Blonde hair and long, sharp-pointed ears.....there was no doubt about it. My radar had detected someone incoming, and now she is here. I'd only ever read about them in books. European tales and myths speak of beings who live for over a hundred years, keeping to themselves in deep, secluded forests, far from the rest of the world. They are unlike humans, living peacefully in harmony with nature, and known for their beauty, which rivals that of any human. They are the so-called Elves.
But seriously? An elf, here, right in front of me? That's just absurd. Then again, who am I to judge? It's not like I haven't seen things far weirder or more disturbing than what most people would call freaky. Truth is, I've seen plenty. Strange and stranger more. So if an elf is standing here now, I have to treat it as real. And honestly, this is just another robot.
The female elf robot spoke. What things she said baffled me. I didn't expect what she said to be....that. A fool? Me? No one can see me especially in this state, and yet she is.
I scanned her using my scanner. Apparently there is no signs of advanced tech that could reveal my location, that is on her.
Alright, time to switch it up, I thought. So I ran an external scan instead. Nothing weird (that I'm not) mostly x-ray. That's when my sensors finally picked up something. I wasn't entirely sure at first... was it her core? Maybe that's the tech she's using that allows her to see me.
Impressive....I must say.
As I stood there, running a thorough scan and trying to make sense of what she is, the robo-elf spoke again. This time though, I could sense something different in her voice.
Anger.
Frustration.
An irritation to speak.
Mad because she didn't get a response out of me the first time. Mad, she spoke again, though differently, the robo-elf's outburst is clear. An introduction from her. Okay.
Did I manage to get something out of her. Well, not directly but yes still. A lack of patience from her - she gave something away. I got her name: Aelira.
And yep, it definitely sounded like something straight out of a fantasy novel.
Enough of that for now. Now I faced the robo-elf; I looked at the robo-elf. If she could already sense I was here, what was the point of staying hidden? I Might as well drop the act. So, I deactivated my cloak.
When my cloak went down, the robo-elf still held her spear pointed at me. I noticed a slight flinch. Was it her brows or her eyes? There was also a subtle reaction in her body, just enough for the scanner to pick up - the faint increase in her heartbeat. Now that I was exposed, she could see me for what I truly am. From the look of it, I got the feeling the robo-elf wasn't exactly pleased to see me... or maybe just surprised.
Now I stood there, stunned and wondering what she would do next.
Then the robo-elf spoke again. "Who or what are you?! W-What is your business here, intruder? Speak!" Her tone was sharp-interrogative. I could tell she had questions, and I needed to give answers if we were to ease the tension between us. But what could I tell her? I wasn't entirely sure what I was supposed to say. Lost... in this forest. There wasn't much I could say-or maybe it was better if I just acted the part.
"Nothing that may cause discourse," I began.
"Lies!" she snapped.
"You cannot fool me as you did with your magic. It's clear as day-you cannot hide your presence," she said, already angry, even though I hadn't done anything. She added, "This is Sylvereen Forest. How were you able to enter? That alone makes you a threat."
You've got to be kidding me, I thought. Just like that-I'm now labeled enemy number one. I can't stay here for long, I told myself, already scheming in my mind.
I decided to step forward, one foot at a time-starting with my left. The moment I did, it caught the robo-elf's attention.
"Halt, intruder! Do not step closer!" she commanded, keeping her spear trained on me without a hint of hesitation.
"Do not worry. I have no intention of harm," I said in a calm voice. Though naturally smooth, my voice filtered into a deeper, static tone-one I often used to conceal my identity.
"Lies, again. What I sense in you is not of natural essence... you have no soul!" she shouted, anger rising in her voice.
What is she talking about? No soul? What does that even mean? I wondered, confused by her choice of words.
Irritatingly irrelevant, I sighed. There is no need to dwell on it. Better yet, that didn't matter. This is exactly what I had been hoping for. To buy time, that is.
I replied one last time, "You may be right," and faced her, "....But I won't be here."
Then-boom!
In an instant, thick black smoke burst out. Black smoke perfect hindering sight but also, good for my quick escape. By the time the robo-elf reacted, I was already gone.
Third POV
Dennis was now on the run. He hadn't known if his plan would actually work-but somehow, it did. And from the looks of it, he was already a good distance away.
So how did he pull it off? How did he escape?
Simple. The moment he made his move, he stepped out with his left leg first. At the same time, he angled his body slightly to the right, keeping his right arm hidden behind his back.
While engaged in small talk, his right arm activated, materializing a gadget ready for deployment. When it finished assembling, it produced three smoke charges-just what he needed to finalize his escape plan.
That was it. From here on, future Dennis would have to find help elsewhere.
But as Dennis had assumed it was over... it wasn't. What he thought was finished was far from it.
Something was coming. Or someone.
Beep! The alarm screamed through Dennis's helmet. A red dot lit up on his radar. He wasn't alone. Something was chasing him.
You've gotta be kidding me, Dennis thought.
He sprinted along the tree branches, leaping from one to the next, pushing his pace...but the red dot kept closing in.
Mid-jump to another tree, he twisted in the air and caught a glimpse behind him.
There she was. The robo-elf: Aelira. Still distant, but unmistakably in his sights. Airborne (just like him). At a closer glance, Aelira raised her weapon, locked on Dennis - focused - and fired.
These were the words that could only describe it. Bright. Spiraling. Crackling. It is a blazing sphere of fire shot toward Dennis at tremendous speed like a living torch. It started as a glow (faint) but got bigger and bigger as it grew near and nearer. Then it spiraled, twisting like a storm of flame. Cracks of crackling sound came and filled the air. It is sharp and wild.
And then. Boom! A searing fireball burst forth, tearing through the sky like a comet. The fire was coming - straight for Dennis.
Boommm!!!! An explosion erupted high in the trees. Below, the younglings and adults heard it echo through the forest. The adults knew what this sign meant. "Don't worry, follow us!" one called out.
The younglings stayed on the path, guided quickly to safety. What's happening up there? Seris thought, trying to look up, but the adults hurried her along.
Back in the treetops, branches and leaves smoldered, smoke curling into the air and disturbing the forest's stillness. Dennis had made it just in time. Safe-at least for now-he clung to a branch with one hand, hanging off the side of the tree trunk.
Damn, that was close! He thought. An inch more and I'd be done for.
He tilted his head, scanning the distance. Aelira. She is on his tail.
But not long after he'd recovered from the fireball, another attack came hurling his way. Again! His face tensed. In a split-second reaction, Dennis turned to the side, grabbed another tree branch, and swung landing on a different one. He hid behind the tree.
The last attack hadn't come from Aelira. It came from someone else. The radar confirmed it: another red dot.
This is a warrior of the Sylvereen Forest. A scout. And a she as well.
While Dennis hid, keeping low among the branches, the scout emerged-swift and silent-coming to a stop beside Aelira, a few paces to her left. "I came as fast as I could," she said, apologetic.
"Do not worry yourself," Aelira replied with a nod. "Go and protect the younglings! Lead them quickly to the Sylvereen Field!"
"But, my lady..." the scout began, but stopped.
"Go!" Aelira repeated firmly. "Though I appreciate your help, it's essential to protect the younglings. So go-I'll handle this matter myself!"
"Understood," the scout said, then leapt off into the trees.
Now present and alone, Aelira stood still-but alert. She could sense the enemy was still nearby. "Come out! You can't hide!" she shouted into the trees.
As for Dennis, he cared less to explain himself. What bothered him? What really had him puzzled was how the hell did the first attack even count as an attack?!
Based on the force of the attack, it looked dangerous as it was big.
A fireball?! What?! He thought. How am I supposed to avoid that?!