Zelenia opened a door from the magic barrier she put up. She watched her guests with intent, preparing for anything unexpected.
The familiar also prepares to fight if something goes wrong in the talk between the Priestess and the Elves. But she could not feel any negative energy from them, so she allowed these Elves to get through the magic barrier.
Zelena read the books about Fallen Angels, which most Earthen mortals believe aren't real and never existed. However, these beings exist and socialize secretly without notice by humans.
When mortals appeared on this planet, multiplied, and started living with machinery, the automobile, technology, and other advanced tools… it forced Elves to move to secret quiet places, leaving their kingdoms forever. Humans destroyed all that was beautiful and perfect invisible Realms by putting up towns, then cities. Trees were cut down and replaced with tall buildings and grand malls. Now, they hid in the mountains, in isolation, away from mortal cities.
"Greetings!" Zelenia greeted the guests.
"Greetings, milady." handsome male elves replied and bowed nobly to the Priestess. If it weren't for a member of the Prince's company coughing, these male elves might have never returned to their senses. Their eyes do not blink but remain staring at Zelenia.
Lionel, who was now in human form, was out of patience. In a growling voice, he stepped forward and asked the Elven guests, "who are you, and what do you want?" He becomes quiet when the Priestess coughs meaningfully, sending him an unsaid message that he understands. Lionel steps back but cautiously watch the elves.
Zelenia nods politely to the guests. "Forgive us if we cause trouble for you. Do we disturb your land?" she asked.
Even though the land is owned by humans now, Elven kingdoms claim territories and are separate from one another. From the naked eye of humans, they own everything.
But Zelenia heard about a long-ago battle among the Elves to conquer the world.
At the beginning of human evolution, a glorious battle began. However, as sinners, both light and dark elves must not harm human beings, but they received punishment and had an agreement thousands of years ago.
"I apologize for intruding on your territory. It slipped my mind that Fallen Angels live in these mountains, and I should have remembered and been sensitive in entering here."
"For now, you seem nonthreatening to us. But all of you possess enormous power." the Prince told Zelenia. "We noticed your presence after one of you released strange energy into the magic barrier, and we thought you were elves from foreign lands."
Zelenia glanced at Janus. This elf must talk about the Blue Flame. Zelenia thought.
"No. We don't come from this planet and are not Elves."
"But your magic... It is intriguing!"
"Please, forgive me, but I cannot reveal where we come from, but I assure you, we do not wish to harm anyone, especially your kind. We came here today to teach my children how to control their Chi to hide it from humans," Zelenia explains.
"I understand. I feel you don't carry an evil aura—pardon me for not introducing myself. I am Prince Argus of the Etherea Kingdom. My companion, Karas, is a skilled sword warrior in the kingdom. Duane, a water element user, and Fili, another warrior using bow and arrow to fight."
Each of them bowed to Zelenia.
"Let me introduce my family… These are my children, Janus and Aisha. Luna is my Spirit Animal, or we called, Familiars… the same as Lionel and Sora; they are my children's Familiars."
"They transform into real animals, then?"
"Yes, they do, and I could feel an animal spirit within you, a bear."
"Ah. That's good to know. But I cannot summon it, right?"
"No. I guess the spirit is different, and you possess their behavior. But our Spirit Animal granted us more power back in the Universe where I came from."
"I see. But I am hoping you could explain it to me further." Prince Argus has become completely curious for the first time. When he went to study human behavior, it does bore him. But meeting Zelenia, he was intrigued about her.
"Why don't we go inside the house? If you don't mind?" the Priestess invited the elves.
"It is our pleasure."
Prince Argus and his company followed them inside.
"Please, take a seat and allow us to offer you something. Any request in the food?"
"No salt!" They said at once.
Zelenia smiled. She knows, but she is being playful and teasing the guests. "I will prepare green tea leaves and honey. Would you mind?"
"Honey is good." Duane's voices were out since the men were quieter, staring at the Priestess. She glares at Fili and Karas.
"Kids, help me prepare tea for our guests."
"Yes, mommy!" The twins replied at once. They ran to the kitchen and boiled water to make tea.
"Kids, serve the cupcakes to our guests."
"All right, mommy!"
Janus opens the cabinet in the right corner of the kitchen and takes out the plastic rectangular box containing the cupcakes while Aisha gets a platter. She took out ten cupcakes, placed them on the platter, and brought them outside.
The elves glanced at each other before taking one cupcake each. They like human foods. But yes, no salt.
When the peak of their youth is approaching, they have to travel and explore the world as part of their training. That includes eating human food.
"Hm, this is so tasty!" Duane complimented.
Zelenia made the tea in front of her guests. She knew that Elves were conscious of the food that was served to them.
Watching the Food Channels taught her about many kinds of foods worldwide and learned how to prepare them, particularly Earth teas...
"Thank you, milady." Prince Argus picks up the tea Zelenia places in front of him.
She nods and invites them to taste if they like her made.
In the Celestial Universe, she learned to make tea from the holy trees and leaves to serve Goddesses and Gods. Serving tea to the Grand Elders and High-Rank Deities was part of her training to become a Goddess of herself.
'You should allow me to serve them.' Luna told Zelenia. She complained that it was not her duty to serve these Sinners.
'It is alright, Luna.' the Priestess does not mind.
Zelenia can let Luna and Sora serve the tea, but if these Elves experience an unpleasant condition and blame the familiars, she would rather be the one that's accused. She does not worry about humans but worries about Elven beings. It is unsuitable for them to create an enemy while living on this planet.
* * *
ETHEREA KINGDOM
It was NOON…
Prince Argus picked up his sword on top of a console table and placed it on his back. It is time to run the mountain for a daily patrol, and they often do it every noon and midnight.
"Your Highness, we are ready," Karas informed the Prince.
Prince Argus turned around and walked toward his bodyguard at the same time, his childhood friend.
"Then, let's go!" he smacks Karas on the back.
They were taking the Palace Hallway when an Elf Eunuch approached the Prince.
"Greetings, your highness. The King wishes to see you."
"What is it about, Val? It is time for the patrol outside the kingdom," the Prince said to the servant.
"It concerns to that, your highness. Please visit the King in the Throne Hall."
"All right. Thank you." the Prince walked past the servant. Argus nods at Karas to follow him.
Arriving at the door of the Throne Hall, the Elf Guard announced the Prince. The heavy door opens, and Argus and Karas enter the hall.
"Father, I am here." said the Prince.
King Faeranduil, standing in the Throne Hall gallery, glanced over his shoulder and nodded at his son. "Come here, Argus," he said, then turned back his attention to the waterfall rushing endlessly inside the Elven Kingdom.
"You wish to speak to me. Does something troubling you?" Prince Argus asked the king.
"Our palace mage sees unfamiliar energy he hadn't encountered before."
"What do you mean by that, father?" the Prince curled his forehead. Deep inside, it intrigued him. The kingdom has been peaceful for five hundred years after the last battle they encountered against the other Elven kingdom. Is war about to break soon?
"I want you to check out the human village down the lake. It is where the mage feels the unexplainable energy," requested by the king, and shown to his son the images the mage looked at inside the barrier.
"Where is the Grand Mage, father? I want to see him."
"The mage has to rest. It requires immense power to get through the magic barrier," said the king.
"All right, father king. I was on my way to patrol our lands." Prince Argus bowed and left the Throne Hall hastily.
His companion was already waiting in the Fountain Garden at the foot of the Etherea Palace…
With such speed, they arrived where he could sense the energy surrounding a particular area.
"What is it, Prince Argus?" asked Duane. She felt the magic differed from hers.
Prince Argus steps closer to the barrier and touches it. May it be invisible, but he could sense the force surrounding this place. He raised his right hand and touched the barrier, and it was warm.
"Prince Argus, you should not do that unconsciously," Karas warned the Prince.
"It's alright, and it does not electrify me or something," he said.
"Greetings…" Luna appeared in front of the Elves. "The priestess allows you to meet us," she said, then disappeared not that long before the barrier opened.
"Is it safe to enter inside, your highness?" asked Fili, who prepares his bow to shoot at any moment.
"Looks like they were friendly." Argus thinks they are not from the Dark Elves Kingdom. "Let's find out," he said and first entered the magic barrier.