For as long as he had lived, The Watcher had always followed. Never once was he allowed to set his own path. Not when the fate of the world was at stake. Not when his brother died. Even now, he was trotting behind Adelaide as she led him through the white forest, crossing creeks and hills that looked all too similar to him, but apparently were familiar enough to the green-haired elf that she needed no second glance to find her direction.

They reached a cliff edge that led down into a small basin. Adelaide peered over the edge, seemingly with half a mind to simply jump down, but decided to circle around to a slope for him to walk. The pond in the middle of the depression was clear, the water rippling from the landing of gentle snow and dust.

He slid down the last of the slope, skidding to a stop by her side. “What are we doing here?”

She pointed to the pond. “Look in there.”

He did so, squinting into the deep of the water. It was deeper than he had expected, and darkness engulfed it before he could see the bottom. “I don't see anything. There's a few fishes though.”

“Look closer, moron.”

He snapped her an irate look before turning back to the pond. He squatted by the water-side, and tilted his head away from the light. And then he saw it. The figure in the water was huge, the size of the entire pond. Part of it stuck into the dirt, extending into the earth below.

“What's that? It's a giant...hand?”

The hand, made of brown, marble-like stone was easily a hundred times his size. Each phalanx of the finger was the size and height of his body. He shivered at the thought of what creature the hand could be attached to. It would have rivalled mountains and skyscrapers. A single finger could crush his body if he was ever caught by such a monster.

Adelaide commented, “It's the hand of a sentient.” He turned to her with a confused look and she sighed as she tried to simplify her explanation. “A sentient is a class of Titan. Titans are basically extremely large creatures. Giants, dragons, mechs, golems. Those are Titans.”

He did not understand half of the phrases she used. Gist of it, sure. And he definitely heard giants and dragons. “So basically a very large creature...” He turned back to the hand. Eyes still on the pond, he got to his feet. “What does this have to do with this favour you wanted?”

She found a large rock and settled down on it. “Humans have been trespassing into my forest for decades. Usually I'd chase them off. Sometimes, when they fight back, I kill them. All because they want that hand.”

The Watcher turned to her and asked, “Why? What's so special about a rocky appendage?”

“It's made of titanium.”

“So?” He took out his pocket watch. “My watch is made of titanium too.”

“Then you better hold onto it. Titanium is rare, away from Katoki. The amount in your watch is enough to buy a new carriage.”

“You're kidding.”

“Eltar has some of the best metallurgists in the world. A team of master blacksmith and Enhancer could use it to create weapons that slices through any other metal like paper.” She drew her axe out of boredom and twirled it in her hands. She had apparently come used to explaining her world to him. “And because most metals rust, they use titanium for blimps that travels across the oceans. A load like this one here could buy an entire district in Everwind.”

Where he came from, titanium was questionably useful. It was expensive and hard to work with, but was still stronger and lighter than steel. But it was by no means flawless. Unless they had a workaround for it's downside of being hard to harden, shape, and handle. And there was only one thing he heard during the explanation that could have made that difference.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“What's an Enhancer?”

She almost dropped her axe. Looking to him, her eyes almost screamed, How could you not know what that is? But she held back. “They are basically material magicians. They work with materials to enhance them. They create enchantments for anything from machines, to swords, or even trinkets. Some of them are blacksmiths or even alchemist.”

“Sciency,” he joyously noted. They sounded as near to a scientist as there were, and he wondered if he should find one to help with the problems he had with his powers.

Adelaide cleared her throat, annoyed at having been pulled off track. “As I was saying, there's a group in the south-west called Titan Rangers. They formed during the last decade. Their job is to protect and preserve ancient Titans, like the sentients.” She glazed over to the pond. “They have quite some influence in Eltar and can invoke laws to mark places as protected heritage sites. I want you to go there, bring them over, and have them mark the forest for protection. That will stop people from coming in and trampling all over the place.”

“So...” The Watcher built up the joke. “You're a hippie.”

She looked down to her waist. “What's wrong with my hip?”

Disappointed, he shook his head. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.” The lack of appreciation for his wit in this universe saddened him. In the back of his mind though, he could hear his brother berating him. You don't have any wit. He asked Adelaide, “Why can't you go yourself?”

From elsewhere, “Because she's an elf.”

They turned to the source of the voice.

Leaning against a tree at the edge of the basin's cliff, Nadier stood out like a rotting thumb, his black ensemble a blot in the snow covered trees. He jumped down from the high ledge, landing soundlessly next to the water's edge. The dark elf, stretched, yawn, and walked towards them.

Nadier pulled back his coat, revealing a copper badge engraved with the shape of a bird and the words 'EVERWIND HIRED' pinned below. “Unless she has one of these or is part of some politically relevant group, the moment she steps into a human town, she'll likely be attacked by slavers and thrown to the Antipods.”

Adelaide puffed, “I could handle some geared up slavers.” Surprisingly, she did not fight back further. Instead, she asked, “How did you find us?”

“Adelle, Adelle, Adelle. Tracking is part of my job,” he said derisively, though in more of a friendly jab than insult. “Two hundred years old and still not using your brain.”

“Screw you. We're the same age.”

“I'm a hundred years older,” Nadier corrected.

“You have amnesia for those hundred years. It doesn't count.”

The Watcher stepped in, waving away the argument. “People! People! I think we should all just agree that I am the oldest one here.”

Nadier cocked his brow. “You?” Adelaide let out a snorting laugh to the side.

The Watcher nodded, smirking. “I'm nine-hundred and six.”

The two elves stared at him, in frustration, irritation, or annoyance, he could not read. Any of those ways would be bad, when he thought more into it. After a moment of silence, Adelaide turned her attention away from him as if he was never there, and asked Nadier, “What are you doing here?”

“Hey... I really am that old,” he muttered.

The dark elf replied to Adelaide, ignoring him, “I need your help.”

Her eyes widened in surprised. “The great Wanderer, asking me for aid. What brought this on?”

“I need to go to Ta'Galadul to find out who ordered my brother to his death.” His eyes darted for a second to The Watcher. “But I can't do that since I'm banished, so I want you to go in my stead.”

“Wow,” she replied sarcastically. “Flattering. But no. I'm not going to risk the Undercity. Not even for you, Nads.”

Nadier smiled slyly and half turned to The Watcher. Though looking at the man, he spoke to Adelaide. “I thought you might say that. I guess I'll just go back to Everwind and check in on the lab. Maybe find out more about that portal research. Looks like some interesting diversion.”

The Watcher almost growled, “You know about the portal?”

“No,” Nadier replied. “But I can access the apparently extremely interesting information.” The dark elf smiled thinly.

The Watcher considered the price, took a deep breath to steady his personality, and turned to Adelaide. “Help him.”

She exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “What?”

“Help him,” he insisted. “Or you won't get your Titan Rangers.”

She stepped angrily towards him, pointing her axe to his neck, her face twisted with anger. “You said no questions asked! You said you would help me!”

The Watcher replied, “Things have changed.”

“Why you kow licking shi–!” She was about to raise her weapon when her eyes shot wider than he thought eyes were possible of widening. In a fluid step, she turned to Nadier and threw her weapon at the ground between his feet. The dark elf did not flinch or blink. “You schemed this!” she screamed at him. “You waited for me to tell him and you jumped in with your stupid plan!”

Calmly, Nadier said, “Think about this, Adelle. You'll likely never meet another human who's willing to help you. This might be your only chance of contacting the Titan Rangers.”

She looked ready to massacre them, there and then. From what The Watcher had seen of her, and if Nadier was anything like his brother, it would be a bloody battle.

Somehow, despite her hotheaded personality, Adelaide managed to turn away. Taking a deep breath, she swivelled back to Nadier with a glare of disappointment and rage.

The Watcher was almost certain he saw her tear up. “All this time you refused to help me. I should have known. You were just holding that card as leverage.” Her teeth was gritted at the end, her fists clenched. She then hissed, “I owe you nothing after this. You and I are squared. And I never want to see your conniving gear in my forest again.”