"For the fifth time in a thousand rotations… Lord Tesa has reached his divine hand out to the Messenger Chiu, brother of Caelu, and delivered his words of wisdom for our village." Elder Septen, standing on top of the obelisk, spread out his hands towards the ceiling. He wore the hood attached to his tunic, covering his eyes and exuding a presence of mystery to the crowd below.
The elves gathered by the thousands in the center plaza of the town, where the tower resided. Many of them cheered and looked enthralled by the elder's words, which echoed throughout the cavern. The flurry of excitement caused a few rocks and mounds of dirt to swirl wildly, perhaps outbursts of earth magic caused by the crowd's ebullition.
Despite everyone being streaked with mud and dirt on their skin and clothes… the smell was somewhat pleasant. Much of the elves nearby smelled like a freshly dug trench in the middle of the woods.
After hearing the elder's words, many turned to Chiu, who remained hand in hand with his sister and stared at him in awe. The boy shrank in the face of the sea of stares, yet they continued, prompting him to hide behind Caelu. Captain Moore noted the stress on the word "Messenger," which he took as a title similar to that of "prophet."
Captain Moore's group remained towards the rear, Lieutenant Li snapping a few more photos while the captain watched the spectacle with binoculars. After the nearby elves finished staring at Chiu, their interested and awed stares shifted to ones of hostility and fear at the sight of the strange humans.
"He looks like that homeless dude I saw at Roosevelt. You know, the one that smoked too many rocks?" Sergeant Wells whispered in English. "Well, before him and the city went up in smokes."
Captain Moore snorted and glared at the sergeant, though noting that the elder's clothes earned him no favors regarding that observation. Yet, there was little doubt that the elderly elf's words were backed with power: the power of the earth and a god.
"His exact words were," Elder Septen pulled out a rolled parchment and unfurled it with a grandiose swagger. "The humans will stay. I will offer them a hearth in this section of the forest, which I will expand to allow them to grow. You are to aid them, and guide them. They are… experienced, yet ignorant of this world and its ways."
This announcement caused some intense mutterings and grumbles between the elves, many turning towards the human group with increased intensity. When Captain Moore saw a few nearby boring into his appearance, he waved with a smile.
That earned him a few snorts.
"He declared that there will be… conflict and tribulations ahead for our people and this world. However, these humans will assist us, as we are to assist them."
That statement prompted another round of hushed whispers and speculations, which Captain Moore overheard.
"... Another war?"
"Surely the last one was enough to give even the gods a pause?"
"How can we win in such a war? The Kingdom of Lonsaure is long gone! We are but a small tribe…"
"Heresy! Tesa will deliver for us. If he says we must fight, we shall fight…"
Elder Septen stomped his foot, causing the ground to rumble and the crowd to silence. "It is the will of Lord Tesa. No matter what my or your opinions are, what he declares is law. I can not say that I have full confidence in our new… acquaintances, but I can not deny that what I have seen from there so far may tilt the balance in our favor.
"So as He commands, we shall provide our strength and knowledge for these… humans. Humans from a place called Earth. One may say they are… the Humans of Tesa, while we are the Tesa's Chosen.
"Let it be declared that today, Sixteen Days after the Autumn Equinox, the Dunj Tribe, Tesa's Chosen, draws Tesa's symbol with the Humans of Tesa. May both of our tribes protect the earth and all life that dwells on it."
The elder raised his hand and, with magic, created a long trench in front of the human delegation. The top of the line faced the left, traversing into a straight line before halting.
Captain Moore stared at the drawing and looked back at the elder. "Can I ask what this is before I sign this?"
"A Symbol of Friendship between our two tribes. It will create a magical agreement, a guarantee to not attack each other and work together to promote our mutual interests."
"I don't think I have the authority to do that."
"Tesa has willed it, and your leaders also agreed."
"This is a bit above my pay grade."
"Your what?"
"... Never mind." Captain Moore took a step back and tapped his ears. "Iris, did command mention anything specific about treaties?"
"From the brief, you were given the authority to negotiate and act upon the UN's behalf… since you're technically acting as the representative of the UN."
"Why me and not a damn career diplomat?"
"I just read stuff and report to you, boss."
The captain turned back to Elder Septen and stood before him, letting out a tired sigh. "Do you swear upon Tesa that this piece of magic is everything you claim it is? That there is nothing nefarious or hidden about this that can be used to harm my people?"
"I swear upon his name," Elder Septen answered.
The cavern rumbled, sealing the vow with a minor quake of seeming approval.
"So… what do you want us to draw?"
"A jagged line with three top points and two bottom points."
"So, a W?"
"What?"
"Never mind. A W it is."
Captain Moore grabbed his rifle with both hands and drew a W under the drawing. He placed the center of the W to meet the bottom line, finishing the strange symbol. Right after the captain finished drawing, the lines glowed momentarily before sinking into the earth.
"The earth has accepted the pact. And with it, Tesa signals his approval. Until the earth itself is destroyed, so our words will stand."
After those words were uttered, all the nearby elves placed their foreheads on the ground, even Caelu and Chiu. They remained in place for a few minutes before returning to their feet. The dirt on their foreheads remained firmly in place, and glowed a green hue.
"Is this what the Spanish felt when watching the Aztecs?" Lieutenant Li wondered.
"There aren't any blood sacrifices here, so I would say it's infinitely better," Captain Moore answered.
Caelu, who remained prone on the ground, was the last one to rise amongst the crowd. Regardless, Elder Septen continued his speech, begrudgingly promoting peace and harmony between the two sides. Chiu looked at his sister with concern after she refused to stand, leading him to poke her shoulders.
Seconds later, she convulsed in place and screamed.
"Caelu?" Captain Moore asked, walking towards the elf girl as her screams stopped.
Instead of rising to her feet, Caelu's body floated from the ground, and a sky-blue aura radiated from her body. Her eyes flashed open, revealing shining white pupils amidst a blue iris. Out of nowhere, gusts of winds surrounded her, and a cloud materialized underneath her feet, supporting the body in mid-air.
The air itself felt… cold and fleeting. The whirlwinds caused by the sudden change clashed with the earth and its followers, the sound of scratching against the dirt by the wind.
"... Shit, is it that god again?" Sergeant Wells asked, gripping his rifle.
Captain Moore shook his head. "He glowed purple last time and was surrounded by earth. Another god, then?"
"You guess correctly, human," the entity controlling Caelu said, her mouth twitching awkwardly. The voice was gentler yet faster and airy compared to the deep rumbles of Tesa. "It has been a long time since I occupied a mortal body. A child of earth that has learned to love the sky. Perhaps the only one in a millennia.."
"Bie," Elder Septen choked out as he gasped for air, pulling out his staff. "How dare you intrude upon this place!"
Some of the other elves ran to their residences, possibly to grab any weapons they could to face down the god. The others remained frozen in place, staring at the appearance of a foreign divine hovering over their precious settlement.
The Goddess of the Sky and Rain shook Caelu's limbs, rotating her head and cracking her back. "Relax, old man. I am not here to fight you or Tesa today. If anything, I'm here to make the same pact."
"You? Work with Lord Tesa? Bah! You've been fighting for rotations, for time eternal!"
"Well, that was until I saw these humans," the divine declared, her voice laced with pride. "Beyond the skies, there is something greater… A shame that no entity can claim such vastness."
"You're Bie," Captain Moore said.
"That I am. If the elves or Tesa had not found you, I would granted you my blessings. Alas, your people and his people were meant to be. Maybe if you named your planet something other than "earth.""
Despite knowing the futility of his actions, Captain Moore raised his rifle, with his men following his lead. "So why are you here then, controlling Caelu?"
"Oh, like any good god or goddess… Searching for more followers and seeking more power," Bie grinned widely, expressing her glee to the fullest. The air vibrated around her, and the cloud lifted her higher towards the ceiling. "Your people have interesting toys, toys that I would love to see more across my domain. Especially your "pilots" or whatever they are called. If they promise to worship me and acknowledge my divinity, I will ensure that no foul weather hinders them when they fly…"
"That… might actually get all the pilots to sign up," Lieutenant Li admitted.
"You think we can ask Tesa for a counteroffer? Like no mud stuck in our clothes or vehicles?" Sergeant Wells asked. "Cause hell, I think most of the boys would gladly throw out the chaplains for that."
"For what? Are you also preparing for… whatever Tesa mentioned last time?" Captain Moore inquired towards Bie.
An arrow whizzed by Bie, though she halted it in mid-air with a wave of a hand. She glared at the elf that shot it and lashed out with her arms, prompting a barrage of air to sweep over the crowd. Several were knocked back, including Lieutenant Li and the other soldiers. However, Sergeant Wells and Captain Moore barely remained on their feet.
"An arrow, really? As for your question, mortal… I do not know what Tesa confided with you. What I do know is that Eden is awake, more than ever."
"Eden meaning… heaven?"
"The Garden of the Gods. Even more importantly, the Superior Synod is stirring more than ever before. The last time this happened, millions of you mortals perished, and dozens of gods and goddesses were forever weakened."
"Including yourself and Lord Tesa," Elder Septen growled, climbing back onto the flat surface of the obelisk.
"Because the elves that I blessed were too weak! I swore I would never forgive your kind… especially those arrogant idiots from the Kingdom of Lonsaure. I promised I would never forgive the humans, either. Yet, with that god shaking in his slumber…
Bie's voice sharply rose, causing a sonic boom to rattle the cavern's walls. The cloud underneath her feet started to drizzle the ground below. "Never again will I bless elves with my presence or glory. Tesa remains foolish as always, so insistent on sticking with those that led to our own ruin, which is why these humans will do. They already have masteries over the sky and beyond, and I want that."
"Yeah, here's the issue," Captain Moore said. "We're not pilots. You're asking the wrong people."
"The only one I could feasibly possess was this girl."
"Why?"
"Because she believes in the divines of this world, the Synod. And because she loves the sky."
"You talk more directly than Tesa."
"Tesa believes he sounds more profound if he talks with an air of mystery and vague words. I believe he's trying to hide that he's not as strong or as knowledgeable as people think he is," Bie shrugged, sparking a small breeze to rise higher into the air. "I don't have any followers or the such to brag to. I killed them all."
"Do not insult Lord Tesa!" Elder Septen shouted.
"I'll do whatever I want. What can he do, smite me?"
The cavern rumbled, and a rock dropped from the top and whizzed past Caelu's head. The goddess possessing the elf frowned. "Very funny, Tesa. Save your powers for the future. Eden knows I have plenty saved up for a future tumbling, unlike you interventionist twig."
She turned to the human group and smiled. "Anywho, humans, that is all I had. Go tell your friends at your fort. Maybe I'll speak to them directly to earn their support. Since I'm not like Tesa, I have much more energy to spare. For now, see ya."
With that, a whirlwind exited Caelu's nose and dispersed into the air with a loud bang.
Caelu slowly floated onto the ground, landing on her back with the wind cushioning her fall. When Captain Moore rushed over, her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at her surroundings. "W…What happened?"
"Looks like you and your brother have a knack for… gods?" Captain Moore answered.
"It is done then," Elder Septen declared solemnly. He thrust his staff onto the obelisk's surface and glared at Caelu. "The first Messenger of Bie in hundreds of rotations… Caelu."