For a long time, the two women had followed their little dark furred 'guide', and they would both be lying to themselves if they said it wasn't an interesting experience. Not only the scenery was beautiful but, during their trip, they encountered many creatures : common animals like deers, squirrels, rabbits and foxes… but they also got to see creatures they never saw before such as :
- A large moose-like creature with giant antlers and a very big mouth. At the sight of them, it quickly left. However, the face it made at the sight of them caused the two women to laugh loudly in humor.
- A group of hand-sized green twig-like creatures whom they recognized instantly. After all, it was thanks to one of them that they managed to get out of those tunnels the previous day.
- Small diminutive human-like creatures with insect-like wings. Summer had release a squeal of delight while Salem had looked on with disbelief. None would blame them as they were looking at Fairies ! Because of the Huntress, it took them a while before resuming their journey as Summer was having fun with the tiny creatures.
The Huntress had pouted in disappointment at having her fun ruined but soon reluctantly left the tiny creatures who waved at them in a goodbye gesture. They were nice, albeit a bit mischievous.
Now, a few hours later, something predictable happened... Something that usually happens if you walk for a long time without stopping.
"I need to rest !" Summer said to her companions with a sweat-covered face while falling on her knees in exhaustion.
Salem was the first one to stop and, after a look toward her huntress friend, the Queen of Grimm knew that she really needed one. Hell, even her wanted a break.
"Very well…" Salem said to her friend before looking at the mole-hybrid creature, who had also stopped to look at them.
"Do you know a place we could rest for some time ?" she asked him in a calm tone, no longer bothered by its intelligence.
The creature nodded its head with a squeak before walking again, this time in a slower pace.
"Come on, Summer ! Just a few more minutes and we can rest !" the Queen of Grimm said encouragingly to her companion while helping her back on her feet.
The silver eyed Huntress looked up at her companion with a pout of annoyance and sorrow at the idea of walking again.
Seeing this, Salem decided to motivate her a bit by saying "Summer, if you don't get up right now, we will take more time to get out of here ! Meaning that you won't be seeing your family before a LOOONG time !"
Hearing this, Summer blinked and after a few seconds of thoughts, she nodded in reluctant acceptance as she allowed Salem to help her get back on her feet. The Queen of Grimm allowed a tiny smirk to appear on her face as she lead her companion after their guide who was patiently waiting for them.
When it saw them coming, the mole-platypus hybrid seemed satisfied as it walked again… this time heading south. At first curious about it, the two women shrugged before slowly going after it. Their walk was short, however, as soon, they found themselves leaving the safety and beauty of the forest to enter a large open space.
A what a sight it was !
In front of them, in the middle of a magnificent open-space, was a lake.
The body of water was glimmering under the sunlight, surrounded by precipitous hills, reeds, trees… and in the distance, they could see high mountains. The water surface was smooth and almost undisturbed . From time to time, they could see some fish caressing the surface of the water with their dorsal fins while Dragonflies were patrolling the lake's edge. The grass seemed to cast a colorful sheen and the air was filled with smells, mostly from plants from the forest.
"Beautiful…" Salem commented simply with a smile while looking at the area.
"I can't agree more…" Summer retorted in a whisper while nodding at her companion.
Slowly, they both stepped closer and while Salem went to sit on a rock, Summer approached the water to take a sip. A hum of delight escaped the Huntress' mouth, which caused her companion to look at her with a curious raised eyebrow.
"How does it taste ?" she asked her with curiosity.
"Honestly ? Very good… If I have to explain it, I would say it taste like rosewater..." Summer answered in a calm tone before taking another sip.
Salem then looked at their guide and found it standing beside her… Slowly, she reached out with her hand before petting it on the head. The tiny creature squealed in delight and pressed its head further into her fingers, appreciating the attention. Its gesture caused a smile to appear on the pale woman's face before she looked around to enjoy the scenery.
But suddenly, she noticed a movement in the reeds not too far from them and narrowed her eyes … only to silently gasp in shock by what she saw.
"Summer ?" she called out softly while not looking away from the reeds.
"Yes ?" the Huntress asked her companion while looking at her curiously.
"Look !" the Queen of Grimm said calmly while using a finger to point at something.
Frowning in confusion, Summer turned around to see what she was pointing… before gasping in shock.
A few meters away from them, looking at them with curiosity, was a small, round, brown fish-like creature with two legs and webbed feet.
"A fish with legs ?! CUTE !" Summer said in a squeal with hearts in her eyes.
Salem looked at her blankly for a moment before sighing deeply. Her companion had weird tastes… but she supposed it was part of her charms. When she looked back at her companion, she was on her knees, groaning in disappointment.
The cause ?
Her squeal scared the creature.
"Awwww, it got away !" Summer cooed in sadness while looking at the spot where the creature was.
Seeing her sad, the mole-platypus hybrid beside Salem rushed toward the Huntress before jumping into her arms. Summer blinked at the sudden action but then cooed at their furry friend who preened under the attention. The Queen of Grimm chuckled in amusement before watching as the two of them started to play together.
It was a cute sight and it reminded her of the way her daughters used to play around her. Feeling her sorrow returning again, Salem quickly shook her head to regain her senses before looking around once again while still listening to Summer's laughs.
00/(Time Skip)/00
The sun was high in the sky, meaning that it was almost midday in the Hidden World.
"Who do you think we are going to meet ?"
"I don't know..."
"Do you think whoever it is will help us ?"
"Again, I don't know… Perhaps… perhaps not..."
Once again, Salem, Summer and their little friend were traveling West, walking through another world of high trees, thick bushes and possible dangerous creatures. They stayed for almost 2 hours near the lake but they didn't left empty handed : they collected some water thanks to Summer who somehow carried a gourd on her (even Salem wondered where she hid it) and thanks to the Queen of Grimm's magic, they caught some fish… without legs of course.
They also got to see… very strange creatures : a ten-inch brown worm (Summer had shivered in disgust at the sight of it laying peacefully on a rock), a strange rat-like creature with with an anemone-like growth on its back (Salem had looked at her companion with amusement when she, once again, showed her disgust) and a strange horse-like being with a bulrush mane (the two women had been stunned and in awe as it jumped out of the water like a dolphin).
But let's get back to present, shall we ?
After their shock wore off, the two women had shared a nice lunch together… and giving some scraps to their little guide as payment for its service. Once they were full, they resumed their journey and now, they were traveling through the forest with the two women following after the mole-platypus hybrid. The black furred creature was leading them to an unknown place where they will, perhaps, meet someone who might help them return to the Surface.
Once again, they wondered who this mysterious individual could be... apart of being their guide's possible master.
Was it a human who somehow found its way here ? Or was it a Faunus who found this place ?
In their minds, it must be it as they had no other possibilities. So far, they hadn't met anything human… or human made. The entire place, despite clearly having sentient beasts, was wild and clearly 'untamed' by mankind.
But then, dark thoughts started to enter their minds : if this individual was real, then why is he or she still here ? If she or he had the power to leave this place, then why staying ?
Was it because he or she couldn't ? Or was it because of something else ?
However, their thoughts were broken by a squeal coming from their dear guide who was looking at them with anticipation… but when their eyes landed on it, the tiny creature rushed forward, breaking into a run to who-know-where.
"HEY ! WAIT FOR US !" Summer cried out after it, followed
by Salem who was wondering what was going on with their furry friend.
"WHY IS IT RUNNING ?!" Summer shouted to her companion while still running after their little guide.
"HOW SHOULD I KNOW ?!" Salem replied back with a hiss while running alongside the Huntress.
After a moment, they finally got their answers… in a rather unexpected way. They hissed slightly at the light hitting their eyes but soon, after blinking a few times, they looked forward before freezing.
"What the hell ?" Summer spluttered in shock as her silver eyes widened comically.
Beside her, Salem looked just as shocked as her companion.
While they were still in a forest, it was clear that something was amiss here as the ground was covered with patches of flowers from beautiful red roses to bluebells and lilies. Their divine aromas filled the air, attracting armies of insects such as butterflies or bees.
To their left, flowing peacefully, was a small stream and they saw a pair of squirrels chasing each other around a small boulder. Looking away from the cute rodents, the two women turned their eyes toward the other aspects of this new area : there were large trees surrounding them but, after one quick observation, they were shocked to see that they were not only trees… but buildings growing directly out of the pines.
One of those trees' bulge formed a two-story house before sinking its roots into the grassy ground. They looked hexagonal in appearance but the upper level was perhaps half as big as the first level, giving the house a tiered appearance. The roof and walls seemed to be made of webbed sheets of wood and moss and lichen were bearding the eaves, hanging over the windows set into the building's sides.
It was almost the same with every houses they saw, except some that were ,nestled between more than one tree. One of them, for example, was nestled between THREE pines and joined to it through curved branches. The house in question rose five or six levels and, near it, was a bower hung with flame-less lanterns.
The women were in awe of the building as each of them were unique and were blending perfectly with their respective trees. Salem, despite having lived for millenniums, had never seen such beauty : a perfect mix between nature and civilization.
"This place is so… beautiful..." Summer whispered in awe as her silver eyes shined like stars.
"Amazing..." Salem commented in agreement while looking around with her blood red eyes.
For the first time since entering this new world, they have finally found a form of civilization ! And even that was a shocking thing because the architecture and design of the buildings were unlike anything she had ever seen before.
She didn't know who built these buildings, but they were undoubtedly the greatest architects she had ever met in her long life !
However, his thoughts were soon interrupted by Summer pulling his arm insistently. Blinking a few times, the Queen of Grimm turned her head to look at her companion… only to see her looking at something with wide eyes of curiosity and intrigue.
"Summer ? Are you okay ?" Salem asked her with slight concern in her tone.
However, the Huntress didn't have the time to react when a masculine voice echoed in the air, catching their attention.
"Who are you ?"
Turning her head, Salem found herself facing… a really attractive man. He was tall (maybe around 6" 2'), had fair skin, gray eyes, pointy ears (much to their shock) and was wearing a white tunic with a red robe on the top. He looked to be around forty but his eyes showed nothing but sharpness and seriousness.
The women, who were about to answer, were interrupted by more people entering the scene. There were men and women, some of them were wearing robes but others were wearing different outfit :
- A few of them were wearing what looked like two toned suede jerkin worn over a silk-like shirt and dark trousers along with knee high soft boots and wide leather vambraces.
- Others, mostly women, were wearing what looked like long dresses covered with a veil (which was of the color of the chosen dress)over it.
Like the man who spoke, all people present were tall, had fair skins, pointy ears and mostly beautiful. None of the men had any facial hair and looked slim and almost effeminate… the key word was 'almost' as they still had noticeable muscles to not be seen as girls.
The women, for their parts, were simply stunning (even Salem and Summer had to admit it) and were holding themselves with a grace and beauty none of them had ever seen before.
Then, there were the children… Hidden behind some of the adults, they were looking at the two with childish curiosity mixed with fear… which was expected as they were complete stranger.
However, apart of their appearances, Salem and Summer both noticed another thing : the hostility coming from the people before them.
"I will ask you again : who are you ?" the same man from before asking them again in a calm but stern tone.
"My-My name is Summer and with me, is my companion and friend, Salem..." the silver eyed Huntress shakily said to him while using a hand to point at herself and her friend.
The Queen of Grimm nodded at them with a firm expression on her face, not saying anything.
"What are you ? Because you clearly are not elves !" the man asked them again, still sternly.
Whispers and murmurs erupted from the crowd as some of them glanced at the two women with distrust and wariness. Summer and Salem exchanged a quick look, confused by the word 'Elves' but brushed it aside for now before the former opened her mouth to answer.
"I am a huma-"
"A HUMAN ?!" some of the pointy eared people roared in horror and anger (?).
"HUMAN FILTH !"
"DEMON !"
"MONSTER !"
Summer stiffened in slight fear at the shouts and Salem pressed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner. Then, the shouts stopped all thanks to the man of earlier who gestured for them to be quiet.
"How did you get here ? Your kind had never been here before !" he asked the Huntress in a stern tone as his eyes looked at her like a hawk.
However, there was no hostility in his gray eyes… only intrigue.
"W-" Summer tried to answer but was interrupted.
"Wait ! What about her ?!" one of them asked the Queen of Grimm, pointing an accusing finger at her.
All eyes fell on the pale skinned woman.
"Clearly, she is not human ! Her skin is too pale..." the man said with a softer tone while looking at the Queen of Grimm.
"I was human a long time ago… Now, I'm a being of Darkness..." Salem retorted calmly but her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked at everyone present.
"So it seems…" the man mumbled with a nod of understanding while behind him, murmurs and whispers echoed again from the crowd.
But then, a squeal echoed in the air and all eyes fell on the mole-platypus hybrid who, once their attention was on it, jumped into Summer's arms before nuzzling her, earning itself a giggle from the silver eyed Huntress.
Salem rolled her eyes at their antics but then also released a few chuckles as the little black beast jumped into her arms to nuzzle her face. As she petted it, from the corner of her eyes, she noticed that many of the pointy eared people looked stunned by this action.
"Interesting…" the man mumbled to himself as his gray eyes looked at the two with a calculative glint.
Then, he cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention before saying a firm tone
"It seems that this Niffler vouches for you... Since the Last War, many magical creatures have become hostile and suspicious of humans... For this little guy to show you so much affection, you you must have gained his trust..."
At those words, the tension slowly disappeared and the 'Elves' looked much more welcoming than before. Summer and Salem were stunned by this sudden change of behavior but would be lying to themselves if they said it wasn't a good thing.
"Now that we know that you are not our enemies, allow me to welcome you properly..." The man began to say before spreading his arms in a welcoming manner, adding
"I welcome you, Lady Salem and Lady Summer, to the elven village of Malon… I am Lord Scalanis, chieftain of this village and you are now our guests !"
The last part was said with a bow and instantly, every single Elf did the same… even the children. Summer and Salem were stunned for a moment but soon, they knew what to do. With smiles on their faces, the two women faced the man again, waited until everyone stopped bowing… before bowing respectfully.
"It is a great honor to meet you, Lord Scalanis...And we thank you for allowing us into your home !"
(To be continued…)
Note : yeah, I changed the House-Elves' physical appearances. As for why, you will discover it in the next chapter () I don't want to spoil the fun after all~! I hope you liked this story so far because there is more to come in the next chapters !