Fire… ball?

Alex stood by himself looking around when and elderly looking mage walked up to him and greeted him with a handshake, he introduced himself as the elder of the Arcvien delegation, shortly after they started talking two younger mages walked up and introduced themselves and the four got into a discussion about magical theory. After about 45 minutes he excused himself politely so he could go check up on things.

The trio of mages watched the young man's back thinking of what they had just discussed, "I wish I had met him when I wasn't so old some of those ideas he expressed have lifted a veil I've had over my eyes for so long", the elder mage sighed. "Just listening to him make me feel he performs magic for the sheer joy of it, finding new ways to do things and exploring the unknown I feel the academy has become to stifled in traditions".

The two younger mages were still trying to process what Alex had told them but felt that they were on to something that could prove beneficial to their studies.

Alex scanned the room he saw the Queen was sitting on her balcony area Vale already by her side and the first one on one underway, with six highlords to go through and each chat taking an absolute minimum of twenty minutes it was going to be awhile before we could move on to the next step. Next he located Anna and Lily who were surrounded by blushing young elven women that were occasionally throwing brief glances at Alex then blushing harder and turning away. What on earth were those two telling them.

Looking for Kayla he found she had somehow been cornered by a group of three human males, Kayla obviously wanted them to leave her alone and was reluctant to use force given the situation and clothing she was wearing. Rolling his eyes at the situation he walked over grabbing a drink from a table he passed by, Kayla saw him coming and a look of relief entered her eyes.

"Excuse me gentlemen but my I know why you have cornered my fiancé and wont leave her alone?" Alex queried in a polite tone.

"We was just asking this lovely young thing if she wouldn't mind spending some time alone with us", he spoke with a lecherous tone as he turned to face Alex.

The moment he saw who it was his face drained of all colour, "Alex" he yelped, causing the other two to spin and go a similar shade of pale.

"Well well if it isn't the infamous Presopolis brothers", Alex grin had a feral twinge to it, I do believe you useless wastes of space still owe me a large amount of cash and instead of working your asses off to pay me back you're trying to flirt with my fiancé.

The three brothers went paler if that was even possible.

Alex leaned in a growled, "If I see you scum suckers again you had either be coming to see me to pay your debt or looking to get mutilated, this one time I'll let you off because the Queen wouldn't be happy if I splashed blood all over the place I will allow you leave quietly now scram".

The brothers rushed up to the delegate explained that they needed to urgently return to Valent and would depart immediately, the delegate waved them away to do as they will. They ran from the hall as if their lives depended on it, which they did.

Alex continued to mingle while Kayla went back to the buffet, just wandering from place to place exchanging niceties with the people in the hall, he sighed to himself, man this more draining than sparing Aunt Melli he thought.

A couple of elves approached him and cute young elven girl and judging by the intimacy the handsome young man would be her boyfriend. They walked up to Alex and politely bowed, the boy spoke first, "Lord Alex we have something we wish to ask you".

Alex had long given up getting people to stop calling him lord it just didn't work.

The girl encouraged by the boy standing next to her spoke up determination in her voice, "Could you please release me from our marriage contract?".

Alex looked blank for a second, then his face lit up, "Ah you're the other one I was engaged to before we were born".

The girl nodded, "Please Lord Alex I already have someone I care for".

"Yeah no problem, I have no idea where my copy is, probably in the mansion somewhere, you can just destroy your half no issues that should also invalidate mine at the same time anyway" Alex readily agreed.

The two youths looked a bit surprised at the unexpected swift agreement.

Alex just grinned at them, "Look at you two, did you think I was some sort of letch that will do anything to sink his claws into a woman".

They both flushed in embarrassment.

Laughing Alex said, "Look I don't even know your name let alone if we would even get a long or not, this is the first time meeting and it is stupid to force two people together just because of some agreement their fathers had before we were even born. You should be with the person you want not the person your parents want so just tear up that contract and live your life".

Alex bowed slightly to them then started his wandering again.

Watching Alex walk away, "I can't believe that person is the same age us", said the boy in a hushed tone. They held hands as they left the gala to go tear up a meaningless piece of paper.

Alex and Kayla stood together, it hadn't been to long since his chat with he now ex fiancé that Kayla had walked up to his side and looped her arm in his and leaned against him.

"What's up kitten" Alex asked

"Too many idiots who seem to conveniently forget I'm engaged to you trying to get handsy" she growled irritated about the whole thing, "the most annoying thing is I can't just break their arms, just slap their hands away like a coy barmaid".

Alex gave her a kiss on the forehead, "Just use me as a shield, from now on".

"Deal" she snuggled into him.

Glancing up at the Queens balcony he could see the Queen there, but Vale was gone she should be on her way to me, so I waited. Sure enough a couple of minutes late Vale was by my side and passed me a stack of papers, making sure no one was around me I read through them it soon became evident what the problem was, none of them had any strong feeling for other races directly, nor any direct hatred of the queen, what stuck out like a sore thumb was hatred of mix bloods, the whole reason they schemed against Alex birth parents was simple Rinka was mix blood and Alex would also be a mix blood, for their sick ideal of racial purity they had arranged to get them exiled. An irrational anger surged up inside Alex as he finally had the answer to what happened to his parents, it wasn't some grand plot to overthrow the elven court it was just some twisted ideal of racial purity taken to far. Only two highlords were exempt as they showed no hatred towards mix blood or myself.

"I need to see the queen it's time for the last stage of this little event".

The two girls signal their agreement and follow Alex to the Queen.

"Hello Aunty" Alex called out.

"If it isn't my sexy little nephew, did you get the info? I had to suffer a lot to get all that".

"Yes I did, and it was quite enlightening, from the looks of things Melraith, Lilliana, Zorovan and Rasslen are innocent of plotting against you directly but were most likely plotting something to do with the mix bloods in the kingdom".

The Queen looked confused,

Alex starts to explain "They most likely follow a philosophy of racial purity, anyone who isn't a full-blooded elf is a lesser person not deserving the rights of a full-blooded elf. I'm guessing but probably not far off they schemed against my parents because Rinka was a mixblood and I would also be a mix blood but I would also most likely inherit my father position and the idea of a mix blood lord disgusted them hence they got them exiled".

Anger flared across the Queens face "For this stupid reason they removed a good man and replaced him with an incompetent".

Alex nodded, "Want to see how I deal with them?".

"What are you planning Alex", the Queen squinted at him.

"Open confrontation, bullying and threats", not necessarily in that order he grinned.

"Sounds like fun count me in", she clapped in delight.

"Ok if you would all like to stay here it's time to liven this party up a bit" Alex stepped up on the railing and proceeded to walk in the air to the stairs they had entered in from what he called out.

"Excuse me ladies and gentlemen but some entertainment for this evening has been planned would highlords Melraith, Lilliana, Zorovan and Rasslen join me at the stairs please.

He pulsed out a message to Lily and Anna through their bond advising them to be ready to be nearby and got an affirmative reply.

The hall looked up at shock at the young man walking casually through the sky, the Arcvien delegation could barely contain themselves.

The four called upon highlords could hardly back out now, so they walked towards the stairs arriving shortly after Alex descended.

Alex looked at the 4 highlords in front of him and sighed, "I will give you one chance to admit to everything and I will allow you your name to remain untarnished, force me to do this hard way and I will tear you and all you hold dear down", Alex said fully exuding his presence that he normally kept under wraps while speaking in voice only the four of them could hear.

Zorovan looked panicked and opened his mouth but Rasslen spoke up "Shut up Zorovan.

Alex sighed again, "So be it the hard way it is".

Alex stood up straight staring at the 4 highlords, "As the grand highlord anointed by the forest today I carry out my duties to the elven people, I hereby charge the four of you of crimes against the elven people, you will be stripped of all rank and property, your estates shall be searched for further evidence Until such time that such that it can be proven otherwise you will remain jailed".

The four of them looked on in shock, they all started yelling at Alex calling him mad and delusional, that he had no authority over them no power to back things up.

That was exactly what Alex was waiting for, "Oh you think I don't have the strength to backup my threats?", he pulsed out to Anna and Lily asking them to guard him in demi dragon form. Lily walked in from the left Anna from the right as they walked everyone could see the transformations they underwent they stopped next to Alex.

He took a step back and said, "You wanted to see the power I have to backup my threats very well I will demonstrate".

Alex stepped back and raised his hand a fireball appeared and it started to grow then shrink at a rapid rate, a barrier of wind wrapped around it the fire ball blowing air directly into it the flame darkened slowly shifting colours until the fireball was blue rather than the normal yellow orange. He raised his hand towards the sky and launched the fireball with a shot of compressed air, it flew into the sky leaving a blue trail when it hit a high enough height that nothing would be damaged, Alex murmured "Firestorm".

The sky burned.

There was no other way to describe it as was if the whole sky as far as could be seen was bathed in blue flames, a huge blast of heat slammed down into the gala everyone burst out in sweat that instantly evaporated.

Not a sound was made, no one could speak they had seen nothing like it before, the four highlords were just as stunned, "Now do we stop playing games and you four tell me the truth or do I visit each of you estates and launch one of those at them?", Growled Alex his eyes deadly serious.

Zorovan was at his limit, "I will admit to it just don't destroy my home".

Rasslen turned to shut him up again and instead received a shock bolt from Alex.

"Anyone else want to keep Zorovan quiet?", the other two shook their heads fear very clear in their eyes.

Very well let us clear up old news first Which of you planted the fake evidence against my parents and had them sent into exile?".

Zorovan gulped,

"Don't worry the worst you will receive is exile unless you lie to me, that will mean death", Alex assured him

The highlord slumped and admitted that he Rasslen and Lilliana were the ones who had arranged the false evidence, trial and exile.

Alex nodded he thought as much there was no way Rasslen wasn't in on it.

"Now onto the main topic, spoke Alex, "What were your exact plans towards the mix bloods within the kingdom".

Zorovan slumped even further the boy even knew about that, just what kind of monster had they provoked, "I won't go into the details here but the basics behind it was to force changes in the law by strong arming the queen that would strip mix blood elves from under the protection of the law then we would have no issues gathering them up and exiling them in mass.

"Well I'll give you that one I figured you were so far gone that you would just kill them", spoke Alex coldly.

He walked towards them and placed his palm against the head of the paralysed Rasslen, "I revoke your rights as a highlord, when he removed his hand the dark purple rhombus was gone from his forehead, he then did the same for the other 3, then called over Levindal, can you arrange messages to each of the households of these four former highlords advising them of what has happened and that they are being sent into exile while arresting the direct family members they will not be allowed to flee taking their wealth with them.

Levindal saluted "As you say Grand Highlord".

"Don't make me hit you Levindal" Alex said with a tired smile.

"You did good Alex" he said and motioned for the guards to remove the four former highlords.

The Queen rose from her place and her clear voice rang out, "We thank everyone for their attendance, but we feel that the rest of the gala will be dull after such a display so we shall bid you all a good night, thank you all for coming".

The quests all bowed and started shuffling towards the exit, Alex just stood there as he watched everyone depart.