"Gulvan, you words are laced with disatisfaction for the light that comes from king Tezca. I can't comprehend it." I say.

He keeps his gaze to the front, but he replies, "Dissatisfaction is too mild of a word, Hestia. We elves cherish nature in all its beauty and power, even when it is fierce and wild. We learn to love. But Tezca, I loathe him with every fiber of my being. And I'm not alone, Hestia, everyone here shares my sentiment, even our Ooribate allies. They all despise him."

...Loathe? Despise? Such words against the king would be met by punishment of the highest degree. No matter who uttered them, human, elf, or beast. I recalled the harsh law and felt a surge of fear. I remained silent until we arrived at the biggest tent. Gulvan gestures for me to wait outside while he slips through the fabric.

It was then I start to feel the eyes of the elves on me. They had sharp features, which made them look fierce to me. Their pale skin shimmered under the strange light. I notice that they all carry weapons, mostly bows and arrows. And they all wore crows of roots on their heads, like Gulvan. The village looks odd too. It has no character. The huts were plain and simple, while the tents were mismatched and random. What kind of place is this?

"You must be the one who survived the attack on the human village." A voice jolts me from the side. An elf boy who looked about my age. His hair was blond, unlike the brown the other elves had, and his clothes were made of silk, not cloth. He towers over me slightly, and his face was angular and handsome. His eyes were as blue as the sea, and his skin was sun-kissed. His ear were not pointed, but curved forward.

"Elf..?" I whisper to myself, wondering if he really was an elf. He leans in closer to me and says, "Yes, obviously! Don't you have eyes? So, what's your name, human girl who escaped death? I'm Vasco!"

He invades my personal space, and I feel my cheeks heat up. I try to shove him away, but he dodges nimbly and I lose my balance. I fall to the ground with a thud

"Too slow! I'm sure you can do better after surviving hell!"

I tune out his taunt as I recall Gulvan's harsh punishment earlier, and I reply from the ground, "I'm Hestia! That's my name! See, I'm a polite human girl!"

Vasco narrows his eye and raises his blond eyebrow as if he wasn't the one being weird a second ago!

"Hmm... you're an oddball, aren't you? I like that! Nice to meet you, Hestia!" Vasco says with a cheerful voice.

Gulvan emerges from the tent and spots us, "Vasco! I've been looking for you. And what's this? Did you knock Hestia to the ground?" He demands.

Vasco flinches and tries to explain, but he was so flustered that he fumbled his words. Gulvan strode over to him and gives him a good smack on the head.

"Let this be a lesson to you. And on that note, Hestia is your responsibility now. Show her the elven hospitality. I have to go. Urget matters at the tent." He glances at me and adds, "I asked one of the elves to make a hut on the side of Tezca's light for you to relax and rest. I'll see you soon. May Mother Nature bless you with a peaceful sleep."