The leader paused as he regarded the old man in a new light, this man knew his identity! He shifted his feet as he changed his stance before speaking.
"You know who I am and yet you stand before me, who are you?" he questioned.
Oron smiled at the question and surprisingly, crossed his legs as he sat down on the floor!
"An old man, a very tired old man that is trying to find out why some particular people are trying to destroy his peace." He said as he stared up at the man called piety.
"What are you people trying to do?" he added, his voice slow and deep.
Piety looked at him for a while before also sitting down on the floor. Mary stood still, her eyes trained on the half-naked elf as if daring her to make a move.
"You are trying to delve into our matters, you know how dangerous that can be?" Piety said as he lay his sword in front of him.
"I am trying to ensure the peace. During such chaotic times you people are trying to set dangerous things into motion, did the head actually agree to this or has he gone senile in his old age?" Oron asked with a tired sigh.
"Do not speak so casually about the head! You do not qualify!" Piety's voice rose as he showed his displeasure.
"Mmmh? I believe it is you who should not speak so casually in my presence boyyo" Oron replied with a calm gaze as an intense pressure suddenly fell on Piety with full force!
BAM!!!
Piety quickly jumped up in alert as he lifted his sword and took a battle-ready stance. Even though his eyes looked calm and alert, he was sweating profusely as the aura hit him forcefully almost causing his knees to buckle! He felt some invisible power on him that made him feel like countless insects were tearing at his skin with vicious bites.
"Your pressure won't work on me!" he declared as he felt the pain reduce significantly.
"Ho?" Oron looked slightly amused as he watched him from his sitting position.
"Interesting" he smiled as a burst of pure mana suddenly appeared around him which suddenly turned black.
Crackles and loud snaps suddenly filled the air as black lightning appeared around the small hall zapping everywhere without touching any surface. A slight growl emanated from the cluster of lightning around Oron as a black lightning dragon suddenly materialized above him!
ROAR!!!
The dragon glared down at Piety with utter disdain as he suddenly found himself feeling fear! Just who was this man?!
He raised his sword in front of him as he exploded with a powerful aura of his own and took a defensive stance.
"Your spells will not be effective against me" he roared!
"We will just have to see about that now, won't we?" Oron waved his hands as the dragon blitzed towards Piety in a blinding ray of light too fast for the human eyes to see.
Piety roared as his energy surged to meet the incoming mass of destruction heading towards him.
BOOM!!!
BLZKT!!!
He had sliced through the dragon with domineering might as he charged towards Oron. Mary hastily retreated not to get caught up in the clashing energies as Piety roared once more while he positioned his sword for a horizontal slash
"HAH!!!" his slash was accompanied by a flash as sword light converged and blasted towards Oron who calmly lifted his hand before the attack.
The sword light dispersed like cake flour blown by the wind but Piety still didn't let up. He suddenly blasted forward with an inhuman burst of speed to appear directly behind the old man!
He was honestly feeling fear! Here he was close up to this old mage in a position where he could deal maximum damage but the man hadn't even flinched!
Even though he had his doubts, he only paused for barely a second before he blasted forward with his strongest attack!
"THIS ATTACK WILL CLEAVE YOU IN HALF!" he yelled as his sword turned bright as it was covered by his blinding white energy and sword light!
CRACK!!
BOOM!!!
BAM!!!!
Piety was blown backwards by a powerful blast as he smashed through the walls of the village hall and tumbled into the courtyard. He was bleeding seriously from his shoulder where the attack had hit him and he looked pale.
He struggled to sit up as he clenched his fists around his sword handle. Even with the blinding pain, he never let go of his sword!
Oron walked out through the large hole in the building as he looked down at him with a clam gaze. He waited for a while to ensure the presence behind him before walking out with Mary.
"Tell your people to stay their hand, the consequences would be too heavy to bear, even for you people." he said without giving him another glance as he walked out of the courtyard.
"Leave this place before dawn or I will make sure I personally send your corpse back to the head" he added before disappearing with Mary in tow.
Piety was in a daze as he looked at his sword then back at the place where the old man had disappeared. He clenched his teeth as the pain, frustration and anger hit him. He was weak!
After a moment, he stood up and went into the hall. The elf was still on the bed but unconscious, the clashing energies had knocked her out cold. He tapped her head with his uninjured arm as she suddenly heaved and woke up startled.
She paused for a moment before noticing the hole in the hall and his shoulder.
"You are injured!" she quickly got on her feet as she chanted a spell. A soft white light covered his shoulder as her beautiful brows knotted in concentration.
Piety just stood still as she worked for minutes before suddenly stopping. The wound still looked big and only the bleeding had stopped.
"I… I don't know why but I can't fully heal it" she stuttered.
"There seems to be some residual energies, they keep on destroying your body even as I heal them. I can't-"
"Just let it be" Piety cut her off as he tore the sheets from the bed and gave it to her.
She bound the injury with shaking hands as she stared apologetically at him. He kept silent throughout until she finished.
Piety turned around as he sheathed his sword behind him. He stared at his hands and sighed. He stood there for a long while with countless thoughts running through his mind.
"Don't be disheartened" he heard the elf suddenly speak behind him.
"You always knew, you were clearer on it than any one else that there are much stronger people than you in this world. Far more powerful." The elf continued as she slid down the bed. She was dressed in clothes similar to a night gown with one of the hands slipping down her shoulders revealing the top of her bulging chest.
"That is why your conviction is stronger than others, you train more, you have more faith" this time he turned around and looked at her. Even with his indifference, he had to admit the elf was beautiful as she approached him and cupped his face in her small hands.
"That is why you are Piety. There is no other one with that name on Aelmar, no one!" she looked into his eyes. He looked back at her before taking her hands down and turned away.
"You don't need to remind me, I know." He said in a low voice as he looked at the hole he had made through the wall and clenched his fists.
"I AM PIETY" his voice echoed through the hall. Although he would never admit it, he felt his shattered confidence come back as he uttered that declaration.
The elf smiled as she stood behind him and watched him walk towards the hole and step out, she hurriedly followed and stood behind him.
The white moon shone down its splendor on them as he stared at it for a while, she silently waited behind him before he recovered and finally continued forward.
"Let's go, I must meet with master"