Winning entry of the Picture Prompt 1 contest, written by aero_wizard

The village was oddly peaceful. I heard a bird's call in the distance, and the grass around us waved lazily, not aware of the tension that pressed down on us. The houses were built of wood and clay, in a style I recognized as a hundred years old, or more. Time seemed not to have passed since the monsters had started to appear. It seemed like this little elven village had escaped the horrors that had happened.

I looked over my shoulder and saw my soldiers being circled by elves. Their swords were drawn and I heard a gun's cocking, but no one attacked. We were too tired to attack, and the elves too weary. I had no time to help them before two elves detached from their group and walked my way.

They both wore the same onyx armour. It shone in the sun, in a way that could only suggest magic. They said elven armour could deflect bullets, even our silver ones. Whether that was true I did not know.

'Commander Howard, is it not?' the woman asked. I nodded, trying to catch my breath. She and the man had the same kind of silvery hair, with two horns on their heads. Their eyes were a deep purple, and their faces tanned by the hot sun.

'You are hurt,' she said insensibly.

'We were attacked by Emberlings on our way here,' I said. 'They took half of my company, and half of the rest are too badly hurt to continue.'

'I am Aquara, chief of this village,' she said, ignoring me. 'This one they call Kiirion.' The other elf nicked his head. He bore a long sword, not much unlike the swords humans used, some two hundred years ago. His elven blade as much thinner, however, and there would undoubtedly some kind of spell on it to enhance its power. His face was tanned, like with most elves, who were fond of nature.

'We need to go through the forest,' I said. 'The Emberlings are tailing us. They are not far behind.'

'They cannot pass through our forest,' Kiirion said. 'It is protected by ancient spells.'

'We can't pass either,' I said. 'Your spells only let elves through.'

When the chief did no more than raise her eyebrows, I balled my fists around the gun in my hands. It was an old and battered thing, a survivor of half a dozen battles. It had been brand new when it had been given to me, on the day we set out from our camp, one of the last remaining ones. Weeks had passed since then, maybe months. We had been wandering the wastelands when the Emberlings first found us, and when we returned to the camp, it had disappeared.

They were dangerous creatures, dark things that had appeared from the ancient forests not so long ago. They had driven mankind into hiding, and now most of us were gone. I think we were, anyway. Our radios had long since gone dead.

'We have to go through the forest,' I repeated, but then Aquara shook her head.

She laughed a tasteless laugh. 'You expect me to let you through our forest? I would sooner turn over my village than that.'

'You don't understand,' I uttered desperately. I felt my hands shaking, and the one they called Kiirion grinned tastelessly. 'If we don't go through your forest, we'll die.' I glanced at my soldiers, the ones who had been able to escape. 'Please, I have to save them. The Emberlings have no mercy for us, no more than you have for them. We have to get out of here if we want to live.'

The cold look she gave me was enough to make my courage melt away, if I had ever had any to begin with. 'If I let you into our sacred forest, you'll burn it to the ground,' Aquara said, glancing at the weapon in my hands. 'I know your kind, human. When have you not betrayed our trust?'

'I know of our problems, but –'

'Problems?' Aquara raised her voice, and I saw a small shock of electricity on her horns as she breezed: 'You burn down our crops, you murder our animals and you take down our trees. Elves and humans have been enemies for hundreds of years.'

I felt a sting of pain in my shoulder where the Emberling had bitten me, but I felt more pain from the icy tone of her voice. I knew she was right, too. I had been part of too many a skirmish on the outskirts of the magic forests to know of our shortcomings. 'We tore it down because we needed to,' I said. 'The Emberlings have always been a plague, but they destroyed our forests.'

'He defends his crimes, how noble of him,' Kiirion spat with a melodious accent. 'If you think that will make us change our mind, you still have lots to learn about us.'

'I can't let my people get hurt, you must understand that,' Aquara said, raising her head. 'They have suffered too much by your hands. I have to protect them.'

'The Emberlings are our common enemy,' I said, desperate. 'They destroy nature and they kill without reason, they have to be stopped.'

Aquara gave me a long look. It almost seemed melancholy. 'We have no enemies,' she said distantly.

Kiirion stepped back, and so did the other elves. Aquara's eyes lingered on me, but she turned around without saying anything.

A low rumble came from the forest, and I felt a strong gust of wind. 'Stop!' I called out. 'You can't keep us out!'

I felt the air thicken around me, and the elves disappeared behind what seemed like an invisible barrier. I aimed my gun and shot, but it melted away before hitting Aquara. She seemed shocked, and Kiirion shook his head.

Then, I heard a low buzz behind me, and I knew the Emberlings had come.