Although Kelshir Tyrvanille had been here many times previously, never could he expect to be fully prepared for the sheer majesty and beauty that was Shi’arva. They were yet an hour’s ride outside the grand city, but already he could feel the magic infusing itself in his bones. The mountains, capped in snow and ice, rose above them, beckoning the party onward, welcoming them into their embrace as a mother would welcome her once missing child. Tall trees with brilliant foliage towered above them as they rode along the clear path, the path they hoped would lead to help and answers.
	As they continued to draw closer to the city, more of the group could feel the magic enveloping them and taking over their bodies. Kelshir could tell when people began to feel it for the first time; he could see it in their eyes.
	“It’s a spell of protection,” Kelshir explained. “The elves and dwarfs cast a joint spell to protect their city and its residents from harm and danger. The spell was cast so that visitors whose intent was innocent would be protected, as well. Those with other intentions have learned to stay away.”
	“Do you know what happens to them when they do come?” Hadi, the captain of the guard, asked.
	“From what I understand, they are destroyed by the magic as they approach the city.”
	The party was silent after that, the youngest of them especially. They looked around, wide-eyed, as if they expected something to jump out and attack them. But nothing did, and they drew steadily closer to the city under the protection of the ancient magic.

	At last, they rounded the final bend in the path, and the trees parted drastically for a sudden view of the city. The power and majesty of the city swept over them, taking their breaths away. In front of them lay the most beautiful thing any had ever seen. It was infused with a power so strong and so beautiful, they no longer felt worthy to be within eyesight of it.
	Towers rose above them and the city walls, majestic and magnificent in structure. Everything was made of the same dazzlingly beautiful stone. It was like a white marble or limestone of some sort, only it was made of magic. There were gold and silver streaks running through it that appeared to be literally flowing rivers in the walls of the buildings.
	The party had to force themselves to continue riding forward, lest they not find it in their hearts to turn around and return to where they had come from. Kelshir was the first to continue moving, down the hill and towards the grand city of Shi’arva. Unsure of what else they could do, the rest of the party followed.
	As they entered through the city gates, everyone looked around, amazed at all they saw. The streets were made of perfectly cut bricks of marble, mined with magic from the mountains that surrounded the city and cut to perfection through the expertise of the dwarfs. In the air lining every street and alley floated magical orbs that glowed with light every evening as soon as it started to get too dark to see, flooding the area around each with a beautiful golden glow.
	As they made their way down the main street towards the palace, they all stared in awe at the building that seemed to glow before their very eyes. The palace was made of the same stone as the rest of the city, but it seemed to glow gold instead of white. Turrets and flags flew over it, and behind were the majestic mountains.
	The mountains themselves were a sight to behold, as they were things of myth and legend. Not many had dared make the venture out to Shi’arva, so few knew and had experienced the true majesty of this particular area in the Shellenor Mountains. The palace was built into them, with escape routes set up that tunneled into the mountains, just in case, some how, the magic protecting the city failed. There was no way to differentiate the mountains from the palace, and thus no way to tell where one ended and the other began.
	The people on the streets were almost entirely elves or dwarfs. Few humans came to this city, and those who did came only to trade. Most of the trading involved procuring the beautiful and mysterious stones mined in the mountains and the jewelry of the dwarfs, skilled blacksmiths who possessed the magical abilities to make the jewelry unbreakable by any person who had no magical powers.
	As the party rode down the main street, elves and dwarfs stopped and stared. Many had never seen a party of humans so large riding through their town, and they wondered what so many could possibly be doing. The older ones knew they were in no danger, because of the magic, and the younger simply followed the lead of the old.
	Prince Kindrick had always considered his palace to be quite grandiose. Now that he was in Shi’arva, he could barely believe his eyes. His palace, which was very pretty, looked simply plain when compared to even the smallest and most simple building in this city. No words came to his mind that could possibly describe the resplendent beauty of the city.
	“Welcome, folks, to Shi’arva!” Kelshir announced, stopping his horse suddenly. “I never am quite able to properly prepare myself for the sheer beauty of this city. The walls, turrets, buildings… everything in this city is made out of a very rare type of marble and held together with magic. The silver and gold you can see streaming through them is very, very real.”
	“Father, I can see now what you meant all those times you told me there was no way for you to describe this city,” Paetreus said. He had been looking around in sheer awe at the city, unable to believe such a place could possibly be real, and had in fact pinched himself many times to make sure he was alive and awake.
	“Yes, this city is quite difficult to describe. I have seen much of the world, and never have I seen anything that can top it in beauty and splendor.”
	The captain, Hadi, noticed something peculiar that nobody had commented on yet. “But, Kelshir, sir… Where are the street signs?”
	“Ahh, yes. Amazing thing, magic is. It makes things like street signs trivial, and even the light orbs that line each and every street are more for the elves to show off their powers to the dwarfs than anything else. You see, the elves and dwarfs have made a competition out of living in such a fine city together. They are always trying to upstage each other, but always in good humor. They have found their arrangement works quite well, I believe.”
	Prince Kindrick still could not believe that the simplest and plainest houses here were this incredible. It was harder to believe he was actually in the famed city of Shi’arva, a place of so many legends and myths from his childhood. Today, he knew, was the luckiest of his life so far. There was only one thing that could possible make it better, and that was not something he desired to think about at the moment.
	The group then continued towards the palace, looking up in disbelief as they approached it. Once they arrived at the great silver and gold gates which guarded it, but were rarely ever actually closed, most of the men had small marks on their arms where they had pinched themselves rather hard.
	“Let me go first,” Kelshir said. “They will remember me, even though they have probably-“
	“I was wondering exactly when you would be arriving, Kelshir.”
	He was cut off by the most beautiful being they had ever seen. The High Councilor of the Elves had come down the palace steps and out through the gate towards them. He was tall, very fair-skinned, and so blonde his hair was almost white. His face held no signs of age, and he walked with a lightness and grace that they had never before dreamed any being could possibly possess. He wore emerald green robes with silver and gold woven into them, the fabric so fine and light it looked and felt like water running over your hand in a stream. On his head was a circlet of braided gold and silver, forged and made by the dwarfs as a gift.
	The most astounding thing about the elf, though, was not his clothes, skin, hair, or pointed ears. It was his smile. He smiled a smile so white it was almost blinding, so perfect they could not imagine anybody else smiling properly ever again, and so genuinely happy to see Kelshir they could not imagine him mad.
	“Ahh, Chie’alvis!” Kelshir greeted. “I figured you would be very well aware of our arrival.”
	“Yes. I do not need to see you entering the city to know of your presence here, after all. I have seen you coming for three days.”
	Prince Kindrick stared at the elf and wondered at the familiarity with which Kelshir was able to greet him.
	Kelshir dismounted from his horse, feeling ever so clumsy as he did so, thanks to the presence of the elf, and embraced him as he would an old friend.
	“Chie’alvis, has it really been ten years since I last saw you?”
	“Almost to the day, my friend. But it is indeed very good to see you again. I take it the journey went well for you? No troubles in Rallra, I trust. That town has gotten a little rundown over the years, I fear. Too many debates on just who is responsible for making sure it is kept up properly. If I could, I would have moved in years ago to get it back in shape, you know.”
	“Yes, I know. But unfortunately, that is just not the way things go with the politics of humans, as I am sure you are plenty aware.”
	“Indeed,” Chie-alvis agreed. “Now, which of you is Prince Kindrick?”
	“I-I… I am.” Prince Kindrick stepped forward. His royal purple cloak felt awkward and heavy on his shoulders in comparison to the simple yet elegant robes of the Elven Councilor.
	“Ahh… At last, we meet. I have waited many, many years to meet you. Before you were born, even,” Chie’alvis said, as if knowing he would meet Prince Kindrick before Prince Kindrick even came into existence was the most normal thing ever.
	“R-right…” Prince Kindrick stuttered. He wasn’t really sure what to make of what the elf had just said.
	“I suppose I should explain. You see, I have been alive for many, many years. More than you can even imagine. Unlike dwarfs, elves are immortal. Despite our immortality, we can be killed. The murder of my father, Ray’aiden, is the reason I am now High Councilor of the Elves. However, I have known I would meet you since I became High Councilor, even since before your father was born, for I saw it at the time of the Great War 100 years ago.”
	All Prince Kindrick could do was nod. This was beyond anything he could have even imagined, and he was no longer sure what to make of it. The elves were magical, immortal, and more beautiful than any other being he had ever seen. Although he had always heard these things in the legends and stories from his childhood, it was only now that he could finally truly believe them.