Oblivion, A Timeless Void

Chapter 16: From Astarot, the Dragons Carol

"So, who are you?"

"Questioning me already? That's a little cold, Madam."

"I have reason to be wary, sir."

His forest green eyes crinkled in amusement as he put one leg over the other, interlinking his fingers in the process. Interestingly enough, the woman before him, though human, did not seem at all fazed by the unfamiliar setting or the race of the people around her.

Mavis's wisteria eyes hounded him despite her shallow breaths. The wounds she'd sustained from her fight with Esmeray had been treated but not quite healed. She had to admit, though, that the treatment was top-notch. Whoever had done it was visibly a skilled military doctor.

That wasn't her main concern at the moment, however. For a split moment, she tore her gaze away from him to assess the room they were in.

Grand and luxurious. Those were the two words Mavis would use to describe the hall. Gilded murals were hung on the walls, surrounded by pillars of white and gold. On each of the pillars, gilded torches were fixed, providing ambient lighting throughout the hall.

From each of the torches, scarlet tapestries woven with silver threads hung, extending all the way up to converge at the grand chandelier in the middle of the room. From the large double doors behind her and all the way to the throne upon which the man was sitting, a complementary red carpet stretched.

Her little tour eventually brought her back to the person with whom she was conversing. As a happily married woman, she didn't quite like the thought, but he was the textbook definition of handsome. It did make sense, considering he wasn't human. Other races tended to be quite beautiful, though elves exceeded that standard by leaps and bounds.

Dragons were a close second, however. And it seemed he was quite highly ranked too.

His midnight blue hair extended to just a little beyond his shoulders, swaying messily in the winds that blew in through the open windows. His eyes, slit like a reptilian's, were a deep forest green colour. On the sides of his face, right next to his slightly elongated ears, turquoise scales crawled, matching the colour of his small antlers and his dragon wings.

They mostly resembled bats' but were much grander and with talons at the joins. Near his right eye, Mavis noticed a small beauty mark and a small scar down his brow. In the end, her eyes went back to practically glaring at him.

"I ask you again. Who are you, and what is this place?"

Next to him, the woman—likely a knight—who'd been standing at attention leaned down slightly. "Your Majesty... The commander specifically instructed you to not mess with or provoke them," she reminded. Her voice was firm and rather strict as she spoke, her golden eyes showing no sign of hesitation despite the fact she was talking to her superior.

Her antlers, scales, and wings were all black in colour, matching the depth of her chin-length hair. Unlike his, hers was straight, save for the curling at its ends. The man on the throne sighed and finally got up, stepping off the dais to approach Mavis.

"I apologise for just now," he mumbled, surprising Mavis. That was... quite obedient? He then cleared his throat as he came to a halt in front of her. Extending his hand, he flashed her a formal smile.

"My name is Theodore Winters. I am the reigning High King of Astarot. This place is, ah, the Palace of Drach. In Astarot."

Mavis blinked as the realisation finally sank in. They were... in Astarot? Did that mean that they were saved by the dragons? Why were the dragons even in the human realm?

With a small breath, she took his hand, brows furrowed. "A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. I am Mavis Hill, the leader of the Elementals. I'm not certain if you've heard of us, but—"