The next day, Enne left by noon on her white mare. Her navy-blue dress was cut to her mid-thigh. Its material was more breathable than the one she wore the night before. Her long, single-braided hair rested over her shoulder. The amulet she wore was passed down from her late mother; It was a beautiful cyan jewel only found in her late father's homeland. She clutched it, thinking about what the day had in store.

I hope he's doing okay, she thought about him as she faced the path toward the town.

She wanted to talk to Derek about what happened last night. The half-elf entered the bustling central plaza, seeing different people pass by. Dwarves mingled amongst the market crowds, hoping to sell their wares. City guardsmen were stationed throughout the wide street, armed with archaic swords and chain mail-like vests. Their uniforms were worn, giving the impression of a ragtag militia.

Enne greeted familiar faces with a smile. Many of the kids she grew up with were grandparents. She watched as their families grew and died. It was all part of the vicious cycle of life. It was quite a strange thing to observe as she still looked as though she were a young adult. She hopped off her white horse, tying it to a nearby post.

"I'll be back, Liz," she said.

The half-elf walked to the unassuming bar, finding its door cracked. She saw the disaster from the night before upon entering. Smashed tables, broken pool sticks, and crippled chairs were scattered throughout the establishment. It was fortunate for Enne that the alcohol remained untouched by the destruction. She looked further, finding Derek cleaning the mess at the other end. She walked toward him, baffled by how things got out of hand.

"Wow," Enne remarked. "You really fucked with the wrong guy last night."

"L-lady Enne," Derek stuttered, stopping what he was doing. "W-what can I get you?"

"Oh god, Derek. Drop the formalities."

Derek shook his head, unconvincingly. She sat on a bar stool after examining it for any damage. The half-elf rested her arm on the table, taking a deep breath.

"So," she continued. "You're going to tell me what happened, right?"

"Everything you said was right," Derek admitted, clutching the broom in his hand.

"No kidding."

"Freddy and Joe messed with that wanderer. The wanderer did ask for them to stop-"

"And why didn't you stop them?"

"Well-"

"Are you open?" Someone asked, poking their head from the entrance.

Enne turned to the young man with a glare, providing a simple answer. He bowed out without an utterance, looking the bar owner in the eyes before closing the door. She wondered how anyone would come for a drink so early. That was your typical tourist.

"You're lucky it was me that shaped the rules," she continued. "My brother would've hung you and everyone involved, but thankfully he thinks Gardenia's social affairs are beneath him. We should keep it that way."

There was a brief pause where she was expecting an answer from him. She knew a wanderer killed Derek's father in cold blood when he was a child. Such an experience scarred him, and ever since, he held resentment toward wanderers. Derek was aware the man in the cabin was one, or the damage in the bar was enough to solidify his assumption.

"Not all wanderers are alike, Derek," Enne reminded. "Just like not all elves are alike. If the wanderer wanted to, he could have killed you all easily."

"I know. But you can't compare wanderers to elves. Elves are redeemable at the very least."

The half-elf raised an eyebrow, sending chills down his spine.

"W-wanderers have no sense of morals or compassion," the old bar owner insisted. "They only care about themselves and nothing else."

Spoken like fear-mongering talking points, she thought.

"Well, this one is a different," she said. "Elves have done more than enough to warrant your hatred toward them."

The bar owner stood, baffled by her assessment.

"Your father protected this city when he came here. And your brother strived to create a capable force to curtail any seizure of our land. It was your family that carried that torch for generations. Without you, Gardenia would be nothing."

"Sometimes, truth just gets muddled in history," She muttered.

"What was that?" Derek couldn't hear her.

"No, nothing. Just rambling."

Enne looked away, thinking about her lineage. The elves were amongst the many races that emerged from the portals during the Collapse. For hundreds of years, her father established the town, giving the people a fighting chance. This was the legend passed down, but she knew the truth. How her father ruled was no different from a lord that oversaw territory. The half-elf sought to change this dynamic where her brother only believed in upholding the status quo to restore glory to their father's name. Brushing her hair away from her protruding ear, she turned to Derek again while clearing her throat.

"Just remember," she said. "Your families accepted us and we expect you to do the same for everyone. We need to stop treating those that differ from ourselves as an enemy. I expect you to apologize to the wanderer whenever you see him."

"Thank you, Enne," he bowed before continuing the cleanup.

Getting off the stool, she looked around again.

"Where are your boys?"

"Oh, they're off hunting. They should be back in an hour."

"Weren't their reports of necrobytes in the area?"

"I- think nothing came of it."

"All right," the half-elf thought aloud. "I'll be heading out. You take care, Derek."

"See you later," he watched the half-elf leave the bar.

*

The gray clouds gradually darkened over the mountain as a storm approached the city. Enne raced to the other end of the town. She saw the well-fortified street closures with 2 to 3 guards as each route led outside of the city. It was like this every street she passed as there were few ways of getting in. She thought about what Derek said about her family's reign. There had been relative peace for a hundred years.

Thinking of the wanderer's input, she realized how fragile its peace was. The history of the modern world clung to this inconvenient truth. As the oceans claimed the land each decade, the displaced would found their way. Overpopulating, changing culture, things she knew was inevitable but a threat to others that feared the alteration of society. Would they integrate, or would they take over? It remained to be seen, resting on circumstance. Gardenia could thrive, but many others could falter.

She arrived at the abandoned library, where the wanderer rummaged through the countless books that were still intact. She wondered what he was looking for. All her time wandering the aisles of the massive building, she had yet to find something that stood out. Her thirst for knowledge was unquenchable.

"Oh, wanderer," she uttered. "What drew you to this place?"

The face of the building comprised of glass panels that let in natural light. She saw the worn exterior with some smashed panels reminding her of an old monastery. The silence amplified the echo of her footsteps as she entered the dreary interior. The library's was untouched by the residents, much like the abandoned sector of the city. Vines invaded the edges of the openings, spreading out majestically into the contemporary walls.

It had been years since she last visited this place. The books were virtually untouched by nature except for a few areas where the ceiling collapsed. For what was within these shelves was still of value. Enne wanted her brother to provide a place closer to the center of town to preserve the remaining books. However, He was disinterested in their preservation.

"Look at all these books just waiting to be read," Enne thought aloud as her footsteps echoed throughout.

On the second level, she could see the caved-in roof that let the sunlight in. It was a sight to behold as she walked toward it and looked up, seeing the clouds parting. She looked around, finding worn tables with withered books scattered. She wondered if any of them were something that the wanderer needed. Seeing cookbooks, gardening tips, close-quarter combat instructions in the surrounding aisles, she was doubtful that he'd need such things.

The inquisitive elf took a wild guess.

She walked into one of the many aisles, feeling like the floor would collapse at any moment. The section mostly contained topics surrounding the occult and spirituality, which was odd since wanderers were well-versed in it already. As versed as they were, they dismissed it as well.

"Pfft, nope," she thought, flipping through the book.

Her initial guess disappointed her. Nearly conceding defeat after a few more books, she saw a book that stuck out. Enne gasped in excitement.

"Oh, that's it!" she thought aloud.

"You don't want something thicker than that?" A tall, broad-shouldered man came over from another aisle. "I have one that's a bit thicker."

He gazed upon the slender woman with ill intent.

She raised an eyebrow, amused as she glanced at the book in her hand. She wondered how she wasn't able to hear them approach earlier. Sometimes excitement dulls her senses.

"We aren't talking about books now, are we?" she asked, looking over her shoulder to see another man standing at the other end.

"Well," The big oaf inched closer to her. "I heard you were an elf."

"I don't think that should matter what I am."

"Oh, it should. We always thought you were ugly monsters, but you... My, you are something else."

"What do you want?" she grew annoyed as she felt his eyes examining her body in a demeaning way.

"It's obvious. We'd like to spend time with the princess!"

"The girls in town are so plain," The other scrawny accomplice said.

"That may be the problem, you're going for girls and not women."

"You think you're so funny, huh?" The oaf continued. "Because you think of yourself as above us? You elves are nothing but lowly animals that deserve to be put in their place!"

"You really don't understand the situation you're in?" The accomplice seemed surprised by her smarminess.

"Look... Not here."

She rolled her eyes as smile cracked along her face.

"Oh, we'll go easy on you," The oaf responded.

"No, it's not that. I don't want to damage these books."

"What?" Both of the men exclaimed at the same time.

Enne wasted little time as she stomped her foot onto the weak, wooden floor. The surrounding aisles around her caved into the floor below, along with her attackers. She descended gently like a flower petal down onto the rubble with the book clutched in her arm. She was distraught about destroying a part of the library. The men slowly recovered from their fall. Enne looked upon them with a stern expression, annoyed by their presence.

"I want you out of my sight," The half-elf demanded.

Her cold demand was met with laughter.

"You find this funny?"

"You think that's going to scare us?" The broad-shouldered oaf yelled. "These floors are practically ancient. You ain't nothing but hot air."

His accomplice got on his feet to tackle her, but she sidestepped away with little effort. She stomped onto the pile of wood under her feet, popping a few into the air. With a flick of her finger, she smacked one of them into the back of his head, knocking the man unconscious.

The half-elf turned her attention to the broad-shouldered man who was struggling to get onto his feet. She looked upon him mercilessly as he showed signs of panic. He swung at her, missing her by a few inches as he fell over onto his face. It was apparent to her he had broken his leg. She cracked a smile to his distress.

"Gee," she said. "All that talk... But you can't perform."

"Fuck you, you pointy ear bitch!" He responded. "You elves will never be accepted in this world."

"Yeah, I know. But fret not my dear imbecile, I accept you for your stupidity."

"Bitch!"

The man's face slammed into the ground with a gentle tap of the back of her hand. The half-elf checked his pulse, confirming his unconsciousness. Enne stood up, dusting off her dress as she looked around the wreckage. She looked at the cover of the book; a book explaining the multiverse. She made her way toward the entrance of the building, flipping through the pages.

Why was this placed into the occult section? She wondered.

The half-elf wondered whether she picked the right book at all. But the only way to know was by asking the reclusive wanderer himself. The more she thought about it, the more she felt disparaged he hadn't sought her out. The day was still young, so she held out, hoping he was doing well. The hurried galloping of horses neared, grabbing her attention. She saw two guardsmen rushing to the scene.

*

"Enne, is everything okay?" The younger guard asked as his horse came to a halt.

Billy wasn't a full-fledged guard, not until he reached the age of 18. He was still working on a better physique since he was scrawnier than most of his peers. His blue eyes and lack of facial hair gave him an innocent look.

"Billy? Everything is fine," She assured. "Oh, is it father and son time?"

His father was a seasoned guard named Kenneth Striker. His grizzled appearance masked the fact he was fair and diligent. He was built for the job, often fighting off the creatures that wandered away from the occasional portal. He served the city guard for over 20 years. He was also among the few council members Enne's brother hand-picked to secure the city's borders. Nothing got passed him, therefore Enne knew Kenneth would have a barrage of questions on why she was in this part of the city.

"Mr. Striker, how are you?" She greeted with a wide smile.

"Miss Enne," He sighed. "What are you doing around here?"

"Just looking for a cookbook!"

"Let's not be coy. What was that ruckus we heard? You know there have been reports of suspicious folks around these parts."

"Oh, part of the second-floor caved in. And I- Did not know that, actually. That would explain a lot."

The guardsmen looked into the building, seeing a pile of wood and books. They saw the men among the rubble. Billy walked into the building to see who the two men were. The old guard looked at the half-elf, who returned a sly smile.

"May I ask what exactly happened?" Kenneth lowered his sunglasses. "I doubt you were holding a book club meeting."

"Those two goons tried to attack me."

"What?" Billy's face contorted.

"Hey, I'm fine," She insisted.

"Davis and Buck?" Kenneth said disappointingly. "We took these two in months ago."

"I know. They don't like elves very much."

"That's unfortunate," Billy sympathized with her.

She said nothing.

"When your brother finds out-" Kenneth continued.

"See that he doesn't," Enne's tone changed.

Kenneth shook his head without question.

"What, why?" The young man disagreed with their decision.

The half-elf and the old guard looked at him at the same time.

"There are some things worse than just death, kid," she answered. "Banish them, throw them into the pond, just make sure this doesn't go in the books. My brother isn't huge on justice, just corrections."

"All right," The old guard agreed before calling his son over. "C'mon, kiddo, let's get this over with. Let's get them on the saddles."

"Thanks, you two," She waved as she walked off. "I'll see you around."

"Why go so far to protect people that tried to harm you?" Billy questioned her. His son's insistence on an answer visibly upset Kenneth. As Enne stood by the doorway, she turned toward them.

"I pity their ignorance. I abhor what my ancestors had done to yours. I understand that disdain, much like how your ancestors had enslaved or wiped out entire races. It just seems to come full circle. I may be part Elven, but I view you as my equals. I won't allow myself to lower myself to their level. That's why I let them live."

Billy had nothing to add as she turned away. But as she stepped out into the open, she heard more horses arrive. A distressed guard stopped next to her.

"Lady Enne? Is Lieutenant Striker here?" The guard asked.

"Uh," She paused, seeing Kenneth approach them.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"We've received reports on necrobytes near the fields," The patrol informed. "Ol' Derek said his boys were hunting in the area and hadn't returned yet."

"Aw, hell."

"Hey, Kenny," She said in a calming tone. "I've got this."

"I can't have you d-"

"You got to take care of those two, remember?"

"Yeah, but-"

"This isn't up for discussion. Necrobytes, they're dangerous."

Kenneth saw the resolve in her eyes and nodded out of respect. He went back to carry out his task as the half-elf quickly hopped on her horse.

"Make sure no one leaves town until this is handled!" She told the guards before galloping away.

Please you two, be okay, Enne focused her mind for the battle ahead.

She looked to the mountain, finding that the clouds were getting darker. With the rumbling of thunder in the distance, a storm was brewing.

(Hey there! If you've liked what you read feel free to like or drop a comment! Thank you for reading!)