Eliza ducked out of the way as air bullets cut through the air right behind her.

"How much longer do you need?" she yelled out to Andrew.

"Just one second!" Andrew shouted back.

"Too late!" Bran laughed as he formed the next barrage of air bullets.

But Andrew wasn't about to let Bran attack anymore. He started rushing at Bran as a lightning-embedded knife flew from his hand. Despite its great speed, Bran was still a bit faster, so he dodged out of its trajectory. However, Andrew immediately followed up with two more knives as well as a fireball heading straight for Bran. Bran dodged out of the two knives but consequently got the fireball to his face. However, the fireball's purpose was only to make Bran lose his balance as Andrew dashed forward once more, aiming the last knife right at Bran.

Then suddenly, Andrew could see Bran open his hand and move it forward in a thrusting motion. He can't attack me with his air bullets, Andrew thought. But that was where he underestimated his opponent because Bran wasn't aiming to directly attack Andrew. The only thing Bran was going for was his legs, and as Andrew leapt forward mid-air, the wind from Bran's attack was strong enough to push his leg back, making Andrew fall on his face.

"You prepared well," Bran praised as he helped Andrew stand up.

"You didn't," Andrew snapped bitterly, "Years of training, and you still almost lost to a 3-year-old."

"No fair," Bran joked, "You're almost 4."

"Does it matter?"

"Not really," he laughed as he patted Andrew on the back, "One more time?" he asked.

"But Grandpa, I don't wanna!" Eliza pouted, "If you and Andrew want to fight then you fight. I don't wanna fight!"

"I never said I wanted to fight," Andrew muttered.

"Ah, fine," grumbled Bran, "You two go play. Just let the magic die out. Just let that crap you call 'technology' take over the world."

But the only thing that Andrew and Eliza were able to hear was 'you two go play' before they immediately sneaked out. By the time Bran turned around, they were long gone.

Andrew and Eliza were almost running out of the training field. Andrew had only been at the Southern Elven Kingdom for about two weeks, and he spent most of those two weeks either reading some old books from the Royal Library or sparring with Bran, perfecting his combat skills even though he was only three. The rest of the time he was there, Eliza would teach him about elven customs like how they needed to greet royalty differently from commoners.

Andrew was genuinely surprised by the elven society. He actually wasn't sure if the elven society was any different from human society since his family lived in a secluded area and he never actually got to see the outside world.

Despite still having a king and queen, the elven social hierarchy was almost nonexistent. People with royalty blood did get to live in a castle and all, but the society was more or less a democratic one. And unlike what he read in books about elven kingdoms being separated from the world and relying on magic to live, elves were getting by just fine without magic and with technology. There was even technology that he had never seen before, like what they called an electric car. It looked like a carriage, but there weren't any horses. He just assumed that those 'electric cars' were just carriages that you used in the citadel. There was also this computer-like device that Eliza called a game console. Even phones didn't look like the ones his parents had at home. 

"Come on, Eliza!" Andrew rushed.

Eliza had offered to take Andrew on a walk around town and even offered to buy him anything he liked. The thing Andrew was most excited about was finally getting to see what the elven kingdom was really like.

About a while later, Eliza had finally finished. Queen Katelyn told one of the Royal Guards, a man called Sir William Wilbur Willis to escort them on their journey through the capital. Andrew didn't really know why they needed a knight to escort them, but he wasn't complaining about a man with a name that peculiar accompanying him.

If the small town that Andrew and his mother used to go to was a breadcrumb, then the capital had to be fifty loaves of bread. Everything was massive and beautiful there, and Andrew truly understood the feeling of a country boy going up to the city. There were countless shops, children and adults walking around everywhere. There were large signs everywhere with lights shining over them writing things like 'Ricky Rat - A Nisdey original - Coming out on Thursday'.

But the thing that Andrew was most interested in was the magical technology. Bran had told him about how the 'rotten scientists' had found out a way to fuse magic with technology. He certainly didn't enjoy that his precious magic was being utilised for things like computers and modern tools and things of that sort. However, Andrew was curious about how they were able to fuse it. He had read some books about how the integration of technology and magic was only able to happen after the peace treaties were signed at the end of World War III, which was only about a decade ago.

Yet the thing that Andrew enjoyed the most about his trip wasn't the impressive technology. It was the company of his new friend Eliza. It was the warm and cosy feeling he had when he returned to the Royal Castle and rested on his bed while laughing and playing with Eliza. It was the feeling that he hadn't felt in so long. He hadn't felt it since Tameka was gone.

He felt at home.

Fleck raised his hand as the Royal Guards dispersed and left him alone but not before reinforcing the rope that tied Garrett to the chair.

"Alright, mate," Fleck said, "You can tell me where he is now or you can tell me five minutes later with a lot fewer teeth."

"I already told you!" Garrett yelled, "He's dead!"

"This song and dance again, huh?" said Fleck, disappointed. He grabbed Garrett's hair and pushed his head into the water bucket as Garett yelled and kicked around, trying to get out. A few seconds later, Fleck pulled his head back up, "Are you ready to tell me now?"

"You're never gonna find him," Garrett coughed, sputtering water, "He's gone. He went after the Beast. He ain't coming back. Nobody lives after looking for the Beast. Even if he is alive right now, which I doubt he is, he's dying one way or another."

Suddenly, a Guard rushed into the tent, panting heavily as he reported to Fleck: "Sire! I have urgent news!"

"What is it?" Fleck asked, frowning.

"The King," the Guard continued, "He had returned."