We disappeared into the thick vegetation, while the noise of the waterfall gradually disappeared as we got farther from it, following the man in a mantle in front of us. Accompanying me are three members of the council, whose faces weren't seen yet by him.
Still, he has his ears well covered, with a bandana which he covered his mouth with that obscured the bottom half of his face.
One of the generals Alwin, the fiercest close combat fighter if something happens, the elf-priest Ellarian to analyze his magic, and the vice-leader high-elf Revalor Larneiros, as lady Allannia's representative. There were also other fighters hidden in the trees on the other side of the waterfall with bow and arrows, to accompany us back or to be our reinforcements if we decide to escape. Because... why the hell am I mixed up with these important people!!!
"B-B-Bugs… there are bugs everywhere… how can he even sleep in this kind of place, elf-priest can you cast anti-bugs magic around us?"
The one who complained was the high-elf Revalor, who scratched his body as we went deeper into the forest.
"Don't be an unreasonable vice leader, what if he thinks that we are attacking him? And those itches are from the lead blades, not bugs"
Being an elf noble, the high-elf wasn't good with the forest and fighting, his ability was better used in administrative jobs, unlike most elf who commune with it and fight in it in order to survive.
The man in front of us had light steps and had strange movements, instead of going around trees he would cut it with a small knife, making a path, while we elves don't do anything in order to not leave any tracks but this man just does whatever he wants. Is this really the man who killed divisions? If he does that wouldn't his camp be already discovered?
Finally, we arrived at a small camp, it was a crudely built camp, but it's enough for shelter and storage as if it was built not to last for long. Even in forward camps of the resistance we built our tents spell proof by casting a spell on animal hide tents, it's the most basic magic our magic casters know.
"I… name… Slaine, I… live… here"
Wow, he introduced himself casually in broken elven, looking at him wrapped in several pieces of strange clothing. I was drawn into his eyes and manner of speaking, his eyes looked lonely and devoid of light, I wondered what happened for a man to have that kind of unrelenting yet lonely stare. And his voice is also deep, brought by the cloth that is covering the lower half of his face.
Since he was the one who rescued me, I feel great gratitude to him, without him I would have been taken to the dark-elves camp and would be used until unusable, but I also have my duties and oath as a fighter of the resistance, no matter what I feel, our cause comes first, that is my honor and pride.
I put up a strong front and went towards him.
"I am Lyra, a fighter of the resistance, the people behind me are my colleagues, our leader expresses her thanks for the amulets and for the elves that escaped through you destroying the divisions of dark-elves"
I handed out a hand of friendship, I planned to thank him after the formalities, but he didn't say a word, he just stared at me blankly for a minute.
"Ummm… can you… speak… slowly"
Crap, I thought he could understand us clearly, but I forgot he isn't used to our language, and seeing that black hair I'm sure he isn't an elf as I reported to the council. I covered my mouth out of embarrassment.
"Lyra, switch with me"
The vice-leader tapped my shoulder as he moved his cracked round glasses upward. What the hell is he getting ready and fired up for? Well... if they handle this for me, it would be better.
"I… represent… resistance… I… Revalor"
"I… Andr… Slaine"
"Andr Slaine?"
"Sorry… Slaine… me… me Slaine"
The vice-leader said to him as he made some weird hand gestures. I see! He can understand words but phrases confuse him, I can't believe this blunder.
But still seeing the vice-leader doing this is so surreal, I feel like laughing but surely I'll get fried up with his fire magic when we get back to the headquarters so let's hold it in for now.
"Leader… thanks… amulet… and… help… destroy… dark-elves… flags… people happy"
He nodded and offered his hand, it seems that he also knows the hand of friendship, is it me or is he friendlier than he looks? The vice-leader clasped his hand and shook it.
Then, the the man named Slaine, without saying a word disappeared to his tent and got his staff and a kettle, it's an item that enables us to cook.
"Me… heat… water… for… tea"
"He has tea? Awesome! Even we can't get that easily!"
Whoah, calm down general, the general was a former battalion leader of one of the elven kingdoms, I'm sure he misses his cup of tea and coffee all these years. But those can't be harvested anymore as most of the fields are dark-elves occupied.
In other words, tea leaves and coffee beans and other harvestable drinks are now coming from taken away camps, or by nobles who brought it with them in their escape.
"I… also… have… coffee"
"COFFEE?!!"
The four of us exclaimed coffee is even rarer! It is found on the northern farms in one of the kingdoms that were first to be invaded, how did he even get these supplies! If I can remember he burned down the camps he attacked, did he have time to get these in the middle of the chaos?
"Fire… I… make with… this"
He showed us the strange staff he is carrying, and we were on our guard the general held his sword and the elf-priest ready to cast a spell.
"Wait.. calm down!"
In an impulse I tried to stop them, I guess they are still afraid of him.
But seeing him carrying a kettle with it towards us, and clumsily placed it on the firestones, all of us exhaled and lowered our guard. As if we were idiots for being on our guard. He also didn't notice our reaction as he was busy putting water to the kettle.
I thought that he was reclusive at first, but he's doing the opposite now.
"I'll help you, Slaine"
The vice-leader offered his help with a smile, maybe he feels sorry to him?
As a practitioner of fire magic, he took out a wand and directed it at the firewood, where Slaine put the kettle, after an incantation, a small fire engulfed the firewood, enough for heating.
"Thanks"
Oh, he also knows how to say thank you! How polite!
Slaine brought two small bags one of them contained tea leaves and the other contained coffee beans.
"I give it... after we drink… give it… to countrymen"
Countrymen? Strange, the concept of "country" didn't exist anymore, after all, the elven countries have already been invaded and now turned into dark-elven territory, maybe it's because of his limited vocabulary?
"Really? But these are rare right? Shouldn't you be enjoying this luxurious stuff all by yourself?"
"It's okay… take it… enjoy it… with… others"
The vice-leader opened them and smelled the beans and tea life. As he made a satisfying expression, the elf-priest and the general also took turns to smell them out of curiosity.
"These are indeed a nice gift, thanks! And here's from ours"
Wait! Are you serious? Those are our rations you idiot elf-priest! How could you offer rations for something luxurious as those? This is robbery in broad daylight!
"Thanks… I… enjoy it"
Ah, it looks like a cultural exchange between countries in the uninvaded years. Are you really alright with that Slaine? Those are just rations! Not something to exchange for the stuff you gave us. This is robbery in broad daylight!
As we waited for the water to boil, the vice leader and Slaine exchanged information about each other. According to their surreal exchange of words, Slaine came from a faraway country outside the continent which was invaded by the dark-elves, and someone close to him was cursed by one of them, which is why he is taking divisions down one by one. The vice-leader, in turn, explained to him proudly the small history of the resistance, on how it was formed, the history lesson was a tiring part as it is being told mostly everywhere in the resistance as a recruitment spiel and was common knowledge.
"So, how did you take down divisions all by yourself?"
Aldwin, interrupted, the general had the normal body of an elf, which was slender but his lean muscles can be seen bulging from his body. Seriously, are you doing that on purpose? It's just intimidation! If I can remember you were the first one to support getting in contact with him, why are you acting stiff and strict?!
"No… I have… friends… but… they not show… they against making contact"
"Really!? How many?"
Then he raised two fingers.
I see, so, it's not just us that are being cautious of making contact with each other,
"Three?! It does increase your number, but it's unbelievable really that you have taken all those by the three of you"
In surprise I asked him, almost spilling the tea Alwin passed on to me. The cup was a metalwork cup clearly taken from one of those divisions he attacked.
"Sorry… slowly… please"
Why does he only react that way to me! Well, it's my fault for asking him fast in sentences, but can't he really understand me? He can even understand the vice commander and Aldwin perfectly… ahh, it's making me irritated for some reason.
"Not… really… if you use… proper tactics"
"Tactics? Really? We have been battling them for years, wayyyy longer than you are fighting them now. If we just use tactics we should have been winning at least right? But you sir are scoring way better compared to us… so, what's the secret?"
Secret? Seriously what are you asking Alwin...
"No no secret, you see… my country… have more… history… war… bloodshed… that's why… we have more advanced… thinking… war and battle"
Slaine explained to us how he defeated the divisions, even how slowly he talked under his bandana that covered his mouth, we got a clear picture of what he is trying to tell, about the importance of information, positioning, careful planning, patience, concealment, maneuvers, and shock power. He told us the story of how he took the divisions, he told us about the staff he is holding which is actually a weapon called a "gun" and how only he could use it at the moment. He told us how he is using disposable magic tools that explode when someone steps on it, and how it can be dropped from above the enemy. We were amazed at how these tools worked conveniently in destroying the enemy and the brilliant execution of the stuff he wanted us to remember.
Alwin and the vice-leader were patient and attentive as he explained how he would use smaller high mobile individuals against a larger group.
"Your tactics are a bit… sneaky and irregular… it's as if we are doing the same thing as them, but much crueller and burning the houses and fields… wouldn't that lose the reason for the battle? What can you take if you burn those"
"Elven people can plant… build… again… however… if man… defeated disappears… Being sneaky… is weapon… if you keep fighting… small numbers… honorably… you will get… many honorable deaths… but… if think differently… we get win and live, even not honorably doing it"
Indeed he has a point, up to now the elves have been fighting honorably, as we hate sneak attacks. This is the pride of being the proud but fallen race, which is still weighing us down even when it's already reduced into a resistance group. If we can think and act like him we would have probably won by now, especially when the resistance was still way stronger, the way he describes things is something we can do, yet we would have to throw our pride a way, is such a battle worth it?
"If… you want… destroy… dark-elves… abandon… pride… pride and win... different. You should only think and know how to win... pride... throw it away"
"Why are you giving all this information for free, and also this precious tea and coffee that we are drinking as well"
The vice leader asked as he indulged in the aroma of the coffee he is drinking.
"Because… the enemy of my enemy is my friend if you win… I win… the curse… lifted"
With the words he said, we finally got an idea of who he is and what he is, he is just someone who is putting his life on the line for someone important to him, his eyes might not have that glow, but I'm sure it sparkled for the one he truly cares for and he saving right now.
But in order to do that he picked the most difficult thing to do, to defeat an entire race.
The source of this curse is clearly from someone within the higher-ups of those vile dark-elves.
He's just like those heroes in the books I've read before, and the reason why I chose to wield the wand and to serve as a magic knight. Because I was exactly inspired by those hero stories.
He might look gloomy, compared to those books that I have read, he doesn't even have a proper armor, bu we might have encountered the hero we are looking for.