Not long after Zack broadcasted a few of the kakuen came up. It was a band of twelve females that cautiously approached. They were all wearing red loincloths and wraps around their chest. Their skin was tan, and their eyes were orange. A few of the older ones had bracelets on their arms and legs.
They had fur starting from the ankle, and leading up to their mid-thighs. The same fur could also be seen around their wrist leading to their forearms. Protruding from their lower back were long monkey-like tails. The color of the fur varied, but the majority were brown, or red. There were hints of tan fluff where their fur ended and a small on their chest above the breast.
Every one of them was wielding a primitive spear in their hands. The leader was wearing a gold ring on her head like a crown and was sizing Zack up while slowly approaching. While Zack examined the crowd he noticed they were all adults except for one.
"Thank you for saving us back there. I know a way we could all thank you.."
She began walking up to Zack giving him some dirty looks along with the women behind him. It's been a while since they have seen a male this close to the mountain, and taking him right there on the forest floor was a tempting offer.
"..we would have to do that some other time though. It would surely last a few hours, and by then the bad men would arrive correct? My name is Sun, and this is my daughter Yu. Feel free to lead the way." Sun told Zack while gesturing at a young kakuen behind her.
The first thing he noticed was Yu's fur was different from the others. He met tribes of them before but this was the first he had seen. She has bright white fur, and spikey sky blue hair tied up with a white ribbon she found in the woods. Her hair was tied up enough to barely cover the nape of her neck. Yu has sapphire eyes and an innocent smile filled with curiosity.
Yu was closely examining Zack and was wondering why the person in front of her looked so different. First of all, he had no tail and had a smooth chest instead of round. As they walked towards the elven village Yu continued to circle Zack watching from a distance. The other woman just laughed whispering amongst each other as they trailed behind him.
"He's a man that's why he looks different," Sun smirked at her daughter.
Yu heard her mother but was too focused on Zack to respond. They came upon the barrier at the village as Zack set off a flare. All the elves already agreed to go with him for now and waited patiently. He proved his intentions are honest so they had no reason to not believe him. Their chief approached Zack to talk.
He was a large elf with long blonde hair and a goatee. He was wearing leather armor with mithril pauldrons gleaming in the sun. All the elves behind him are wearing similar garbs with the women having leather skirts slightly above their knees. Down the forearms of the chief are strange tattoos that were radiating magic.
The magic he was off-putting was definitely on another level from the rest. Zack could only sense another among them had a similar latent power, and it was a woman standing behind the chief. It was similar to the chief's aura meaning there was a blood connection.
She had long brunette hair tied into a ponytail with bright green eyes and bronzed skin. The woman has long elegant legs, a petite chest, and a delicate frame. In her hand, she wielded a longbow and there are two daggers behind her back. While the chief approached Zack she watched him carefully ready to draw her bow if needed.
"I'm Athlan the current chief of our tribe, and we are in your debt. This is my daughter Kaya, and my son Soralan." Athlan said while two people walked up behind him.
One was the young woman Zack was examining earlier, and the other was a young man. Soralan strongly resembled his father and was dual-wielding short swords. Looking at the other elves around Zack he noticed just how much they lost. They waited in the forest, but no one else showed up. He even extended the wait time, but with no one appearing, they began their journey.
When they reached Zack's home he granted them entrance to freely come, and go through the barrier. Sun went up the mountain along the outside of the wall to scout the area. It was still on the outskirts of the barrier, but right outside the northern wall giving them a sense of security.
Zack offered Sun to sleep inside, but the majority wanted to venture around the area with her. Yu however followed Zack but didn't utter a word as she trailed behind him. She just followed him curious about where they were going.
Yu had seen plenty of mountains, but this estate was new for her. Even the Elves were impressed with their temporary residence and were in awe of the land in front of them. They didn't sense it even in the slightest when approaching, but now inside they could sense large quantities of mana within the area. Seeing the fields being tended by dolls immediately caught their curiosity. Not long after Zack walked through the gate they smelled something pleasant drifting with the wind.
"Looks like we arrived at the perfect time." Zack smiled gesturing the others to follow.
They found the cause of the smell and saw Ren had prepared a feast. Destiny woke up early and started the day by fishing at the ocean to the south. Ren decided to accompany her to get familiar with the new roommate since it was an hour's walk. Ren also wanted to use a portion of the boar remains from yesterday as bait and figured making chum would draw in something big.
It was a good thing Ren decided to join because they caught a heavy haul. Destiny managed to trap five large fish weighing a thousand pounds each. With the strength of the nets, Ren yanked them out with ease clubbing them swiftly. Once they stored them they left a few nets then returned home. Destiny spent the rest of the day on clothing, and Ren collected some of the harvests from storage intending to cook a feast for Zack.
Seeing Zack return with a group of people behind him Destiny was a little shy, and Ren scoped out the warriors. Lilith was the first to step forward to greet him and the others. When the elves saw a demon they were cautious until seeing them embrace like lovers. Ren saw the number of people they brought and was glad to have put extra fish on to cook.
'He truly is welcoming of all.' Athlan thought while admiring his surroundings.
Yu watched them closely as the two embraced, and kissed. Lilith took quick notice of these actions with a smile. She slowly walked up to Yu examing her. With Lilith distracted the others took their turns welcoming him back home before he gathered everyone together.
"Feel free to eat, and treat this place like your home. There is a bathhouse on the east wing and restrooms throughout the property. These are my companions, and they can help you with finding anything else you may need." Zack announced.
Zack took one step towards the food before collapsing on the ground. His mind was finally at ease with everyone protected, and the toll of exerting so much strength kicked in. Through the course of the day, he healed many wounds on himself and countless others pushing his body to the limit.
Everyone was swarming to Zack's body trying to figure out what was wrong. The elder of the elves attempted to heal him but found no injuries. It was then Athlan informed his companions of the battle that took place. They knew an issue had to occur for so many to arrive at once but didn't expect him to face such a dangerous adversary.
"He should've never tried to take a dragon alone. You need to learn to rely on others." Lilith said while supporting Zack's head in her lap.
"What's wrong with him?" Ren asked
"He healed numerous people and fought a severe battle. I've never seen someone as strong as him, but he is still half-human. This will likely happen as his power grows, and his body attempts to adjust. A good night's rest is all he needs." Lilith smiled while stroking his hair.
"Ren, can you take him to bed? We should all sit down to eat. He would want everyone to be comfortable and get along." Lilith asked.
Athlan no longer had any concerns over a demon being here. All their people kneeled as Zack was carried away. If not for his efforts they would've perished today, and his condition was a result of saving them.
Yu followed Ren to Zack's room in an attempt to stay by his side. Ren thought it was harmless, and promised to bring her food upon her return. She didn't even respond to Ren's words. Yu just sat on the bed next to him observing his condition. It wasn't till Ren returned outside that everyone finally settled at the tables to eat. Once the food was set upon the tables Athlan stood up along with his family.
"We owe our lives to this man, and I want you to know he fought fearlessly. If that battle didn't take place in the air we would've assisted, but I believe he did this for our sake. We all wish him a quick recovery, and if there's anything we can do to assist in the meantime just let us know." Athlan said while raising a cup to Zack's recovery.
"Now let's drink extra for his absence," Ren declared while wrapping her arm around Destiny, and Lilith.
"I've never got drunk before, but I'll try it," Destiny replied while raising a cup.
After a moment of silence for the fallen everyone began to feast together. Once they finished eating the dolls cleaned the tables as everyone dispersed. The elves decided to take shelter in a series of buildings in the northern part of the estate. It was close to a massive park, and garden which made them more comfortable.
Later that night Ren took food to Yu and showed her the restroom before heading to bed. Yu laid curled up against Zack with her back against him. She finally grew tired of watching him sleep, and poking at his body.
Meanwhile, Lilith was flirting with Destiny as they walked inside the estate. Since they were finished drinking Lilith followed Destiny to her room and the result ended in Lilith being bound in the basement. Apparently, Destiny gets a little kinky when she drinks and has zero tolerance for alcohol. Lilith quickly understood why Zack was so vocal the night before as she quivered in her swing.