Interlude 1: Odd Meeting

In the forest of giant branches lies two individual clad in cloak and robes. The man who’s in front of the robed woman stood guarded with his golden eyes. His eyes were cold and blood red lines are drawn all over his body. From his cheeks to his limbs, the circuit-like lines were overbearing.

Behind him was the robed woman with a coiled staff. Her mythical hair of blue stood out. The he who’s facing the man in a cloak could recognize that despite the ears of the human. She possessed half-blood of the elves. These two were odd ones.

He, the overlord of the North could tell that they are mere rovers. He could smell the Etherwind on them yet there was no trace of mutation in their blood. Not even a single speck of ether stayed on their skin.

“Pray tell, have you gone to the north?”

“We did. Why?”

The man is ready. His eyes were spying the overlord of the North who detected them wandering around the lands stealthily. The overlord was powerful and how he could ignore an individual with a lake-like reservoir touching his lands? Not to mention that he heard the news of the invasion of the humans in the demi-human lands.

“If so, then why go there. And tell me, does the land still spew Etherwind?”

“Yes. I took care of it. Why ask?”

“You took care of it. Pray tell, are you joking? That ice cap, invulnerable to magic, and steel could not be destroyed.”

“Magically...but naturally, and with a few touches and a secret method. Then it is not impossible.”

“Is there proof of this?”

The man narrowed his golden eyes.

“Does this satisfy you?”

He showed a container containing ether inside. It was blue, glowing, and definitely looked like it was pure.

“How could this be?”

The overlord touched his chin.

“Is that cursed ice block really gone?”

“It is.” said the Auburn-haired individual. “I already took care of it.”

The overlord gasped with his mouth open. His eyes flickered and immediately he crushed a jewel from his pocket that then turned into a crystal bird that immediately flew to a direction. The man with auburn hair eyed the bird while at the same time gazing hard at the overlord who was dangerous to boot.

The overlord felt the deadly eyes of the auburn-haired man. He spreads his hands as if telling that he wasn’t guilty and said.

“Calm down, in honesty, I should thank you.”

“Why?”

“That damn ice block has taken lives in my land. Mhm, you may not recognize me but I am the Lotler, the Overlord of The North.”

“The overlord himself!”

Said the man in a panic, his eyes glowed, his hands suddenly held a strange weapon that immediately shot out to the overlord. The overlord of the North saw the bullet and caught it between his finger and thumb. He then flicked the small metal back to the ground.

“That is a strange weapon. I can understand that you are surprised. But with the Etherwind gone then there is no need for the gray-skins to involve themselves. We can seclude our lands again.”

“Lies.”

The man said.

“Say what you want. We, the gray-skins are a neutral race that lives uncaringly inside our lands. Now that the reason we are fighting is done and over with. We can go back to our lands and somehow try to fertilize it.”

“Do you think that would be easy?”

The man with auburn hair snorted like a rabid dog.

“After all the death, you are telling me that somehow this is all over just because of that? Do you think that those who had their loved ones taken from them would just agree to that? I believe that you all started this war and yet now that ‘your goal’ or if your words are to be believe in the first place is true, think you can just get away with it?”

“We can. I am sorry to disappoint. That is just how it goes. Haven’t you heard? The human’s crusades have reached the lands of my vassals. Sooner, they will be purged and even if I didn’t discover that you have already taken the Etherwind down. I will still preserve my land with a domain. We are the gray-skins, masters of Magic and we can do what we want.”

The overlord said haughtily.

“How despicable, you didn’t care for your vassals at all.”

‘Is it not?” said the overlord. ‘I am merely using them for the sake of my people. Tell me Mage with a strange weapon, and strange magic. What would you in the name of love?”

“I’ll do everything.”

“Exactly, that is why for love, I will do everything. And since I ‘love’ my people then I am willing to become the sinner. It’s funny actually, to think that my simple stroll would end up with me receiving news favorable to me and my race. As if fate guided me and my people to live yet again for years. Looks like the moon still loves us Gray-skins, pity about the others.”

The Auburn-haired man scowled

“I always asked why the gray-skins are lacking in the battlefield. You all are just cowards, manipulators.”

The overlord curly laughed.

“That we are. We started this war because of the Etherwind and for the fertile lands. We are losing and now the main instigator of the war is going back to their hiding places. We are long-lived, and sooner or later by divine right, we will rise again.”

The man with auburn-haired stared icily at Lotler. Lotler wanted to laugh badly right now. To think that he would be lucky after all the tribulations that his kingdom receives and not to mention that a simple stroll would allow him to meet trespassers that have taken care of his kingdom’s woes.

He wanted to laugh badly at this badly at this odd situation. He felt like it was a simple joke. There was no grand meeting. No grand battle. No fully armed men and knights facing him, claiming him to be evil and preaching about that his death would make the world peaceful.

“What’s with the smile.” asked the man with auburn hair. “Are laughing at how you can easily kill us? Oh, your highness, Overlord of The North, ruler of the Gray skins, Lotler?”

“No. I am just laughing at the jess of fate. How about we sit? Or are you willing to fight it out with this overlord? Please don’t be idiotic. Killing me will nothing but assassination. The others will take care of my position and with our mentality. They will be able to close up this land.”

“And we will be trapped.” the blue-haired woman said.

The overlord raised his brow. The woman with half-blood had a smoky and languid voice.

“Yes, you will be trapped. So how about sitting near a bonfire. Would that be comfortable? After all, the time for battle has passed, we can talk.”

The two glanced at each other. The man clad in a cloak nodded and agreed.