“What do we have here?
Aren’t you just a precious thing?” The man…
or…
thing…
said as he stared at Emily.
Emily stared back at him.
He had a scar over one of his eyes, which seemed to be blinded, but that wasn’t what made him stand out.
His face consisted of every human nose, mouth, and eye in his case, but his ears were pointed, as long as a bat’s, and he had the oddest color of hair.
Green!
Maybe he must’ve dyed it and the ear was fake.
He had longer canines, she had noticed when he spoke to her.
And that assumed dog…
was a weird unusual creature that was as short as a footstool, having fur all over it’s body, covering its eyes, with its jaw slightly ajar and it’s razor sharp teeth in view, as well as its purple tongue which was in view from the creature’s panting.
It’s tail was like that belonging to a lizard, and it’s coat was dark blue with green spots covered all over it.
It seemed to be like a weird reptile with fur.
“What’s your name, cute thing?” The man asked, not bothered at all by her appearance.
“E-Emily…” she whispered fearfully.
The man saw her shake and frowned “No need to be scared, kid.
The name’s Gabe.
Nice to meet you, Emily” Emily looked up at the man’s face and saw that underneath the abnormal hair and teeth, and ears, was warmth and kindness.
“What’s a young thing like you doing here, Emily?” Emily took a deep breath and replied him “I-I saw the lights and wanted to—” “Oh.
The festival!” The man exclaimed and stood upright, with the lamp in his gloved hand, and he smiled, “It’s just to celebrate the new moon” “New moon?” “Why, yes.
In Elven city, there’s a new moon every month, after weeks on moonless nights” “You have moonless nights?” Emily asked curiously, accepting the man’s offer to help her up.
“You seem to not know a lot.
Why don’t we get you inside and we can talk, maybe get you something to eat.
Are you hungry?” Emily felt the furry reptilian creature rub her leg and she brightened up once again, “Yeah!
I’ll eat!” The food looked and tasted awful, it was dry and bland and tasted so weird in her mouth.
She’s never seen anything like it in her life before, and her mom was a chef.
“Sorry, it’s not the best.
We used to have better food when we were still at peace with the fairies” “There are fairies?” Emily gasped, her mouth agape and her eyes sparkled.
“So you’ve heard of them.
Don’t look like that.
They’re not what you think they are” “How do they look?” Asked Emily, already daydreaming of how it would feel to meet an actual fairy.
“Not much different from us, minus the tail at least” “Tail?” “Didn’t you know we elves have tails?” “You— You do?!” Emily watched as the elf’s tail slowly rose, it was long like an extended whip, with a thin layer of grey fur,which had an extra gathering of soft ebony fur at the tip.
“Can I…” Emily whispered, “Touch it?” The elf seemed taken aback, but leaned his tail slowly towards the curious girl.
Emily’s eyes were lit up with excitement as she gripped the tail softly “I can’t believe it!” She squealed.
“I’m touching a real elf!” She squeezed the tail happily, and the elf chuckled “A weird one, aren’t you?” She opened her eyes wide and smiled at the elf-man.
“Say, you’re not from around these parts, so where’re you from?” “Umm…
a People City?” She blurted.
“People?” “Yeah…
it’s like…
a place were people are, like you guys in Elven city” “So you’re…
a people?” The man asked, confused.
“Yup!” said Emily.
Gabe scratched his head awkwardly, “Well, that’s funny because…
we elves are…
people too” “Oh…” Emily said, getting confused by her own statement as well.
“Well, let’s leave that for now.
How old are you, Emily?” Emily smiled wide, exposing her two lost teeth, “Eight years old.
I’ll be nine soon enough” “Eight years old!” The man exclaimed “Aren’t you a little young to be on your own?” Emily pouted her lips “I am a big girl now!
And I can get back home!” “How?” Gabe asked curiously.
“Um…
with this?” Emily brought out the cube from the pocket in her nightdress.
“What’s that?” “A Ruby cube” said Emily.
“Never heard of those, but it does look familiar…” Gabe commented.
“It brought me here.
I’ve never seen an elf in real life before.
What do elves do?” Asked Emily once again.
Gabe smiled and chuckled “Well, we mostly mine and craft, all these walls and buildings, all built by us.
The metal works, the wood works, and all that.
We do that too.
We specialize in anything crafty” Emily blinked as Gabe explained the Elven culture.
She seemed fascinated by the Elves, and listened just as eagerly as he listened to her grandmother’s stories.
Gabe explained further, “We’re not good at planting crops and such, which is why we have poor food” “Why not?” Emily interrupted with another question, confused.
“It’s not in our blood to deal with things like plants and soil.
That was the job for the fairies” Gabe replied her.
“Then why not ask the fairies for food?” Emily pressed on.
“We had a fight, like I said, they don’t help us anymore and neither do we” “But why—” Gabe stopped Emily halfway, “You’re just a kid, you wouldn’t get it” “Oh…” Emily whispered sadly.
After few moments of silence, Emily asked, “Umm…
what do you do, Gabe.
You’re not at the festivy” “Festival, little one” Gave corrected with a small smile.
“Festive- AL?” She stretched the last syllable, squinting her eyes a bit.
Gabe nodded and she smiled, “Right!
Why aren’t you at the Festive-AL” Gabe chuckled, “Well, I’m a guard.
I’m working to watch the gates at night in case of anything suspicious” Emily smirked “Well, you didn’t do your job well, because I got past you” Gabe smiled and patted her head, “I wasn’t expecting anyone to try getting in through the gates, especially an odd little ‘people’ girl” Emily blushed when she looked into the man’s yellowish-green eyes.