“So, Lucy, enjoying the show?” Chris asked grinning as he and Arthur sat on a wooden table dubbed her 'examination table'.
Lucy held her stethoscope to each man's chest ignoring the question. She paused for a moment as it rested against the soft skin of Arthur asking, “Please take a deep breath.” The examination was quickly over as the woman sat on a stool stolen from the small bar where pizza was served in the store. Shaking her head the woman brushed the black hair to the back of her head saying, “Without the ability to conduct full tests on what the changes did to you I'm going to assume the quickened pulse on both of you is due to that. Barring that, you both seem perfectly fine which is as remarkable as always considering the number of injuries Chris has sustained.”
“Alright, then I'm going to take watch over our 'guest'. Answers are too few these days and I want to be there. Maybe he'll be able to put my ears back to normal,” Chris sighed running a finger along the elongated ears.
Lucy giggled to herself as Arthur said, “I don't know, kinda fits your Elven personality. God knows you do Tolkien proud,” The man received an angry glare causing him to flinch as Chris walked out of the room. Lucy let out a sigh to herself as Arthur asked, “Think I went too far?”
“Nah, he could use someone to poke fun at him. Though, I must ask, what about you? Feel any changes? In particular?” Lucy asked placing a hand on Arthur's knee. The man shook his head watching the doorway as Lucy asked, “So, can you do me a favor and show me your weapons? I've never had a chance to see either of them up close.”
Arthur opened his palms. The hands began to shake from the effort before he let out an exasperated sigh. His shoulders drooping Arthur said, “It won't come back. I hope I didn't get these eyes and be unable to use those things again.” Arthur looked to see the disappointed look and looked away asking, “So, can I ask why you ran with us that night? I mean, I ran to watch Chris's back as apparently everyone knows. Why did you?”
“Those chains, I never wanted to feel them on me again. They were so cold it almost hurt. Just something inside me never wanted to feel those chains on me again,” The woman said looking down at her wrists. Pulling the shirt back she revealed healed burns on both wrists. Flipping them over she show they extended all around but were still red. The woman hid the marks and looked up, “Since we're sharing, I'm curious why you're in the military. You sound like a bit of a bookworm with that Tolkien reference.”
Arthur sat back and laughed, “Yeah, I'm busted. I was a bookworm through most of my life. But, when I was younger my mother was killed by my father. He came back from Afghanistan or whatever middle eastern crap shoot they sent him to a total wreck. PTSD, you know? So, I wanted to be a psychologist in the military to try and help prevent it from happening again.”
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any painful memories,” Lucy apologized looking down away from the young man.
Arthur shook his head saying, “It's fine. I was raised by my aunt like I was her own.” The two sat silently until a loud commotion broke the moment. Looking up Arthur quickly slipped on his shirt before following Lucy down the hallway. The loud clatter repeated before seeing a soldier flung out of a room where the guest was sleeping.  Lucy knelt by the unconscious man as Arthur darted inside. He saw Chris the man holding a sword to one another. While Chris held his single edged blades the man had a long double edged dagger pressed against each other's throats.
“Nimassa Uite Herok Orfa? Nimassa Uite?” The man repeated angrily asking Chris. Arthur looked over at the infuriated Chris who held his sword unmoving.
Arthur looked at the pair asking, “Does it make sense to you?”
“No fucking clue,” Chris shot back without averting his gaze. A still moment passed before Elf closed his eyes.
“Ois Uite Notya Unma Teral,” The ashen skinned man began to chant, the dagger dripping a small bit of blood as his grip tightened. The man opened his eyes asking in perfect English, “Do you understand me now, brother?” Both men's blades slid backwards away from each other while Chris's simply vanished the man sheathed it into a hidden scabbard in his pants.
“Yes, but why would you call me brother?” Chris asked and smacked his forehead as the man pointed to the long ears on either side of his head. With a sigh he asked, “What is your name and who are you?”
“My name is Remar, and I'm a forward scout for army of Twilight. Though the angels have a strong hold on this territory we expect once the cold lifts we should be able to draw out their army and scatter it easily enough as they haven't had a chance to build any permanent fortifications yet. Surely you surmised the same thing, brother?”  The man explained casually obviously ignoring the others in the room.
Chris closed his eyes trying to think of an answer or question as the doorway was suddenly occupied. He looked over to see the Commander standing in the doorway. Arthur quickly salutes and the commander nods looking to Chris asking, “Have you learned anything?”
“He's a scout for an 'Army of Twilight'. Apparently he was spying on the angels for an assault to take place this spring,” Chris explained as he felt a hand grip his shoulder. He looked over to see the man shake his head.
The man spoke softly, “You cannot trust such lower beings, brother. I watched them massacre our brethren when we broke into the camps to free them. You can't tell those that'll side with the self righteous bastards of the angels and those who have sense.”
“Trust me, brother. These have helped me since I was stranded due to an early patrol being ambushed. They are natives of this world, can you explain to them what has happened?” Chris asked motioning to the others in the room.
The man let out a sigh and leaned back against the wall. With a soft laugh the man nodded, “As you wish brother. But I won't explain twice so do pay attention. Your world was sealed away. A haven for the dead spirits of three races that were obliterated in the war. A world without the power of mana. That changed a short time ago. The Angels broke the seal in search of new forces to add to their armies after several embarrassing defeats at the hands of the Hellion forces.”
“Are those really angels, the messengers of God?” Arthur asked quietly looking down at his hands. His mind filled with the images of the angels he'd helped kill.
“The god of Order, yes. Though why is that so amazing? They're no more messengers of the divine than us Elves and the God of Balance or the Devils and the God of Shadows. Now, as I was saying, you're now a part of the war that spans a dozen worlds and you have those damned angels to thank for it,” Remar explained spitefully.
“Mana, what is it?” The commander asked keeping focused.
“In a word, magic. Basically its the power of the gods we all have in our souls made manifest. But unlike most races, you've been sealed off from it. If you want a real explanation find someone who actually uses it. I'm a scout, I scout,” Remar spoke quietly.
“From where? Is there a base nearby?”Chris asked hopefully.
“Unfortunately the only base is on the western coast of this land. The mountains are a natural place for us to blockade and we needed to know what lay for us here. Especially with the hellion forces to the south. This is going be a battlefield soon so I suggest we get to the base as soon as possible, brother,” Remar suggested once more placing a hand on Chris's shoulder.
“I'm sorry, brother. I'm no Elf, I'm a human and I cannot leave these others if this is to become a battlefield soon,” Chris explained as the Elf shook his head.
The elf continued to laugh for a few moments before wiping away a tear saying, “Apparently you're mistaken if you think you fooled me. You're human, yes. But your soul is rising to the surface or haven't you seen your eyes and ears?” Chris looked down ashamed of thinking he had been able to fool the elf as Remar continued, “You humans were made by the gods as a respite for the Dragons, Harpies and Faeries that were slaughtered in war. I think most of you have simply forgotten your past, which may be for the best. Those who haven't are naturally more attuned with the power of mana. The rest of you will have to learn from scratch if you want to. But, like I said, you'll have to ask someone who honestly cares about that sort of thing.”
“I see, well, the matter still stands I will not leave them behind and we don't have any way of transporting them easily to the coast,” Chris said determined. The elf leaned back and closed his eyes thinking. The room fell silent until Remar let out a soft laugh as a malicious grin crossed his face.
The man ran a hand along his short hair saying, “There is one way. The commanders of the Angels always have a portal gem that enables them to travel easily around. If you can get that for me I can use it to get us to base easily enough. I spotted him at a base....actually, he saw me too and that's why I was being chased. Which I must thank you for, I would've been dead if not for you.”
“Alright, that's enough for now. Please give us a little time to digest all this. We've been just getting by so you can imagine this is a bit much for us,” The commander explained looking around the room. He noticed Lucy and the soldier listening intently behind him. With a sigh he continued, “That's an order. Go get something to eat and don't discuss what you've just heard just yet. I want to be able to explain this to everyone myself. Understood?”
“Yes sir,” The surrounding people answered before exiting. Leaving the pair of men alone. The ash skinned man silently laid down on his back. The commander pulled a cigarette from his shirt pcket and quickly lit it. He watched the smoke vanish into the air with soft puff trying to sort out the information.
“Allow me to ask one more thing now that we're alone. You mentioned your attempts to free humans. Where did the angels take the others?” The commander asked holding the smoking tube. The elf turned onto his side looking at the man with little regard.
Remar let out a sigh explaining, “The angels put your kind into various camps they'd prepared on a separate world. However, we raided many of the camps as did the Hellion forces. We couldn't simply allow them to gain so powerful a potential ally without a fight. Some camps welcomed us and others stayed with the bastards. Since then we've been busy organizing them into a useful lot to help us in the war. However, your lack of skills in mana has been a large hindrance but those of you who have memories are proving to be powerful soldiers.”
“I see, so if we go with you, Private Arthur and Lt Sheridan will be conscripted?” The commander asked lighting a new cigarette. He looked at his hand and dropped the cigarette. The elf looked over surprised as the man stomped forcefully down on it. The commander sighed and looked over saying as he ran a hand along his bald head, “A bad habit of mine. I swore I'd quit. Last thing I need to do is die and dump all this on Sheridan.”
“No, we're not the angels. We wouldn't expect them to fight for us, without compensation. They'll be soldiers for hire and they'll be well paid. As for the rest of you, you'll make fine farmers and servants,” The elf chuckled to himself. He closed his eyes and rolled away finished with his explanation. The commander looked down at his feet. The cigarette remained on the floor.
An exaggerated sigh passed from the commander to the ground as he dropped the entire pack of cigarettes. His boot clomped down on the pack as he rose from his seat.  Leaving the room he walked out to the makeshift kitchen area where long couches and chairs were gathered around giving plenty of places to eat. The commander grabbed the first soldier he saw and said, “Gather everyone in the kitchen. No excuses, even the guards.”
The soldier nodded and vanished around a corner, his voice repeating the orders. The commander took a seat and waited. The area quickly filled with the survivors. The soldier stood at attention saying, “Everyone is here commander.” The soldier took a seat as the balding man coughed and climbed atop his seat.
“As of this moment, you are all released from duty! You are now free individuals and I cannot express my thanks for your service which I shall be sure to note should anything of high command actually remain,” The commander spoke getting confused looks. The men and women looked to one another. The commander coughed to grab everyone's attention and he continued, “That being said, we now have a choice to make as individuals. A plan has been put forth by the man we saved yesterday. He is a member of the enemy of the angels, the Elves. If we should succeed, he has promised us passage to the Elven forward base on the west coast. However, anyone who would want to remain here and take our chances on our own should know come spring, this place will become a war zone.”
“Commander, sir? What is this plan?” A man asked.
“We attack one of the angels bases to draw out the commander. He will possess an item that should enable us to get to the west coast easily. How do you vote? Those who want to risk this plan, raise your hand,” The commander ordered. The first two hands in the air were both Chris and Arthur's.
A sharp laugh came across the room, “Of course the inhuman freaks are willing to risk it. You're not the ones risking their lives, unlike us mere mortals.”
“Shut it Lyell!” Arthur shot back across the room.
“Oh, they can be killed,” Remar spoke stepping into the collection of chairs. The others gasped in surprised at the Elf standing before them, his stark white hair covering his eyes somewhat. The elf continued, “If you remove their heads or they sustain enough physical damage they'll stay down. Mana's power can only go so far.”
“So, I'll ask all those opposed and wish to try and make it here. Raise your hands,” The commander spoke. No hands raised in the air. The commander sighed and nodded, “Then it is decided with a vote of two to none. We will attack the angels. Those who wish to not participate please let me know tonight. Otherwise, we will expect you to accompany me and help with this operation.”
“What are we supposed to do if you all get yourselves killed tomorrow?”  Lyell asked arrogantly.
Chris laughed and said, “Simple, do what plan B has always been. Go apologize and see if that lot in the bible about God's great forgiveness is true for his servants.” The men and women scattered about the store talking to one another. Watching the people Chris closed his eyes saying to himself, “We march to war, gods help us all.”