"I still have a daughter at home, and if push comes to shove, I'll make a new kid."
"What the heck are you saying?" Ieri sighs.
He looks at the Elf he just killed. They seem to be at least 200 years old.
Before anything can happen, Meisa and Ieri decisively flee towards the numerous caves dotting the landscape.
With the smell of damp earth in the air and leaves crunching beneath them, they make their way through the shadowy woods while the moon flickers behind clouds. Ahead, the caverns loom, providing safety but concealing unidentified threats. Aware of the red trail they have left behind, they remain silent and tense as they listen for potential attackers.
"Oh looks what we have here?" the Harpy flies down and lands in front of the 5 year old Eskil.
"It looks like our harvest is good. I will keeps this." The Harpy grabs Cai Eskil by his collar and flies off.
"It's unfortunate we lost one." One of them murmurs as they retreat into Narva.
Encircled by old oaks, the settlement of Narva is situated in a hollow. A center campfire is surrounded by a ring of little thatched-roof homes. Dancing shadows are created by flickering fires, while the smell of roasting meat and the sound of hushed laughing fill the air.
Cai Eskil will be living here now, and he's going to participate in the unique selection process of the Narva settlement.
…
The Wind billows quickly, the loud sound ringing in their ears as they flee from one cave to another. It's really based on luck whether there is an enemy lying in ambush in every cave they land on.
"Are you sure it was a good idea to leave that kid there?"
"Why not? He's 5 and useless."
"He's your son!" Ieri scoffs and looks away.
Meisa shrugs her shoulder as they continue travelling at high speeds, the wind whistling past their ears.
The trip was like this for a few days.
In silence.
There's really nothing to talk about until they reach the camp near Mikana Shrine.
When their troops landed on the shores of this island, they immediately encountered another walled city.
Without much of a choice, they were forced to retreat to the Elmer cave systems. Outside of the wall is a single Elf…
~Camp One, Elmer Cave System~
"He said, 'Your mindset of Elf the best is ruining the balance of the denizens of this continent.' and you know what I did? I chopped his head off!" one guffaws as he's roasting a human leg over the fire.
The Camp is pretty big, needing 5 bonfires to light it, after all it spans the entire cave system that innervates the entire subterranean area underneath the walled city above.
It can't be helped, the Elves in the mainland are maniacs, and if you're not careful you'll all be wiped out.
After a day of wandering about, Meisa and Ieri arrive in Camp One with one of them holding a report ledger.
Sadly, because Meisa wrote it, it's barely legible.
They report directly to the General of the army, Parr Alana.
After giving the reports, Meisa and Ieri are no longer interested in staying in her presence and directly leave.
"This is boring. When is the large-scale attack?"
"Patience Meisa. This is not Ducia." Ieri sighs.
Ieri is only a few months younger than Meisa, but according to society, he must obey her, this is just how it is.
Meisa, who usually keeps her eyes closed, starts yawning.
Ieri is just exasperated and starts preparing her bed.
…
"Why aren't the Korcer joining the battle?" Meisa throws an instant slash against her enemy, but they harden their skin in response.
"Don't use expensive moves!" Ieri simply shoots at the single enemy who flashes close to the 5 other onions with the pair and with a clap, he disappears into the ground.
"Fuck, mainlanders are better at magic, naturally." Meisa jumps away, but the onion next to her wasn't so lucky, and with an attack, he loses his leg as countless stone spikes grow out of it. The elf decisively amputates his own leg with his sword, flickers away and regenerates it, fine sweat appears on his forehead.
"He is not playing around!" Ieri shoots at the man, but he flickers closer and kicks Ieri away, forcing him to flicker back.
"Do we really need to fight this guy?" Meisa watches one of the onions block a kick.
"Ducians! You are in Goryo, where you cannot play around. I, Kleist Johann, will teach you important things." The Elf who looks close to 400 years old finally speaks.
He stomps his foot on the ground, and countless stone spikes generate from under their feet.
Meisa and her companions flicker away, but one of the onions weren't so lucky and was impaled through the chest.
"Shit, he is not playing with us." Meisa is bent over, trying to catch her breath.
"Record the name Celtic Freeman to the dead."
"Oh shit the young Master of the Celtic Krall clan died!?" Meisa shudders.
"You recorded him as an onion didn't you."
"So the majority of you are lucky." Kleist Johann spoke. The unarmed Elf flicks to their location and with his hand hardened, he slams it into Meisa, who defends with her sword, but his left fist punches her on the stomach in the same instant, causing her to fly backwards like a broken kite.
"That really really almost killed me!" Meisa bursts into tears as she emerges from the ground, a small sheen of plasma coating her body slowly dissipates as she does. She flickers forward, slamming her sword towards his head, but Kleist simply flickers back. In terms of stamina, this is not her match.
"Let's show him what Ducians are." Ieri shoots a hundred bullets towards Kleist, causing him to flicker twice before going out of range, but what's waiting for him is Meisa's sword near instantly poking his abdomen.
Kleist hardens his abdomen and kicks towards her shoulder which she blocks with her sword.
"Fuck!" Before Meisa can get dragged on the ground she quickly flickers to her feet.
One of the onions charges at Kleist, swings her sword at his hip. Kleist blocks it with his fist and with a bang, his other fist punches the onion, making her flicker backwards. Before the onion can sigh in relief, a boulder crashes on her, turning her into tomato paste.
"Record, Bashar Evi."
"You expect me to write and fight!?"
"Just do it!"
"Let's retreat." Meisa groans, swallowing the notebook and pen.
"We cannot keep him alive." The Commander appears behind her.
"Parr?"
"This is a chance to gang up on him." Alana grins,bringing two men with her.
"So, I'm facing eight all at once." Kleist says, his tone flat as he looks down at them from the top of the city wall.