David couldn't help but feel nostalgic as Yuna spoke about the walls surrounding Shangri-la. The mention of Mount Everest struck a chord deep within him. It was hard to believe that a religious group had formed a kingdom in the place he once called home. His memories of the area were hazy, but hearing about it brought back flashes of a time long gone.
"Hard to believe that a kingdom grew from some religious group in the Himalayas," David mused. "What do we do if we find that life has flourished inside the walls?" he asked Yuna.
"We'll evaluate the situation first," Yuna replied. "Whether the kingdom inside is thriving or desolate, we need to assess the conditions before making any decisions. Our priority is to understand the situation inside the wall."
David nodded in agreement. Regardless of what they found inside the walls, he felt a pull toward his homeland. It was strange to think that his home had been integrated to the kingdom for so long. Future was really something, many things were different in this new world.
The mystery of what lay inside Shangri-la drew him in, and the thought of seeing his birthplace once more filled him with both excitement and trepidation.
As they flew closer but dozens of miles away from the kingdom. As they were scanning the surroundings, Teresa suddenly interrupted their thoughts. "Human-like life signatures detected directly below," Teresa reported. "The group appears to be surrounded by other lifeforms."
David snapped back into focus. "We need to check that out. They might be surrounded by monsters."
"I agree," Yuna said with urgency. "Teresa, take us down there."
The spaceship began its descent, and the virtual screen in front of them displayed the unfolding scene below. Three figures were fighting off giant tiger-like monsters in a dense forest. Despite the overwhelming size of the creatures, the figures—three girls—were holding their own. Their movements were precise, dodging the monsters' vicious attacks and countering with surprising skill.
"Get us closer, but keep the camouflage on. We can't let anyone see the spaceship." Yuna instructed. As the ship hovered above the forest, Yuna ordered Teresa to land looking at the suitable place.
The whole place was a big forest, that why Teresa took spaceship near the top of the trees and activated a big thrust of energy beam from the Ion thrusters. All the trees and everything around the 100 m area was scattered making a landing place for the spaceship.
"Wow, I didn't know you could do that and make a place to land. That was amazing." David said amazed by the stunt.
The spaceship landed, and the door opened. Yuna and David came out of the spaceship, "Let's go." They walked to the location they saw the fight happening. They had landed Almost two km away from them.
Yuna spread her wings and flew in the air saying, "I will go first."
David watched as Yuna soared ahead, her wings cutting through the air with ease. He couldn't help but admire her. She had become so strong, almost ethereal. "I'll catch up on foot," he said to himself, and took off running toward the commotion below.
Yuna reached the clearing where the battle was taking place. She saw the girls up close for the first time and realized they weren't human. Their pointed ears and graceful features were unmistakable—they were elves, a race Yuna had seen only in ancient broadcasts millennia ago. 'Elves... How did they come to Earth?' Yuna wondered.
The three elves fought valiantly, one wielding a bow, another using a sword and shield like a knight, and the third casting powerful fire magic. Despite their skill, they were beginning to falter under the relentless onslaught of the mutant tigers.
Yuna acted quickly. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a dozen icicle spears, launching them with deadly precision. The spears pierced the skulls of the tigers, killing them instantly. The elves froze, their eyes wide with shock as they looked up to see Yuna floating above them.
David arrived at the scene moments later, slightly out of breath. He looked around at the carnage and realized Yuna had already taken care of the monsters. His gaze shifted to the elves, who were now staring at Yuna in horror.
"Yuna!" David called, waving her down. She gracefully descended to the ground, landing beside him. "What's wrong with them?" she asked, noticing the elves' terrified expressions.
David sighed. "It's must be because you're a demon. They're probably afraid of what you might do to them."
Yuna frowned. "I just saved them. Why would they be afraid?"
"Let me talk to them."
David approached the elves cautiously, trying to reassure them. "Look, there's no need to be scared. She saved your lives. Is this how you elves show gratitude?"
One of the elves, trembling, managed to stammer out a response. "B-but she's a d-demon..."
David rolled his eyes in frustration. "So what? Would you rather have died? She saved you, didn't she?"
The bow-wielding elf spoke up, her voice still shaky. "Isn't it said that demons kill anyone they come across? There are rumors... no one survives an encounter with a demon."
David's patience wore thin. "Not every rumor is true. If we wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. You need to judge people by their actions, not by what race they are. Yuna saved you, and that should be enough."
The elves seemed to process his words, their expressions shifting from fear to shame. They exchanged glances, realizing how foolish they had been. Despite their fear, they gathered the courage to bow their heads in gratitude.
"We are deeply sorry," the elf with the sword said. "Thank you for saving us. Please forgive us for our behavior."
Yuna softened, recognizing their struggle. "It's alright. I understand. You don't need to be afraid of me—I wasn't always a demon," she explained, trying to ease their nerves. "In fact, I don't know much about demons myself, even though I've become one."
The elves seemed to relax a bit more, their trembling subsiding. They each pulled out small vials of potion, drinking them to heal their wounds and restore their energy. Within moments, they looked refreshed, the magic of the potion working quickly.
David observed them with interest. 'Elves truly are fascinating,' he thought. 'Their magic, their potions—they seem to be right out of the fantasy worlds I used to read about.'
Once everyone was settled, Yuna spoke up again. "I'm Yuna, and this is David," she introduced them both. "You're elves, right? How did you come to Earth?"
The bow-wielding elf nodded. "Yes, we're elves from Elvaria. My name is Rina." She gestured to her companions. "This is Kaya," she said, indicating the fire mage, "and this is Sona," pointing to the swordswoman. "We arrived here through the teleportation gate."
"Teleportation gate?" David asked, intrigued. "Where is this gate located?"
"It's in the Shangri-la capital, don't you know?" Kaya said contusion in her mind. "We came to the wasteland with many others from the walls. Did you also came to this wasteland for hunting? You also must have come from the gate to Earth, right?. Are there gates outside the kingdom too?"
David exchanged a glance with Yuna. "We came from the west. We don't know anything about the kingdom or teleportation gate. We were born to the western part of the earth. After our whole group and settlement wiped out by monsters, we headed east." David said, cooking up a story that they might believe. "We didn't come through any gate."
Rina's brow furrowed. "Born here? But she's a demon... how is that possible?"
"Like she said earlier, she wasn't always a demon," David reiterated. "We've been traveling alone, surviving and searching for other people along the way. That's how we came across you."
Sona seemed skeptical but kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she added, "You and your people must had it rough. It must be hard surviving outside here and for this long no less."
Yuna and David nodded. "Yeah. You will find monsters in every corner. We got used to it pretty soon"
"We were come through a long journey here. Searching for human settlement." Yuna said. "Can you tell us more about the gate and the kingdom inside the walls?"
Sona, now a bit more trusting, explained, "The teleportation gate is in the heart of Shangri-la. The kingdom inside the walls is thriving, unlike the wastelands outside. People have progressed more, and the technology they possess is astounding."
David's curiosity was piqued.
"Really?! If that's the case what are you doing here in the jungle, fighting monsters and risking your lives. Or rather why are in earth in the first place? World of the elves should be better than Earth, right? There must be safe and better environment than this." He asked.
David felt elves coming to this world was illogical when they could have better life there in Elvaria, the elf world. Who with a sane mind would want to risk their life like this.
David was a person, who would to live his life peacefully. Sure, they might have their reason but nothing was important than their life. For David, it least.