Greetings, my friend.
You asked a little while ago if I was ever on an adventure where nobody got hurt, and also about the occult enthusiast who's emailed you a few times asking for some of these stories. This account covers both of those as it involved both a peaceful mission and the first time the enthusiast accompanied us, about two weeks after the haunted house incident. I hope you enjoy.
Signed, Colin Renaud
School was over for day and I was gathering my things before heading over to the Demalgo House for my lessons. As I was putting the last few things in my backpack I saw one of my classmates come toward me, and one who had a bit of a reputation even then for his obsession with the occult.
"Do you have a minute, Colin?" he asked.
"I guess I can spare a minute or two, Elliot. But no longer." I said.
Elliot smirked. "I understand. You have a lesson to get to with those friends of yours, don't you?"
"What do you--"
He chuckled. "Please, Colin. You're talking to a guy who does extensive research into the occult. The twins were bound to come up sooner or later."
"I...I don't know what you're talking about." I said as I finished putting everything in my backpack as fast as I could and started to walk away, but Elliot grabbed my arm and turned me around.
"Don't play dumb, Colin. I know you stay with some family friends during the week and go off to one of your family properties on most weekends. Said friends also happen to be known among occult enthusiasts." Elliot said.
"The twins are old family friends, but the decision to stay with them was because of access to this school." I said.
"Come now, Colin. you're of House Renaud and could've attended any school in the world, but you ended up in some mid-sized town near Yarlforr County? I like this place, but I'd choose just about anywhere else in a heartbeat." Elliot remarked. "Even so, your family could've bought a nice house around here, yet you stay in one of the oldest houses in the region? I don't know how you did it, but you ended up as a student of the Demalgo twins when they're said to be selective. Though I don't know why they'd want to live in Welgorlinz Manor."
I glared at him. "How do you know all of this? Even my research didn't go this far!"
"We must be using different sources, then." Elliot said. "Not to mention all those adventures you've been on since you got here. I can't pretend to know even half of them, but a few friends and I have picked up on a few such as the haunted house in Emswich, the other one in your old hometown, the monsters you've dealt with, and so much more.
I took a few steps back, surprised at Elliot's detailed knowledge of our activities. "How do you know all of this?"
"Just a bit a research here and there, and spotting you in a few photos." Elliot said. "But then, you're just the student. Your teachers are another matter. Some records going back over five hundred years, about the same time various early real estate companies starts showing up, and mention a strange set of twins who have defeated countless creatures. A different set shows up every few decades or so who usually look around the same age., though there have been times where only one is seen for a significant period of time."
"I'm well aware of those stories." I said.
"I'm sure you are. Now tell me. There has been much speculation about these beings. Some think they are the same twins across the ages, while others think they are as they claim, members of the same family. One side doubts they are the same since even elves can't live for centuries without significant aging and can't change their appearance while the other side doubts so many twins could show up in similar fields without being connected. Some also mention the Overlord and how he didn't age at all in the time he reigned." Elliot said. "I tend to side with them being the same, including the ones you're about to see."
"I'm not going to say one way or the other." I said.
"Yes, but I have more to go on." He replied, chuckling. "All of the twins in those report dabbled in the same business, though when there was only one active, their company would be sold to another newer company after some time. This leads us to the company your friends run. The Demalgo Real Estate Company was founded around two hundred years according to the records, and Welgorlinz Manor was among the properties sold to it early on when it acquired an older company. Members of the Demalgo clan always use the same initials. The boy's first name starts with S, the girl with V, and at times they are reversed. The same can be applied to the heads of some of the older companies. I saved the best for last, though." Elliot grinned as he took a photo out of his backpack and handed it to me. I gasped as it depicted me and the twins while we were on a recent monster hunt and in the process of casting magic, and said hunt was unremarkable outside of Vanessa being there from the start, so its chances of showing up in these accounts are slim. All it consisted of was a monster getting loose in a nearby city, the matter catching our attention, and using some magic to subdue it and send it back where it came from. The end. To be honest, I'd almost forgotten about it until Elliot showed me the photo. "Where did you get this, and how?!" I shouted, more than a little surprised since the area was empty at the time.
"A friend happened to be on the roof of a building and was testing a new long range camera at the time. He took the picture as the creature came by since it isn't something you see every day." Elliot replied in a calm manner. "You three just happened to be caught in the shot."
I nodded. "Yes. I can understand why your friend would want to take such a picture."
"Good to hear." Elliot smirked. "And one more thing. I learned I'd never be able to use magic long ago, but I can sense its use and when I'm in the presence of someone who uses it on a regular basis."
I sighed and sat down at my desk. "Then you must be picking up quite a lot from me."
"Oh yes." Elliot said. "Now perhaps you can tell me if my suspicions about the twins are right as well as how they've lived this long, though I have a guess for the latter. Neither are from this planet, are they?"
"You're one of the smartest occult enthusiasts I've met." I remarked, and meant it since I've only met a few who figured out the Demalgos aren't from to Earlyog.
"Then I'm right!" Elliot shouted.
"You might be, but what do you want?" I asked.
"Simple. I want to meet one or both of your teachers to get their opinions on various supernatural subjects."
"I'll see what I can do." I said. "I can arrange a meeting with one of them whenever you like providing he's up to it, though his sister will be a bit more difficult."
"Thank you, Colin." Elliot replied. "You'd better do it since I'll keep bringing this up until you do."
I went straight to the Demalgo mansion after getting away from Elliot and went to the living room, finding Scarlon at his desk and examining some old, possibly alien artifacts. As expected, Vanessa was nowhere to be seen. I sat down on the other side of the desk without a word.
"Is something troubling you, Colin?" Scarlon asked as he put the artifacts away in a desk drawer. "It's not like you to come in without saying anything." I nodded and explained the situation to him. "So one of your classmates has researched the stories of our past accomplishments, connected them to us, saw through the path of my company's ownership and acquisitions, and discovered you were our latest student along with our reputation for taking on few of them. I'll give him this. He's smarter than most occult enthusiasts I've met, and younger than most of them as well."
"He is, now that I think about it." I said, remembering some other enthusiasts who paid us visits in the past and only succeeded in wasting our time and cluttering our inboxes. "Most of the smarter ones have been around my age, haven't they?"
"I haven't given it much thought, but you may have a point there. If Eve and your classmate are anything to go by, we might be in trouble if we aren't careful." Scarlon remarked. "Anyway, you say he can sense magic, but cannot use it?" I nodded. "Interesting. Most enthusiasts I've met can't even sense magic. He figured out this much about us, so I might as well grant him an audience. See if he can come by here in three days. Well, two days by the time you see him tomorrow."
"I'll do my best." I said.
"Good. With this matter taken care of, we can get to your training." Scarlon said, leading me to the large training yard behind the house to practice using magic during combat.
I approached Elliot after school the next day.
"Did you talk to him?" Elliot asked.
I nodded. "He'll grant you an audience in two days."
"Sounds good." Elliot said. "See you then, Colin."
I brought Elliot to the Demalgo House two days later, who insisted on going there right away instead of dropping his backpack off at home first. Like always, my teacher was at his desk when we arrived.
"You must be the classmate Colin told me about." Scarlon said.
"Yes, sir. I'm Elliot Ragalis, though I don't know the right name to use with you. There's only a few dozen!" Elliot shouted as he took a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Let's see. We have Solgrin, Victor, Saloc, Salis, Valin, Scarlon--"
"I would appreciate using that name." Scarlon interrupted. "I'm impressed you know so many of my past ones, though. Some of those were used long before I took the name Demalgo."
"I know about a dozen more." Elliot replied.
Scarlon grinned. "Do you now? I assure you there's more, though I won't mention them."
"Yes. I did come across a few others, though I wasn't sure about a them." Elliot said. "But the names I mentioned are the ones I found the most in old records, some had real estate companies similar to yours, and a couple assistants were listed with all of them over the years. Were all of them apprentices like him?" he asked as he pointed to me.
Scarlon shook his head. "Some were, but not all. Many were just skilled monster hunters, business partners, or people under my protection who chose to help out, but I'm guessing you're here to discuss other matters."
Elliot nodded. "I seek your opinion on various supernatural phenomenon."
Scarlon hesitated for a moment. "Fine, though I should warn you. Most of the cases you're about to bring up are going to be complete nonsense."
My classmate glared. "You're starting to sounds like some of those skeptics."
"That's because I am." Scarlon said. "Colin tells me you figured out my sister and I are centuries old aliens. Can you think of anyone who'd know some of these matters better?"
"I see your point." Elliot said. "You probably deal with fake cases often."
"I disprove lots of them." Scarlon remarked. "If you do this long enough you learn to spot a fake case a mile away most of the time. I've dealt with a few recent cases I didn't realize were nonsense until I was halfway through my investigations, but those are few and far between these days." He motioned toward the chair in front of the desk. "Why don't you take a seat and show me what you have?"
Elliot nodded and took a seat as I sat down on a chair behind the desk. Elliot took several photos out of his backpack and spread them over the desk. "Let's start with some of the classics." He began. "Is there any truth behind the monster of Gorlin Lake?"
Scarlon glanced at the photo on top, which looked quite old and depicted a large snake-like creature in a large lake. "If you're referring to this specific photo, then yes. This one's legit. Any modern photos of this creature are fakes trying to capitalize on his name, and any pictures or reports predating this photo by more than a few years are referring to another matter."
"I see. What was the creature, out of curiosity?" Elliot asked.
"A lost traveler." Scarlon said.
"I see." Elliot said as he put the photo away and revealed one of an ancient castle in the Okiukuth region judging by the design, and looked like the type of place some of my ancestors would have lived in. "How about this place?"
Scarlon smirked. "Ah. Jorgrith Castle, built during the reign of King Jorg VI of Yagron. I'll say this. If you come across a building more than a few generations old with lots of history, it's going to have at least one ghost. If it doesn't, then it hasn't been discovered yet. Incidentally, Colin is a descendant of Jorg VI through one of his daughters."
Elliot looked at me. "Really?"
I nodded, seeing the name Jorg VI in my family tree the few times I'd looked at it. "If I remember correctly, his daughter married one of the earliest known members of House Renaud."
"Correct, and I believe your family owns the castle as a result. Pre-Overlord records are scarce, though most of Yagron's have somehow survived." Scarlon said as he looked at Elliot. "Anyway, I'm guessing you're referring to the wailing prince?"
"Yes, sir." Elliot said.
Scarlon chuckled. "I'll admit I haven't had the chance to investigate Jorgrith Castle to see if the wailing prince or other incidents in the area are legit, but it's been on my list for ages. I'll look into this once I've got some time cleared up one and report back to you." As an aside, we have visited Jorgrith Castle since and what we encountered there will be in a future account.
Scarlon looked at one of the other photos. "I see a photo of Wirtenga Palace in there. Which particular incident do you want to ask about?"
"The ghost of the murderous chef." Elliot replied.
"Ah." Scarlon said. "I'm sure you discovered this in your research, but I happened to live in the area at the time. The ghost of the chef isn't true, a good thing too since I never liked the guy even before his crimes came to light, but most of the others are."
"Even the ghost of the princess?" he asked.
Scarlon nodded. "I met her a few times both in life and death."
Elliot gasped. "Really? You sure get into these matters, don't you?"
Scarlon chuckled. "Could I have done this for so long if I didn't?"
"Good point." Elliot took the castle photos off the desk and revealed a couple more depicting similar ape-like creatures in different environments. One was in a desert while the other was in some mountains. Neither was distinct enough to identify the locations from the photos alone, but I think I knew what they were.. "What about these two?"
"One the monster of the Iacrayrian mountains and the other's the beast of the Brogaibuin Desert aren't they?" I asked.
Elliot grinned. "Yep."
"Ah." Scarlon said as he picked the photos up. "So that's what they're supposed to be. Photos from the past decade like these are fakes, but most of the older ones are real."
Elliot stared at my teacher. "Seriously?"
Scarlon nodded. "They were a couple of lost travelers of the same race, something many occultists got right for a change, but their presence on Earlyog at the same time was pure coincidence."
"Ah." Elliot removed the pictures from the table and put numerous UFO ones in their place. "What about these, and the reports of abductions and the like?"
Scarlon sighed as he looked through them. "You seem to have a great amount of interest in this area, but the vast majority of these photos are nonsense. As for abductions, the amount of real cases can be counted on one hand. Abducting natives from a planet in an area like this one, especially one on the verge of space travel, is one of the stupidest things you can do just from the amount of laws it violates."
Elliot chuckled. "I am indeed most interested in this area of the occult above all probably because of the idea alone, but I did suspect most of them were fakes since there haven't been many reports for some years, despite most people having a camera of some sort on them at all times. I'll note the irony of an alien dismiss UFO reports so vehemently."
"I'll admit you have a point there, though the reason I dismiss most UFO cases is because I know what to look for, and my computer helps." Scarlon remarked as he pointed to a large computer sitting on a desk in the corner of the room.
Elliot glanced at it. "What does it do?"
"I don't fully understand it, but from what I've seen it scans for ships entering or leaving the planet." I said.
Scarlon grinned. "Not a bad explanation, my student. Those are the basics of it. The computer scans Earlyog's atmosphere and logs every ship arriving on the planet or leaving it. Since your planet isn't yet at the point where space travel is common, though it's close, any instance is cause for suspicion."
"Ah. It must be nice to have." Elliot commented. "Though how many UFO cases are legit?"
"Roughly ten percent." Scarlon replied. "Half of the reported cases aren't of alien origin, and half of the others are either lost travelers or pilgrims wishing to see the planet where the Overlord met his end. Many are criminals trying to hide."
"The Overlord?" Elliot asked. "Are you referring to the one who ruled over Earlyog for ages?"
Scarlon nodded. "Earlyog was just one small part of his territory, though a significant one, and he treated all of his planets with the same level of respect as this one."
"In other words, he was bad to everyone." Elliot sighed. "So the one time historians think an alien was involved in our history and occultists are split on the matter, the historians are right?"
Scarlon smirked. "They are indeed."
Elliot approached the computer while I went through the photos he left on the desk. "How far back does these records go?" Elliot asked as he looked at the computer's display.
"A few centuries." Scarlon replied.
"How did you even get something like this?"
"It's the computer from the ship I arrived here in long ago with significant modifications, but those stories are for another time." Scarlon said.
I continued flipping through the photos and stopped when I came across one toward the bottom of the pile depicting a triangular ship with three stripes of different colors on each corner. "These markings..."
"What?" Scarlon asked.
I handed the picture to him. "Scarlon, didn't you once tell me about a race with ships similar to this?"
Scarlon examined the photo. "Yes there is. It's hard to make out, but..." He looked at Elliot. "When was this picture taken?"
"Which one?" Elliot asked. Scarlon showed him. "That one? Why do you want to know? I'm friends with a UFO nut in Delgorix and he posted this on an occult forum today. Claims he took it this morning, but I wouldn't take this seriously since he's posted some insane stuff before. I just printed this out because it was the most recent photo I had access to."
"And yet it looks like some real ships I'm familiar with." Scarlon remarked as he went over to the computer and took a seat, placing the photo on the console beside him. "This morning, you said?" he brought up a few listings and pointed to one saying 26 Jorvis 1868 AW, 07:03 which happened to be the date, though it was much later in the day for us. "Would this happen to be around the right time?"
Elliot stared at the date. "It might be. The guy posted it around noon and said he took it early in the morning. Such a time wouldn't be unreasonable, but why is the date arranged like this?"
"It helps with organization, and was also the only way I could add your month names without causing problems." Scarlon replied as he tapped the listing, bringing a map up showing our city along with the rest of Yarlforr County and a few nearby areas. Three spots at different parts of the map were highlighted by red dots.
"What are those dots for?" Elliot asked.
"I believe he once told me they marked all possible landing spots based on an incoming ship's last known path." I said, looking up and noticing my teacher's smirk.
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Colin." He pointed to one of the dots. "This spot happens to be on the outskirts of Delgorix and if your friend really took that photo, this is the best place to look since I doubt it would've turned out as well if the ship landed at one of the other two spots. Why don't we stop by and see for ourselves?"
"Whoa!" Elliot looked at the photo and then back up at the screen. "You mean this one has a chance of being legit?!"
Scarlon nodded. "A strong chance, but what is one of those ships doing out here? This would be a little out of the way even if they were pilgrims, but we'll figure this out soon enough." He picked up a small green device from a drawer under the computer desk and slid it into a port. He kept it there for a few moments before sliding it out and putting it in his pocket. He got up and headed for the door. "Are you boys coming?"
"And miss the chance to see a legitimate UFO? Of course, but how similar is this to the ship you're thinking of?"
Scarlon picked up a tablet from a small table near the door and tapped a few things on it. "Here you go. The ship we're going to see is probably smaller and newer, but it's in a similar style." He turned the tablet around, showing a photo on-screen of a large triangular ship with three stripes on each corner, sitting in a hangar with other ships around it.
Elliot gasped as he picked up the other photo from the console. "The details aren't as clear in my friend's photo, but there are similarities."
"Yes there are. Too many for my coincidence threshold." Scarlon said as we headed out.
We got in a large blue car in the driveway. Once inside, Scarlon slid the device into a port under the screen in beside the steering wheel, causing a map to appear on-screen. The dots from the larger map in the house appeared on it along with a large blue arrow representing thr car.
"I'm guessing your device transfers info from the computer in the house to this one? Clever." Elliot remarked as we drove off.
Scarlon smirked. "Thanks. You have no idea how grateful I was when your planet finally got around to developing computers. Maintaining my equipment's been so much easier!"
We drove out of the city and passed by a few city border markers. We came across a sign about an hour later after going through some mountains. It read,
"It won't be long now." Scarlon said as the arrow got closer to one of the dots with each passing second.
We pulled up to a large open field on the outskirts of Delgorix where we saw the mangled form of a large triangular vehicle. The roads we used to get to the field were not the greatest, so I figured nobody came down this way often. It would explain why nobody in the area had come across the wreak yet despite being there for several hours.
"Your computer was spot on!" Elliot shouted as we got out of the car.
"It usually is. Otherwise I wouldn't have been using it for centuries." Scarlon replied. "So what do you think of your first view of an actual spaceship, Elliot?"
Elliot didn't answer right away since he was busy taking photos of the wreaked ship, including a few where he stood in front of it. "I...I don't know what to say! It's a beautiful sight to behold."
Scarlon smirked. "It sure is. The Bergizapiens are renowned throughout this galaxy for their ships. They're a sight to behold even in this condition."
"Bergiz--what?" Elliot asked.
"Bergizapiens. The dominant species of Bergiz, a planet orbiting the star known as Kravei. You can see it in the eastern sky at night. Anyway, This is one of their ships." Scarlon said as he pointed to some of the stripes. "Those are a distinctive feature of their ships, and few other races use markings like these with a ship of this design. Though looking at the state of this ship, I'm sure there's a few people inside."
"Yes. I count two--no--three people in there." I said.
Scarlon looked at the ship for a moment and nodded. "Sounds about right. I'm picking up the same number of people in there. Now you boys wait out here. I'll go in and see what's going on."
We watched as Scarlon headed into the ship through an opening in the side. "Colin, can you help me out here?" he asked as few minutes later.
"Sure thing." I said as I ran into the ship, followed by Elliot.
Scarlon was bending over a crumpled form as we came in. From what I could see, the figure had blue skin and was a little taller than him. Two similar beings were thrown sprawled over a console. All three of them were beaten and unconscious, but alive.
"Ah. Good timing." Scarlon said as he saw us come in. "Think you boys can get the others outside?"
"Right on it!" I said as I ran to one of the aliens and slowly lifted the being up. "Elliot?"
"Of course." He said as he went over to the last alien and dragged him off the ship, followed by Scarlon and I carrying the others in our arms.
"You two are stronger than you look." Elliot remarked as we walked toward the car.
"Oh. This? Consider it a result of years of training and doing things like this." Scarlon replied.
"Even for Colin?" He asked.
"Yep." I said.
"I see." Elliot said as we placed the aliens against the side of the car. "Are they alright, though?"
Scarlon nodded. "They should be. All three of them were banged up in the crash, but they should be fine if they receive treatment soon. Good thing we got there when we did, though. If it wasn't for the photo, it might've taken awhile to find the ship since none of the projected landing sights were anywhere near each other. Their chances of survival would've been slim without immediate treatment, even with my magic."
"Good to hear, but what's next?" Elliot asked.
"I'll contact their people to pick them up." Scarlon replied.
He opened the back of the car and rummaged through an assorted mix of objects kept there before pulling out a device resembling a small portable radio. It looked more advanced than anything developed on our planet so far, but also older than any piece technology I had ever seen. Such thoughts have crossed my mind every time Scarlon has used that thing, and I think it's older than he is according to a few snippets I've overheard. "It's been awhile since I've seen you use that thing." I remarked.
Scarlon chuckled. "Yeah. I don't use it often, but it has its uses. Like here." He went to another part of the clearing. The details were difficult to make out, but I could hear him talking to someone in an unfamiliar language. He put the device back in the car a few minutes later. "I contacted an old acquaintance living on Bergiz. He says he'll in turn contact a Bergizapien outpost they apparently installed only a few star systems away. They should be here within the hour. All we can do now is wait."
A ship in a similar style to the crashed one, though much larger, landed in the field about half an hour later. Elliot took a few more photos as a group of Bergizapiens emerged from it. A tall one towering over all of us approached while the others went over to the ones left by the car and carried them to their ship.
"Which one of you made contact with Bergiz?" the tall one asked. Elliot stared at the figure because he couldn't understand the Bergizapien language. I understood it only because Scarlon gave me a universal translator during my first month of lessons.
"That would be me, though I would've contacted your outpost myself if I had known it existed." Scarlon replied.
The figure raised an eyebrow. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, how come you didn't know about it? The outpost was established about three hundred years ago and should be on every map of the Keltron by now."
"That shows how long it's been since I've updated my maps." Scarlon said. "I've been stuck on this planet for almost seven centuries now and only got back in contact with the galaxy in the last few decades."
"Ah. I understand, but what are you, sir?"
"That isn't of any importance at the moment. All I'll say is most only meet a few members of my race in their lives." Scarlon replied. "It's more important to get those people to the outpost, which I'm guessing was their destination."
The figure nodded. "We won't know until we talk to them, but I'm inclined to agree."
"A little off course, aren't they?" Scarlon asked.
"A bit, but it could've been worse given this planet's location and history. How did you find the ship here, anyway?" the figure asked.
"A combination of things. I have a computer designed to scan any ship passing through this planet's atmosphere." Scarlon said before pointing to Elliot. "This boy brought me a photo one of his friends had taken of the ship this morning, probably a few minutes before it crashed here. I recognized the design of your ships in the photo, checked the scanner's records, and the location the guy took the photo from helped to narrow down where the ship crashed. Good thing your ships are so distinct."
"Ah. I'll be sure to inform them of this when they regain consciousness, along with a warning to be more careful." The figure said as some of the others wrapped cables around the remnants of the crashed ship and brought it into the cargo hold of their own. "You have my thanks. If you didn't find them when you did, things could've been a lot worse." He walked over to the ship's entrance and faced us one last time. "I wish all of you a good day. May Wagrin always watch over your travels." He got in the ship and it took off.
"Who's Wagrin?" Elliot asked.
"Wagrin is a Bergizapien god of safe travels who is said to watch over all travelers in the galaxy and protect those who earn his favor." Scarlon explained. "If there was ever a time when he was present, it would be here."
"I see. Well, that was quite an experience." Elliot said.
"It was, wasn't it? It's nice to go on a rescue mission every now and then." I remarked.
"Oh yes." Scarlon began. "I much prefer rescue missions like this. Unfortunately, there'll always be more hunting and extermination missions than these."
"I imagine." Elliot said. "Though could this have ended up as one of those missions?"
Scarlon nodded. "In an instant. The only reason I was sure it wouldn't be was because the Bergizapiens are known to be a peaceful race for the most part unless you provoke them, and I didn't hear any reports of runaway crooks or stolen ships. If I had suspected even one of those things, you would've stayed at the house or I'd have dropped you off at yours on the way here."
Elliot nodded. "I suppose that's fair. I take it those situations come up often, then?"
"More than I would like." Scarlon said.
"I agree." I said as I looked at Elliot. "So what was it like to see one of your UFOs in person, and to be in one?"
"It was fun!" he said. "I should try finding more occult things to see in person."
"If you do, please be careful." Scarlon said. "Contact us at the slightest hint of danger."
"I'll try." Elliot said as he looked at me. "So now what?"
"On days when we go on missions, which feels like every other day at times, we just go home if it's something in the local area like this. If it's farther, we might stay in the area for another day or two." I explained. "And hope nothing comes up on the way back."
Scarlon nodded. "Pretty much. Things like this don't take long, but we've been taken all over the planet. Some cases can take days or weeks to sort out." He glanced at Elliot. "Would you like a ride home?"
"Sure." Elliot said.
"Good." Scarlon said as we approached the car. "Oh. Be sure to tell your friend about this. I'm normally against giving fuel to people like him, but I'll make an exception here since his photo helped save a couple of lives."
Elliot nodded. "I'll tell him. The pictures I took should convince him of what happened here."
"Fine with me. Just make sure those pictures aren't made public just yet. While Earlyog will be joining the galactic community in the next century or two according at most to my estimates, you aren't there yet." Scarlon replied.
"I'll do my best." Elliot said.
"Good."
We got in the car and drove out of the area. Elliot gave his address to Scarlon and we dropped him off on the way to the Demalgo Mansion.
I went to school a little earlier than usual a few days later to try and find Elliot since we shared the first class of the day as well as the last one, and found him sitting in the corner of the room.
"Ah. Just the guy I wanted to see." I said as I went over to him.
He looked up. "Oh? What is it, Colin?"
"Just this." I said as I took a couple of small packages out of my backpack and handed them to him. Both had a note on top of them where one half was typed out and the other was handwritten.
"What's this?" Elliot asked.
"Those aliens we rescued sent some gifts to thank us for our help. They made contact with Scarlon to thank him and to find out how many were involved in their rescue." I said. "These gifts are for both you and the guy who took the photo of the ship."
"That's really thoughtful of them." Elliot said as he looked at the messages, seeing that both of them were the same. "I'm guessing the handwritten part is a translation?"
I nodded. "Scarlon translated them himself, though he apologizes for the quality of it since his Bergizes is a little rusty and he's only familiar with an ancient dialect, but he thinks he got the basics of the message across."
"Ah." Elliot said as he examined the message. "Let's see. 'Thank you for your help in rescuing us when we crashed on your planet. We are eternally grateful for your help and wanted to show our thanks. Enclosed you will find a gift we hope you'll like that'll also avoid drawing attention to yourselves. We found your planet to be quite beautiful from what little we saw of it, and plan on a proper visit at some point. We hope to thank you in person then, but this is the best we can do for now. When your world starts regular space travel, you and your descendants can count on our assistance. May Wagrin protect and favor you like he did for us. Signed, Teziz, Orfoz, and Quiliz of the House of Lefinz.'" Elliot placed the package on his desk and opened it, finding a small model of a Bergizapien ship in it. "Oh, nice!" he shouted. "Models are always great."
"They sure are." I remarked. "I think your friend one as well since the packages are around the same size."
"Perfect for him." Elliot said. "He likes models and has a lot of them, namely planes and spaceships, but this'll be his first model of an actual alien ship!"
"Good thing both of you like models, then." I replied. "What did he think of this matter, anyway?"
"He didn't believe me at first, though he came around as soon as I showed him the photos I took there and mentioned your names. He thinks he might've met Scarlon long ago under one of his other names." Elliot said.
I shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised."
"Yeah. Scarlon's been around for awhile. Anyway, my friend was glad to hear his photo of a legit alien ship and also proved useful in saving the lives of its occupants." He carefully put both his model and the wrapped up one in his backpack. "I have to go to Delgorix after school for a few errands, so I'll get this to him before the day is out. I'll let you know if I come across anything of interest."
"Thank you. Scarlon might even listen to a few of them now given the way this turned out." I said. "Though he did mutter something about luck."
Elliot shrugged. "He wouldn't be wrong, though I'll try to find something soon."
This matter turned out alright, though Elliot still brings up various 'supernatural' phenomena to me almost every week. Half are legit, and less than an eighth of those require outside help. Elliot's friend, who wishes to be known as Malcolm, appreciated the gift and made contact with us a short time later, though anything involving cases he brings up is best left for another day. Take care, my friend. If and when Elliot messages you again, you can share the last few accounts with him.
