"Ow, fuck! Where're we going old man!? At least tell me, cause I'm this close to burning down a forest again..."
Swish!
Whacking down another large bush with his large knife, Titus replied, "Just keep your mouth shut for now boy. They are listening..."
At these ominous words, Duncan promptly shut his mouth, now deathly afraid. Glancing closer at the surroundings, his fear began mounting up, for he didn't know where they were going, and he didn't like it one bit. "So, could you at least tell me where we're going, old man, cause I'm starting to get the heebie-jeebies..."
Now visibly shaking, he continued to stare at the darkening forest, where the sounds of the trees and birds that he was most familiar with began to disappear. Hugging his trench coat even tighter, he hurried quicker to Titus, afraid of getting lost in the woods (and possibly being devoured by who knows what inside). Just as he felt that they were dead, a bright blaze of light emerged from the front, prompting him to shield his eyes. When he could see again, he was shocked at what lay in front of him.
A large stone atrium stood in front of him, with the roof riddled with holes all across. Ancient Elvish was scribbled all across the floor and walls, right on the edges, glittering and glimmering as the sunlight poured down upon them. A large statue stood in each corner of the atrium, their regal figures standing tall...
Yet Broken
Duncan saw that all of them had missing parts. Some had their hands broken off, some their legs, and one even had their chest hollowed out. But what struck him odd the most was that none of them had their heads intact, with the only thing remaining of their existence a smooth, clean surface.
At this scene, Duncan could not help but think-
Who could've done this!?
"Oi, you coming here or what!?"
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Standing at the centre of the atrium, Titus held several trinkets, each with their own distinct symbols:
One held the symbol of a drop of water...
One held the image of a small smouldering bonfire...
One held the picture of loose dirt, all piled in a small, crumbling hill...
One held the depiction of soft wind, dancing freely in the air...
Peering over the symbols, Duncan couldn't help but ask the old Orc what they were. "Hey, old man, I know we're summoning spirits to deal with the issue of the Union, but don't we usually need offerings such as fruits or gems like that to summon them? Why use these...trinkets? I'm pretty sure the last time I checked, you can't eat medals!"
Chuckling at the naive young Elf's mind, he answered his burning curiosity. "That is the proper way to summon them, but in case you're not aware, like all bureaucratic systems, if you want change, you need to speak with the head honchos. And then head honchos for Spirits are the Spirit Kings and Queens. Now, to summon them, you either need really, really, really, expensive shit like Dragon claws or tooth, or, like in this case, have a medal that proclaims you as their lifelong friend..."
Okay old man, keep your secrets...
At this point (having lost all sense of shock at Titus's various secrets), he stood to the side, waiting to see how Titus would summon them...
And how they knew him
Clearing his throat, Titus began chanting in a language long forgotten, so old that Duncan's hair started rising, at the sheer power they were emanating.
"Freunde aus der Ferne, beachtet meinen Ruf, denn ich weiß-"
"Halt intruders, in the name of Titania! Lay down your arms and get on your knees!"
From the trees emerged dark-clothed elves, each wielding powerful weapons that made Duncan's heart palpitate in fear.
Oh boy...