The Elf and Her Wonderland

The sky was already set as orange highlight painted the far horizon above when he finished filling the basket with everything as requested. The forest did have a good condition he thought as pretty much natures could offer are abundant and easy to pick. Bar the occasional Orcs or giant bugs that sometimes kept crawling to his direction.

He managed to dig some bamboo shoot using a traced hoe, and some herbs, wild vegetables, and a few morels and mushroom. He ought to cook the dinner tonight, might paying a few favors to Shino after this.

Other than that, some odd bit pieces of items and materials that monsters and the gate dropped once they disappear. Orcs so far, he identified, dropped clothing which is shabby and low quality. Even they can drop cooking ingredients, much to his bewilderment when finding oil and pack of rice laying around on the dirt. He needs to confirm it after some shriek and cries of others orc later.

Is it something they stole? No, they didn't carry such things even when he captured one in his curiosity.

In the end, he decided to stop such thought. Some mysteries may better to be hidden or not worth into unless they have too much free time in their passing. It's like asking where the food saber inhaled goes, or why Tohsaka would shove Gandr every time they met. It's futile.

Well, at least he knew where to look If he didn't have any money or starving in the middle of nowhere. Adventuring seems to be a rather lucrative business if even such basic monsters dropped necessity goods.

After trekking the forest for a while, in the way, he picked again the lunch containers that been left out beside the road. Neatly packed, and washed as a crude green jewel placed on top of it. The furballs seem nowhere to be found, as he looked around for a sign. This must be their way to express gratitude.

He smiled at such scenes, even the creatures we thought as monsters could express such heartfelt and pure expressions. It makes him wonder why the town mayor and majority of the villagers felt distaste of them.

When he was about to leave and resume his step, a voice called to him.

"Stop there!"

His face scrunched up in confusion, sensing no ill intent coming from it. He looked upside the road, and found a woman with a smile eyeing him up with a wooden… hammer? Coaxed in different colors and an easel in front of her as preparing to draw something.

Oh, based on her direction and the command before it was him that being painted?

She smiled broader, not wasting a chance to exploit his confusion as the hammer easily weaseled its way to smear the canvas in colors.

"Uhm, uhm, this will become my next masterpiece! That's chiseled abs, that thick muscles, that's ivory skin and the contrasting fiery hair! You must be the personification of my wet-dreams!"

There's definitely something wrong about what she said.

"U… Are you done?" He didn't really want to interrupt, but the one-sided awkwardness is killing him. Hopefully, metaphorical.

"…"

Her face was such smeared in full bliss, the swaying of her golden hair interweaving with the lock and bang. He noticed that under the hat from a glimpse, she has a pointed tip of ears.

An elf.

Certainly, when he realizes it. He was mesmerized by her translucent sight not noticing that she was almost done with the painting. Elf… he tasted the word once again, a word that can only be found in fantasy books even among magus and the moonlit world. The only phantasmal species that could communicate with the Fae.

He never came into contact with one of them, not even in his long life. They receded much like any phantasmal being to the reverse side of the world. Other than that, only a few fellow heroic spirits have some features of an elf such as their iconic pointed ears.

She could fit in each category of every typical appearance of Elf in the book. Golden long hair that seems always translucent and graceful for every sway, and a perfect heart-shaped face that transcends the very concept of charming. They certainly could confidently stride and stand side by side with Heroic spirits in terms of beauty.

"…And for the final touch, Rainbow!!!" A built-up of mana gathered to the hammer, sparkling different hues that could rival the jeweled sword of Kaleidoscope as the magic sprinkled to the painting.

She cupped her chin, nodding in satisfaction.

"Yes, this will be my entry to become a famous artist that will go down for history to comes!"

"Are you done?" Shirou stood beside her, as he looked on the painting.

They said history is mixed with lies and over-dramatization. Certainly, artworks are the epitome of all those qualities.

He didn't quite catch what's behind or the implicit meanings. But at least, he can judge in his mundane and untrained eyes that the painting was superb. He usually would shy over when someone would photograph his form, but this one instead could make him comfortable and held the arts within in high regards.

She looked to the side, unperturbed by the closeness of Shirou as she stared at his iridescent of golden eyes.

Prides welling in her chest as she gained a first admirer of her works. Others would avoid her, but this is the first time she sensed life this up-close other than her family.

Her mind began to be distracted, lowering the sight… until she broke out of her stupor and proclaimed loudly, "Hmm, of course! Behold the glory of my newest masterpiece!"

She thought of a name, somehow her desire to name it with her favorite mixture of colors faded away replaced with a pure sheet of cloth as she stared at the white cloak enveloping his body.

"I name it as Silva Album! The white light tainted in the contrasting darkness of silent forests. Umu."

She certainly could fit and match well with a certain red saber, no, please don't let that happen. It's like creating two paradoxes with how similar they are, in a certain taste and broadness. Shirou shivered at the thought.

"I see, that sounds great." That's how all the praises he could utter in politeness.

Though the Elf in question didn't pay it no heed as she only nodded in a smirk.

"You've got a very long way to understand such a masterpiece. But no fear, for I shall teach you the splendor of creativity that soaked in every fiber of arts!"

"No, I think I can take the offer later, but the day will come into an end soon."

She gazed above as ascertaining his words, "Hmm, certainly the veil of the night will soon casted to this side of the world, I too, shall need to go to my humble abode lest I can't pour these limitless ideas right now."

Then she offered him a hand, "But, I won't forget this gratitude to you. And call me, Daria, you should visit my home the next time you passed by, it was easy after all only by the entrance of the forest you can find me."

He grasped her hands, the sensation of his firm skin collided with the pearly skin was certainly pleasing. "I'm Shirou. I think I'll take the offer next time."

"Uhm," Daria nodded in smiles, wrapping up all of her art supplies and clean it afterward.

Shirou offered to escort her home as the day keep getting darker, and Daria accepted the idea in vigor. They were blissfully conversating until they go apart after saying farewell at the entrance of the forests.

Daria stared at the boy back as he disappeared in the orange skylines, not noticing a faint trail of pink hues on her face. Unaware as she went back towards her house.