"Hey! Red!" A voice echoed out across the emerald field.

A small elven child draped in a crimson cloak ran out across the finely trimmed, wispy blades of grass of the mansion's back garden. He glided over the small petals of flowers that adorned the open space before him, while a woman stood on the balcony of the mansion, leaning forward against the golden railings at the edge of it. Her face had assumed a concerned expression as she watched her child, Red, begin scaling the far wall of the mansion's grounds.

A strong gust of wind washed over the courtyard and Red's slightly oversized hood flew backwards revealing his face. His scruffy brown hair blew in the wind and his long, pointed ears twitched. A wide grin dominated his face and in the blink of an eye he slipped over the top of the brick wall separating the mansion from the outside world.

Red stumbled a bit after leaping from the wall and then began running down the dusty country path that lay before him. He was sick of being cooped up in that suffocating mansion. Always having to abide by a strict etiquette, constantly having to be on his best behaviour. Life was just fake smiles and formal handshakes for him, due to his position as the only son of a proud noble family. But today, that would change. He had finally escaped his prison, formed by his noble birth. 

Of course, Red planned to come back; it would be ludicrous to just run away from home and never return.

He swung his small backpack around in front of him and plunged his hands into it. After some rustling around, he pulled out a small bar of chocolate (kept in a magically sealed bag with several other bars) and a few golden coins. He held one of them up to the sunlight and it shimmered a deep blue. There was some kind of magic infused within the coins to make them do that. Red had learnt that on one of his rare trips to the outside, when he visited a marketplace with his mother. He had noticed a shopkeeper holding up a coin to the sunlight as he just had, though he couldn't ascertain why it was necessary to do such a seemingly pointless thing. The best explanation Red could think of was that the shopkeeper had a strong fascination with magic, and even after growing up with it all around him, seeing this force at play still quietly amazed him to a slight degree.

Red clenched the coins in his fist and took a small bite from his chocolate bar before sprinting across the earthy path that lay before him, kicking up a tornado of dust as he went. For months he had planned out his one week trip to the human city of Vubera . It was one of the most built-up and magnificent cities in the whole of the Southern Region, maybe even the entire world, at least in Red's opinion. Humans had always been an object of strong fascination for Red. They were generally weaker than other races, and couldn't even access beyond 5th tier magic, yet somehow they'd become just as dominant a force in the world as the other races like the elves and dwarfs were.

Generally, elven nobles like himself were known to look down on humans as a lesser race. This wasn't true for the entire elven species, largely due to the fact that commoner elves could make a good living as adventurers in human towns due to their enhanced abilities. However, the prejudice towards humans was more than a little noticeable among the nobles. Red distinctly recalled several times when he had heard his parents and visitors to the mansion joking about how weak humans were. He failed to see what was so bad about being weak, though. But since the elves had no use and didn't benefit much from the human's existence it led to a general sense of condescension and, to an extent, pity towards humans and any other species deemed to be a 'lesser race' by the elven government. It just seemed like an excuse to not get involved in the affairs of a troublesome species to Red though. But, truth be told, he didn’t know all too much about the exact details as he had no interest in them. Politics bored him, especially when the only thing it accomplished was preventing him from getting to go to human cities and live out his dream.

It was out of place for the proud son of an esteemed and well-regarded noble family to garner any kind of respect towards humans, and Red had been berated on this point countless times. But no matter how many times the people around the mansion tried to convince Red of the humans' inferiority, his opinion of them didn't budge a single millimeter. Feeling elated at his escape, he stuffed the rest of the chocolate bar into his mouth, smearing brown marks across his lips as he hurriedly devoured it. 

***

Swarms of elves surged through the town square like the haphazard and unsystematic waves of a thunderstorm. Shoppers ricocheted from market stalls in the bustling streets. Red stood by a fountain, his face obscured by his scarlet hood. To any passers by it would look as if he was a common thief, causing him to receive multiple hate-filled gazes. Despite this, he couldn't suppress his euphoric state. This was the first time he had ever come to the town square and marketplace near the mansion on his own. But he couldn't get ahead of himself. The elves here still knew who he was. He had made a great effort when creating the cloak he was now wrapped in back at the mansion, all to protect himself from the prying eyes of the residents of this town. He’d gotten this far. He couldn't afford to be caught.

He hated having to cross through this town but it beat wandering out across an endless grassland. He wouldn't get lost this way, at least. The aroma of freshly-baked bread engulfed his nostrils as a baker carrying a tray filled with steaming buns and loaves passed by him. He wanted desperatley to go and eat but he couldn't. He'd be found out. It really sucked to be a noble. Even if nobody knew what you looked like, which was more or less the case for Red, the distinct marking branded onto every noble's neck at birth gave you away. Red scowled when he thought about it.

He began moving forward, deciding he'd rested long enough. He swerved through the maze of early morning shoppers and swept into a back alley. He'd studied the layout of the town for hours in his room when he was supposed to be doing homework. No wonder his tutor had been infuriated damn near every time he taught Red. The memory of his irritated expression and how his glasses would slide down his nose when he scrunched it up in anger made Red chuckle to himself. No matter how many times he had been shouted at, it was all worth it because now he was equipped with all the knowledge he needed to quickly navigate the labyrinth of small alleys and lanes in the town.

However, before he could reach the end of the final alley he needed to follow, two elves stepped out in front of him. They looked around seventeen. One was chubby and the other looked fairly muscular.

"Hey, you should watch where you're going kid," the chubby one said in an exaggerated, obnoxious voice.

"Yeah, you coulda knocked us over just then you stupid brat," the other one exclaimed, backing his friend up.

"But..." Red murmured, "but, you were the ones who hit into me."

"What was that?" The chubby one shouted whilst wearing an offended expression.

From nowhere, the muscular one grabbed Red and pushed him up against the wall at the end of the alley. Red's hood caressed his hair as it flapped down, revealing his face. The two other elves stared in silence as they cast their gazes upon the marking on Red's neck.

"Hey, look at this. This snotty brat is a noble."

"What should we do with 'im."

"Isn't it obvious? This kid must be loaded."

The elves laughed at each other and Red was dropped to the floor. The muscular one grabbed Red's bag automatically and ripped it straight off his back, severing the straps holding it there. He smiled and turned the bag upside down, dropping all of its contents on the floor. He then proceeded to pick up Red's pouch of gold and map, ignoring the chocolate. He stretched out the map and took a look at it.

"You're heading to Vubera? I thought you nobles hated the humans."

Red looked up at them in disgust.

"Not willing to respond, eh? Well, since I consider myself to be a fairly kind person, I'll let you in on a little somethin'. That place. It's full of evil. They make it seem like this wonderous country, but in reality it's just a load of vagrants and bums. Criminals run rampant there. I'm tellin' ya, it's the city of the demons. I wouldn't be surprised if one day it does fall under the rule of those creatures. They're born from sin or somethin' aren't they?"

The elf looked down at Red expecting a response. Nothing. Red's lips were pressed into a thin line and with a swift movement he pulled his hood back over his head to hide his tears. The elf scowled at him and ran off with his map and gold. That map was one stolen from the grand library in the mansion. No doubt they'd make a mint from it. 

Lacking both the willpower and strength to pursue and stop them, Red solemnly picked up his chocolate and wandered out of the alley and soon, out of the town. His exciting trip, once filled with promise, had quickly been tainted with a melancholic aura.

***

Red had been walking for another few hours before he fell down on the soft grass of a small field he had to walk across. He was exhausted. The blades of grass tickled his face as he lay there, staring into the expansive blue sky. Eventually he worked up the strength to turn around and withdraw the chocolate from his pocket. However, when he did, he felt a liquid-like substance inside his sealed bag. The chocolate had melted in the blazing heat. Overwhelmed with everything that had taken place, Red began to cry as the sweltering sun beat down on him in the open grassland.

"This was supposed to be my dream," he stammered to himself, "and now-"

He screamed and hurled his bag of chocolates down across the grass, where a few birds landed and began prodding their beaks into it. Several vibrant flowers adorned the space around them.

"What's up? Your trip not going to plan?" a kind sounding voice asked Red from his side.

"Huh?"

Wiping away a salty tear he found himself looking at a gentle-looking man with a scruffy white beard and wavy grey hair. But let's not forget that Red had still not made it out of elven borders. So in truth, this man, too, was an elf. He had a leather strap around him that had a large open gap in the front of it. In this gap was a baby. When had they gotten there?

"Who are you?" Red asked cautiously.

"Me? Well, you can just call me Grey for now. I abandoned my other name a while back. And you?"

"I-I'm Red."

The man laughed at this. It made Red feel a little uncomfortable.

"How about that? Two elves both named after colours, huh?"

He went on laughing for what seemed like far too long in Red's opinion.

"And the baby?" Red eventually asked.

"Oh. Her. She's...I haven't given her a name yet," Grey responded while scratching his beard nervously.

"Huh? What kind of a crappy parent doesn't even name their child?"

"Hey, now. Don't make out that I’m a bad parent. I'll tell you what, you can name her."

"M-me?" Red exclaimed, looking shocked.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?"

Red thought hard for a moment. This scenario had quickly taken a route he could have never anticipated.

"How about...Artfelia?"

The baby seemed to light up at this and started clapping and giggling a little. Grey nodded with a heart-warming smile.

"She likes it. Ok, then, her name will be Artfelia."

That was when Red noticed something odd. The baby’s ears weren’t elongated and pointed, as any normal elf’s should be!

"Oh, um, Mister Grey, her ears. Is she human?" Red asked, with his eyes lighting up.

Grey laughed and shook his head.

"No, no. She's deformed, you see. It's to do with an issue during birth. That's the reason why her mother isn't around anymore too."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Red said, feeling a little guilty that he'd asked.

"No worries. So then, what's your story, Noble?"

Red jolted and nearly choked on his own saliva. He wrapped his hand around his neck. How could he have forgotten that his hood had been down the entire time?

"Haha. No use trying to hide it now. Don't worry; I won't do anything. I just want to know why you're screaming your heart out in the middle of nowhere. Trip gone wrong, I assume?"

"Y-yeah, something like that," Red looked to the side, a little embarrassed.

Grey smiled warmly, leaning a little closer towards Red.

"Where are you headed?"

Red's eyes lit up at the thought of his destination.

"Only the most beautiful, wonderous city in the entire world: Vubera!" he announced loudly.

"Quite the expectation you've got there. Well, let me warn you, that place is a city of sin. A demon's city."

Red huffed and turned his head sideways.

"You're just like those other assholes."

"Whoa. Strong language for a little kid like yourself."

Red snorted before offering his response.

"I'm not a little kid, I'll have you know. I'm well past ten years old now."

"Is that so?" Grey replied halfheartedly.

They were both silent for a minute or two before Grey decided to speak up again.

"I'll take you there."

"What?"

"Vubera. I'll take you there if you want."

"Really?" Red looked suddenly rejuvenated and full of energy.

"Sure," Grey said, smiling.

Red did a little victory dance in acceptance of the offer and it wasn't long before they set off on the path to Vubera, once again. Grey had a brilliant food and water supply stored in a wagon in a nearby farming town. The wagon also meant faster travel. It had turned out that, for some time, Red had been wandering off in the complete opposite direction to the one he'd needed to go for a while. He'd taken his time memorizing the alleys and such of the first town he'd encountered and after that had decided he would just rely on his map. Essentially he was walking between countries with nothing but a hazy memory of a map he'd looked over a few times serving as his guide. It was incredibly lucky that he'd found Grey at all. Red didn't know why Grey was helping him, and frankly, he didn't care. He was too ecstatic at his dream trip getting put back into action.

***

Twelve hours up the path, Grey hitched up his horses.

"This is as far as I'll take you. Follow that path up ahead for an hour or so and you'll be there."

With these parting words, Grey hastily turned his wagon around and left Red standing on a cobbled path surrounded by a wide stretch of grass. Grey had been kind enough to give Red some food and money, so that he could at least stay one night in Vubera. His original plan was long gone now, but he took comfort in the fact that he would get to see Vubera for at least one day. He smiled to himself and began making his way excitedly up the path. He excitedly walked forward, half-skipping with a huge grin dominating his face.

In around an hour he was standing before a set of colossal iron gates that were opened wide, allowing several carriages of merchants and wandering tourists passage. Unhesitatingly, Red ran up to the gates, passing a gruff looking soldier. Suddenly a muscly hand shot out and grabbed Red's cloak before yanking him backwards forcefully. Red let out a little yelp as his heels skidded across the stone.

"Hey. You're gonna need to show some form of identification. We can't just go lettin' everybody in, runt," the soldier bellowed.

Red panicked. He tried his best to remain calm, but the ensuing chaos consuming his mind was blatantly obvious on his face.

"I-uh."

Red forced a smile, unsure of what to say.

"Okay, brat. Time to go."

The soldier began to push Red backwards, when a gust of wind blew his hood down. It flapped around his neck before settling atop his shoulders. The soldiers' eyes grew wide.

"An elven noble. Well, you shoulda shown me this before. Come in, kid."

The soldier put on a big grin. It was incrongous to his previous cold, unflinching demeanor and Red could guess the reason why. Elven nobles were considered big-shots and it was no secret that they generally looked down on humans. The fact that one would even come near a human town was a big deal. If they were shown a good time, it could even mean a boost in the reputation of humans.

"Hey, we can arrange a tour if you'd like," the soldier called out as Red passed through the gates.

"That's okay. I'm fine by myself," Red shouted back, extending his hand for a quick wave before running off.

He had no need to enlist some loudmouth know-it-all to show him around the city. Having intensively studied Vubera for the past six months, Red already knew all of the important landmarks he wanted to see. The first of these was, of course, the Central Church.

A giant, pearl-white building towered over the centre of the city with a large cross affixed to the roof. That was it. Red joyfully ran up to the grandiose steps that adorned the front of the church, leading up to the door. His eyes shimmered with wonderment as he gazed wordlessly at the structure. The sun's rays shone around the building, casting an orange hue over it. As he stood and stared, Red began to stop and relax for the first time in a while. He allowed his body to be overtaken by his senses as he gazed above the mighty church at the cottony clouds sailing through the azure sky.

The thick smell of fresh meat wafted through the air and infiltrated Red's nose. He took a deep breath and inhaled the clear air as it mixed with the faint taste of the meat. The noise of the bustling crowds echoed around him, blending into a symphony of chattering voices. The city was everything Red had dreamt of. He had grown worried with all the talk of 'a city of sin' and 'a demon's city'. Sure, he had passed by several disorderly-looking vagrants and drunks on his way to the church, but now that he was in the centre, everything was bliss. Red found tranquility in the manic crowds.

For the next few hours, Red gave himself his own guided tour of the city, far superior to one that any professional could, at least in Red's opinion. He had just about finished seeing all his landmarks and decided to circle back to the church to see it one last time before he would find an inn for the night. He began strolling towards the church, which, from this vantage, was shrouded behind several houses and buildings. That was when Red began to time in on the mumbles of the people behind him.

"Hey! There are nobles here. Elven ones."

"Really?"

"That's what the rumors say. They're here looking for their runaway son or something."

Red gritted his teeth. His parents were there. Of course they'd be there. He never shut up about the place. Where else would he go? Red cursed his foolishness at making his affection for Vubera so obvious. Hell, even the servants knew he loved the damn place.

Up ahead of him, a carriage came into view, slowly turning the corner. A soldier accompanied the carriage and shouted down the street.

"Elven nobles!” the soldier announced. “They're here! Make way!"

Red rapidly turned and bolted down the road. He wouldn't let himself be seen. However, a quick glance behind showed a disgruntled soldier beginning to take chase. He clearly wasn't expecting to find Red so far from the centre, but his crimson cloak was unmissable. Red continued to flee, the soldier now hot on his tail. Beads of sweat flew from Red's face as his hood fell down, exposing his unmistakable brand. Although neither Red nor the soldier had any intention to stop running, they did. Both of them. As soon as it happened.

An explosion vibrated the air and turned the ground into an assortment of misplaced cobbles. Thrown off balance by the shockwave, Red tripped and fell down, grazing his knee. He turned around, terror showing on his face. As he looked for confirmation on what had happened, his eyes turned to the church. It was ablaze and half-destroyed. A second shockwave flew from it, rippling the air, as more of the church exploded. 

Of course this wasn't the doing of any human. Or any elf. No one had seen anything like this coming and yet strangely it made sense. Vubera was a demon's city after all. It only made sense that if a demon was to be born into the world, it would do so in this city of sin. The fact that it had taken place in a church just added a morbidly ironic sense to the pandemonium.

Screams engulfed the city, as rubble from destroyed buildings began hurtling through the air.

"Protect the nobles!" the soldier ordered, quickly regaining his senses.

But it was too late. No sooner had the soldier issued the command, than the roof of a large house came crashing down on the wagon. Splinters shot from all directions, piercing the soldiers' body and tearing it to pieces. Red fell onto his hands and knees. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a dream!

A figure slowly moved through the church and between the desecrated houses that had previously stood in front of it. As it moved forward, everything around it bursted into flame. The flourishing gardens in the suburbs of the city erupted into a ferocious inferno as they began to intensely burn. Everything was set ablaze. Anything more than a faint silhouette was indistinguishable through the blazing walls of fire. Red hyperventilated, struggling to breathe. The clear air he had once enjoyed was now littered with embers and the scent of death. As this figure drew nearer, moving at a seemingly inhuman speed, Red began to choke.

And soon, the inevitable happened.

Cracks rippled through his skin, flames erupting from within them. Red let out an agonised scream as he was consumed by the fire. His eyes grew dry and began to shrivel as his blood boiled him from inside out. The flames tore away at his flesh, staining it black.

This day would come to be known across the nations as the day that Vubera fell. The day that a titan of the human economy was obliterated in one fell swoop, and the day that a new demon drew its first tyrannical breath in the world of Exstrephia.