Sinon rolling out in what appeared to be a dodge, followed closely by Yuna and Nautilus. A handful of Forest Elves followed suit, retreating from the forest and rejoining the main party in the middle of the clearing.
"Report!" Castien almost shouted.
"Fallen, sir." One of the elves said, clearly out of breath. "We attempted diplomatic contact but they would have none of it, sir. They immediately attacked us, almost on sight."
"How else would you treat a bunch of traitors?" A slimy voice hissed out from the treeline. Slithering out from the treeline on all sides came easily over a dozen Fallen Elves, led by a male dressed in ornate armor. While his eyes were obscured by the peculiar, yet signature faceguard of the Fallen, he exuded authority unlike the meager grunts that surrounded them.
Immediately, both the Forest Elves and the Renegades formed a small circle around Kizmel and Castien. Kirito glanced over his shoulder. "Any idea who this guy is?"
Kizmel shook her head. "I am afraid not, Kirito. What of you, Castien?"
Castien, for his part, simply grumbled. "That would be Kar, General of the Fallen Elven forces."
"... Kar?" Kizmel heard Nautilus mumble under his breath. "Seriously? Does he answer to Van? Maybe Bus?"
Kizmel merely arched an eyebrow in confusion while most of the Renegades did their best to suppress giggles and chuckles.
Kar cackled evilly, completely oblivious to the insults the ashen-haired swordsman was directing his way. While Kizmel didn't understand the joke, it was more than obvious that Nautilus was mocking him, yet none of the other elves seemed to have heard him, or cared for that matter. Why? Surely an insult like that would warrant some sort of retaliation, but Castien, Kar, and the other elves were blissfully ignorant.
Strange, indeed.
"I see my reputation precedes me, commander." Kar continued, blissfully unaware of the stifled snickers still lingering among the humans. Kizmel's trepidation slowly gave way to confusion at the stark contrast in the moods present. "Did you actually believe we were not aware of your treachery, Castien?"
Castien remained silent. Whether that was due to acceptance or the inability to give a proper answer, Kizmel did not know. Nonetheless, she could see where this was going. Slowly, she edged her hand closer and closer to the hilt of her blade, ready to unleash it at a moment's notice.
"Stunned silence is acceptable, I suppose." Kar grinned before his countenance became just a little more serious. "We've dawdled enough. I had hoped we could continue this charade longer, but it would seem our enemies were more clever than I expected. Leave none standing."
In the blink of an eye, everyone moved.
Forest Elves, Dark Elf, and Renegades alike charged forward almost instantaneously, clashing against the ring of Fallen that had encircled them. A flurry of steel erupted as the two sides collided. Kizmel found herself fighting alongside Castien as they squared away against Kar. Inwardly she scoffed, realizing the irony of fighting alongside what should have been her enemy against the greater threat.
Kar, much to her surprise, drew what appeared to be a double-bladed scimitar. While she was familiar with the unusual weapon, she knew her human allies might not have seen something like this before. After all, it resembled a quarter staff with a blade on each end. Double-bladed scimitars were rare to see utilized in battle, often being family heirlooms passed from generation to generation. Those that did use them were usually incredibly skilled; such a technical weapon in the hands of a novice often led to an early grave.
Kar was no novice.
Kizmel performed a horizontal slash, knowing that Kar's defensive capabilities would be hindered against horizontal strikes like this, especially when faced with two foes. Castien seemed to have a similar idea, striking from his side with a diagonal slash of his sword. Much to her chagrin, Kar merely spun his scimitar in front of him, deflecting both attacks simultaneously away from his body.
"Were I a lesser warrior, that might have worked." Kar boasted. He lunged forward at Kizmel, causing her to go on the defensive and raise her shield. "Perhaps this will be interesting after all."
Kizmel grimaced, noticing with how much ease her opponent was attacking and defending. She glanced over at her reluctant ally and noticed that his attacks were being easily deflected as well. Both she and Castien were being toyed with. She needed a change of tactics, and she needed them now. As she spotted her human allies locked in their own battles against the Fallen, an idea came to her and she grinned.
She backed off in her assault, letting Castien take the lead in the offensive. Meanwhile, she kept an analytical eye as she studied Kar's movements, his reflexes, but most importantly?
His recovery time.
After a few moments, she spotted her window of opportunity. As Castien and Kar's blades clashed again and they both staggered back from the impact, Kizmel rushed in using a tactic she'd picked up from the Renegades. While Kar was suffering from the recoil of a parried attack, she swung downward and carved a red gash against his torso. His eyes widened before leaping back to create some distance.
She'd just performed a Switch.
"It would seem you are learning new tricks, Kizmel." Kar stated, an arrogant grin crossing his face. He readjusted his stance, holding his double-bladed scimitar with just a little bit more defensiveness. "I've never seen such a tactic before. Tell me, where did you learn it?"
She gave a half-smile of her own. "Something I picked up from some friends. Nothing to concern yourself over, General."
Kar grimaced, clearly displeased with the answer. He charged forward, striking out in a whirlwind of blows that, to the casual observer, would have resembled a dance more than a battle. Every strike was immediately followed by a block or a deflection using the long hilt of the weapon, while the scimitar's reach allowed Kar to land attacks from a safer distance than usual.
Trying to use more tactics she'd learned from the Renegades, Kizmel found herself adopting the role of a "tank," shifting to an aggressive, yet conservative attacking style that effectively demanded that Kar devote all of his attention to her. Castien, to his credit, adapted well to her new style and was able to land a handful of blows against Kar while she took the brunt of the retaliatory attacks.
She'd have to teach her fellow Dark Elves of the merits of the humans' style of combat. It certainly had its uses and focused on teamwork over individual strength.
Just as Kizmel started to feel her strength wane, Kar suddenly lurched forward. Instinctively, she raised her shield to block the oncoming blow, but quickly realized that his "attack" was anything but. In fact, he'd shot past her and landed with very little grace as he rolled to a stop.
"Sorry it took us so long, Kizmel." Asuna said, sheathing her rapier with a flourish. Meanwhile, the Renegades and surviving Forest Elves took up defensive stances in front of her and Castien, having dispatched the rest of the Fallen. "Nice tanking back there; you're a natural!"
Kizmel gave a slight bow of her head. "You are too kind. I merely took what I learned from you all and applied it."
A low growl brought her attention back to the matter at hand as she saw Kar slowly get up. He seemed to quickly assess his situation, now vastly outnumbered by the combined forces of the Forest Elves, the Renegades, and Kizmel. Slowly, he began to back away towards the treeline.
"Give up, Kar." Castien warned, bringing his blade to bear again. "You're outnumbered. Surely an experienced general such as yourself understands when to surrender."
"You are right, of course. There is value in knowing when to surrender." Kar sighed and slowly went to stow his weapon on his back. Just then, his defeated expression morphed into a crazed one that unnerved Kizmel. As he stowed his weapon, he brought out what looked to be a small trinket. Immediately Kizmel recognized it as a magical charm. "I also know when to retreat!"
Kar crushed the charm in his hand, crumbling it to dust. In an instant, his features darkened and his form melted into the shadows of the trees he'd been standing in. Kizmel and the other elves nearby immediately went on alert, as did the Renegades.
"What the crap?!" Nautilus cried out. He was back to back with Yuna at the moment as he surveyed their surroundings. "I thought magic didn't exist here?!"
"It doesn't." Kizmel explained, standing back to back with Kirito and Asuna. "Not naturally, at least. We elves have charms that carry residual magic from an age when magic was in abundance. The concealing charm he used… it lets him meld into the shadows. So long as there is shadow, he can hide himself in it."
Kizmel felt Asuna bristle next to her. "How long does it last…?"
"For as long as he wishes." Castien answered for her. "Be on your guard. He could emerge from anywhere."
For what seemed like an eternity, the group waited. To call it an eternity was not as much of an exaggeration as one might expect; by the time they'd deduced that Kar was not coming back, Kirito had informed her that they'd waited an entire hour in anticipation of an ambush. At first she was confused as to how he could discern that, but he mentioned something about their human abilities.
They still confused her, but now was not the time to question.
"Well." Castien began, sheathing his sword and dusting himself off. "As delightful as this has been, I need to return to my superiors and pass along this information."
"Will you be safe returning home?" Yuna asked. Kizmel smiled; that girl's compassion knew no bounds.
Castien picked up on it, giving a faint smile. "I appreciate the sentiment, but we will be fine. We will contact your people with how we wish to respond. My thanks for bringing this information to our attention, and for fighting alongside us in battle. Now I understand why you and the Dark Elves have been such a thorn in our side for so long."
It might have been a backhanded compliment, but it spoke volumes regarding how Castien viewed them. At this moment, he likely viewed them as worthy opponents and potentially mighty allies. Only time would tell how that might develop, but at least they'd done what they set out to do.
After giving their farewells, she and the Renegades - plus Lokuss, she corrected; he was not a member as far as she knew - began the long walk back to the capital city of the Dark Elves. She was very eager to show them her home; having met them outside their tavern this morning, she hadn't had the opportunity to show them before. Perhaps she could even request an audience with the queen herself and introduce them. She took no small amount of pride in her human friends, after all. First things first, though.
Time to go home.
"It's so pretty!" Silica exclaimed as she stared out the window overlooking the capital city of the Dark Elves. Even Pina looked ecstatic as she flew circles above her master's head.
Using her relatively considerable influence as a Royal Pagoda Knight of Lyusula, Kizmel was able to secure lodgings for her human friends to stay in during their time here on the 9th floor. Allowing them some semblance of comfort and security was the least she could do after everything they'd done for her and her people.
After acquainting them with the large, barracks-style dormitory they would be spending their visit in, they'd spent the night as official guests of Lyusula. It would take some time to arrange an audience with the queen, so the Renegades spent most of the following day exploring the city with Kizmel acting as their tour guide. Between the various districts - entertainment, craftsmen, and noble districts, to name a few - Kizmel had her work cut out for her in leading them around her home city. The Renegades were immediately taken with the sights; their only exposure to Dark Elven culture was their brief stay at Castle Yofel, after all. All other encounters with them consisted of their visits to military camps and the like. Not a very accurate representation of the homefront, in Kizmel's opinion.
Now it was the next night, and she and the others were now waiting patiently in the communal living area for some answer regarding an audience with her majesty Queen Ilisse.
Well, not quite everyone. Most of them were still off doing other things. Liz had gone to learn what she could from the Lyusulan craftsmen, eager to expand her smithing knowledge. Lokuss, as she expected, quickly found the archives and was likely now nose-deep in various texts outlining the history of her people. Sinon was practicing with her new bow at a nearby archery range; Kizmel had no doubt she'd match up with Lyusula's own marksmen. Nautilus and Yuna had walked off somewhere - she didn't catch where, exactly - but knowing Yuna, the songstress was probably absorbing the musical tastes of her people through firsthand experience.
That left Kirito, Asuna, Leonn, Geeou, and Silica to keep her company.
Kizmel let out a light chuckle as she joined Silica at the window, looking out onto the cityscape outside. "I am glad you think so. Mythath Nevae is the pride of our people; no other place in all of Aincrad can compare with its splendor, especially under the gaze of the moon."
"What about the capital of the Forest Elves?" Asuna asked from her seat on a nearby couch; Kizmel noted with some amusement that she was seated right next to Kirito, as usual. "Have you ever seen it?"
Kizmel nodded, her gaze still locked on what laid beyond the pane of glass. "I have. Mythath Shantar is indeed beautiful in its own right, I will freely admit to that. Perhaps it is my own personal bias, but Mythath Nevae will always be the more resplendent of the two."
"I love it!" Silica cried out as she pressed her face against the glass. "It's like all of the lights in the buildings and the streets are like stars in the night sky."
Kizmel smiled fondly. "I believe that was the intent when the founders built this city. We Lyusulans are most comfortable under the night sky, so we wanted our home to reflect that."
"Well, they certainly accomplished that." Leonn chuckled.
Kizmel turned away from the window to address the others. "What of your world? What are your cities like?"
"They're very… different." Leonn said hesitantly, exchanging looks with the other Renegades present. Anyone else might have assumed the Renegades were concealing information from her but Kizmel knew better. She knew that the world they came from was so dissimilar from her own that they had to choose their words properly so that she could understand. Perhaps one day, when they had finally cleared the 100th floor, she could visit them and see for herself.
She trusted them. They wouldn't hide anything from her.
"How so?" Kizmel asked, walking away from the window and taking a seat nearby.
The explanation that followed was astounding and humbling, to be sure. Their home was massive and magnificent. Apparently the humans were doing quite well compared to the elves. Yes, there were minor conflicts between nations but their home was prosperous. They numbered in the billions, and there were a multitude of large cities like Mythath Nevae scattered all across their homeland. At one point Asuna borrowed some parchment to draw out what some of these cities of theirs looked like. Kizmel also learned the names of some of these cities: Tokyo, Paris, New York, San Francisco, London; those were just a few of the human cities that dwarfed Mythath Nevae and Mythath Shantar. By the time they'd finished explaining it all, Kizmel was more than eager to one day visit.
Part of her did wonder why she'd never heard of human settlements being so vast and abundant, but she chalked it up to her people having not set foot on the Earth for the thousands of years they'd been up here in Aincrad. It made sense, after all. Without the presence of the Dark, Forest, and Fallen Elves, humans would naturally move into the vacant spaces and construct settlements of their own.
"Incredible." Kizmel trailed as they finished. "Now I really wish you the best of luck in clearing Aincrad's 100 floors. Not that I did not before, but the possibility of one day seeing your world is all too enticing."
The Renegades shared yet another knowing look between themselves as they smiled. Strange. Their mouths were smiling but their eyes did not. Perhaps they'd grown accustomed to Aincrad? Were they not eager to return home?
Before she could inquire further, there was a knock at the door. A moment later, a servant entered and gave a courteous bow. "Lady Kizmel, her majesty is ready to receive you and your guests."
"Excellent, thank you. We will be along shortly." Kizmel said, standing and giving a bow of her own. She turned to the others. "Perhaps you wished to summon everyone else?"
"I've got it!" Silica exclaimed, poking furiously at the space in front of her. Perhaps this was their supposed 'menu' they spoke of so frequently. Kizmel had already seen their maps and remembered an explanation of their menus, so she was not completely baffled at the scene of the little dragon tamer poking at thin air. "There, done."
A short wait later and all of the Renegades - plus Lokuss - were assembled. Kirito turned to Kizmel with a nod. "Lead on, Kizmel."
She answered with a nod of her own and led them down the hall. The halls of the palace were quickly filled with the sounds of almost a dozen feet walking in tandem across the purple carpeted floors. It did not take them long to reach the large, regal doors that signalled the royal hall. She took a deep breath.
It was time to meet with the queen.
"Your majesty, may I present Kirito and the Resolute Renegades."
Kizmel bowed and gestured to the humans behind her, who in turn gave courteous bows of their own. Queen Illise, for her part, looked equal parts gracious and amused. The queen gave a subtle nod of her head and gestured for them to be at ease.
She was just how Kizmel remembered her. Ever the picture of youth and elegance, Queen Illise carried herself with the air of nobility and grace befitting royalty. With long ebony hair as black as the night sky itself, paired with a flawless tanned complexion, it was no wonder why she had a line of suitors vying for the role of consort.
"Please, be at ease, friends of Lyusula." Illise said with a gentle smile. "I have heard much of your exploits and heroism in service of our people, and for that I thank you."
"Thank you for having us, your majesty." Asuna said. "Your city is magnificent."
"Thank you for the kind words. We take great pride in our city, so it brings me great pleasure to hear such praise from visitors such as yourselves." Illise gave an amused chuckle before her expression became just slightly more serious. She turned towards Kizmel. "Now, I understand you've made headway in contacting Kales'Oh regarding the information you found?"
"Yes, your majesty." Kizmel confirmed. "We made contact and passed along the information. Commander Castien has likely reported to his superiors by now."
"Castien." Illise hummed. "Tales of his sense of honor and integrity are well known. I am glad he was the one they sent. We can be assured the information will reach King Erlan."
"King Erlan?" Kizmel heard Yuna whisper from behind her.
"King Erlan is the ruler of the Kales'Oh." Lokuss explained in a whisper. "The Forest Elves."
"Indeed." Queen Illise said, clearly having heard the songstress and loremaster's side conversation. "While he and I do not always see eye-to-eye, as evidenced by the current conflict, he is nonetheless a fair and wise ruler. I have no doubt he will oust the Fallen once our information is brought to his attention."
"What would you have us do in the meantime, your majesty?" Kizmel asked.
"In the meantime, I would like you to remain on stand-by." Illise said as she stood up and walked behind her throne, pulling back a curtain to reveal a locked door behind. "Come."
Kizmel immediately followed, with the Renegades in tow. The Queen unlocked the door and led them inside what looked to be a large, reinforced chamber. Several charms were on display, yet locked away. Kizmel had never seen this room before, but could easily identify it as a treasury or safe room for valuables. Illise walked to the far side of the room and opened up a long chest. Gazing into it, Kizmel could see all of the keys that they'd worked so hard to secure from the Forest and Fallen elves.
"Are those…?" Lokuss asked.
Illise nodded. "Indeed they are. These are the sacred keys - most of them, anyway - that can open the way to the sacred trees. I would like you to stay nearby to keep these secure. We do not know if the Fallen will attempt to steal these in a last act of desperation once their alliance with the Forest Elves crumbles."
"What exactly do they want to do with the trees, your majesty?" Yuna asked.
Illise sighed. "I will tell you, but you must swear that what I am about to divulge never leaves this room. Were it to become public knowledge, the outcry would be catastrophic to the stability of not only Mythath Nevae, but also Mythath Shantar. Do you understand?"
Everyone, including Kizmel, nodded. She would, of course, take whatever secret this was to her grave, but the Pagoda Knight couldn't help but be at least a little excited and apprehensive about what her queen was about to reveal. What could be so dangerous as to justify keeping the public in the dark about it?
"As you may know, we Lyusulans hold a very different belief regarding the sacred trees here in Aincrad compared to the stories perpetuated by Kales'Oh." Illise began, pacing over to another part of the room with various historical paintings. Based on their depictions, Kizmel knew them to be royalty, but none of which she knew. "We believe that using those keys will doom all of Aincrad to catastrophe, whereas the Kales'Oh believes that it will result in the return of magic to all."
"There's more to the story, isn't there?" Lokuss asked, excitement clear on his face. When several of the Renegades looked at him in confusion, he shrugged his shoulders. "There's always more to these old legends than you think. It's usually some mind-blowing revelation that changes everything."
"I am afraid he is correct." Illise admitted with shame evident in her voice. "You see, both are true."
"What?!" Kizmel sputtered, losing all decorum for a moment and baffled that the two conflicting ideologies could somehow both be correct. "H-how?"
"Unlocking the gates and accessing the sacred trees would indeed restore magic to the residents of Aincrad." Illise continued. "However, doing so is more complicated than you'd think. You see, the reason why magic is absent is because the sacred trees are using it all to keep Aincrad afloat."
"... Keeping it afloat?" Kizmel mumbled under her breath.
"How else do you think a massive structure like this could keep itself aloft in the heavens like this?" Illise questioned. "The roots of the sacred trees run throughout Aincrad and use the latent magic in the air to keep the castle up in the sky. Using the keys on the trees will release that magic to be used by all those who live here in Aincrad."
"Wouldn't that cause Aincrad to fall though?" Asuna asked, worry etched on her face. "If the trees are no longer using magic to keep the castle up…"
"Correct." Illise confirmed. "We would have magic back in our lives, however short they may be as Aincrad plummets, killing not only us but the lives of all those who remain living on the Earth below."
"That's where the Dark Elf side of the legend comes in." Lokuss murmured. "Magic would return, but everyone would be dead shortly after. Both sides have two halves of the same legend!"
"I don't understand though." Silica said, looking uncharacteristically pensive about the situation. "Why not just tell people?"
"For thousands of years, both of our peoples have been taught only their side of the legend." Illise elaborated. "Can you imagine the mistrust and panic that would result from learning that one of our most sacred beliefs isn't entirely true? That no matter what we do, there is no escaping from Aincrad safely and that we will never return to our homeland?"
Kizmel could certainly see the need to conceal such a truth. As a Pagoda Knight, she was duty bound to be as honest and righteous as befits a warrior of her caliber, but such a reveal would cause more harm than good.
"It is unfortunately the reason for our continued conflict with the Forest Elves." Illise said, sadness laced in her voice. "Neither Erlan nor I wish to continue fighting and skirmishing like this, but our people yearn for release. They demand action. Powerful as each of us is, even we are not willing to defy the will of the people."
"Wait." Liz interjected, a look of realization dawning on her face. "Are you saying King Erlan knows this too?!"
The Queen merely nodded. "Yes. It is a secret that has been well guarded for many, many years, too numerous to truly count. He and I share this heavy burden with an equally heavy heart. In truth, I hold no ill will towards him; the illusion that I do so is necessary to protect our people from the reality of our situation. I am sure under other circumstances we would be quite close, actually."
"So you both will continue to butt heads for the rest of the foreseeable future then." Leonn said, crossing his arms. "Not a very bright future, there."
Illise shook her head. "Make no mistake, I do not enjoy lying to my people, nor do I sleep well at night knowing that they fight and die over a lie. Likewise, the Forest Elves do not deserve this fate… but the alternative is telling them that their hope of returning home is, and has always been, in vain. I like that idea even less."
Kizmel's gaze looked downward, not really focusing on anything save her inner thoughts. What was she really fighting for? Both sides were suffering, whether they were knowledgeable of it or not. Yet there was no real solution here. The elves as a whole - Dark, Forest, or Fallen - didn't have any viable way of returning to the Earth as it was. Sure, they were the reason why Aincrad hadn't crashed into the ground, but it was a bitter comfort.
"Regardless, I will do everything in my power to prevent these keys from reaching the gates." Kizmel said, shaking off that pessimistic train of thought. "The Fallen shall never get their hands on these."
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that."
Emerging from Kirito's shadow came a familiar figure, who quickly rushed over, snatching up the keys from their case and placing itself directly behind Queen Illise. As the figure's features started to become more well-defined and the shadows receded, Kizmel could only watch in horror as a dagger was unsheathed and pointed at her queen's neck. Everyone went to grab their weapons, but a subtle tug on the queen's neck against the blade of the dagger stopped everyone in their tracks.
Kizmel's eyes widened as she identified the intruder. She should have known better than to assume he'd actually retreated during their scuffle before. He'd been hiding this whole time.
Kar, General of the Fallen Elves, was here.