2

I'm not accustomed to not knowing where I am or how I got there. Yet here I am, in a cell no bigger than a closet, in a strange place, surrounded by even stranger creatures. "Eldar" they call themselves, they look human enough thou slightly taller and more slender. It's their grace agility that set them apart. Without sign or warning they appear and disappear.

When they discovered me it was but three of them, but in the time it took me to blink thousands appeared and surrounded me. Each of the "Eldar" brandished a different weapons and armors, slick and odd just like their owners. From the assembled host a single figure emerged, clearly female as evident from her breast…plate, adorn with a long flowing robe, ornate bone white mantle, ebony black helm and in her hands a long trident which pulses and cracks with energy.

'You are trespassing on sacred ground Mon-keigh.', said the woman, thou she didn't truly speak; more like force her thoughts into my head. 'You have the stench of a Space Marine about you.' She then turns to a few of the warriors behind her and says, 'Hold him. I'll need time to ascertain his purpose or how he came to be here.

Since then I've been in here; held captive, catching fleeting glimpses of my captors through a little gap in the door. A means for them to keep taps on me no doubt. Seeing no means of escape I decided to sleep and rest for their questions, hopefully then I'll be more prepared and able to convince them I not a threat. I settle in and close my eyes, slowly I fall asleep feeling calm for the first time since getting here. Suddenly a violent rumbling brings me back and tosses me from the bed they've provided.

I rise to my feet and run to the door and peer outside through the peep hole. Colossal figures loom in the distance a horde of humanoid monsters clad in dark blue and sickly green armor. A snake with multiple heads, a hydra I think, crudely painted on their shoulder guards, horns sprouts from their helmets and in their arms they cradle Massive guns each the size of my torso. In response to these "THINGS" my captors launch a counter attack.

I know not the size of either army but seeing my captors fall to these invaders in droves bodes ill for them. One of the daunting warriors tosses something into the air in my direction; I can't make it out, but my instincts yell out "GRENADE!"

Reflexively I run to the other side of the room and cover my head. A loud boom and a crumbling wall prove my instincts right, amidst the rubble one of my captors lays broken and dying, a lone hand stretches out and spasms as they succumb to death.

At my feet the Eldar's weapon slides coming to a stop only when it meets. Obviously a gun of sorts, its long slender barrel is testament enough, besides the barrel I was astonished by its near weightlessness; if I wasn't looking at it I wouldn't notice I was carrying it.

My eyes and thoughts drift away from the gun in my hands to the opening made in my cell. I peer out and notice the area is free of combat. I go to leave but I cannot leave the fallen in such a way. I return to my cell and unearth my captor. I have no love for him or his kind, but no one disserves to be left like that. Buried so woefully forgotten only to be discovered by the smell of rotting flesh and blood. No. No one disserves that.

I give prayers to the fallen, hoping his soul can find peace in the next life, before I take my leave. Normally I'm not a pious or religious man, but praying for a soul not my own, even if no one is there to listen, can't hurt. Making my way out of my cell I finally get a good look at where I am, and now I'm certain I'm not on Earth. Spires stretch into the skies ornate and beautifully complex. They are each connected by sprawling pathways flying vehicles soar off into the distance, there is where the battles are raging and there's where I can finally get some answers.

Along my way to where I know the battle with be thickest I avoid anyone or anything else, sticking to the shadows I note the apparent differences in the armies as they clash. The grizzly invaders are all uniform and exactly the same; save for wear and tear on their individual armor. Speaking of which seem to put most tanks to shame, as do their guns shame cannons.

The "Eldar" are different, although groups may where the same armor and guns each group is separate and individualistic. From bizarre to ornate helmets and armors, to wild and confusing weapons, sure many of them are recognizable in appearance and functionality; but even more are completely alien and rather cool. One for example appears to be a lance like one a Mid-Evil knight would wield on horseback but the ones wielded by the Eldar shoot fire out of their tips.

Eventually I make my way to a relatively quiet area where I happen to find a small gaggle of children, although the violence hasn't reached this place the children are terror stricken and huddle together for safety. As I step out of the shadows a shrill scream escapes the tightly grouped children, one turns to me; a young boy by the looks of him, and seems to take a protective stance before the others. I cannot help but respect this "little man" for his bravery and note with some amazement at his features. Like I saw earlier they appear human, but this little guy has pointed ears and pale skin.

"So you're Elves, huh?" I muse out loud, causing another shrill to escape the children. I stick my right hand out to placate them, but it only causes them to scream louder; even the little guy steps back before retaking his lost step. "You're a tough little dude aren't you?"

The young boy looks away from me, his attention fixed elsewhere and I watch in horror as his head explodes into gore. His tiny frame falls limp onto the ground, the children look at his fallen corpse and tears begin to streak down their face.

I feel my heart fill with anger, to shoot a child is unforgivable and I swear to myself that I'll find his killer and make them pay. My quarry isn't far away, in fact tracing the young man's line of sight I see him standing proud with a few of his fellow invaders.

Unlike many of his compatriots he doesn't wear a helmet, I'm thankful for a chance to know the true face of the young one's killer, but I also wish he did wear a helmet. He is apparently human, but his skin is twisted and burned in some areas, bronze and fit in others, his teeth filled sharp and his eyes are as black as hell itself.

"Good. Good. Young innocent souls are far more valuable then old warriors any day." growls the lead, his gun still smoking from the death he just delivered. "Now to collect the rest of them." I watch with disgust that a grim smile begins to form on his lips, he actually enjoys killing children.

He taps the trigger slightly and a bullet the size of my fist comes roaring out, a trail of fire propelling it forward. I run towards the children and throw myself on top of them. I watch in terror as the bullet fractures into a hail of shrapnel, I slam my eyes shut as it comes closer.

"No!" cries the lead, but why?

'I do this for the children, not for you.' I recognize the voice, the female Eldar from earlier. I look up to see her surrounded by azure flames and crackling lightning. 'What happened to that child, mon-keigh?' The thoughts carry into my mind now are laced with anger and barely contained fury.

"He stood and protected the others from me, and because of that those "monsters" took him by surprise and shoot him where he stood." I offer no condolences they would just sting her and enrage her more.

'You are right human to hold your pity; I'd kill you where you stand if you hadn't. Now isn't the time for sorrow, take these children elsewhere, and should any of them face harm, you shall know pain everlasting.'

I turn to walk away and notice an army of considerable size walk past me, the usual assortment of warriors I've seen before. What really takes me by surprise are gargantuan walking robots that walk alongside the warriors, like the warriors they too are slender and graceful, far more so then something as tall as a tree should be. Even more impressive still is a walking giant, wreathed in red flames and sporting a massive sword as large as any of the walking war machines which accompanies it. It's left hand bleeds blood in waterfalls pouring over the land as it walks, speaking of it's steps, the creature seems to scorch the ground with each one.

'HUMAN! Collect yourself, we have not the time for your primitive mind to try and guess as to what you see, so stop and take the children elsewhere. NOW!"

If looks could kill, she'd have dropped after the first insult, but like she said, now isn't the time, thou I think, 'The next time you want a favor how about you lay off the insults, or at least keep them to yourself.' If she had caught any of the she didn't show it, "Don't worry I'll keep your children safe. I just ask that you make the one without the helmet pay for what he did."

'You needn't ask for that human, I take great pleasure in killing your kind, but his ilk, even more so. And for his crimes, I'll see to it personally. '

Again with the insult, but I've spent enough time fighting her. The children who had been so afraid of me not moments ago now huddle around me, trying to push me away from the coming battle. I don't know whether or not they speak English so I try and use body language to point them in the right direction. After we run a fair distance away, I hear the words slip into my mind, 'I apologize."

A faint smile grows on my lips.