Zan was introduced that very evening to the King and Queen, and a relationship between the monarchs and the man formed quickly. The elves, who always had a thirst for knowledge, wanted to know every detail of human life. Although they had human books, his words held far more value in their eyes. Zan spent evening after evening regaling them with his adventures.

"I want to see everything Zan has described," Bukuri chirped to some of the other ladies at court. The she-elves giggled among themselves. The man had certainly put some ideas in their heads in the past few weeks.

"I would rather see if other men are as handsome as he. What a world that must be!" Another elf chortled.

Seeing all the stolen glimpses in his direction, Zan left the male elves and approached the group. "Human females have the same look when they are gossiping, you know," Zan said with a sly grin. "Who is the topic of conversation to get so many lovely ladies to join in?"

"You, of course!" Bukuri teased. The other young ladies blanched at her honesty.

Zan raised his eyebrows. "There are those smarter and more handsome among your company. I am very honored to have captured your attention."

"We were speaking of your knowledge and travels," Bukuri explained as she ran her fingers through her blonde hair. Lanassa looked with envy at her sister's flirtatious nature. Everything came so easily to her. There were even rumors that she was soon to be engaged to the Crown Prince, though her sister had never confirmed that claim.

Zan nodded thoughtfully. "Ah yes, my travels... I would like to continue to explore the land of magic. The King and Queen have granted me a small group of soldiers for protection and said I could take a lovely lady to record my findings if I so desired."

The younge ladies all straightened their backs hoping to be asked, but they all knew that Bukuri was the obvious choice.

Zan held out his hand, but not the lady they expected. "Lady Lanassa, would you please record my adventures?"

Bukuri's face was sad for a brief moment before happiness for her sister overtook her. "You have made the most excellent choice, sir," the blond elf said honestly. "She will be a dutiful scribe and a worthy companion!" The other ladies, seeing Bukuri's conviction, could only agree.

Lanassa was so stunned she could not speak. Finally her green eyes fluttered as and she nodded slowly. When she recovered her tongue he answered, "I would be honored, good sir."

---------

Exploration with elven soldiers made movement slow. The warriors secured every location before the man and lady could enter. Zan wondered if it was for his benefit or Lanassa's that the guards were so careful. It was clear that the team was given strict orders to protect the pair at all cost.

At first the two would take short excursions and return. The land of magic was large and beyond the man's imagination. The very ground was filled with mystical enchantment. Then as months passed and Zan and his crew adventured further and further from the elven land, things became more wild and unpredictable.

Eventually, even the guards could not fully protect them. The wyverns and griffins were too much for even the most seasoned soldier to handle easily, and they had not even come close to the dragon's lands. One soldier nearly lost an arm to a fanged creature who had lunged at Lanassa, and Zan decided he had seen enough. They returned to the elven city with no intention to return to the wild lands.

"But you haven't made it to the Fates," Lanassa tried to understand when Zan explained his journeys were finished. Logically the she-elf wanted the explorer to reach his ultimate goal. She stood at the threshold of her home and stared at him with confusion.

"Your life and the lives of these other elves are not worth my curiosity," Zan spoke with conviction as he gathered Lanassa's hands in his. She flushed at his impulsive action. Elves were taught to rely on reason over impulse, but this man before her defied all logic.

Lanassa pulled her hands away slowly as she realized something. "If you are not going to explore any further, then I suppose our time together has come to a close. Will you be heading home with all of your findings?" Her words were calm and her face unreadable. Zan's own expression became pained as he was not sure what she wanted him to say.

"I will stay here as long as the King and Queen will allow me to live among the elves, if that is alright with you." To his relief, Lanassa's eyes lit with the possibility. She nodded, giving Zan the courage to press further. "And I would like to continue to see you in a less formal capacity as well," he added in the ancient tongue.

"I would like that very much," she responded. Her normally pale golden cheeks turned pink. "Your accent is getting very good. Keep practicing!" The elf spoke quickly to try and hide her embarrassment.

Zan nodded with an obedient grin. "I will as long as you are my teacher, I will always be a dutiful student of the ancient tongue." The man took the hands of the elf again. "My lady, may I tell you a secret?"

"Yes..." Lanassa answered as she cocked her head to one side. She could not understand the look on Zan's face, but she felt it was important. His next words caused her breath to hitch.

"I have traveled the world and seen many faces, yet the one I dream about is only you. Your eyes invaded my senses from the moment we met, but your kind and gracious spirit took over the rest of me. I can only be yours, Lanassa. I love you." Zan could tell by the lady's shock that she had not anticipated this.

"You know I cannot say the same," she began. "Elves do not love."

"Do you have affection for me at all?" Zan wanted to know.

"Of course! And deep respect for all you have accomplished." Lanassa agreed easily.

"Then that is enough for me," the explorer looked overjoyed. "I hope to marry you one day, my love, if you will have me. I have been waiting so long to feel this way!"

"Our ages! I am well over 220 years old. Does it not bother you?" the elf was suddenly worried.

"I do not care if you are 2,000 years old, Lanassa. If you will consent to be mine, I will be the happiest man that ever lived," Zan said. And he meant it. The lady nodded, and he kissed her with fervor for the entire street to see.

-------------

In elven custom, the time of official engagement came much later after Zan had gone through the appropriate channels to acquire permission for marriage. Since love was not a basis for marriage, a good contract between the two parties was essential. Although Zan complained that it took the romance out of things, he could see the sense in having realistic expectations. With the King and Queen's approval, wedding preparations could at last begin.

Over a year of preparation, which always seem to be delayed for some reason or other, finally gave way to the happiest day of Zan's life. He was dressed in the traditional elven garb and had his wedding necklace prepared for his bride. The King and Queen had graciously decided to host the wedding at the palace, something Zan never would have dreamed. He knew of the royals' desire to merge human and elven characteristics, but he never thought they would go to such lengths to help.

Zan stood before a great mirror and examined himself. "Who would have thought after all the years of wandering, a lady would finally catch your eye enough to make you settle down? And I thought adventure was your only love..." he teased his mirror image. There was a knock at the door. The explorer assumed it was a servant coming to get him for the ceremony. When Zan answered the door, four well-dressed elves were waiting for him. They yanked Zan into the hallway.

"What is the meaning of this?" the man asked of their rough treatment. One of them answered him with a hit across Zan's skull that caused everything to go black. The last thing Zan saw and heard was Bukuri, hidden up against one wall, use her wind magic to tell him, "I will get help."

---------

Zan was sure he had not been unconscious very long, but when his vision cleared, he was at the ice barrier. The same elves who had abducted him were surrounding him. "Get out of the land of magic," one of the elves said. His gruff voice and hard eyes left no room for argument.

Yet, Zan would not yield. "I am supposed to be married today. Let me return to my bride."

"She does not want to marry you. The King and Queen are forcing her. We were sent to make things right. Do not make this harder than it has to be," the gruff elf insisted.

"I will not let her go without hearing those words from Lanassa's lips." Zan refused to believe them. Lanassa might not love him, but she could not be so cruel as this. He moved quickly around the he-elves to head back to the palace.

"If you try to return, only death awaits you," the elf tried to dissuade him one last time.

Zan bristled at the threat. "Let me pass! I will not back down."

"Then you leave me no choice," the gruff elf responded without feeling. He and the other elves began to beat the man mercilessly. They only stopped when they were certain he was dying. "That foolish man signed his own death warrant. He should have left when he had the chance." The four elves headed out, murmuring congratulations to themselves.

Zan took his last ragged gasp as he watched them leave. The life draining out of him, the man was about to give over to death when a voice rang out.

"Zan, I call you."

Was this death calling? He had no idea it that it could sound so lovely. The voice's next words confused him more.

"Do you want to live?"

Of course he did! What kind of question was that? Zan tried to nod, but was unsure if he succeeded.

The voice placed something against his lips. "Then drink this if you want to live."

Even with his eyes closed, Zan would see the light emanating from the liquid. But he did not care. He willing swallowed the liquid light. It burned, and for a brief second Zan thought he might be torn in two. He screamed.

The voice soothed him, "Do not fight it. It is healing you." Zan believed the words and relaxed. At last the torture was through.

Or so Zan thought. When he opened his eyes, he was met with a pair of eyes with irises like he had never seen. They were colorless and held everything and nothing all at once. The man's breath hitched. Inside those eyes, Zan viewed the history of the world. He saw life before the divide, where magical creatures and human lived in harmony. He saw the war of division and the consequences. He saw man's selfishness. And he saw love. All of it paraded across his mind yet also within the eyes of the Fate. It was so much information that the man's head felt like it would burst. Finally it stopped.

"Zan," the Fate said with a sad but knowing smile. "I call you to be a Guardian. Protect the human world."

It was all too much. Zan could not think. Instead, he fainted.