Trellis

"I would pay any price to fix the mistakes of my ancestors."

Prince Trellis is the son of the Elf King and younger brother of Luger, as well as a Stonekeeper and successor to the throne of Gulfen. Deuteragonist of the series, he shifted from a former villain to one of the primary characters the story focuses on.

Believing his father is long dead and is under control by the Voice, his goal is to destroy the stone and prevent any further harm to his nation, Gulfen, and the rest of Alledia. Trellis' skills as a stonekeeper lie in his ability to defend.

Having very few memories of his childhood, many crucial secrets are revealed when he recovered some of them in Book 7.

History

Early Life

As a young elf, he used to live with his mother in the middle of an icy tundra. They resided in a cramped, one-room house with just a bed, implying they lived incredibly frugally. One memory details they were both starving and freezing while huddled in bed. Unfortunately, his mother passed away in her sleep, leaving Trellis abandoned.

During his childhood, Trellis lived with his brother Luger and his uncle Virgil in a small village. His father, Virgil's brother, became King of the Elves when Trellis was young. Trellis spent time in a library in the middle of the lake where the elves stored books on every subject, from folk tales of the Erlking to the history of all Alledia. At some point in his life, the rest of the family moved into Valcor, and Trellis' training to become King started, although this causes him much distress and troubles with his father, causing him to spend more time in the palace library and with his uncle. Trellis's memories were stolen by Gabilan, following orders from the Elf King to erase important secrets that he uncovered about the Voice and the situation of their government, guided by Virgil.

The Stonekeeper

"Once he's inside your head, you won't have to think anymore. No more worries. No more fears."

—Trellis says to Emily, being controlled by Sybrian.

Upon Emily's arrival into Alledia, her first face to face encounter with him occurs when Trellis appeared to attack the siblings only for them to be saved by a disguised Miskit, stunning the elf long enough for them to escape in a boat momentarily out of Trellis's reach.

Then after surviving the crash landing of the Albatross and running after the arachnopod carrying her mother, Emily discovers Trellis already destroying the creature, preventing it from reaching the Elf King (an interference which would be seen as treason). As Karen is released from the arachnopod, Trellis lifts her up, unconscious, enraging Emily, who demanded him to let her mother go. Shifting his attention to her instead, he uses his stone to strangle her with its energy and drag her near him to have a negotiation, face to face. Believing Trellis is after the amulet as Miskit told her earlier, she immediately bargains that he takes it, in exchange of leaving them alone. However, he disputes this as his true target was actually Emily, since without her, the amulet is useless. Tightening the energy around her throat for emphasis and warning, he reveals that she is the one who will defeat his father, the Elf King. Emily, becoming more desperate, promises that she'll leave the King alone (once again, assuming that was what Trellis wanted). He laughs this off, as his real intention was the exact opposite. Intending to work together with Emily to defeat the Elf King and liberate Alledia from his strict controlling rule, he tells her that she will finish what her great grandfather started. When she still insists that he leave them alone, a displeased Trellis then attempts to have her subdued by a dark scout named Sybrian, assuring her it would help her make a decision easier since she wouldn't have to think, worry, nor fear again; which, as no person was ever freed from a dark scout's control, might as well have equated to death. However, Emily completely obliterates the creature, unknowingly freeing Trellis from its control in the process. As Emily prepares to attack, Trellis begs her to stop, telling her she is making a mistake (which she would've been, because he was an innocent person dragged into this mess). Realizing what she was about to do, she suppresses the amulet's power, maintaining her humanity by deciding to let Trellis go, which she does under the condition he never comes near her family again (to which he consents).

Failed — The Elf King's initial "greeting" to Trellis upon his return to Valcor.

The Stonekeeper's Curse

Following his failure to capture Emily and his destruction of the archanpod, Trellis is reluctantly delivered back to the Elf King where his act of interception is seen as treason. Due to his failure, as well as to prevent any farther disobedience, the Elf King sends Luger to aid him in the mission. Trellis, clearly upset over this decision, voices out against this, questioning the King's trust in him. Ultimately however, Trellis can not change his father's mind and has no other choice then to comply and leave the throne room.

On one of the following nights, Trellis begins to recall memories of his father and his past which until that time has remained strangely absent due to being under Sybrian's control suppressed his suspicions and memories. Spurred by this, Trellis sneaks up into his father's chambers at night to catch a glimpse of his face behind the mask, hoping it would bring back some more of his lost memories. In doing so, however, a shocked Trellis finds his father's features to be gaunt and grey, and his eyes glazed over due to the fact that instead of a living being, the Elf King has actually been a dead corpse that his stone had possessed to seem animated.

Eventually, Trellis and Luger arrive in Kanalis, knowing that Emily and her companions would be stopping there in order to find a cure for her mother. After bragging to Trellis about being the Elf King's more trusted advisor, Luger persists in sending out destructive orders, such as destroying a hospital while inhabited by patients, which Trellis questioned the necessity of but otherwise could ultimately do nothing to stop it.

What — Trellis retaliates against Luger at Demon's Head Mountain.

Later, while tracking Emily, Miskit, and Leon through a forest path to Demon's Head Mountain, Luger senses hesitance in Trellis and quickly orders the posse to halt. He throws a confused Trellis to the ground and violently assaults him with a staff to prevent Trellis from pursuing them before instructing the covey to continue on. However, Trellis later recuperates and intercepts Luger just in time to keep him from killing Emily. The former demands to know what he is doing, to which the prince replies "[something he] knows is right" and attacks him again. Scoffing, Luger asks him what made him think he could defeat him. Trellis reason that the King taught them both the same things about stonepower, but the former has a trick up his sleeve. Using his stone, Luger allows himself to lose control and transforms into a colossal beast. He knocks Trellis away from battle, but the interference bought Leon enough time to recover and help Emily, saving their lives (although they are both unaware of it). Trellis is then shown at the last two pages of the book, observing the retreating Charnon House before initiating pursuit.

The Cloud Searchers

"The King is nothing more than a walking corpse and whoever lived inside it killed my father. I want to destroy it before it causes more harm to the nation of elves."

—Trellis says to Emily, as he starts to trust her.

Following Luger's battle and defeat by the Charnon House, Trellis then locates him taking refuge in a cave, repeatedly hitting something with a rock. Luger, now mentally broken and physically weakened after his transformation, asks if Trellis was here to finish him off, but the later rejects this, admitting he has no intention to kill him. The former reveals that the object that he was repeatedly hitting over was his (now shattered) stone, lost of all power, and claims that he killed it, pleased. Trellis calmly denies this, telling him that it was the young stonekeeper who did it and notes in awe that she was the only one besides the King he has witnessed kill a stone. At the mention of the King, Luger snaps, realizing in horror that he will now kill them for their failure to eliminate Emily. Darkly, Trellis tells Luger they won't be returning to the King, to which the latter looks terrified as he realises they will be "hunted down like dogs." Trellis accepts this as a fact and activates his communication device. Face to face with a hologram of the King, the latter states that he hopes for Trellis' sake that he killed Emily. Unfortunately, Trellis is forced to admit that he hasn't yet, and opts for more time to finish the mission. The King declines, and tells him that was his last chance and he knew it. Stubborn, the prince insists that they won't return until they've finished the job and that he will kill Emily himself and bring the King her head. The King does not accept this, and orders him to return to Valcor. Trellis defies orders despite knowing the consequences, opting to finish the mission, and lets the device fall as the King threatens him; crushing the device with his foot. Disgusted, Trellis snarls that he's sick of listening to the King as Luger looks even more horrified than before, demanding what he had done, and that he's sealed their fate of being killed. Pragmatic, Trellis states that the King will kill them either way, whether they return or not, but at least they have chance of surviving if they stay on the run. He then informs him that there was a town just east of the cave and that he needs to get Luger some food. The latter worries that the soldiers would find them easily, but Trellis's persists for Luger's sake. Luger then questions on why he is doing this even though he will only be a burden to Trellis's survival. The latter admits that he doesn't know either, other than the fact that he feels like he has to. Luger silences with guilt, but thanks him genuinely.

Intercept — Emily intercepts in Trellis' and Luger's capture.

Trellis is again seen with Luger after the two were discovered in the back-alley of The Drinking Hole in Nautilus by elf soldiers. Given orders to either kill him or bring him back alive, the soldier first asks Trellis what he had done to compel his own father to cast him as a fugitive, as he didn't expect his defiant nature would lead to this. Trellis responds that the King is not his father and that he was, in truth, actually dead. He then assaults the guard with his stone. Another soldier retaliates, electrocuting him with a stunning device and causing him severe pain, as the other one warns him that he shouldn't provoke him to bring him back to the King in pieces. Emily, feeling pity for Trellis as he suffers, decides to interfere despite their previous hostile encounters, much to Miskit's cynicism and Leon's disapproval. Successfully dispatching all the soldiers, Leon decided to bring the two along with them on evading the Elf army and on the search for Cielis. As an E-mek initiates pursuit, the Luna Moth manages to evade destruction unharmed thanks to Trellis's interference, deflecting the missiles fired at the airship (once again, no one knew he helped). However, the deflected missiles destroys a structure in front of the airship instead, the debris being a dangerous obstacle in their path. Emily immediately obliterates the debris, clearing the way and allowing the crew to evade their enemies safely. This is the first time they've worked together, albeit unknowingly.

As Karen worries the situation will escalate into something very perilous, she attempts to convince Emily to abandon her quest and return home. Emily reminds her mother that she can't leave, as she feels like something will stop her (but it seems like she's lying, as the Voice states that she was staying at her own accord to fulfill her goal of getting her father back), to which Luger horrifyingly guesses that the stone has cursed her and now won't let her leave, something that she confirms. Trellis now enters, telling Luger not to speak with the others anymore as they already know too much. Disgusted by Trellis's attitude, Karen calls him out on his ungrateful behaviour despite Emily saving both of their lives, to which Trellis just retorts that they should've just left them alone. Luger, trying to defuse the tense situation, tells Karen to not mind Trellis and that they were both grateful for her daughter's actions. Karen, wrongly assuming that Trellis is Luger's son, berates Trellis that he should be more like his father. Offended, Trellis walks out without saying a word as Luger calls after him. Emily, sensing something odd with this, follows Trellis and calls out to him, asking the prince why would he turn against his own father. Instead of answering her question, he tells her that it was a mistake to involve her into this and that she should go back before it's too late.

The next day, Emily and Leon start the next phase of training, which is the ability to defend, via lifting a bottle into the air with her powers and defending it from Leon's attacks. Struggling at the skill after several unsuccessful tries, Emily tells Leon that she can't do it but the latter persists her into doing so. As Miskit comes around cleaning, Emily is distracted by him, prompting Leon to tell her to ignore Miskit and to work past the distractions. Once again, he throws a bottle and with lightning-fast speed, slashes at it, and unlike the previous attempts, remains intact. Pleased, he praises Emily for succeeding, only for her to reveal that the one who did it was in fact Trellis, who came to inform them that it was lunchtime.

As they eat, Navin compliments Luger on the food, asking where he'd learn to cook like this. Luger admits that he can't really remember, just like most of his life, prompting Enzo to ask what they did that compels the King to cast them both as fugitives. Scowling, Trellis states that it isn't any of his business, with Enzo retorting that anything on his ship is his business, including whatever Trellis did to get on his father's bad side. At the mention of the King, Trellis sneers that he isn't his father and that he isn't who they think he is, once again he storms off without finishing his food. Emily looks at his retreating figure, pondering.

As Enzo catches a glimpse of a wyvern, he sounds the alarm and tells the passengers to get inside fast. The others, not knowing the threat, spends a few wasted seconds confused. Navin goes off to tell his mom, who was taking in the laundry from the clothesline, to get inside. Intending to finish, Karen stays outside long enough that just as she takes the last one, stone energy immediately wraps around her. Emily, witnessing this and knowing there's only one other stonekeeper, instantly attacks Trellis, as she assumed he was trying to harm her mother. Demanding what he was doing, he yells back that he was trying to protect her from the wyvern behind them, something Emily saw was true. The others hurry inside as Enzo attempts to use an old wyvern stunner, but it malfunctions due to its obsoleteness. The captain then decides to get them out of the thunderclouds, as they are a favourite flying spot of wyverns. A wyvern manages to get past and tears apart one engine to sabotage the airship as a large group of them approach. Cogsley notices the damage and notes that they'll be stuck going around in circles if they don't fix it now. Tying himself connected to Miskit so as not to fall off, Cogsley informs Enzo that he is going out to fix the engine, the latter warning him not to as it is dangerous . As Enzo can't defend the robot from wyverns due to his stunner being a dud, Trellis volunteers to back up Cogsley yet is stopped by Emily, who declares that she'll be the one to do it. He retorts that he is better than her in defending. She persists that she won't leave her friends' and family's lives in the hand of a stranger and instead tells him to stave off the wyverns. Fed up, Trellis complies, going to position himself on the ship's bow, and tells her to yell for him if she needs his help.

Emily successfully protects Cogsley as the latter finishes fixing the engine. Now back to full power, Enzo starts to get the crew out of there. However, a wyvern snatches Miskit, and as he is connected to Cogsley, the duo are taken as said wyvern flies away. Emily, shocked, jumps off the ship to try and save them, expecting her stonepower to be able to support her. Unfortunately, it does not, and she is about to fall to her death when energy wraps around her and safely returns her to the airship, as Trellis came to her assistance as promised even though she didn't call.

Talk — Trellis speaks with Emily at Selina's Station.

When the crew makes a pit-stop at Selina's Station to refuel, Trellis approaches Emily and notes she should have let him help her. She firmly insists that she doesn't want him near her family. Trellis got the hint and tells her that she doesn't trust him. Emily retorts that the impression was mutual. He confirms, but persists that the next time he attempts to help her, she should stay out of his way, for her sake. As he starts to leave, she once again asks him the question from before, which is why he needed her help to take down his father. Like before, he insists it's a private matter, but Emily having none of it, bargains that if Trellis wants Emily to trust him, he needs to trust her too and he can start by telling her the answer. A few moments of thought, Trellis approaches Emily and sat at the boulder at her side and begins to tell her. Reminiscing on the day they met on Gondoa mountain, his interception of the arachnopod containing her mother was seen as treason. Wrongly believing that the King was looking for a more suitable successor to replace Trellis, the latter attempted to use Emily against him but failed. However, a few days after he was returned to Valcor, Trellis started to gain more awareness and sense something wrong (as he was unknowingly liberated from a mind-controlling parasite). He realized most of his childhood memories were a blank slate, and his recent ones are murky at best. Oddly enough, one of the few things he remembered clearly was his father's face, thus concluding he may have done something to him. While it was night, he snuck into the King's tower and chamber to catch a glimpse of his face in hopes of gaining more memories. To his horror, his father's appearance was much of a corpse, thus he concluded he is dead all along.

Trellis expresses his belief that the stone killed and took control of his father and desires to eliminate it before it causes more harm to Gulfen. Emily questions how would it even be possible to defeat the King since he is already dead, and therefore can't be killed. Luger then enters, having heard their conversation and told them to destroy the stone, as no record in history that it is able to survive without a keeper, as this one found a way how by one of the darkest type of magic, reanimating its former Stonekeeper. He then advises them to work together, as they cannot succeed alone. Trellis then stands, telling him to get inside before he gets sick from the cold. Unsatisfied, Emily asks him why he chose her. Ultimately, the answer was due to his stone telling that it had to be her.

Once they reached the beacon to Cielis, they completed the puzzle that activated it. They are then attacked by Gabilan, an assassin hired by the Elf King to finish them off, who is holding Emily's mother hostage. As the latter rants of his anger against the Council and declares that the Elf Army will once again ravage Cielis, Trellis tells Emily he can buy her at least ten seconds. Confused, she asks what he meant, he then reveals that he will protect her mother for a brief period of time, which will hopefully be enough to strike Gabilan down. Luger then provides the perfect distraction as he identifies the assassin as the culprit behind his erased memories, the latter then reveals that he was following orders from his father, the Elf King. Stunned at the fact that they're actually related, Gabilan then boasts that he has done a better job than he thought since Luger couldn't remember that fact. Undeterred, Trellis then immediately protects Karen, catching Gabilan off guard as Emily immediately strikes him down as planned. However, since he is wearing Elven armour (which is designed to withstand energy attacks), the damage was less than they desired. Ordering the rest to stay out of danger and to leave the situation to him and Emily, the duo then prepare for a battle against Gabilan.

However, the bounty hunter reveals more tricks up his sleeve, unsheathing a sword and folding shield, which can absorb and release the energy attacks from amulets. When Trellis is blasted out of the Beacon Temple after getting hit by his own deflected energy, he nearly falls to his death, but manages to grab a withered plant. As he struggles to get back into the fight and lift himself from his predicament, an unknown person stands in front of him and Trellis looks up to him in confusion before getting punched in the face.

The Last Council

"The city will fall before the Elf King arrives."

—Trellis to Luger.

Both Trellis and Luger are taken prisoners and is put in a different dropship from the rest of the convoy, which then sets off on a different route. Trellis questions the pilot on this, asking where they will be taken. The pilot coldly threatens him not to ask questions to and wait to face trial for "war crimes," even having a special collar on the prince to keep him from escaping with the power of the stone.

"A little bird told me you are none other than the son of the devil himself."

—The Warden of Yarboro Prison to Trellis.

Luger and Trellis are taken to Yarboro Prison, where they are treated with fear and contempt even by the other prisoners (most of whom are innocent civilians). Trellis tries to find a way to escape, but as the collar around his neck prevents him from using the stone's power, he cannot bend the bars of the cell.

Later, though, the two elves are freed by Leon and Aly, a girl from the flying city, after discovering that the Council is not all what it seems.

Prince of the Elves

""Just promise me you will remember all of this. Remember that you come from a good family. And the shortcomings of my generation should not extend unto yours. Makes us proud, Trellis.""

—Virgil to Trellis, encouraging him to do the right thing.

In the fifth book, Trellis appears with a sword, observing the area. Catching a glimpse of an elven child, he is too distracted to notice Emily sneak up behind him. Although he manages to defend on time, Emily still beats him, expressing her disappointment and berating him to be better than that for the fight against the Elf King (as it was actually training). As Emily releases him, he tells her not to worry about him, as he can take care of himself. She scoffs that she isn't worried about him, but their actions hung in the balance and it could affect anyone, whether adversely or advantageously. Trellis complains that he didn't ask for that responsibility, prompting Leon to tell him that it was given by his ancestors regardless of what he feels and that it was now his duty to continue such work. Angered at the mention of his ancestors, he mockingly calls Leon Foxman (their previous cooperation now down the drain), before scowling that it was their failure that brought him here; the last thing he wants is to continue their terrible ways. Emily then smiles, telling him that she'll help take them down. Leon simply tells them both that there are a lot about their progenitors they don't know, prompting Emily to ask what a progenitor is as they leave the Garden of Keepers to go to the Council Chamber. The young elven boy Trellis saw earlier observes their retreating figure behind a tree, frowning deeply.

Leon, Emily, and Trellis enter the damaged Council room. An aftermath of Max's slaughter of the remaining stonekeepers and the Guardian Council remains evident by the blood and broken structures. Vigo, pleased to see Emily, tells her that he was investigating the previous records of the Guardian Council, noting that many things have happened since he left. As they review a record of Max and Silas, Emily, confused as Silas looks young and Max didn't look like he aged, questions how old the records are. Vigo reveals this record was 50 years old, taken shortly before the war started. As she wonders how was that possible, Trellis informs them that he heard once that stonekeepers can travel back in time, and Max must have somehow discovered how to do it. Vigo refutes this, yet informs them of the Void, a world parallel to their own where stonekeepers can communicate with one another.

Escape from Lucien

"The sky will begin to fall, and a son will rise again. Get to know the son well."

—Father Charles foretelling Trellis's coming to Riva.

Chronos lands the stonkeepers on a structure within Gulfen. As they get off, Emily asks where they are, Vigo answers that they are in Valcor, the Kingdom of the Elves; specifically, the Temple of Kings. Max then has a casual exchange with Vigo, revealing that this is where the new kings are crowned and where the old kings are laid to rest when they die, buried beside the past monarchs. Hearing loud rumbles, a startled Trellis asks what it was as Max realizes it was the Voice, and sure enough, he appears among the many statues of the former kings.

The Voice and Max have a hostile interaction disguised poorly with casual talk and sure enough, the stonekeeper was no match for the being as he got attacked. Emily interferes, and the Voice complies, letting Max go. However, he spoke to him on his motivations of his revenge and ruthless actions, proving his point by summoning Layra and her family, who reject Max for what he had done.

In despair, Max demands the Voice to release his curse on him, with the latter complying. His body then starts to age, rapidly decaying and withering. He asks if this was it, as the Voice explains that he will finally return to his true state, as if he had not interfered on the day he was supposed to die, and suggests that if he has any last words, he must say them now. Emily calls out to Max, ordering him to clear his head as she holds his aged body upright. Now with the appearance of an elderly, he managed to whisper 'Algos' before collapsing to the floor. Hearing it, she kneels down to ask him. Skin now sticking to his skull, he repeats 'Algos Island' fully, telling them it was for Trellis, and that they must find the 'island'. With his skeleton having little life left, Trellis sets aside his grudge and took Max's hands, asking him what is on the island. Yet instead of answering, Max begs Trellis to forgive his people, as they do not 'know'. Confused, his last question to the false prince was to ask what did they (the elves) not know. With Max's last vestiges of life, he reveals that Trellis is the "King." The light in his eyes fades and with one last shudder, he collapses on Trellis's feet, dead.

Unperturbed, the Voice tells them that Max was a good helper yet his loss is their gain, calling them friends. Emily denies this "friendship," telling him they are not his servants. This makes one of the Temple's statues break and collapse, although the three manage to dodge the falling rubble. The Voice then announces that the ship they are on is starting to break apart and collapse, since Max, whose powers were keeping the ship together, is dead. The Voice does what he can to keep the ship from falling, yet he cannot hold it for long. She demands to know why he is helping them, with the latter ominously replying that he liked to take care of his investments. He then orders them to stay alive and they all wake up from the Void.

Vigo tells them they must find the escape pod, yet Trellis instructs them to go on without him as he must stay behind to save the elves and they must stay alive to help their people. Emily questions what makes him not her "people." He simply waves this off, telling her that she knows what he means. Unwilling to leave him behind, she asks him if he has a plan as the room proceeds to have larger cracks. He relays his intention to group the elves in the landing bay and shield them all from the impact, as he had done it before. Enraged, Emily yells at him that the last time he did that was just the three of them, and with a much larger group of people, the amount of energy needed to execute the plan will kill him. Vigo chimes in, agreeing, and states that it will need all three of their stones. He then breaks out the problem; with the elves' trepidation towards them, he questions Trellis how he would get them to listen. With quick-thinking, Trellis tells him they would get some help from a fourth, looking at Max's stoned remains.

The Guardian Council emerges from the room, sparking outrage throughout the crowd as they see Max’s stoned remains. Trellis then lifts Max's petrified, decapitated head; he orders them to take a good look and announces that their 'false prince' was dead all along, just like their King. He then gives them a choice: if they intend to live and help restore order into their kingdom, he pleads them stay and follow him, their prince. Outside, the tail and wing have exploded, causing more panic among the soldiers. One infantryman angrily yells that if they stay, they would surely die before telling everyone to go the escape pods. However, a soldier informs him there is only on aboard the ship. He then selfishly declares that it is his, before running through the crowd to reach it. Another soldier agrees that if they stayed, they will die. Trellis then challenges him, telling him if he believes that, he should go. The soldiers decide to remain, but ask how they will survive. Trellis turns to Emily, asking her whether she is ready. They proceed to jump off from the balcony, Trellis sending his energy throughout the floor before combining it with Emily and Vigo's.

Down below, Riva, the Resistance and the citizens of Lucien witness the ship's destruction and a bright sphere shooting out of it and landing with an immense impact several kilometers from their position. Remembering Father Charles's prophecy, Riva instructs the rest to keep moving and assures them that she will catch up soon. Dr. Weston tries to protest, reasoning that she mustn't go alone. Yet she still ran towards the impact, recalling the lines and wondering if this is what the Elder tree meant. She arrives just in time to see the last vestiges of the barrier fade, revealing stunned soldiers with the Guardian Council unharmed at the center. Intrigued, she presses on forward. Asking one coughing soldier what had happened, a guard dazedly answered her that he saved them, prompting Riva to ask who. The coughing soldier answered it was the Prince, she immediately whips her head towards him, who is holding an elderly soldier upright. She then finally realizes the true meaning of the prophecy, and that it wasn't Navin but Trellis who would be the son to "rise again."

Taking notice of her, he asks her for assistance to treat the injured as she looks like a medic. An embarrassed Riva hurriedly explains that she isn't a medic but rather a mayor. He tells her that there are a lot of injured on the ground and that they could use some help down there. Understanding the gravity of the situation, she then tells him that she will get people there immediately, addressing him respectfully as 'highness'. Trellis expresses a bit of surprise at the title. Riva tells him he is the prince ("You are the prince. Are you not?"), a bit unsure and puzzled. Giving her a rare, small smile, he politely requests Riva to just call him Trellis.

The next day, the Guardian Council along with Luger, Cogsley, and Dagno accompany Trellis to the Luna Moth, intending to continue the mission without any of their overseers. Riva, Balan, and Dr. Weston observe the departing group, with Balan questioning Riva about what she and the elf (Trellis) talked about. The mayor admits it wasn't much, but she has a feeling she hasn't seen the last of him, implying they would meet again.

Firelight

"It was my fault. I failed Emily. She saved me when I was in trouble, and I couldn't even do the same for her."

—Trellis, expressing his guilt to Vigo.

Trellis reappears in Firelight reading a book on finding memories, as he guessed that what Max intended for them to find on Algos Island. When Enzo declares that he'll own half of whatever is on the island, the former informs him that they aren't searching for treasure but rather, memories. As the dead stonekeeper knew Trellis's memories was stolen when he was younger, and believing those memories contain information that could bring down the Elf King, they decided that finding Algos Island is their best chance.

As the Luna Moth discovers an abandoned supply station, the Guardian Council decides to investigate it, finding skeletal corpses and destroyed stores. Vigo states his confusion, wondering why the resources weren't looted. A bit disgusted at Vigo's assumption that Elves were the ones who've ransacked the station, Trellis disputes that elves would've taken prisoners, and as evidenced by the corpses, whoever the culprit may be, they didn't take anyone. Hearing a noise, Emily and Trellis approaches it, only to come across a frightened old man. Terrified, the man tells them that they stonekeepers are the ones who is supposed to protect them, instead of the opposite, and asks them if they were going to kill him too. Unnerved, Emily tells him that she's here to help. To their surprise, the man tells them that they are already too late and disperses into light. Another woman appears, commenting that they look hungry and offers them a bowl of soup free of charge before the same happens to her. The group finds themselves in a sea of visions before Trellis wonders to Vigo why they are seeing memories as that the structure is not made by stonekeepers, so therefore should not contain any magic. Vigo responds that he, in truth, does not know how they are seeing these memories as well, and believes it is likely they are near Algos Island. Emily approaches a wall and tells the two that Algos Island is not an actual island, which is why they couldn't find it. She reveals that the supply station is Algos Island itself.

Upon exiting the station, they find Rico and Enzo holding Gabilan prisoner. They say they found him snooping around the ship. Emily demands to know how to find the memories he has taken. Gabilan confesses that they are in the Cortex and that the only way to find them is if he takes them there. Since there is only room in the submarine for three people, Emily decides that only she and Trellis would go with Gabilan, leaving Vigo behind since his history with Max makes him vulnerable and the others need him more than they do. As Trellis proceeds to the sub, Vigo instructs him to return as soon as possible, with Cogsley informing him that a storm is underway. Trellis tells Vigo that if they do not return, the crew should reconvene on Cielis and wait for them there. The latter then asks how he would inform them if something goes wrong, to which Trellis confidently replies that he'll find a way. As Gabilan welcomes the elf aboard with the title of prince, he simply snaps to just call him by Trellis. Thus, they proceed to the Cortex, which is hidden underwater.

While Emily rests in the sub, Gabilan comments that dreamspace is a dangerous place for stonekeepers, Trellis protests that it will be worst if they don't sleep. He then insists on letting her rest, as she is going to need it, unknowingly letting Emily slip further to a trap. By the time she wakes up, Gabilan explains his past, his motivations, as well as the happenings on Algos Island. Trellis then realizes that the assassin believes that they will become monsters, to which Gabilan shoots back that history shows that they will both lose and are being manipulated as they speak; the only thing they can do is to stand in the way of those plans. When they arrive at the Cortex, Trellis notes that the ship is a size of a city, to which Gabilan believes it is a seed for the 'city', as everything a new city needs is contained within the dome. Amazed by the advanced technology that allows them to breathe and provide them with dry spaces to walk on, Gabilan then orders them not to touch any of the memory cubes. As they proceed to the Nexus to view it, Emily took notice of Trellis who seemed troubled, he then tells her that he thinks they're being followed. Gabilan then notifies them that once they enter the Nexus, shadows will know where they are and they must be quick into viewing the memories; as stonekeepers can only access them while he can only view, he willingly stays behind to buy them time. Trellis then tells Emily to stay close as they proceed into the memory.

They enter the Nexus and find themselves within the walls of the King's palace in Valcor. Emily recognizes a young elf speaking to the King as a younger Trellis; the current one confirms that her assumption is correct. The younger Trellis argues with his father over his shift in interest to history rather than military tactics. His father forbids him from going to see his uncle Virgil, who encourages the shift. Trellis disobeys his father's orders and continues his studies with Virgil within the palace library. Emily and Trellis are then transported to the library, where he discloses that the library was his sanctuary as a child, remembering that he spent a lot of time in there. Virgil shows his young nephew that an alien planet is dying and the inhabitants are fleeing to Alledia. It is revealed that the inhabitants are the shadows who have infected the officers and the King. Trellis's father emerges and reprimands Trellis for disobeying and tells him he can no longer trust him, not without adjustment. Young Trellis is forced to watch as his uncle is arrested and is told by his uncle to try to remember, no matter what may happen.

The King approaches young Trellis and introduces him to Sybrian, as his new guide to the world. Trellis recoils from the creature and shouts for his father to get it away from him. The king promptly strikes Trellis across the face, his sharp nails cutting the skin and revealing how Trellis got his scar. His father tells him that he will obey him whether or not he is willing and to be grateful that he is worth more alive than dead. Trellis, visibly upset, tells Emily he has seen enough. Emily tries to console him by saying they don't need to worry about the King and that the real enemy is the Voice, trying to use them to prepare for the ships' arrival. Skeptical, he tells her that they don't know if the Voice isn't succeeding, and that everything they've done seem to work towards to his advantage, lamenting their lack of control. Reading between the lines, Emily reveals that the Voice commanded her to destroy him and yet managed to push back to spare Trellis. She then denounces his fears by firmly telling he wasn't here because of the Voice; he was here because of Emily. Yet doubts remain, as he tells her that he hopes she made the right decision in sparing him. They then enter to an orange portal to exit.

They leave through the orange portal and find themselves within a maze-like structure in what seems like Valcor. Trellis says it looks like Valcor, but that the reliefs on the walls are written in a language he does not recognize. They come across statues of the King and Max raised up on pedestals; he points out that they look like chess pieces. Emily calls Trellis's attention to three portals: one orange, one blue and one purple. Trellis says that they should take the orange portal as they came in through an similar one. Emily says they should take the blue one as she, unbeknownst to Trellis, sees the figure of her father within it. Trellis asks what makes her so sure that portal is the exit but she shrugs it off and answers that she just knows. She attempts to run into the portal while Trellis tries to stop her, insisting that it is not the exit. She warns him not to tell her what to do with sudden hostility. This does not deter Trellis, who insists that it is not the exit and they don't know where it goes. Emily then declares that she is going into it, whether he is coming or not, and runs into the portal, Trellis calls after her and begrudgingly follows in panic.

They wake up in a closet in an unknown person's home. Trellis asks if she knows who the person is but Emily denies ever seeing him before. As the person leaves, Emily wonders out loud if they should follow him; they are then instantly transported into the man's car. Emily realizes that she and Trellis are on Earth, though he denies it being his memory. He concludes that the memory belongs to the mystery man. They are taken to a gas station store and follow the man inside. While Emily reads a magazine and ponders how long she's been away from earth, Trellis is addressed by the cashier who announces "check," as if in a chess game. Trellis becomes confused and unnerved as the cashier explains that it's his move now. Before Trellis can respond, Emily calls Trellis away as the unknown man leaves. They follow him outside as the man drives away, Emily futilely trying to call the man back. He wonders what happens if they are not with the person who owns the memory. Emily concludes that they will find out soon enough and instantly the void space begins to close up on them. Trellis shouts for them to run but both are quickly overtaken by the void space. They awaken within the car, Emily realizing they can't leave the man's side, with Trellis reasoning as it is his memory, they must go where he goes; she then ponders why him.

Trellis quickly notices that the man is weeping and warns Emily that something is wrong. Emily quickly tells him to put his seat belt on but Trellis, confused, asks her what that is. Emily is a bit surprised but tells him to pull it over his chest, to which he hesitantly complies. As they exit a tunnel Emily recognizes the cliff side road and the town below. She alerts Trellis that she knows where they are, that they are near her home before she moved into Silas's house. It dawns on Trellis that the memory is a trap and that the Voice is setting something up. Emily assures him that she can handle whatever comes their way.

The car turns sharply around a corner, dangerously fast to be going on a mountain road. Trellis, stunned and confounded, demands what he is doing and Emily realizes that they are about to crash. The pair braces themselves as the man rams his car into the guard rails that keeps them from going over the cliff. The car skids to the side upon impact, sending glass everywhere. Emily asks if Trellis he is OK to which he slowly replies that they need to find a way out of the nightmare they're in. The man cries about how he can't do anything right, sobbing against the steering wheel. It dawns on Emily that the man was attempting suicide and tried to drive over the edge on purpose.

The man stumbles out of the car, staggering out onto the road. Emily exclaims that he's going to cause another wreck, Trellis looking on, stunned, as the man attempts to kill himself by getting run over. Whispering that no one will stop for him, that no one cares, he braces himself for the car coming towards him. As the car swerves to avoid the man, Emily catches a glimpse of her ten year old self in the backseat. Her family's car breaks though the damaged guard rail and rolls down, slamming into a tree overhanging the cliff. She realizes that the man who they've been following is responsible for her family's accident that killed her father.

As the man watches the destruction that he caused, Emily runs and screams for him to help her family. The man cannot hear her as he is merely a memory and instead he runs in the opposite direction. Emily screams after him, saying that it is all his fault and running down the cliff to save her father. Trellis runs out after her, calling her name but to no avail as she continues running. Using her amulet, Emily uses a tendril of energy to catch the slipping car and save her father's life. Upon seeing his daughter, David gets out of the totaled car and embraces Emily, who starts to cry, thanking her for saving his life. David asks if she had seen who caused the accident and Emily points out where he went. Before the two can set off, Trellis catches up with them and horrified, demands to know what she's doing. Eyes glowing, Emily warns him to leave her alone. Trellis desperately tries to reason with her, telling her that she is getting too involved and they need to get out of the memory. Frustrated and angry, Emily blasts a wave of fire instead of the usual energy at Trellis, who is unable to raise a barrier in time yet only manages to burn his sleeve. She warns him one last time to leave her alone and departs with her father. The younger Emily, who was watching the whole time, requests Trellis to go wake herself up. Trellis promises he will do his best and pursues her as the younger Emily and Karen dissipate.

As Emily and David chase him down, the man begins to cry and beg them to leave him alone as he had done everything 'he' asked. Emily is puzzled and the man clarifies that he wasn't talking to her and points to her father. David dismisses the man's claims and assures his daughter that the man is insane. He then pushes her to make things right and destroy the man, saying everything is his fault and she must make him pay.

Trellis arrives and calls out for Emily to stop, begging her not do it. She finally snaps out of her rage and tries to regain control. She realizes it is too late for her and with her last shred of control orders Trellis, as he looks upon her in horror, to find her family and bring her back. She screams in agony and her entire body engulfs in fire. She stares at her hands in terror as her form shifts into a firebird. Trellis shouts out her name as a last attempt to get her back. He turns on David, demanding to know who he is as because he knows that this man is not Emily's father. "David" merely responds that Trellis should really be asking what he is and shifts his form to reveal that he is in reality, the Voice.

The Voice answers that both of them are servants to the shadows, Trellis denying and saying he serves the elves as their king. The Voice asks him how he can serve the elves if he is dead. The Voice turns to the Firebird and pets her head, narrating about how the elves found their future king at the bottom of the ocean and were surprised to find him burnt to a crisp. Turning back with the Firebird glaring behind him, the Voice asks Trellis how was it possible. Trellis breaks into a sprint, with the Firebird on his heels. Knowing he cannot outrun her, Trellis tries to reason with Emily and asks her how will he reverse the curse and how he needs her to tell him. The Firebird merely shoots a wave of fire at him, Trellis blocking her attack with a barrier. Out of the corner of his eye, Trellis spots the exit and escapes.

Upon emerging, Trellis is shocked to find the entire room filled with water, sinking for a moment before coming back up and shouting for Gabilan to close the portal. He is too late as the Firebird emerges behind him. Trellis shouts for Gabilan not to shoot her, that the Firebird is Emily. Gabilan responds ominously that that creature is not Emily anymore and fires his weapon at her, but it holds no effect. The pair dive underwater to avoid a blast of fire. As they swim away, Trellis constantly looks back at her. The Firebird bursts out of the Nexus and blast through the dome, allowing more water in as she escapes.

Trellis notes that the water is moving too fast and the sub will be flooded, offering to use his stone to make an air bubble and help them escape. Gabilan declines and says he will not allow stone magic to save his life. Trellis is appalled and demands that he needs to choose to live and that he will need his help. Gabilan hands him a memory cube and tells him it might come in handy. Gabilan insists that he must stay behind and make sure the other memories are not taken, as he can find a way out of the Cortex. Trellis takes a deep breath and forms a bubble shield. As the bubble shield floats out of the dome, Trellis observes the Cortex below for signs of Gabilan being able to escape. However to his horror, the dome suddenly explodes and the shock wave pushes him back further. As Trellis watches the destruction of the dome, he hopes that Gabilan made it out.

Trellis soon reaches the surface and flags down the Luna Moth. When he is rescued, Vigo asks Trellis if the Firebird was Emily. Trellis confirms this and Vigo asks if Gabilan sabotaged them. Trellis denies that Gabilan had any part in it and actually saved his life. Trellis tells him that it was his fault, filled with guilt, that Emily had saved him and he couldn't do the same. The book closes out as Trellis inspects the cube, deep in thought.

Supernova

The book starts with Trellis traversing in the middle of a snowy range, when he notices a cloaked elderly woman holding a lamp in the distance. As they stand in front of the other, the woman inquires if he would mind if she joins him. Flustered, Trellis admits he doesn't know where he is going, prompting the woman to gently tell him that it was fine, and that sometimes it took getting a little lost to recognize a familiar path; thus, they start to walk together. Something catches Trellis's eye, and he suddenly asks the woman to stop. It it revealed to be a small house, seemingly abandoned, but Trellis tells her that he knows the house. The woman thinks it strange as she has not encountered the house when she had walked that way, and warns Trellis that they must proceed with caution.

Trellis then enters the house, instantly noticing an Elven mother and child huddled together in bed. Presuming they are dead, he notes with a remorseful tone that they were both starving and freezing, believing it is either of it that killed them. However, the boy is revealed to be alive and has just woken up, shocking Trellis who quickly asks if the boy is alright while he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Within a moment, he then recognizes the child as himself, to his great disturbance. With the realization dawning on him, he then realizes that the woman on the bed is actually his mother, while his younger self tries to call to her to wake up, she does not. The woman gently places a hand on his shoulder to comfort, a sympathetic look on her face as he processes his devastation.

Trellis tells her that he finally knows why the King wanted Gabilan to erase the memory, prompting the woman to ask if he is angry as she wraps a red scarf around his younger self's throat. He quietly tells her that he isn't, but admits he doesn't have any prior memories of his mother and he wished that he did. The woman then kindly wishes him that she is sure that he will find some to cherish. Then, all three of them se out to the snowy ranges. The woman advises Trellis that he has stayed in the lost memory long enough, and suggests that he return to his friends. Trellis confesses to her that he has a feeling that she isn't a part of the memory, but a traveler like he. He then asks if he would see her again, to which she replies that it would be sooner than he thinks. With a small, knowing smile, she then tells him to "hold on tight" as he disperses out of the memory involuntarily.

Trellis sits up in a tent, gasping for air. He apprehensively stare at the memory cube, unnerved by the events but eventually calms down. Observing one last time, he then closes his eyes in concentration to disperse and store the cube in a different dimension, he then allows himself to let his face crumble, showing he is greatly upset by what had happened. The tent then opens as a pig soldier informs him that the Elf Army has now made landfall.

Trellis and some soldiers go to fight the elves, who are being led by Logi. However, Logi and the elves surprisingly surrender. Later, Trellis is invited to a party in his honour by the mayor of Ippo. Trellis declines, but Riva suggests he should go due to all Ippo has done for them. Vigo tells Trellis he’ll keep an eye on Logi.

Trellis goes to the party, running into some of his fans there, a kid named Jos and his father, Matt. They appear to have the animal-curse. Later,Trellis hears an explosion and runs towards it. It turns out the explosion is Logi releasing the firebird-Emily. Vigo and Trellis try to stop and save Emily, and the fight moves Into the house of Jos and Matt. Matt becomes trapped under some boards, and then Jos tries to save him. In the end, the firebird-Emily lifts the boards off Matt because she is reminded of what happened to David Hayes, her father, all those years ago.

Emily flies away. Trellis suggests to Vigo that they should go into the Void to find and save Emily However, Vigo says they should go to Cielis.

At Cielis, Trellis meets up with Emily, who’s escaped the void and defeated the elf king. Emily flies up to Typhon, leaving Trellis in Cielis.

Scan 20160223 (4) — How Trellis got his scar.

Characteristics

Appearance

As all elves do, Trellis has grey (blue at some books, although this can be attributed to the lighting) skin, slitted pupils with sclera that glows, sharp fingernails and long, pointed ears. On his first appearance, he dons a black armour specially made for elven stonekeepers, being able to withstand powerful energy attacks (although its limit is three combined amulet explosions). In Book 1, he has longer and lankier hair, sharp and uneven teeth, deep lines and bags under his eyes, looking practically sickly due to his stay at Valcor and years of mind control. By Book 6, however, he now has a healthier complexion, losing most of the lines, his teeth now dulled and even with only the fangs keeping their point, and shorter and fuller hair. He abandons his armor due to it being damaged and wears a similar outfit of most Alledians: sky blue sweater with cerulean tunic, and brown pants and boots. In Book 8, his attire changes again, now wearing a white, sleeveless robe, deep dark grey-blue turtleneck, pants and boots, and both of his arms wrapped in bandages.

The most defining characteristics of Trellis is his scar on his left eye, his amulet, as well as his omnipresent frown. Although he does show a few expressions, such as looking absolutely lost or smiling a bit, they don't last more than one or few panels.

As a child, he wore a brown vest over a white, long sleeved shirt. His white hair was neatly cut in a bob with straight bangs.

Personality

Trellis is an enigmatic, cowardly, and arrogant young elf. Suffering abuse and great mistreatment by both his father and his own kind, he developed an antagonistic and cynical personality in turn. One of his few redeeming qualities is that unlike Luger's ruthless nature, Trellis has standards he refuses to cross, and despite his morally questionable means, he is genuine, well-meaning and determined in his goal on stopping his father.

Over time, other sides of his personality emerge as he is distanced from his abusive environment, and he develops better characteristics in turn. For his rather harsh looks, Trellis is revealed to be compassionate to his enemies and is quick to forgive, as well as being brave and loyal to those who cares about, and a surprisingly loyal and intelligent nature. He also indulges in light-hearted banter with his brother.

However, despite his stoicism and supposed aloof nature, he also has an underlying perpetuating feeling of insecurity of his lacking as a Stonekeeper and person, and paranoia on accounts of being unaware that he was being manipulated to cause harm all along by the Voice, likely stemming from his abuse and his years being possessed and violated by a Dark Scout.

Powers and Abilities

While Emily is an expert at attacking, Trellis is skilled at defending, and extremely so. His barriers are capable of withstanding incredibly powerful impacts and even extreme pressure with ease (such as being deep underwater). He has easily defended himself with just a minor barrier when a transformed Emily attacked him with a wave of fire, which such form is a stonekeeper's full power. While much less experienced than Luger, Trellis seems to be acceptably skilled in managing his stone. He is shown to have some degree of skill with a sword, and is surprisingly stealthy.

Relationships

Emily Hayes: Trellis and Emily have grown to be close friends despite their initial antagonistic relationship of being on different sides. After getting over their trepidation and distrust, they have come to rely, care, and work with each other, even telling each other about their pasts (which is significant because they're both very private about it). Both are loyal to one another, to the point that Emily is unwilling to abandon Trellis in a situation where he might die and Trellis exhibits much hesitance to hurt Emily. Both care about one another a great deal, treating the other equally and with respect. Emily believes that Trellis helps people better than her with his powers and a competent Stonekeeper, having full faith in him as a friend and ally, deeming him pretty reliable in dire situations, as she assigned the task of bringing her back and finding her family unto him.

Elf King: Trellis hated the King for a long time, a resentment originating from the violence and emotional distance the Elf King showed towards him.

Virgil: Was shown to be Trellis's closest relative, with Virgil being both knowledgeable and kind to the brothers. He served as the only parental figure to Trellis in substitute of his father, guiding him and teaching him many things. Virgil has full faith in Trellis, entrusting him with the most crucial secret about the shadows even when it cost his life.

Luger: Is Trellis's elder brother, and the favorite of the brothers' father. Although initially, both hold animosity towards each other for differing sides of the coin, this is due to the fact they are unaware they are related. After Luger's reformation, they grew closer, even openly calling each other "brother." Trellis cares for Luger and Luger gives him advice as some form of a mentor. They were seen in Book Six playing a game of Othello and exchanging witty comments as some sort of confirmation of their bond.

Navin: As one of the few characters that doesn't have anything against Elves and considered him a friend (Book 4), Trellis is quite fond of Navin and holds his piloting skills at a high regard. Such as protesting that unlike other 'children' in his class, he actually has experience and the only one with expertise, ignoring the fact that Navin is a child himself.

Riva: Not much has been shown of their relationship, but they seem to have a mutual respect for each other.

Featured

Trivia

There are striking similarities between Trellis and Zuko from the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Similarly, both characters have poor relationships with their respective fathers and were eventually banished due to what was seen as rebellious behavior. Also, their redemption arcs, funnily enough, happen in Book 2 and 3 of their series. Additionally, the two characters show great contempt for their nations' barbaric methods of war, and both also have scars on the left-hand side of their face caused by their fathers. Both were or are close to their uncles.
The word Trellis means a kind of structure of latticework.
There are numerous times where Kazu has forgotten Trellis's iconic scar. Book Four has the most panels with the elf prince scar-free.
Before Alledian History, Trellis's initial interest from his education was War tactics.
There were some implications throughout Book 6 till 7 that Trellis may be actually the true 'hero' of the prophecy instead of Emily, although this is yet to be disputed or confirmed.
Trellis does not know what a seat belt is.

"I would pay any price to fix the mistakes of my ancestors."

—Trellis in Prince of the Elves