Hykings - {Progression Fantasy}

Beneath the elf kingdom, at the bottom of Blumenheim, and far below the royal palace, the dark elves dwelled among the wide tree trunks holding up the above civilization.

The heavy and thick vegetation around this area ensured the dark elves received little to no lumination, with only the occasional moonlight seeping through at times.

Canopy walkways connected the vast tree trunks together. On such a bridge, a small child, barely five, ran into her home in a rush and found the one she had been looking for.

"Mother, I have finished all of my tasks for the week in just two days. I am ready to receive more." She bowed her head, standing still.

"You are late." The slim, but tall dark elf woman proclaimed bluntly. Her gaze remained towards the far blurry distance. "Your brother was done yesterday."

"I am sorry… mother." The child squinted her eyes slightly, clasping tight onto the hem of her shirt.

"Alas…" The mother paused for a moment. "The two of you are to begin your training."

"!" The child's eyes widened with renewed gleam. "When?!"

"Tonight."

Lucine Miurnliame stopped herself from jumping in cheer at that moment. Instead, she looked into the same far distance as her mother, attempting to steal a single glance of the moon.

Alas, she could neither do that, nor realize the true meaning of her mother's words.

Soon after, she would come to understand all too well the reality behind being a dark elf on Liamen'Iur.

**👑**

"Silence! Listen very carefully now!"

A taller, imposing dark elf sent shivers into the gathered children's backs. His white hair was pushed back, reaching to the back of his neck. A scar sliced through his hairline on the left, almost continuing the stroke of the wrinkle still in the process of forming on his forehead.

His gray eyes were thin and sharp, hanging just above the black mask accented by the red which only the most prestigious and accomplished dark elves were bestowed with. A sword with a long crimson handle protruded from behind the light armor he was donning.

And this was…

"My name is Agmundr Miurnliame, a name that means little." He announced in a voice which made everyone present hold their breath. "My duty, and my purpose, is to protect King Ammyth Arunliame, to be the guardian to the monarch of the Liamen'Iur kingdom. That, as it always has been, is the purpose of the one I am. As dark elves, we have a duty to uphold!"

His last shout made some children take some steps backwards reflexively. One child in particular leaned in and whispered to her brother, both hidden amongst the crowd.

"Reianard, what is going on? I thought we were just-"

"Lucine, simply do as they say."

Her brother, not bothering to turn her way, cut her off without a change in his plain expression.

The very same expression his face had turned into ever since their mother began to give them tasks to complete. Before that, he had played with her, laughed with her, promised to protect her despite only being a year older…

And then, a few years ago, his attitude had changed completely. He barely addressed her, never came to see her, and always had the same blank look on his face.

That was why she simply turned back to her new instructor and watched him with her big, gleaming eyes.

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"Today begins your training to become the future guardians of the Elf clan!" Agmundr continued, his voice growing stricker with every sentence. "We do not tolerate weakness here! Become strong or face the consequences!"

Having finished his introduction, he simply waved his hand and a few other dark elves with blue accents came in and dumped a few loads of sharp, metal daggers in front of the crowd of children.

"You have all been summoned here with at least one dear acquaintance!" The instructor stomped his foot, bringing the sudden chatter to an immediate halt. "Take a weapon and point it towards that partner!"

"!"

Lucine's big eyes widened even more, then reflexively turned towards her brother.

However, Reianard had been the first to make his way through the shaking crowd and grab a weapon. He simply stared at the dagger in his hand, then slowly turned his piercing gaze towards his sister.

All in time for Agmundr to finish his instructions.

"You are to drive that dagger into your partner with the intent to kill!"

**👑**

Standing in front of her brother with a shaking dagger in hand, Lucine swallowed her saliva, feeling the beads of sweat running down her face.

Many around her were in a similar state. In fact, almost every child except for a very few exceptions. One of which was Reianard, tightly clenching two daggers in front of his plain face. He slowly got into a stance, crouching down and narrowing his eyes at his opponent.

The opponent who had no time to process the fallout, let alone how a dagger had found its way to her hand.

"Begin!"

"?!"

While many hesitated to take action, Reianard leapt forward and swung one of his daggers towards Lucine.

Barely moving in time to block her rear, the sister took a step back in a hurry.

"Reianard, wait!"

However, the brother kept going. He swung his blades in quick succession, starting slow and growing faster with each block that came his way.

The more the sister retreated, the more the brother pursued.

Every block sent shock through the sister's body, until soon, she gripped her dagger with the intent of fully defending herself from the opponent refusing to talk to her.

And yet, in an instant, before she had realized it, her brother had closed the distance and gotten in her face.

"?!"

A sudden chill paralyzed her in place, a chill which quickly turned burning hot. Looking down, she saw a dagger lunged right above her stomach.

"You two pass! Treat their wounds using the fairydust!" Agmundr announced, waving to another dark elf behind him.

The passing of the first contestants triggered many to take action.

Before the sister passed out, she finally noticed another dagger in her second, previously empty hand. Her grip was loose, and yet, the end of the blade was stabbed through her brother's lung. His blood trickled down her fingers.

Despite that, looking at his face, she could see a slight softness in his eyes.

One she would never see again.

**👑**

After a short recovery period, the two siblings were dressed in tight black clothing and were instructed to fight each other day and night.

Although they were instructed to use wooden daggers, it didn't take long before both of them stopped holding back.

Lucine began to understand what was at stake, what she had at first misunderstood.

Dark elves had a purpose, a duty to uphold.

Nothing else mattered.

"I have returned, mother."

Reianard knelt, holding up a flower glowing with the color of the moon. His smooth, clean hands offered it to his mother as had been instructed.

This had been their first test after months of training. A test that would decide the fates of many children.

"Good, what about Lucine?" The mother asked, her lips barely parting.

"She poisoned herself."

"I see."

With her question answered, the mother began to lean forward to accept the flower.

"I-"

"..."

A shivering voice interrupted her, making her plain eyes glance towards an open entrance.

Lucine pushed herself against the wall, twisting her long ear. However, that pain had been completely overwhelmed by one far beyond her imagination.

Half her face, along with her arms and hands, were all covered in a violet rash that ate at her skin. The same kind of flower hung loosely in her shaking hand as she attempted to take another step.

"I…" She spoke through heavy breaths, forcing her left eye open and her hand to reveal her achievement. Her lips barely stretched up before finally succeeding."I did it…"

As soon as she announced it, the glowing flower fell beyond her reach. And as though in sync, her legs gave out, sending her face down to the ground.

Even so, she raised her head, but all her blurry vision saw was her mother turning her back to her daughter and walking away.

"Mother…?"

Despite having survived the ordeal at the end and passing onto the next stage of her training, she had learned a far more valuable lesson.

Dark elves simply existed for one purpose, for one duty.

They did not cry. They did not show affection.

They had no need to.

In order to survive, to become strong, to take on the mantle of guardian…

They eliminate any emotions and attachments.

This was how her eyes had lost their gleam, how she had stopped her bud from blooming by putting up barriers around it.

After all, during that test, unbeknownst to all, she had been faced with two choices. And yet…

Lucine Miurnliame had rejected the very moon that had always called out to her.

**👑**

"Princess… You would cry… for me?" Lucine asked, her constricted pupils staring up at the source of the tears falling her way. "Why?"

"Of course, dummy!" Tilla cried out, wrapping her arms around the dark elf's neck and diving into her embrace. "We're friends, aren't we?"

The words had been simple. Alone, they might not have had any effect. And yet, these words had come with the accumulated emotions of a starflower blooming under the moonlight.

And they shattered every barrier around the restricted bud.

A single tear escaped the shaking dark elf's face, elevating all the tightness that had hung over her chest.

"Tears…?" She muttered in shock. "How…?!"