Chapter Text
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On the way to rescue Kigunu, Felique teaches Matthew how to travel faster, as they are wasting precious time with how unaccustomed he is to the manner they are traveling in. During this time, Arturia shares stories about the forest from his childhood. Matthew thinks the guys are just trying to scare him, but Arturia is highlighting the need to be careful.
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They reach a clearing and, upon finding the pole, the Loquins try to cut Kigunu down. But Matthew sees something in the shadows and tries to protect the group. The creature puts up a good fight and gives him a run for his money. As the clouds part and moonlight shines down on them, he's stunned and taken down in his moment of hesitation.
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She's an elf and she looks JUST like his neighbor from across the hallway! Her name is Eirina and she's actually a princess. Turns out that she and her people have taken in all those wrongly punished in the woods and is why they've never been found or came back to the village. Other creatures have been living in the woods for a very long time, possibly longer than Loquins have existed.
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There's some animosity when the group accompanies her back home, as they don't trust Loquins they haven't brought back themselves and they give off the impression of having imprisoned their princess. Galather, who looks like Matthew's other neighbor, greets them first and is protective of Eirina. He's a bit hostile until she assures him and her people that the group means no harm.
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Galather and Eirina are deeply in love with each other. But, because he's not royalty, their relationship is forbidden and this rule is, sadly, never changed.
- While Eirina is an elf, Galather is not, adding to the complications of their relationship. I never decided if he was going to be a centaur or a harpy, leaning the latter because, ya know, eagle on the Prussian flag.
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They spend a few days in the elfin village, getting to know their “new” neighbors. Arturia, as a mage, feels like it's his duty to learn more about these magical beings. Especially since he's gone so long without knowing about them. He actually feels bad about it, hoping to make a peaceful relationship between the villages. Eirina assures him that they've been secretive on purpose, trying to not be found, as the Loquins have been decidedly bloodthirsty with their own kind and the animals of the forest. Eirina is old enough to understand and has taken in many locals to know that not all of them are dangerous.
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Eirina will guide them back home, Kigunu deciding to return with Arturia and the others. She will ask more about Irivu and begin being curious about Matthew's home and how he got to Loqua. They will sneak her into town and she will meet Torrid and the babies. She'll spend one night in the village to see the people that live there.
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The princess will tell them there's only one way to make things right, to restore balance: attack Irivu. She is willing to help them in their plight, should that be the route they wish to take. The boys did manage to make friends with the elves, so there shouldn't be much issue to get a small army together, even without the ones that were more hesitant around them. She tells them to get their own friends together and she will send a message by bird for their answer.
- Eirina will talk to Matthew alone at some point before she heads back to her own village. She informs him there is a way to be able to send him home. It's similar to how Artuia came to his world. It just requires many more people involved because the necessary amount of magic is larger than only one person can put out on their own. Eirina is more than happy to help him return, if that's what he wants, but suggests waiting until after a decision is made about Iviru. If no attack is planned, then going home can happen right away. But if an uprising is going to be had, Arturia is going to need the support. While they aren't terribly public about it because of their unique situation and, as such, aren't sure how to progress, she can tell they love each other.
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By the time a proper rebel force is made, it's only after soldiers find Torrid and Irivu attempts to take the children he fathered away from their mother. When Torrid puts up a fight to keep them, Iviru has Natiru knock him out and takes him back to the palace. Worried he'll be put to death and leaving the babies without a mother, the others go to save him and for Arturia to get his revenge/answers.
- When everyone gathers together for the night of the attack, Matthew comes clean about himself. Everyone is shocked about his similar appearance to Alfaro, especially after putting on his glasses. Arturia helps him through it and tells them that Matthew was meant to bring everyone together. He was leery about the idea at first. But, after seeing everything that has happened so far, he's more than willing to believe in the notion.
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Ludvia, Varush, Litah, Kigunu, Lovini and Felique will be a part of the army from the Loquin village. Katiru will join them later after getting Torrid and the babies to safety, tired of her brother's tyranny. Yanwa had been blinded by love for Iviru and had been unaware of a large amount of things that had been going on. He believed all the lies. It's not until Iviru is willing to kill one of his own babies to get what he wants that Yanwa finally understands and leaves him defenseless, his main shield now gone.
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Iviru will be killed before Arturia can get true closure, though the mage can feel Alfaro's presence in the air and it is enough to at least soothe the hurt of now never really being able to know why it all happened. The group decides to leave his body to decay naturally while the village figures out the next steps to fixing all the damage he caused. Some of the elves would go into the palace with Katiru to free those in the dungeon/prison. After that, the palace would lie empty until a conclusion was reached.
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Before much of any celebrating can be made, Natiru will land a major blow to Arturia. Her mental state cracked with the death of her brother, she is easily overpowered by the others and dragged away to sit in shackles for the rest of her life.
These were all the key points, I just wasn't sure how to fill in the gaps and connect everything, especially after I lost all motivation to work on anything except the ending. I even had a 27th chapter done nine years ago, but my external hard drive crashed before I could post it anywhere. Losing that work might have been the last nail in the coffin, since this story has been dead ever since.
This ending to the story is less of an epilogue and more of just a sequel at this point but meh, whatever. I'm gonna call it an epilogue. It will take place after Arturia is injured by Natiru.