UNDISCLOSED SECTOR: LEGION RESEARCH FACILITY.
Glass doors slid open to reveal Kaneko and Anna walking into a seemingly long corridor. "I told you he won't just take your word for it and show up like a bee after honey.....Schedule another meet next weekend and then a next one after that if he doesn't show up again. After a third time
then forget I brought him up" Anna said nothing till they reached a door on the side of the corridor. "He'd better, cos he didn't seem that interesting at all" she stated as the door slid open. "Like I said..... Give him time" was Kaneko's instant reply before going back the way they came watching
Anna walk into the room, the door slid shut leaving Kaneko on the corridor back. "I'll let you have this one free but another one will cost you.... Rhae" he whispered to himself before walking into the room at the end of the corridor.
MEETING ROOM: LEGION - VALOREN
Rhaegah had a stone wall behind him and Symmone charging at him right ahead. He held hismana in front of himself ready to take the hit. His mana now having physical manifestation, wrapped his arms in a red layer of protection as though reacting to his defense stance. Rhaegah waited for the blade to make contact and just as it did he moved his arms towards the right changing the course of the swing sending Symmone off balance. Now Rhaegah had a short
opening to either attempt to escape from the corner he was in or attempt an attack on Symmone.
He decided to rely on instinct and drove a punch at Symmone's torso sending the older man across the room. Rhaegah only saw three other people besides Herke but including Symmone. He moved at an incredible speed towards the two restraining Herke. He couldn't shake the feeling that there were others in the room but he chose to ignore that and focus on the problem at hand..... Getting Herke free and figure out just what was going on. One of the two unfamiliars, a human... Noticed
Rhaegah's plan and pointed his blade at Rhaegah who was just a few inches from them. The dragon-born had no weapons on his person but that didn't stop him from trying to free Herke. He wrapped his hand in lightning reaching for the blade that was pointed at him. The sword shattered leaving just the hilt and a surprised human in place. Presented with another opening, he knocked the assailant out of the way..... All this in mere seconds.
Seeing the other captor frozen with fear, he grabbed Herke just as Symmone appeared behind him and placed the sword at his neck and bringing the resistance to an end. "What is the meaning of this?" Rhaegah questioned, his expression as calm as possible but Herke could tell that he couldn't keep his composure for long. Symmone said nothing but kept his gaze on Rhaegah, then to Herke and then back to Rhaegah.
"SYMMONE!!!" Rhaegah's aura suddenly flared up into its signature blood red glow going over both himself and Herke.
Symmone took a step back... And by step meaning jumping backwards bringing some distance between himself and Rhaegah. Looking at Rhaegah now, the aura that was just dancing around in a frenzy, began taking the form of a dragon's head. None but Symmone saw all this unfold while others simply felt a sense of pressure fall on them. "Calm yourself Rhaegah!"
Nygel's voice echoed from the corner of the room. Rhaegah figured he'd been using a sort of invisibility spell which explained the feeling that he was being watched. He noticed Auia standing next to Symmone and Nala under the same spell. His aura settled down with him getting to his feet. His first impression was that they were trying to test him of something good, given that Nygel and Auia were simply watching the whole thing. Though he had predicted something this coming soon enough, as even he himself would not be willing to trust someone he wasn't sure wouldn't betray
that trust. He chose to get Herke first by instinct and was now curious as to what would've happened if he decided to escape on his own regardless of what happened to Herke.
Why did he willingly risk his life for Herke? It made no sense to him cos he always believed he was to only look out for himself.
"Are you satisfied now... Symmone?"
Symmone said nothing in reply to Nygel and walked up to Rhaegah. "I had to ensure that I would be going into battle with someone who wouldn't abandon my men to save his own life.... My apologies for the sudden attack" Symmone started with a slight bow. "And Herke must have been
confused when he sensed the demon mana from me..... That was Nala's doing" Rhaegah looked towards Herke who was still in place. He could tell that Herke did not know anything about what Symmone had planned. "I had predicted you would find a way to save yourself and forsake all else" Symmone added with a glare at Rhaegah "So when your initial course of action was to save Herke despite being unaware of what sort of danger you were in, I can only accept defeat" he stated with a wry smile.
Rhaegah took one more look around the room to take in the expresssions of everyone in the room. "Understandable, cos I figured that would happen sooner or later. So moving on, what's the plan for Neban's rescue?". The room suddenly went quiet, everyone shocked at the way this boy simply shook off the fact that people he doesn't really know simply attacked him... Regardless of the reason. "We shall discuss that on the way to Dh'auth" Nygel replied
walking towards the door leading out. "Dh'auth?" Nygel took in the questioning stare Rhaegah had recalling he was still new to this world. "Dh'auth is home to the halflings... We shall be getting supplies there for the halflings are the best at smithing and enchanting... Second to the dwarves of course"
"So why aren't we going to the dwarves instead?" Rhaegah's questioning stare still in place.
"My my, you are one curious child but I understand the reason for your question" he said nothing else then left the room not bothering to answer Rhaegah's question. "It was not my intention to lead you into the situation we met on arrival" Rhaegah heard Herke speak from the same spot he'd been
held during the fake attack. "Woah.... Don't get so formal with me" Rhaegah butted in with a jab to Herke's shoulder and made his way to the door before turning to Herke
"Loosen up.....we're roommates now" he added and Herke replied with a slight nod and surprise still evident on his face. He led this boy into a precarious situation that not even he was aware of. He shook the thought thinking only that this boy was full of mystery. "Are there other guilds or is Legion the only one?" Rhaegah asked Herke as they walked down the stone corridor. "We are the only guild that matters... As others refuse to take action" Herke replied as they continued their conversation down the corridor.
They came across a wood elf down the corridor who seemed like she had barely spent any time here. "A new member of their guild perhaps?" Rhaegah said to himself just as something caught his attention... Her ears. This elf had the regular long pointy ears as fits the regular description of
elves which triggered a feeling he had about Auia when they first met. Looking at her now Auia's ears were much shorter than the regular elf but still longer than a human's. "It can't be.... A half-elf!" He suddenly realized pushing his curiosity even higher. They came to a stop at the end of the corridor then went through the doors leading to the main hall.
Unlike his first encounter with the hall, it was empty save for a halfling who kept staring at his time piece. "Where's everyone?" Rhaegah asked Herke who seemed reluctant to answer giving Rhaegah the feeling that a lot happened when they were away. He decided not to press on the matter and talk to Nygel about it later. The halfling rushed up to them realizing he'd been staring at his time and didn't notice them walk in. "I am called Twig.... Pleasure to finally meet lord Nygel" the term was a head turner for Rhaegah who realized he didn't really know these people. Not once since he first set foot on Valoren had he heard anyone refer to Nygel as 'Lord'
"Twig? I thought all Halflings were skinny" Nygel replied with a slight curl of his lips as though holding a laugh.
"Well that is because unlike them, I do break easily" Twig replied with a slight chuckle no longer allowing Nygel to keep his composure as the older man laughed at the thought.
"I trust all is well?" Nygel asked with a more serious look "Master Tirnen did not allow any slacking off with an order this grand" Twig simply stated with a reassuring smile.
"Then let us depart at once" Symmone's voice echoed from the cave entrance. Apparently he had not stopped walking all through Nygel and Twig's exchange. The halfling scurried off realizing he'd kept them waiting with idle chat. "This way to the carriage" he said as he scurried past Symmone.
"And what's waiting for us at Dh'auth?" Rhaegah asked now walking by Nygel's side. "Supplies.... You do not intend to go into battle with those casual attire do you?"
That made sense to him cos he was still dressed in his regular clothes and was marching off to battle. "And the Halflings make the best equipments... Bested only by the dwarves of course but don't let them hear you say that" Nygel smirked as a memory of his first encounter with Tirnen
flashed in his mind. The entrance of the cave was exactly as Rhaegah remembered. They were in Anenstead once again which appeared as the welcome party for all those coming from the Wildlands that contained nothing but barren soils and hot sands with the most savage of creatures.
Getting to Anenstead meant that nature in its fullest was ahead of them while Anenstead also served as a reminder of what one was going to always remember once you step into the Wildlands. They met a lone carriage outside the cave. Rhaegah instantly understood why Nygel felt so
confident in the Halflings. They called it a carriage but Rhaegah could see an old English car in the works. It was shaped like a cube and had a dual doors on the opposite sides. It was coated with a dark green paint that complimented the green life the forest road ahead. The insides had curtains which shielded the occupants from the harsh sunlight should they wish. A sort of transparent screen though not as tall as the windows but wider than was placed at the front and back ends of the carriage with two containers positioned at the front end of the carriage on both ends of the screen for a source of light to ensure safe night travel.
All this rested on four gold wheels that
really brought the whole picture together. Even with all that, Rhaegah couldn't help but feel like something was off. "Where are the horses?" instantly realizing that handles were made such that this vehicle had to be drawn.
"Ah yes... Well... Uh" Twig was at a loss for words as he scratched his head looking for a way to explain his predicament. "Don't tell me.... You lost them?" Nygel asked as though familiar with the lad
"Tirnen always mentioned an underling that was known for his ability to lose almost anything..... To think he would send you". Symmone turned to face Herke who already knew what to do. He stepped away from the group and placed one palm on the ground and the other hand he placed in front of himself as though reaching out for something. A mandala appeared around him just after he placed his second hand on the ground as he gently uttered "Brohva....Ava"
The mandala shone brighter making everyone else shield their eyes from the intensity of the light. The light died down and two horses were standing next to Herke, the mandala dissipating right after.
"A summoner" Rhaegah raised an eyebrow at the thought. Herke led the horses to the carriage and fastened them to the carriage. "It has been forever since we last spoke. I do hope neither of you felt abandoned" Herke whispered to the horses and after a few seconds he let out a laugh and then
resumed fastening the reigns. "This must come as a surprise for you" Herke asked as Rhaegah came into view.
"Not really.... It makes sense that you would try to talk with Mittens" Anyone would be able to tell that Herke did not see these two as mere horses, he regarded them as long
time friends which brought up an image of Kaneko and how he hadn't really talked with him in a while. Rhaegah was not one to have attachments but Kaneko was the one person that remained no matter what happened. "Hope he's good" Rhaegah said to himself before walking to the horses.
"Brohva and Ava right?" he asked leaning to stroke one's head. "That is Ava" Herke pointed to the horse Rhaegah was reaching for "And this is Brohva" he gestured to the horse he was currently fastening. Ava was as black as the night sky with her mane long and slightly brighter than the rest
of her body. Well toned muscles proved she wasn't going to give in to minor discomfort as her frame stood most gallant and yet beautiful. Rhaegah had never seen a horse in person and wondered if this was the same with all horses.
Brohva on the other hand was a mixed shade of black and dark brown. He looked more of a threat than Ava with his frame just a tad bit larger than hers. His mane danced furiously in the wind almost daring the winds to blow even more furiously. Looking at them he could tell they were more than just animals as they moved and
reacted with extreme intelligence. Brohva often gave him a side glance and would snort as though claiming that Rhaegah was not worthy enough to touch his sister. "Brohva seems to be jealous the attention you're showing Ava" Herke teased as Brohva bit his hair in an attempt to shut him up.
"Fine fine you are far from jealous" he said to the proud horse. Rhaegah wondered how Herke could communicate with them as though he could hear their thoughts. He felt It was obviously a skill unique to summoners. He was lost in though while calmly stroking Ava's mane. Suddenly he
felt a throb in his head as a foreign piece of information was flowing into his mind "Aether"... The feeling stopped as soon as he took his hand off Ava. He looked up to find Ava staring at him as though she felt what he did. "Did I just-"
"Rhaegah.... It's time to head out" Herke's voice came from the doors of the carriage. He walked past Brohva unaware of the shocked expression the horse had. "I'll ride with Twig up front so you head inside" Herke added. Rhaegah went in and noticed Nygel was missing realizing that anyone who could teleport would not ride in a carriage or any vehicle without a sense of thrill. "He went on ahead....well I saw that coming" Rhaegah concluded then shut the door giving the signal they were ready to depart.
The ride was expectedly silent. Right next to him sat the Terra demon responsible for deceiving Herke to rush over unprepared only to be ambushed and attacked by the one seating opposite her on the other end of the carriage arms folded and face down telling anyone seeking a conversation
to find it elsewhere and of course.....the one who said nothing and watched the whole thing play out, Auia. She sat across from him staring blankly out the window into nothing.
The air was tense and he instantly knew why Herke wanted to ride next to Twig...or even more savage for Nygel who left from the beginning predicting that this exact scenario would happen sticking him as the one to relieve the tension. But they didn't realize that this was his first chance to guilt trip them into giving him more information about him being a dragon-born.
"What's so special about me that you had to cross worlds to get me?" the slight opening of Symmone's eyes gave him all the confidence he needed "Or rather still..... What is magic?" he ended with a satisfied grin.
He baited them and of course someone bit. He was not ready to hear about the dragon-born as they would surely not cover it all in this short time and there was no way anyone would truly define magic without going back to the origin of it, even more so for mages. "Magic is the power to interact with the mana plane and project what your mind can create and your will and mana pool can sufficiently project". Rhaegah's eyes lit up with that description. That explained why he could use his powers without the need of spells. He believed Symmone had given him his personal definition derived from his experiences and training meaning he was definitely going to keep this conversation up. "And what's in the mana plane?" Rhaegah asked again. "That is where all mana is created.
Mana as you should have been made aware of before now is the energy that flows in everything from the creation of this
world to the very life in our bodies. That energy is created only in Aether's plane-"
"Aether?"
Rhaegah's voice cut in. That was the second time he'd heard that word before and the first time was through what he determined now as a psyche connection with Ava but that would be too good to be true. "Aether?" he invited a new topic leading to a lengthy discussion that lasted for quite some time.
Time seemed to fly by as Symmone kept trailing on. According to Symmone Aether was the source of all the mana that makes up everything that exists anywhere on any realm across all dimensions. The crystal itself apparently is too powerful to exist on any other plane but there have been rumors that there are fragments here on Valoren. The dragons were the first to emerge from the excess mana that seeped out of the mana plane.
Only a few percentage of Valoren's population know of the mana plane being Aether's plane and even less know that Aether is a crystal....Rhaegah had no idea why the secrecy was needed but he decided not to interrupt Symmone. The dragons that formed were said to be the most powerful and also the most intellectual beings in all existence. The dragons were the first attempt on sentient life that the mana chose to form and concentrated an impossible amount to create them which led to them being at the top of all creation as the first dragon king was said to have been able to swallow a god whole.
The dragons quickly discovered how to make use of the mana they were created with and began creating worlds across all planes. No one really knows how the gods came to be but they came into existence long after the dragons. The extra information was indeed generous but Rhaegah now understood how magic worked here. The use of magic wasn't restricted to the conventional spells which confirmed his suspicion as to why he was able to use his elemental attribute without the use of spells. "A means of projection
huh?" Rhaegah murmured as Symmone's tale came to an end.
The journey had taken all day and they only made a few stops satisfy pressing needs as time was not on their side. The carriage came to a stop and footsteps could be heard coming towards the carriage. Herke hadn't gotten off the carriage and the footsteps were too heavy for Twig. Rhaegah tensed up sensing the hostility that came from outside the door. "Go on in" A female voice spoke and the carriage resumed its motion with a slight jerk. Looking out the back window Rhaegah spotted three Halflings one young female and two older looking Halflings. He wondered just how an
individual from the same race as Twig could give off that much killing intent. His ability to sense hostility and bloodlust was something he developed in his earlier years and with the powers he now activated, his senses have shot through the roof. He was always on guard in a new environment as danger could pop up anywhere and given by the feeling he got off those guards, there was more to the Halflings than just the crafts. He parted the curtains to get a view of the town that was described as the metropolis of Valoren. "I'd advise against that. Gods know who could be watching" Symmone stated making Rhaegah shut them as soon as Symmone was done talking.
They stopped in front of a fairly large store and on seeing Nygel's frame Rhaegah got out of the carriage when it came to a stop. Nygel said nothing but kept a smile on his face and turned to enter the shop. The inside of the shop was not what Rhaegah had expected from the regular stall with a
few wooden chairs where curious Halflings kept staring at them to the grumpy looking shop keeper who's broken nose signified he'd gotten in quite a number of brawls.
Rhaegah had learned never to judge a book by its cover and this cover was a real test on what that sting truly meant. Twig stood in front of the shopkeeper with nervous eyes letting the grumpy little man get an idea
of who the party might be "Master's been waitin' forya" he grunted then stepped aside and opened a door leading further into the shop. The door led to a larger room where all the equipments seem to be housed. Two shelves stood on the left where different helmets and gloves among other ball sized equipments sat.
Three weapon racks stood on the right of the room containing too many different weapons that Rhaegah had never even imagined but a few of them caught his eye before his attention was driven to the conversation two seemingly old men were engrossed in. "I'm sure he will definitely be pleased when he lays eyes on them" the halfling Rhaegah concluded was Tirnen said to Nygel who simply nodded in delight. "I hand made these out of the best materials in my collection" Tirnen stated again with anticipation evident in his voice. "Tirnen... Here they are" Nygel interrupted when he
noticed the party was complete. Rhaegah stood behind Herke who was right next to Twig and Auia stood ahead of them with Symmone a step further.
"Symmone! Good to see you again old friend" Tirnen exclaimed upon seeing him. "I see you have been well" Symmone replied with that stern countenance he always had on. "Well? I've been marvelous ever since I heard I'd be creating a set of armour and weapons for such a client.... I can't wait to meet him" Tirnen chuckled in delight as he scanned the room and took in the faces if all who stood. He gave a slight bow of his head to Auia who's face turned a slight pink at the gesture. Rhaegah in that moment saw a girl who was recently told that she was royalty and had not adjusted to the princess treatment and gets flustered whenever such happens. "Seen that one
b'fore.....Herke?" Tirnen stated as Herke gave sharp nods in response as though speaking to a king.
"And....who might you be?"
Rhaegah had been too caught up in observing all their reactions to realize that the question was directed at him. "Rhaegah" he stated realizing his slight delay in replying him. Tirnen's eyes �widened in shock at the sight of the person he was referring to with the most casual of questions. He had been anticipating the moment he would meet the dragon-born of legend who was said to appear in the rarest of times. To Tirnen he was in the presence of an all powerful being whose mere interaction with a person can alter those lives drastically.
"Pardon my insolence..... I'm afraid time has taken away this old man's respect" Tirnen stated with a slight bow leaving Rhaegah confused and speechless. This man regarded him higher than he did anyone in the room, all while he was trying to remain anonymous a while longer. "Oookkaaaaayyyyy" Rhaegah trailed scanning the room at the people who all had indifferent looks at the rather startled lad. "Pleased to meet you?" he simply replied letting Tirnen raise his head to meet his stretched hand. "The pleasure is entirely mine" the halfling replied shaking Rhaegah's hand as the image of Nygel rolling his eyes came into view making Tirnen snap at him with a scoff. "I heard the dragon-born required the necessities for battle and I could not pass up such an opportunity" Tirnen sighed remembering the day Nygel came into the store to let him know.
He opened a fairly large case and stepped aside for Rhaegah to inspect the contents.
"Even I am no match for the legendary forger but my skills are second to none in all the neighbouring lands" the old halfling stated proudly. "You are becoming senile old man to still believe in that old myth" Nygel mocked Tirnen making the older looking man grow a tad red with rage. "He is real all right.... The one who singlehandedly built the Dragon King's Fortress" Rhaegah's eyebrow shot up at the mention of that but he said nothing letting the old men have their merry conversation. "The construction of the Dragon King's Fortress is not a possible feat for
any one man" Nygel replied as a smile curled up on Tirnen's lips "But he wasn't just a man now was he?" Tirnen spoke and on noticing the curious look on Rhaegah's face drew closer to the confused boy. "Azril is a dragon-born" Rhaegah maintained a steady gaze as questions flowed into his mind.
"Another dragon-born besides me?"
"Well it's to be expected but this one is capable of something this grand?"
"Just how powerful are the dragon-born truly"
"And they say my power had no rival"
"So just what does tha-"
The thud of a box landing in his arms snapped him out of his trance. Looking at the box he saw that it was the same box which contained his new stuff. He then followed the direction Twig led him to change into his new armour while others simply rechecked their equipments. Now finally in a different room Rhaegah laid the full armour on a large table and began putting it on. First he put on the black overall that reminded him of a couple body suits from popular sci-fi movies
except this one was hooded and the material gave a strong leather feel but to his surprise wasn't as shiny. He then put the main armour consisting several metal plates layered and embedded onto a thicker leather frame which surprisingly fit his leanly muscular figure. He now seemed like he wore metal plates over a slim trench coat. His boots were made from the same material as the armour plates covering the soles of the high boots and his shin.
Slipping his feet into the boots he was met with comfort that felt like he'd put �on one of his sneakers. Not being able to keep his curiosity in check he called for Twig to come in. The little halfling stared in awe for the first few seconds and then rushed to his side to help his fasten his amour tightly. "What materials were used to make this?" Rhaegah asked the working halfling. "The black suit was made from the skin of a silver horn rhino. It's hide is near impossible to pierce which makes it one of the most deadly of creatures in the Wildlands"
"The plates are made from orsinium... The orcs have been known to possess one of the most durable of metals....Not including the Elven metals and dwarven metal though master Tirnen would never admit that" he stated this time helping Rhaegah with his wrist braces. Rhaegah now took a look in the mirror facing him at his new self. He felt like he just equipped a rare armour in
an RPG. Regardless of how epic the feeling of wearing the armour of a smith known to be the best in the neighbouring lands, there was still nothing that special about it. "Another cover test huh?"
"He predicted you would feel that way judging by the look on your face" Twig stated with a reassured smile. "Place your hand on the center piece" he added. Rhaegah looked at the armour and got a curious grin at the sight of the dragon head that was embedded on the chest plates. He
placed his hand on it and he felt mana leave him and flow into the armour. Mandalas and markings lit up on several locations on the armour sending a surge of energy through his body. "We enchanted every part of the armour giving each part a specific boost" he trailed on.
"We?....Thought Tirnen hand made it personally" Rhaegah shot Twig a curious look as the halfling simply chuckled at his total defeat. "I am more of a smith in training and master Tirnen allows my
involvement in all he crafts" he surrendered. "I would be willing to explain all the effects of the enchantment but if what lord Nygel says is true then I believe you'd prefer to discover what you can do for yourself"
Rhaegah looked at Twig with a very straight expression but was already shaking at the thought of having to test his powers in an actual battle "True.... Would be more fun that way yet I'm prone to die faster being clueless" Rhaegah said before walking to the door leading outside to join the rest.
"You forgot your weapons..... These I had complete authority in crafting" Twig stated this time with a mad grin... Giving Rhaegah the impression that there was a lot more to this boy. "I wondered what that box could be holding" Rhaegah simply stated gesturing for Twig to present the weapons he seemed so proud of. Twig opened a new case much longer than the case which held his armour and stretched the open case to Rhaegah.
Inside the case were dual swords shorter than the regular long sword.
The blades looked more like dark glass than metal with several markings running down the blades. The hilts were as black as night with a different looking metal at the base. The swords Rhaegah picked them up and shuddered at how light they were unlike the swords he'd been practicing with.
He swung the swords around and marveled at how they cut through air with almost no resistance.
"The blades were made from elvish steel which is second to none in durability and sharpness"
Twig began the documentary
"The markings running down them are ancient draconic which activates a special enchantment when the mana of a dragon is passed into them..... The same applies to dragon-born of course" Rhaegah raised an eyebrow at that gripping the swords even
tighter eager to just go into battle already. "I fashioned the hilts with dragon skin even though the master said to never use them in actual craft till he gave the permission to but seeing as I had total control over the crafting of this weapon added with the fact that he instructed me to make them the �best I had ever done, I concluded that the previous instruction had been rendered null" the lad trailed on "The metal at the end of the hilt was a recent alteration after I recently heard you were a lightning user. They are to store whatever excess current is passed into the swords themselves"
"Dual kusanagi?!" Rhaegah had a feel of accomplishment in the smile that spread on his face. "I only recently received word that you were a lightning user so I made last minute alterations which included the channeling attribute"
Rhaegah looked at the still smiling Twig with slightly more respect then when he first met the boy.
"Boy? Just how old is he? Don't fantasy creatures age longer retaining their youthful appearance?" Rhaegah thought realizing that there was a possibility Twig was around his age perhaps even older. "How long have you been under Tirnen?" the halfling's smile turned into his signature chuckle whenever he found himself in a
rather complicated situation. "You could say I was born here....its less complicated that way" "I hope you'll save time to discuss the matter in detail... I tend to be curious most of the time" Rhaegah asked and Twig happily nodded. Rhaegah then picked up the strap he found at the bottom of the case meant to hold the swords. His clueless stare at the strap was all the message Twig needed to help him fasten it.
The strap was fastened around his waist letting the swords hang on both sides letting him draw them with relative ease. "Is it possible to change the placement of the swords?" Rhaegah asked after seeing
his frame in the mirror. "Of course young lord" Twig replied instantly making Rhaegah stumble slightly "It's Rhaegah... Just Rhaegah" "I could never-" "It's fine..... It's my name isn't it?" Rhaegah said reassuring Twig. The other members were done with their preparations as Rhaegah stepped out of the inner room with Twig cheerfully grinning behind him. The group was in awe at the drastic change that had
taken place. Rhaegah looked like your average Joe or even less so due to his questionable attire they had come to know him by. Before them stood a warrior whose power filled the room. "We have to work on that aura of his..... He will draw too much attention if he goes on like this" Symmone spoke under his breath.
He kept his hood up not leaving much to see in terms of his looks. The armour was instantly recognized as orsinium with its signature dark grey shade and the slight roughness of the metal. Under the armour ran the black leather overall that seemed to cover 90% of his frame even more so to the sleeves which even got to his fingers... An obvious mistake given that Tirnen expected Rhaegah to be taller. The dragon-born made a slit in the leather that threatened to cover up his fingers and slipped his thumb through turning the black suit into a cut gloved suit. What further warranted questions was the way Rhaegah placed his swords in an X form positioned on his waist behind him making him have to draw the swords outwards on both sides instead of
the standard forward draw. "Why's everyone staring at me?" Rhaegaah asked snapping everyone back to reality.
They had been taken in by the power that was oozing out of him and had forgotten
that he was still the clueless boy they had gotten to know. "I see the armour fits well" Auia spoke up. He had not realized it but that was the first thing she'd said to him since he got back to Valoren.
"You sound dissapointed" Rhaegah snorted
"Very much so.... Such craftsmanship should not be wasted on children" Auia spat back
"You can't hide that juvenile excitement when a child receives
gifts" she added.
"Burn... Nice to see you've still got a sense of humor" Rhaegah replied and with a nod of acknowledgement she turned to leave the room. �
They left the shop and once again Rhaegah chuckled at how plain the shop looked upon entry. They followed a different route to the second major entrance to Dh'auth only to find the same female halfling he spotted when they first arrived. He noticed her curious stare at him just as the words "Impossible" could be heard under her breath. She noticed Twig and directed all attention to him. "You appear to be in a pleasant mood" the halfling guard asked Twig who came to a halt realizing who was standing there. "Mor'gahn! I did not recognize you with that scarf" he stated before a glint appeared in his eyes "Or might you be looking pretty for someone?" Twig teased as Mor'gahn turned bright red after noticing Rhaegah observe their exchange. "He's Rhaegah" Twig
motioned to the dragon-born who then waved towards the unsuspecting female "Nice to meet you" Rhaegah added.
The halfling girl was nothing like the deadly creature she portrayed herself to be. Not knowing how to handle the situation she simply bowed and walked away much
faster than was required. "Forgive her... She's been wanting to meet you and got too flustered which is why I believe she ran off" Twig explained "I see" Rhaegah turned to follow the group who didn't seem to mind him taking his time. They got to the borderland of Dh'auth which meant nothing but the Wildlands lay ahead. "From this point I leave you to your ability to survive... The Wildlands are not friendly to outsiders as I'm sure you know" Nygel stated to Symmone who didn't even manage a glance at Nygel.
A bright light shone from the right of the group and three large beasts stood beside Herke. They looked like freakishly overgrown wolves with long canines stretching from their upper jaw way passed the lower. Their hide looked silky smooth with their colors brown, black and dark grey respectively. "So..... No horses I'm assuming" Rhaegah asked before realizing
he'd stepped within range of these beasts. He did not stop to think what if they were nowhere as friendly as Ava and Brahva. "We must always be ready for battle in the wildlands and we can ride these overgrown babies without much worry. The wolves all turned to Herke at the mention of 'babies' with expressions that could only mean 'how dare you?' Rhaegah was once again in awe of how Herke related to the creatures he summoned as a rush of information flooded his mind again and distinct voices could be heard in his mind. He looked up at the wolves who already had their eyes on him. "Saber wolves.... One of the most deadly things you'll find in common regions" Herke spoke up not sure what just happened
"You don't say" Rhaegah plainly
stated before turning his head quickly to the little forest of trees that stood behind them. He could not explain it but his attention was simply drawn to one spot in the trees behind him...His instincts on edge as Nygel placed a hand on his shoulder "I don't have to remind you what will happen if your plan fails" Rhaegah looked at the older man with a confused expression "The failure of the plan probably means the end of my life..... Believe me I know" he replied before glancing behind him to the trees then making his way to join the others.
In the trees behind them hid two figures in completely black attire looking like your everyday ninja. "Favour smiles upon us sister" the slightly bigger figure stated "Indeed, only he should have the power to sense us as we are now"
"And how do we proceed?" the male spoke
again. The female figure stared at Rhaegah as the air seemed to get heavier around her. "We proceed like we have been doing already.... We follow them, but with extreme caution this time" the female spoke again just before they both vanished into the shadows. �
The group was now ready to depart with Symmone sitting on the brown saber wolf, Nala who was not going to ride with none other than Herke sat behind the defeated human while Auia and Rhaegah sat on the black saber wolf whom Rhaegah would come to know as Pup.
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION: THE WILDLANDS
A lone dark elf stood in an empty room... Empty save for the glowing object that hovered in place mere inches from him. He was clad in a dark violet armour, a parting in a black cloak the only thing revealing the armour underneath. His frame was well built and his aura terrified the men who stood guard outside the room. Black long hair flowed down passed his shoulders with a lock dropping over both sides of his face. He stared at the object as though they were having a test of patience which he seemed to be losing at. His attention was drawn to another dark elf who walked into the room before announcing himself first. "Lord Aphadon, there has been no success in our interrogation...we have been forced to resume a little later for fear of him loosing his life".
"I have no time to waste speaking to trash with death at their door... Lorris would not have gone through the trouble of needlessly sending him here if he did not have something to tell me.... And I am losing my patience" the elf realized he had waltzed in without proper protocol and was instantly
overcome with fear "Y-Yes milord" the elf stammered before turning to leave. "Disturb me again without news of success and I'll be the last thing you see". The terrified elf scurried out not before trying to steal a glance at what his lord was staring at. Three saber wolves tore through the air with incredible speed running faster than anything he had seen. Rhaegah sat behind Auia wondering how he ended up grabbing unto her with the most nonchalant attitude. He looked over at Herke who seemed to have his game face on. "Is the guild leader required to go on missions like this? I believe this mission is too straightforward to involve himself" Rhaegah asked Auia who also seemed to be ready for war.
"They've attacked my home twice now" Symmone's voice reached Rhaegah making the boy turn to look at him. "They made this personal" he added before the saber wolf carrying Symmone seemed to respond to his anger and began increasing its speed.