Eden

Intro: The Stranger Part Two

The human felt the Kings touch and a shudder passed through him. It had been so long since he'd felt the warmth of another being. It didn't matter that it was some old King that probably had the ability to kick his ass any second of any day.

When he was cast out into the Wilds, he'd only ever met another person. Someone else who had been shunned from society, an elvish woman named Reya. Even though he had come to love her dearly, he lost her long ago.

They walked down long hallways filled with art and large, carefully designed openings to allow light to shine through. The walls were a beautiful white mixed with light brown. The tile they walked on shined like the sun, he could almost clearly see his reflection beneath him. How strange. All he saw was a bush of hair and a pair of eyes. Was that what he'd become? Was that what the Elves had seen when he was dragged in?

He hadn't seen the inside of a palace in a long time but there was a wonderful, calming sensation that warmed his chest. He could hear soft footsteps following behind them and glanced to see who it could be. A pair of guards and a man in white robes. Another pair of footsteps crossed in front of them all of a sudden, and he looked to see what he assumed to be the Prince walking quite aggressively on the path that intersected them. He had short silver hair, which was a rare sight to see. The young Elf glanced their way once, but never stopped. Soon he was out of view.

"So..." the King breathed out, ignoring that his son was having a tantrum. "I apologize for my son, Eden. He's quite stubborn. Most of the time he's well mannered it's just... well it doesn't matter. What is your name, stranger?"

The human blinked several times, as if trying to recall the name given to him at birth, however it was lost to him. When someone is shunned, they lose track of time and senses. He hadn't heard his name in so long. "I... I don't know..." he murmured out, still reaching for the name that was long forgotten to no avail.

"Would you like a new name?" The King asked.

The next feeling that washed over him was something he hadn't felt in a long time. Someone was acknowledging his existence and this gave him a powerful emotion he couldn't describe. "I guess. I'm not sure how that would work, though."

"I'm in contact with our Gods, my blessing is their blessing. Here you can be welcome if you choose to be," the king eyed him sideways, watching warily for any emotion in this mans face. All he could see was a struggle of thought.

"I feel like you're trying to get to something, Your Highness," the human said.

Stolish chuckled. "You're a smart man, but I cannot reveal that to you just yet. So, would you like a name?"

It took him a moment of thought to process what was happening. He hadn't been called anything in so long... what would it be? "Yes."

"Alright, you shall be called Bane. How does that sound?"

Bane quirked his eyebrows, but he liked the way it sounded. While it didn't have any familiarity to it, he would accept it. He nodded his approval and they walked in silence.

-

The king stopped them at a pair of large doors and one of the guards that had been trailing behind them silently opened the door for them. Stolish signaled for Bane to walk in and so he did, taking in the large and intricate room.

It was probably half the size of the room the ceremony took place. The ongoing theme that Bane noticed was white. White walls, white tile, white columns that stood on each corner of the bed that rested next to the wall opposite of them. This was much more different than the usual colors of brown , grey and green he was used to. To the left of the entrance was an unlit fire place, and chairs to go with it. To the right was a desk and light brown privacy panels that people could dress behind. Closer to the farthest corner to the right was a line of windows with intricate designs and a door to a balcony. Bane was in absolute awe at this marvelous masterpiece. One thing to be sure about was the Elvish were wonderful designers and architects.

"Lorence, grab the barber for me would you? Have him bring a chest of clothes," Stolish looked to the bald man in white robes. He nodded and walked away in a different direction. The door closed behind them, and Stolish signaled for Bane to take a seat near the fire place.

One of the guards kneeled by the fire wood and did something Bane couldn't see, but suddenly there was a lit fire. He almost instantly felt the warmth and he felt his body ease into the cushion seat.

The door opened and Lorence walked in with another man behind him with long brown hair pulled back into a tail. On his shoulder was a cotton bag. He and the bald man carried in a large chest filled with clothes and shoes, all sorts of different kinds of garments. "Before we talk, we'll fix you up first," Stolish said with a slight smirk, enjoying the idea of a transformation.

Bane felt nervous since he hadn't seen himself, his true self in so long. Another part of him was excited.

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