I decided to travel using a vehicle till we reach the great forest so i summoned an Antelope combat buggy. I was driving while Cherié was manning the gun. I don't expect to gain entry to the elven territory but i wanted to see the forest abit then head to the great dessert. I heard that the dark elves are slightly more welcoming of outsiders since they do more trading at port towns. 

As we make our way down the dirt road we see the terrain get more and more forested. I see a dead horse and foot prints leading of into the forest. 

-Cherié we making a detour, i want to investigate. 

-Roger that. 

I switch to thermals and turn the Antelope of the path, after some driving we see an elf defending herself from several slavers. I knew that kidnapping elves was something of a problem but to think i come a cross it so quickly. 

-Cherié open fire! 

BRRRRRRT BRRRRRT

she fires a few bursts and drops a few of them. I pull out my handgun and open fire. 

BANG BANG

we finished off the remaining slavers and i stop the Antelope. 

-Uh miss? You alright? 

I look towards the elf lady and ask her. She looks okay though slightly bruised, her gear looks quite good, no wonder she managed to fend of the slavers. 

-Uhm... Thank you sir. 

-i was just investigating a dead horse. The name's Snake and she's Cherié. 

-Snake? Do you perhaps know Albert? 

-You mean Albert.V.Tolkien?

-Yes, so you do know him. 

-He hired me a few times. 

-I see, he told me about you though now i see he wasn't exaggerating. Perhaps you could help me. 

-Wait you haven't even introduced yourself. 

-My apologies, i'm princess Elena.V.Tolkien, Albert is my 2nd brother. He's told me a lot about you. 

-Well i do have a particular set of skills. 

-So are you willing to help me? 

-Depends on what's the problem. 

-The Mother Tree is dying, her spirit can't last much longer. 

-Uh.. I may have special skills but im not a biologist. 

-No, the issue is that there's a strange metal bird infesting in her. No one has been able to get close. 

-I see then, perhaps i can help. 

-Thank you. 

-Alright then hop in. 

I get back in the Antelope and Elena also hops in looking confused and we begin to drive off towards the Elven territory.

After an hour of driving i stop the car cause i detect elves hiding in the treeline. Grandpa wouldn't be happy. Elena hopped out to clarify the situation. 

-Its okay they helped me! 

One of the elves jumps down and runs up to her. 

-Princess! Your safe. 

-Yes, they helped me when i was ambushed by slavers. 

-Still! 

-Its alright Albert already approved of them. 

-Oh... Still we'll keep a close eye on them. 

He looks over to me and glares. I hop out and tell Cherié to get out so I can store the Antelope. We're escorted to Elven castle which looks completely different from any other the castle I've seen before. Its less built and more grown, its looks like a tree with balconies sticking all around it. We're soon brought to a meeting room where both Princess and an older elf sit across from us. The older elf then greets us. 

-i'm prime minister Nelson, you must be Snake, Alfred wrote a lot about you. 

-Let's get down to business shall we. 

-Very well then, i assume you know the situation? 

-The princess told me about it, there's a metal bird stuck in a tree. 

-That's the gist of it, we can't get close cause despite being stuck it still can attack us, also there's a strange aura around it causing people to fall ill. 

-I see then I'll prepare accordingly. 

-In that case then I'll have guards escort you as close as possible. 

Then the princess speaks up

--Prime minister, if i may i would like to escort them. 

-Very well then but take a few men with you. 

We leave the room and make our way to the mother tree. Once we get there we see a lady who looks like a dryad with flowers in her hair and ivory antlers. She greets us. 

-Hello princess, i see you brought help *Cough**Cough*.

-Please rest, i think we'll be able heal you. I brought help 

-Please at least let me bring you there. 

We're lead down into the tree and brought into a vast underground chamber about 10 square kilometers, the chamber is quite deep too since i see birds flying around. The further in we go the more fantastical the animals get. We see bees the size of buses with sakura trees growing on their backs, horse size salamanders and even giant crocodiles but they all seem to bow to the dryad. They seem to know who's the boss. 

We eventually reach the metal bird and i see a sight for sore eyes. 

-I cant believe it. (Snake) 

-You know what this is? (Elena) 

-Yup, that's a VTOL warship and an old one at that. (Snake) 

-A ship? (Elena) 

-Flying ship, that explains why you can't get close. The defence systems are still operational. (Snake). 

We soon get closer and my geiger counter goes off. 

-Woah get back. 

I tell everyone to stand back. And Elena asks me why. 

-What's wrong? 

-The power supply is leaking, that's why the tree is dying the energy from the ship can harm living beings. 

-So what now? 

-I can get in and switch of the ship, i can handle the energy. 

-what about the ships weapons? 

-I have codes the deactivate the weapons, watch. 

I yell out my IFF codes, it should work since its an older model. 

-Code blue! User code Bravo Oscar 3 1 1 5. 

The ship powers down and i rush in, the geiger counter is going crazy. I interface with the ships controls and deactivate the reactor and start sealing the reactor. Once done i leave the ship and head back down and see the dryad breathing a sigh of relief. 

-Thank you sir. I already feel much better. (Dryad) 

-I'm surprised you lasted this long the amount of radiation in the ship is enough to kill just about anything. (Snake) 

-How did you survive? (Elena) 

-My suit was designed to resist that kind of stuff and even then i wouldn't have lasted much longer. (Snake) 

I tell Cherié to restart the ship so we can bring out of here. 

-Cherié start up the ship. (Snake) 

-yes sir. (Cherié) 

-Snake what are you doing? (Elena) 

-I'm planning on taking the ship out of here. (Snake) 

-In that case go ahead then, i wouldn't want it to hurt the tree again. (Elena) 

-And you don't even need to pay me as long as i get to keep the ship. (Snake) 

-Fine by me. (Elena) 

I head back up to help Cherié and bring the ship back to the surface. 

Still in the back of my mind I'm wondering how a VTOL warship made it's way to this world. I know that the heroes were from earth but why is this here? And if this is here then are there more? Is there a way back? I push these thoughts to the back of my mind. I'd rather focus on exploring and enjoying my retirement, besides i have a strange feeling i won't have to wait for long to find out.