The forest changed the further he walked. The trees expanded further than he believed possible rising high up into the sky like pillars supporting the heavens themselves.

Mist drifted between them in thin strips while the air thickened with concentrated Aether much to his surprise.

Even breathing felt heavier there.

The ground was littered with huge bones. A broken skull the size of a carriage rested beside an uprooted tree, half covered in moss.

Atheline walking through the forest barely spared it a glance. His dark robe brushed against damp undergrowth as he silently moved between the trees, one hand holding his bow. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

He looked almost nonchalant but his eyes remained alert. Unlike the outer forest, the deeper he went the more intelligent the monsters became.

While they still fell for his traps some of them managed to escape or fight back before getting killed. Still, he enjoyed the hunting process.

The last time he had been in a forest it had left a lasting impression. He had been too weak from the poison to fight continuously but right now, he was pumped up for a fight.

A low growl echoed through the forest from somewhere in the distance. Another answered from further away. Then silence again.

Atheline’s boots stopped against soft soil, huckles raised. The air around him felt different.

’Something is wrong’

Aether seemed to be moving differently.

The sensation of heat brushing against his skin came before fire suddenly spread violently.

He lightly turned but he was still a step too late, a small part of his sleeve was caught in the burst of flame that exploded through the forest.

The trees behind him erupted into burning fragments as a wave of fire tore across the ground with violent force. The heat distorted the air slightly, turning the cold forest into a raging inferno.

The blast swallowed his previous location whole.

BOOM!

The shock waves shuttered nearby trunks. Monster birds scattered violently into the sky. For several seconds only flames remained and then, Atheline stepped out of the burning smoke untouched.

His expression barely changed throughout the whole attack.

Across him, a familiar man stood atop a fallen tree. Red hair burnt almost as brightly as the flames surrounding him, and deep scars crossed both his arms left from repeated battles. Fire curled lazily around his body as though worshipping him.

"I didn’t think you would find me on the first day, Prince Igrad," Atheline calmly said unaffected by the heat waves spewing out of the man.

Prince Igrad chuckled quietly, his shoulders shaking.

"How bizarre, you really survived that."

His voice carried amusement rather than disappointment.

Atheline didn’t say anything just stared blankly at him. He clicked his tongue.

"Aah that look again, you high elves see yourself as god above all the others don’t you?... you’re really arrogant. "

A small chuckle escaped Atheline’s lips.

"Would you worship me if I were a god?"

Igrad’s smile widened.

"Such humour, it’s really a pity I have to kill you."

"We’ll see about that."

Another burst of flame ignited around his hand.

"You know how much trouble you have caused," Atheline didn’t respond. Igrad suddenly laughed," Do you know you caused a beast tide in all the human continent but no one dares to complain. "

"I do not see how that is my fault," Atheline calmly said with little to no emotion in his voice.

Igrad’s eyes widened. He tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Not your fault... haaa... haaa..." he lifted his face gazing up at the canopy," why didn’t you just die in the forest. You forced every beast to leave the forest."

"It was going to happen eventually, I just hastened the process," Atheline said," do not place your incompetence on me."

Igrad’s smile slowly faded.

"Incompetence. Do you know how expensive it was to alter the teleportation in..."

"You’re the one who did that?" Atheline cut him short.

His smile resurfaced crueler this time.

"Yes."

Atheline tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Why would you do something so... stupid?"

"Stupid... haa... all it took was Gold," he shamelessly replied, " why do you think Gladia is the strongest kingdom amongst the human kingdoms. She was supposed to attack the third kingdom so we can slowly unite all humans under our rule just like all the other species. "

Atheline was a little surprised by the reason. He was framing conquering other kingdoms as unification practically seeing himself as the saviour.

He’s met enough people like this and it was best to say that they will never change their opinion. Everyone else is wrong in their head only they know the answer.

What irked him was that he wanted to use, Lilith’s grief after he died to conquer a kingdom basically turning her into a pawn.

What’s with everyone always trying to use her for destruction?

"Who helped you, if you don’t mind me asking?"

He spread his arms slightly, fire illuminating his features.

"The protector."

The fire intensified.

"He approached our kingdom fifty years ago and offered us gold. It helped us develop extensively until we left all the other kingdoms behind. Our vaults are brimming with gold at the moment. That was when I thought, why just use it on ourselves? We can use it on all humanity after unification but you..."

The group beneath him cracked with heat alone.

"You destroyed everything. I do not want to kill you but the protector has promised me the secret to becoming a sovereign and a way to conquer the two kingdoms."

The flames condensed, becoming bluer at the centre.

"What exactly makes you so special that you would be chosen to rule such a strong kingdom while I have to suffer through it all?"

The answer came without words but with movement. He raised his bow. Atheline vanished and Igrad’s eyes widened slightly.

He had been too fast for him to catch.

Steel collided with fire an instant later. The impact split the surrounding earth apart.

The violent shock waves tore through the forest while flames scattered like wild beasts escaping a predator.

Igrad grinned immediately.

"Yes."

His fire exploded outwards.

"THAT’S what I wanted."