Lucas Valern threw open the chamber door and rushed into the antechamber, his chest heaving from the exertion of running here with all his might. His normally well kept short light brown hair was incredibly disheveled, while his bright blue eyes were filled with worry. After a few moments of fighting to get his breath under control, he walked over to the human servant girl that had been standing in the room and glared at her. "Is she well? What about the child?" he demanded.

  When he heard that his wife Nimue had finally gone into labor, the newly ascended Governor of Wintrenland Province had quickly rushed back to his mansion to be by her side. He had unfortunately spent most of Nimue’s pregnancy taking care of his dying father and serving in his place and as such had not been able to spend nearly as much time as he would have liked with her. Thankfully for Lucas, the province had mostly stabilized after his official ascension to power, giving him enough leeway to finally rejoin his wife’s side for the birth of their child.

  The servant bowed her head low, not flinching in the face of the harshness of Lucas’s tone as she explained that the midwives had reported that the birth had gone well and that both his newborn daughter and mother were happy and healthy. Lucas couldn't help but smile in relief at hearing the good news, then inclined his head slightly in apology. “I apologize for snapping at you like that Helga. Please remain here and wait in case Nimue needs anything.” With that, he then made his way into his wife’s bedchamber.

  In the middle of the room sat the ornate cradle that held the sleeping form of his newborn child. Her exhausted but happy mother rested in a chair right next to it. Nimue’s beautiful long blonde hair was disheveled, and her normally bright green eyes were slightly dimmed by the strain of childbirth. As her eyes raised to meet Lucas’s, they quickly brightened once again and she flashed him a tired smile. He returned her smile as he made his way over and wrapped her in a gentle embrace.

  “I am so glad that both you and our beloved child are safe,” Lucas said as he held his wife close, relief evident in his voice. He gently kissed her forehead, then leaned down to gaze at his sleeping daughter. "She's beautiful, Nimue…have you thought of a name?"

  Nimue’s gaze returned to her child, a thoughtful expression on her face as she pondered for a few moments. “I have indeed…what do you think of Selva? I took it from the Varsonite word ‘silva’ which means ‘forest’ or ‘wood’.” She paused for a moment, a worried expression crossing her face as she forced out her next words. “I…I hope it gives her strength.”

  Lucas pondered the suggested name as he gazed at the baby’s sleeping form, his eyes hitching on her peculiarly shaped ears. Unlike a normal human or elven baby’s ears, their baby girl had ears that combined the two, starting in a typical human shape before tapering off into sharp elf-like tips. He grasped Nimue a little bit tighter, then reached up to gently rub the top of her head.

  “Selva is a beautiful name for her. I’m sure our baby girl will grow as strong and unyielding as the forest.”

  Despite the fact that Lucas and Nimue lived in the Varsonian Republic, a nation that on paper was a place where elves and humans could live together in harmony, the reality was far from that ideal. In the thousand years that had passed since the founding of the Republic, racial tension had begun to build as humans and elves competed for ultimate control creating a tense social atmosphere. Mingling between the two species was not strictly illegal though interracial couples were viewed with contempt and suspicion and seen as a form of taboo. As such, half-elf children were treated even more poorly than their parents and faced miserable lives.

  Nimue shivered a bit in Lucas’s grasp, tears welling up in her eyes as she worried over her daughter’s future. "I’m terrified Lucas…what if our families are right about her? What if she truly does end up cursed?” she choked out.

  As Lucas held Nimue close and attempted to soothe her, his thoughts drifted to the troubled history that had led to this point.

  Every Varsonian knew the ancient story of the human King Virnius and elf Queen Elanil, the two rulers who had died and subsequently were resurrected during the legendary Battle of Resolute. After ending the battle and merging their Kingdoms into the Varsonian Republic, the two monarchs worked hard to resolve the initial challenges that arose before overseeing the first elections for the Varsonian Senate. They then relinquished political power and departed the Republic to ascend to their divine roles as the Human God and Elf Goddess, respectively.

  What was easy to forget about this founding story was that Virnius and Elanil were both monarchs with surviving descendants before ascending into divinity. Fearing the potential issue of their subjects voting for members of their bloodlines and turning the Republic into a hereditary diarchy, Virnius and Elanil gave strict instructions to both their families and the most influential figures of the Republic before departing. They ordered that their bloodlines be scrubbed from all public records and that the surviving members of each family would swear absolute secrecy on their divine ties. Thankfully for Virnius and Elanil, all parties agreed and rather quickly their bloodlines were erased from history.

  While the royal families lost their royal status and overt political strength, they did not lose all semblance of influence. Their family names changed and over the years both families ended up developing strong public reputations as skilled magic users or competent members of the military. As the centuries marched on and the roles of the families changed, one constant remained for both of them.

  When Virnius and Elanil ascended, a tomb containing what were supposedly the mortal bodies of the Gods had been secretly established far off in the Spine Mountains that split the continent in two. The two families had then been given a sacred task to send a chosen family member every decade to the tomb. There, these Tomb Custodians would channel a bit of either mana or aura into the tomb together before departing and making their way back to their respective lives.

  From the start of the ritual, the chosen representatives would make the journey and once arrived would shroud themselves with cloaks and masks to hide their identity from each other. This had worked well until the last scheduled trip started with the Tomb Custodians immediately recognizing the other from their voices. It turned out that Lucas had been the chosen human Custodian while Nimue had been the elven Custodian, and both didn’t realize until after they had been married.

  When their families had learned the news, a storm of shock and anger had overtaken both of them. This was unprecedented, and both families feared that the merging of Virnius and Elanil’s bloodlines could potentially be disastrous. They attempted to force the young couple to separate, using threats of disownment to warnings that any child they may have would be cursed for breaking tradition. Neither Nimue nor Lucas cared though, having already fallen hopelessly in love.

  Lucas shook his head to finally clear his mind of all the reminiscing, forcing his thoughts to return to his wife's question. His voice wavered slightly in the face of their fears, but quickly regained his usual confidence as he continued to stroke Nimue’s hair.

  "We cannot let the words of paranoid fools get in the way of Selva’s future. Fate may throw storms in her path, but like an oak she will stand strong and shelter all those in her shadow. "

  Nimue took comfort in Lucas’s words, and she nestled herself tighter into his embrace as she fought to stop her tears from falling. With that, the two parents felt content to just enjoy each other's company and silently watch over their daughter.

  Lucas found himself standing in the cold, stone burial chamber that made up the heart of the Tomb of the Unifiers. He knew he must be dreaming as the journey to the tomb took weeks to complete, yet something else nagged at him about it. The sensations he was feeling from the cold damp air on his skin to the slightly aromatic smell of magic incense were far more realistic than any other vision he ever had. As he pondered why this dream was so vivid, he decided to look around the tomb and gain his bearings.

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  The room featured two massive marble sarcophagi that housed the mortal remains of the Gods, two even larger statues of Virnius and Elanil that stood over their respective sarcophagus, and the two pedestals that contained the orbs that he and Nimue had to imbue with magic to maintain the tomb. Meanwhile the walls were decorated with richly detailed frescoes detailing the histories of both the human and elf races as well as the stories of Virnius and Elanil.

  Lucas closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He focused his attention onto his hearing, trying to find anything out of place when he heard the sudden rustle of a cloak. His eyes shot open and he spun to face the source of the noise, his hand reaching for his belt only to find that both his sword and its scabbard were missing. That’s when he saw Him.

  Standing in the center of the room between the two statues was a tall figure wearing black robes with a hooded cloak with their back currently turned to him. Lucas didn’t know how this stranger had evaded his detection before, but the fact that he was unarmed greatly disturbed him. He didn’t get the time to formulate a plan before the figure spoke, startling him.

  “We finally get to meet face to face, Lucas Valern. I’ve waited a long time for this meeting.” With that, the figure turned around and shrugged off his cloak, causing Lucas to stagger back in shock. There, standing next to a giant statue bearing his likeness stood the ever imposing form of Virnius, God of Humanity.

  Virnius towered over Lucas, his entire body rippling with barely contained muscles as his mere presence seemed to exude raw power. He wore a suit of segmented iron armor that was typical for the soldiers of the Kingdom of Varson, except his was much more ornate with various golden motifs of wolves decorating various parts of it. A cape billowed out from his shoulders, a huge golden wolf’s head emblazoned across it with heavy golden trimming around its edges.

  What drew Lucas’s attention the most about Virnius was not his intricate armor but the intense icy blue eyes that peered down at him from under a heavy golden crown. Lucas struggled to not crumble under his God’s scrutinizing gaze, never in his life meeting anyone with such forceful presence before. It was then that something clicked in Lucas’s mind, and he quickly dropped to his knees with his head bent low and palms flat across the ground.

  “P…p…please forgive this lowly one for not immediately giving you the respect you deserve Your Divine Grace!”

  The room remained silent for only a few moments, but to the terrified Lucas it seemed to stretch on for an eternity until he felt a powerful hand grip his arm and pull him back to a standing position. Positively terrified, Lucas found himself once again staring into the eyes of Virnius. His terror quickly turned to confusion as instead of seeing an intense fury in Virnius’s eyes there was a look crossed between slightly disappointed and apologetic.

  “I didn't mean to scare you Lucas, and for that I am sorry. That being said, I’m going to tell you now to not address me with any fancy titles and just call me Virnius. You are of my blood, and to hear you groveling like that sickens me a little.”

  Lucas found himself stunned at the sheer casualness that Virnius spoke to him with but didn’t allow himself to linger too much on it as he forced himself to concentrate on comprehending the situation he was currently in. Virnius, the God of Humanity was currently standing before him and speaking to him. There was only one real reason that Lucas could think of for why this was happening, but he decided to take a deep breath and let his normally level headed instincts guide his actions. He bowed slightly to once again show his respect, then responded.

  “I will do my best to honor your wishes Virnius, but I must insist that you have nothing to apologize for. The past couple of days have been very difficult for me and I have allowed my senses to be regrettably dulled a little. With that being said, may I ask why we are here?” he asked, putting extra effort into keeping his voice as level as possible.

  Virnius met Lucas’s steady gaze for an uncomfortably long time before sighing and walking past Lucas, gesturing for him to follow. The duo made their way over to one of the massive frescoes that decorated the walls of the tomb, a vivid depiction of the Battle of Resolute where Virnius and Elanil stood over their troops and appealed for peace. Once in front of it, Virnius turned around to look at Lucas once again.

  “When I had heard that the Sonians had mobilized to intercept my army as we met outside what was then just a tiny village named Resolute, I firmly believed that we had a chance to defeat the elves once and for all. While me and Elanil ended that battle peacefully through our newfound dreams for peace, we have been forced to watch the nation we built at the end of it slowly wither and die in front of us.”

  Lucas felt an uneasy feeling building in his chest as he listened to Virnius talk, his eyes drifting to look at the fresco behind Virnius. It was not much of a stretch to say that the Republic had many different problems facing it from a senate gridlocked along racial lines to ever mounting external pressure from various tribal Orcs in the North and the powerful Lizardmen Kingdom of Waipiola to the South. He ultimately decided to remain silent, and waited for Virnius to continue as the God turned to face the fresco behind him.

  “We not only believed too strongly that our subjects would pick up the torch we lit and run with it, but we also ascended far too early and left them with no guidance to achieve a future where humans and elves live in peaceful coexistence as equals. I fear that the bloodshed depicted on this mural will happen again in the Republic’s near future and that no one will step forward to stop it.”

  The sheer weight of Virnius’s words bore heavily upon Lucas’s soul as he knew deep down that Virnius was indeed correct. His thoughts drifted to his newborn daughter, and he came to a horrible realization that she might be forced to live or even fight in such a horrible future. That’s when Virnius spun around and flashed a warm smile to Lucas.

  “But not all hope is lost. While our family cursed you for choosing Nimue as a wife, your child Selva has come as a blessing for Varsonia. Having both Elanil and my blood running through her veins will not only allow her to unlock great power, but also provides an extremely rare opportunity to finally bring the unity to the Republic that Elanil and I dreamed of at the end of that fateful battle.” Virnius said with a warm tone, placing a hand on Lucas’s shoulder.

  Lucas had the fight the lightheadedness he felt when Virnius mentioned Selva, taking a few moments to steady himself. He had an inkling that Virnius would mention his daughter, but to hear his God give her some sort of grand destiny scared him as a father immensely. It was at this point that he finally spoke again.

  “Forgive me if I overstep my bounds here Virnius, but how can one girl fix our corrupt excuse of a Republic? It will be hard enough to keep her safe from those in Wintrenland that hate my marriage, let alone the weight of a Senate who hates our province for having the sheer gall to not roll over and show our belly when they demanded more and more of our resources before the Wintrenland War. You are asking me to put the weight of two entire peoples on her shoulders…why should I? There has to be some other way!”

  Virnius removed his hand and took a step back, letting his intense gaze from before return. This time Lucas did not flinch back, a newfound sense of purpose welling in him and giving him the strength he needed to stand firm. After a few moments, Virnius blinked first and gave Lucas a sympathetic look.

  “I am glad that your will is so strong, Lucas Valern, for it means the future is not as bleak as I thought it would be. With that being said, look deep inside yourself and realize that there is no choice. You think I would leave the fate of the Republic in the hands of one girl if I had any other option?”

  While Virnius’s words definitely stung a bit, Lucas decided to trust Him. Not only was it foolish to go against the wishes of his literal God, but Virnius was also right that things in the Republic would eventually come to a head. Resigning himself to fate, Lucas nodded his head.

  “Very well. Tell me what needs to be done and I will do my best to accomplish it.”

  Virnius wasted no time upon hearing Lucas' answer, gesturing for him to follow once again before he walked past Lucas and back to the spot where he had first appeared between the two massive statues. Once both of them were back in the same positions they had been at the start of the encounter, Virnius turned to face Lucas with his signature intense look.

  “Lucas Valern, Governor of Wintrenland and Defender of the North…I give you the following Divine Mandate as the Patron God of Humanity and one of the founders of the Varsonian Republic. Raise your daughter Selva Valern well, and teach her everything she needs to not only be a powerful warrior but a great leader as well. Once she is ready and comes of age, you will send her alone to the Tomb of the Unifiers to complete the mandate given to you. It is also very important to note that you must speak of this conversation to no one except your wife as she will be instructed by Elanil as I have instructed you here. Do you swear here and now to carry out this Mandate to the best of your ability and ensure the survival of the Varsonian Republic and its people?”

  Lucas felt as though his life…no, the lives of the entire Valern family had converged into this one singular point. He feared what the future might bring for his beloved daughter and if she could handle the sheer weight of her destiny. Despite that fear, the feeling of confidence in the sheer potential in Selva’s future outweighed his fears and he graciously bowed low before answering in a calm, firm voice.

  “I swear.”