It has been too long! I do apologize for making everyone wait but I finally got around to making another chapter.

I plan to keep on writing but Idk how fast I am gonna get a Chapter 4 out

I welcome and encourage you to review my story or send me messages directly!

Sincerely,

PoliceDog29

We decided that our delegation would be 20 people in total. Each ruler chose their most trusted advisor and guards to accompany them on the trip. Naturally this meant I chose Claudia as my advisor and Soren and Aunt Amaya as my bodyguards. After deciding on our delegation's size, we then had to wait two days for the elven delegation to arrive at our camp. Honestly, those were the longest two days I have had to go through in my life. By the time they arrived I feel like I had been waiting for two years. When the delegation first arrived, I was confused as there were 25 elves in total. But after asking the leader of the delegation he explained that the 5 extra elves would guide us to the Storm Spire.

It was decided to leave the same day as the delegation had arrived early in the morning. It took us two days in total to reach the Storm Spire. We decided to camp at the base of the Spire because we arrived late in the evening and our delegation decided to wait to meet the Dragon Queen tomorrow. Currently I am sitting alone at a campfire eating some of the bread and jerky that we packed.

I glanced up at the imposing sight of the Spire and felt my emotions rising inside of me. After all, this is the symbol of the kingdom that killed my family, it was the symbol of everything I have hated for the past 5 years. However, before I could be consumed by my thoughts, I heard a voice calling me. I looked down and saw Queen Anya approaching me.

"What brings you here Anya?" I asked as I motioned for her to take a seat.

"You weren't joining us for dinner in the tent so I figured that I would come keep you company." She replied as she sat down next to me.

"I am sorry, but I just don't trust 'them' enough to let them handle my food." I huff in response.

"Oh please, we have been travelling with the elves for two days and they haven't done anything yet. Don't you think you are being a little too cautious?" she says rolling her eyes.

I stare at here astonished. Iss she really saying that she is willing to trust the enemy with her life after only two days of travelling! Does she not feel anything at the thought that these people are part of the reason that her mothers are dead!

"Too cautious! I am being too cautious! We have been at war with 'their' kind for the past two-hundred years! And despite that you decide to trust 'them'!" I exclaim

She looked at me, shocked by me sudden outburst. "It's because we have been at war for 200 years that I am willing to trust them. Think about it Ezran, they have suffered just as much as we have. Not to mention the fact that if we don't return in 2 weeks' time the combined armies of humanity will continue their advance. It would be pointless for them to lure us all the way here to just kill us. Why can't you realize that your grudge will only cause more pain, I can't imagine that Callum would have wanted there to be bloodshed." She exclaims.

My fists clench hearing her use Callums name. I stand and turn to glare at her.

"How dare you assume what Callum would have wanted! How can you feel nothing, no resentment at all. They are the reason your parents are dead; they are the reason you were forced to bear the weight of the crown at such a young age!" I growl

She physically recoils hearing the venom in my words and stares with an almost disappointed gaze.

"Do you not realize that if you don't let go of your hatred for the elves then you are only going to cause more pain and suffering for your people? I for one don't want to spend my entire life fighting if we can end it here?" She sighs

She then proceeded to say "And furthermore, you still don't seem to acknowledge the fact that our mothers died because Katolis decided to attack the elves. Yes, I did resent the elves when I was younger, but then I realized how that tragedy could have been avoided. I will not proceed to make the same mistake as my mothers!"

"The only mistake our parents made was not bringing a larger army." I spit back

"How can you so blatantly ignore the fact that humans have had just as much a part in this conflict as the elves."

"How can you so blatantly befriend one of them. For all we know it could have killed hundreds of humans."

"And we are responsible for killing thousands of elves."

Anya turns here whole body and stares me in the eyes.

"Ezran, you must accept the fact that if the Pentarchy, no, if the continent is to survive, everyone is going to have to be willing to let go."

"What do you mean, we are on the brink of winning this war for once and for all. If we give up now than everything for the past 200 years will have been for nothing, and we would be dishonoring our ancestors who fought for us."

"Dishonor! What honor did we have in the first place! We were the ones who decided to use dark magic and hunt down magical creatures for their body parts, we are the ones who betrayed the trust of the unicorns and drove them to extinction, and we are the ones who continue this war! If anyone should be blamed for this conflict it should be us!" she shouts

By the time she was done with her outburst her face had turned as red as a tomato and you could see her clenched fist shaking at her side. As I opened my mouth to reply she cut me off.

"And I swear if you say one more thing about our parents or how we shouldn't be making peace with the elves I am going to punch you in the face."

I could tell from the look in her eyes that she was serious about her threat, but I couldn't help myself.

"Do you really feel nothing?" I ask looking her in the eye.

Her nostrils flared as she heard my question and true to her word, she hit me on my left cheek. The force behind the punch knocked me off the log I was sitting on, dropping what was left of my food as I fell. I turn to look at her in shock only to be met with the coldest stare I have ever seen her make.

"You need to let go of the past before people other than just you hurt. The world is changing, and you need to except that." She said then turned around and walked back to the tent.

I stand up and dust myself off and pick up my dropped food and throw it into the fire. Then I sit down and stare into the fire thinking about what Anya just told me. How could she say that we are responsible for the last 200 years of suffering. The elves forced us to act because they wouldn't help us. We found a way to survive on our own, how can they expect us to not use it?

Plus, even if we started this war, they are still at fault for escalating it. They exiled us, they demonized us, they tried to force us back to the place we were below them, and they were the ones who killed our people. We were just defending ourselves. No matter how you look at it, the elves should be the ones taking responsibility, and until they do, I won't agree to anything.

I nodded to myself and proceeded to stand up and start walking to my tent. Once I get inside, I notice a letter on my desk. There were no markings on the envelope. I open it up and my eyes widen as I recognize the writing of the elf.

Dear King Ezran,

Callum and I will meet with you after your meeting with the Dragon Queen tomorrow. Once the meeting is over just wait outside the meeting room and an elf will meet you there and guide you to us.

Until tomorrow!

I put the letter back down onto my desk and start getting changed for bed. While I am washing my face, I notice in that I am unconsciously smiling. I guess no matter how much I dread this meeting the prospect of meeting Callum for the first time in 5 years is enough to make me happy. I wonder to myself about why he decided to stay away for so long, but sleep overcomes me before I can think of an answer.

How was it?

Hopefully I am still as good a writer as I was 2 years ago.

Please leave your thoughts!

Sincerely,

PoliceDog29