The next morning, the brothers and Korthok were summoned to the throne room. Olorith stepped forward to greet them, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he inclined his head in calm approval. His gaze lingered on each of them before he spoke. "You have all performed admirably in the mission entrusted to you,"
He said, his voice carrying effortlessly through the chamber. "From this moment on, you will no longer be regarded as mere warriors or guests."
He paused, allowing the significance of his words to sink in. "You will be presented to our people and to the other races as ambassadors, representatives of our will and our hope for the future. Bear this honor with pride and restraint, for every eye will be upon you, and every word you speak will shape how the realm remembers this day."
The king spoke up, his voice steady and authoritative. "Today, we will walk through the town so that all our citizens may see you for themselves," he said, tapping his chair slowly. "They must know who you are and feel more at ease with the fact that you are human." He paused, his gaze sharp and thoughtful. "It will be some time before you depart on your journey to the Dwarves, so use this opportunity wisely. Earn the trust of the people, and in doing so, strengthen both yourselves and the bonds between our races.
Today you will walk through the city and present yourselves to the people. They are not yet comfortable with your presence, so it is your duty to put their fears at ease how little it may be by whatever means necessary, Olorith will be your escorts to show you around"
Olorith escorted the group out of the throne room leading them through the town heavy with watching eyes, every step met with whispered slurs and wary glares.
Conversations hushed as they passed, shutters creaked shut, and shopkeepers subtly turned their signs from open to closed. Children were pulled behind skirts, elders muttered old warnings under their breath, and more than one hand drifted toward a hidden weapon.
To the villagers, their crime was simple and unforgivable they were human. No matter how calmly they walked or how respectfully they bowed their heads, suspicion clung to them like a shadow, and the weight of a hundred years of fear pressed down on every silent, hostile stare.
Leading them into one of the very few shops brave enough to keep its doors open as they passed, Olorith spread his arms proudly. "Welcome to one of the best equipment shops in the kingdom!"
The shopkeeper, who had been slumped over the counter, slowly lifted her head and gave him a tired, unimpressed stare. "One of?" she said flatly. "I think you mean THE best in the kingdom."
"Come oooon, Elaria you know I was just kidding," Olorith said with an exaggerated grin, throwing his arms wide and attempting to hug her from across the counter.
Elaria didn't budge. Instead, she glanced past him at the two boys. "So these are the humans you've been going on about," she said coolly. "I'm not exactly thrilled about having humans in my shop… but I'll tolerate it for your sake, Olorith."
The two brothers, along with Korthok, immediately bowed in unison, offering their thanks for her hospitality.
Olorith beamed, his usual stern demeanor replaced with warmth. "My sister here is the finest blacksmith we have to offer," he said proudly, tugging playfully at her cheek. "She forges exclusive pieces for our highest-ranking knights and on occasion, even for the king himself."
Zazu leaned closer to Ash and whispered, "He's like a completely different person around his family."
Ash whispered back, shaking his head, "I know, right? I barely recognize him."
"I asked my dear, beloved sister to forge some special equipment for the two of you," Olorith said proudly.
"Yeah,walls whatever," she replied with an annoyed wave of her hand. "It'll be ready before you leave."
Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted outside the shop doors. The roar of voices suggested a large crowd had gathered, their shouts bleeding through the walls.
As the group stepped outside, they were met by a horde of angry citizens crowding the street.
"Why are they here, Olorith?"
"Disgusting humans, walking around free in our home!"
"They should be in chains or better yet, dead!"
The shouts came from every direction, sharp and merciless.
The boys, overwhelmed by the sudden hostility, stood frozen. Korthok tried desperately to explain that these two were different from the humans they despised, but his words were drowned out by the crowd's fury. Olorith remained silent, his expression unreadable as he watched the scene unfold.
With each passing second, the crowd grew more agitated voices rising, bodies pressing forward on the verge of erupting into a full riot.
Then, suddenly, a small figure pushed through the mass of people.
A little girl stepped forward, standing directly in front of Ash and Axel.
She screamed at the top of her lungs, "What are you all doing?! These boys saved my life and now you want to kill them?!"
Two adults rushed forward from the crowd. "Liora, what are you doing?" one of them cried. Then their eyes widened. "Are these the boys who saved you? The ones you told us about?"
Before anyone could respond, the two parents ran to Ash and Axel, pulling them into a tight embrace and thanking them over and over for saving Liora.
"It's fine," Axel replied evenly. "We would've done it whether you thanked us or not."
Seeing the exchange, the tension in the crowd slowly began to ease, murmurs dying down bit by bit. Liora's father turned sharply to face the villagers, his voice ringing out across the area.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves," he said. "You cry out when humans persecute us for being a different race, yet here you stand, ready to persecute these boys simply because they're human."
His gaze swept over the crowd. "After everything they've done, tell me who among you was going to rescue my Liora?"
Silence answered him. Not a single villager dared to speak.
"That's what I thought," he continued coldly. "If any of you have even a shred of self-respect left, you'll leave quietly."