The Original Realm

Luke clung desperately to the rough bark beneath him, his stomach lurching with every slight tilt of the massive tree as it soared through the air. The wind howled around him, drowning out most other sounds, but not the persistent churn in his gut.

"I think I'm gonna—" Luke didn't finish his sentence before he doubled over, retching violently off the side of the tree.

Aldric, perched comfortably on the top of the tree, glanced back with a disapproving glare. "Oh, for the love of all things sensible. Stop being so dramatic, boy! It's just a bit of motion. You're not made of porcelain!"

Luke groaned, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "A bit of motion? We're flying hundreds of kilometers per hour on a tree you threw like a spear!" He gagged again, gripping the bark tighter as the tree wobbled slightly in midair. "How are you so calm?"

"Calm?" Aldric's eyes twinkled with mock indignation. "I'm perfectly composed because I've done this before. Unlike you, who's clinging on like a baby bird that just fell out of its nest."

"Normal people don't do this!" Luke snapped, though his words lost some of their bite as another wave of nausea overtook him.

"You'll toughen up eventually," Aldric said with a shrug, his tone suggesting he wasn't at all convinced. "Now, while we have some time, I might as well enlighten your pea-sized brain on something worth knowing. Let's talk about relics."

Luke blinked through his discomfort, trying to focus on Aldric's words. "Relics?"

"Yes, relics," Aldric said, puffing out his chest like a proud teacher. "The most powerful artifacts in all of existence. They are, quite literally, the stuff of legend. Some even consider them the very pillars of creation itself."

Luke squinted, still pale from motion sickness. "That sounds... important."

"Brilliant observation," Aldric said with exaggerated sarcasm. "Yes, boy, they're important. Each relic represents an aspect of its respective race—ten races, ten relics. And each one has power beyond comprehension. They can bend the very fabric of reality."

Luke's interest piqued despite his condition. "So where are they? Hidden in plain sight?"

Aldric let out a dry laugh. "Hidden is a generous word. These things are either locked away by kingdoms, wielded by the most powerful individuals alive, or buried so deep in the wilds that even I would think twice before looking for them."

"That doesn't sound fair," Luke muttered.

"Fair?" Aldric tilted his head, amused. "Of course it isn't fair. The requirements to use a relic are so ridiculous that most beings couldn't even dream of wielding one. And even if you meet the requirements, unlocking their full potential? Hah, good luck with that."

Luke leaned forward slightly, curiosity momentarily overcoming his queasiness. "What kind of requirements are we talking about?"

"Varies by relic. Some demand sheer willpower. Others require... let's say, a unique disposition. Then there are those with prerequisites so absurd you'd think they were invented by a madman. And I'm speaking as a connoisseur of absurdity."

Luke frowned. "And what happens if someone actually gets one?"

Aldric's tone dropped, his usual sass replaced by something more reverent. "Then, my boy, they become a force of nature. Entire kingdoms rise and fall at the whim of a relic's bearer. Encountering one is rare. Surviving it? Even rarer."

Luke let out a shaky breath, the gravity of Aldric's words sinking in. "So, have you ever... seen one?"

"Once," Aldric said, his voice quieter. "And that was enough."

Before Luke could press further, the tree gave a sudden, violent jolt. He yelped, clinging on for dear life. "What now?"

"We're almost there," Aldric said, his grin returning.

"To the elf kingdom?" Luke asked hopefully.

Aldric's grin widened into something almost feral. "Not quite."

Before Luke could respond, the massive tree slammed into something solid with a thunderous crash. Luke barely managed to hold on as the impact sent splinters flying in every direction. When the dust cleared, he realized they had stopped—because the trunk had embedded itself straight into the side of a massive castle lodged in a sacred tree.

Luke blinked once, twice, and then looked down at Aldric, who was casually grooming his fur.

"You... You're insane," Luke said, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Aldric smirked, hopping off the tree. "No, boy. I'm efficient."

Luke stared at the cratered wall, the splintered remains of the tree sticking out like a massive spear. For a moment, he considered whether he should climb down and flee before things got any worse.

He sighed, muttering under his breath. "What have I gotten myself into?"