The Last Meeting… or the First of Many

Seeing the hostility in the air, the Wyvern roared, refusing to descend.

“Is it true, what you have said, human?” the elf leader called out.

“Yes!” I answered firmly.

At my words, the elf leader commanded his people to lower their weapons. The Wyvern, sensing the tension ease, slowly began its descent toward the empty lakeshore. When it landed, it let out a piercing cry. From its carriage, the door whooshed open and mechanical steps unfolded with a hiss.

"..."

Out came Grandma first, then her son, Father, following right after. It was as though demigods had descended, their ambience sharp, refined, professional. The elves watched in silence, awe flickering in their eyes. Grandma and Father scanned the surroundings carefully, prepared in case of a sudden attack.

“Grandma!” Karen cried, rushing toward her. But the odd stiffness in her movement made them both frown.

“Was it them?” Father’s hand went to his waist, his gaze sweeping the elves. Instantly, the elves tensed in response.

“Wait!” I ran between them. “It’s not them!”

“Elias? Then why are the elves surrounding us like this? They look hostile enough.”

“That’s because of you!” I sighed.

"..."

At my words, Father relaxed his stance, and the elves mirrored him. He turned to Alice and beckoned, “Alice, come here, dear. Don’t stay so far back.” She quickly obeyed.

“Welcome back, Father,” she said softly, embracing him.

Father returned the hug, then glanced back at me. “So, care to explain why all these elves are here? And… is that a Nachtmaw?” His eyes narrowed sharply as he moved his arm in front of us.

“Yeah. But it’s dead, thanks to the elves. Well… mostly thanks to the girl over there.” I gestured at the unconscious elf girl in the elf leader’s arms.

Father’s eyes softened. He bowed slightly toward the elf leader. “You have my thanks.”

The elf leader nodded with a faint smile. No words were exchanged, yet a current of respect passed between them, silent and sure.

“Wait, is that Valeriya?” Grandma gasped, stepping toward the elf leader without hesitation. Her aura alone made the elves hold back. She brushed the girl’s cheek with gentle fingers. The elf leader remained still. Then, from her pocket, Grandma produced a small vial and pressed it into his hand.

“This will help her recover from fatigue,” she said.

The elf leader blinked, still processing her boldness.

“Oh, no need to thank me,” Grandma chuckled, patting his back.

“You insolent human!” an elf snarled, raising his bow in outrage.

“Stand down!” the elf leader barked. Then, turning back to Grandma, he gave a wry smile. “I must thank you, fair lady.”

He lifted his head and commanded his elves to retreat. Before leaving, he glanced at me once more and smiled, a look that promised either farewell or possible future meetings.

Probably the last meeting, or maybe one of many.

“Right then, shall we head home as well?” Father asked, lifting Karen into his arms. “It’s late today, but tomorrow I’ll take you to a hospital in the nearby city. Is that alright, dear?”

“Yes, Father!” Karen beamed.

“Good. Come along, children.”

"..."

We boarded the Wyvern carriage. With a beat of massive wings, the Wyvern ascended, the elves watching from below in awe. By foot, it would have taken hours to reach Grandma’s home, but the Wyvern carried us there in barely fifteen minutes. Soon, we were standing before the familiar house, dark and quiet, unlike before when horrors had awaited us inside.

"..."

But was it truly over? Or were there still shadows lurking within?

Before I could voice my thoughts, Grandma marched straight toward the kitchen. She struck a flame and lit a candle, then moved through the rooms one by one until the whole house glowed warmly.

I let out a long breath of relief.

Alice touched my shoulder and smiled. I smiled back.

It was really over.

“Something wrong?” Father asked, noticing our tension fade.

“Nothing, Father,” Alice said with a smile.

“Hm. Then let’s sit in the living room for a while. Maa will make us dinner soon. I’m sure you’re hungry, yes?”

We hadn’t eaten since breakfast, yet after everything that had happened, hunger was the last thing on our minds. We were still trying to digest the horrors we had witnessed.

“I think something light, like fruit salad, would be best,” Alice suggested. She looked at me and Karen, and we both nodded in agreement.

“Hm, is that so?” Grandma said. “Alright then, settle down, I’ll prepare it then.”

“Thanks, Grandma,” Karen smiled.

We sank into the sofas. Father laid Karen across the largest one before turning his eyes to Alice and me.

“So then, what exactly happened? Are you two alright?”

“…”