Loran was a bit disappointed. He had expected bow and arrow action, but there was no sign of this supposed elf using bow and arrows.

He had only ever met one elf and she used bow and arrows. It had never been clear to Loran why elves were that much stronger than beast kin and why they were classified as legendary. The one elf he had met years ago wasn’t much different from them.

----------------------------------------

“Loran, Loran! Wake up! Something great has happened! Come, come!” Wild Claw was being noisy and awoke Loran who never could manage to rise up early in the morning.

“Ugh, where does this guy get all that energy from? Don’t we have the same diet?” Loran got up, dressed, and addressed the wild banging on his barricaded door.

Their village didn't believe in doors, but Loran had a specific problem that prompted him to build a door and that problem was named Wild Claw who liked to bother him at ungodly hours.

Loran removed the barricaded door o stand face to face with Wild Claw, who was brimming with energy and excitement. “Come, come! An elf has visited the village! Maybe she can become my mate!”

“And that’s relevant to me because?”

“You’re my friend, my wingman! And ehh, I don’t know how to talk to elves…”

“And why do you think I know…”

Wild Claw grabbed Loran’s arm and dragged him outside. “You will figure something out! You always do!”

Loran was in the same state as the sun; barely risen.

Why couldn't this elf visit in the noon? Did it have to be at the crack of dawn?

Loran followed the excited Wild Claw against his will. The only reason he didn't return to his bed was because he was curious as well.

The open area in the middle of their village was relatively empty. It was just the village elder talking to a tall blonde woman with pointy ears.

“They look like the rumors. She even has a bow strapped to her back…”

“Cool eh?! So what do I say to her?!”

Loran scratched his temple. “Uhm, how about you start with ‘hi’ and an introduction?”

“Alright! Watch me!”

Wild Claw fixed his ears, ruffled his wolf tail to make it appear more fluffy, and walked up to the elf and village elder with a confident stride.

“You fool… why would an elf care about a wolf beast kin’s beauty standards…”

Loran shook his head at Wild Claw’s wolf beast kin like attempt to make himself appear to be more presentable.

“Please don’t howl… please don’t howl…”

Wild Claw stood in front of the elf and elder, who just noticed him.

Loran got in action as he saw how Wild Claw was clearing his throat.

“This idiot!”

Loran made it on time, floored Wild Claw and dragged him away. “Haha! I’m sorry! Don’t mind us!”

“Huh? Loran?! Why?!”

Wild Claw got dragged out of earshot. Both elves and beast kin had sharp hearing so this was far outside the village.

“You fool! She’s an elf, not a wolf beast kin!”

Wild Claw got up and dusted himself off. “Yes… I know…”

“Then why did you try to appeal to her as if she was one of us…”

“Oh! See, that’s why I called you! Thank you bud! Time for round 2!”

Wild Claw was about to return to the village when he got floored. “Oof. hey can you find a different method of stopping me?”

“I will consider it. First tell me what you will tell her.”

“Ugh, there’s dirt in my tail now. Ehh, I will ask her if she wants to hunt with me. I spotted a fat cow on the moorlands over the river!”

“And why do you think elves care about that. Most elves are vegetarian…”

“Eh? What? What do they eat then? Is that why they’re so thin? But then! I eat the meat, and she can have the milk!”

“You’re kidding right? How about just a normal conversation…”

“But I need to make an impression!”

“Just try to be normal….”

Wild Claw sighed. “Fine… I’ll do my best.”

Loran and Wild Claw returned to the village and were in time to witness the end of the conversation between the elf and the elder.

“This is my chance! Watch me!”

Wild Claw started his confident stride again and walked up to the elf.

“Yo! My name is Wild Claw, do you come here often?”

Loran covered his face in second hand embarrassment.

The elf smiled and turned toward Wild Claw. “I’m called Lyra. This is my first time here and… Wild Claw? Is that your real name?”

“Uhm, no, I’m using it because it’s coole… ahum, I mean yes!”

Loran had so many things to say but decided to see this as entertainment.

“So, what is your real name?”

“Ehhm…” Wild Claw looked back and Loran and made strange gestures.

Loran had a hard time to decipher them, but Wild Claw had bigger problems.

He wasn’t very subtle and the elf noticed.

The elf looked to the side and locked eyes with Loran.

“Uh oh…”

The elf beckoned for Loran to approach, which he did reluctantly.

“You must be Wild Claw’s friend.”

“Uhm, yeah. My name is Loran.”

Wild Claw leaned into Loran and whispered, “Hey, what do I do? She asked for my real name?”

“Just tell her… and I’m sure she heard you…”

The elf just smiled, and Wild Claw was visibly becoming uncomfortable.

“Oh right! Haha! I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you!” Wild Claw said while making an embarrassing pose, attempting to be cool.

Loran already knew it, but it was quite clear why Wild Fang had yet to find a mate.

The elf laughed and it was genuine.

“You’re interesting! I’m planning to visit a sick tree nearby before returning to my village, do you two want to come?”

“Of course! I mean… Sure, why not. I’m sure Loran and I can spare some of our time.”

“Great! Come!”

The elf started running, Wild Claw and Loran followed.

Loran was in shock. It wasn’t clear, but that seemed to have worked.

Was it possible that this was how to interact with elves?

The elf had no issues staying in front of Wild Claw and Loran. They went south, toward the territory of the elves.

Wild Claw did many of his acrobatic tricks but the elf saw none of them as he was behind her.

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

The elf slowed down and stopped next to a tree that had discolored bark.

“We’re here.”

Wild Claw and Loran looked around as this part of the jungle was different from theirs but they couldn’t figure out what exactly.

“So ehh, how are you going to fix this tree ehm, what was your name again?”

Loran couldn't believe that Wild Claw had forgotten her name already.

“My name is Lyra and for your question; I will ask it what’s wrong.”

“Ooh, so you can talk to trees! Loran! The rumors were correct!”

“Well, it’s not exactly talking. We elves attune our aura to those of plants and animals, allowing us to understand them as if they’re speaking to us.

Wild Claw and Loran were confused as they had no idea what this meant.

Lyra held her palm to the tree and closed her eyes.

Something changed instantly, the vibe, the aura Lyra gave off changed.

“Yep, yep, ‘tis is an oldie alright. Got quite dem years onnit. Some good ol’ [Nature Restoration] and she’ll be just fine!”

Loran and Wild Claw stared slack jawed at Lyra who had seemed to have undergone a personality change, even her voice and accent were different.

The area lit up due to the green nature energy, and Lyra stepped back.

The vibe, the aura she gave off changed back, and she turned toward Loran and Wild Claw.

“That wasn’t too difficult. Why are you staring at me like that?”

Wild claw pointed at Lyra. “What…what was that just now?”

“Oh, my [Aura Shift]? I just matched the aura of the tree, so I could understand it. It could cause…temporary changes in my personality.”

“That is wild! Can you do that with me?”

Lyra took a step back. “I’m sorry, we only match auras with people we’re very close to.”

“Hmm, I see. She’s right, Wild Claw, apologize.”

Loran slapped Wild Claw’s back to encourage him to apologize.

“I’m sorry…so! What else do you use that for besides haling trees!”

“Oh! Showing so much interest! We also use it in battle! We can tune our aura to our weapons, our surroundings, or just shift it to an aura that’s suitable for the situation. It could allow the most timid elves to fight the most dangerous and scariest monster in existence!”

“Waaaauw show me! Show me! Go beat up Loran!”

“Hey!”

Lyra laughed again and gestured for us to follow us. “I won’t fight you. I haven’t had someone be this interested in me in a long time.

“Huh? How come? You’re so beau…funn… ehhm, Loran help?”

“This guy just wants to know why that’s the case.”

Lyra stopped and Wild Claw bumped into her.

“Woops.”

“The elves…have a problem. It’s not a unique problem, many mythical and legendary beings have a similar problem but…our numbers are dropping. In our case, it’s because the men don’t show interest in the women. I apologize, but I gave in to my selfishness and used you two.”

“Huh? Are they blind? Why would…”

Loran floored Wild Claw before he could finish his sentence.

“Don’t worry about it, it was our first time meeting an elf, and we were curious too.”

Wild Claw grumbled and got up.

“I was quite happy to find men showing interest in me. I even ended up showing off a bit. I will have to return to my village now but… please don’t visit our or any elven village. You will either be killed or will never be able to leave. Most legendary and mythical races have messed up dynamics, and we’re not any different. Elves either hate everyone that’s different or will do anything to solve our problem, you don’t want to get caught in any of those.”

Lyra drew her bow and shot 3 goblins without looking.

“Huh? I didn't notice them.” Wild Claw got on all fours and started sniffing. “Oh, there were only 3.”

“Either, thank you for accompanying me. That strange tree over there marks the border of our territory. Pass that tree at own peril. Thank you for this refreshing morning.

Lyra made a polite bow and ran off.

“What a woman… do you think she likes me?”

Loran sighed. “Are you blind? Come, let’s go home.”

“What do you think she would be like if she copied my aura?”

“She would probably be a weirdo like you. I’m not sure the world would be ready for 2 of you.”

“Wow! How mean!” Wild Claw said as he tried to fit 3 mangoes into his mouth

“But [Aura Shift] eh?”

----------------------------------------

A new tune played, and the Moorland Menace finally caught what was flying at it at high speeds.

The fragile leaf crumpled under the force that the Moorland Menace was holding it with. It was hard to believe, but these leaves were responsible for giving the Moorland Menace a beating.

A strange form of spirit magic, but spirit magic nonetheless.

“The destruction of the jungle won’t go unpunished!”

The intensity of this male voice had increased and portrayed anger.

A barrage of fast moving leaves shot from one direction and the moorland menace came into action.

The attacks had been omnidirectional at first, but they appeared to have a clear source now.

‘Thud, thud, thud. Crash’

The Moorland Menace was unharmed but had crashed into something invisible.

“Watch out where you’re running, you oaf! Ugh, now my attire got dirtied.”

Something on the ground blurred and an elf with long hair appeared on the ground. His face looked arrogant and he held a strange leaf in his hand.

The Moorland menace swiped at him but clawed at empty space.

The elf had jumped up and evaded the swipe.

The elf put the leaf to his mouth and started playing music on it.

A strange leaf spirit popped up on his head and rapidly flailed its tiny arms, sending out sharp leaves at every flail.

It was a ridiculous power, yet effective.

The tempo of the song changed to something aggressive, and the attack pattern of the spirit followed, who went from spring green to autumn colors.

The color of the attacks changed as well.

The elf floated on the wind, staying out of range of the Moorland Menace who kept swiping at him.

“What a foolish creature, and the humans are struggling with this?”

The cursed armor got pelted by attacks as a wide range got targeted by red brown and orange leafs. No amount of running could get it out of range.

But was this true?

‘Thud, thud, thud.’

The Moorland Menace sped up, and the elf had difficulties keeping himself facing the threat that had claimed thousands of lives since its first appearance.

Loran’s arm lifted and a [Spectral Fire Pillar] barely missed the elf.

“Hahaha! Finally retaliating eh? Don’t make the foolish mistake that spirit fire will be effective against me, you’re not a spirit fox so you don’t have any chance at defeating me!”

The elf stopped talking as he put his mouth to the leaf and started to play yet another song.

Loran preferred his music, as the arrogant tone in the elf’s voice annoyed him greatly.

The ground shook, and a woody vine burst out of the ground, which swiftly grew into an enormous tree.

All the leaves on the tree glowed and gave Loran an uncomfortable feeling.

The spirit on the elf’s head spin around and pointed at the cursed armor, to which all the leaves detached from the tree and rushed forth.

Armored hands clapped together, pulled out a spectral sword and threw it to the sky.

It drew the elf’s attention, which created a gap in his concentration.

‘Thud, thud, thud.’

The armored arm pulled back, made a fist aaand… missed.

“Haha! Nice try tin can, you have to be faster than that to catch me.’

The elf hovered in the air, or more accurately, he was standing on leaves that were hovering.

‘Thud, thud, thud.’

The Moorland Menace kept running.

“You can’t catch me, you fool!”

The elf kept out of arm’s length and voicing his unneeded opinions and arrogant provocations.

A spectral explosion went off and the tree burned down. It caught the attention of the elf.

The Moorland Menace sped up and rushed past this moment of inattention.

“Stupid tin can, you missed your chan…’

The elf got interrupted by the countless leaves blasting him and cutting into him.

The Moorland Menace had been pursued constantly by the leaves that had separated from the tree, and determined that fleeing from these took priority over injuring the obnoxious elf.

Loran wasn’t a fan of murder. He was also tired of being trapped inside the cursed armor and wished everything would end. A form of depression had set in since Eileen’s death, but this moment was the best thing that happened to him since Eileen.

The elf screamed and canceled the barrage of leaves.

“I see, resorting to cheap tricks. Very well.”

The elf’s vibe, his aura, changed. Loran wasn’t able to feel how it changed, but it was as if the face of the elf shifted to someone that looked like how he looked before but not quite.

“Somoeyn, Sing’

The elf said without a trace of the arrogant tone but in a more calm and collected tone. The elf started playing his leaf again, and the spirit on his head started to sing in a strange language.

The armor creaked as if it got pressed from both sides by invisible forces and got lifted into the air.

Damage came in from unknown sources as wind swirled around the Moorland Menace as it got carried up, still wedged between 2 invisible walls.

Armored arms lifted slowly, bit by bit as new dents and scratches appeared on the armor.

The figure of the leaf playing elf got visible between armored cupped hands and spectral fire erupted as [Spectral Explosion went off.

The song interrupted briefly and changed.

An angry elf with slight scorch marks appeared from the fire, lifted his arm and brought it down.

The invisible walls, or hands, brought the Moorland Menace down with this motion.

Water splashed everywhere, and Loran could catch a brief moment of water spirits fleeing the scene.

The Moorland Menace tried to get up and started to thrash.

Mud was slowly covering the armor and the cursed armor tried to get out desperately.

The elf walked up to the struggling Moorland Menace and sneered. “This might be even better than defeating you. I’m not sure if you’re a living being, but nothing likes being buried alive.”

The elf stretched out his hand and made a gesture of pushing something down, causing the Moorland menace to sink deeper in the mud.

Loran’s field of vision got smaller and smaller as mud creeped up from all sides as the cursed armor sank deeper and deeper until it was completely dark and covered.

It was at that point that Loran could no longer tell if he was still sinking or had stopped.

‘Let me out, you asshole!’ was what he wanted to yell.

He wanted to die or have someone break him out, not be trapped forever.

Loran tried to gain control over the armor, to yell. He wanted to curse at the elf, or even punch him in his face. There was just darkness. No sight, not even spirits to keep him company. He had been alone a lot since he got stuck, but this was different. There was always something to distract him. Be it the flexing water spirit or Eileen. All he had now was…mud.

Nobody knew how or why, but the Moorland Menace disappeared one day. Some said it moved to a different area, some said it got defeated, some said it went to rest and would come back stronger than ever. Nobody knew for sure, and nobody would ever find out.

It would take 6 years for the Moorland Menace to return, but that wasn’t something Loran was aware of.