Spirit Taming

Chapter 708: Waiting Dangers

Finding that the space which opened up was not actually an entrance to the city of the elves was surprising. but , it explained a lot about their society.

"This is the passageway we bring all visitors who have not been verified as acceptable to walk about our homes. We also keep prisoners and other beings within these walls." The captain made it clear that he was explaining this for a reason.

The vines and branches that made up this massive wall used to protect their city were actually hollow. It was a massive explanation of how the city was safer from the attacks and the risks that came with accepting merchants, visitors in general, and stopping beasts that wanted to some within.

Their beasts could use skills that shaped these walls. Therefore, they could trap any attacker or criminal within. It would further allow control over who was coming and going. But when it came to criminals or dangerous beasts, this was a very deadly trap.

Besides the clear ability to create cages, this was a place that could be used to attack without any risk to the beast or tamer that was controlling the wood of these vines and trees. A deadly method that Clark knew he would struggle to handle unless he used his full force.

This also allowed the weaker tamers to contribute much more. They would not need to be at risk of being harmed while they attacked in this manner. Years of elven society had been able to create this form of defense and attack all in one form.

Walking ahead through the dimly lit hollow wooden passageway, Clark found that he was in fact walking past criminals in wooden cages. The vines shaped to become bars while some were even held to the walls with the wooden vines or branches.

" even our own comic crimes. They will go against nature or they will allow themselves to fall to darker urges. It is a stain on our society as a whole, but we will not kill them unless they are equal to an evil that warrants that action. They are bound separately from their beasts and unable to call to them."

The captain was still showing off the dangers of harming or lying to the elves. It wasn't that he did not believe Clark entirely. It was very clear that Clark was being honest with what he said. Yet, if Clark was thinking about doing anything untoward, this would be the chance for him to rethink his actions. Or at least those were the intentions of the captain here.

But what stopped Clark as they moved, were the prisoners that were seemingly wearing very few rags of clothing. But also had some marks on their body. Rope burns, slight scrapes, and even some covered wounds that had been treated to keep them alive.

Using the analysis, he managed to find something much worse than what he had imagined, but it was something he could hold to himself for the moment. He didn't need to share this with the captain. It connected to what he had to tell the matriarch of the city. As the elder of all these elves here, she would make the decision whether to listen or not.

"Your people live with a thin wall of strength wood between them and a criminal. Do they live in ignorance or do they live knowing that they are always a small width away from potential death?" Clark asked this without expecting any response. He knew the answer already.

The elves held elegance, nature, and their pride fairly high. They were a race that showed off their beauty and believed that they were higher than others. Therefore, it would make sense that they were divided in terms of knowledge.

The common elf living here would surely not know what was within these hollow branches and vines that Clark wandered through. While they could easily uncover it, they chose not to in their own ways. They did not look further because they did not wish to. They wished to maintain their appearance and current bliss in nature and life.

This was why there was a clear wall and disdain for other races. They had more openness with the darker sides of their cities. The humans saw their corruption in places and even openly fought it or gave in to it.

The dwarves would beat down, steal, or even challenge one another for their forging knowledge. They were brutal, blunt, and out in the open. They did not hide this and readily accepted it. Even bragging that they could do all these things to become a better blacksmith or dwarf as a whole.

The elves had their own ways.

"We are heading toward the meeting chamber of the matriarch. Remember that you can be killed at any time if you do anything deemed wrong in her or our eyes." The caption was leading Clark up a steep inclined area of the wooden passageways. It was clear to him that this was leading in to a portion of the massive tree he had seen.

The changs in the wood had been enough to see that this was a better defended area. It wasn't that there were not any criminal cages or that there were more guards here and there. It was simply the density of energy. It was also that the wood itself had small glowing veins.

This showed a direct connection with a powerful beast that could control the wood at a much higher degree than what the further away portion of these wooden hollow branches could be controlled. It was a sign that Clark could not even run if he wanted to.

The large chamber that he walked in to had some branches growing inwards. At the ends were glimmering leaves that lit everything up in a green hue. It was warm and pleasant. Almost healing.

There were a few elders sitting on large vine grown chairs, but they were still to the side of a much older and powerful elf. Her appearance still showed that she could have been a woman of only forty years when it came to comparing looks with humans. But, that was just what her strength brought her.

The older an elf looked, the less they had the chance to grow. Or the less powerful they were. The leaders around were only showing their age because they could not grow further and had stagnated in their connection to nature or their beast's growth.

The matriarch, was strong because she had immense energy at her fingertips. The very feeling of being under their green gaze was enough of an example that she could crush him and many others. Nothing compared to the powerful enders beside her.

"You entered our territory even though you were told to leave. You also made an embarrassment of our guards. Threatening others. Humans will be greatly harmed with this. You understand the damage to our relationship that you have done?" the matriarch exerted some force, but Clark shook his head. He knew well he was being tested a little.

"No damage was done. Instead, I am strengthening it by saving your city and forging a better bond. There is a greater threat coming. One that you have missed even with your ability to control the roots and branches of this grand tree." Clark allowed multiple energies to spill from his body. He could even sense that Devi and Shy had stirred in their sleep within the edens end taming space.

"How would you call that strengthening?" the matriarch questioned his actions.

"I rescued Jasmine within a dungeon. She is currently repaying me for this by using whatever she has to get me here. The guards tried to draw bows toward myself and my group. They risked their own lives and I allowed them to leave. Now, I stand here while you are at risk." Clark calmly retorted with enough force to make the matriarch pay a little more attention.

"Not that you will survive if you do not listen to me. While I am not threatening you, I saw that you have already allowed the enemy to infiltrate your city. I would have expected that you could find these future monsters better. Especially since your people have been dealing with monsters attacking the plains constantly."

This caused the elders to all glare. Their attention on Clark fully. They could not imagine such arrogant words.

"Enemy within my city!?" the matriarch stood from the vines that she sat on. They began to move as if awaiting the order to attack.

"Yes, the prisoners you have. The new ones were covered in wounds that were not done by your guards. They came to your walls and attacked while your forces handled monsters. But they had no weapons and no beasts with them. Why is that? Why is it that you changed them up when they collapsed?

Did you even evaluate them? Evaluate the beast eggs within their stomachs and the vials that were slowly disintegrating within their stomach acid?"

Clark had seen it all with his analysis. The threat that was in waiting. The ticking bomb.