Humans are fickle, so are elves. With the Nihili family's change in status and Traigar's true identity exposed, the nobles in the dining hall were quick to change their tunes.

"...is of marrying age, afterall." As soon as the dean's words left his mouth the nobles were the first to disparriage him.

"You are a frog in a well!" one shouted and hurled his coffee cup at the dean. "You don't even know the difference of the heaven and earth!" another exclaimed. The most damaging comment came directly from old Fallagar himself though. "You dare think yourself better than my royal granddaughter? I'll have you stripped of your position and your family stripped of its status!"

The old emperor might have been trying to curry favor with Traigar and Laigrat to better improve his country's position but to Lynefra, he held a true, unwavering affection. She had just healed him and given him his immortality back. Without her, he would have died in two short decades.

The dean looked around helplessly. He didn't know what had caused such a change in everyone's attitude towards the interracial couple and their half breed children. "Sire, I-I..what has this subject done?" Dean Hallen stammered.

"Silence!" A new voice commanded from the doorway. The owner of the voice was a man of medium height and a slightly round belly. He had a dignified appearence with his crystal blue eyes and his snow-white hair. His beard and mustache were trimmed away from most of his face but his facial hear was long, reaching down to his thighs and tighed up towards his belly. There was a sharpness in the man's eyes as well as an extreme weariness. The man was wearing robes which identified him as a magister of the royal court. He was accompanied by two other men. The first was a blonde headed man with the same crystal blue eyes - only, his eyes weren't sharp his elder's eyes, quite the opposite. This man's eyes were very dull, there was life in them but not much intelligence.

Upon entry to the room, the blonde man bowed to the Emperor and the Emperor's father, then he saluted Traigar. "General!" the man said with proper military decorum.

"Commander Hallel," Traigar replied gruffly and gestured for him to take a seat at a table adjacent to his own.

Following Commander Hallel and the white-haired man, a third man entered the room. This man stayed behind the white-haired man. His hair was also snow-white but he had no facial hair. His facial features were sharp, his eyes reflected the other man's intellect. The man bowed to the members of the royal family and the other nobles. He was neither proud nor humble.

"Magister Hallel, Commander Hallel, and Trisell, how nice to see you." Artinalwe addressed the newcomers. "Just in time to see your Dean ruin his reputation and lose all privaledge for his family."

Commander Hallel turned pale and glared at his brother. "It's such a shame a child of mine has managed to ruin my name," Magister Hallel stated. Slight regret tinged his voice but he had no other reaction to the news. He had been right outside when Fallagar said he'd remove the status of the Hallel family. "I wish to be able to leave something to my heir but with such an unfilial son, this one is unworthy to keep what has been bestowed by the grace of his majesty."

"Father!" Dean Hallel exclaimed in panic.

"Silence or I'll cut your tongue out myself," there was a sudden change in the magister's tone as he whirled on his son. "You have dishonored your family and shamed me, your father!"

The other white haired man identified as Tristell tapped his father on the shoulder before speaking, "Father, here is not the place for punishment of him, nor is it ours to give. Please calm yourself."

"HMPH!" Magister Hallel grumped, "at least one of my sons has some sense of propriety." He then turned to the Emperor, "please forgive my family for that one's disgrace. The fault falls with me as his father, I should have done a better job raising him. I hope that your majesty will not punish my only worthy son." The magister bowed deeply.

Partriarch Hallel, who had yet to name his heir had just alluded to his choice. By process of elimination it was easy for the magisters and the emperor to guess that the Hallel family heir was the man known as Tristell. The two siblings of Tristell realized this as well. Commander Hallel had a reputation for being lazy and inept, riding his father's coattails to only a small amount of success. Dean Hallel was even worse. Lecherous, unclean, too ambitious for his own good. The man was also an accused pedophile but his family name put great pause in anyone who would publicly accuse him.

Tristell, on the other hand, left his family when he was younger and set out to adventure. On the soutern coast of the Dulsan country, he helped a coastal town repell some beastkin privateers. From the southern coast he then ventured westward, eventually stopping for a time a the trade city, Tajormund. It was there that he had met his wife. It was a cliche'd meeting. He had just arrived in town and Tristell's future wife, Misande, had been thrown from her equestrian steed and was about to be run over by a carriage. The carriage simply didn't have enough time to stop or change course before the woman had fallen into its path.

A warrior of decent notariety himself, Tristell easily scooped the woman into his arms and retreated a safe distance away from the carriage. Misande was a merchant's daughter who enjoyed a somewhat spartan life. Her mother had died when she was young due to an accident at sea and her father had buried himself in his work. He took his daughter with him as he travelled around the country of Dulsa selling his wares and transporting goods of other merchants. He had accumulated some wealth over his years but his constant moving didn't allow him to live a lavish life, naturally his daughter, who always travelled with him, lived her life in a similar fashion to her father.

Inamored with her lush lips and hazel eyes, though not exactly a beauty, Tristell fell for the woman. He spent two years in Tajormund and successfully won the woman's heart without mentioning his noble heritage. He had wanted his own successes in life to be attributed to his own hard work, not his family. It wasn't until he married Misande that she learned of his noble status. Her father was equally surprised when Tristell refused the dowry and paid him a hefty sum instead. His words to his father-in-law were, "It is not that I look down on you but your daughter's affection is my good fortune. I would never accept money for her hand in marriage. Instead let me offer you payment as thanks and compensation for keeping watch over my wife while I am away. Please take her to the Imperial Capitol and seek out Magister Hallel. Inform him that his son has wed your daughter."

From there, Tristell parted with his new bride in Tajormund and travelled westward, crossing the seas into the dragon lands. Eventually Tristell returned to his family and moved away with his wife to a village just outside the Imperial Capitol. Tristell found employment as a weapons instructor at a somewhat obscure school for commoners.

Under the alias of Tristell Mishall, the second young master of the Hallel house was chosen to be the dean by the chiefs of the surrounding villages. He renamed the school to "Warrior's Institute of Dulsa" and the school had eventually risen in fame and prestige until it rivaled other elite educational establishments. Tristell only revlealed his true status after he had stepped down from the position of Dean, in favor of a position on the school's board of directors.

Being a school intended for commoners, it had all forms of elementary education and children as young as the age of four could attend. Tristell's own children attended the Warrior's Institute until they reached the age of fifteen and transfered to the Royal Academy of Dulsa.

"If the Emperor says our family shall be punished, then let us be punished accordingly," Tristell said in response to his father's plea as he bowed graciously to the Emperor.

"This one would have made an excellent Commander," Traigar mumbled to himself, Artinalwe heard his words and smiled.

"With respect to your contributions to our nation, you shall keep your position as magister of the royal court," The Emperor said to Partriarch Hallell, "but your status as nobles shall be revoked. You may name your heir but your position within the country of Dulsa shall be that of a commoner and your title of magister shall die with you should your life come to an end."

Patriarch Hallel's face paled as he looked at his youngest son with rage. "However, Tristell Mishall," The Emperor used Tristell's alias, thus changing his name from Tristell Hallel to Tristell Mishall through royal decree, "You shall be named Advisor to the Emperor and hold the title of Duke. Your fief shall be that of Tajormund should you choose to accept our offer."

Tristell bowed deeply to the Emperor, "If your majesty wills it, let it be so." He had not anticipated to be given a title and a fief. He had not anticipated anything. He had only accompanied his father to the academy because his father had demanded that he become familiar with the nobles and learn to play their ridiculous games.

"USELESS!" Commander Hallel leapt from his chair and landed a solid kick squarely into the ribs of his youngest brother, the dean. His first kick knocked the dean over, but before his second kick could land a power blow sent him crashing into the nearest wall.

"Attacking a civilian is against military regulation," Traigar reprimanded. "Either remove yourself and leave your rank with me or be removed by force."

Disgusted with the turn of events, the oldest of the Hallel sons stripped his golden stripes off his lapel, threw them on the ground, and stormed out. This caused both Magister Hallel and Advisor Mishall to bow to the Emperor asking forgiveness for their family member's rude behavior.

"Rise. Magister Hallel, your youngest child has already done so much worse in my presence you need not apologize for your eldest's outburst. Tristell Mishall, these men are no longer your family as your name is now Mishall. You need not apologize for anything the Hallel family does in the future." The two men bowed to the Emperor again.

"Laigrat - the Lion, God's Kin, king of Zelix," the Emperor of Dulsa called out Laigrat's full title, "forgive this one's subjects for their behavior in your presence. "Patron God of the-

"Stop," Syble put his hand up, "we are gods and the social niceties of the mortal realm matter little to us."

"I would like to speak for myself on this matter," Lystall amusedly smiled, "but I agree with Syble. If I may, however, make a suggestion."

"Please speak Goddess," The Emperor said, taking note of the reaction of the two men of Hallel and advisor Mishall. He couldn't see their faces as they had thrown themselves to the ground when Syble announced himself. His aura of divinity had been released as he spoke and Lystall's aura was no smaller than Syble's.

"Since Dean Hallel is to be removed from his position, why not let Cirwyn Nih- sorry what is your family name now?"

"Nihili" Traigar announced with pride.

"Zelix!" Laigrat declared at the same time Traigar had announced. The two men looked at eachother in confusion.

Nihili, Lystall. I feel no need to change my name, Lynefra stated. She "compelled" Laigrat to agree.

Her compulsion didn't work on Laigrat, their blood was too similar and his father was Syble.

"Traigar, the Lion's Son has been dead a long time," Traigar said, looking at his father, "he died when his father ordered something unspeakable and wouldn't change his mind." Traigar wouldn't directly announce the complete details of his father's shame.

"My son," Laigrat spoke sadly, "your brothers are dead and I have released myself from my immortal life. I have lived long and wish to see your mother again. Do me this honor so that I may go in peace when the time comes." The gravity of the man's words muddled the air. Traigar resented some of his father's tendencies and his pride demanded that he not try and mend the relations. This, however, didn't mean he didn't love his father.

Traigar shook visibly as if someone had grabbed his shoulders and griven him several good tugs. No one said anything for a long time as Traigar mourned the eventual loss of his father. An immortal who rid themselves of their immortality was akin to suicide. If he relied on his power his life force would burn and death would be swift. The words of the emissaries swam through Traigar's mind 'your father has been injured.' It made sense to him now. An injured High Human was just a passing thing but to name an heir due to an injury meant a fatal wound. With Laigrat's power, none could give him an injury so severe that it would take his life. Laigrat gave up his immortality and had a battle afterwards. He had used his power not only fight, but to heal his wound!

"H-How much time do you have left?" Traigar stammered.

"Ten years, if I'm lucky." Laigrat smiled sadly as he suddenly appeared years older. It was a mental illusion but now that attention had been called to it, his immortality clearly couldn't be sensed. "A day if I'm forced to fight."

"Let it be so, henceforth, the Nihili family shall be known as the Nihili Zelix family!" Emperor Artinalwe announced. "While you are still my subjects you shall obey my decree."

"Perfect!" Lystall said happily, her smile cleared the air. "Cirwyn shall be the new dean of the Royal Academy! You must still punish young master Hallel though."

"Goddess, though it may have been ordained by you," Cirwyn spoke up, "My place is with my husband. If his father only has ten years left to live, he must go to Zelix with his father and become re-aquainted with the lands he is meant to rule."

Lystall frowned, she had not thought of that.

"How about," Lynefra spoke aloud, "we have Altresca become the Dean?"