Chapter 99: Elven Bloodlines

POV Eliza

“It will change your life and you decide how much.” <Luna>

I was very surprised by the statement. It sounded like I would have to pay a price for answers. But I needed to know, regardless of the cost.

“No matter the cost, I need to find the answer to my behavior. I don't like losing control of my actions.” <Eliza>

“Let me ask you a question first. What do you think triggered your loss of control?” <Luna>

“I've thought a lot about that. The most likely solution for me is my mental stability, even if it's hard for me to admit." <Eliza>

“You're partly right about that, although I would put it differently. Past experiences have put you in a state that has completely overwhelmed your mind. As a result, your body has taken over. It's an innate defense mechanism.” <Luna>

“But why fight? I wasn't threatened.” <Eliza>

“That's because of your race. You're a dark elf, which is a special kind of elf. There are many different kinds of elves, all with the same origins. In general, every elf is the same, but there are key differences. Elves are a highly magically gifted race and all have an affinity for one form of magic. This means that every elf is born with an affinity for one of these elements, known as an aptitude. In your case, this is dark magic. Dark elves very often have an affinity for dark magic." <Luna>

“That means there are also air, water, earth and fire elves? What about light? Nature? Wait, then what are illusion, object and gravity elves?” <Eliza>

“One thing at a time, my explanation will go on for much longer. In principle, there are elves born with each of these talents. However, the distribution and frequency of the individual talents varies greatly. Do you know the heredity theory of your world?” <Luna>

“Yes. According to it, there are dominant traits that prevail more often than the others.” <Eliza>

“It's the same with the affinities. There are forms of magic that are more common in elves than others. There are also two other effects. Both are psychological in nature. You must know that affinity affects both your body and your mind. Due to certain physical differences, parents often know at birth which affinity their child has. A first indication is skin, hair and eye color. Elves with a dark affinity almost always have black eyes, very dark skin and silver or white hair. This is why they are also called dark elves. Fire elves, for example, almost always have red hair and red eyes. Water elves have blue hair and eyes. Earth elves have a darker skin color than air elves and so on. This also means that the different elves are not separate races, but that elven parents can theoretically give birth to any kind of child. Understood that far?” <Luna>

“I think so, even if the last piece of information is difficult for me to understand.” <Eliza>

“Understandable, but it's not a mechanism that always works. There are always exceptions.

Another difference lies in character. Water elves are often fickle, while earth elves are calm and level-headed. Fire elves are brave and adventurous, while air elves are almost always on the move. Nature elves prefer peace and quiet and are very good with animals, while object elves are the best craftsmen and artifact makers. Illusion elves often live in their own world and are known as daydreamers, while gravity elves are inscrutable loners. They all prefer environments that suit their element. Water elves love to live near the sea, while air elves love high altitudes. Fire elves are the best fighters, while earth elves mostly become farmers. But all this has certain effects.” <Luna>

“What are those effects?” <Eliza>

“We were talking about dominant traits earlier, but it's all a matter of probability. The chance of having a fire elf as an offspring is greater if you have the fire affinity yourself. As you probably already suspect, the affinities of grandparents and great-grandparents also play a role. All other relatives no longer play a significant role. Now, not all elves are equally compatible with each other. Illusion and gravity elves only very rarely find someone who accepts them and therefore only very rarely have offspring. With each generation, the chance of these two affinities becomes smaller and smaller, which means that there may only be a handful of elves who have one of these two affinities. Fire elves are also relatively rare, as they too often die on their adventures before they can start a family. Aura and family magic is almost non-existent. This is more common among the Beastfolk.

Light and dark elves are another special exception.” <Luna>

“Why is that?” <Eliza>

“Light elves are usually elitist, arrogant and conceited. They think they are better than everyone else. They also have a great rivalry with dark elves, as they are the exact opposite in many ways. Light elves love to be the center of attention. They like to bathe in the cheers of the masses and boast about their deeds. They also love to rule. Many rulers among the elves are light elves. Dark elves, on the other hand, prefer to operate in the background, often using any means necessary to survive and win. They often serve as advisors or spies. However, they take special care to ensure that their companions and comrades also survive and that they are well. Light elves, on the other hand, would sacrifice others just to look better, something dark elves rarely do. The way I've gotten to know you, you're a typical dark elf in character.” <Luna>

I could feel her smiling at me without seeing her. My cheeks turned slightly red.

“But that has other implications. Light elves consider the others to be clearly inferior and therefore have strict selection criteria when it comes to their partners. They have two types of partners with whom they produce offspring. Either it is no more than a necessity and the partner is little more than a sperm supplier or a surrogate mother. If they are lucky and produce a light elf, the offspring will be accepted. Otherwise both will be rejected. The second option is equal rights, which only works between two light elves of the same status. This is preferred, but has the disadvantage of genetic degeneration. Almost all of the light elves are related to each other, but they don't care and prefer the purity of the bloodline.” <Eliza>

“It's reminiscent of the incest among many former ruling families in my old world.” <Luna>

“Eliza, I'll give you some good advice. If you meet a light elf, you must be especially careful. For one thing, you are the hereditary enemy because of the affinity. They are users of light magic. So you should definitely make use of the transformation. But there's another reason that also occurs if they don't recognize you as a dark elf. There are, as I have tried to explain to you, essentially two types of light elves. As they are all important in some way, extreme caution is advised. The light elf is either of an older bloodline, in which case there is a good chance that he is already mentally impaired. His actions are therefore unpredictable and dangerous. The other type is one from a fresh bloodline. These are young and motivated and want to rise to ruler. In their efforts to achieve their goal, they show no consideration for others.

It is extremely rare to find a special light elf, a genius of his time. This is by far the most dangerous opponent. He comes from an ancient bloodline, but is not mentally generated. As a result, he has the strongest magic and knows how to use it. You can assume that the supreme ruler is such an elf.” <Luna>

“That's all very interesting, Luna, but what does that have to do with my current problem?” <Eliza>

“I'll get to that now. This background is important for your understanding and the decision you have to make.” <Luna>