"Orders, Sir." 

The female elf knelt, her head bowed and her eyes fixed on the dirt beneath her. She took a deep breath to calm herself, waiting for her master to speak. The hooded figure in front of her looked down the cliff at the campfire flickering near the oasis.

“How many are there?” he asked in a calm, steady voice, the youthfulness of his tone evident.

“Around fourteen, Sir,” the elf replied immediately, keeping her head low. “There are four tents in total, but only one contains the trafficked creatures, all bound up, according to Arya. He’s waiting down in the sand for your command.”

“Wait a little longer, Mina,” the young master said. “Release fire when they lie down for the night's rest. Come back in victory; this task should take less than an hour.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I’ll be waiting with Lilly at our camp. And Mina, make sure to tie up the perpetrators. They’ll be arrested by dawn tomorrow. Don’t fail me, now go.” He finally turned away from the cliff and locked eyes with the elf.

Under the moonlight, the bright golden eyes of her master seemed to shine even brighter than the moon itself. It reminded her of the night a year ago when he rescued her. Although he was much younger than she was, he somehow towered over her with an air of authority, and she didn’t mind it at all.

“I shall fulfill your command, Sir Kaen.” With that, the elf vanished into the bright night to carry out the orders given to her. A gust of wind blew, and the hood of the figure slipped back, revealing a shock of crimson hair. His eyes were bright and majestic, yet a dullness lingered in his youthful face.

“Will they be okay?” a small voice asked from his right, and Kaen felt the little hands grasping his with increasing pressure. He turned to see a pair of crimson eyes looking up at him with a worried frown. It was a half-goblin he had rescued six months ago from the borders of the human nation, and she had been traveling with him ever since.

“You worry too much, Lillian,” Kaen replied softly as he pinched the cheeks of the six-year-old goblin. “Let’s get some rest for now. Mina and Arya can rescue them without any trouble.”

“Are they strong too?” Lilly asked, gazing up at her bright-eyed leader. “Are they strong like you, Kaen?”

“Who knows?” the redhead shrugged. “Do you think they are?” He hummed as he strolled forward across the sandy ground. The little goblin clung to his arm.

Lilly looked up at him with a confused expression. “Lilly doesn’t know how to answer that…”

Kaen listened to her small voice as he gazed up at the sky. How long had it been since he last fought the humans? He was one himself, yet those creatures filled him with disgust. Their greed, wickedness, and lust for control over everything around them had united the rest of the beings against them, and he couldn’t blame them."Mankind is the mightiest creation of God, yet they have forsaken their Creator, leading to their fall from grace," he said slowly, his golden eyes glowing with an eerie intensity. "What a tragic fate for them."