"Whoa!!!"
"Invasor! Invasor!"
Several more arrows rocketed past me, snapping smaller trees in half at the base. I dashed into the forest, away from the path, and the two guards gave chase. They kept their distance from me while tailing me. As I ran from tree to tree, they aimed for the high ground, leaping from tree to tree, raining arrows down on me with zero precision.
[Looks like they are afraid.] Velantra spoke as I ran for my life. [Either that, or they are new recruits that have minimal combat experience.]
New recruits would be a better description. They were well trained, keeping track of their target, making as little noise while moving as possible, like hunters tracking their prey. But their aim was worse than anything I have seen before in my life. Though perhaps it could be out of fear. My armor stands out from everything else in this world. With something as easily recognisable as a human soldier, I should not be too surprised that they would fear me.
Our armor is our calling as soldiers of humanity. Plated power armor, made to support life and to adapt to battle on land, in the air, sea, and space. Bulletproof and stab-proof. A weapon created initially to defend Earth from the invaders, though now I know that is a lie, as we use it to invade another world.
We weren't some kind of immortal devas of destruction as we originally wanted to be. Our armor could stand as a one-man army against fellow humans, but against the beings of this world, we are on par with them. Their weapons and attacks are imbued with strange magic that can tear us to shreds if we are not protected by shields. The same goes for them as well. Conventional weaponry has little effect against their soldiers, but our weapons that were created using their technology can make light work of them.
I dashed out into a clearing and turned around. It was not the smartest choice to leave cover, but I need an open area if I want to fight back. I pulled out my weapon from behind my back and locked eyes with both of my attackers. They sat there quietly atop the trees. Their pointed ears twitched with every slight movement I made. One of them reached into their quiver and pulled out a strange-tipped arrow and loaded it into their bow with shaky hands. I took a defensive stance, aiming my blade towards the two. I felt my armor hum as my weapon glowed brightly.
An eerie wind rustled the trees, and leaves danced around me and the guard, who had his bow trained on me. The elf took a deep breath and released the bowstring. The arrow moved like a blur towards me as I threw my weapon towards him. The wind carried my saber through the air as if a bladed boomerang. A pale yellow line with silver reflections on the ends spun around, narrowly avoiding the guard himself, but slicing his bow in two and arcing back towards me.
The arrow shot by the guard slammed into my left arm with enough force to knock me back. Within moments of landing, my vision was engulfed in flames.
[Hey, your shields are critical!]
"From just one hit?" I said, leaping forward to catch my weapon spinning back towards me. Nothing but smoke and flames surrounded me. Previous attacks by the natives of the world would never have penetrated our shields with just one blow, so hearing that my shield was critical came as a surprise. I placed my weapon back on my back and made a break into the forest. At least I was able to disarm one of them.
[Running like a coward?] She said mockingly.
"Bravery is misrepresented foolishness. A coward gets to see another day."
[Oh, how profound of you—]
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
Velantra was cut off by the ear-piercing sound of an enormous beast. The flapping of wings echoed through the forest as a large shadow overcast the ground. I turned my head upward to see an enormous dragon hovering above the pillar of smoke that I had left behind. Covered with plated armor and green scales, the dragon let out a deafening screech before landing.
[I suggest you act like a coward just about now. That is a dragon rider. A noble elven warrior has arrived, and they are not to be treated lightly.]
Taking her advice, I booked it. "A dragon rider? I'm assuming that they are special in some kind of way?"
[Yes, each race made a pact with its corresponding deities to help aid in the war against your kind. The aid was in the form of mythical beasts that guard the land of the deities. Elves command dragons; dwarves command adamantium golems; demons command unholy devils; angels command seraphim; and the beastmen command sandworms. Though the latter doesn't exist anymore thanks to you.]
Looking back, I remember the sandworms the beastmen had employed during their assaults on our base. They are massive, spanning longer than a thousand feet. They had several rows of teeth lined up in their mouths that could devour anything. Our only saving grace was that it took time for them to dig through the ground, preventing them from attacking new areas easily. However, on their home turf, they were a nightmare. Several units were lost in an instant as the sandworms burrowed beneath the ground, waiting to ambush.
Through the thick trees and bushes, I continued to run. It seems that the guards had stopped their chase. I felt a strange sensation on my back and upper arms. It felt like a strange mix of warmth and sharp needles.
[Oh great Lord Dazkareth, I, Velantra, beseech you to bestow your blessing of the common tongue of those lesser than nobles upon this child of yours.] Velantra spoke in an enchanting tone that contrasted with her abrasive personality.
Distracted, I felt something snag my foot, and then I saw the ground. I fell down an incline with the weight of heavy armor; needless to say, I painfully rolled all the way to the bottom. I came to a full stop in a river that was deep enough to walk in. The current was soft, and small fish darted around as if I were an inconvenience to them.
[Oh? What an impressive fall. 8 of 10.] I could hear the faint sound of a giggle coming from the comms. [I thought you were supposed to be one of humanity's finest. Was it my heavenly voice? Did I throw you off balance?]
"…"
There was not a chance in hell I was about to admit that her voice distracted me. I stood up and walked out of the river, keeping whatever pride I had left that was undamaged. I stepped out of my armor and peered into the river's reflection. There I was in all my glory, clear for all to see. A young-looking face with small, prickly beard studs sticking out. Messy brown hair that complemented my brown eyes. I removed my uniform top and my undershirt. Strange markings covered my upper arms down to my back. They were black, and in the center of my back was a crest of a goat's skull with twisted horns covered with a thorny rose, the same as on my armor.
While they hid my battle scars, I could not help but feel that these markings were about to be more of a curse than a blessing. "What are these markings?" I asked Velantra, who replied with an inaudible mutter about something related to seeing before speaking in her usual manner.
[Markings of a demon. Each race has its own identifiers that are not limited to just their body structure. For example, the beastmen that you killed have their markings on their lower arms and legs. We demons have ours on our upper arms and back. These are known as God's Stamps, and the more prominent the markings, the more mana will flow within our bodies.]
"Mana?" In the realm of fantasy, the term makes sense, but this is reality. Can such a thing truly exist in this world? Then again, our weapons were created using the technology of this world's people. They have unique abilities that defy the rules of nature that we thought governed the universe. Maybe this world doesn't break the rules, just follows another set.
[Of course, a simpleton like you would not have the faintest idea of what mana is. To put it in simple terms, to not overload your pea-sized brain, mana is the source of power that allows us to cast spells. These spells are gifts given to us by our deities and cannot be used by another race. Or so we thought. You and your crew started using our powers without much of a mark on your bodies. How? How can your cursed kind use the powers bestowed by our deities?]
Halfway through, her voice grew sharp with anger. I had no reason to answer that question, even if I knew how we were able to. The creation of our armor and weapons is a closely kept secret, known only to the creator and the king. I stayed silent, letting the question hang in the air, as I tried to figure out what to say to her. However, the need to figure out what to say no longer became relevant as I heard the rustling of leaves from behind.
"Oi, anyone out here?" A voice called out from the trees. "I heard a loud noise while collecting food. If you are alive, shout."
The cold river nipped at my ankles as I strained to pinpoint the voice's origin. Panic clawed at my throat; there wasn't time to retrieve my armor, let alone my weapon. My pulse hammered against my ribs. Through a dense wall of green, worn boots appeared, followed by a smooth, pale head. A man with pointed ears, wearing light armor with an overly large bag on his back, stared at me. His short, thick blonde beard had some leaves trapped within. Black markings covered his neck and ears. Unlike mine, his were faint, as if hardly there.
"Oh?" His eyes locked with mine. "A demon out in the wild? Today must be my lucky day. It's rare to see you guys out and about, much less a noble demon."