Not A Human

Silas and Tron found themselves locked in a stare, each lost in his own confusion. Tron couldn't comprehend his son's oblivious reaction to his name, while Silas was trying to put together a story. On the fly, he concluded that it would be best to play along. He recalled seeing this man's face in the pictures at the house - this was likely the father of his new body's original owner. "D-Dad?" Silas stuttered, embracing the man who believed him to be his son. The act seemed to ease Tron's concern. "What happened to your mother and the town, son?" Tron asked again, looking deep into Silas's eyes. Silas scrambled to come up with a believable explanation. He was the one responsible for all the deaths in the town - he couldn't possibly tell the truth. But as he opened his mouth to spin his tale, Out of nowhere, a spear cut through the air, flying straight towards them. The combination of Silas's enhanced hearing and sight proved to be invaluable.

He spotted the projectile in time and shoved Tron out of its path. "Run!" Silas screamed at Tron, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of who, or what, had launched the attack. "Stand back, son," Tron ordered, moving to shield Silas as he rose to his feet. A cascade of sparks started to form around Tron's body, crackling and popping as they converged in his hands. His fists balled up, charged with the raw energy of lightning. Suddenly, a group of elves emerged from the tall bushes, armed with spears and bows. Tron didn't seem phased by their menacing appearance, his focus remaining steady. However, his gaze hardened when he spotted two familiar figures being dragged along by the elfin troops. His companions, Mason and Matthew, were bound and helpless, caught while he'd been distracted with Silas. "Release them now!" Tron thundered, his voice reverberating throughout the dense forest.

The air around him crackled with the intensity of his power, making it clear that he was prepared to fight if necessary. However, seeing the elves hold blades to his comrades' throats, Tron had no choice but to back down. An elf, distinct from the others with a darker appearance, stepped forward from behind the warriors. Drawing a small magic circle in the air, the elf sent two medium-sized blobs shooting towards Silas and Tron. The blobs engulfed them, making it impossible for them to move. As Silas stared at the elf, a system message popped up. "Would you like to analyze the creature?" it asked. Silas considered the offer for a moment, then mentally clicked 'Yes'. This seemed to be a new feature linked to his level 2 eyes. A small info box appeared next to the elf, displaying the creature's basic details. "Race: Elf. Class: Dark Elf." The rest of the information was blurred out, but Silas couldn't help but think that the clarity might improve as his sight ability further leveled up.

The elves roughly threw the four men onto a carriage pulled by a beast they seemed to have tamed. The journey was surprisingly swift. When they came to a stop, the burly elves hauled them off and led them into a city. The group was awestruck by the sight - a vast city built entirely underground. Tron couldn't believe there was such a place on the island. They, the mercenary group, had believed they had thoroughly explored the entire island, but it was clear they had been mistaken. They were brought before a room where an elder elf was engaged in conversation with a few others. Unfortunately, the captured humans couldn't understand their language. Frustrated, Tron tried to communicate. "Why have you captured us? We've caused no harm to you or your people," he stated. Yet, the elves carried on with their discussion, seemingly ignoring him. Mason suggested, "Maybe they can't understand us."

But Silas quickly countered, "Look at the elf with the long beard. Every time we've spoken, he's reacted slightly. Perhaps the others don't understand us, but I'm sure he can." His enhanced senses gave him confidence in his observation. Suddenly, a door swung open, and a towering elf, garbed in magnificent attire, made his entrance. Every elf in the room bowed in reverence, excluding the elder elf with a long beard. The regally dressed elf took his seat on the throne as the other elves straightened up. The elder elf then etched a magical circle onto the ground, making the room shimmer with a soft golden aura. "Greetings. I am Thornas Silvertongue, ruler of Celebros. You are humans, are you not?" the elf king asked. Tron found his voice, "Indeed, we live in a village on the surface of this island. My son had gone astray, and we were merely searching for him when your people apprehended us."

The elven king sat silently, cross-legged on his throne, then directed his question to Silas, "Young man, what led you to venture so far?" Silas maintained a stoic expression as he replied, "A monstrous creature invaded our village. My mother shielded me, telling me to escape, and I did...I just kept running." The elf king, Thornas, tapped his chin. "Interesting," he said. "Did anyone survive?" "No," replied Tron. "When I arrived, everyone was already dead." Suddenly, a strange chuckle echoed in the room. The elf king started to laugh, loud and scary. "Ha ha ha! How fun," he laughed. "Looks like some beast did what we wanted to do first! Ha ha ha!" His creepy laughter filled the room. Tron, Mason, and Matthew got angry after hearing the elf king's words. Their bodies started to glow with magic, and sparks of electricity danced around them. But the elf king just sat still, not reacting at all.

Two of the king's guards came forward. "How dare you show your power to our king, you rude humans!" they shouted. They jumped at the three men, swords in hand. But before the guards could touch them, Tron, Mason, and Matthew broke free from the sticky stuff that held them. Sparks of electricity crackled around Tron's fist as he blocked the first sword and punched the elf in the face. The guard was knocked back. The other guard tried to attack Mason and Matthew, but they too defeated him easily. The rest of the guards tried to rush at the men, but the king held up his hand to stop them. The king finally got up from his throne. "Foolish, foolish humans," he said. "You come to my home and try to harm us. Is this how you treat your hosts? You're our guests, after all." Tron retorted, "This doesn't feel very welcoming!" The king replied, "Alright then, since you refuse to be our guests, let's have you as our entertainment instead."

With a snap of his fingers, the king summoned four elven warriors. One looked like a standard fighter, clad in armor and carrying a broadsword. The next was a mage, an air of mystique surrounding him and a staff in his hand. The third wielded a bow, and the last one was unusual, draped in a cloak with a hood that obscured his face. His attire was different from the rest, and he carried a confidence that set him apart. Silas used his 'analyze' skill on each of the warriors. The details of three of them appeared without issue, but the information for the cloaked figure was blurred out. Silas pondered if this was due to the elf's strength being significantly greater than his own. As Silas was considering this, the cloaked elf's gaze shifted suddenly towards him, causing Silas to startle. He hadn't expected the elf to notice his scrutiny. Then, out of nowhere, a voice echoed in Silas's mind, "You're not a human, who are you?"