Glasnant took a step forward, not caring of the Guardians’ glares or the hostile vibe emitting from them. Nevertheless, his companions also moved closer to the blue-haired man, eyes wary as they kept their guard around the ruler.

Iola smiled wider as the tall man came closer. “Thank you for coming here, Glasnant, and I apologize for the rather harsh welcome.”

The Teiman ruler bowed a little, the golden medals and pins on his red royal sash tinkled melodiously from the gesture. “I understand perfectly well, little lady. Mind you, my men have also not been very….trusting...in coming here.”

“Then why did you decide to come anyway?”

Glasnant still have that same intense, piercing look as he gazed down on her. “When you told us you might have a way to save my country from ruin I have no other choice then to come. You know I would do anything I can to do that, little lady.”

Iola frowned at the nickname. “Can you please stop calling me that?”

“Calling you what, little lady?” Glasnant have an innocent expression on but Iola wasn’t fooled by it, not when there was that mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“That! You know very well what my name is, call me that!”

The only answer she got was a deep chuckle and Iola huffed as she rolled her eyes, knowing that the tall man would just continue with the name-calling. Turning her attention towards Glasnant’s companions instead, her eyes lighted up when she spotted the platinum blonde hair.

“Zeev!”

The well-built man quickly rushed forward, arms gripping her shoulder tightly before pulling her into a hug. “Iola! Oh, I’m so glad to see you! I was so worried when you fell off the draistig!”

Iola ignored the Guardians’ angry hiss behind her as she threw her arms around the blonde. “Ah, I’m fine, as you can see yourself.”

She laughed as Zeev rocked her from side to side playfully, before yelping in pain when someone smacked her head slightly.

“Ouch! What was that for, Alik?!”

The Teiman’s First Commander just glared at her, not paying any mind to the Guardians’ shocked gasps and angry growls when they saw what he did.

“That’s for disappearing on us like that! We’ve scoured the entire area for days after you fell!”

Iola grinned, nudging the man mischievously. “You were worried for me, weren’t you? Huh, huh?”

Alik spluttered. “Of course not! I-I…I joined the search party because Zeev asked me to!”

Zeev just snorted and shook his head mischievously, mouthing off a ‘no’ as Iola’s grin grew wider. Ignoring the accusing finger Alik pointed at him, he just turned and instead began to play with the drachensteins who circled around him in curiosity.

Alik glared at the platinum-blonde man, eyes turning to his ruler as a pink tint began to flush his cheeks. “W-well…it’s because Glasnant told me too!” His face blushed some more when the ruler just raised an eyebrow in mocking, the corner of his lips lifted in a sly grin.

Iola just laughed, waving off the man’s stuttering protest as she skipped towards Itzal. The well-built man ruffled her hair with a small smile, his shadows making waves and spirals around them that showed his happiness more than his silence ever could.

“You’ve been well, Itzal?”

The tattooed Teiman just nodded, the small smile still on his face as the shadows around him began to enveloped Iola, poking her sides until she giggled and waved it away.

The last man stood at the side, a grin on his face as Iola turned to him. “You’re alright, Vadim? I know it must be taxing on you to bring all of you here.”

The Teima’s High Priest just grinned as he brushed his orange-red hair away from his face. “It was rather tiring, yes, but not too much. Thanks to you and the spirits, it didn’t take too much of a toll on me.”

Iola would’ve talked some more with the Teimans, when a not so discreet cough turned her around to see Glasnant looking pointedly at the still glaring Guardians and the wary Elders. Swallowing down a sigh she pulled Glasnant’s arm until they were in front of the Guardians, Wufan and Joonmyun at the forefront blocking them from walking any further.

Iola raised her eyebrows. “Come on guys, let us through.”

Wufan glared even more, looking down at the Teiman who, as tall as he was, still fell short a few centimeters below the Guardian. “What are you doing, Iola?!”

Joonmyun stood his ground beside his co-leader. “They are not welcome here.”

Iola rolled her eyes. “Seriously? What is this, some mafia movie gone wrong? Next thing I know you’ll be brandishing machine guns and sprouting off bad Italian accent.”

Ignoring the more than confused expression that came at her words, she just pushed through, glaring at the Guardians. Hesitantly, reluctantly, they parted like the sea, until Iola was in front of the Elders, still dragging Glasnant behind her.

“Elders.” She let go of Glasnant’s wrist, presenting him with a flourish. “This is Glasnant, ruler of Teima. The others are his companions; Alik, the First Commander, Vadim, the High Priest, and these are Zeev and Itzal.”

Glasnant made a graceful bow before standing tall and regal. Behind him his companions were still until he glared at them, nodding in satisfication when they also followed his direction and bowed slightly.

“Elders of Zolora. I have heard a lot of you from my father and councilors.”

Elder Azam looked rather wary and more than a bit suspicious, even as he nodded back to the much taller man. “As we have heard of you ever since you took the throne from your father. Though I might say, this is not how we picture our meeting will be.”

Glasnant nodded. “I understand. To be frank, I never pictured this either; if not for little lady here I don’t think we would meet.”

A loud scoff turned everyone’s attention back to the women still imprisoned in their specially-made cage. The Teiman’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight, not seeing it before as the Guardians and Elders blocked the view.

“Is that…?” Vadim mused in wonder as he took a step forward, muttering under his breath. “A three-bars cage made from the element….clever, quite hard to escape from, I assume.”

Iola bit back a grin seeing Chanyeol puffed his chest in pride, before quickly schooling his face back to a neutral one when Kyungsoo jabbed an elbow at his side.

The Andalebians women looked livid as they glared at the Teimans.

“You….” Carman hissed through clenched teeth, eyes never leaving Glasnant. “You are the ruler of Teima?”

Glasnant took a step forward, waving Itzal away when he tried to stop him. “I am, yes.”

Heulyin trembled in anger as she pointed an accusing finger at the blue-haired man. “Then we curse you too! You, your country, may you all rot to the seventh hells!”

“When we get out of here,” Akalka’s brown hair curled wildly around her face, escaping from the neat bun on top of her head it was previously styled in. “We will kill you too, for all the suffering you gave us!”

Alik stepped forward in front of his ruler, effectively blocking him. “No one will kill my lord, not as long as I still have life in me.” His eyes blazed in anger as the edges