Sylvan

Chapter 24

I went through the next few pages, reading the same things about Guardian Elsora that Noah just told me about, only a detailed version. I was still getting used to the moving pictures which were drawn to illustrate some specific moments of his life.

It was mentioned that goblins and spirits of the kingdom believed that his soul was immortal, a blessing granted to him by very ancient spirits. Elsora's essence still lingered to watch over his kingdom.

Noah settled on the table facing me as I soaked in the huge encyclopedia of his home.

"Didn't Elsora have a companion?" I asked Noah when I finished with the chapters about him. There was no mention of his companion, and from what Noah told me almost all goblins eventually found theirs.

"Not much is known about his companion. There are theories, but nothing can be said for certain," Noah answered. "Some say he never found his companion. It's rare, but plausible.

"But the another one, which is most prevalent is that he did find his companion, but it was a spirit. Anomalies happen, and after experiencing it myself I'm not very doubtful. Many believe his companion rejected him on account of him being a goblin. Rejection from his soulmate is what that drove him to unite goblins and spirits.

"Again, it's just a theory. What we know is he never had a companion by his side, so nothing is mentioned of it in the official texts."

I nodded, before turning the page. The next chapters contained about the monarchs of Elsora. First king was, Darwyn, a goblin blessed by Guardian Elsora himself to rule. As the years passed more surrounding smaller kingdoms joined in and centuries later the land was finally named after Elsora himself. As I read on, I noted the kings or queens were always goblins: Klayden, Laimus, Riana, and so on. However, spirits had their own council, whose decisions held as much weight as those of a ruler. The council's agreement was required on any law that in any way impacted the spirits.

All the monarchs of kingdom were born into the Ruler Class. Earlier Noah had mentioned that goblins naturally fell into different classes according to their powers. Classes were mostly hereditary but it wasn't a hard rule. It wasn't uncommon for goblins to have offspring that had different powers and classes.

Apparently, rulers sat on top. They were rare. Again, it was mostly the rulers that birthed other rulers. So it was a common practice for the throne to be passed down generation after generation, until some other ruler, by the stroke of luck born into this class despite their heritage, challenged the crown and usurped it.

I turned pages that recounted Elsora's kings and queens, and few names later I noticed family names being added along with description. Maybe, it was the time when goblins discovered the concept of dynasties, like humans.

See, we weren't that different. Like humans, goblins too weren't immune to bloodshed, power-hunger, and the quest for immortality.

Just beneath the rulers came slayers. They were characterized by their super strength and fearsome energy. There had been some slayers who even took down rulers single-handedly. Like rulers, being a slayer was a rarity too, but not as much as the former. A king or queen had at least one slayer as their second-in-commands. So far there had been at most four slayers appointed together by King Raiden of Garian bloodline. They were the protectors of kingdom and its kings and queens. They also acted something close to commander-in-chief of the battalions. 

I paused and looked at Noah, who had his green eyes already trained on me. He was waiting for me to have it all click together.

"You told me you're a slayer," I said, "and now you mentioned Elijah is your future king... You're his second-in-command. That's what Elijah meant about you shouldering your duties. You're the second most powerful man of Elsora." I might just pass out.