"We can take them. Look! None of them have any real weapons, just those dull-looking clubs!"
"But Roke…"
"Looks like the others want to attack too. It's now or never, Chiu. Think of how much respect we would earn from the elders if we defeat some outsiders..."
Chiu slowly opened his brown eyes, blinking several times and shielding them from bright light shining on his face like a divine glow. He looked around and saw that he was lying on… a strange berth with a fuzzy blanket. There were… transparent things connected to his arms and stomach and a strange square that displayed… things. The room was clean, impossibly clean, and white. There were other berths like his in the room, but none were occupied.
He tried to recall what had happened but struggled to do so, a hazy fog surrounding his mind and thoughts. "Where… where…"
"Hello, Mr. Chiu," a calm voice said, with a perfect pitch and tone. It is reassuring that you are awake and well."
The young twelve-rotation old elf turned to see the most beautiful person he had ever seen standing next to him with a smile. His heart thumped faster at the sight of the woman's face, slightly hidden behind her long black hair like a secret entrance behind a waterfall. She wore clean, white clothes and carried a strange transparent square in her hands. "I'll inform the healer that you are awake."
"Y…you're really pretty," Chiu mumbled as the woman walked out of the room, and the door slid shut behind her. He muttered a prayer of thanks to Tesa for this beautiful vision before his Trials.
He looked around, and his gaze fell upon a strange transparent wall, prompting him to look through it. His eyes widened every passing second, and his lower jaw dropped. He stumbled over to the wall and pressed his face against it, his cheeks digging into the transparent barrier that prevented him from falling into the endless abyss.
He saw his light green hair reflected in the darkness and touched it in bewilderment. However, the outside view drew his attention away once again.
A beautiful blue and green rock stared back at him, surrounded by a black expanse, unlike anything he had seen before. Bright lights dotted the darkness, glimmers brighter than the brightest diamonds he had seen.
"I heard from Nurse Smith that you were… my goodness!
"Where…. Where am I?"
++++
"So we located their main settlement then, thanks to Specialist Smith's conversations with Caelu and our drones. Well, what do we do now?" Captain Moore gestured with his hand.
Underground chambers and tunnels were mapped out extensively with drones carrying advanced ground-penetrating radar. Almost the entirety of the forest had been surveyed, and much of it contained at least a few tunnels and rooms. One particular area was densely inhabited: a section of the forest approximately twenty kilometers west of their current location.
The captain was meeting with the three other company leaders of his battalion in a small meeting room on the corner of the second floor of the HQ. The windowless room reeked of cigarettes, though no one was smoking.
Each officer held a file with various photographs and charts from the aerial reconnaissance for several days. A hologram was in the middle of the table, providing a more three-dimensional view of the maps.
The battalion commander was an average-height man with sandy brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He looked younger than Captain Moore despite being more than a decade older.
"With the elf boy and man both waking up from their recovery, we will spend some time getting them up to speed," Lieutenant Colonel Justin Turner answered, fiddling with the controls and changing the hologram into a map of the underground near the base. "Yesterday, a few new tunnels appeared from the approximate location of the underground elf settlement towards our own camp. Our drones discovered this quickly, and after they had surveyed the area, the tunneling slowed quite a bit. It seems the elves… are taking a more aggressive approach against us. The general is aware of this and is already deploying countermeasures."
"How many days do we have?"
"About a day or two if the tunneling continues."
"But we want to deter them peacefully, if possible," one of the other captains stated.
"Correct. This is why we need the assistance of the elves under our care; they're our only diplomatic links to the Danj tribe. The last time we sent someone out there to look for them, those elves vanished without a trace somehow. I know you're turning the female elf into a potential translator and that she is quite friendly, Captain Moore. But how does she feel about us, specifically?"
Captain Moore rested his chin on his hands for a moment before answering. "She seems a bit… cautious but interested in everything we have to offer. I think she would put in a good word for us. It would help if her brother returned from the Nimitz since she's still here for that reason in the first place."
Technically, Caelu was allowed to leave anytime she wanted, though Captain Moore was confident she would be bugged before she left. However, she incessantly refused because she wanted to see her brother first. For the past three days, she was holed up in Bravo Company's barracks with Specialist Smith to learn how to read and write. Despite her lack of formal education, Caelu was learning reasonably quickly and was enjoying her time on the base.
"I was told that her brother, I think his name is Chiu, was also… interested in some of the things we had to offer and enjoying his time on the ship," Lieutenant Colonel Turner said. "However, he should be down within two or three days. Until then, we'll hold off on contacting the Danj."
"Can't they bring him down any faster?"
"He really likes the ship, like the ship itself. The concept of space and flying is fascinating to him. Besides, they're ensuring he won't have any lasting injuries."
"I guess the siblings are alike in many ways then."
"Can you blame them? Their entire lives they spent hunkered down in underground rooms and tunnels. Now, one of them soars through the sky every day despite being told for years that the sky was their "enemy's domain" or whatever that means. The other one is beyond the sky."
"I'm not saying they're in the wrong." Captain Moore shrugged. "All I'm saying is, they still need to return to their people, at least to help us negotiate with them."
"Regardless, unless we get their… god to agree, it doesn't matter if Caelu and her brother like us. You've read the general's request, correct?"
"I'll make sure to ask more about magic and her tribe today, I know. " Captain Moore waved his hand. "What about the other elf? How's he doing?"
"Oh, him? He claimed he was an elder candidate, whatever that meant. Chiu debunked that claim after he saw the older elf. Apparently, he was one of the warriors who pushed for the attack on your men. He's being kept in a separate wing under guard."
"Well, I'm sure he'll put in a good word for us."
Lieutenant Colonel Turner snorted. "Sure he will. Anywho, any questions so far?"
Everyone shook their head and waited in silence.
"Alright, moving on then." A three-dimensional PowerPoint appeared in place of the map, earning a collective round of groans from the captains. "No slide effects this time, I promise."
"You nearly gave Captain Williams epilepsy last time, sir," Alpha Company commander Captain Rodriguez mentioned.
"Maybe he should've built a tolerance for slide effects. Moving on…"
The presentation was a standard presentation about updated protocols regarding the native population and policies on interactions with them.
"... No, you are not allowed to "hit up" a local girl and get together with her, especially for a long-term relationship. Even if Uncle Sam gives you the ok for whatever reason, that includes non-humans that we know of, such as but not limited to: elves, dwarves, golems, trolls…"
"Who the fuck would date a troll?" Captain Williams asked.
Captain Moore stared at his compatriot silently.
"... They would really tap ugly ass creatures and rocks?'
"You really don't want to know," Captain Moore assured.
"Regardless of what you think of them," Lieutenant Colonel Turner tapped a few buttons on the table, and some pictures of various non-human races on the planet appeared. "Be respectful. We're on a diplomatic mission. Our goal is peaceful contact and learning more about the civilizations and nations on this planet."
They were dismissed a few minutes later, and Captain Moore left the building leisurely and trotted through the civilian part of the settlement to reach his destination. Many civilians were specialists researching the planet, such as biologists, geologists, arborists, and zoologists. A few were UN employees, while others were contractors filling the various demands a small town required. Many were already busy at work, just as much as the soldiers on base.
Zipping through the organized maze of welded apartments and container houses, Captain Moore arrived in front of the four-story building, with laundry already flung across windows and rails. He could hear twenty-first-century death metal blaring out through one of the speakers within the barracks, which was only slightly worse than the particular foot smell tinging his nose.
Thankfully, the synthetic intelligence operator and the company's guest left the barracks and joined him some distance away.
"Captain," Specialist Smith greeted her commander with a salute. "I was alerted by your presence and opted to bring Caelu along."
"Good to see you too, specialist," Captain Moore nodded toward the elf, switching languages. "You as well, Caelu."
The elf bowed, her old, tattered outfit replaced by a green shirt and tanned shorts. Even now, there were streaks of dirt on the clothes and her skin, though they were more… artistically placed in various patterns and lines compared to before. "Thank you, Leader Moore."
"How are your English lessons coming along?"
"They're going well!" Caelu beamed and held out an English workbook. "I can understand some words and speak a few phrases. My reading has improved much more. I've also learned more about your "electricity" and your "cars" today."
"That's good to hear. However, we have an urgent issue that we will need your assistance with."
"Is it about my brother? Did something happen to him?"
"It's not about Chiu; it's about your tribe."
Caelu's shoulders drooped. "Oh. Are they here already?"
"No, but we think they might be digging towards the camp. We're a bit hesitant to approach them head-on as of now," Captain Moore answered vaguely. "Can you give us a better idea of your tribe's capabilities so we can prepare to stop them without any loss of life?"
"You're asking me to betray my tribe…"
"We are trying to avoid conflict," Specialist Smith added. "You are not betraying your tribe if you do this for diplomacy and peace between our two groups."
Captain Moore lowered himself and knelt next to Caelu. "Look, Caelu. I've read what Smith remembered about your tribe's history. The War destroyed much of the continent, and many suffered, especially your people. Tens of millions perished, and entire nations were destroyed, including the old elvish kingdom that your tribe was a part of. And I know what the human empire did to that nation, but we are not the same humans.
"We do want peace with your people. You have my word that your tribe will be under our protection, no matter what is we may face."
Instead of answering, Caelu looked up at the sky, watching another BX-115 shuttle take off into the sky. Finally, she looked back at the captain. "... I will answer… to the best of my ability. However, I must confess I can't spill everything. There are secrets that even I must keep."
Captain Moore nodded. "Of course."
The three of them moved to the small yard area near the barracks, prompting the captain to pull out his iPad to take notes.
"What did you want to know about?" Caelu asked.
"Magic. How much magic do you know?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because none of us, or any among our tribes, can use magic."
"A fair point," Caelu said. She lifted her hands gently, raising it from her waist to her shoulders. The earth beneath her reacted, creating a thin pillar that rose toward the sky. A small plant started to grow out of the pillar, its purple leaves sprouting in bloom. "Since Tesa is our patron god, all members of my tribe are inherently attuned to earth magic. This field includes the earth, the trees, the plants, and most living things. It allows me to… sense living things, especially their emotions."
"How does it work? Is it through some sort of energy? Or something else?"
Caelu scrunched up her face, "To those unaware… it's complicated."
"That was one thing no other agents discovered the explicit details of, captain," Specialist Smith recalled in English. "Neither I nor the other forty-nine were able to extract much information from mages or the such."
"Why?" Captain Moore asked.
"We were never able to get close enough to them. It was as if they… knew something was odd about us. Additionally, much of the mystic arts on this planet are relatively concealed; most are mysterious even to local inhabitants here. Magic is prevalent, though it seems magical items created by mages are more common than actual magic itself. I was told that magic was… dangerous."
"Because magic kills," a new voice rang out in the Danj language.
They turned to see an Asian man in a slightly modified MultiCam uniform and the People's Republic of China flag on his sleeve. The man saluted the captain and greeted him in fluent English: "Captain Moore."
"...I believe you are First Lieutenant Li? How can I help you, lieutenant?"
"After some discussions between our respective governments, I have been assigned as an observer to your company," Lieutenant Kang Li replied. He was slightly taller than the American officer, with a robust build. His onyx eyes were unmarred by his short reddish-brown hair. "I will be in your care for the near future, captain."
"I was not informed of this."
"The decision was made very recently, an agreement between our two nations over furthering "mutual ties." You should be receiving an update from your battalion commander soon."
"I believe you. Otherwise, this would be a feeble attempt at spying by China."
Lieutenant Li smirked. "I assure you, if I was here to spy, you wouldn't have heard or seen me. But to answer that question you had, captain."
Captain Moore tapped his tablet. "Right, you said, "magic kills." What does…"
"Exactly as I said: magic kills the user over time," Lieutenant Li said in Danj, looking down at Caelu. "Isn't that right, Ms. Caelu?"
"Er," Caelu shot a nervous glance at Captain Moore.
"... He's Leader Li. He'll be joining us for now, but is what he said correct?"
"Yes."
"How did you know?" Captain Moore inquired, gesturing at the lieutenant.
"A lot of reading and guesswork, captain. I read the reports of all fifty… golems… I believe that would be the appropriate word in Danj. There were instances where some of them encountered magic, others that picked up a rumor or two. It took me some time, but I assembled the pieces together… Why was there such a mixed attitude about magic despite the wonders and feats it could achieve."
"Are you suggesting that magic drains the life essence of the user?" Specialist Smith asked.
"No, I'm not suggesting it; I know it."
"He's correct. From what I know, those not blessed by the gods sacrifice a piece of their life for every magic used. Magic is… unnatural, twisting the boundaries of reality to fit our needs and image. As such, the gods ordained a price on its usage, the price being one's life," Caelu stated quietly.
She stared at the raised pillar of earth with a grimace and sat down on the dirt. "Magic was one of the few things I was taught extensively. Tesa blesses our tribe so we can use earth magic without sacrificing much of our life essence. A few sparing seconds of our life at most, even for some of our strongest magic. In any fight against other tribes or outsiders, we would immediately resort to using it to defend ourselves."
"Like digging tunnels or sucking people into the ground," Captain Moore recalled.
Lieutenant Li was already scribbling a few characters into a small leather notebook. "That would also explain why the Danj live underground."
"Within the earth," Caelu corrected. "Many believed that elves were… favored by the gods. Numerous elven tribes were blessed by various deities throughout history, which led to non-elvish races treating elves merely as battle thralls. It was one of many reasons why my tribe went into hiding."
"Most of the mages I saw around the Unitary were humans," Specialist Smith mentioned. "If magic drains a person's life force, why are there humans that use magic? Do gods bless them as well?"
"I am uncertain; you are the first humans I've ever spoken to, and the elders did not mention anything of the sort."
"Is there a reason why some would… see through me?"
"Yes. Mages generally have better senses, especially from our tribe, which is blessed with being more privy to others' emotions. From what I could garner, you lack a spirit, Elize."
The synthetic soldier stared at the elf without blinking. "What does that mean?"
"All living things have a spirit within them, but… I can't feel yours. I think the other mages must've also discovered this."
"..."
Captain Moore cleared his throat. "Right, so… Is there a way to prevent them from crawling into our camp and wrecking havoc?"
"I'm not sure," Caelu said. "Though, our tribe's magic is limited to things granted to us by Tesa. When I sense the metals you have here, I only feel a dull pang and… apathy."
"So they can't do anything funny to man-made things?"
"Why would they tell jokes about such things?"
"... Never mind that, Specialist Smith, any ideas?"
Specialist Smith stared into the distance, her pupils dull and unresponsive.
"It seems like it may be having… a crisis," Lieutenant Li mused.
"Then, do you have any ideas?" Captain Moore asked in English.
"For a permanent solution? Steel is man-made, so a potential solution would be to surround the perimeter of our camp with steel walls, which are also anchored into the ground. Even with magic, steel shouldn't be something they can easily rip apart."
"Could work. That will take time, though, and they might see it while we install it."
"If it delays them or makes them reconsider their actions, then our task is accomplished, no?"
"Fair enough."
"The cheaper temporary solution is to simply predict their underground advance and block them off with drilling drones. I imagine something akin to an underground flyby. That will scare them off or force them to reroute, delaying them all the same."
"I'll send your suggestions and the info to command," Captain Moore said, tapping his tablet. "Specialist, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Specialist Smith replied. "I received some data from Specialist Carpenter, who is at Rovensi."
"Anything urgent?"
"No. It's just the usual data package. The locals are still unaware of our presence."
"Unfortunately, that is not the case for the Danj tribe," Iris suddenly perked up from the tablet. "Captain, Lieutenant Colonel Turner is asking for you right now."
"I'm going to guess that our guests have arrived prematurely?"
"The elves, yes. Looks like they want to talk."