The Marvel of Underworlds

2: Romantic From the Blue

Shortly after Felix Moreau woke from his slumber, another person within the Ankariian wall faced the new day.

"What species is indigenous to Skai?"

"Um..."

"Come on, you know this!"

"Uh... Hm..." She sipped at her tea as her knees fidgeted under the wooden table. She scrutinized the study materials in front of her. The answer was on the tip of her tongue.

"Do you need a hint?" He asked kindly, pulling a tray of cinnamon rolls out of the nearby oven. The sugary sweet aroma filled the room, only teasing her more.

"He said two more questions. Only two! Then I can have breakfast... Ugh... this is so hard..." She thought to herself, biting the end of her quill pen. Parchment covered in scribbled notes laid in front of her.

"No... I think I know it..." She muttered, violently tapping her foot. She bit harder on the feather pen until the hair came off in her mouth. She spat it out, disgusted, and proceeded to bang her head on the restaurant table.

"If you get this one right I'll take away another question!" The elf laughed, waving a cinnamon roll over her head.

"I hate you," She giggled impatiently, "Is the answer... nymphs?"

"Close enough," He placed the roll in her hands, then ran to the chair facing her. She took a bite, but could barely contain her smile. They were the only ones inside the bakery since it was before opening. The round wooden tables and chairs lined the room, the city sunlight bouncing off the beige wallpaper. The counter to their left was covered in baked goods. The kitchen was right behind the counter, inside another room.

Talori Cristina Lelia Neris was never known for being smart. She wasn't known as a magical genius, a resourceful thinker, or responsible at all. No, she was not known for those things. Talori was known for her unmistakable charm (though lack of manners) and her loving attitude. She cared for everyone, and never hurt a soul. At least that's what people thought.

Besides that, she was famous for her musical talent. Even though she knew some elemental magic, her music was what attracted customers to her friend Abel's bakery. Every hour Talori would perform a song, either sung or played on the lyre, and patrons would stand up and dance. She was gorgeous, people thought, but not normal. Similarly to Felix, Talori was also an outcast.

First of all, her turquoise hair stood out in the Ankariian streets full of normal elves. The Ankariian elves of the empire were typically blonde, skinny, and tall, not to mention their pointy ears. However, Talori was short, average weight, and had ears like fins. The tips of the fins were purple, slowly blending into the paleness of her blushing skin. Her face was round and heart-shaped, her cheekbones not visible underneath her rosy cheeks. She had thin lips and long eyelashes, and her thick black eyebrows called for attention. Her hair was the strangest of all. Her curly teal locks spiraled down her shoulders, reaching all the way to her thighs.

But her hair annoyed her during the tutor sessions, so she expertly tied it up in a ponytail on her head.

Talori was also held accountable for one more thing: she was a romantic. No, a hopeless romantic. She would flirt with the first guy she sees. She didn't particularly have standards, but if she saw a pretty face, she went for it.

Her friends were the one exception to this rule. She had more guy friends than girlfriends. Abel was her best friend and roommate. Felix was practically her older brother. He always looked out for her and always tried to protect her. What was surprising was that Talori was actually older than him.

Felix was a human. He was twenty-five to be exact. Talori... she was older. She was 153 years old. However, she was a different species.

Talori was raised in the kingdom of the blue nymphs; her mother was a gorgona (a nymph- human hybrid) while her father was a human. The strange biology of the hybrid came into her family far before she was alive. Since the nymphs were a somewhat related species to elves, their lifespans were far longer than that of a human. To put her age into human years, Talori would be around seventeen or eighteen, but she certainly acted like a nine-year-old.