Almost as soon as Asaren and Tiaren were away, the horribly powerful source of spirit energy changed course.

The intelligence of Asaren was truly frightening in how much she could read about a situation with what little information he could give her, but there was one thing she had missed. The true reason why the envoy would pursue them as aggressively as they are now. He was sure she had gotten rather close, but he had left out one key detail. The girls were most likely not the primary target. Perhaps they would warrant this kind of aggressive pursuit if the fey court knew what those girls were truly capable of, but that information had still been well hidden.

Eirlathion looked down to the young human child he held. Levin. It had never been agreed which of the girls he was the birthmate to. These two amazingly powerful humans each acted as though they were attached to both of the girls.

These boys were not just powerful. They had managed to bring a tree spirit to almost full maturity just by exposure to the spirit energy they gave off. The behavior of the nymph it produced was erratic, but there were extenuating circumstances to this. There is simply no way that power would not be desired by any fey alive. They would gladly even kill the child these humans were attached to just to get them. The grey elf heritage of the girls would just be a convenient excuse to justify this action.

Eirlathion did not understand how, but Asaren was somehow able to produce spirit energy as would a human. She did not need a birthmate to survive. Surely she could sustain Tiaren as well should the need arise. These human children were amazing, but they were not needed. For the sake of those two surviving, he would give up these boys to the pursuers. These were the real prize they were after anyway. He knew the girls would object, and likely even get themselves killed in the effort to resist before he could explain how valuable they were.

Negotiation would be impossible so long as the prize offered by these boys was blinding them. Negotiation over the girls could happen after the envoy was assured they had secured this prize.

He could see the light let off by the pursuer now. That light would mean it is a great fairy rather than a fey dragon. For a fairy to be this powerful, even if it was of the superior variety, was simply ridiculous. The winged humanoid descended through the canopy, shining light down on them as they descended.

Eirlathion lowered Levin to the ground and took a step back from him. The boy turned and looked up at Eirlathion. The confusion on the face of the boy was obvious.

[Kiriia.] Eirlathion said to the assistant he had taken on. She looked between him and Levin, and then quickly imitated the same actions with Rolwen.

[What’s going on?] Rolwen demanded in an angry sounding tone.

Before the boy had a chance to say anything else, the great fairy was rapidly nearing the ground. Such a powerful aura. This had to be the envoy sent by the queen in person. If that is the case, it is convenient. He would be able to negotiate more effectively with this.

Eirlathion was becoming somewhat optimistic as he shielded the eyes against the harsh light the great fairy was letting off. However, as the light began to dim he was left stunned when he saw dark ebony skin on the man before him instead of the pale white skin more common among fairies.

[A Jinn!] Kiriia said in a shocked voice.

[No, he has wings.] Eirlathion said, indicating the butterfly-like wings extending from the back of the robed man. Indeed, aside from those wings, this man looked in every way like a Jinn. From the very dark brown color of the skin down to the well trimmed beard and mustache, both completely contradictory to the typically pale and youthful features of a fairy. This was not like any fairy Eirlathion had ever seen. Is it possible a Jinn had simply decided to wear wings for some kind of fun?

It was not entirely impossible. Although the man was absurdly powerful for even a great fairy, he was actually on the weak side for one of the greater spirits of the wind. But, no… that didn’t make sense. What about the blinding light he was throwing off earlier? What about the soft light he was still using to illuminate the area?

Eirlathion suddenly realized how rude he was being. This was not how he should do things at all. Breaking out of the stupor the shock had induced, he immediately dropped to one knee and was followed closely by Kiriia who was taking cues from him.

[Honorable envoy of the queen. We surrender the humans as an offering to you. Please allow us to flee in peace with the children so that they might grow up to serve the queen in battle against the demons.] He said.

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>WHAT? You can’t! Ahh..< [You can’t do that old man!] Levin yelled. The boy actually ran up to him and started shaking him by the shoulders.

>That’s bullshit! He was planning this from the beginning!<

>English? It’s true then.< The envoy mumbled something Eirlation couldn’t understand. He might be mistaken though, but it seemed to sound similar to the language the boys were always using.

>We have to run!< Levin said.

>Ahh! Hold on! No! Sorry I scared you. I’m not going to hurt you.< The Envoy said.

>Wait! Is he speaking English?< Rolwen said. The boy suddenly looked very surprised. Levin also froze in his actions at the same time and turned to look at the envoy.

>Ah, yes. You two are also from Earth, right?< The Envoy said something else in the strange language, and then he did something that absolutely stunned Eirlathion beyond words. For some reason beyond anything he could fathom, the powerful being before him dropped down to one knee and then locked eyes with each of the boys in turn.

He was not sure if the boys understood just how bizarre a thing it was to see such a being lower himself to a pair of humans like them, but they did at least have the decency to look confused and just nod numbly at whatever question he just asked.

>Y… yeah.< Rolwen said. >So, what. You’re from Earth? How are you… like…< He gave some kind of hand gestures that the being in front of him seemed to interpret.

>Are you asking why I’m not a kid like you? Well, I don’t really know. Me and a few others just came here like this with these gay-ass wings on our backs. All of us are exactly like we were when we died on Earth. Actually, I’m surprised to see you are reborn as little kids in this world.< The powerful man said.

>Heh, yeah. You’re literally a fairy.< Rolwen said. Eirlathion didn’t know what he was saying, but somehow he could tell that the tone was rather disrespectful. He looked in horror between the man and Rolwen for a reaction. But, the man seemed to surprisingly take it in stride.

>Yeah, yeah. We’ve made all the jokes before.< He said. >Anyway, do you two speak the language here? I haven’t quite been able to pick it up yet. I do have a way I could say things to those two behind you, but if I did then it would also be overheard by all the other fairies in the area. I can’t have them on our case right now.<

>Uhh… yeah, we can speak Elven.< Rolwen said.

>That’s great.< The man said. >Can you please tell them I’m not going to hurt anyone here? I can’t stand seeing them shaking like a leaf like that. I’m not here to scare the civilians.< As he spoke, the man slowly raised back to a standing position. There was some sense of a breaking off of the conversation between them.

>Ahh… yeah.< Rolwen said. He was quiet for a moment and then Eirlathion got a very strange sense as he turned to face him. [Umm… He says you two can stop being scared. He’s not going to hurt anyone. And, umm… it sounds like he doesn’t understand Elven, so… you two can’t really talk to him. He understands our language though.]

[What? How is that…?] Eirlathion stammered and then looked up at the man, baffled as to how he should proceed. The man shrugged his shoulders like he guessed at what Eirlathion had just said, and then gave him a disarmingly friendly smile unfit for the dignity of such a powerful entity to be directing toward a lowly elf such as him.

This… what does this even mean? He does not speak elven but he speaks the same language as the boys? Could it be the language the boys were speaking was Etherian the entire time? The name they kept calling him was 'Ether.' Could it have not been a coincidence? And the way he had knelt to the boys. Could the boys be somehow important within the plain of wind? Is that the reason behind their power?

A part of him almost wished Asaren was here to analyze this information. He had sent her away with Tiaren for a reason though. It was better that she was gone. He would have to somehow manage this on his own. But… how? If he was unknowingly keeping two important persons from the Ether like this… Right now, those boys are the only means he has to communicate with this individual, but if he does anything that the powerful man in front of him interprets as disrespect…

>Oh, by the way. I was told there were two more.< The man said. >I was told four people from Earth reborn as infants in this world were being pursued by the queen’s forces and I had to rescue them. Do you know anything about two more kids from Earth around here?<

>Oh! Right! Asaren and Tiaren! We have to tell them it’s alright!< Levin suddenly shouted. Eirlathion paled in horror. He did not know what was being said, but he definitely caught the names of Asaren and Tiaren spoken there.

[Levin!] He said in a harsh whisper. [Are you sure it is safe to talk about them?]

The boy immediately gasped and looked around between Eirlathion, Rolwen, and the man.

[It should be fine.] Rolwen said. >Ah, by the way. You just said somebody told you about this. Who told you?<

>Heh, you might not believe this, but… ah, hell. I guess it’s not all that much more strange than this whole dying in some apocalypse and then being reborn as fairies thing. An angel came and talked to me in a dream. That was pretty strange since I normally don’t have to sleep at all. I just spaced out and suddenly I’m up in the clouds with this angel guy telling me about all of you.< The man said.

>So, that really was it after all.< A small girl’s voice suddenly rang out from the distance speaking the same strange language. Just then, Asaren and Tiaren appeared at the edge of the light cast off by the man before them. >I suppose that means you are this ‘savior’ who that creature arranged for us.<