Zephyrus Elway’s P.O.V

The beauty of the autumn tree foliage never ceased to amaze me. As I walked through the forest, the soft crunch of leaves under my boots was the only sound keeping me company. Vael was asleep, as usual, so my thoughts were my only company.

As much as I didn't want to leave, it was necessary before the big meeting. I needed to clear the air to ensure that nothing unwanted would happen at such an important event.

My journey through the forest remained uninterrupted as I arrived at my destination. A large golem greeted me with a staff aimed at my head, as always. With a simple swipe of my hand, my palm collided with the staff and the golem crumbled out of existence. A few feet behind the pile of stones, a Warp Gate shimmered into existence, and I stepped onto it.

Well, here we go, I thought. Now that I think about it, I really should've dressed for the weather.

The stone slab's complex runes glowed an emerald green, and soon my entire vision was obstructed by the color. I felt the air turn from windy to thick and humid as I arrived at my destination.

The emerald green light dissipated, and what was once a vibrant orange and red autumn tree forest was now a jungle.

Stepping off the warp gate, I was greeted by another golem, but this time it didn't pay me any mind and let me walk right past it. The thick, hot air made me take off my cloak and store it in my spatial ring, but even in my tunic, it still felt as hot as ever. Fortunately, the nauseous feeling that the city's warp gates caused didn't happen here. Instead, this warp gate's travel felt natural, which I preferred.

Walking through the jungle, it didn't take long for the insects to start buzzing around me, which was another reason I hated coming here.

My journey was one of avoiding mud puddles, mosquitoes, and an array of reptilian creatures. Luckily, the mana beasts in this area had been cleared out, so I didn't have to waste any unnecessary time fighting them.

Eventually, the end of the jungle came, and it gave way a crystal-clear water source. It was shallow, only knee-high, and many different types of fish could be seen. There was a subtle beauty in the natural way of life, and I just enjoyed watching them swim around, each going their own unpredictable path.

As I took off my boots and stepped into the cool water, I couldn't help but gaze in wonder at the city that lay on the other side. It was like no other city I had ever seen in the continent of Lotia, with its intricate and appealing architectural designs that were integrated into every tree of the jungle like towering tree houses. Every tree was connected by bridges, allowing free passage, but what truly brought the city to life was the bustling activity of its people.

As I made my way across the river and towards the city, two demie guards dressed in light leather armor and wielding spears stepped in front of me, their pointy wolf-like ears twitching with annoyance and confusion. They were clearly taken aback by the sight of a human like me emerging from the depths of the jungle.

I reached into my dimension ring and retrieved a gleaming medallion, flashing it in the tropical sunlight for the guards to see. The other guard, who had not yet spoken, stepped back in surprise.

“T-that's…” he stuttered.

“Yes,” I cut him off. “I'm here on business. Please escort me to the chieftain.”

I didn’t blame them for their confusion. I did look like the homeless vagabond I once was.

After that, it didn't take long for them to get moving. I followed them up into the city and through it to where the chieftain was located. By the path the two guards were taking me, it didn't seem the chief was living in the same spot as the last time I came.

I swear, he changes his living quarters every month.

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We arrived at a large castle-like tree. Two humongous wooden doors stood in front of me, along with another two guards. Looking above, I could also see archers at the ready for any type of intruders.

Flashing my medallion and telling the guards the same thing as the last two, they opened the door with no trouble.

I smirked. This thing really is useful, I'm glad he gave it to me.

Walking in, the giant doors closed behind me, and my eyes were met with a throne. The large wooden chair was connected to the trunk of the tree, vines intertwined the two, and it seemed as if the chair itself pulsed with life, or rather, mana.

“What an unexpected visit.” A voice filled with laughter called. “Those damned gates let you travel wherever the hell you want, don't they?”

My attention was immediately drawn away from the throne itself and instead to the man spitting on it. I walked closer so I could see him more clearly.

As he spoke, he smiled, showing his lion-like fangs, and his red beard had grown longer since the last time I'd seen him. His hair was still long and braided, signifying he was still undefeated in battle.

“Well, it would be wrong not to visit. It's been a while. And yes, they do come in handy.”

He stepped down from the throne and made his way to me. The tall lion demi-man gave me a firm hug. “Indeed it has. Now if there was anyone else besides you who could use them, then maybe they wouldn't treat you as nicely.”

I chuckled, “Well, there is now. My sister has children.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, “You don’t say? That's amazing. How have they grown?”

“They've grown up strong. You'll have to meet them one day. I've trained them myself. But enough about that, I've come here on business.”

"I trust you've come here to fulfill your promise," Gallak said, his fierce eyes growing even more serious.

"About that," I replied.

Annoyance flickered across his face. "If not that, then what?"

"Just to clear the air before the big meeting," I said. "I didn't want any hard feelings to affect such an important event."

Gallak's annoyance grew, and a bolt of light shimmered and dissipated, leaving a spear in his hands. He slammed the blunt end of the spear on the wooden floor, causing an unnaturally strong wave of wind to pulse throughout the throne room.

"What you're saying is no different than calling me a child, Zephyrus!" Gallak pointed the sharpened end of his spear at my neck. "I am a king, and I know when and where I can act out."

I didn't move, but gazed at the neatly engraved runes on the blade of his spear, then back at him.

"If it weren't for our tradition and my respect for your strength, I would have killed you long ago. For you to come in here and try to 'clear the air' like I'm some child is the ultimate disrespect."

"You're right, Gallak. I acted rashly. I should have known," I said, acknowledging my mistake.

Gallak's annoyance disappeared, and the spear shimmered out of existence.

"Damn right, pip-squeak," Gallak said. "But even after saying all that, I can't bring myself to be truly angry at you." He walked back to his throne. "Now if that is all, depart."

"Yes, sir," I said, turning to leave.

But as I was about to exit, a hooded figure on the back of a giant black panther strode into the throne room in a hurry.

"Oh goodness," Gallak said exhaustedly from the throne.

The figure hopped off the panther and took off their hood. "Father, were you just going to let him leave without informing me?" Neko said, addressing Gallak.

"What did I tell you about bringing your pet cat into the throne room?" Gallak replied, scolding her.

Ignoring her father, Neko instantly embraced me in a hug. "Why haven't you visited more, Zephyrus?" Her voice was shaky and sad. "Were you really going to leave without even saying hi?"

She looked up at me, her feline eyes meeting mine. "I'm sorry, Neko. I'm here on business," I said.

"Official business of your kingdom?" she asked.

I didn't answer.

Neko squinted her eyes. "Am I truly that minuscule to you that you can't even say hello?"

"It's not that, Neko. We've had this discussion before. I just need my time," I said.

Neko's cat ears flopped down at my words. "I know, I know. I just..."

I pulled her into another hug. "I understand. There's no need to explain yourself. It was great seeing you, Neko, but my business with your father has concluded, so I'll be going."

As I tried to walk past her, she wrapped her tail around my arm, halting my movements. "You can't leave already. At least stay for dinner or even the night. We'll throw a feast," she said, smiling. "It's all you can eat."

Neko knew me all too well. I looked back up at Gallak.

"It's no skin off my ass. I'm the king," he said. "And your status is enough to allow it."

Neko's face lit up with excitement at her father's words.