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“And here we are,” the commander said, carrying me to what looked like a base camp. It looked like it had been there for a while, so it was only a matter of time before they to attack our village. Though I still wondered what kind of relationship my uncle had with them.

“Illya!” Sola and Tully yelled the moment they saw me. “You give Illya back to us!” Sola demanded.

“Fine, fine, I won’t take your friend away from you,” he said, gently handing me over to them. “How would you three like something to eat while the grownups talk,” the commander said to us.

“Private Sara, bring these girls some food in my tent,” he said ordering a young female soldier to get Sola and Tully some stew, before bringing us to the biggest tent in the area.

“Girls if you would please let me feed her,” the private Sara said, bringing out a bottle of warm milk for me to drink.

“No! Illya stays with us!” Sola yelled at her, refusing to give me up again. It was nice to see that she cared so much about me.

“But if she stays with you, then how are the two of you going to eat?” Sara asked her. “If you two trusted the commander with her then it should be fine if you let me see her as well. He’s my great uncle.”

“H-he is?” Tully asked her.

“Of course he is, can’t you see the resemblance?” she asked them, though both Tully and Sola shook their heads no. Her bright red hair and younger features did nothing to show any resemblance between the two of them.

“Hmm, yeah, I guess you’re right, I don’t look that much like he do I? Though it is true that he is my great-uncle. He wouldn’t have entrusted anyone with you three. It’s far too dangerous to leave you with the others.”

“W-why is t-that?” Tully asked her. I was curious as well, why was it dangerous for us to be with the others?

“I shouldn’t be telling such young girls this, but elven children are very rare, to an alarming degree, and for us to find three of you from different races together is nothing short of a miracle.”

“Races?” Sola asked her.

“Yes, races. There are several known races of elves, the dark elves like your shy friend over there,” she said pointing at Tully. You are a light elf,” she said to Sola and your little baby friend there is a high elf,” she said pointing to me.

I don’t know if this was something my mother planned, or if it was just a coincidence, but I guess that the private was right. It was odd for three girls that look like different races to be found together in a goblin village.

“Elves of all races are often hunted down and turned into slaves in most kingdoms. A family can easily live well off for the rest of their lives if they sell an elven child and the younger, they are the more money they earn.”

“Nnngh,” Sola and Tully both took a few steps back when they heard that I couldn’t blame them I would have backed away myself if I could.

“Sorry, sorry,” Sara said bowing her head to us. “I know that telling you girls that was a tad bit unsettling, but you don’t have to worry, we're not from any kingdom, we’re from the Empire. We don’t practice slavery, though they may be some soldiers that see you three as an opportunity to move up.”

“…” The girls stayed silent even more confused by what this lady was saying.

WHACK!

“What the hell are you doing telling children about such things?” the commander asked, slapping Sara on the back of the head as he walked into the tent. “Can’t you see that they are scared now because of you?”

“I’m sorry uncle I was just trying to convince them that it was okay for them to let me feed her,” Sara said, looking at us with eyes that were begging for help.

“And telling them about being turned into slaves was your idea?” the commander asked, slowly removing his armor. “Here let me show you how it’s done, take off your armor and put down your weapon.”

“But uncle if I do that I will be exposed to attacks!” Sara said, watching her uncle sit down who was already halfway done.

“And who do you expect would attack you in my tent?” the commander asked her. “Just do it. These girls need to know that we aren’t a threat to them, so we need to look like actual people, or would you rather I have you locked up for forgetting military protocol and referring to me as uncle just now?”

“I’ll do it,” she said taking her armor off as well, stripping down to a plain black shirt and pants.

“Now girls, will you let Sara feed the baby so that the two of you can eat as well?” the commander asked them.

Sola and Tully who were still scared and confused about what was happening walked over and slowly handed me over to Sara since their gesture of goodwill seemed to put them at ease.

Sara started to feed me while Sola and Tully began to eat. The atmosphere in the room was tense, but I no longer felt like we were in danger.

“So, can you two tell me your names?” the commander asked Sola and Tully who were sitting on his bed eating the stew like it was the tastiest thing that they had ever eaten.

“Sola, Tully, Illya,” Sola said pointing to herself then Tully and finally to me.

“What pretty names those are,” the commander said to us. “My daughter was actually named Illya,” he said looking at me. “She was taken away by the goblins just like you girls, but unfortunately, she didn’t make it. They took her away from me and I was never able to see her again after that. Goblins don’t keep humans alive for that long. I’m so happy that we were able to rescue you girls when we did. Though there is a slight problem, getting you three back home.”

“Hmm?” they hummed, confused by what he meant.

“Elves are a very mysterious race. There are many that live in the Empire alongside us, but they will never reveal where their villages are. And since there are three of you finding your homes will be a bit of a challenge. Luckily there is an orphanage run by an elf in the Empire. I’m sure that they will be able to help you three find your villages. What do you have to say to that?”

“Okay,” Sola said to all of us. It was still dangerous to trust him, but there was no other choice.

“That’s good to hear,” he said to them with a smile, as they finished their food.

“Yawn~! What now,” Sola asked. Both she and Tully looked exhausted and were about to pass out any second.

“You three need to get some rest,” he said to them. “Sleep on my bed tonight, you three need a good night's rest.

“O-okay,” Tully said, both she and Sola complied with his suggestion and laid down. Their exhaustion must have surpassed their fear, and I couldn’t blame them I was starting to feel tired myself thanks to the warm milk.

“There are done, what a big eater you are,” Sara said to me, before laying me down between Tully and Sola.

“Un-le w- ne-d to ta-” I tried to listen to Sara and see what I could learn here, but my exhaustion caught up with me and I passed out myself.

I don’t know how long I was out, but when I opened my eyes again, I could clearly see the moon high up in the sky through a crack in the tent.

“Uncle, I mean sir I have returned with news,” Sara said coming into the tent.

“Nnnngh!” I grunted unconsciously because I was woken up by all the noise that she just made.

“Shh!” the commander shushed her, walking over to me, before picking me up in his big strong arms. Without the armor to cover them, they actually felt nicer than before. It felt safe.

“Lower your voice,’ he said to her, sitting down at his deck with me still cradled in his arms. “We don’t want you waking up the enter camp”

“I’m sorry about that,” she said, lowering her voice and making her way to the commander's desk.

“So, what did you find?” he asked her.

“I know that it was nothing more than a hunch but when we went back to the house where the three girls were found, we found this around the hybrids neck,” she said placing the pendant that my mother always wore around her neck onto the table. I instinctively went to grab it, but my arms were too short to reach it.

“It can’t be,” he said, picking up the pendant and examining it.

“Uncle, what is it?” Sara asked him.

“I can’t confirm it with this alone, I need to see the corpse. Quickly order some men to bring that hybrid body back, I need to make sure, or I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

“Of course, I’ll do it right away,” she said leaving the tent and a few minutes later came back in. “It’s been done, but uncle what is this all about?”

“I’m not too sure myself,” he said back to her to my confusion. Why would he need to see my mother's corpse? What was going on here? “I don’t want to assume anything, so for now continue with your report.

“We had our magicians examine the potions found in the bags. The smaller vials contain eye color-changing potions and the bigger ones are of an unknown origin. It is clear that they were all made by a witch. What should we do with them?”

“Leave them untouched for now. It would be dangerous to mess with them but considering the nature of their first set of potions it would be odd to assume that it is anything dangerous.”

“Uncle, what do you wish to do with the girls?” Sara asked him, looking down at me and giving me a small little wave with a smile on her face. It was sweet that she was trying to comfort me, I don’t think that I could hate her like the rest.

“Sending them to that orphanage is the best any of us can do for now,” he said back to her, his eyes still locked on my mother's pendant. “They’ll be taken care of until they find their villages or until they become old enough to take care of themselves.”

“Are you sure?” Sara asked him. “That orphanage doesn’t seem right. I don’t trust with how perfect it seems.”

“You forget that I sponsor that orphanage and many others,” he said to her. “They will be fine there.” “Yes, but uncle have you actually been there yourself to check on them?”

“You know that I don’t have the time to do so,” he said to her, standing up. “Speaking of time, it’s time to address the soldiers waking up for the night shift; Make sure that she falls asleep before you go,” he said handing me to her before leaving the tent.

“Alright, so I guess that makes it just you and me,” she said in an awkward tone, said down in a chair, trying to cradle me, but not doing a good job at it.

“Nnngh!” I groaned to let her know that I was uncomfortable.

“Oops sorry about that,” she said fixing my position into a much more suitable position. “There, that’s much better now, isn’t it?” she said to me, rocking me back and forth. Oddly enough she felt just as warm as my mother, and I soon found myself drifting off into the land of sleep once more.

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