"....Victoria is pretty amazing"

Mars gave a nod

"that she is"

moving further into the prison camp and found the room where the prisoners were kept, Victoria was sitting in front of a sleeping guard while her horns glowed slightly as she maintained the spells keeping the guards oblivious and this one sleeping, Amelia walked in and calmed down the elvers before Mars walked over to the iron bars and bent a hole in the bars and walked into the cell before he opened a portal to Black woods that the elvers quickly walked tough

"well then, that's that... come on Victoria we're done here"

"did I... do a good... job?"

"yes you did a very good job"

Mars petted Victoria on the head which resulted in her letting out a long purr

"well then Amelia are you coming?"

"...sure"

Mars, v and Victoria walked through the portal to Black woods leaving the sleeping guard to his dreams....

Back at Black woods the night was anything less than quiet, a giant banquet was being held in one of the city's central plazas and the main guest of this banquet was Mars, this was understandable he had just rescued about 2.000 elvers from the clutches of Ule and he had also promised the full support of Green rivers military to help reconquer their land so the elvers of Black woods were to say the least excited and kept toasting Mars all night, when the morning came Mars awoke with a splitting headache and a mouth that felt like dried sand

'need... water and then shade'

Mars picked himself up from the banquet table he had been sleeping on and menurvred around the elvers that were sleeping on the ground and soon reached a well, after dropping down the bucket Mars soon pulled up a bucketful of water and began drinking straight from the bucket, half a bucket later he once again felt alive, at least somewhat and began searching for the next priority: shade, even though the sun had only just risen the heat was unbearable for a hangover Mars, soon Mars vaulted over a fence and walked into a private garden and laid down in the shade of some brushes on the gra.s.s and closed his eyes to get some sleep

'so sleepy...'

Mars curled up in a ball and soon entered the gates of dreamland once again...

Mars didn't know how long he had been sleeping but soon he felt someone shaking him sightly and so he displayed a weak resistance by culling up further and let out a haunting groan as he tried to remain in dreamland, but alas the shaking continued and so he regretfully opened his eyes and came face to face with an elven child that had tanned skin, ruby eyes and short pale hair

"ah he's awake!"

the child took some distance from Mars, clearly he didn't actually expect Mars to wake and ran into the house while yelling for his mom

"mom there's a stranger in the garden!"

Mars turned over and laid down on his back and looked up into the sky

'about mid day...'

Mars estimated the time from the position of the sun and sat himself up and looked around, there was neatly arranged flowerbeds and bushes in the garden

"...this is a really nice garden"

"why thank you"

Mars looked over and saw the child from earlier hiding behind an elven woman that looked to be in her 30's, Mars greeted her

"h.e.l.lo"

"you must be Mars, am I right?"

"yup, in the flesh"

"...that's good, I thought some unknown man had invaded my garden for a moment"

"....sorry about that"

"I don't mind, now I can brag to the neighbors that the Mars slept in my garden"

Mars gave a nod and rose to his feet and wiped the loose gra.s.s off his pants when the woman spoke

"why don't you join us for tea?"

"...sure"

Mars followed after the elven woman and child which he still didn't have the names of

'well whatever, it's not like they are a threat to me....'

Mars sat down at a small table in the other end of the garden where the woman served him some tea, Mars took a sip and discovered it was fruit tea that both had a wonderful taste and aroma

"this is very good tea..."

"thank you Mars"

Mars spent about half an hour by chatting and sipping tea until a sound was heard from above and Mars looked up

"I see, so that's what a hawk cry sounds like..."

Mars looked up a giant hawk that was circling above him and then he quickly downed his tea and looked over at the elven woman

"thanks for tea"

"you're very welcome Mars, be sure to stop by again sometime"

"sure... see you kid"

"....bye"

Mars said his goodbye to the two of them and then he began floating before he flew up to where the hawk was circling

"good morning Mars"

"morning Amelia, are the elders calling?"

"yeah..."

Mars was a little surprised to have guessed right

"oh.... well then I'll race you there"

Amelia gave a confident smile

"you're on!"

a few moments later a strong gust of wind blew at the elders building as Mars touched down right in front of it and let out a sigh as he looked behind him and watched as Amelia and her hawk slowly came into view and landed a moment later, Mars gave a smile and walked up to the hawk and patted it on its beak

"now now, don't feel bad you were after all against a real living G.o.d"