Chapter 1

Florence was ten years old when he came across the news on the local TV channel about the Magiország realm and the Király Militibus. 

The Király Militibus known also as the King's Warriors in the Magiország language. They are warriors bestowed by the Király of Magiország; otherwise called King of Magiország to protect and serve the King. 

He remembered the particular news where the newscast uncovers the sheer hidden power they held by just being appointed as the Király's warriors. How mysterious they were, as his curiosity and admiration grew, growing up he eventually pursued his curiosity in Magiopology; the study of magical creatures as a side hobby. He knew that from that day, he had a growing want to know and an itch to learn more about the enigmatic Király Militibus. Despite his infinite passion for the Magiország realm, his chances to discover them were limited due to the strict restrictions imposed by the Király upon the Anthropos realm and its inhabitants. 

The Magiország realm in the past was open to the population of Anthropos but, then a breach of trust between the Király and the former Minister of Anthropos waged a war for ten years in the Terjedelmes Folyam known as the Great Stream, a large river serving as the midpoint and border between the Anthropos realm and the Magiország realm. Any type of learning of the Magiorzag realm was forbidden in Anthropos if an individual was found speaking the language of a Magiorszag they were to be penalized to pay large sums of money and land. Florence hated the five long years the war waged, his mother berated him when she found his notes on the Magiország realm, burning them in secrecy afraid of the authorities finding even a trace of treason against the humankind. 

After the war, infamously known as the Magus Sanguis War, the Anthropos realm lost many of their men which included Florence's own father. The loss from both realms was so greatly felt that the Király split the river into two, creating the mély erdô or otherwise called, Deep Forest, a misty swamp that runs across the other half of the river covered with tall cypress trees. 

Succeedingly severing the Magiorzag realm and the Anthropos realm, the Király protected the Magiország Realm from having the human population enter to steal from the flourish of its lands. Many would enter the forest and never be able to find the riverbank from the other half of the river known as the Magiország Folyam or the Magiország Stream. But rarely, the ones that do reach the banks aren't able to cross the river and were escorted back into the forest by the border warriors back to the Anthropos realm. 

When Florence was a stubborn teenager, he ran and snuck into a kayak abandoned near the bridge's pier and rowed into the swampy forest after an argument with his mother at fifteen years old. As he rowed, he found himself quickly adrift in the swampy forest after entering the mist. 

His memory cuts short and only recalls distortedly how his mother embraced him on the bridge as the enforcers from Anthropos look at him in anger at his recklessness. The strike of fear that ran through him when he realized he was lost and alone in the forest and the comforting chill that embraced and left him as his mother held onto him on the pier was permanently embedded into his mind. From the experience, he had learned if the dangers in the unknown the mély erdô provided but, it didn't stop him rather it drove him further to pursue his curiosity in Magiopology. 

At the age of twenty-five, he had graduated with Magiopology and Magius History at his alma mater.

Three Years After his Alma Mater;

Florence packs his backpack and sighs as he reminds himself that he’ll be looking for data that was highly sensitive and also, unknown. He now works as a research writer for the Anthropos University his alma mater, gathering information regarding the Magiország realm and restoring knowledge that was tabooed fifteen years ago. He sighs yet again, reminding himself of his own troubles communicating with his own race and what his thought process was in regards to the idea of interviewing secretive and unknown warriors of the King, the Király Militibus. 

'Oh well, what choice do I have?' He thinks dejectedly before he stuffs another pair of clothing in the bag. He heads out from his room to the living room, where his mother prepares an afternoon snack. 

“Mom, I’ll be back in a few months,” Florence speaks softly before he sits down in front of the small for two coffee table watching as his mother serves him some cookies and coffee, taking a bite of the cookie and sips his coffee quietly.

"Be careful okay?" He listens carefully to his mother's worries leaning into her touch as she caresses his cheeks, her gesture filled with love and affection. 

"Don't worry, Mother. I'll be home before you even realize. Iris will come tonight after his work and stay with you till I'm back." He tells her carefully and kisses her cheek before taking his bag, he slips on his shoes exiting through the front door.

Walking away from his house, he feels the soft breezy chill as he takes the tram and going down on his stop which was the bridge built over the Anthropos Stream. 

He takes his permit given by the University facility giving him special grants that allows him to travel into Magiország Realm showing the reconciliation grant to the boatman that then, boards him onto a small raft magically enhanced to go through the mély erdô and leads him to the other riverbank and onto the Magiorszag Stream. He goes down his tram and takes his grant showing it to the patrol guards of the Magiország realm, he watches as the guards mutter a few spells and watches as the Király's insignia flares into vision. 

"Welcome." He was greeted by one of the patrol officers and escorted into the train that leads him into the Magiország's capital, Főváros.

He takes a seat beside the windowpane and watches as the different people from the Magiország realm board the train, occupying the seats one by one. He shifts uncomfortably noticing how he's sticking out like a sore thumb being the only human in the compartment. Aware of the eyes lingering on him, his heart spikes and he averts his gaze to the river and the forest out of the train's window, he only begins to calm when the train rumbles into operation, the loud rumbling of the train tracks transforms into the quiet calming white noise for his journey and he drifts into slumber.

Florence jolts into consciousness at the slam of a window in front of his seat before drifting back into his slumber clutching onto his bag on his lap. He begins to feel a particular eye watching his movements from in front of him, curious he opens his eyes to catch the pointed ears, well-defined jaw, and silver orbs. A man with a soft caramel brown complexion that greatly contrasted his shortly trimmed dusty blue hair and piercingly sharp gaze. Florence freezes for a second when the male catches his gaze and slowly breaks into a small smile, the male keeps his stoic expression of observation before breaking the eye contact to look out at the moving scenery, feigning ignorance to the human.

“By any chance, are you from Főváros?  I know, I’m being super intrusive but I was wondering if you know any stories about Király Militibus?” Florence hesitantly questions before he sees the penetrating glare that was sent towards him by the male intelligence in front of him, flinching back from the harsh refusal. Retreating, he sinks into his seat as he hugs his bag.

“I'm not from Főváros nor do I know about the damned Király Militibus. I don't want to talk about that damned tyrant or his goons.” He hears the stranger reply to him. Florence peeks his head to look at the sight of the man who inspects him in a cautious manner, discomfort present in his expression. Florence looks down and clears his throat, embarrassed at the bluntness of the stranger from looking at him thoroughly. 

At the unbearable tension, Florence then forcefully thrusts a hand forward for a handshake towards the stranger.

“My name is Florence, Florence Kim. I know we got off to a rough start. I’d like to be friends.” He gives a small exhausted smile, keeping his hands still waiting for the stranger across him to take his hands and shake it in acknowledgment. 

He breaks into the most awkward but effortful smile he can offer yet again when he sees the long fingers and a caramel hand wrap around his and in a soft shake, he gives the male a firm handshake in return.

“I am called, Kaye. I think it’ll be rather difficult for us to become friends, Florence. For, I have no desire to befriend anyone.” Kaye replies before he releases his hands away from Florence’s clutch and stands up as the train comes to a stop.

“It has been nice getting to know you, Florence.”  Kaye exits the compartment and gets off the train, Florence completely caught off guard by the male’s answer yet again, he looks out the window to see Kaye walking away from the train.

Grabbing his bag and notepad, Florence exits the train and chases after the male desperately chasing after the man and vividly aware to not lose sight of the handsome stranger. Florence sprints past the crowd of people going out of the station and grabs onto Kaye’s shoulder tightly, stopping the male in his tracks huffing in exhaustion as he grasps onto the male’s shoulder tightly and regains his breathing. 

“W-wait! I just wanted to get to know you-”  Florence stutters as he tries to reason with the male that looks at him with disbelief and slight agitation from the persistence the human is showing. Kaye shrugs the man’s hands away from his shoulder and stands still as he watches the human regain his breathing. 

“Listen, Florence. I don’t want to get to know you. Nor do I want to make friends. I’d just rather be left alone.” Kaye harshly speaks in Florence’s mother tongue to emphasize his point of not wanting to be followed, causing the latter to back away in rejection. Kaye noticing the pained reaction from the other turns away to walk towards a more secluded alleyway.

Florence stood still, blushing in embarrassment from the rejection from the male and felt the disappointment coursing through his body as he watched the mysterious figure walk away. He soon realizes that he’s blocking the path, moving to the sides in haste backing himself on a corner before sliding down into the dirty ground, squatting and wrapping his arms around his leg. He holds onto his backpack and sighs yet again in disappointment. After a few minutes of sulking the corner from his early misfortune, he decides to leave the corner with a new-found spirit to find a decent guild in Főváros.

Approaching the closest information desk in the city, he finds a guild named, Király áldása roughly translating to King’s Blessing. Entering the loud guild, he talks to the guild master into a spare room for him. Taking the keys from the bartender and heading up the staircase to the inn rooms, he enters his room, unpacks his bags and settles cozily into the cabin room. Flopping onto the bed with his leather notebook in hand, he lets out a long breath of exhaustion observing the inanimate roof of the small wooden room.