Lothar opened his eyes as a groan escaped his lips. He looked at the ceiling in wonder as his lips parted.
"I don't recognize this ceiling…"
'Nailed it!' Lothar chuckled to himself at the joke that would fly over most people's heads in this place… Perhaps all of the people...
Rising from the bed, Lothar checked out the room he was currently in. Scanning every nook and cranny, Lothar could only derive one possible word to anoint the said room.
"This is a rich person's place." Lothar nodded to himself as he got out of bed, his feet taking him directly to a body-sized mirror, fully displaying what his body looked like.
"My black hair's still a mess… Brown eyes didn't change… Body of a stick figure...Yep, I didn't change at all…" Lothar sighed as he tugged on the clothes wrapped around his body. "And these clothes are silky… Very comfortable."
Lothar continued to inspect the room with a child-like curiosity.
"Not like this is real. I'll probably just wake up and… Wait… What was I doing before I slept…?" Lothar cupped his chin as he recalled the memory before his blackout. It was him with Millana and Elora, heading inside an extravagant throne room, Millana doing some chants… And…
"I, Millana Qindove, descendant of the Ancient Elven Kings of Qindove, declare that Lothar Edwin, a human touched by the void, be my direct subordinate until death do us part."
Lothar clutched at his head as a migraine assaulted him. He stumbled to the ground, saliva dripping from his mouth and staining the green carpet below him.
He bumped his elbow against the leg of an end table during his struggle, the lamp settling on top of it shaking and falling to the wooden floor, breaking upon impact.
It created a sound loud enough for maids roaming the corridors to hear. When they heard it, a few of them rushed towards the room where the human was currently sleeping.
Gulping, an elf maid grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. The scene greeting their eyes caused them to have their jaw drop to the ground as they saw the human writhing on the floor as he clutched his head in pain.
"Call a healer! One of you also call Lady Millana!" The lead maid yelled out, and the rest scattered. Gathering the courage to approach their mortal enemy, the maid slowly made her way across the green carpet towards the writhing humans.
Stretching her hands out, the maid laid her hand on the back of the human, only to be rewarded with a rough pull from her wrist and bloodshot eyes glaring at her full of disdain.
"Where is she!?" Lothar's voice caused fear to spread within the core of the maid elf. "Where is Millana!?"
The maid could do nothing but stare helplessly at the terrifying human, who was glaring at her with looks that could kill.
"What did she do to me!?" Lothar raised his hand, a brand carefully etched on the back of his palm. It had the form of a crown fastened with leaves, and was lighter in color than Lothar's skin tone, making it look like a scar.
The maid could do nothing but cower in terror, her fear of humans overtaking her logical side and letting instinct run rampant. So, she did what any cornered animal would do.
Retaliate.
"Nimtuna Raval!" The maid elf chanted, and an arrow of arcane magic formed from her finger tips, violently flying at Lothar's body once fully formed. Only for it to swerve at the last second and pierce through the window instead, shattering the glass and creating even more sound.
Lothar stiffened at the sound of breaking glass and looked at the broken window. He then looked at the terrified elf maid he was man-handling, tears pooling in her eyes and sobbing entering his ears.
He then got a good look at his face in the mirror where he had checked out his body earlier.
"… I… I'm sorry…" Lothar stopped his violent actions and apologized to the elf maid, who was still terrified by the human. Once she was out of his grasp, she fled the room and left Lothar to his self-reflection.
Only for it to be cut-off by a shout coming from the door.
"I knew you couldn't be trusted!"
Lothar focused on the voice and saw the guard who was posted earlier at the double doors leading inside the giant tree lunging at him with the intent to kill.
"Die! Human scum!" The sword went straight at him, and Lothar, being in so much shock at the sudden happenings, couldn't do anything but stand there and wait for the blade to come crashing down on his unprotected form.
The sword never met its intended target, however, as it bounced back because another blade blocked its path.
"Cease this at once, Zelphar!" Elora scowled as she glared at the elven guard. "Have you not heard of Millana's decree of treating this human as her guest and direct subordinate!?"
"But-" Zelphar moved to reply, but was stopped by Elora placing her blade on his throat, a dangerous glint forming in her eyes.
"Continue down that road, Zelphar, and I will cut you down for treason against our Lady." Elora glared, and Zelphar could do nothing but scowl as he relented and left the room after sending glaring daggers at Lothar's skinny form.
"And you, Lothar." Elora then focused her stern gaze on the human, her hand gripping the handle of her blade tightly. "What did you do?"
"… What did I do…? What did I do!? You're the ones who forced me into servitude!" Lothar yelled out as he stared daggers at Elora, who did not budge from his insults. "I trusted you two… I followed you two because I thought you would guide me somewhere safe!"
"… Lothar-" Lothar cut off Elora before she could say anything.
"You shut up!" Lothar screamed as he approached the dangerous elven woman holding a blade, throwing caution to the wind. "Tell me… Why do this…? Why brand me as some glorified slave…?"
Lothar raised his hands and showed Elora the mark on the back of his palm. Elora, meanwhile, did not so much as flinch at the mark and held her sneer.
"Lady Millana will answer that for you." Elora stated as she grabbed Lothar's writs with her powerful grip. "Now come, Lady Millana awaits."
Lothar grunted as he tried to pry off the elven woman, but was too weak to do so. Growing tired from his outburst, Lothar could do nothing but follow obediently. That didn't mean he did not glare at any elf he came across due to his rage not yet simmering down.
'I need to leave…'