Pop Up Villages

"I'm still too weak… 190 years for this!?" 

Vadik punches the walls of the hollow cave with all his might. The outside rain hammering the ground, making a muddy mess that seeps slowly into the rock floor.

His eyes are red and filled with anger; tears of frustration stream down his face. He punches and punches at the wall as hard as he can, his knuckles beginning to bleed. 

"I thought it would be different if I kept my family close to me. Is that why elves here throw their children away when they're born?"

"No… I couldn't handle it. If I could just have one day where they were safe from harm. One peaceful moment without any bloodshed…"

He continues pounding on the stone.

"What I do know is that I am not safe. I've seen this before, this power. This is not native to our land, this is not logical." his hands slow, until finally he stops abusing the stone. 

He rummages through his robe, pulling out a silver mask made from the bust of Rose Xu. He then holds the stone in his hand, as he pummels his face with it, until he is unrecognisable. He then firmly pastes a thin film onto his bloody face, then the mask on top of it.

"It will consume the world someday." he whispers, gazing down at the bloodstained ground underneath his feet.

"And that day will come sooner than we think it will. Our future lies beyond this kingdom and its borders."

…

"You know Kaleo, I don't know much about humans, but I do know some things about them."

"Such as what?"

"Unlike us elves, human nobility is quite fickle."

Kaleo massages his chin, deep in thought. "That... sounds about right for what I know. Go on."

"You're human, right? Tell me something about your filthy race."

"We are very... divided by factions. It is strange, all of us being the same in the end, but we love to hate each other. Why does this make us filthy?"

"Where did you learn to talk back to me?" 

"Why... I... I apologise, miss. I am a knight, I will never back down from defending something I value, even if it might be something not considered worthy by my counterparts."

'Tsk, if he says it like that, it's like I called elves filthy.'

Meisa flashes a beaming smile.

"You've changed a little, Kaleo."

"Perhaps I have... for the better?" 'You didn't talk to me for nearly a year!' 

"I wonder what that group of people we pursued are up to. It's been a while. Did you scout the area while I was away?" 

"I have, miss. There is no trace of them. I found it peculiar though... It is as if they just vanished into thin air."

"What?" 

"I mean... there is nothing to even point to where they went, miss. There is no trail, no tracks, no blood, nothing."

"So you mean they entered a building and disappeared?" 

"No... That is what is confusing. There is a field, flat, without any trees or anything else. They disappeared without even marking a single square inch of it. It is as if they were just... erased."

Meisa looks almost deadpan as she rides her horse into the centre of the camp. Speaking of the camp, there seems to be women and children here. It's to be expected, the men tend to bring their families with them. 

Kaleo follows behind her. The knights of his squad stay close to him, keeping watch. The sun has begun to set as the sky darkens and a cool wind blows through. The smell of pine trees fills the air.

"We've spent like, 2 years here. I think it's time to ride north to the banks of the Andrew River."

"I agree, it would be good. I think we could rest there."

"Say, why are there more kids in the camp than before?" 

"..."

The next day arrives quickly for Meisa, and the camp hastily begins to pack up. The number of carriages is more than before, and the women and children are loaded into them alongside the supplies as the men ride in front. 

Meisa rides on horseback for almost 4 hours, when she spots something on her spyglass. 

"Has there always been a village there, Kaleo?" 

Kaleo looks through her spyglass. "It appears as if it is new, miss. It was not here when we scouted the place a year ago."

"Huh… let the men camp here. I want to go and see what this is. It's my first time being out like this."

"Are you sure this is safe, miss?" Kaleo hands her back the spyglass. "If this village has somehow sprung out of nowhere recently, then the inhabitants might be dangerous. Especially in the middle of nowhere like this."

"I don't think I asked for your opinion. If you're so adamant, come with me."

'This is a bad idea…' "Yes, miss. I am coming."

"Good boy."

… 

The Village doesn't look much. It's shabby, ugly, and dirty. The denizens look like they haven't showered for ages. They look like they smear dirt on their faces for fun. 

This place looks gloomy, but bustling with life at the same time. It's quite hard to put a finger on it, at least Meisa hates everything she's seeing right now. 

It's nothing like her Keep.

 At home she lived in such a beautiful forest and had so many lovely creatures living here. Even the animals look well cared for, as well as everything else.

"Hey you! You there! Come over here!" She shouts.

There's no reaction, so she rides towards a woman holding a pouch of what seems to be animal ears.

"What does this one want?" Meisa hears the woman murmur to her friend before she approaches. 

"So, how much is this one offering?"... 

"Kaleo, are all humans ill mannered pillocks?" 

"No, miss. Most of them are quite cordial and polite. It is just the ones at the bottom of the social ladder are like this. From what I gather, she is selling animal parts, but I do not know what for."

"Disgusting. I can't believe Gracie died for this."

"Gracie...?"

Meisa watches as the woman walks away with her friends to a… The best looking building in the area, though that's rich since everything is made of wood. 

"Nevermind, let's check out that building."

"Yes, miss. Shall I be on guard while you investigate the building?"

"No, stay outside and stay put."

"That is... a strange request, miss. I would rather stay by your side and protect you if a threat arises."

"Didn't they teach you to obey me?"

 "... They did, but I am a knight. And as a knight, my duty is to protect your safety, and I would break my code and dishonour my family and ancestors if I let you fall into harm." 

"Just stay here alright? Your Grandfather knew how to obey orders, why can't you?" 

 "My... grandfather...? How do you...? Fine... I will stay here."

'I'm an elf dumbass' Meisa enters the Tavern only to see its neat wooden floor. There are men and women in different 'costumes' looking at papers and boards. 

 As they approach, they all stop what they were doing and look up.

"It's nice to see that the people here don't cower in fear when they see me." Meisa murmurs as she reaches what looks to be the front desk. 

"So, what do you people do here?"

The Clerk answers first, "We do whatever we can to provide a good income for everyone. As soon as someone brings in coin, it's sent straight to us. What can I help you with?"

"Tell me more."

She looks around at her surroundings; there are shelves upon shelves full of various items, all neatly arranged. Some of them are books that are written in languages Meisa doesn't understand, but others she recognizes. There are maps, almanacks and even small books about farming.

In fact, most of these people seem to be working themselves to death just to survive.

"You must be a newbie miss."

She looks up to face a short woman wearing a white dress. Her long hair is pinned to her head, her eyes narrow as she stares at Meisa.

She takes a step back, her sword unsheathed. "Excuse me?"

"I said you must be a newbie miss. Didn'cha hear me?" She holds up a stack of books and flips through them, "The company didn't say they'd send a newbie over."

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Look here, miss. The Company ain't exactly known for sending rookies. We ain't gonna take care o' a rookie either."

Her eyes are burning into Meisa's soul. "Who the heck are you, girl? Where are yer parents? Where yer grandparents? Who raised ya?"

She doesn't answer. No one raised her, she raised herself. Or is this a human insult?

'Argh! What a crude bitch!' Meisa decisively turns around and leaves.