The gate of Ivory Concord

After two days, they arrived at the Ivory Concord. A sign high above their heads read ‘Welcome’.
The streetlights, unlike anything Ren had seen before, were designed like flowers: a dark stem rising from the ground, holding a translucent, tulip-shaped, milky-glass shade in a golden metal setting. Colorful flowers ran along the walls of the buildings, and raised beds were everywhere. The square-cut white stones and the fountain in the center were very similar to the Ebony Vow castle garden.

“This is exactly like—” Haku stepped on Ren's foot with the sole of her thick boot, making the boy wince.

Mages were mostly from the elves. Given that Haku's Master was a Mage, Ren could imagine his origin was tied to the Ivory Concord. But then, how could he have ended up on the other side?
Ren gave Haku a thoughtful glance, but the girl showed no sign of interest. She seemed more irritated by the scene before them.

People lined the streets. The crowd’s excitement rolled over them in waves—warm and overwhelming.

“Zel has returned! The hero has returned!” they chanted happily.

“Hero?” Ren looked down at Haku, who just shrugged.

Zel, straightening himself, stepped forward. He cleared his throat and began to speak loudly. His voice echoed among the houses, and everyone listened in quiet, reverent silence.

“Welcome, everyone! Thank you for coming all this way for us. I'm glad you're all doing well. We've been through a long and difficult journey. We successfully reached Ebony Vow for Haku and—” He looked at Ren. “—and her friend. I sincerely hope you will treat them as guests and help them in any way you can.” He took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, on our way back, when we passed through the Thousand Whispering Woods, Stephen, Andrew, and Samuel lost their lives. We laid their bodies to rest and prayed for the peace of their souls. They showed incredible bravery, and their sacrifice contributes to a happy future where our children and grandchildren can live in peace.”

The words hung in the air for a moment while people tried to understand what he had said, before applause erupted. Some cried in joy and smiled, others wiped their eyes gloomily.

Zel and the two soldiers walked ahead, taking the outstretched hands of the people and sometimes shaking them. Ren and Haku followed them invisibly. People either looked at them suspiciously and whispered something unpleasant or ignored them. Ren felt like an exotic animal in a cage, which annoyed him.

One of the soldiers stepped aside and spoke to a woman dressed in a strange green jumpsuit. Ren only caught a snippet of their conversation, as the man said, “…much. Take the cleaners south and…”

They went into a nearby inn, where they got two separate rooms to unload their bags. Haku put down her gigantic sword so as not to scare the citizens—even though her red skin was scary enough. Their rooms were next to each other. The wooden walls and furniture soothed Ren's eyes; he was finally not blinded by white or by a multitude of colors. There was only a bed, a desk, and a chair. It wasn’t a place for the long term, but it was cheap enough.

Finishing their unpacking, they continued. The main road led directly to a castle. Ren had never seen such a large building before, which may not say much, since he didn't remember anything from the years he had lived.

It was far more luxurious than where he had stayed before. Its many towers reached into the sky, seemingly serving no other function than decoration. Carved reliefs followed one another on the walls, as if telling a story. A huge golden gate, flanked by two gilded angel statues, guarded the entrance. The marble pavement between them shimmered faintly, polished so well it mirrored the sky."

Two mean-looking guards with spears in their hands stood in front of the entrance door. Inside the courtyard, the first thing they saw was a gigantic, unpainted stone statue. The statue's body was covered in full armor, with only its head exposed.

His short hair was slicked back as if he had just taken off his helmet. He was smiling, but the smile seemed more self-satisfied than happy. He looked young. The only incongruous thing on his perfect skin was a long cut that started under his right eye and continued above it. He leaned on a sword held in both hands. He looked a little like Zel, but his jawline was less sharp than the statue’s.

“He is the current king,” Zel stated, and didn’t seem to want to talk about it anymore. He handed his armor, weapon, and other boxes to a servant, who ran up with the packages and disappeared behind the castle's huge entrance.

Ren put his foot on the first step to follow her. Seeing this, the guards aggressively raised their weapons in front of him. Zel put his hand on Ren's shoulder, whereupon Haku held a dagger to the black-haired boy’s throat.

“It’s very sweet that you care so much about your friend, but now that we’re on home turf, you have no chance against us.”

Haku grinned. “Do you want to try?”

Zel let go of Ren, and the girl also lowered her weapon.

“You can't go into the Royal Palace. The Prophet is not inside. She lives in a separate residence in the courtyard.”

After circling the castle, they passed through a low white fence, which was more of a symbolic border. Inside, there was a small house with a round table and two chairs in front of it. The colorful, fragrant flowers made the cozy little house even more beautiful.

Haku squatted down beside a lone blue flower. She examined it curiously, repeatedly brushed her fingers against it, as if trying to memorize its texture, while the boys waited patiently.

Zel pointed at the white table, “Put your weapons on the table. I don't want any accidents.”

Haku took out a few knives from her pockets, but at Zel's stern look, she also unpacked a few from her sleeves—though who knows how she kept them there.

Entering the house, Ren was struck by the smell of smoke and a strange scent he couldn't identify.

The room was messy. Dozens of scrolls, books, and candles were on the floor—barely enough space to move around. The white walls were covered with black ink markings and even more written papers.

The living room and bedroom were in one. From the entrance door, he could see the white-duveted bed, in which an orange-haired girl was sitting and reading. She didn't put the book down even when they entered.

Next to her bed, on the bedside table, was an incense stick, which explained the earlier smell. On her wide desk, there was a half-eaten loaf of bread and a cup with a dark liquid, resting on top of seemingly clean papers.

She unhurriedly placed a flower-patterned handkerchief between two pages and glanced at them. She didn’t move to greet them, her gaze remaining fixed on them—cold and analytical. Her shining teal eyes pierced through their souls.