I Scored Myself A Mate

The Kardia elves felt like they were frozen in time. The moment Allias told them about what happened the three men seemed to be very confused. They looked at each other, shaken by the news of their people being dead.

"The news of your father dying never reached us. Also we did know about the war but we hid in the barrier for years. We haven't gotten out of it to protect ourselves." The elder said.

"Why didn't you come out? Why not come help the rest of us?" Allias asked him. He didn't know how to feel, everything seemed so weird at the moment. One second he was ecstatic to see that a few of his people where still alive, his father's people, the other he felt almost devestated. The things those elves we're telling him were only heartbreaking to him.

"We didn't want anything to do with your father. We were against him leaving and marrying that woman. He wasn't supposed to become king. We raise our children differently here. He decided to leave us all behind so we did the same."

"That is not true, my father always spoke about you. He always missed his home and he was a great king, everyone loved him"

"So great that apparently he ended up dying."  The man said. Allias' hand had formed a tight fist, his knuckles turning white as he tried to control himself. 

"At least he didn't stay hidden behind a fake rock like a coward." He said between gritted teeth before his eyes turned to Mark and Alexander. "Let's go, there is no reason for us to be here." 

"Wait." The old man told him. "Why did you come here? What was your purpose?" He asked him.

"Why does it concern you? You clearly told us we were not welcomed here" Allias said and heard the man sigh.

"You are the king of elves. We can't simply kick you out. Our leader will be furious if he finds out. No matter how much I want to see you gone I have to take you to him"

"I don't want to..."

"Let's go." Mark said and looked at Allias. "Remember we are doing this for Alexander. We wanted to visit their libraries. We need this information. I know it must be tough for you." 

Allias stood still, thinking for a second before he exhaled, his eyes showing how unwilling he was. He took a step back, scanning the elves with his eyes. No one seemed the slightest bit friendly. He was still curious though, about what he was going to see. Whou would be behind that barrier and if maybe there was another image to Kardia, one that did not fit these three hostile men, the one his father always talked to him about.

"Fine, lead us to your leader as you say. We would like to visit your libraries. That's why we are here" Allias announced and the three men nodded. They turned around and started walking, reaching the rock and going through it with ease. Allias and the other mimicked them easily and finally found themselves at their destinations.

Beyond the barrier the shore continued, a crystal blue sea calm as if it was sleeping. The same golden sand and a very faint breeze that made the scent of the waves travel. This place was not empty though. In the back a huge castle was eminent. Painted white with gold. Many balconies and opened floors. It had a very peculiar shape, at first for a few floors it was like a column, simple but the it opened up like some kind of flower. Allias stood frozen, recognizing his people's architecture. The last time he had seen buildings like these, people dressed and running around with clothing's like his was before he died. When he came back everything was in ruins, a sad memory of what used to exist. 

He kept looking around as they walked. The small houses with the yards. The people sitting on the village's square. The main village was a bit further, away from the sea at an area where there was plenty of green. Their corps were seen in the back, big fields with many different kinds, cabbages, corn, tomatoes. Allias' heart fluttered as he found himself in front of a familiar image. 

"It is so much like my home" he mumbled and Mark looked at him with the corner of his eye. He seemed like a small child staring in awe at his new toy. He couldn't help but not smile. 

The people around them kept staring. Alexander felt uncomfortable with it fidgeting every time his eyes met a curious stranger. He could do anything about it though, he found it natural since Allias was with them. They had never seen their king. He could also hear whispering, people gathered in small groups talking toe ach other asking questions like, who are they? Is that an elf? What are the others?, Were being repeated over and over again from friend group to friend group.

"When will we reach your ruler?" Mark asked. "Is he at that palace?" 

"That is not a palace. That is the Kardia Library. Our ruler does not live in a castle, he is not a king." A man answered Mark and the red haired scoffed. None of them was satisfied with their attitude but sadly they couldn't say anything. They were somewhat of guests so being impolite could easily kick them out.

It was true though that the ruler did not live in a castle. It was simply a mansion like home at the back of the village with a big front yard. Painted white with many windows and balconies like most of the houses here. It seemed to have three floors and a man was standing at the entrance. He wore a white pair of pants and a light blue shirt. His hair caught in a high ponytail, blonde. He wore a thick gold necklace on his neck and when Mark saw him he chuckled.

"He is not a king but he lives in a freaking mansion and has like a chunk of gold on his neck. Reasonable, I love hiding behind my little finger too sometimes." He told Allias with an ironic tone and he couldn't help but let out a small laugh. He wasn't wrong about that after all. 

"Kor, did you find out what was happening at the barrier? Who are these people?" He asked them once they were close enough to hear him. So Kor was the name of the older man, Allias realized and noted it mentally. 

"My Lord. They broke the seal on the barrier. This man" he said showing the king. "He is the king of all elves. The son of the exiled one."

"You know, you can say my father's name" Allias said in a cold tone. The so called ruler seemed to b shocked for a second. His eyes were stuck on Allias, observing him like some kind of specimen. He looked to be in his early thirties, handsome with a pair of light blue eyes and a body that was used to battle. Still Allias did not like to be watched like that, especially by people who hated his father. He raised an eyebrow, staring at him as if he was nothing. "Is there a problem?" 

"You're missing a hand." The Kardia ruler exclaimed. "Who would have thought that the king would be a cripple" he told them as he started laughing. 

Allias smiled, cold and distant slowly he was reaching his limit. He blinked a few times before his eyes landed on Mark. Thankfully he was angry too, he could see it through the deep frown on his best friend's name.

"A cripple?" Allias asked.

"Oh, well excuse me about that but you know, usually they say that the king of all elves is an all mighty powerful being and all that. Seeing how... incompletes you are definitely breaks the whole scare myth. No offense of course." He said and Allias laughed. He took a step closer noticing how the soldiers immediately turned wary. Their ruler though was care free, as if the fact that he was missing his hand maybe him his friend or even worse and not a king. 

"Do you want to tell me your name?" Allias asked him.

"My name is Jun. But you can call me lord." He told him and everyone, even his own soldiers stiffened at his insolence.

"My Lord maybe you should..." Kor said, probably wanting to warn him about his manners but Allias interrupted him. It was alright, he didn't have to do it. The king himself would.

"You want me to call you lord?"

"Yes, that's the title."

"Well then tell me lord, how stupid can you be from one to ten?" He asked him.

"Excuse me?" 

"I will overlook the fact that all of you had the nerve to talk about the previous king like that. I will be that kind but tell me, how did your tiny brain think that calling me a cripple and asking me to call you lord was a good idea? I can rebuild that myth you said was broken for you" he told him, his eyes cold the same with his tone as he stepped even closer to Jun. Allias wasn't happy, he also wasn't joking and for some reason his patience here was thinner than usual.

"I..." The lord stuttered but he was not willing to hear it. Allias' spear appeared on his hand, shining underneath the golden sand and with only one move he smacked it to the ground. Everything began shaking, from his mansion to the village to the mountains far away and the four elves we're staring around in disbelief as they tried to stay on their feet. 

"Is that good enough of a myth for you?" He asked him but he did not wait for an answer. He hit the spear once more and now the ground was beginning to rip, opening huge death traps for anyone who stood at the wrong place. "Is that it? Then maybe I ...." He said and raised the spear for a third time.

"I'm sorry" Jun said and fell to his knees. "Please forgive my insolence."