Sunlight had barely pierced through the wooden window when I was awoken by some sort of brass instrument. I got up, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

I wasn't in my hotel room. I was in the forest of elves.

And last night was quite something.

I grinned, looking down through the treehouse.

Zyra was up, the soldiers had gathered and were forming in a straight line, their armors gleaming bright even in the faint sunlight. One of them held a curled trumpet and was about to blow it again. I covered my ears with my pillow.

I leaned my head back, but I wouldn’t be able to turn off those voices.

And as soon as the tune ended, someone started climbing the stairs into my room. I instinctively sat up, noticing a shadow perking up behind the bamboo curtains.

“Lord Tactician,” said a female voice I didn't recognize.

“Please come in,” I replied. It was an elven lady with short reddish hair. She passed through the curtain, knelt down and deposited an ornate box in front of me, followed by a sheathed sword. “The Council has granted you these as a gift. They have been blessed according to the traditional rite of Aria. Please, my lord, accept them.”

“I accept them,” I said and nodded.

“The Lady Commander awaits you, my lord,” the woman said hurriedly, before bowing again and walking down the staircase. I got up, drew the curtains and took off my linen shirt, taking a whiff of my body odor. I really needed a shower.

I reached for the sword, drawing it slowly. It had been meticulously sharpened, while the hilt and the crosshead seemed to be of excellent material. The blade had a slight curve.

I always wanted to collect swords, but never actually did it. Guess I had my own now.

I rushed to open the box, finding a coat of finely woven chainmail, painted white and a finer robe of what appeared to be silk. I’d be dressed like an elf, and it honestly looked kind of badass.

Just like that, letters popped into view.

INVENTORY:

[Weapon A: Elven sword]

[Armor A: Elven Chainmail] Defense + 3

I put it on, and fastened the sword’s belt around my waist. And then, I heard footsteps delicately climbing the stairs. I recognized them at once.

“Well, look at you, Lord Tactician,” Lariel teased from the doorway, leaning against the frame with a mischievous grin. She had bound her hair into two adorable tight braids. She was wearing some sort of chainmail corset under, once again, green silk. Had I really made love with her the previous night? She glowed with happiness. And my other sword, the bigger one, leapt up to meet her under my new tunic.

“All suited up for a grand adventure.” She stepped inside, her braids cascading over her shoulders, moving with the grace of someone who was very much aware of the effect they had.

Lariel seemed to catch my expression, her eyes glinting with amusement.

“Looks good. You look even more handsome than I imagined you would.” Her eyes swung downward. “And hello to your friend, I'd stay to greet him properly, but Zyra is threatening to pour boiling water on your sleeping head if you don't come down this instant. Sorry, her words.”

“Alright, I’m coming,” I said, casting another glance down the window.

“By the way,” Lariel leaned into my ear. “Last night was… amazing. So... I really had to ask you… What are we now?”

That question. It seemed like even elven women in this alien world slash dimension asked the exact same question.

But this time, I was determined to do it right.

“Yeah, about that,” I muttered, trying to focus on adjusting the sword at my side and not on the way her presence seemed to crowd the small room. “I’m still processing. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you hear every day. I mean, that we were lovers. But I love being with you, and I'm looking forward to, explore this connection. We’ll figure it out all along.”

She chuckled softly, her breath brushing my ear. “I know, I know. It’s a lot to take in, but there’s no rush. Just... don’t forget.” Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.

“To be honest,” I replied. “It’s impossible to forget. Imagine, it’s been thousands of years and we’re still here.”

Did I regret what I’d just said? No.

“Hey!” Another voice hissed at us from below. “You guys are actually coming down or what? Zyra’s gonna decapitate the three of us if we don’t come.”

Alynna stood at the feet of our stairs, wearing a silk robe like the one she’d worn before, also of a shade of green, but with golden flowrery patterns.. She looked ready for action, with the long scimitar on one side, the quiver hanging from the other, and her bow bound tightly to her back. Her hair was in another tight ponytail that accentuated her pretty face.

“We’re more than ready,” I replied. Alynna gave a curt nod, her eyes flicking to Lariel briefly before returning to me. There was a hint of suspicion in her eyes.

“Good, come on. We don't have all day.”

Below, the unit was fully gathered—about a dozen elven soldiers, each one clad in armor and standing at attention. Zyra surveyed them, hands behind her hips, wearing very conservative plate armor and chainmail underneath. She carried a halberd, and her jeweled saber was bound to her waist.

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“Soldiers!” she shouted. “This is our Goddess-chosen [Tactician]. You have been instructed about the prophecies and his spiritual lineage, but he has much to learn. Respect him and let him learn at his own pace.”

I bowed respectfully, stepping forward toward them, noticing expressions of almost shock as I approached each of them.

Not every captain or first officer did that, but it was my custom to get to know my team during briefings. I stretched out my hand toward the first elf in the company, he had a broader frame than the others and his cape was blue. He had short brown hair, for an elf, and blue eyes on an angular face.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m Connor McKinney.”

The elf returned the gesture, but instead of reaching for my hand, he grabbed the inside of my elbow.

He bowed his head slightly. “Nidar Alarion,” he replied. “I’m honored to finally meet you, sir.”

To my surprise, his statistics appeared in front of me, and the sudden connection I felt forming between us proved that he had accepted me as a tactician.

Zyra narrowed her eyes. I continued greeting the next elves, moving on to a shorter gentleman with lighter hair and blue eyes. The next one was a woman, also a brunette with gleaming blue eyes named Vinaria. I reviewed the entire team and positioned myself next to Zyra.

The elven commander didn't miss a beat. She raised her voice, her entire posture stiff as she gave an order.

“Well, everybody’s got their provisions, we can check them. Letters of approval, and we’ll be on the way soon.”

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

My attention was pulled away by another figure, much smaller than the soldiers surrounding her. She was definitely an elf, with hair the color of… pink bubblegum. I had never seen anything like that. Was her hair even real? I stepped forward, her eyes bright and curious. She couldn’t have been much taller than my shoulder, and she had a certain energy about her that stood out against the stoic faces of the others.

“Ina,” Zyra introduced, her tone softening slightly. “So, you’re coming. Very well. I expect you to take your role seriously.”

“Well, of course I will, lady commander.”

Was she a child? I didn’t want to judge, but it kind of gave me the impression she wasn’t that serious about the whole thing.

“Hello,” I said, moving toward her and crouching a little. “I’m Connor.”

“It’s you, huh?” she said, before turning her back on me and facing Zyra. “He’s not even an elf!”

“No, he’s a human from another world.”

She moved over toward me, examining me from head to toe.

“Do you bleed a lot when you cut yourself?”

“I… I might.”

“Don’t get yourself hurt. It’s very tiring.”

I blinked in surprise.

I forced a laugh. “I’ll do my best to stay in one piece.”

Well, she seemed to be young and under a lot of pressure. I suppressed any negative reactions I could have.

Ina looked over and narrowed an eye. Then, she seemed to completely forget that I was standing there and faced Zyra.

“Aunt Zyra, Father promised you’ll buy me human sweets, won’t you? And you will let me choose them. You won’t get away with buying those horrible cheap versions you try to pass as sweets.”

Zyra seemed to be holding in her anger.

“I will do what I can, within our budget.”

I leaned toward Lariel.

“She’s the group cleric,” she told me before I could ask. “She’s very good at what she does.”

“Is she?” I said.

“Don’t let her size fool you—she’s saved more lives than you can count.”

It wasn’t exactly the size that bothered me. A healer, huh? My best friends had become medical doctors, and they had gotten a little bit of a cynical attitude about people and their diseases. They still did their job as best they could, however.

With the introductions over, Zyra straightened up, her expression turning serious once more. “The forest ahead of us is dangerous. We’ll be traveling through it for the next two days. Pick up your provisions, and we’ll start our march. We are not taking horses, but following the old elven scouting routes. Tactician, I expect you to use your abilities wisely.

I nodded, casting a glance at the group. “How long until we reach the city?”

“If we move quickly, two days,” Zyra replied. “Take care of us, and we’ll take care of you.”

I could feel the weight of her words sinking in. It wasn’t just the forest that would be a challenge—it was the politics and power games that awaited us on the other side. “Understood,” I said. “Let’s get moving.”

The soldiers fell into formation, and I found myself walking alongside Lariel and Alynna as we made our way toward the edge of the forest, abandoning the eerie treetop houses and the carved menhirs. The sunlight filtered through the thick canopy above, casting long shadows on the path ahead.

I narrowed my eyes and turned toward Lariel.

“No breakfast?” I asked in a hushed voice. “Did I miss it?”

“Elves don’t usually eat in the morning,” Lariel said in my ear. “We fast during half of the day.”

I looked toward Alynna. She shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

“Well, it is what it is.”

“See?” Lariel murmured, her lips barely moving as she stood by my side. Her hand lightly brushed against my arm. “You’re fitting right in, aren’t you?”

“I’m the person who should be the most surprised. But yeah, I’m enjoying my time.”

My internal monologue was doing surprisingly well. I guess I was used to changes. This was a big one, with a lot of action packed into two days.

And in reality, much of it felt like a relief. I had loved ones, of course, my mom and dad, five siblings. But I’d spent much of my life far away from them. I was, still, far away from them. And although I missed Cooper, I was oh so glad to not have to think about my ex wife, bills and most importantly of all, that house that had turned to be much more trouble than I’d ever thought.

Now I was in a tranquil forest with a 10, an elf, no less, who seemed to be quite too much into me.

“So, Connor, We have an entire road to talk and get to know each other,” Lariel said, cocking her head with another smile of utterly perfect teeth. “Or rather, to catch up. Wouldn’t you say?”

“Indeed.” I lowered my voice. “I want to keep things professional. But what about Zyra. Is it appropriate if we get too close? You know? I wonder… if, well, last night, I’m sure people must’ve heard what we did.”

“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. We elves keep those things private. They noticed, of course, but they respect us both and gossiping about things like that is seen in really poor taste.”

I gave her a sidelong glance but didn’t respond, trying to focus on the road.

Lariel walked close to me, her hand brushing mine every so often, while Alynna kept pace just behind us, her eyes scanning the surroundings with the practiced vigilance of a seasoned warrior.

We walked on for hours, passing a small abandoned fort, and saluting elven scouts standing with bows and quivers on their shoulders, overlooking half collapsed battlements.

We rested for a while, drinking pure water from a flowing river and eating… brunch? which consisted of thick bread and a strange kind of processed deer meat, from which we only needed to eat a little before feeling satisfied.

Lariel asked all about my life on earth. It was exhilarating at first. It was impossible to explain so many details and make them at least believable. But hell, I was now living in a magical world. The simplest explanation was, well, magic.

And then, amid our laughter and the faint feeling of fatigue, I suddenly felt like something was wrong.

I was never too credulous about hunches and stuff. I paused, in between our laughter, feeling an overwhelming sense of urgency.

“Zyra,” I practically shouted. The elven commander turned in surprise, along with Nidar and the rest of the company.

“What’s wrong?” Zyra asked.

I myself couldn’t explain it at first. I stretched my hand and concentrated on Aria’s power.

My mind drifted upward and the map displayed in front of my face. I could see us, a group of lights in the forest, the usual forest path carved ahead of us… I could tell they were groups of people on both opposing edges of the map.

And these were not four or five scouts like Alynna and I had faced before. There were dozens of them, and they were both moving from both points in the map, toward us.

“They’re here,” I hissed through my teeth.