Thurin and Lucas made their way towards their camp. The walk was a lot longer than Lucas first imagined, especially since he could see the place from afar. But he underestimated the size of the settlement, it only looked close since it was so big. They walked for a few hours before reaching it. Still, in that time they kept talking about their lives and enjoyed each other's company.
The two approached the camp, it was a small stronghold with a wooden fence and a functioning drawbridge to keep outsiders out. They didn't have a river, but a makeshift moat was crafted, instead of water, small spear tips were planted at the bottom. The camp would be decimated if say a Terrabear came by, but smaller animals didn't take the risk seeing the defensive nature of the camp.
Lucas had no idea who moved with Thurin, but by the mere size of the walls and circumference of the camp said enough. If they only had to stay here for perhaps a few days, this was quite advanced. This could only be a temporary fortress or one that has been repurposed.
If Thurin came out to train in the woods and brought enough personnel to create such a camp, then it could only mean that Thurin was someone a lot more important than he originally thought.
Even if he couldn't see it, the typical noise of a bustling city came from the center of the structure. At the top of the fence, guards were posted who kept an eye on everything in the surroundings.
One of the guards saw Thurin approach from afar, blowing his horn twice, letting everyone know who was coming. If the man only sounded his horn once, then it meant that Thurin was back, sounding it twice meant that something unexpected happened.
The guard kept staring at them from afar as everyone inside the camp started to move frantically. The drawbridge lowered slowly. Two people came forward with a group of guards behind them. One in a red toga, the other in a white one. The guards moving in a U-shape, they waited until Thurin and his guest entered their formation.
Lucas stayed calm as he walked behind Thurin, he kept a serious demeanor as he watched how the group enclose on them with spears in hand. Lucas inspected the weapons and stances.
One of the two men in togas moved forward. He was tall, had a long brownish beard, yet it was clear the man took good care of it. His clothing like layers of cloth draped over one another, he looked like a scholar who ran the camp. The other man with a white toga stayed behind and kept an eye on Lucas.
"Young master? Who is that?", there were no pleasantries or introductions. They all knew each other, except for one. Lucas stayed quiet as he looked the man in the eyes.
"Carian, he's a Starborn that saved me from a Terrabear. After talking for a bit, I believed he would be able to help my uncle. He's a friend of mine, he's trustworthy.", Thurin said. Lucas paused for a moment as he looked at Thurin's back. He was honest, almost too honest, but a part of Lucas could appreciate that. Moving forward, Lucas tested the waters.
"That's not entirely true, he was holding his own. I interfered in his fight because I underestimated his strength. I don't know whether I'm a Starborn, but I, Lucas, have no ill intent.", Lucas said as he bowed slightly. By praising their young master and expressing his intentions coupled with his refined movements, Lucas hoped to alleviate the suspicions the people around him had. Yet their faces didn't change in the slightest.
"You are a Starborn, which means you're dangerous. What kind of advisor would I be if I let someone like you enter our camp?", Carian wasn't impressed nor accepting. He felt threatened by his presence. Lucas felt that his best bet would be to just let Thurin continue, since they would trust their young master more than anything he said.
"I know that most Starborn are evil, but I can assure you that he's not a bad person.", Thurin tried to convince Carian, but his face didn't change in the slightest. With his eyes focussed on Lucas's every move, he lifted his hand slightly as one of the guards behind Lucas got closer to him.
Lucas wanted to check it out with his willpower, yet he stayed still. He was meant to trust Thurin, he would do so.
'Hey, hey, he's coming closer, say something already!'
'No, this is a trial, if Starborn are so important they wouldn't indiscriminately kill us. Plus, we're a savior.'
Lucas stayed perfectly still as he wondered what to do next. The guard behind him started to inch closer and closer, his spear made with the finest craftsmanship and with a steel tip sharp enough to pierce bones.
Thurin tried to convince Carian with all his might, but two guards easily held his arms and stopped him from interfering.
"Carian, please, listen to me, he's my friend! He saved me, are you going to kill the person who saved my life! My uncle would be extremely upset if he heard about this!"
Lucas could tell from afar that Carian wasn't affected in the slightest.
'A savior?! Yeah sure, tell that to the guy who's looking at us like we fucked his wife! He's not going to let us live! Give me control!'
'And have you massacre everyone here? No way I'm going to do that.'
'I don't care anymore, just watch!'
'Forget it, you look after the Core!'
As both sides of Lucas started to fight internally, his body stayed completely silent. Not a muscle moved as the guard slowly came closer. Carian fully ignored Thurin who was pleading him to stop. He kept an eye on Lucas and was fully prepared to jump forward and attack Lucas at any moment. From his experience, not a single Starborn was capable of passing this simple test.
Nobody would be willing to put their life in someone else's hands, especially if they just met. According to history, there was but a single Starborn who was peaceful. All the others usurped thrones and decimated the land. He wouldn't let such a monster enter their home.
Right as the guard was within striking distance, Lucas's internal fight was getting extremely hectic. Both sides tried to take full control over their body, yet with both sides being equally strong, nothing happened.
The guard thrust his spear forward aimed at Lucas's neck, but at the final second he veered it a bit to the right, making it just miss. His hair moved with the movement of the spear.
Thurin stood in stunned disbelief as he realized what was happening. Lucas was still standing completely still as both sides were arguing their hearts out.
All the while, Carian stepped forward as the guard retreated. He kneeled before Lucas.
"My deepest apologies Starborn Lucas, this was all to see if you were like the other Starborn. I trusted our young lord that he was speaking the truth about you, but as an advisor I couldn't take such a risk. I know I have offended you, if it pleases you, you can have my life if it means you will forget this ever happened."
The guards around suddenly lost their composure. To lose such a valuable man would be a travesty. Even Thurin was struggling, he was happy to see Lucas alive and afraid of what was to come.
Suddenly Lucas started to move again, slowly he kneeled down and placed a hand on the shoulder of Carian.
"I understand, if someone unknown would suddenly appear and seem too friendly, I would also be on guard.", everyone felt that things were going in a great direction, but the tone shifted quickly.
"Still, this was a bit much. If the guard made even the tiniest mistake, none of you would be standing right now.", a small part of Lucas's aura started to seep out. A bloody tint colored the surroundings as the knights started to realize who they were dealing with. The power in his mere aura was enough to make them all freeze in place. Images of despair appeared in their minds as their bodies were screaming to run away.
Then it vanished as if it never existed. Lucas pulled the older man upwards and patted his shoulders. "If you want to correct your mistake, work for it. I want to stay here for a while and not be disturbed, can you make that happen?"
Carian didn't understand completely why he needed to be alone, but if that's what it took to repay him for his misdeeds, it was easily done. Carian pointed at two seemingly random soldiers.
"You, you, make one of the tents clear and let Starborn Lucas stay there. Work in rotation and don't let anyone inside. We were planning to stay here for a few more weeks, would that be long enough?"
Lucas nodded before being escorted into the camp. He walked by Thurin who had a strange look on his face. The bloodlust and power Lucas displayed for a mere moment destroyed the image Thurin had of him. Lucas parted his lips for a brief moment before showing a sad smile, leaving Thurin questioning what he just experienced.
Everyone started to go back inside the camp, but Carian and Thurin stayed behind. They watched as the guards started to make their way back.
"So, you finished your task already?", Carian was glad that his young master didn't have to risk his life anymore, but Thurin had a serious look on his face, one he didn't see that very often. He knew that his worries weren't going to be over soon.
"No, I didn't finish it yet. These are from Lucas.", he handed a sack with the claws and teeth of the Terrabear. Looking at them, Carian knew that some fine equipment could be made from it.
"Looks like you didn't expect that sudden change in our Starborn. Hahaha, you still have a lot to learn young master. There are no Starborn that aren't extremely powerful and dangerous."
"But you said that there was one peaceful one!", Carian looked at Thurin's eyes. The shine in them held the power of innocence. Sighing slightly, he averted his eyes.
"There was one peaceful one, yes, but that's only in textbooks. If you were to ask the people who interacted with him, they would all say that he's the worst of them all. Normal Starborn are aggressive and true to their feelings, most are very emotional and hold a large grudge against the world. They gain satisfaction in controlling and ruling over others. But if they are peaceful, that only means that they are hiding their intentions."
"If you knew this, why did you still test him? You could've gotten yourself killed!"
"Hahaha, I would never give up my life for a Starborn, don't you worry about that.", Carian laughed heartily out loud, he was happy there was still someone untouched by the darkness of the world. He would rather it stay that way, but perhaps the future wouldn't be so kind.
"You know I can read people better than most, so I knew what you said was somewhat true. I just wanted to see what he would do if he was given control over someone's life. If he said that I should die, I would've attacked him in an instant. But his actions today really surprised me, I have to say that he's a weird Starborn, he's strangely in control of his emotions."
Carian thought about attacking Lucas for a moment. He knew the one weakness of Starborn, they have extremely weak bodies, a single punch in their stomach, and they're done for. A ruthless smile appeared on Carian's face for a moment, but he quickly hid it before Thurin could see it.
Thurin was scared Lucas turned out to be completely different from what he thought, but then again, nobody got hurt in the end and Lucas didn't seem all that happy to be let into the camp. Standing there for a bit longer, Thurin was stuck with a bunch of questions that could be dumbed down to a single one.
"So what do we do now?"
"Simple, as long as he doesn't interfere with us, we'll let him do as he wishes. Since he asked for protection, that can only mean he's either in a weak state or something's after him. And if you think he's an aid for us, then we'll guide him.", Carian thought for a bit but couldn't really tell what being could drive off a Starborn and could only think of a few things. He made a mental note to start preparing for the worst.
Thurin had a sad look on his face. Carian could tell what the boy was fearing. He grew up in a harsh environment and never really had anybody to really connect with since his position was a coveted one. 'To call a Starborn your friend.'
"Just because he got angry for a moment doesn't mean that whatever you guys went through didn't happen. If you guys are friends, he will still be your friend, you just need to talk to him. If you want to get his attention, get strong. All Starborn are drawn to the powerful, even if he's a bit odd compared to the others, that will still hold true.", Carian said as he tried to guide Thurin in a certain direction.
As an advisor, his only role was to teach and help his young master grow. If he finally found someone to connect with, this would've been an excellent chance to push him a bit. Thurin stayed silent as his mind raced. He found it quite strange that he was capable of becoming friends with someone so quickly, but he never really knew what Thurin was like outside his classes and training.
"Hey, calm down. Rest for today, tomorrow you can start your training again, you still need to succeed in your father's task, no?"
"He's not my father. He never called me his son.", Thurin went inside the camp with a steady pace, leaving Carian behind.
'Too soon, huh?'