The airship lowers to the ground at the base of the mountain. A group of elven guards wearing the white and gold uniforms of Alfheim stand in the snow, organized precisely by rank under the orders of the elven guard with a dark velvet purple cape over their shoulders. These elves wait patiently, weapons at the ready, for the door to the airship to open. Scar is the first one to descend the ladder of the airship. The roots of his throne sink into the snow as he communicates plainly with the captain of the elven unit. Scar raises his hands passively, dealing with the elven captain's anger maturely. He wears a plain smile on his face, excitement shimmering in his unnaturally green eyes.

Tommy descends next, marking him as someone of rank. If this wasn't made clear by the order in which they exited the airship, Tommy is wearing the most official clothes he brought with him, complete with a circlet to prove his status. Niki brushed through his hair earlier, styling it as best she could, so he even looks the part of a prince as he stands in the snow. He looks more like a general when his chosen people spread out behind him, an odd assortment of individuals each radiating their own form of power and skill. Despite some of them not being human, they all look that way, especially since Scott has chosen to hide his appearance from everyone.

The elven captain eventually sighs. He turns to face his unit. He gives them an order while moving his hand. The elves spread out to surround the group from the airship. Tommy takes a deep breath. Scar shoots Tommy a reassuring smile, coming to move alongside Tommy. Scar turns his attention back to the path that leads them up the mountain to the city in the distance, "Welcome to my home! It doubles as the capital of Alfheim, but that's secondary to the first fact, no?"

"I would refrain from making such comments, sir," The captain of the unit says, looking over his shoulder at Scar with a tight expression across his finely carved face.

The elf beside Tommy rolls his eyes with a humored smile. "Oh, relax. I am only making a joke. It is good to lighten the mood, though I suppose you have never found this necessary."

The captain says nothing else, but his eyes darken as he looks away from Scar. Tommy finds himself glancing at Scar from the corner of his vision. Scar continues to wear a humored smile on his face, entirely unaffected by the situation around him. Tommy looks away from Scar to the guards surrounding them. They do not look happy to be escorting humans, or non-elves, technically, considering False and Jimmy aren't human anymore, but they seem even less okay with walking alongside Scar. They put more distance between themselves and him than they do with anyone else, even Tommy, part of the ruling family they despise.

They enter Rivendell through the main gates. Tommy's attention slides away from the elves around him to the capital city. Most of the buildings are made from dark wood with blue roofs and highlights, nestled together with barely enough room for the snow falling across the mountainside to settle between them. Even on the main street, animal pens and barns can be seen lined up together. Elves are peeking out of their homes or blatantly gawking while traversing the streets. While there is an element of curiosity in their gazes, it is primarily filled with open hostility and incredulousness. A few of them dare to get closer. The guards shake their heads minutely, as if declaring that messing with the humans wouldn't be worth it.

"Don't worry. You're all guests of the king," Scar assures them, looking over the side of his throne's arm to look at the entire group.

"Xornoth believes in Xenia," Scott whispers, looking around at the elven guards around them. One of the guards looks back, but no one seems to notice who Scott is. He sighs in relief. Jimmy puts a hand on Scott's shoulder, squeezing tightly to comfort him. Scott's soft smile can be seen underneath his hood as he tilts his head towards Jimmy.

"Good," Tommy murmurs back, voice taken by the chilling wind that echoes throughout the cobblestone streets. His words seem to be taken to a large building sitting on a level higher than most of the capital. The building is made from white and light gray stone with deep cyan tiles forming the upside-down V shaped roof. A set of golden antlers protrude from over the top of the door. Several elves are standing at the doorway, and from what little Tommy can see, many more are still inside the building. A strange energy radiates around the building, and Tommy recognizes it as cael. He is half-tempted to run over, searching for Tiberius, but he doubts his celestial companion would be in a foreign church.

The guards lead the group all the way to the top of the settlement where the palace is built directly into the mountain's surface. The palace is made from pale white stones, dusted with sparkling ice that never melts underneath the weight of the sunlight. The spires are topped with varying shades of blue, mostly cyan but a few are as dark as navy. There are very few windows, but each one is lined with golden frames, complimenting the rest of the gold used to accent the palace's many annexes attached to what seems to be a central tower that soars over the rest of the building, as if competing with the mountain's peak for altitude. Several guards are posted in all manner of place around the palace, standing tall even with the biting wind growing colder up here.

As the elven guards lead the imperial entourage through the gates that separate the palace from the rest of Rivendell. There are two towers on either side of the gate. Two elves step out from the towers, standing on the top part of the gate that completes the circuit of the protective walls. The elves both raise golden trumpets, playing a beautiful song as the group walks across the outer courtyard. Dozens of elves stop what they're doing to look up at who could bring forth the trumpeters. The people here are able to hide their disgust far better than anyone else that they have come across, but merchants and servants are naturally gifted in this regard. Tommy, however, is also talented at knowing when someone wants his head to be severed from his body, so he refrains from making eye contact with anyone. He can only hope that Deo, the most battle-prone of his companions, will follow his lead.

The inner courtyard has far fewer elves, and most of them are too occupied with their own duties to look at the people crossing into their territory. The stairs leading up to the main entrance of the palace remind Tommy of L'Manberg. Tommy bites the inside of his cheek. He promises himself that he won't be here long. He will return to his family and friends very soon.

The first room of the palace is a grand foyer with white pillars holding up the distant roof, everything sparkling faintly of gold as if someone had spun gossamer strands of the substance to throw across the elven palace. The roof, far away as it is, seems to be made from colored glass. There is no distinct pattern as far as Tommy can tell other than the glass being symmetrical by multiple dividing lines, but the blue, green, and light purple light that floods into the room definitely sets it apart from the rest of Rivendell.

The next room they enter is a long hallway. There are no windows, but the hall is covered in paintings that showcase what could potentially be on the other side of the walls. As Tommy keeps walking, he notices that the paintings, while clearly made from brushstrokes, are moving subtly. There is a rune carved into the frame of each painting near the top. Tommy smiles to himself, reaching a hand up towards one of them. This attracts the attention of several people, including the elven guards, so Tommy hurriedly puts his hand down.

At the end of the hallway, two guards are stationed at a set of doors. The captain of the escorts waves his hand, and the two guards at the end of the hall open the doors they are protecting. As the group passes through the threshold, the escorts spread out to cover every corner of the audience room, standing next to the golden trees half-inside the wall. The branches of those trees stretch out above their hands with burning candles shaped like leaves instead of actual leaves growing from the golden features. At the very end of the room, in front of a glass window showcasing the Aeor triumphing over discord, a large throne is centered on the wall, lifted up on a slight stage with a few steps. There are several elves wearing noble garb in the room, surrounding the throne, but the focus of both the light in the room and everyone's eyes is the man sitting in the throne.

The king of the elves, Scott's elder brother, Xornoth, sits at his throne with the languid countenance of someone of his ranking. His outfit is accented by white and gold, similar to the flags hanging up around his throne, but he chooses to wear dark purple as his main color instead of the cyan common to the rest of his nation. This is perhaps due to his long purple hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and his similarly colored eyes that seem to intake every detail of the world around him without being concerned about any of it. Even as his court grows agitated by the sudden arrival, Xornoth knows that he is in complete control of the situation and does not allow anyone to mistake this fact.

A servant steps out from the shadows, holding a scroll in his hand. He clears his throat as he unrolls the scroll. He opens his mouth, scanning the scroll. His expression twists with unease as he double-checks the list of names. He glances up at the people, eyes darting over to the king and his court. The herald hurriedly looks back at his scroll, face twisting with fear.

"Allow me, your majesty," Scar notes, using his throne to step in front of the group. He hides the herald with the back of his throne, and the herald darts back into the welcoming darkness. Scar places one hand against his chest, using the other one to gesture to the group. "I present Prince Theseus, Star of the Antarctic Empire, and his illustrious guards to the royal court of Rivendell and to his majesty, King Xornoth."

The court begins whispering to each other. Xornoth's face breaks with a half-smile. He sits up in his throne, looking across the group with interest in his eyes. "Thank you, Scott. Additionally, I must thank you all for making the difficult journey from the empire to the heart of Alfheim. I will provide you with accommodations and food while you stay. However, I must admit that I am quite curious what brings you to my kingdom."

Tommy looks away from Xornoth to glance at Scar, waiting for the elf to respond. Instead of opening his mouth, Scar gives Tommy an eerie smile. His eyes shine with emotions Tommy does not have an appropriate name for yet know are not necessarily good emotions. Scar places both of his hands in his lap, waiting for Tommy to answer. Tommy feels something cold seize his heart. The only reason they are here is because he made a deal with Scar, but he has a feeling that he's going to regret telling Xornoth that. Tommy grits his teeth, looking back at Xornoth with a serene expression, hiding his momentary panic. "Truthfully, your majesty, my elder brother, a good friend of mine, and myself are avid readers. I believed it would be nice to check out the elven library."

Tommy swallows, taking a step forward. He puts one hand on his chest, folding the other one behind his back. He looks into Xornnoth's eyes unflinchingly. "More pressingly, however, I wish to make amends for the actions of the grandfather I have never met yet know many terrible secrets about. The Antarctic Empire has allowed the wound to fester for too long. It is high time we put in the effort to lessen the animosity that exists between our two nations, and I believed that personally witnessing and appreciating the elves was a crucial first step in the healing process."

Xornoth continues staring at Tommy for a long moment. The smile on his face slowly creeps higher until his entire face is lit up with a happy expression. "I must applaud your directness, Star of the Antarctic Empire. If that is your desire, you should stay until our upcoming festival a few days hence. In the meantime, you should mingle among the people. See the value in elves, and perhaps, teach the elves the value of humans."

"Thank you, King Xornoth," Tommy says, bowing respectfully to the benevolent ruler. The others bow behind Tommy, though he does hear a faint hitting sound and Deo whispering an affirmative to whoever hit him, probably Niki. Tommy closes his eyes, pretending like he hasn't heard anything as he stands back up.

"Please, show the humans to the villa they will be staying at for the time being," Xornoth orders, gesturing toward a servant hiding in the shadows of the golden trees. The butler bows to his king and to Tommy's group before he starts walking away, leading them back out the doors. Tommy throws a look over his shoulder. Xornoth is still looking at him even as his court starts reprimanding him for his actions. Xornoth smiles, but there is a touch of something somber in the way he looks.

"You did not tell me that you were an eloquent speaker!" Scar says, nudging Tommy's side with his elbow. Tommy whirls around to glare at the elf. In normal circumstances, he wouldn't have even cared that Scar was touching him, but after the stunt in the audience room, Tommy slaps Scar's elbow away. Scar lifts both of his hands up, "Hey! That was a compliment. You were amazing out there."

"What is the real reason you brought us here?" Tommy hisses. Scar went through so much trouble to get the group to Rivendell, but Tommy has never understood why. He didn't think it was important before now. Nether, he thought Scar was doing this on a whim just because he could. Tommy has his doubts now, though he's always been skeptical of Scar to some capacity.

Scar smiles. It isn't as eerie as it was in the audience room, but it does very little to settle Tommy's swirling stomach. "I made a deal with someone. She wanted to bring you specifically to Rivendell as soon as possible. By the way, when you meet her, remind her that our deal is now complete. I will be expecting my payment."

"You forced me into a deal because you had made a deal?" Tommy asks, astonished. The butler leads the group outside into the inner courtyard to the side of the palace, hidden by an expansive garden that seems to be kept well-heated by the runes carved into the stone surrounding each dirt plot. Snow falls around them, but it disappears before it can even touch the ground.

Scar laughs, bubbly and bright like the sun peeking overheard. When he finishes, he looks at Tommy with more wisdom in his eyes than Tommy thought he was capable of. "The world is run on deals and debts. It is embedded into the very fabric of reality. You should learn how to manipulate this fact for your benefit. It might serve you well one day."

Scar says nothing else. He only waves at Tommy as his throne leads him away. Tommy stops, watching the elf peel away without a word to where he's going. Tommy grimaces. Scar literally just told Tommy that he had completed his purpose. There is no reason for Scar to stick with them. Tommy only hopes that he will Scar again before he returns to the empire. He has so many more questions he needs to ask, information that he knows is locked in Scar's head. Tommy just has to figure out what he's willing to trade for such secrets.

Tommy snaps himself out of it, hurrying to catch up with the rest of the group. The butler has led everyone to a building standing apart from the palace but made from similar materials. The building is more or less hidden by the gardens since it is on the complete other side of it. The butler is standing in front of the villa, gesturing up towards it. Niki is standing with him. Tommy can tell the two of them are discussing sleeping arrangements. The others in the group are passively observing. Jack is standing close to Niki, listening intently. Deo is listlessly tilting his head upwards, either staring at the sky or falling asleep standing up. Scott is fiddling with the edges of his hood, and Jimmy is trying to reassure him that he's well-hidden. False idles near them, occasionally nodding or shaking her head when Jimmy looks at her. Joey hanging off the side of Scott's shoulder, obnoxiously snoring.

Tommy stands apart from them. He wants to join in, but he stops himself when he notices something in the corner of his eye. There is a man standing in the gardens. It isn't too interesting of a fact until Tommy notices the wings sprouting from the man's back. They are pale gray in color, fading into purple at the bottom. They are Elytra wings, making this man a rare hybrid— if he is one. Tommy finds himself walking over to the man, entirely spellbound by the wings.

Getting close attracts the attention of the man, and he looks up at Tommy. He has gray-blue eyes streaked with an aquamarine color. His dark brown hair falls over his rounded pointed ears. There is a bit of dirt on his cheeks, but the rest of his person looks immaculate, even if his clothing is more neutral than indicative of status. He tilts his head curiously at Tommy when they make eye contact. "You're a human."

"You're an elytra," Tommy responds, his voice filled with as much shock as the man's voice is filled with curiosity.

A friendly smile appears on the man's face. "I prefer the name Andor."

"Theseus," Tommy introduces himself.

Andor nods. He looks over Tommy's shoulder to the rest of the group, still caught in their own reactions to the butler and Niki's discussion. Andor's smile lessens, but it isn't any less genuine, just more contemplative and less energized. "I heard that humans would be coming, but I did not think the king would keep you so close. As far as I am aware, humans have a bad reputation in this city."

"I am trying to alleviate this," Tommy explains.

"That is admirable," Andor notes, nodding assuredly. "It is only through peace that one finds balance."

"What's that from?" Tommy asks, noticing that Andor sounds like he's quoting something.

"It's one of the tenets of the Keystone faith, particularly the worship of the goddess of balance, Ianite," Andor explains.

"I know someone who worships Ianite," Tommy murmurs, realizing that he's heard that name before.

Andor's face lights up with surprise and happiness. He reaches forward, grabbing Tommy's shoulders. "Might I please meet them?"

"I'm sorry. The person I am talking about is Captain Sparklez of the Antarctic Empire, and he is still in the empire right now," Tommy apologizes, patting Andor's hands. Jordan has been an avid believer in Ianite even though he lives in a nation that primarily worships the Blood God and Misstrixtin. Jordan even named his water elemental after his goddess, Ianita. Thinking about it, Tommy should ask Jordan more questions about his goddess and how he came to worship her. Maybe there's something Tommy is missing.

"Ah, I see. Well, that only means I need to take a trip to the Antarctic Empire one day," Andor claims, washing away his disappointment with a resolute expression.

"That is a great idea," Tommy agrees. An elf choosing to go to the Antarctic Empire would do some good for the state of both the nations right now. It would definitely make this trip worth it if the cultural exchange went both ways.

Their conversation is interrupted as Jack jogs over. "Niki is waiting for you."

Tommy turns to follow Jack back to the others, but Andor grabs the sleeve of Jack's uniform. There is familiarity shining in his eyes as he asks, "Excuse me, what is your name?"

"Jack," The guard responds, gently peeling Andor's hand off his clothes. Andor looks confused, but he doesn't stop Jack and Tommy from walking away. He continues to stand by the flowers, wearing a dumbfounded expression on his face. Tommy feels sympathy for Andor, but Jack leans in close to Tommy, whispering, "Try not to hang around weird people like that."

"Andor isn't weird. If anything, you're the weird one," Tommy remarks. Jack leans back to glare childishly at Tommy, and the prince returns the stare with as much ferocity.

"Boys," Niki says as they join her. Jack and Tommy look away from each other, expressions returning to normal. Niki gestures for Tommy to follow her, and he does. She deposits him at one of the doors. When she throws it open, Tommy sees a relatively large room on the other side. Niki smiles to herself. "This should be big enough for you and your companions."

"Please don't put me in here with the water and air familiars," Tommy begs, literally willing to get on his knees for this matter even though he's a prince. Tommy doesn't mind the water familiar so much, but that air familiar makes Tommy angry every time he looks at it. He has tried killing it several times, but he is always stopped by poor timing. Someone always interrupts him as if everyone has an uncanny sense for when Tommy is going to get revenge on that bird for existing.

"That is non-negotiable. They were given to you for your safety, and I will not disobey the will of the tsar or the elemental kings," Niki explains, stopping Tommy from begging even before he truly gets a chance to. "But that isn't who I meant. I'm referring to Hetta and Tiberius."

Tommy tenses, looking away from Niki. His companions, as Niki called them, have not returned to his side yet. Niki continues talking, perhaps unaware of his discomfort towards the subject. "I will be staying on the other side of the villa with the other females, but Deo and Jack will be close by. Additionally, Jimmy swore to False that he would look out for you and Scott."

"Thank you. You're dismissed," Tommy says. Niki leaves the room, shutting the door behind her. Alone in an empty room, a moment without any guards or contracted beings or familiars, Tommy finds himself gravitating towards the window. He sits down on the cushion, looking outside the glass. He meant to look at the garden, but his attention was grabbed by a flashier scene. There is a woman standing in the middle of a circle. Elven guards attempt to strike her with their weapons, but she twists a staff around in her hands, casting magic from glyphs that keep herself safe. She's so skilled and powerful that Tommy is mesmerized.

After defeating all the guards, she looks up. She meets Tommy's eyes. A smile blossoms across her face, and she waves at him. Before Tommy can make a choice whether or not to wave back, a stern man with silver hair walks up to the woman. He seems to be lecturing her, but she only rolls her eyes. This upsets the man. The two of them start arguing in earnest. They only stop when Andor jogs over to them, placing a hand on both of their shoulders to force them to give each other space. Andor talks to them for several minutes. At the end, he and the man walk away from the purple-haired woman. She throws her hands up in the air, glancing over at Tommy as if asking him what she can do about the situation. Tommy has no answer for her, so he does nothing.

She doesn't seem too concerned as she goes back to sparring with the guards. As he watches, Tommy wonders what kind of magic she's using: magecraft, witchcraft, runes... maybe something else entirely.

—

Xornoth leaps off his throne immediately. He rushes across the room. He grabs onto Ranboo's shoulders, forgetting about rank and uncaring of Tubbo's half-conscious form on Ranboo's back. Xornoth leans in close, yelling, "Where is he?!"

"I'm sorry–" Ranboo starts, his voice cracking and barely above a whisper.

"I don't want your apologies. I want to know where my brother is," Xornoth hisses, cutting Ranboo off immediately.

"He sacrificed himself... he gave himself over to the miasma," Ranboo explains. Xornoth releases Ranboo's shoulders, stumbling back as if he had been stabbed. His eyes widen, and he crumples onto the ground. Servants rush forward to assist their king, but no one is able to get him off the ground as he screams. Ranboo looks away, feeling a terrible sorrow swirl inside his body at the sound.