Lokei stepped into the makeshift interrogation room, the air thick with tension. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the metallic walls, the hum of generators in the distance providing a low, droning backdrop. The only other sound in the room—besides the breathing of the soldiers standing guard—was the muffled beat of Everybody Wants to Rule the World playing from a distant speaker.
The elf girl sat rigidly on the crate, her violet eyes flickering with defiance as she tracked his every move. Despite the restraints binding her wrists, she held herself with an air of quiet dignity, as if she had chosen to be here rather than having been captured.
Lokei stopped in front of her, studying her for a moment before speaking in her language. "You understand me?"
Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly masked her surprise. She hadn’t expected him to know her tongue. More importantly, she hadn’t sensed anything from him—no mana, no lifeforce resonance, nothing. To her, he was a void, an absence of being where something should exist.
She hesitated before responding. “…Yes.”
Lokei smirked. "Good. That'll make this easier." He crouched slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "Tell me about the dragons."
Silence. Her expression hardened, lips pressing into a thin line.
Lokei sighed, tilting his head. "You were running from something when we found you. You weren’t with the dragons. That tells me you’re not their ally. So, let's skip the part where you pretend you don’t know anything."
The elf inhaled slowly before finally speaking. “I am a scout,” she admitted. “For my tribe.”
Lokei raised an eyebrow. Now that was interesting.
“And what was your tribe scouting for?”
She met his gaze, measuring her words carefully. “…To see if you were invaders. If you carried bad intentions. Like the ones who came before you.”
That made Lokei’s eyes narrow slightly. Others had come before? Metal birds… that sounded like other human ships. But this world wasn’t charted on any of their records—was it? He leaned in just a little.
“What others?” he asked.
The elf girl remained silent, her expression unreadable. But the flicker of something in her eyes told him one thing—there was a lot she wasn’t saying.
Lokei stepped into the makeshift interrogation room, the air thick with tension. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the metallic walls, the hum of generators in the distance providing a low, droning backdrop. The only other sound in the room—besides the breathing of the soldiers standing guard—was the muffled beat of Everybody Wants to Rule the World playing from a distant speaker.
The elf girl sat rigidly on the crate, her violet eyes flickering with defiance as she tracked his every move. Despite the restraints binding her wrists, she held herself with an air of quiet dignity, as if she had chosen to be here rather than having been captured.
Lokei stopped in front of her, studying her for a moment before speaking in her language. "You understand me?"
Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly masked her surprise. She hadn’t expected him to know her tongue. More importantly, she hadn’t sensed anything from him—no mana, no lifeforce resonance, nothing. To her, he was a void, an absence of being where something should exist.
She hesitated before responding. “…Yes.”
Lokei smirked. "Good. That'll make this easier." He crouched slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "Tell me about the dragons."
Silence. Her expression hardened, lips pressing into a thin line.
Lokei sighed, tilting his head. "You were running from something when we found you. You weren’t with the dragons. That tells me you’re not their ally. So, let's skip the part where you pretend you don’t know anything."
The elf inhaled slowly before finally speaking. “I am a scout,” she admitted. “For my tribe.”
Lokei raised an eyebrow. Now that was interesting.
“And what was your tribe scouting for?”
She met his gaze, measuring her words carefully. “…To see if you were invaders. If you carried bad intentions. Like the ones who came before you.”
That made Lokei’s eyes narrow slightly. Others had come before? Metal birds… that sounded like other human ships. But this world wasn’t charted on any of their records—was it? He leaned in just a little.
“What others?” he asked.
The elf girl remained silent; her expression unreadable. But the flicker of something in her eyes told him one thing—there was a lot she wasn’t saying.
Lokei exhaled through his nose, his smirk fading into something more calculating. He could tell she was holding back, but that wasn’t surprising. If their roles were reversed, he wouldn’t spill anything either. But he had ways of getting what he needed—without resorting to brute force.
He pulled over a metal chair and sat across from her, relaxed, arms resting on his knees. The guards at the door shifted slightly, but he ignored them. His focus was entirely on the elf.
“You say you were scouting to see if we were invaders,” Lokei repeated, voice smooth but firm. “That tells me your people knew someone would come. And that means this isn’t the first time ‘metal birds’ have landed on your world.”
The elf’s eyes flickered with something—hesitation? Caution? Either way, it was confirmation enough.
Lokei leaned in slightly, tapping his fingers against his knee. “So. Who came before us?”
She hesitated, lips parting as if to speak, but then she clamped them shut again.
Lokei tilted his head. “You don’t have to tell me everything, but humor me—what did they do to make you this wary?”
Her jaw tightened. For a long moment, she didn’t answer. Then, finally, she spoke.
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“They brought war,” she said quietly. “They burned the forests, took what they wanted, and left ruin behind. That is what the metal birds bring.”
Lokei narrowed his eyes. That didn’t sound like any sanctioned human expedition. Colonization attempts? A rogue faction? Mercenaries?
“How long ago?” he pressed.
She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she studied him, as if weighing the risks of telling him. Finally, she muttered, “…Generations.”
Lokei raised an eyebrow. Generations? That would mean this world had been visited a long time ago—long enough for history to warp the story, for time to turn soldiers into legends and machines into myth.
Interesting.
“And what happened to them?”
Her gaze darkened. “The dragons came.”
Lokei sat back slightly, nodding to himself. That fit. If the dragons were native to this world, and if someone had come before them—whether human or not—they must have provoked something. Either they were wiped out by the dragons, or they ran. Either way, they left a lasting impression.
He changed tactics. “You said you’re just a scout. Who do you answer to?”
She shook her head. “That is not for you to know.”
Lokei chuckled. “Come on. You’re already our guest. Might as well make conversation.”
She glared at him.
He sighed, stretching his arms. “Alright, fine. Let’s talk about the dragons instead.”
Silence.
He met her gaze again. “You and I both know they’re not just animals. They fight with strategy. They coordinate. That means they take orders from someone.” He let the words sink in before continuing. “Who’s controlling them?”
The elf hesitated—just for a second—but it was enough.
Lokei caught it.
His voice turned softer, almost casual. “You know, don’t you?”
She turned her face away, jaw clenched.
Lokei exhaled. “Look, I get it. You don’t trust us. Frankly, I don’t blame you. But your people are already watching us. You knew we’d come. So what’s worse? Talking to me… or letting those dragons tear through your forests too?”
That made her look at him again. A flicker of something—uncertainty, maybe.
Lokei leaned forward, voice quiet but firm. “You think we’re the enemy. But tell me this—if those dragons turned on your people, would they fight? Would they win?”
Her expression faltered.
And that was when Lokei knew—she wasn’t just a scout. She was more than that.
He smirked slightly, tapping his fingers against the chair. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
Captain Lewis stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable as he observed the interrogation through the one-way glass. Commander McGregor stood beside him, hands clasped behind his back, his face set in a deep frown. The dim lighting in the observation room cast long shadows over their faces, making the tension between them feel even heavier.
McGregor exhaled sharply. “She’s not talking. Not enough, anyway.” His Scottish accent made his words sound even harsher. “We need to know more about these dragons. If they’re being controlled, then we need to find out who’s pulling the strings now, not later.”
Lewis remained silent for a moment, watching as Lokei leaned in slightly, speaking in a low, calculated tone to the elf. He had seen enough interrogations in his time to know that Lokei was toying with her, pressing her in just the right places without overplaying his hand.
But time was a luxury they didn’t have.
McGregor shifted beside him, crossing his arms. “We can’t afford to drag this out. If she keeps stonewalling, we may need to use…” he paused, glancing at the Captain. “More persuasive methods.”
Lewis’ jaw tensed. He hated this part of the job. He wasn’t na?ve—sometimes, extreme measures were necessary. But this wasn’t a hardened enemy combatant. She was young, clearly trained but not a warrior in the same sense as his men. And if she was telling the truth, her people had reasons to hate outsiders.
The Captain let out a slow breath. “Let’s see how far Lokei gets first.”
McGregor frowned. “And if he doesn’t?”
Lewis glanced at him, his voice steady but firm. “Then we reassess.”
McGregor grunted but didn’t argue. They both turned back to the glass, watching as Lokei continued his work.
Inside the room, Lokei tilted his head slightly, sensing the weight of the conversation happening just beyond the glass. He knew what they were discussing. He also knew that if he didn’t get what they needed soon, the situation would shift out of his control.
And he really didn’t feel like cleaning up after the blunt methods of the brass.
So he leaned in closer, his smirk returning.
“Let’s not make this unpleasant,” he murmured, his voice just loud enough for the elf to hear. “I’d rather keep this civil.” He flicked a glance toward the glass before locking eyes with her again. “But the men behind that wall? They don’t have my patience.”
He let that hang in the air, watching her reaction carefully.
The elf’s violet eyes darkened, her gaze flickering toward the table as if she were no longer in the room. Her breathing slowed, her fingers twitching slightly against her restraints.
Lokei noticed the shift immediately.
“Something on your mind?” he asked, his voice smooth but probing.
She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she found herself slipping into memory—back to when this all began.
The great tree at the heart of the forest pulsed with ancient energy, its roots twisting deep beneath the sacred earth. The Council Hall was alight with shimmering blue glyphs, their glow casting eerie shadows across the gathered elders. At the center, seated upon a throne of woven silverwood, was Elder Sylwen, her face marked with wisdom and worry.
Before her, the tribe’s scouts knelt, their heads bowed. One among them, the youngest of the group—Kaelith, the very same elf now in the human’s custody—lifted her gaze.
“We have seen them,” she said, her voice steady despite the weight of her words. “The metal birds of old. They return.”
A murmur spread through the chamber, the elders shifting uneasily.
Elder Sylwen’s brow furrowed. “Are you certain?”
Kaelith nodded. “They do not bear the same markings as the ancient ones. Their shape is different. Their flight… unnatural, but controlled. They came from the heavens, falling like stars before rising again.”
A silence followed, heavy with unspoken fears. Then, from the far side of the hall, a deep voice rumbled.
“If they are the same as before, then we are already doomed.”
The gathered elves turned as Vaelor, the Warbringer, stepped forward. His dark golden eyes were sharp, his presence commanding. “The Evil One will not abide intruders. If these new arrivals are kin to those who came before, he will destroy them. And us.”
Elder Sylwen exhaled slowly, pressing her fingertips together in thought. “We do not yet know what they are,” she said carefully. “If they are like the ancients, then their purpose will soon reveal itself. But if they are different…” Her voice trailed off, uncertainty clouding her expression.
Kaelith hesitated before speaking again. “What if they are neither friend nor foe, but something else?”
Sylwen turned her gaze to the young scout, studying her closely. “Then it falls upon us to determine their intent. Kaelith, you and the others must observe them. If they are invaders, we must prepare. If they are something else…” she paused, choosing her words carefully, “then we must tread lightly, for we are no longer alone in this world.”
The weight of the task settled upon Kaelith’s shoulders as she bowed her head.
Little did she know, those words would soon become prophecy.
Lokei watched Kaelith carefully, his expression unreadable as he processed her words. A scout. Sent to ensure they were not like the ones before. The ones who had come with metal birds and left destruction in their wake.
He raised an eyebrow. “The Evil One—who is he?”
She clenched her jaw, eyes narrowing as she studied him in return. Though she remained silent, there was a flicker of something—fear, perhaps?
Before he could press further, the door to the interrogation room slammed open.
A trio of marines rushed in, their exosuits whirring from the rapid movement. Their weapons were primed, but their focus wasn’t on the elf—it was on Lokei.
“Sir!” one of them barked. “We’ve got inbound! Dragons—lots of them! They’re hitting the perimeter hard! Command needs you out there—now!”
Lokei straightened, his cybernetic fingers flexing instinctively. His expression didn’t shift, but there was a new urgency in his posture. He cast one last glance at the elf before turning to the marines.
“She’s not going anywhere. Guard her until I get back.”
Kaelith tensed as the marines shifted their weapons in her direction. She didn't recognize the words they spoke, but she recognized their tone. Commanding. Military. And yet…not quite the same as the language of the mainlanders, the ones who had once hunted her people to near extinction.
This was something else.
She looked between them as the door shut behind Lokei, the echoes of boots and distant alarms filling the air.
And then, for the first time, she felt something unsettling.
Not fear. Not anger.
Uncertainty.
