0605AM NW Time - July 2nd - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Northeastern Region

A U.S military jeep drives down a rough dirt road of the Elven farmlands. The small and tight road causing the jeep to bump around, the two U.S soldiers endured it as well as the Elven Enforcement Officers meant to keep a watch of them. The main purpose of the drive was simply to drive to a recent airbase that was created, as a way to send supplies down south to another recent airbase that was made to airstrike Zapad and Vostok forces that were holding up in the Elven, Zapad, and Vostok borders.

As they continued to drive down the dirt road eventually mass rows, of what the two Americans think is wheat, appeared swaying in the air, and the road seemed to approve a bit.

“Hey, do you mind if I say something?” The soldier asked the one driving.

“What? More of your comics from Japan?” The driver responded.

“Course not, and it’s called Manga. What I wanna say is that I’ve noticed a lot of these people out here in these smaller cities, towns, and villages all look seriously malnourished compared to those in those larger cities,” the passenger said.

“Hmm? Really? But we just passed an entire field of wheat?”

“Yeah, spoke with some locals, look like barely half the wheat that comes out is unusable. But, what I’m more curious about is that how are those closer to the food production look like they barely eat. Plus, I can’t imagine it’ll be harder to feed hundreds in a small village compared to millions in a larger city.”

“Yeah, seems kinda suspicious to me. But how the hell did you even get past the pointy eared behind us?” The driver said as he looked back at the two Elves just looking into the farm fields as one shifts his peaked hat.

“Well, despite the bigger ears, kinda feels like they got worse hearing. Snuck past them during the night into some villages and towns since I was curious.” They continued to drive down the dirt road, before stopping as they come across a large convoy of carriages. As the carriages continued to march down the path, they noticed that the carriages weren’t driven by the locals, but rather military personal, and they’re transporting what they believe to be wheat.

“Exporting wheat? If you’re right and these people out here are starving, the hell they exporting their only supply of food for?” The driver said.

“Yeah, something behind the scenes is happening, and nothing good…”

0620AM NW Time - July 2nd - 1969 - Dryadalis Kingdom - Linga Forest City

Sofie and William follow Tialha, Nylian, and the younger boy, named Dian down the streets of the Elven capital. Sofie had the other two operatives leave to go and report the situation to the military base in the east, so it was only them now. As they continued to follow the group, they all reach a shop, marked as a simple bakery. They walked inside, and the owner, a mainly chubby Elf, stood from his chair.

“Nylian! Good to see you. You two Tialha, and Dian,” He said.

“Yes, it’s good to see you too,” Nylian said as he and the group walked past the counter and towards a door.

“Oh? New members there?” He asked, talking about Sofie and William.

“Uh.., Yeah, guess you can say that.” Nylian opened the door and walked in with the rest of the group. They walk down a hallway, before walking into a large room with an elevated platform in the middle. Nylian walked up to the platform before pulling out a scroll.

“If I may, what are we doing here, and what is this place?” William asked.

“Well, If you must know, this is just a teleportation area we have set up all around the city, simply a way to travel around the city with the teleportation scroll Nylian has in his hand,” Tialha said. “And for our case, we’ll be teleporting into our main base.”

“Teleportation!? Isn’t that just some stupid scientific bullshit used in those science fiction novels?” Sofie said to William in English.

William shrugged. “Don’t ask me that, ask the guys who know how it works.” Sofie sighed, forgetting the question. Nylian unfolded the scroll and put his hand over it, and a blue light began to shine from the scroll. Immediately afterward, the platform below them began to glow, and then the light began to engulf all five of them. By the time the light disappear, William and Sofie found themselves in what seemed like the same room, which left them confused.

“Come, here is our main base, It’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” Tialha said, guiding William and Sofie as Dian and Nylian walk ahead. Sofie and William followed the group, and eventually, they came across a simple wooden door, and upon opening it, they found themselves in a large-looking tavern, with a second floor, and more identical-looking doors all in rows on each floor. The inside was reminiscent of old-style European taverns that have been preserved but were far larger than any old historical tavern from back home. But instead of the expected chatter and drinking as the look gives away, all there were Elves sitting or standing around, everyone there is either in deep thought or simply walking about, making the clanking of wood as people walk about the only noise that filled the entire building. Tahlia escorted the group upstairs to the second floor, then to a private area, to talk without being heard.

“This place is what we like to call our “hub". Every door here has identical rooms where we were just in, which are used to teleport back to Linga Forest City,” Tialha said.

“Really? Why’s this place modeled after a Tavern out of all things?” William asked.

“O-oh… I can answer that actually..” Dian said, suddenly stopping his long period of silence. “The founders of the ‘Saplings of Liberty’, as we call ourselves, had originally started in a tavern that looked like this. But, once they were found out the tavern was burned to the ground, and when the founders retreated here, they rebuilt the tavern as a way to commemorate the beginning of the group.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“That's so. But, I do have to ask, where the hell are we specifically?” Sofie said.

“That we cannot say. But, what we can say is that we’re currently in our underground city, it’ll be the last place they'll think to find us,” Nylian said. They soon walked out of the room and back to the first floor of the area, and outside into the underground city. Sofie and William look at the underground city, homes supported on the walls, some on the ground, hundreds of wooden paths connect to paths, it looks similar to the Elven capital, but unlike the rich and prosperous capital, the so-called city they’re looking at looked much more a struggling small town, as Elves could be seen in less than conditions. Some homes looked as if they had rotten wood supporting their structure, some wore tattered clothing, and even some people slept in what looked like makeshift beds made from rubble, and skins from animals.

“God,” William said, commenting on his surroundings, “these people are living in such conditions…”

“There are people living like this back home, it’s nothing new, but we’ve just chosen to ignore it,” Sofie said. William said nothing, having no words to say to Sofie. Eventually, Sofie and William were brought to a large house at the end, where guards stood at the side of the doors. The guards upon seeing Nylian and Tialha walk up, with William, Dian, and Sofie right behind them, open the doors to let them in. Upon entering, Sofie and William walked down the wooden hallways of the house, the only things that decorated the house was the occasional candle-lit lantern hanging from the ceiling.

“Just asking, but, where exactly are you taking us?” Sofie asked.

“We’re heading to… I guess you can call him our leader,” Tialha said, “We felt it was best for you to talk to him to understand our full situation.”

Once at the end of the hallway, they came across another large door, with two other guards standing at the side.

“Alright, we’ll wait outside the door for you two, we’ve already informed him of both of you coming,” Nylian said. Once Nylian finished talking, the guards opened the doors, and Sofie and William walked inside. Inside, they saw a young man sitting at a desk, doing some sort of paperwork. The Elven man continued to do paperwork, deep in thought, and didn’t realize Sofie and William were there until William did a fake cough.

“Huh? Oh, my apologies!” The young man said as he stood up from his seat. “I-i was so busy I didn’t even hear you coming in.”

“Yes, my name is Sofie, the man beside me is William, I think that you already know why we’re here.”

“Yes, my name is Tolith Faeroe, I suppose you can call me the leader of the Saplings of Liberty. You two are the Americans I was reported of?”

“That we are, and I think that you wish to ask us something?” William said.

“Yes, I believe that we need you American’s help. I believe you already know of our situation from the scenes outside,” Tolith said, with a sad expression on his face. "Not enough food to go around, and not enough resources to properly sustain everyone under our care."

“Yes, It's a sad scene. But I want to know for what reason does this group exists?” Sofie asked.

“Well, to put it short our group wishes to re-establish democracy in this nation. To get rid of the heinous oligarchy that grips control.”

“Oligarchy? I thought that it was a monarchy?” Sofie asked.

“Well, It hasn’t been a real monarchy in quiet some time, the king is nothing more than a figurehead who thinks he has power.”

“This is probably something we wanna report this back at base,” William said to Sofie.

“Yeah, obviously, Idiot,” Sofie said, “Now, Mr. Faeroe, if you may please tell us more about this oligarchy in control of the nation.”

“Yes, of course. The oligarchy is mainly comprised of a very small group of dukes, and which is passed on through title to their eldest son, and the cycle continues for who knows how long. But, I believe it’s best for me to explain the history of the Elves If you both don’t mind. But, It will be a length story,” Tolith said. Sofie and William both looked at each other and nodded at Tolith.

“Alright. Fifteen thousand years ago, the borders that now make up the Elven nation were once smaller nations and principalities. But a group of individuals came along, wishing to unite the small nations and principalities into one nation. After decades and centuries of hardship, they were united under one banner. During this time as well, humans were beginning colonization in the south. The members that united the Elves under a single country understood that democracy was needed in order to keep the country from breaking apart. However, it wouldn't even last a thousand years before a Civil War broke out. The country was split into two, one side ruled by the Democratic Elves, and the other side, the Monarchists. The Monarchists were formed after a split in the Democratic party that had been ruling the nation since the begining, the Monarchists comprised of mainly older Elves before the times of unification. They argued that the Democratic Elves had been corrupted, and secretly planning to sell the country out to the humans in the south, due to their policy of openness, compared to the Monarchist’s policy of Isolationism. As well, they also argued that for the last thousnad years, that too much change had happened, and it would rip the nation apart. Eventually, the Democratic Elves were pushed to the brink of death by the Monarchists, and a Monarchy was established. It took many years until the past of the nation was swept away, and many are taught today that the nation was always a monarchy. Eventually, the monarchy slowly boiled down, into nothing more than an oligarchy, behind the mask of a monarchy.”

William and Sofie stood there for a second to comprehend what they just heard. A Civil War, a monarchy established, and quite possibly soon, the fall of a country. William looked sympathetic to the cause, seeing it as just and noble, but Soie meanwhile had doubt written on her face.

“But, we do not fight just to re-establish a democracy but to save the people killed for opposing them. I’m not sure if you Americans know, but famine is currently happening, actually, it has been going on for quite some time. Even though you might see the well-fed populace of Linga forest City, and Anyllunaa, It’s nothing more than a ploy tricking you. What is happening is that the main producers of food, the farmlands, are currently going up against crop failure, which has been ignored by the main government for nearly a thousand years, yet they still take sixty percent of food as they always have from them, every year. Those villages or small towns that resisted were raided, burnt to the ground, and wiped off the map. As well as this, the majority of food is only given to the largest cities, to keep the majority of the population believing that they are doing fine. I fear if they are not stopped soon, this nation will not last another hundred years. So please, I beg for you to-”

“Wait, I just want to say something,” Sofie said, interrupting Tolith. “I understand that your cause is noble, but what makes you think you’ll be able to fix all the problems the nation is currently going through? Do you think you’ll be able to through discussion, friendship, perhaps?”

“Sofie! You don’t have to-” William said before being interrupted.

“Don’t have to what? Obviously state that he’s not thinking this through? That he’s a god damn dumbass?! Is that what you don’t want me to say?!”

“B-but, y-your country is a democracy! S-so I believed that you’ll understand that how great democracy is!” Tolith said.

“No it isn’t, it’s good but it’s no such thing as perfect. It honestly disgusts me how much you think that democracy will be able to fix any problem the world has.” Sofie walked out of the room, pushing the large doors open and walking down the hallway, leaving Nylian, Tialha, and Dian, who were waiting outside for hem, confused.

“I am sorry about Sofie, Mr. Faeroe, I’ll be sure to give a report of your group,” William said, before leaving the room and running after Sofie.