Chad, Squawkers, and the blue-skinned elf all stared at each other in silence for what felt like an eternity. Squawkers was the first to act.

"Watch out, Chad!" The parrot's head whipped around the clearing. "It's an ambush. It has to be! Get ready!"

Snapping himself out of the daze, Chad began surveying the area as well. But he saw nothing. No movement in the treeline, no shifting of earth, no sudden transformation of the flowers into dangerous thorny vines... nothing.

His eyes turned back to the elf sitting above them. His eyes were wide with surprise and horror. A slight sound of rustling leaves carried across the clearing, even though the figure had made no move.

Is he... shaking?

Chad found himself at a loss. The Lorinthian Gardener didn't seem aggressive, despite his initial shout. In fact, he seemed nearly paralyzed by fear.

Eventually, he couldn't help but shrug. Nothing had popped out of the woodwork to assault them, and his curiosity got the better of him.

Chad addressed the figure hesitantly. "Uh.... hi?"

"Hi?! That's what you're gonna say?" Squawkers asked incredulously. He flapped over to Chad's shoulder, tense and ready for anything. "This is an enemy! They've obviously set up a trap of some kind here! We need to leave or get ready!"

Chad shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes on the elf. "I kinda don't think that's what's going on here, buddy. He seems pretty spooked."

"It could be an act to lull us into a false sense of security. Although... you do have a point." Squawkers glared at the figure. "Hey, why haven't you attacked yet?"

At the address, the blue-skinned alien seemed to snap out of whatever funk he'd been in. "I-I... leave this place! Or else! This is my domain!"

It was pretty obvious that he tried to imbue the words with confidence and bluster. Unfortunately, his voice was a bit too high-pitched for the effect to come off as intimidating. The stuttering didn't help, either.

Chad frowned. "Your domain? Did you plant all this stuff?"

"Of course!" The elf straightened slightly, puffing out his chest. "And you have intruded upon it! Now leave before I... I..."

"Before you what?" Squawkers cocked his head.

The figure hesitated. "Before I... ugh." He deflated suddenly. "Please just leave me alone? I promise I mean you no harm. I just... I just want to tend my plants."

Chad and Squawkers fell silent, sharing a look.

"What's up with this guy? Is he really not gonna fight us?"

Chad blinked at the telepathic message, but the parrot wasn't done. "Do we kill him? I don't like the idea of leaving him here, either. What if he changes his mind and comes after us later? How do we know he's even being honest?"

Lacking a way to answer the parrot's questions mentally, Chad simply whispered back to the bird. "Maybe we just try talking to him?"

"Are you serious?"

"I mean, why not? I don't think he's gonna be a problem either way. He seems kinda weak. Besides, he hasn't done anything to us."

"No, but literally every other alien we've seen has tried to kill us. Did you forget that?"

"No, of course not! But look," Chad gestured around the clearing. "This guy's literally been growing flowers. And you said that weird one in the middle is harmless, right?"

After a moment, a sigh echoed in his head. "Fine... I am a little curious about what he has to say myself. But if he does anything just a little threatening..."

Chad relaxed slightly. That was a plan he could get behind. It felt better than simply throwing a rock at the guy, at least.

With a nod, Chad turned back up to the trees. "We don't want to hurt you either. What's your name?"

Suspicion was written plain across the elf's face, but he answered anyway. "My name is Nih'iquel'zan."

Oh hell no. No way I'm remembering that.

Chad hummed thoughtfully. "Can I call you... Nih'iquel? Nickel?" He snapped suddenly. "Ah-hah! Nick!"

He heard Squawkers let out an audible groan as the "Nick" tilted his head in confusion. "You would give someone you've just met a bond-name? A potential enemy, no less?"

"Is that what you call nicknames?" Chad asked with surprise.

"I have never heard of a 'nick-name...'" After a moment of contemplation, the elf nodded. "But I believe I understand. Bond-names must take a different form on this planet. I am honored to receive the title of 'Nick."

"That's not--"

Chad quickly put a hand on Squawkers's head to quiet him. "Yup! That's right!"

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Chad was fairly certain that the guy had made at least a half-dozen misunderstandings on the way to his final conclusion. But they seemed to make Nick relax a bit, so he didn't see any particular reason to correct them.

"I'm Chad, and this here is Squawkers." He gestured to himself and his friend in turn.

"...Well met," Nick nodded.

"You wanna come down from there, or...?"

After a moment of hesitation, Nick's shoulders seemed to slump. He nodded with resignation. "I suppose there's no point in doing otherwise. I am at your mercy."

With a flutter of his leaf-covered cloak, he dropped down from the treeline above. As he landed gracefully on the edge of the flower field, he straightened and met Chad's gaze. "If I may, I would request... please kill me quickly. I know that I am no match for you based on level alone. But I will not offer a worthwhile fight, even if I were to--"

"Woah, woah, woah." Chad raised his hands placatingly. "I'm not just gonna kill you for no reason! You haven't done anything!"

Nick's brow furrowed. "Then why would you ask me to descend to your level? Where you may more easily dispatch me?"

"Because my neck was getting tired of looking up!" He rolled his shoulders to emphasize the point. "It's way easier to talk when you're on the same level. Well, as close as you can be."

By now Nick's expression had gone from despairing to bewildered to just plain lost. Evidently, this encounter was not going as he'd planned. At all.

"You wish to... talk?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Why?" Nick pressed. "I am of no value to you, aside from my experience. If you wish for my pitiful strength to add to your own, then dispose of me already and be done with it."

"I already told you, I'm not gonna kill you--"

"Do you think I do not see your level?" The elf spat. "Do you think me too dense to recognize what it means? Strength like that is not found among the peacemakers and 'talkers' of the world, this or any other. It is reserved for the warmongers and brutally efficient tyrants who set out with a single goal: power. If this is some kind of human joke to make me plead for mercy, I implore you to dispense with it."

"Geez," Squawkers remarked. "He seems like fun at parties."

"Right?" Chad muttered. "I mean, I have killed some freaky shit, but it's always been trying to kill me first..."

He continued staring at the blue-skinned alien for a while longer, trying to understand. Despite his words, the guy was still trembling in fear. It made Chad fairly certain that this wasn't some sort of elaborate ploy or trick -- Nick was actually just terrified of them. It made him seem... young.

Chad gave the elf a confused look of his own, then turned to his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure he's not gonna stab us in the back, Squawk. Maybe we should just leave him alone?"

"Hmmm..." The bird crossed his wings in a thoughtful gesture. "I kinda agree. I don't like it, but I'm starting to think he is just some weirdo gardener like the tag says."

"Can you identify him?"

"No, because I used it on that plant," the parrot sighed with exasperation. "It'll take a while to come off cooldown. Otherwise, I could tell you if any of his skills sounded dangerous..."

Chad rubbed his chin. Well. Maybe it's risky to leave this guy alone, but I really wouldn't feel right if he is just minding his own business.

"...Alright." Chad nodded. "We'll leave you alone. Sorry to bother you."

Nick blinked. "What?"

"We're leaving, idiot!" Squawkers called as Chad wheeled his chair around. "So don't try and backstab us, alright? We've got friends around that'll make you regret it!"

"Oh, shoot." Chad paused. "Should we warn the Major and them to stay away?"

"Probably. At the very least, we'll have to let them know that he's here..."

The pair continued chatting as they headed back toward the edge of the clearing. The trip into the forest hadn't been a particularly easy one for Chad, but now that he'd blazed a trail, hopefully it would be better on the way back.

"That's it?"

He looked over his shoulder to find a frozen Nick. "You're just... leaving? Like that?"

"I mean, yeah." Chad called. "Have fun growing flowers and stuff."

"You don't intend to kill me?"

"I mean, are you gonna kill me?"

"No, why would I?" Nick gestured around him. "I have no need for power. I just wish to live out my final days in peace."

"Then we're good!" Chad shot him a thumbs up.

"Wait, final days?" Squawkers interrupted. "What are you, gonna keel over like an old man?"

Nick drew himself up to his full height. "I'm 82."

"82?!" Chad blanched. "Shit, you really are an elf! You look like a damn teen!"

"I am not an elf," Nick shuddered. "I am a Lorinthian. And I am a fully mature adult, thank you."

"Wait…" Squawkers eyed him skeptically. "82 what? Years?"

The guy blanched. "Years?! Surely you jest. I am not so ancient!"

"Then..." Chad's brow furrowed again. "Wait. If it's not years, what is it?"

"82 days, obviously!" Nick scoffed. "A perfectly reasonable age for one's first Raid."

They all went silent. The proud smile slowly slipped from Nick's face. "What?"

"You're not even three months old?!"

"Wait, wait." A wing settled on his shoulder as Squawkers attempted to reassure Chad. "We don't know if time works the same way wherever he's from. A day there could be like five months here!"

The elf scoffed. "You question the system's ability to translate such things? It converts timescales flawlessly between any new world."

The pair went silent again, taking in the information.

He's a kid. A literal child. How in the actual hell.

Squawkers echoed his thoughts. "They sent literal kids to fight? What in the actual--"

"I am not a child!" Nick protested. His face took on a purplish tint as embarrassment colored his cheeks. His earlier hesitation was all but forgotten in the moment. "I am a mature adult! Besides, you cannot possibly be much older than me. What are you, 120?"

"I'm 29," Chad said.

The elf snorted in triumph. "See? You're even younger than--"

"No, not 29 days," Chad explained. "Years. I'm 29 years old."

Now it was the alien's turn to fall silent. His jaw hung open in evident shock. "What manner of elder are you?"

Before Chad could answer, a high-pitched buzzing sound reached his ears. It swelled and receded in waves, layering upon itself over and over to form a veritable cloud of sound. And it was getting louder.

Chad turned toward the noise as Squawkers flapped upward to get a better view. "I got bad news for you, kid. We've got company incoming. A whole swarm of them."

"What is it? Chad asked, getting ready to fight. "Birds?"

"Worse," Squawkers shook his head. "Insects."