The trek through the forest was much more calming than before. Instead of venturing into the vast sea of trees in the dark, Captain Moore was now traveling with Sergeant Wells and his men, along with Specialist Smith. Caelu and Chiu were close by, chatting with the soldiers casually. The only outsider was Lieutenant Li, who tailed the group with great interest and wrote some notes by hand in a small pocketbook.
A strong, earthy smell permeated the moist air, and Captain Moore felt the crunch of branches and leaves under his boots. Fresh dew clung onto the purple and gray leaves of the tall trees. A few select green foliage was also present in some of the smaller bushes, though they were overshadowed by the pillars of nature reaching towards the heavens. Clouds drifted aimlessly through the golden sky, presenting a bit of shade for the sun rising to the west.
Initially, the entirety of Bravo Company and even the Marine Recon Force were slated to accompany the elvish entourage back to the village. However, upon Elder Septen's insistence, that escort group was cut down to the bare minimum: a squad, the captain, the observer from China, and the specialist acting as the liaison for Caelu.
"Bringing that many would lead many to lash out. Are you seeking for peace or preparing for a raid?" Elder Septen had scolded General Bassot and Assistant Director Fletes. "Only a dozen or so at most."
Elder Auru and Nedurp remained behind at Fort Colossus, seemingly to act as diplomats, a term that had fallen out the tribe's use for centuries. However, Captain Moore knew they remained at the fort to enjoy the modern amenities they increasingly depended upon.
Despite the encounter with Tesa the day prior, there was ease amongst the group as the situation of Fort Colossus was mostly resolved. Everyone except Elder Septen and his 'prisoner' looked pleased.
The 'prisoner,' a male elf named "Roke," winced when the elder poked his back with the staff. "Elder, please..."
"Silence! It was already reckless for you to attempt such a vain attack against the humans. Yet, you dared to invoke the name of the elders to weasel your way out of trouble? You will face a stiff punishment once we return to the village," Elder Septen scolded.
"Is it that big of a crime?" Lieutenant Li asked. He and Sergeant Wells were the only ones scanning the forest while walking.
"The position of an elder is an exclusive important position, chosen by Tesa himself. For one of our own to falsely claim such a burden is an insult to our people and Tesa," Elder Septen answered.
"Ah, blasphemy. I understand then."
Sergeant Wells slowed down and nudged the captain. "How was the… god like, captain?"
Captain Moore gripped his rifle tighter. "Triggered some memories of my childhood, that's for sure."
"That bad? Damn. I might actually go back to church then. You think God is real?"
"All I know is that one god is real."
"Shit, so I should convert to Hinduism then? Take my chances that at least one of their gods is real?"
"That might not be a bad bet, honestly."
"... I hope Tesa is a bit happier to see us next time. I was taking a fat shit when the rumbling started; I'm just glad the toilet didn't explode."
The captain sputtered at the comment, though Caelu and Chiu looked curious if anything. The young male elf looked at Specialist Smith. "What's a toilet?"
"Oh, I know this one!" Caelu answered instead. "It's that thing they use for ah… I believe the humans call it "business?" I used it every day back at Fort Colossus."
"What's business?"
"It can mean doing work, I believe, trading things. Or it can mean…" Caelu blushed. "Er, letting out excrements, Chiu."
"Yuck," Chiu said, making a face.
It was unimaginable that a god had spoken through Chiu only a day ago. Yet, the elves were walking around as if this was completely normal, which caused Captain Moore to re-evaluate the… norms of this world.
Even after his "divine" experience, the boy seemed utterly normal. If anything, he acted like many human boys his age… which also involved asking for the synth nurse on the UNS Nimitz to join him on his journey to the village. After a few minutes of consideration, the request was denied and "delayed indefinitely."
The beaming smile from Caelu when rustling Chiu's hair was reassuring. The siblings had complimenting hair colors, though Chiu still seemed… blessed by Tesa's brief stay within his body. His skin was crystal clear, and his hair was a lighter green than his sister's.
"We're here," Elder Septen announced.
Despite knowing the village's location from his briefings, Captain Moore looked around for recognizable landmarks. Everything looked the same to him, though to the elves, who were attuned to the earth, the entrance was probably like a glaring beacon within the woods.
The elder struck his staff onto a small pile of leaves, and the earth parted to reveal a passage into the underground.
"Did he just Moses that shit?" Sergeant Wells asked.
"Who in Tesa's name is Moses?" Elder Septen asked in an irritated tone.
"Never mind that," Captain Moore waved his hand towards the passage. "We can discuss religious things after we're in the village."
True to their Tenth Mountain spirit, Sergeant Wells and his men barely paused before entering the passage after Elder Septen and Roke. The other elves, Specialist Smith and Lieutenant Li, followed shortly after, with Captain Moore in the rear.
"Anidom," Captain Moore mumbled, his hands tracing the hard earth that lined the passage walls.
Caelu turned and smiled. "Of heart and home. A village name befitting for the tribe blessed by the God of the Earth and Hearth."
The walk down the narrow passageway took a few minutes, but when he reached the end of it, he ducked under a tree root to witness a completely foreign sight.
A large chamber appeared before him, with glowing yellow stones embedded in the walls and streets, providing a soft ambiance. The interior was vast, large enough to fit the entirety of the Nimitz and more. If he had to guess, it would take him at least an hour to run from one end to the other.
A giant shimmering boulder was attached to the center of the ceiling, its bright red coloring and luminosity simulating the sun. The temperature within the underground felt just right, a warm ray of sunshine mixed with the coolness of the morning.
Dozens if not hundreds of elves were milling around, going about their daily business. Carts of grain, meats, and other goods were being pushed onto the busy streets below. A quick sniff revealed the faint smell of bread and roasted meat, prompting Captain Moore's stomach to growl despite himself. There was also a tinge of nuts and earth mixed into the air, a freshness that he didn't know was possible underground.
A large market sat at the center of the village, with the spiraling outer layers holding numerous houses made from giant tree roots or the earth. There was a small canal surrounding the limits of the markets, and water flowed from the center to the outer reaches of the village through the patterned dirt streets. At the very heart of the town, where the water originated, a large tower served as a beacon and reference point for all. It looked like the Washington Monument, though it was gray with a flat top.
The walls furthest away from the entrance held numerous openings to other large chambers, though Captain Moore could not see what lay beyond. From the looks of those entering the chambers, he guessed that a few held underground farms or orchids. Judging from the environment, it was even possible that the elves had their own herds of monsters or animals.
Each corner of the main room held an enormous tree, its numerous purple leaves and branches all remaining under the ground and looming over the elven village. The tree had a sword and a shield carved into its dark brown bark.
"Holy shit," Sergeant Wells muttered after Captain Moore arrived next to him. "I thought it would be a few mud and wooden huts."
Even Lieutenant Li, who remained aloof while observing Bravo Company, looked impressed. He snapped a few photos with his camera and beamed. "Fascinating! I believe I've visited some of the underground churches and villages back in China. This is on a far grander scale… as if an entire city was sunk into the ground."
"It took several months of magic to carve out the cavern like this," Caelu said. "Our ancestors took great effort to make it as spacious and grand as possible so that we could live within the earth forever if needed."
"Magic certainly seems to have its uses, as long as it doesn't drain your life essence."
Elder Septen hummed, jabbing Roke again with his staff as he led the group towards the village. "There are far more spectacular feats of magic than this. You humans have seen nothing yet."
"Oh, I don't think you've seen everything we have to offer as well," Lieutenant Li assured.
"We'll see," the elder shook his long greying hair and growled. "Damn… the Grand Elder knows I've returned. I will go greet him."
Captain Moore raised an eyebrow. "Should we also…"
"No. I'll greet him first and take Roke with me so he can receive his punishment. Caelu and Chiu, you two can show the humans around… and slowly inform the rest of the tribe of what transpired in that place."
"You mean Fort Colossus?"
"Fort whatever the heck. Such a silly name for something as important as a home."
"It has a pretty deep meaning actually…"
"... Whatever. Enjoy the splendors of our village, and try not to speak too much of human things."
After the elder and his prisoner stumbled away to a secluded path to a nearby chamber, the soldiers looked at Caelu and Chiu, who both smiled at each other and jogged toward the outskirts of Anidom. "Come on!"
The humans trotted down the road, encountering some elves heading towards the entrance with spears and bows. They all looked to be around Caelu's age, dressed in simple robes and displaying streaks of dirt on their skin. One of them noticed Sergeant Wells' ears, prompting a surprised yelp from the elf.
In the blink of an eye, they all pulled out their weapons and glared at the humans. "Outsiders! Caelu, what are you doing with them?"
Despite the hostility, the men of Bravo Company remained calm and raised their rifles, their stance tightening at the sudden draw of steel. Captain Moore and Lieutenant Li followed suit, though their rifles were still tilted towards the floor.
"Stop, Ger!" Caelu rushed over and placed herself between her tribe members and the soldiers. "Lord Tesa himself has sanctioned them!"
"That's outlandish, Caelu! Tesa, approving of humans?" the elf with purple hair named Ger growled, raising his spear. "He despises what the humans did to us and the earth."
Caelu unsheated her dagger, which was returned to her the day prior. "You may not like the truth, but it is as I say. If you dare touch them, you will face his wrath and mine. We're friends, Ger, but Tesa approved of them."
Specialist Smith came in between the elf and Caelu, leaving the rifle by her side. "If you hurt Caelu, you will face a severe punishment."
"You can hit first," Sergeant Wells taunted. "But you're not going to like our response."
"I doubt you could hit me with those weapons of yours," the purple-haired elf scoffed.
"You don't need to doubt, 'cause you'll be on your ass anyways."
"See? These outsiders don't respect us, and they are aggressive even when invited to our home. Their presence of itself is a mockery to all that we live for!"
"Put down your weapons," Captain Moore said, pushing down the barrel of Sergeant Wells' rifle. "We're guests here. Let's behave a bit, even if we might find some of them… disagreeable."
That earned a dismissive scoff from the unknown elf, but the human soldiers settled down unhappily. Sergeant Wells kicked a mound of dirt near him, his red hair flaring through the air like prickling flames. "You'll see us around a lot more, so get used to it."
"Sergeant."
"Whatever. They're lucky they have a god on their side."
As if Tesa heard their bickering, the ground below them rumbled, causing the elves to jump. Captain Moore noted that their verticals were… impressive, to say the least.
The elves seemingly understood the meaning behind the shake and walked past them without further incident. The purple-haired elf glared at the group before heading towards the entrance, his ears rustling consistently. Captain Moore frowned and spoke up once they reached the outskirts of the village. "Are they all going to be like this?"
"Many will be," Caelu admitted. "Though, I hope they will change their mind after learning more about your people. None of them have experience with outsiders… except the Grand Elder."
"Will we ever get to see him?"
"He's a bit reclusive and enjoys reading in seclusion… so it's highly improbable. However, if he says anything, Elder Septen will inform us."
"What are the chances that he's NEE…" Sergeant Wells wondered out loud.
Captain Moore cleared his throat. "Sergeant. No. Especially not here."
"Wasn't going actually to say it. Besides, they can't understand us."
"Until they learn English or get access to a MicroTranslate."
"I believe what Sergeant Wells meant to say was NEET…" Specialist Smith interjected.
"... Specialist, please mute yourself for the time being," Captain Moore said.
"Is that a direct order?"
"No, but it's not good to call a foreign leader that word."
"Sergeant Wells was the one who referred to him as such…"
"Regardless."
"Acknowledged, sir."
The elves looked at the humans curiously, but Lieutenant Li chuckled. "I assume it's possible though, no? Should we hook up a computer in his room to double-check?"
"A computer?" Caelu asked. "Is it possible to bring some here? I truly enjoyed using them. Those "videos" and "games" were…"
"We can discuss it in the future. For now, we'll need to get used to your tribe first," Captain Moore said.
He looked around to see the older elves avoiding his group like the plague, making an effort to sidestep off the road and around them. In contrast, a few younger elves around Chiu's age wandered around them curiously. Captain Moore waved at the children with an easy smile. "Heya."
One of the kids jumped and hurried away, though two remained behind and watched the captain with bated breaths. Chiu ran up to them and grinned. "Modiu, Pallu!"
"Chiu!" the small boy with dirt brown hair named Modiu said. "What are you doing with…them?"
"We met them in the forest!"
"Above?"
"Yep! All sorts of cool stuff happened."
As Chiu went on a rant about his experiences in the lands above, the boy who had run away a few moments prior ran back towards the group. Compared to the other boys, this one was a tad younger and smaller, with locks of purple hair. He saw Captain Moore and shuddered before tumbling onto the earth in a heap. As he cried in a heap on the ground, the captain ran up to him and helped him onto his feet. "Careful little one."
"Mommy said you were monsters…" the boy sniffled.
"No monsters here, kid. I'm a human. See? Just like you, but with shorter ears," Captain Moore assured, pulling his ears. He rummaged through his pack and pulled out a Snickers bar. "Do you like sweet things?"
"Yeah!"
"I think you'll like this candy then. Try it. It's called "chocolate" in our world."
"Chocolate," the boy repeated, taking the candy and trying to eat it with wrappers and all. He spat out a piece of plastic and glared at the officer. "That's not tasty! You tricked me!"
"You just have to peel the outer layer here."
After the captain helped the boy peel off the wrapper, the boy immediately dug in and laughed in delight. "This is delicious!"
"Do you think they may be allergic to anything from Earth?" Lieutenant Li asked, scribbling something into his notebook.
"No clue, but chocolate should be safe. Caelu ate some a few days back, and they ran a diagnostics test on her," Captain Moore said. "We'll need to be cautious of potential allergic reactions, though. We still have much to learn about them."
"Well, I hope you had more chocolate. Otherwise, we'll have an unhappy crowd."
Captain Moore turned around to see Chiu and his friends standing before him, along with a few more children with wide eyes, staring at the purple-haired elf boy devouring a chocolate bar.
He sighed and pulled out a family-size pack of Snickers bars hidden in his pack. "Who wants one?"