Chapter 2

Florence lays down in the sheets sighing yet again after remembering the absolutely disastrous encounter he had with Kaye. He buries his face in his hands and tears up letting go of his nerves into his palms as he began to cry knowing that it's the only way to comfort himself. 

With his personality and his interests, Florence naturally chose to stay in ever since he was young, rather he loved reading the books and watching the documentaries in his Father's library, seeking to know more about the Magius and the Magiország realm. 

This, of course, became more restricted when the Magus Saguis War had occurred, when his father was sent off into the battlefield, and when all the information regarding the Magius was banned and prohibited in Anthropos. The books and tapes all burnt becoming a lump of smoke and ashes. He remembered crying in frustration when his mother showed the soldiers entering their house his father's library, taking everything and leaving nothing behind. 

He could only cry silently when he realizes that his Father would never come back home. Burying himself in his writings, a futile collection of details he could possibly remember from the documentaries and books he's read and watched about the Magius and the Magiország realm. Florence cried in desperation when his mother finds them and burnt his hard-worked papers away. 

He wipes away his tears after letting them out and stands up to walk to the sink in his room, washing away his face and swollen eyes. He chuckled at the thought that a twenty-eight-year-old man would cry from his first encounter with a Magius. 

'What a day.'

After washing his face thoroughly, Florence heads down to the dining area of the guild for supper that's offered with his stay. Taking a seat in front of the bar, he takes out his notepad as he scribbles down notes onto his precious journal waiting for his meal to arrive. He looks up when the giant chef places down the food in front of him, smiling widely. 

Florence looks at the meal and back at the giant and laughs slightly uncomfortable, seeing the giant smiling brightly that it becomes slightly intimidating for the human.

“töltöttkáposzta!” The Guild Chef spoke in the Magiország language and he nods writing it down in his journal before noticing the looks pointed at him from giant, which he then attempted to pronounce himself.

“-töl-t-töt--” He stutters struggling to let the variables out before he was cut midway by a group of rowdy Magius that seated themselves beside him. He tenses as he tries to dig into his meal.

“Hey there, pretty. I overheard your conversation in the streets a while ago. I’ve got some information, I could share with you.” The bulky Magius spoke in the Anthropos language catching Florence off-guard. 

“Oh really?” Florence then brightens up and takes his notebook in hand and his ballpoint pen, opening to a new page looking at the Magius sitting beside him, in anticipation when a chill of tension runs up his spine recognizing the looks given around him when he spoke.

“Only if you come with us. We have all the information that you need, we only need a little favor of helping us let loose.” The other bulky Magius spoke causing Florence to cower as they gather closely around the bar. Florence wraps his hands around his notebook and grips his ballpoint pen tightly and speaks carefully trying to ease his way out.

“Uhm, I think I’ll be alright. I’ve got a lot already.” Florence speaks and laughs nervously as he places down his money on the counter to pay for his meal before getting rushedly off his chair and tries to push his way out of the situation and head back to his room. Only proving to be futile when he was pulled back by his wrist rather roughly, circled by the bunch.

“We told you we’d help. Why are you running away, human?” The creatures surround him, he's forcefully trapped in the middle like a prey cornered by a predator. He looks for help but no one is paying attention, he feels absolutely powerless even when surrounded by people.

“I don’t need help, I’m alright t-thank you.” Florence stutters in his speech as his body curls away from the creatures in fear and refusal, holding his journal tightly in his hands and dropping the ballpoint pen being held in the arm that's taken from him. Uncomfortable, he tries to pull his wrist away from the bulky Magius pathetically, proving to be useless as the Magius's grip is physically stronger than him.

“Leave the kid alone.” The bulky Magius turned it's attention away from the human to meet with the dusty blue hair, pointy ears and a cold silver gaze causing a chill to run down its spine. The creature’s grip on Florence’s wrists loosens and their posture becomes one of defense.

Florence catches his eyes with the very familiar figure from the train station, watching as the male approaches and grabs him rushedly by the arm, pulling him out of the inn and into the streets away from the threat and tension present around the creature. Still dazed at the handsome Magius rescuing him, he continues to stare at the male before he was snapped out of the trance to a slightly annoyed looking face that causes him to flush deeply red.

“Are you done staring at me, Florence Kim?”

“Thank you.”

“Why are you so desperate for information?”

“H-huh?”

“Why are you so curious about us, Florence Kim?”

“Oh. It’s for my book-- I’m a research writer from Anthropos university studying Magiopology in the Magiország realm-” Florence’s voice deflates as he watches the peculiar Magius’s expression decline into one of distaste.

“You, humans always so curious. Greedy for everything.” Kaye spoke in exasperation. There was a pregnant pause that followed after Kaye’s words. Florence fidgets and picks on his nails before he hears an exhale from the latter watching as the male places his hands on his hips.

“Alright. I'll take you around the capital. In exchange, don't do stupid things like talk to random Magius. Especially when you're human.” Florence could feel his heart beating hard at the statement. You couldn't blame him when he managed to get an interview with a proper Magius.

“Thank you, Kaye.” He looks at the young elven in gratitude as they enter back into the bar, the male escorts him back to his room. Once he enters his room, he makes sure to lock the door properly to ensure that none of the previous Magius would be able to enter his room during his rest.

Kaye watches the human male enter his room before casting a protective spell on the room to ensure that there wouldn’t be any type of trespassers barging into the human’s room before heading out of the guild. 

The next day;

Florence steps out of his room in caution and begins to walk down the hallway to the only bump onto a chest, quickly apologizing and raising his head to meet a familiar face. He stares at the silver orbs, only noticing the Magius height, he feels enchanted by the male's appearance and when he catches himself his ears flush red along with his whole face. 

"Good morning!" He greets to only be ignored by the male.

"Let's get going," Kaye responds succinctly and turned his back away from the male and heading down the staircase. Kaye walks quickly through the crowded guild and out of the wooden cottage, Florence follows in pursuit and exits the guild with much difficulty working around the large build of different Magius.

Florence catches up to Kaye and grabs him by the hem of his shirt, which causes the male Magius to stop briefly looking at the fingers holding onto the hem of his shirt in brief dislike before continuing his path.

"Kaye, I haven't had breakfast-" Florence mid-speech catches a fruit in his hand. 

"körte. Eat that for now. Now, what do you want to know?" Kaye speaks as he takes another of the fruit and takes a bite from it. Florence takes a bite from the fruit and smiles at the crunchiness and the sweetness from the fruit. 

"Is this körte a popular breakfast menu for the Magius?" Kaye looks at the man in ridicule before taking another bite from the fruit. 

"Yes, we all eat cseresznye for lunch and persicorum for our dinners." Kaye replies in a sarcastic tone before turning around to face the male only to be caught in disbelief. 

The Magius observes closely as the human eagerly writes down the words into his notebook, before taking another bite into the fruit. The excitement brimming from his expression brought the emotion of embarrassment into Kaye, unable to correct his sarcastic comment, he takes another bite of his fruit and continues to walk ahead.

"Is it true that not even the Magius know about who the Király Militibus are? I heard that the King personally picks them, what is required to become a part of the Király Militibus?" Florence reads out the questions he had written down in his notebook before yet again bumping into Kaye's back.

"Yes, the name Király Militibus was first revealed during the Magus Sanguis War. Before the damned war, it wasn't even spoken." Kaye takes another bite, every chew to an answer seemed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. 

Kaye's eyes catch the human's expression and see the exact expression that pinches at his heart. He doesn't like the way Florence looks at him, humans they called it, Sympathy. Kaye only feels mocked.

"I've lost my father to the war-" Florence tries to speak before Kaye cuts the conversation off.

"You've lost your father and I've lost my wife. Let's not talk about this." Kaye throws the half-eaten fruit away and walks away. Florence's heart plummets knowing he couldn't have followed the Magius as he was the causation in the recollection of Kaye's sour memories.

Florence stands alone in the middle of a lonely alley in disappointment at himself yet again for failing to read the atmosphere. He feels tears of frustration well-up but this time, he wouldn't let them out. He shouldn't since he was the one at fault.