Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

Orion shivered under the sky's cold gaze, and he felt naked, without shelter. The forest was diverse and vast, with many open spaces within its borders, vast meadows, barren thickets. He did not like this environment. He liked the dusk in the deep forest, where his life passed by in the rushing streams, the darkest valleys, lurking in the shadows, and he did not like these spaces without leaves.

When Orion opened his eyes again, the scene had changed, and he found himself in a colorless forest, a valley of inky black and blinding white, with nothing to mitigate the cruelty. As he sat up, he heard the crunch of dry leaves, and to his surprise, he realized the sound was coming from his own skin. He looked down at his body and saw that it was faded, fragile, and covered in dust, just like everything else.

"I remember..." Orion stopped mid-sentence, surprised at the hoarseness of his own voice, and as his eyes adjusted to the blinding light he saw the plain of pale dust, divided into thousands of perfect squares, separated by arrow-straight white wild trees that stretched off into the distance and disappeared beyond the horizon.

"Have I been here?" he whispered. One of the trees was within his reach. He stretched out his hand and tried to grab it, but he couldn't. The tree avoided him.

Then, one by one, Orion's senses faded, leaving only the echoes of the past, no other sounds, no sights, not even smells. Only his ancestors, telling him of his glorious past, guiding him through the darkness, accompanying him with song. The ancestors surrounded him, supporting him, noble and steadfast, burning with the heat of divinity.

As the ancestors walked together, Orion realized that his past life was no longer just words. The songs of the ancestors drew a strong image in his mind, tall giants, with broad and powerful muscles and tall and strong antlers on their heads. He slowed down his pace and stood in shame before the ancestors. What right did he have to walk among these proud kings? The stories of the ancestors were as grand and profound as epics, each leading the forest to a deeper wildness, each binding the subjects more tightly to Ariel's rule, and his story was just a ridiculous tragedy.

"I failed," Orion said, opening his hands and staring at his broad, scarred palms.

The sound died away, and Orion looked up. The other Orions were no longer walking in front, but standing in a circle around him.

The faces of the ancestors were both cruel and serene, each one unique, carved into the nobility of the flesh that made them, but they were clearly one, and they approached with a silent movement, and Orion flinched under their gaze until he realized that there was no judgment in their eyes, only determination.

"We will not fail." One of the Orion said with his chin raised.

"But look at me, my body is broken, I have nothing left, my balance is broken. My hunt ended in disgrace, how could I not fail? All I have left now is my flame."

"We are the soul of the forest. We will not fail, and we keep our promises." An ancestor walked to Orian's side. He was taller than Orian, holding a large and worn axe. He pressed the axe against Orian's chest, looked at Orian meaningfully, and said.

Orion shook his head in confusion, and then his soul returned to his body again. He gasped and found that he couldn't move on the ground. He couldn't even turn his head. He could only see his breath turning into mist in the air above his face. He tried to get up, but it was in vain. He just barely raised his head and coughed up some blood.

"My love! Don't be afraid, we are together, I am with you, and no matter what happens, it is not your fault." Ariel exclaimed when she saw Orion's eyes open. Her voice was taut, her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she held Orion's hand tightly.

"Ariel, we are the incarnation of the gods, we are immortal." Orion was surprised to see Ariel sitting next to him, and then he said sharply. He was very angry because he saw the pity on Ariel's face.

"Yes, we are fragments of Aisha and Kunos, and no matter what we forget, we must remember that."

"What should we do now? Should we hold the ceremony?" Orian said reluctantly, his brows furrowed in pain.

Ariel did not answer for a moment. Her face was pale and full of worry. She stared at Orian's motionless body in deep thought.

"Ariel!"

"No, dear, there is no ceremony, no etiquette, the forest will guide us in any way it chooses, and then we just have to wait." Ariel took a deep breath, looked around, and brought her thoughts back to reality, and then she added, "I promise you, I am still here."

"I'm here too." Orian forced himself to look Ariel in the eyes, and after a few seconds, he said slowly.

"I know." After they stared at each other for a moment, Ariel leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against Orion's.

"I'm sorry..." Orion sighed with satisfaction, grinning at Ariel. His heart was filled with pain, but Ariel's words shone in his mind, clearer than the winter sun. He spoke with difficulty, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

A pale shape was approaching, a gray wolf that looked as calm and peaceful as ice, the spirit of the forest, Usnar. Orion's eyes caught the gray wolf, he knew the gray wolf, the beast, Bruyd.

"Usnar?" Ariel showed a simple joy.

Orian stopped looking at the gray wolf and turned his gaze to Ariel. He imagined what Ariel looked like in the past, when he was still a mortal. He tried to stand up and hug Ariel, but he couldn't stand up.

"We often lose our way." A howl came from Usnar's mouth.

"Let me explain my actions... My mind is not under my control..." Orion said breathlessly, knowing that the word disorientation was directed at him.

"There used to be a tower here, planted here by a great being," Usnar continued, as if he didn't hear Orion.

"You're talking about the distant past." Ariel's smile gradually disappeared.

"I'm talking about nature, Ariel. You shouldn't have come here a long time ago. Your nature is to bind, prune and hunt. It flows in your blood and is branded in your bones. You can never get rid of it." There was no emotion in Usnar's words.

Orion closed his eyes, having expected such an accusation.

"Usnar, my dear friend, why do you say that? Why do you speak to me like a stranger?" Ariel shook his head in confusion.

"This land has been changed, damaged by your greed, and this is the mark you have left on history, distorting and imprisoning the beauty of nature." Usnar's voice began to gain emotion, becoming more angry with each word.

"Why do you speak these words? Every action we take is balanced by another action, every movement is matched by another. You know how much we care, Usnar. You know our loyalty to the forest, why do you speak like this?"

"Blessing was a curse from the beginning!" Gray Wolf's voice trembled with anger.

"Do you think his arrival will make the forest a better place?" Ariel narrowed his eyes and pointed at Daxus's departing back.

"Yes! Whatever changes he brings are better than what you bring. He is the master of this forest! We and the forest are shaped by his will."

"So what do you want us to do, Usnar?" Ariel asked after exchanging glances with Orion.

Orian, who was lying on the ground, saw the tears flashing in Ariel's eyes.

"So, Queen of Oak, will you follow my advice? Like before?" The gray wolf regained his composure and asked after staring at Ariel for a moment.

"What do you want us to do?" Ariel repeated.

"Even now, you can repair the damage you have done and leave this forest. The choice is yours, Ariel. Leave now, place your loved one on the spirit bed, and say goodbye to the past. Within a season, your mark will begin to fade. Nature will reoccupy its territory and life will begin again. As for your people, magic, horses and fire... the forest will obey his arrangements." The gray wolf howled softly, with a sense of urgency in his tone, and at the end it cast its gaze on Daquus's back.

"What about Morgul?"

"The disease is part of the forest, Ariel, you are not."

"Usnar, my oldest friend, I understand." Ariel nodded, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, and she murmured in a voice so soft that only Orion could hear.

Orion was about to speak, eager to explain his actions more clearly to Usnar, but before he could open his mouth, Usnar turned away. Then, darkness fell before his eyes, as if a curtain had been cast over the night sky, muffling even the sound of rain hitting fallen leaves. He stumbled forward blindly in the darkness, trying to follow Ariel.

Then the darkness was replaced by a blinding flash, and Orion howled and covered his eyes with his hands. The cry was so terrible that he could not tell whether it came from Ariel or some animal. The flash faded, and he opened his eyes.

"Now I understand that we must keep our original promise. But our love will never disappear, no matter what happens. Let's get started, my love, I'm ready." Orian saw Ariel lying on the ground, shaking violently. He could feel that Ariel's body was shaking because of sadness. He wanted to hug Ariel, his heart was struggling in pain, and his eyes were full of helplessness and sadness. But... he sighed and said calmly.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Tears welled up in Ariel's eyes as strength wrapped around her fingertips, pulling more roots from the ground, each rising root holding Orion tighter.

Orlean's back was arched by the rising roots, blood foam flowed from his lips, and his body was shaking under the action of the roots. When he realized what Ariel was doing, he gave Ariel an encouraging smile. He looked at Ariel tenderly, trying to make Ariel understand his feelings. Although he could not speak, his eyes were full of love and compassion. He knew that he was about to leave this world forever, but he hoped to use the communication of the heart to tell Ariel that he would always be in Ariel's heart, and death could not separate them.

Ariel's wails echoed through the clearing, her voice filled with endless sadness and despair. Her heart trembled, tears blurred her vision, but she still acted firmly. In her heart, Orion was the one she loved most, and Orion's departure made her feel extremely painful and sad. She hoped to keep Orion and let him stay by her side, but reality took Orion away mercilessly.

Orian felt an invisible force surging around him. He gave an encouraging smile and closed his eyes. At that moment, his heart was filled with deep blessings for Ariel. He hoped that Ariel could understand his feelings.

Orion's body was torn apart, so badly that Ariel couldn't find a place to hold him.

Ariel knelt there helplessly, wailing non-stop, her body trembling, tears flowing like a spring. Her heart was filled with longing and attachment to Orion, and every cry seemed to be a final farewell to Orion. The sorrow was buried deep in her heart, making it almost unbearable for her.

The cry echoed in the silent open space, as if telling the world about her grief and helplessness. She didn't even notice that the weather had begun to change, snowflakes began to fall quietly, and the white snowflakes danced in the air, as if mourning for her sadness and bringing a soft comfort to the pain in her heart.

Ariel's tears mixed with the snowflakes and, accompanied by the whistling wind, her voice of grief became part of the forest, remaining forever in this quiet land.

Orion watched Ariel staggering across the clearing holding his bloody remains. He saw Ariel's robes were covered with his blood. As Ariel staggered across the clearing, Liv, the Twilight Sisters, and the remaining Thorn Sisters gathered around him. Led by Ariel, the maids walked towards an unlit coffin under the Oak of Ages.

Then Orion saw Ariel and Liv carrying his body to the cot. He noticed that there were other beings standing still around the cot as well. A crowd of mourners and stewards gathered under the Oak of Ages. He saw the being that had defeated him, the being he had tried to drive away. He saw most of the Woodland Lords of the Twelve, wearing wide black hoods, wreaths of ivy and mistletoe, hands blackened by ash. It was not these beings that caught Orion's attention, however, but the long-dead Artomis lying beside the cot, and the body of a hound. The hound's open eyes disturbed him, out of place in the rest of the scene. The mourners could not see his spirit suspended in the starlight, but the dead hound saw him, and its gaze followed him as he fell toward his body.

As the flames devoured the body on the spirit bed, Orion turned his eyes away from the hound, and he felt his soul scatter like seeds in a pod. Everything he was, everything he loved, everything he cherished, all disintegrated at this moment as his body disappeared, turning into the invisible sound and whistle in the forest, drifting to all corners of the forest with the wind.

Orian knew this was the last moment. He set his eyes on Ariel in the distance, and a feeling of reluctance, attachment and deep love surged in his heart. Ariel was everything in his life, and a concern that he could never give up. In his eyes, Ariel was so beautiful and noble. Everything about Ariel was deeply engraved in his heart and would never be erased.

Ariel's head was lowered, tears blurred her vision, but her eyes were still fixed firmly on the flames, watching her lover struggling in the flames in grief. Suddenly, a strong intuition surged in her heart, as if she realized something, she slowly turned her head and cast her eyes on the soul of Orion that was about to dissipate.

At that moment, her eyes were full of deep attachment and reluctance, and her soul was silently calling out Orian's name. This was a deep and inseparable bond of emotion between her and Orian, and an eternal promise that even if they were separated, their love would remain in their hearts forever.

After seeing Ariel turn his head, Orian smiled at Ariel, conveying his comfort to Ariel. Under Ariel's gaze, his soul gradually faded and dissipated into the air.

Ariel and the onlookers remained motionless as the flames burned until only choking smoke and flickering embers remained. One by one, the mourners left, placing ivy wreaths on the smoking heap before leaving, until only Dacius, Ariel, and Liv were left.

Ariel wiped her tears, stood up clumsily, brushed the ashes from her face, and turned to face Dacus. She looked into Dacus's dark pupils and smiled sadly.

“He’s everywhere now.”

Daxus nodded, agreeing with Ariel's words.

With that, Ariel began to pour Orion's ashes into the wooden bowl, but as she did so, her fingers struck something hard, and she lifted the object from the deathbed and held it up to the light.

Liv frowned in surprise. She had participated in this ceremony countless times, and it was always performed in the same way. Although this ceremony was supposed to be held before the arrival of winter, not on the first day of spring, things always went the same way. This time, something new happened, and for a moment she was unsure how to proceed.

Ariel rolled the object back and forth between her fingers and nodded her approval. She knew exactly what the sharp part was and why it was unaffected by the flames.

"What is that?" Liv walked up to Ariel and asked quietly.

"A snake's tooth."

"I have not seen this, this is beyond my sight, something like this does not arrive by chance."

"Give him the snake fang, he knows." Ariel nodded, agreeing with Liv's words, then she handed the snake fang to Liv and said.

After handing the snake fang to Dacus, Liv nodded to him, then took a step back from the fire. She opened her palm and whispered a few words to the pale sky.

"The last rose has faded, and the shade of the tree has no more song;
The waxy earth holds you prisoner until the thaw."

"The waxen earth holds you captive until the thaw." Ariel nodded in response, calmed by the familiarity of the ritual.

Dacus, who was standing aside, felt that the words seemed wrong. He knew that Orion would never come back, but he didn't say anything. He didn't need to say anything at this moment.

"Liv, did you see anything?" Ariel poured the rest of Orion's ashes into the bowl and turned to face the Oak of Ages. She locked her eyes on the tree and asked Liv, who was standing behind her.

Faced with Ariel's question, Liv seemed a little at a loss for a moment. She was surprised by the deviation of the second ritual. She turned her head to look at Dacus, but Dacus looked at the Oak of Ages. She shook her head and stretched her fingers, letting her long nails sparkle in the sun. Then she walked to Ariel's side and tried to look directly at Ariel. Ariel's body was filled with the power of the Oak of Ages. It felt like staring at the sun.

"I can't see the future, my queen. I have lost the ability to predict the future. I am trapped. The more I stare, the less I can see." Liv chose her words carefully.

"Will they survive? When the forest sleeps, the enemy will advance, and the spirits will retreat. We will be alone in the cold, without me and Orion..." Ariel's voice was firm. She closed her eyes at the end. After a moment, she continued, "Dakwus? Can you guarantee their safety? The people, magic, horses and fire..."

"Of course, I promise." Daxus promised.

"Nestra, Arohan." Ariel nodded, her eyes wandering across the open space, finally stopping on a pair of figures under the tree, and she called out.

The Twilight sisters came over and knelt down not far from Ariel.

"My children, I will be leaving soon. Do not grieve for me, do not cry for me. You must obey Dacus's arrangements, embrace the new future, bear witness to what I cannot bear witness to, and swear to me."

"I swear, Mother."

"I swear, Mother."

Ariel nodded, she turned and smiled at Darkus, Liv and the Twilight sisters standing there, and just as she was about to speak again, her robes suddenly glowed brighter and she found herself floating towards the Oak of Ages. As her body melted into the sunlight, she smiled at her subjects who were watching her in the clearing.

The procession passed through a dripping arch, and melting snow and ice fell on the elves as they passed. Dacius looked up as he passed through the arch, and the cold melt soaked his cheeks and chilled him.

Liv led the team, and the team was huge. Aslai, Duruchi, Ai Niel and Duruchi all came. The followers of the Lord of Blades followed her steps, carrying the bodies of their dead comrades on their shoulders. Her gray-feathered owl Otto flew over the team, and even Otto's cry conveyed endless sadness.

The mournful procession passed through the woods, through silent glades and icy paths, with soft songs of mourning, and the trees sighed silently. The frozen ferns and thorns gave way to the elves, and the dwellers of the forest mourned with them.

Finally, the procession came to a wide, austerely beautiful clearing, ringed by tall trees like vigilant sentinels, with slender green shoots poking through the cultivated earth. Looking up, Dacius saw that the clearing opened up to the sky, which was pierced by vivid purples and reds. Although he was not familiar with the Asrai funeral customs, he was sure that this was a very good final resting place.

The team circled around the open space, and Asrai in the team sang a heartbreaking song of sorrow. Daxus was resonated by the song, and he found that he could not suppress his lament for sadness. He wanted to join in, but... he was only good at dancing, and he was really not good at singing, so forget it.

As the procession changed from a long line to a circle, Liv walked to the center of the clearing. She was slender and noble in a long dress of silver feathers, and Otto fell on her shoulders as she raised her staff of woven branches. The gems on her belt gleamed among the woven leaves, and thorn leaves were woven into her hair, but her face was more haggard than Daxus had ever seen her before.

"Death accelerates aging, even for an Asrai," Dacius whispered to Finnubar, who stood beside him.

Finnubar nodded silently. He knew that Dacus' words were not only superficial in meaning, but also a reminder to himself.

The elves carrying the dead gently put the bodies down, then took a step forward in unison, and gently placed their comrades and loved ones on the ground. Following Liv's guidance, they slowly retreated, leaving the dead surrounded in the center of the open space.

Liv began to speak, her voice flowing like a spring, soft and beautiful, as if it were a ripple through time. Her words were full of ancient wisdom and heavy responsibilities, and every syllable carried memories of the past and concerns about the future. It was a deep and sincere call for unity, courage and hope, hoping to find a ray of light in the darkness and lead Asrai out of his predicament. However, the sadness in her eyes was unfathomable, a pain from the depths of her heart that was difficult to conceal.

Dacus listened quietly, he knew that Liv was asking the forest to accept the dead. A new official would definitely make a lot of changes, but there was no need for that, he fully recognized and respected this, and in this case he did not suggest that the dead be transformed into tree people.

Liv's speech at the beginning turned into singing, and her singing was like a lament, crossing the long river of time, evoking endless sorrow and sadness. When her gentle and moving singing reached a new height of sorrow, the Asrai followed the lament, incorporating their own feelings into it, singing out their longing for the past years and their beloved.

The song pierced the sky, gradually fading the glory of the day and letting the night fall on the earth. The flickering orange light of the torches seemed particularly warm in the darkness, illuminating the open space, as if adding a layer of comfort to the elegy and dispelling the chill of the night.

"I didn't see any tools, so I just left them there? It doesn't feel right to leave them exposed..." Finnubar whispered to Daxus.

"Of course?" Dacus responded uncertainly, and then he asked, "What else can we do?"

"Bury them? Set up some tombstones to commemorate them? Make sure they are not forgotten." Dacus's question confused Finnubar a little. After a moment, he suggested.

"Isolate the dead in stone cages, as those dwarves do? No, this is not like Ulthuan and Naggaroth, but slightly different. To confine a soul to such a place is to deny it its final journey."

"journey?"

"Yes, journey. The forest will take back its...people, yes, people. They will become part of the great forest, they will live forever by providing life for the forest. The continued beauty of the forest is their legacy, and what better memorial is there than the immortal soul of the forest?" Dacius shook his head first, and after thinking, he responded, and unlike before, his voice was a little louder this time. He said it not only to Finnubar, but also to the Asrai who were watching silently.

After Liv finished singing, she walked out of the center of the clearing, and the elves parted to let her pass. But the elves showed no signs of following her and returning. They looked at Daquus, who was still preparing to say something.

"Let's go. Our duty to the dead has been fulfilled. We must let them have their own time under the stars. Everyone, have a good rest tonight. If there is anything, we can talk about it tomorrow." Feeling the gaze, Dacus changed his words. His voice echoed in the night sky, and his words were full of sadness and heaviness.

The procession turned back and walked away, but silence hung over everyone's heart like a heavy cloud. The Asrai stared at the starry sky silently, their faces full of nostalgia for their deceased relatives and worries about the future. The sadness and grief in their hearts could not be expressed in words. In this small-scale battle, they lost their relatives and comrades. Those relatives who had fought side by side with them have now left this world. They were heartbroken, but also felt a little helpless.

"This is Athel Loren, everything is possible." Dacius and Finnubar walked side by side. When they came to the open space and were about to part, he said to Finnubar. When Finnubar nodded, he smiled and said, "Don't think too much. Tomorrow, we will sit down and have a good talk."

At night, Belloda arrived at the camp where the Asur delegation was located...

(See if it's a boast or not. If not, just forget it.) (End of this chapter)