Hidden Realms Awakening

The Alliance

That entire time we were in his garage?" I ask, plopping down on the sofa. Turns out Steph doesn't live too far from Glassy, which is probably a good thing with her accident-prone self. However, the most shocking fact was that Dr. Glassy's office was actually in his garage.

Steph nods. "After coming to the human realm, Dr. Glassy opened his office to the elves. We needed to keep a low profile, so he bought a house with a large garage and flipped the inside."

"Like how your barn leads to the Archway portal? Hey, does Darc's store lead anywhere?"

"Most elves have a secret room or passage." Steph yanks down the blinds, pulls the curtains closed, picks up some muddy boots, tosses them down the hall, and swipes the stack of junk mail off the bar and into the sink.

"Is this your version of cleaning?" I tease, picking up old coffee cup and taking it to the sink.

"Hey, I'm still drinking that." She takes the cup from me and takes a sip. "And I had servants growing up, can't expect too much from me. Besides, I got a call to make."

"What are you going to do, Face Time the rebel leaders?" I fluff the couch cushions.

"Basically." She folds a blanket and drapes it over the back of the chair. "I've got a rep to protect."

"I thought your reputation was crazy, lassoing cowgirl that's also elven royalty."

"Exactly, royalty is all about appearances, at least that's what my mother always told me when I'd come back dirty from the woods."

"Speaking of dirty, you might want to freshen up. You've been in bed for the past two days and still hint of smoke."

"Right." She rushes off to her room.

I go grab a book and wait in my room. A shower later, she comes back in a tan leather jacket, green shirt, pants, and hair in a pony tail.

"Is that how Elven royalty dress for important meetings?"

"You sound like your mother." She groans and disappears into her room. A few minutes pass and I hear a thud and a "Blast it!"

"You alright in there?" I call, setting my book down and going to the kitchen.

She comes out in a respectable cream medieval style gown, her blonde wavy hair down, and a small silver tiara. By her grimace, I can tell she's more than uncomfortable.

I bite my lip, resisting a chuckle. "I didn't know you were off to the ball."

She side eyes me. "Laugh and I'll have Anna feed you to the dragon."

I nod, trying my best not to smirk. Sitting in the corner of the kitchen table, I'm out of camera view but can still see into the living room. Steph turns a nob on the old T.V. set and sits on the armchair. Her face is stern, but it's hard to take her seriously in a tiara instead of a cowgirl hat. The T.V. hums and beeps for a few moments. The screen flashes on, revealing five creatures.

A short man, probably a Dwarf, glares through the screen. His narrow eyes and cropped white beard and long mustache remind me of Japanese sensei. Another man's smile radiates the room. His goat-like legs can only belong to a fawn. His gleaming green eyes seem genuinely pleased by the unexpected call. The third is a green woman, strong and ready for battle. Her ears are pointy, like Kio's, but her nose is flat like Voldemort. She must be the Goblin leader. The fourth reminds me of a female version of Odin. Strong and battle-ready, her almond shaped eyes are wide with alert. The last woman resembles a tree, her dark skin coarse and bumpy like bark. Her hair reaches her waist and looks like tiny autumn leaves interwoven. Those big, round brown eyes with flecks of green can only belong to a gnome.