I shuffle my feet towards the elven capital. Life is not fun when you're the son of the most powerful elf.
"Lodin!" a couple of female elves cry as they see me walking.
I don't so much as glance at them, yet they give a dramatic cry of delight as I take another step.
What idiots.
Life is fun, I guess when you're the son of the most powerful elf.
It's surely a tongue twister, though, and I get sick of saying it.
I live inside a book for goodness sakes, and I know it.
"How do you know you live in a book?" a lot of people ask.
The answer is pretty clear.
"You did what?" my father asked a couple of days back.
"I used a spell from one of your books and found out we're living in a fantasy novel written by this crusty old guy by the name of Sam Harding."
My father's only response was a dramatic sigh.
That was a couple of days ago.
This is now.
As I walk down the crowded street, I see plenty of streetlamps lighting my way.
It's not that dark outside, but dark enough for the need to use them.
The feeling that someone is following me suddenly builds in my stomach and I turn around quickly, just in time to see someone duck behind a tall overgrown bush.
"I know you're following me, so come on out," I call out to the stalker.
When I see who was following me, I roll my eyes in disgust.
"What?" Merlyn asks as she runs over to me.
"Why are you following me?" I ask the obvious question first.
"Your father wanted me to give this to you before you face the Capitol's wrath." Merlyn hands me a glowing orb, and I take it, not knowing what it is, but grateful nonetheless.
"Thanks, Merlyn," I say as I take it.
She nods and skips away, as happy as a two-toed froghopper.
That reminds me...
As I reach the capital, the huge entryway, to be honest, scares me a bit.
I touch the door handle to open it, but there's no need because it opens as soon as I touch it.
"Never underestimate the power of the capital," I whistle, walking through the massive doorway.
What greets me is jawdropping.
Giant animals, ranging from a giant froghopper to the tiniest antwhistle, roam the streets of their own free will.
Elves, taller than me, guide them or step around the animals, and things that look like supercars race around on invisible roads above my head.
No. Not invisible roads. The cars are flying.
"How the heck?" I crane my neck to get a better look at everything.
Just because I said before that my father is the most powerful elf there is, doesn't mean we're the richest.
We live in the slums, or better known by the Capitol, the District.
Very original, I know.
Even though we live in the poorest part of town, we have magic, and magic has us. Because we have magic and the capital doesn't, we are therefore the most powerful.
"This is amazing," I say, looking around me in awe.
"It truly is, isn't it," a voice behind me says.
A male elf stands behind me, clad in gold armor and wearing the customary Gilded Sword for added protection.
I notice that he's wearing the Earrings of Saturn, one of the highest nobility honors of our century.
When I stop gaping at the futuristic scene that has been laid before me, I notice that the soldier (for that is what he is) is motioning towards a car.
A flying car, I realize with joy.
We zip around the capital, not stopping for any breaks, and sitting in complete silence.
As the car touches down on the ground, I notice it's stopped in front of a giant palace.
No. Palace doesn't even begin to describe the regalness of the building in front of me.
There are four pillars, each depicting scenes from the Last Great Battle, and the giant archway that leads into the main room is inlaid with silver and other precious metals.
I walk towards the archway, and, seeing that no one is telling me away from it, I walk through the archway, and into the Capitol.