"You know, you normally won’t be allowed to step into the city, hahaha," a laughter rang out from the driving seat.
Ryuk turned his gaze to the elf driver who was driving the car.
He was a middle-aged man, approaching the older side, with some wrinkles over his face and he asked,
"Why is that?"
"Well, humans aren’t allowed in without special access..." The man replied to him, as Ryuk’s eyebrows furrowed.
’If humans weren’t allowed without having special access, then why was he inside it right now?’
"The only reason I agreed to drive you in is because of the one you are with. The young Mistress, Lydia Salvatore. Who am I to deny if she brings a human home? Hahaha," the elf man said as Ryuk turned his gaze to the young lady sitting beside him.
Her gaze was currently on the side of the glass, but then a frown appeared on Ryuk’s face.
"I’m curious about something, driver..." He suddenly called out.
"Ask away, young one..." The elf man said with a chuckle, and Ryuk asked.
"Do the humans have a city of their own?" He asked, a bizarre question that caused Lydia to take her gaze off the window to stare at him, the same as the elf man.
"I think they also do. Though not as popular as the city of the ten racial families..." the man answered as Ryuk nodded before asking the second question.
"Okay then. I want to know, are you allowed to enter into the human city without a permit?" He asked, to which the elf man shrugged.
"Of course. The human city allows all races in. There are no restrictions at all." He said, and Ryuk hummed, before having his gaze wander back to the car window.
When he turned to look back at the hundreds of elf settlements that were passing by. Somehow, the beauty in them seemed to have been lost. Now they looked plain and boring.
’A human is not allowed into the elf city unless by permit, but every other race is allowed into the human’s own city!?’ Ryuk thought to himself.
"I think I understand what you mean, young man. Hahaha," the boisterous laughter of the elf driver suddenly rang out as Ryuk turned his gaze to him.
"It sounds a bit unfair when humans are barred from the elf city unless they hold special permits, but we can go into the human city as much as we like, without needing anything, right?" He asked, as Ryuk simply hummed.
"Well, the reason is simple. Humans and elves might look alike, with the only difference being our pointy ears. But just because we look alike, doesn’t mean we’re equal at all."
"We elves hold much power. Much pure bloodline attuned with nature. We’re different in hierarchy and life existence."
"For a human to enter our home is to be allowed into a sanctuary closest to true nature in this world. A chance to meet with a higher existence. They will need a permit to do that so we don’t just allow any humans to do so, taking it for granted."
"But if we pay a visit to the human city, it is considered a blessing. A higher life existence deciding to allow meetings with lower life existence. It is a cause worthy of honour. Why would we need a permit for that?" He asked Ryuk, who simply hummed before going quiet.
’Seems like even the Elves themselves hold that same superior gaze over humanity,’ he silently thought to himself.
The drive didn’t continue for much longer as Lydia voiced out for the driver to stop, and it did, before they both got out.
Ryuk looked around him, finding himself in a quieter environment than he imagined.
The elf houses were all huts in shape, and they didn’t have compounds or fences, not much different directly from each other, save for size.
The hut he was standing in was especially eye-catching, as it stood large compared to the others around it in mere size.
He watched as Lydia slowly made her way towards the gate, opening it up before turning to look at Ryuk, who never moved an inch from where he stood.
"I’ll wait outside..." Ryuk stated, but then she narrowed her eyes before replying.
"It’s already late. Things won’t be safe for a human outside at night, and even if you’re strong, no taxi will drive you out, and you can even get arrested by the enforcers without a permit. So, are you still sure you want to stay outside?" She asked Ryuk, who furrowed his eyebrows, thinking her words carefully, before he turned his gaze to the house.
Immediately, a runic line appeared in Ryuk’s eyes as his gaze sliced through the walls, assessing the entire structure of the building, and he couldn’t help but scoff within himself before nodding his head.
"Okay then. Just for the night..." He said before walking in after her.
’How naive. He’s just another thirsty bastard after all...’ Lydia thought to herself, as she watched Ryuk step into the house and she locked it.
Ryuk stepped in, and the first thing he noticed was the smooth, polished wood beneath his feet, with handcrafted rugs covering it.
The furniture was minimal, low wooden chairs with cushions made from some type of woven fabric, a small round table made of wood, and shelves with books, vases, and small trinkets at use.
In the center of the room, there was a stone fireplace softly glowing with a flickering fire, filling the room with warmth and a gentle scent of pine and cedar wood.
Natural light poured in through the wide arching windows, framed by some leafy-type vines that looked like curtains, yet not.
On the ceiling, glowing lanterns hung, their light warm and inviting.
The overall atmosphere of the building seemed peaceful and serene, somehow managing to calm the feeling of unfairness Ryuk felt building in his heart from the conversation he had with the driver.
"Settle down, I’ll make tea..." Lydia said as she disappeared into a door by the side, and Ryuk looked at the closed door where she had disappeared before turning to look at the harmless-looking chair, yet his eyes could see something weird about the chair.
Something that drew his smile, as he slowly walked towards the chair and sat on it.
And that’s when it happened...