Morion

(Morion)

The world became more apparent as time passed. The fog of slipping in between reality and dreaming was washing away. His senses began to drain back into his consciousness. Sound had returned to him as fire crackled in the distance. The smell of freshly cooked meat brazed his nostrils as the smoke from the fire wafted in his direction with the slight cool night breeze. He inhaled, but the smoke clogged his throat and caused him to cough into reality. His head felt the pressure as he sat up, the migraine pulsated through his mind making him feel nauseous. His eyes were still weary and blurred, as he sat up. His vision became clearer as he squinted from the migraine's immense pain. As he moved to sit in a different position, he winced and grabbed his stomach, which was gauzed up, and stained a bit with blood.

Once his sight was fully recovered, he starred at the campfire, only to find a young women on the opposite side, peering over the flames. She was odd-looking to say the least, in his eyes. It was hard to make out her complexation from the radiant hues of the fire, but he could tell she was not one of his kind. Her face was less elongated than what he was use to, and she seemed shorter. She poked a stick into the bottom of the fire to move around some of the kindling to keep the blaze burning. Her eyes peered over to him and noticed he was finally awake, a gleeful change shot over to him and he was surprised.

She seemed, nice, and calm and collective. But it was strange to him in where he landed and how fast someone could have found him. The world seemed a blur, the last thing he remembered was stealing on the pods and setting course to Earth. The friends he left behind, their faces, their importance.

The popping of the fire swarmed the silence between the two, and she decided to get up and make her way over. Hesitance, he tired to scoot back away from her approach. The pain from his side ceased that opportunity.

She knelt down beside him, and placed a gentle hand on the wound and looked back up at him. An indication that she was the one who saved him, who made sure death was not an option. He placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded, "Thank you." her blue eyes widened.

She jolted backwards in shock, with her mouth open.

"I-I, didn't know you could speak English?" she said frantically.

"Oh, well, yeah. I know most languages." He flexed his arm behind his head, "I've studied Earth since my people came down to save it and made sure to learn the main language."

"Woah, woah, woah" she scorned, "Save it? Your people have taken over Earth!"

A confused look came from him, "Well, I guess you have to explain to me then. What's your name?" he smiled at her.

A disgusted look came from her by the quick change in subject, she snapped back, "Tell me your name first." Tsintah crossed her arms and plopped on her bottom.

He laughed, "That's fair. My name is Morion Nierninwa."

She smirked, "Moron, got it."

"Hey, no-"

"Yup. That's it. That's your name now. My name is Tsintah."

"And how do you even say your last name? Nee-win-wah?" she struggled and scrunched her face.

"Say it with me, Moor-ree-on" his hands chopped with every syllable.

Tsintah brushed off that, "I got that, it's Moron." Morion sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, and my last name, Nye-Ear-Niin-Wah"

"Nye-Ear-Niin…wah?" she looked at him to reassure the correct pronunciation.

"Perfect" Morion clasped his hands together, "You're a fast learner."

"Yeah, I like to think so myself sometimes." Tsintah wiggled and straightened her back pridefully.

"So, about this thing you so bluntly stated early… we have taken over Earth?" Morion leaned forward to show he was becoming more serious about the conversation.

"Well, yeah. For as long as I can remember, we have been overrun by Elves." he put up a hand to stop her,

"Elves? Is that what you call us?" Morion looked to sky and gave out a hearty laugh, "Interesting."

Confused and ready to continue the story, Tsintah skipped asking about that comment, "I mean it all began when there was a huge world war between our people. Everyone fighting everyone. I heard there were devices we wouldn't even be able to dream of. But since then, nothing works anymore."

"Devices? Like my space ship?" he turned around to try to find it but it was clear they were not near it.

"I guess, but our stuff didn't look so… Earthy." she pointed to one of the trees that surrounded them. "It was more metal-ly and was powered differently."

"Uh-uh." he nodded slowly.

"Then after that, there was a huge war, called the Colonial War. It was basically just us - humans - fighting to keep our planet from the uh, Elves, you guys." she pointed to him.

"It was awful, I heard. It lasted about ten years, but we lost. About half the human population was massacred." Tsintah started pulling at the grass and putting it on her thighs.

Morion became silent and listened, he looked concentrated and began to make out her features more as the sun began to peak it's way through the desert. Turning the night sky into a veil that was pulling away to welcome it's companion. Her skin was a dark brown and her straight hair was the color of red mud. She was definitely something he has never seen before. He was fixated.

"I mean, it doesn't end there…" she began tracing her fingers in the dusty dirt. "The Colonization of Earth Earth was next. There was a tremendous amount of violence and death towards the human race as Elves proceeded to make room for their species." her voice became more stern as she told the story, "Humans were shuffled around from continent to continent as they fled the danger that ensued upon their homelands."

Tsintah looked up at Morion. His red eyes completely focused on her. She continued,

"The Separation of Classes was next. Basically, humans - bottom pole." Tsintah used her hands to demonstrate, "Hybrids - mix of Elves and Humans - middle pole, and then Elves - top pole."

Morion interrupted, "Hybrids? So you say us-Elves, and Humans can mate and produce offspring?" he questioned her.

Tsintah flushed pink, "Uh- yeah, I guess. Well, anyway,"

"When a super volcano finally erupted, causing the Earth to go into even more chaos, the Elves thought it would be best to make a supercontinent to keep track of the Humans. They somehow magically moved all the continents into one and remained it Ardwinya. It was, hell on Earth." she shuddered.

Morion wanted to comfort her, but decided it was best to stay in his position. He continued to listen.

"Then, a huge epidemic broke loose. You guys brought new germs and bacteria to Earth, something we weren't immune to. Our limbs would turn black and basically fall off. We had to be quarantined and treated under the Elves to prevent anymore widespread and stop the virus." Tsintah rubbed her arms.

The story seemed like a fable to him, as if the truth to her words just barely brushed past reality. It was something he heard or read in a distance book, when he was little. Every sentence shocked his core.

"Next, was the Preservation Cold War, which was the political tension between Elves and Humans brewing after the Colonial War. We felt it was necessary for the survival of our species and where Elves were still fit to eliminate pure Human blood." she looked away from his gaze, "But, at last, there was a compromise. We began sharing the planet but under the rule of the Elves. There's different regions that are under Human or Hybrid rule. But everything is under Elven rule. Then you guys starting pushing the new religion on us as well."

"I'm so sorry." he had no words left to say, but apologies. "I never knew. Back on Eris, our planet, the story was told we were going to help you guys and hopefully make peace and live with you all."

Tsintah gave a brief chuckle and clenched her arm, "Peace,… what a funny and distance word."

"Thank you for explaining the history, I would have never guessed. I feel lied to…" he leaned forward and rubbed his temples. "It must have been hard to say all of that."

Tsintah brushed it off, "Well, yeah, but it's life. It's what happened. You should know what occurred. If I refused to tell you, it would feel like history might repeat itself in a sense."

Morion turned to her with a stern glare, still hunched over, "So, you think I am capable of that?" he felt accused. His long brown bangs dangled in front of his face.

"No, I don't know. I just been through hell as well as my family and ancestors. I don't even know you." the truth spit out like venom to him inside his veins.

"I guess you don't." He leaned back up, tired to hide the pain, dusted his brown pants off, and started to walk away from the fire. The morning sky bloomed in a vibrant pink that was wrapped in orange near the sun. He looked back at Tsintah who now was facing towards the flames and away from him, poking it with a stick. Her arms were wrapped around her knees and he head was lowered. He scowled and turned to find his space pod in the foreign forest, he heard distance rattling noises as he treaded through.

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