"Absolutely not."
Felix stood in the entrance hall of his palace, arms crossed, staring at the five territorial rulers who had just appeared in his sanctuary without warning.
Again.
"We're not here to interfere," Solaris said quickly, hands raised in a placating gesture. "We just want to... observe."
"Observe," Felix repeated flatly, his mismatched eyes narrowing. "You want to follow me around like a pack of overgrown ducklings?"
"That's a terrible analogy," Frost said.
"You're right. Ducklings are cute. You five are just nosy."
Gale grinned. "We prefer 'interested in your daily life.'"
"That's literally the definition of nosy," Felix shot back. He turned to walk away, his pearl-white hair swishing with the movement. "Go home. I have things to do."
"Exactly!" Raven said, falling into step behind him. "We want to see what those things are."
Felix stopped and whirled around so fast his hair created an iridescent arc in the air. "Why?"
"Because we care about you," Solaris said earnestly. "And we want to understand what your life is actually like."
"My life is busy, stressful, and none of your business," Felix replied, but there was less heat in it than before. He sighed, running a hand through his hair in a gesture that screamed frustration. "Fine. FINE. But you stay quiet, you don't interfere, and if anyone asks, you're just... I don't know, visiting dignitaries or something."
"We can do that," Verdant agreed immediately.
"I doubt it," Felix muttered, but he was already moving toward the palace doors. "Come on then. Try to keep up and try not to break anything."
The rulers exchanged triumphant glances and followed.
---
**First Stop: The Morning Council**
Felix led them to a large, open-air pavilion where about twenty people were already gathered. The diversity was striking—ice-blue skin next to shadow-dark complexions, people with glowing eyes beside others with wooden features growing from their skin.
"Morning, everyone," Felix said, his tone shifting to something warmer as he addressed his people. "Sorry I'm late. I had unexpected... guests."
He gestured vaguely at the five rulers, who stood awkwardly to the side.
An elderly man with mixed Forest and Sky features raised an eyebrow. "The territorial rulers?"
"Unfortunately," Felix said, which made Gale snort. "Ignore them. They're just observing. Now, what's on the agenda?"
What followed was a rapid-fire series of reports and decisions that made the rulers' heads spin.
"The southern dragon clan is disputing territory with the northern wolf pack again," a woman reported.
Felix pinched the bridge of his nose. "Again? That's the third time this month. Tell Mordax I will personally come down there and turn him into a decorative garden ornament if he doesn't stop antagonizing the Starwolves."
"Yes, Lord Felix."
"And stop calling me 'Lord,'" Felix added with exasperation. "How many times do I have to say it?"
The woman smiled. "Until it sticks, apparently."
"The new settlement in the eastern caverns needs approval for expansion," another person said.
"How much expansion?" Felix asked.
"About three square miles."
Felix nodded. "Approved. Make sure they install proper drainage this time. Last settlement flooded because someone thought 'underground river' and 'residential area' should be close together."
Several people laughed.
"The school is requesting additional funds for a new wing," someone else chimed in.
"How much?"
"Fifty thousand crystal-marks."
"Approved," Felix said immediately. "Education is always approved. Next?"
The meeting continued for another hour. Felix handled disputes, approved budgets, made decisions about infrastructure, and somehow kept track of what seemed like a hundred different threads of information.
The five rulers watched in fascination.
This wasn't the sarcastic, deflecting Felix they knew. This was a ruler making swift, decisive choices about his realm. He was good at it—terrifyingly good, actually—but they could also see the weight of it.
When the meeting finally ended, Felix slumped slightly in his chair.
"You okay?" Gale asked quietly.
Felix glanced at him, seeming surprised they were still there. "Fine. That was just the morning council. I have six more meetings today."
"Six more?" Solaris sounded horrified.
"Welcome to running a realm," Felix said dryly, standing up. "Though you five have it easier. You just have one territory each. I have an entire diverse population with like fifty different cultural backgrounds and magical systems. It's exhausting."
"Why don't you delegate more?" Frost asked, his calculating mind already working on solutions.
"I do delegate," Felix replied. "This IS delegated. You should see what it was like when I tried to handle everything myself." He started walking, and they followed. "But certain decisions have to come from me, or people fight about it. I'm the neutral party. The final word."
"That sounds exhausting," Verdant observed.
"It is," Felix agreed. "But it's also necessary. These people gave up everything to come here. The least I can do is make sure their home runs smoothly."
---
**Second Stop: Infrastructure Crisis**
They were halfway across one of the main plazas when someone came running up, out of breath.
"Felix! Felix, we have a problem!"
Felix's expression immediately shifted to alert. "What kind of problem?"
"The western water supply. Something's wrong with the purification crystals. The water's turning cloudy."
"Cloudy how? Sediment cloudy or magical contamination cloudy?"
"We're not sure. The engineers are looking at it, but—"
Felix was already moving, his long hair streaming behind him as he broke into a run. "Show me."
The rulers hurried after him, suddenly seeing a different side of Felix. Not the elegant, sarcastic being from their council chambers, but someone genuinely worried about his people.
They arrived at a massive underground reservoir where several people were clustered around a control panel covered in glowing runes.
"Report," Felix demanded, sliding into what was clearly a crisis management mode.
An engineer with mixed Ice and Light features gestured to the water. "The purification array started fluctuating about an hour ago. We've got maybe six hours before the water becomes unsafe to drink for the western district. That's about fifty thousand people."
"Show me the array," Felix said.
What followed was intensely technical. Felix dove into discussions about magical frequencies, crystal alignments, and energy flow patterns that went completely over the rulers' heads. But what struck them was how comfortable Felix was with all of it—he didn't just understand the theory, he understood the practical application.
"The problem is here," Felix said finally, pointing to a section of the array. "This crystal is about five hundred years old. It's finally degrading."
"Can we replace it?" the engineer asked.
"Not without shutting down the entire system, which would leave the western district without water for three days while we recalibrate," Felix replied. He studied the array for a moment, then sighed. "I'll have to reinforce it manually."
"That's dangerous," another engineer protested. "The energy levels—"
"I know," Felix interrupted. "But it's faster than a full replacement, and we don't have three days. Everyone step back."
The rulers watched as Felix approached the array. He placed his hands on the degrading crystal, and suddenly power—pure, overwhelming power—flooded through the system. The crystal began to glow, brighter and brighter, as Felix essentially rewrote its molecular structure through pure will.
It took ten minutes. When Felix finally stepped back, he was breathing slightly harder, and there was a faint sheen of sweat on his pale skin.
"That should hold for another century," he said. "But mark it for full replacement in fifty years. Don't wait until it's critical."
"Yes, Lord Felix," the engineer said, relief evident.
"And STOP calling me Lord," Felix muttered, but there was no real heat in it.
As they walked away from the reservoir, Felix stumbled slightly. Solaris caught his elbow.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine," Felix said, though he leaned on Solaris for just a moment before pulling away. "Just used more power than I expected. That crystal was worse than I thought."
"You should rest," Verdant advised.
Felix laughed, but it sounded tired. "Rest. Right. I have four more meetings, a dispute to settle between the merchant guild and the farmers cooperative, and I promised to check on the new hatchlings in the dragon nursery." He looked at their concerned expressions and his tone softened slightly. "I'm fine. Really. This is just a normal day."
"This is your normal day?" Gale asked, horrified.
"This is a quiet day," Felix corrected. "Last week I had to stop a small civil war between two families who've been feuding for three generations."
The rulers exchanged looks that clearly said they were starting to understand why Felix was stressed.
---
**Third Stop: The Dragon Nursery**
Despite the crisis and the meetings, Felix made good on his promise to visit the dragon nursery. The moment they entered the massive cavern that served as a hatching ground, Felix's entire demeanor changed.
"Oh, look at you!" he cooed at a tiny dragon—tiny being relative, it was still the size of a large dog—with scales that shifted between gold and silver. "Aren't you beautiful? Yes, you are!"
The five rulers froze, staring.
Felix was... cooing. Making baby-talk noises. At a dragon.
The tiny dragon chirped—actually chirped—and nuzzled against Felix's chest. He scooped it up like it weighed nothing, cradling it in his arms while it made contented rumbling sounds.
"This is Shimmer," Felix said, his voice still soft. "She hatched three days ago. She's a Celestial Dragon—thought to be extinct."
"You're... really good with them," Solaris observed, trying not to smile at how different Felix looked right now.
"Dragons are easier than people," Felix replied, gently scratching under Shimmer's chin. "They don't have complicated politics or centuries-old grudges. They just want food, warmth, and attention."
Another dragon—this one slightly larger with prismatic scales—waddled over and made a demanding noise.
Felix's expression shifted to mock sternness. "Prism, we talked about this. You can't be jealous every time I hold Shimmer. You're a big dragon now. Two weeks old."
Prism made a sad, crooning sound.
Felix's stern expression crumbled immediately. "Oh, don't do that. Don't give me the sad eyes. That's not fair."
He crouched down, still holding Shimmer in one arm, and used his free hand to pet Prism. "There. See? I can love both of you."
More people gathered—dozens, then hundreds. Not demanding anything, not seeking favors or power. Just people who wanted to see their leader, their protector, their creator.
And Felix greeted them all. Knew their names. Asked about their families. Listened to their stories.
The five rulers watched from a distance, and slowly, they began to understand.
This was why Felix left. This was his "away."
These were his people. His creation. His world.
And compared to this—compared to the warmth and genuine connection he had here—their Council Chamber must seem cold and empty.