"Surely this mystery woman of yours is already gone far from where we are vaylan,"
Hearing that from none other than dirvin, vaylan moved onward and responded to the old elf's comment with esteem rudeness. "Because elf-man, I know she's near,"
"With all due respect child, you had spoken of that claim just not long ago, and now we are out here having to go after a woman. We are not even sure if she wants to be found," dirvin said speaking to the kid.
"I'm nineteen," Vaylan said replying to the old elf.
"That's still young enough, elves in our villages who are below their twentieth name, are still considered babies to us all," Fafnir said with a sly smirk.
"Well, for you elves having a longer life expectancy may be grand, but most of us humans and species with short life don't have the same curse as y'all," replied Vaylan's crafty response.
"That may be so, but me and the others tend to wish for that outcome sometimes... Though others of my kind, they may value our longer lifespan while some wish to just die sooner rather than later," Replied a witty Fafnir.
"Sorry, I did not mean to bring you down to this sorrowful of a state," Vaylan said cause he knew of the reason why the elf had said that last sentence.
Fafnir eyed him. "Oh what's wrong, are you getting all sentimental now,"
"No, it is just not-"
*Crack*
The second the four scouts heard a twig breaking they glanced up to see something, or someone falling... At that juncture in time, it only occurred just a moment ago and so without a moment of reticence, they ran to see who it was.
When they arrived the scouts looked down and saw a dead archer, its neck seemed to have been snapped with his head facing the other way. From the way it looked, Fafnir couldn't even face it forward for a knife had stuck straight past his vertebra bone.
Sit in knelt and pulled out the knife. "It looks like someone killed this being with his own knife,"
"Maybe it's our mystery woman," Kiran added as she peered up at the tree where it came from.
"This one, it is not like the ones we've fought back then. Its weapons are mainly only that of a single knife and..." When he said that dirvin turned the dead goblin over and on his back was a quiver with three remaining arrows in it.
"What is it?... Oh, I see!" Fafnir said noticing what the old elf was getting at.
"This one was a spy," Kiran spoke for she was familiar with the goblin's typical spy gear.
"Whatever it is he saw he tried to take out, and it looks like he might've faced something far greater than itself," commented Dirvin.
Just then every one of them shot their heads up at what they heard. A sudden rustling of trees transpired and they saw where it came. Up top of where they are two more of the goblins fell dead. Just as they thought the event was done it only ensued when a large shadow could be seen jumping down to solid ground far from where they were.
"After it now!" Dirvin said as he and the young scouts immediately rushed after the large being.
...Grace P.O.V...
Grace quietly snuck into the side of a tree. Narrowly tilting her head to the left she can easily hear the footsteps of those who were hounding after her.
She didn't know why but in some manner or way she thought about her regret in choosing to save those damn elves and humans. Why, well they were somehow able to track her down. As she waited for the four scouts to pass her, Grace heard the flapping of wings when an owl landed on the branch of a small tree, this tree however stood forty-eight yards away from where she was currently hiding. The small bird then let out a hooo sound, it alarmed those behind her and before they could come any closer she knew she would have no choice but to book it.
As the scouts approached the tree she was hiding in Grace prepared herself for another run. Thanks to her hearing Grace took off from her position when a rope was wrapped around the tree she hid behind.
For as long as she ran she learned that this group of elves and their human ally weren't going to give up that easily. Grace couldn't blame them for she left behind her footprint so that the scouts could track her down through the woodland. Her first option was rather she should take them out but scratch them off cause they weren't hostile toward her, her second option was ruined if she hadn't stopped those three other green creatures they would've for sure done their jobs in taking out the four scouts.
Now all that she can do is run to avoid confrontation with these people and hope that some of her people are aware of her situation.
Yet to grace her wish came to be when she received a message from someone else in the unsc. She heard the familiar sound and turned it on and on her helmet visor a heads-up display came up and the voice of someone she was well aware of spoke.
"Hello spartan, I see you are already starting to make friends," Said the man.
"Ahh yes, don't worry we are just playing a game of chase... Can you send me a ride," responded Grace.
"Yes, that I can do... Where would you like me to have them pick you up?" Said the man.
"Have them park about five miles away from my position, I want to make sure to tire these people out first," replied Grace.
"Sure right on it, would you like for the rescue squad to deal with the possible threat that is after you?"
"Negative, most of them are just young except for one old man," Grace said as she bolted forward with such speed that she somehow was lost from the view of the view of the scouts.
...........
Not long after Grace was nearing just a mile from where she was. And she didn't stop at the edge of the steep hill and leaped forward four meters and a half. As she came down the spartan began running once again bursting bushes of sharp vines that would've surely made people rethink their decision.
Sliding to a slight stop she ran on flat ground once again and continued on her path to the pickup site. From up top Grace saw a pelican flying right overhead of her as it just skipped right past her with ease.
Subsequently, after having to run that fast in such a short amount of time Grace was hardly out of breath as she could've continued running for more than a few miles yet didn't have to cause from in front of her was the pelican. It was hovering just a few feet up in the air until it finally made land.
"Good to see you spartan! How was your trip!" One of the pelican's crew said.
The lower part of the hangar creaked loudly when the spartan hopped on it almost causing the man to fall over.
"It was pretty good, I don't suppose you've guys seen where the dropship went?" Yelled Grace as she stepped inside from the hangar that was closing.
"We've contacted Spartan Gabriel Thorne, he said that the two prisoners fled the scene the moment they awoke," Responded the man.
"Fled the scene, tell me he did not leave the albatross behind, god knows what the natives here would've done to the tech they find," Grace said to him as she couldn't allow anyone in this world to find the ship and dismantle it for their own desire.
"Don't worry, spartan Thorne has chosen to stay behind to safeguard the ship from any unknown hands... Although, we may have a slight problem,"
"What is it?" Questioned Grace as she took a glance outside at how high they were from land.
"The spartan Thorne came in contact with the natives from the nearby villages. He's currently being questioned by them right now,"
"Send words to the captain, tell him that we will be seeing Spartan," instructed Grace as she contacted the pilot and told the woman of their new objective.
"On it ma'am," the man immediately responded and left.
Just as she stopped to take a break for herself it came to an end when she received a radio transmission. Guessing to herself that maybe spartans truly do not rest until the task is done so she just pressed on a screen and a holographic video body of a man materialized in a blue glow till it finished. After that, the figure of an old man was shown when he turned to face her.
"Hello spartan grace, it is good to see you,"
"Captain Whitcomb, it is good to see a familiar face as well. Sorry, I know I was supposed to meet up with you and the doctor, but as you've already heard, I had to stop two escaped prisoners," Grace said telling him.
"I understand your reasons Grace, but I also hope that you would not mind going on another mission, one of which wouldn't be much of a problem for you," the captain said awaiting a response from her.
"And may I ask of what it is you wish for me to do?" Inquired grace.
"I want you and a couple of our people to assist Spartan Thorne with important matters concerning our arrival in this strange world... And the first step is to deal with four scouts that Thorne encountered," The captain said to the spartan.
"But sir! What of the two escaped prisoners!" responded the spartan.
"Do not worry, I've sent the grey team to find and retrieve the two convicts, they aren't our crucial part of the plan, what's important is that we find a way to deal with what we've already done by making ourselves known to the people already," the captain said as he can be seen looking at another direction where another person's arm was seen handing the old man a cup of coffee.
The moment she heard about the grey team Grace knew that there wouldn't be much of a crisis, especially since Jai-006 and his squad were being sent to find the two prisoners, she didn't have to concern herself with the prisoners after all for grey team would have this mission in the bag.
"Alright captain, I see what I can do to assist Spartan Thorne with... Though, who'll you be sending down to join us?" Wondered grace.
"Doctor halsey and two of her personal assistants, a construction unit will be sent down in tomorrow night, along with that a small contingency of troops, they'll help with securing a defensive perimeter about a couple miles from that of the village," answered Captain Whitcomb.
"It sounds to me like you've already planned to build a base on this planet sir," Grace said as she could sense that the old man had finally decided to make up his mind.
"Why yes, I have. You must understand the reasons why I did not authorize any of our people to make a landing on this planet," the captain said formally replying to her.
"Understandable sir," Grace said to which she halted when the captain sent her a message.
"I've also gotta remind you, that there might be a slight problem for you and the rest of the crew, we may not be the only nonnatives to enter this world. Three days ago after Trevelyan was hauled into this new universe Doctor Halsey and her team discovered something of an enigma to us all," The captain said informing her of the other crucial topic.
"What is it, sir?" Asked Grace as she gave a questioning look even though she was wearing her helmet.
"We don't know exactly what it is, for as long as we've kept an eye on it, we wanted to send a unit of our own to claim one of them for ourselves, but I made suggestions to the vice admiral to cease any of our people from getting their hands on it for we don't know what'll happen. And boy was I right, the native armies of this world were sent through the portal, or what the doctor assumed was a gateway into another world,"
"You think it might be a key to send us all back to our world?" Commented Grace as she wondered if the outcome of this gate thing was possible and if it could work the way she thought.
Grace saw the content of varied emotions going through the captain's expressionless face and understood why for even she doubted rather if it could happen.
"On that, I don't know, for as advanced as we are in technology we don't know if the thought of utilizing this gate could even send us back into unsc space. Hell, for as advanced as we are in technology we still haven't figured out how Cortana sent us here to these places," Captain Whitcomb said as he sat down on his chair.
"Well what I can say about this traveling issue, is that I believe it is just the beginning of something we will all learn to deal with," added Grace.
Just then when she was about to announce her leave, Grace and those in the hangar with her overheard the sound of a woman's voice speaking through the speaker that hung in the top corner of the ship. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot, we are coming into contact with Spartan Thorne and his group, so please prepare to disembark once we land, for I've got to go and bring a couple more people who are urging to discover this weird planet... Carol out,"
"Looks like I should let you go, please do be careful down there spartan grace, I wouldn't want to lose an old friend," said Captain Whitcomb as he saluted to Grace and soon his holographic form vanished in blue light.
Walking over near the hangar Grace and some of the ship's crew were in an organized line. Just as they heard a lanky sound of the pelican beginning to make contact with the land as afterwards the hangar of the ship began lowering itself automatically.
Outside were two marines standing guard with their weapons held in hands and in between the two of them was a woman in a grey and white lab coat. The woman smiled and spoke out in greeting the spartan as she strolled towards her.
"Welcome grace, it is good to see you!"
"Lisa... I see you've grown big," Grace said as she shook hands with the woman.
Lisa smiled lightly and gestured for the spartan to follow. As they were strolling Grace could see that the construction crew of eternity had already started working on constructing bases, on her right were a couple of small tents set for the unsc personals to camp and sleep in for their time being. Yet what surprised her was the two mantis mechs standing still without being operated while in the center was an M2-tiger mech. It comes with two surface-to-ground missiles, one on its right and one on the left. On the top left corner was a chain gun. On-between-the-ground missiles were a pair of hear seeking launchers that when fired it'll chase down the target it locks on till it is no more. And with this mech, is being employed by four crews.
This specific mech was first developed at the start of the year 2560 but was put to a stop due to dealing with Cortana and her extremist goal, but in the year 2562 the mech was brought back into light by making more of it for military use and alongside it was six other project in the making right on Trevelyan.
The only major presence was the two large bases, the unsc firebase and the field armory. These two facilities, it comes with benefiting those of the UNSC people on land which was thanks to the support of the vice admiral and Captain Whitcomb. For as long as they are going to be here they know that sooner or later people will start to berate them for what is going on.
As she continues on Grace manages to catch sight of two very large wolves, those of the unsc personals wouldn't even walk past them six feet for fear of what the animals might do, while others they simply didn't care cause the two wolves were latched inside a tall wooden cage made by one of the crews.
"Strange," Uttered Grace.
Hearing that Lisa peered in the direction Grace was looking at and spoke. "Like it, they remind me a lot of the dire wolves from old Earth's creatures, yet I gotta say that they're quite a bit bigger for their size,"
"Agreed, im sure those trophy hunters would've loved this planet," added Grace with a simple yet arid tone.
"And here we are,"
"What exactly are you bringing me here for?" Inquired grace.
"Them," Pointing to a room Grace saw as two marines stepped aside to let the two of them enter.
Though the two marines who happened to be fresh recruits eyed the spartan in apprehension due to them never seeing one of the same generation of spartans as that of the famous master chief.
As the duo entered the room they were met with a group of people wearing the same outfit as the scouts that Grace fled from. They immediately went for their weapons when the sight of grace came into view but were halted by their leader who called for them to stop.
A woman with lightish grey bob-cut hair, she was wearing a lab coat and while holding a tacpad on her right arm had to act quickly as she stood between the elven scouts and her spartan. "Ladies and gentlemen, there's no need to feel threatened, please, allow me to introduce to you Spartan Grace-093,"
"Good to meet you elf," Grace said in response to the doctor's introduction.
"I'd say that's fair enough, forgive me, Mr. Grace. My scouts do not act well in the contemporary presence of new creatures," Gallen said as he reached for her hand to shake.
"Grace this here is Mr. Gallen. He's a native elf belonging to the village, they're just a couple miles away from our settlement," Lisa said.
Grace could tell from the slight complacency of the elven man that he was quite shocked at the sight of her and looked like he wanted to size her up in height.
Doctor Catherine halsey who was standing aside was about to correct the elven man on his misstep in calling the female spartan Mr. But refrained from saying so cause she knew that Grace truly did not care but rather someone mispronounced her gender.
"Now that we're all here, I'd like to make an announcement, one that I and the other two have agreed upon," Halsey said referring to the vice admiral and captain Whitcomb.
"And what may that be ma'am?" Asked grace.
"We've agreed on the possibility that there might be a slight problem, you see the ring that Cortana used to send us all here had been heavily damaged, and so for us all to understand the situation we are in, we will need to deal with the fact that we might be stuck here for a while,"
"Then what are you suggesting doctor, are you to tell us that there's a possibility that there might never be a way for us all to go home," Grace said asking her.
"Look it's complicated alright, as far as im concerned this place wouldn't be invaded by any covenant fleet or banished... So I say the best we can do is accept the fact that we might be stuck here a little longer," said the doctor.
Although she was considering whether the portals on Trevelyan could be used as a sort of gateway back to unsc space, yet she decided to hold onto that topic for personal matters.
"Let's not get started on the other issue with this gate problem. We've seen those from the twenty-first-century people just walk right out one of the gates, they for sure will want to find out who we are, especially the people of this world, not that they aren't much of a problem for us," Grace said with arms folded as she waited for the doctor's response.
"I wouldn't put it so much past them grace, even you would know that. Our main issue is figuring out how we'll explain to this elf and their chief about our situation... And as you've already been informed, the two prisoners are being taken care of by grey team," said Doctor halsey making clear their current situation.
"The grey team, I've heard they've been gone for what, almost ten years?" Grace said to the doctor to which she received an illiterate look from her.
"They were rescued by an ONI agent alongside with the help of a couple of civilians... And, It was also thanks to the help of an elite shipmaster who Melody, the oni agent managed to befriend that he chose to give the grey team a ride to Trevelyan...And im sorry if you haven't heard of their arrival, for the reason why I had them hidden is confidential," Halsey said explaining her reasons for keeping the grey team from the public.
Grace noticed that the doctor wasn't showing any hint of untruths in her words so she just nodded in confirmation to her in an indication that she understood her reasons for hiding the grey team from any of the unsc personals, of course, that doesn't justify the feat to which that jai and his team had blown up one of their Sangheili allies planet just after a peace treaty.
The doctor smiled lightly as she walked back to the holo table and began tapping on it. "Now that we are in an agreement spartan, I need you and Spartan Thorne to accompany this elven scout back to their village, one of their rides, or mounts as they would call it scattered off into the woods thanks to the thunderous work of the battle between the first security team when they were sent to aid Thorne and the scouts in defending the albatross from small troops of creatures that Gallen here calls goblins and trolls,"
"Hmm, I see that I wasn't the only one dealing with those things," muttered Grace.
Gallen who overheard her glanced her way and spoke. "Excuse me spartan, did you say you've also dealt with the goblins as well?"
"Yes, although, I gotta say that a group of scouts who wore the same outfit as yours were the ones who did the most killings," Grace said without even acknowledging the elven man's presence gaze.
"Interesting, perhaps you were one of the falling stars that nellion and his group were sent to find?" Gallen said with wonder.
"Correct," Grace said insouciantly.
"I see, then that explains it," commented Gallen.
"I believe it is almost time for us to break up this session... Lisa is Spartan Thorne prepped for the entourage task ahead?" Halsey said asking her.
Lisa was quiet for the time being due to her paying most of her attention to her touchpad shot her head up when being called. "Umm, yes Auntie, forgive me I was just informing some of my team that I'll be joining this escort,"
"Okay, I think that is it, we as well must leave and apprise our chieftains of what we've found here," Gallen declared as he and his elven squad formally bowed to the doctor on their way and then left the tent.
Before Grace could go further from her the doctor put her hands in front of the spartan stopping her. "Grace, I need you to do something for me,"
"What is it, ma'am?"