In the palace of the King of the Demi-Humans, the king continued to stare at the dark elf with a deep gaze that carried a mixture of suspicion and contemplation. Then he spoke in a low but clear voice:
"If you are seeking allies, then why did you not go to the humans? They are always the first to pursue such alliances, and they are skilled at playing these kinds of political games."
The dark elf raised an eyebrow slightly, as if the question did not surprise him, then replied in a tone that blended astonishment with confidence:
"Do you not know, my lord, that whoever allies with humans ends up regretting it? Humans excel at betrayal, and treachery is in their nature—even toward their closest allies—whenever they see benefit in it. That is why we came to you… to the race we see as most worthy of trust and commitment."
The King of the Demi-Humans did not take this praise seriously. He knew well that the dark elf's words were nothing more than calculated flattery. True, demi-humans were not as treacherous as humans, but they were also not the most honest race either. That title belonged, and still belongs, to the giants, who had never been known to betray an ally since the dawn of history. Thus, the king did not comment on the praise, but moved directly to another, more important question:
"What exactly do you want from this alliance, dark elf? Do not tell me that you expect me to help you in your war against the regular elves, for that is impossible. You know the unwritten laws of the continent… our interference in an inter-racial conflict would ignite a great war, and the other races might intervene as well. It would not be surprising if the dragons themselves intervened to punish whoever lights the first spark."
The dark elf stepped calmly toward one of the chairs in the room and sat down without asking permission, an act that reflected his confidence and sense of status. Then he said in a steady voice:
"No, my lord. I am not asking you to fight the regular elves. That is not my goal. What I want is an alliance between us to face any other enemy that may appear on the continent in the coming period. I want you and me—demi-humans and dark elves—to stand as one if a greater danger descends upon us."
The King of the Demi-Humans examined him carefully. He did not object to him sitting without permission, but his mind was working rapidly. He weighed the words, compared gains and losses, and recalled the strange signs he had felt recently—that subtle sensation that something was moving in the shadows. Therefore, he did not reply immediately, and silence filled the room for what felt like a long time.
The dark elf watched the king patiently. When he saw the signs of deep thought on his face, he realized that the king had begun to consider the benefits of this alliance. Thus, he chose silence and allowed him to sink into his thoughts without interruption.
After some time had passed, the King of the Demi-Humans finally raised his head and looked at the dark elf and said:
"Do you know which other races may appear on the continent? If you are asking for an alliance, then I need to know the nature of the storm you are speaking of."
The moment the dark elf heard this question, he realized that the king had given his preliminary approval to the alliance, but wanted information before taking a final step. The dark elf stood up from the chair and straightened himself, then said in a calm voice that carried dangerous weight:
"What I know is that the extinct angels, along with some other forgotten races, have begun to move in secret within the continent of Mira. I do not yet know all the details, nor the names of every race, but what is certain is that the angels still retain a large portion of their former power and glory."
The King of the Demi-Humans' eyes widened slightly at this. The angels were a legend, a memory from an ancient age, and the return of such a race meant that the continent stood on the edge of radical change. The king said in a heavier voice than before:
"If what you say is true… then the entire balance of power will change."
The dark elf smiled faintly and said:
"And that is precisely why I came to you, Your Majesty. The storm is coming, and whoever stands alone will be crushed… but whoever chooses their allies wisely will remain standing when the winds finally calm."
The King of the Demi-Humans listened to the dark elf's words, and silence settled over the room. He did not speak for a long time. The dark elf's words had struck his thoughts at their core, forcing him into deep contemplation about what he should do, and about the new powers that might appear in the near future. What truly frightened him was the mention of the angels, and the fact that they still retained most of their power.
The race of angels, alongside demons and dragons, had been considered among the strongest races in ancient times. After the great war that occurred a thousand years ago, everyone believed that the angels were either completely extinct, or still licking their wounds, far removed from their former glory and strength. Thus, the idea of their return to the stage with their ancient power was enough to overturn the balance of power on the continent of Mira entirely.
This realization made the King of the Demi-Humans more resolute in his decision. He finally lifted his gaze to the dark elf and said firmly:
"I agree to an alliance with your race, but under clear conditions. I will not participate in any war you may wage against the regular elves."
The dark elf smiled lightly and bowed slightly in respect, then said:
"And that is exactly what we want, my lord. Our war with the regular elves is a matter that concerns us alone. We do not ask for your intervention in it. What we want is an alliance against any other race that may threaten our existence and yours."
A faint smile appeared on the face of the King of the Demi-Humans upon hearing this reply. He then rose from his chair and said:
"And when will I meet your saint? I want to discuss the details of this alliance formally and clearly."
The dark elf replied with confidence:
"I will go at once, my lord, to inform our saintess of your approval of the alliance. She will surely be very pleased to ally with a brave and powerful race such as yours."
The King of the Demi-Humans smiled at his words. In a sudden moment, the dark elf bowed once more in respect, then dense, dark shadows wrapped around him, and he vanished from the office in the blink of an eye.
The king's eyes widened in astonishment at what he had seen. He knew that dark elves were famous for their ability to manipulate darkness and hide within it—hence their name—but he did not expect this elf's power to be so great that he could bypass the solid magical barrier surrounding and protecting the royal palace.
No sooner had the dark elf vanished than the royal guards stormed into the office at speed, weapons and swords in hand. They had felt a strange fluctuation in energy and assumed the king was under attack. The king looked at them calmly and said:
"Do not trouble yourselves. He has already left."
The guards exchanged astonished looks, and one of them said:
"How did he do that, my lord? We were surrounding the office from every direction, and we felt no movement at all!"
The King of the Demi-Humans smiled and said:
"Dark elves are known for their ability to hide in the shadows. It is natural that you did not sense him. He infiltrated without being detected, and even bypassed the magical barrier that protects the palace."
The guards' astonishment grew at this, and signs of concern appeared on their faces at the power of this mysterious race. After a moment, one of the guards said cautiously:
"Was he attempting to assassinate you, my lord?"
At that moment, a terrifying killing aura erupted from the guards' bodies, filling the room with suffocating tension. But the king calmly raised his hand and said:
"No. He came to propose an alliance with our race."
The killing aura gradually dissipated, and the guards froze in place from sheer shock. They did not know what to say, for the idea of an alliance with the dark elves had never crossed their minds.
As for the King of the Demi-Humans, he knew deep down that this decision might become a turning point in the history of the entire continent—and that the storm the dark elf had spoken of had already begun to loom on the horizon.