The night passed peacefully, though the next morning something odd happened, just as Mike and Julie was finished packing up their stuff a person stepped out into the clearing, it was Kathrine, Mike looked at her blankly before he asked
"...And why are you here again miss Kathrine?"
Julie gleaned at Kathrine that soon spoke
"I am here to guide you"
"Where to?"
"To… The elder"
Kathrine looked like she had a real hard time saying the last part of her statement like she didn't entirely believe what she herself was saying, still, she said it, as were her orders, Mike narrowed his eyes slightly before he sighed
"Sure, then let's go"
Kathrine nodded and walked off into the forest, Mike and Julie followed after her, soon they arrived at another location that seemed unremarkable besides the fact that two trees were crossing, Kathrine looked back at Mike and Julie before she sighed and began muttering something in a foreign language that even Mike didn't understand, then the passage between the two trees began shimmering slightly before a full-on portal opened up
"Follow me quickly"
Mike nodded and followed after Kathrine that already had walked through the portal, Julie also quickly followed and soon the portal closed again…
On the other side of the portal, Mike could not help but look around with curiosity, after all, they had appeared in the middle of what appeared to be an elf village, they had what a typical near Otaku would associate with an elf village, buildings made of living wood, elf beauties all over and most importantly a group of fully armed elves surrounding the portal looking at Mike and Julie with clear hostility
'Wait one of those doesn't quite fit… Oh well…'
Mike narrowed his eyes slightly before he asked Kathrine
"What's this about?"
Kathrine smiled as she leaped backward past the premier of the other elves, then she answered Mike's question
"It's simple"
Then she threw two slave collars over at Mike and Julie that landed in front of them with a clang before she continued
"Wear those and I'll bring you to the elder"
Mike sighed deeply before he muttered
"Really..?"
"What was that Mike? Speak up why don't you!"
Mike raised his face and looked at Kathrine with a smile on his face
"Do you really think we are so weak that you can force us with a mere 26 people?"
Kathrine froze before she let out a laugh, a slightly nervous sounding laugh in fact before she spoke
"So you don't think that 26 of us are enough to take you guys down? Fine, why don't we test that theory!?"
She then raised her hand to signal the elf archers to be ready but before she managed to bring down her arm
"[Blood domination]"
The elves froze in place, then Mike muttered
"And just like that, you're all dead"
Mike walked up to Kathrine and looked her straight in the eye for a bit, making her feel how shit out of luck she was, then… He let her go and spoke
"Come on now, take us to your elder why don't you?"
Kathrine looked around at the others that were frozen in place still before she muttered
"But the others---"
"You sure have some balls on you to ask for their safety right after you threatened to enslave us with them"
Kathrine shut her mount before her face was flushed with embarrassment and anger, she wanted very much to kill Mike at this moment, but those weren't her orders, so she stifled her anger and lead Mike and Julie further into the village as they walked through the village the other members of the wind sprit race watched them with caution if not outright hostility, this Mike expected, he was also kind of surprised that no one had tried to outright attack them yet, soon they neared the center of the village where a big round hut stood, there was a single guarded entrance to this hut, there stood two guards that opened the door once they arrived, Mike and Julie followed Kathrine into the building after going through numerous hallways they arrived at a center room where a visibly aged elf sat on the rug, Mike could feel her piercing stare as soon as he walked in, she was appraising him and Julie with a keen interest
"You must be Mike and Julie… Please take a seat
Mike nodded and sat down on the rug and crossed his legs, Julie sat down next to him while Kathrine bowed to the elder before she left the room and closed the door behind her, for a bit the elder and Mike looked each other in the eyes without blinking, then after an unknown amount of time the elder sighed and asked
"Do you two mind if I tell you a story?"
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Mike shook his head
"No elder, please"
The elders showed a smile and began talking, the story was about a pack of wolves that although they were different they were one pack, but everything had changed when men arrived on the island where the wolves lived, for a time the wolves helped the men that arrived, but that soon changed.
The men began hunting the wolves and drove them further inland, if that wasn't enough some of the wolves gradually transformed into half-men beasts, those beasts chained the wolves and took advantage of their aggressive nature, and used them to guard against the men. But to prevent the wolves from rebelling the half-human beast cast a curse over them.
"---And like that the wolves became the guards of the half-human beasts that now ruled the inner parts of the land while keeping the wolves as guards against the men…"
Mike took a few moments to get what the elder was saying and asked to confirm
"Those wolves, do they have long ears?"
The elder smiled as she realized Mike had understood the message she was relaying before she asked
"So... I need to confirm when you say you want to seek shelter here then do you still want to now?"
Mike looked over at Julie that nodded before he turned back to the elder and nodded
"Yes, that was the plan"
The elder widened her eyes before she quickly asked
"Are you sure… You know we are a tribe of women right? We women from grudges rather easily, especially when people go back on their words"
Mike nodded and looked over at Julie as he spoke
"As my wife knows I always keep my word"
Julie nodded before she pouted
"Yeah he does, even though it sometimes takes him some time"
The elder nodded before she spoke out loudly
"Kathrine"
Kathrine stepped into the room and bowed to the elder before she glanced at Mike and Julie, then the elder spoke
"You must be tired after traveling so far, please let Kathrine show you to your rooms"
Mike nodded and stood up, then he helped up Julie that gave him a sweet smile in return, then the two fo them followed after Kathrine that showed them to a room in the same building, the room was simple with a single bed in the middle of the room and not much else furniture besides a low table, Mike sighed and put down his backpack before he stretched, then he walked over and sat down on the bed, Julie followed him and sat down next to him before she leaned her weight onto him, then after spending a few minutes Julie asked
"The wolves in the story were the wind sprit race right?"
"Yeah… And the half-human beasts are the ones further inland"
"I see… Then what do you reckon that the curse was about?"
"Well… I haven't seen anyone flying around in the city…"
"You don't mean..?"
"Yes I do, they are cursed to be level 6 or under that or they are unable to fly once they reach level 7..."
"Well… Shit, how are we supposed to get their help against the Uglalian family?"
Mike shook his head, then he laid down on the bed and looked up into the ceiling for a bit before he muttered
"I know someone that might be able to help with the whole curse thing"
The next morning Mike woke up, he had slept peacefully the whole night so now he was well-rested for the first time in a long while
'Ever since we began running I guess…'
Mike sat up on the bed and looked around, they were still in the same room as before and they were still alone, Julie laid next to him, she was still sleeping peacefully, Mike spent a none-creepy amount of time watching her sleep before he decided to wake her up by poking her cheek a few times before she stirred in her sleep and eventually opened her eyes and looked at him for a bit before she let out a yawn as she sat herself up, then she turned to Mike and spoke cheerfully
"Good morning Mike"
Mike nodded and kissed her once
"Good morning Julie"