There is a legend of 3 brothers namely Daria, Alekay and Zephrit, who were blessed with immense magic power in order to slay an immensely powerful sea dragon. After their duty was fulfilled, the brothers in a desperate struggle for power over the once massive continent, soon laid waste to the world they were ordered to protect.
As a result of this battle, the once prominent continent was separated into 3 different continents, forcefully drifted away by the immense power of the three. As soon as the youngest brother saw this he realized the futility of this war, he convinced both his brothers to end this conflict and each take charge of the newly separated continents.
It took a few months but the other brothers finally conceded to him. The two elder brothers took charge of the continents that were much closer to one another while the youngest decided to take the one that was much father of the two, as he was still uncertain if his elder brothers would truly cooperate. (Jacob was born and raised in Zephrit.)
It's currently afternoon in the summer, and a lavish city is bustling with life, with Fair maidens being courted left and right, kids playing around as their parents look on with smiles, Many men and women hard at work at market stalls, stores, pharmacies, adventurer guilds, churches and even schools. That's the capital for you, and the city capital of one of, if not the most prominent nation, Eldenheim, which is situated in Daria.
In one of the more bigger facilities in the entire city, in one of the main offices sits a woman with straight shoulder length black hair. A fair complexion, a youthful face that makes her seem a bit younger than she is, hazel brown eyes and is dressed in an all black combat clothing, with a long white robe that has on its back a moon emblem and under the emblem an Emperial emblem. The woman goes by the name of Hazel Levine.
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HAZEL LEVINE POV:
This past year has been so troublesome. From the reemergence of corrupt mana beasts in the everglades to the attack of the vampires. Damn vampires, They used to be so secretive and rather complacent due to the treaty, but now they are on a murdering spree.
I rearrange the massive load of paperwork that stands before me, honestly why do I have to this, I'm an Emperial for crying out loud, you'd think having that status, would lessen my workload but no...I got way more.
After rearranging, I pick up a sheet of paper which lists the ever increasing casualties in the continents, especially at Zephrit. It must possibly be where Dracula's hiding. I sigh out in fraustration at the position I find myself in.
Although I have great power, and have not only gained the status of Emperial but also the status of vice head in the Emperial organisation, my hands are tied for as long as the International council refuses to give us the necessary orders, after all in order to not devastate the balance, Emperials can only truly act on their own when the world faces a disaster or World level threat.
I then look at the growing casualties and begin to wonder if the Imperial knights are truly doing their job or maybe the vampires are growing stronger, unlikely, but if so, how can they progress so much, perhaps an artifact....no, perhaps the might of the imperial knights is weakening. Regardless, this has become quite the problem.
As I'm about to read the next paper, I hear a knock on my office door. "Come in." Responding to my words a young lady in grey pencil skirt, and white shirt enters. It is my secretary. "What has happened Lacey?".
"Mrs Levine, Mr A-" Before she can finish her sentence I interrupt "Mrs...Levine? Haven't I told you to refer to me as Hazel." I ask raising one of my eyebrows.
"Yes you have but I feel that would be inappropriate in a workplace and people might get the wrong impression and think I'm disrespecting an Emperial." My secretary responds in a single breath.
So that's why, I mean we have been close for the past few years, you'd think that she'd be comfortable calling me by my first name.
"I'll let it go this time. So what is it that you have come for? It's unlike you to interrupt me when I'm working."
"Mr Adams has come to visit."
"Adams? You mean Jeffrey?"
"No, madam, the Flame Emperial."
"Uh, Blaze, yes do tell him to come in." My secretary quickly rushes out the office and a few moments later A handsome man only a few inches taller than me enters, He has dirty blond hair, being true to his name blazing red eyes, a fair complexion similar to my own, dressed in black trousers, a red top with a black lining in the shape of the letter Y, a long red robe that has black flames emblem and an Emperial emblem under the flames.
"Hazel, what is the meaning of this?" Blaze asks randomly as soon as he enters.
"What are you talking about?" I ask obviously confused as to what he could be referring to.
"Why isn't the council giving us the go ahead to go do our thing?"
"What do you mean by that"?
"You know, fighting the enemies."
"You know better than anyone why that is."
"Yeah but still, the council doesn't see what we see. I mean, I go out the capital...and do you know what I see?"
"What?"
"I see innocents killed, homes destroyed, civilians wealthy and poor distraught and the longer I travel, the more sorrow I encounter. I mean the only reason why the capital is peaceful is only due to the fact our main headquarters is found here."
"I understand."
"Do you though? The reason why I became an Emperial, why anyone should be an Emperial is to help those that cannot help themselves. And above all to protect the manaless, I mean roughly 75 percent of us humans are manaless."
"Like I said, I understand." Which is true, the Emperials were founded not to serve nation but to act as a barrier that shields the manaless from the dangers of mana.
"Anyways what is being done to rectify this, the sooner we are out there, the sooner will be able to handle the situation."
"We're still working on it, but I assure you your father and I will convince the council to let us act and as soon as we get the go ahead you'll be the first to know."
"Fine, I just hope that when you do, it's not too late." Blaze says this as he leaves.
"I hope so too, I really do." I sigh then look at the workload on my desk which causes me to slump on my chair in an exaggerated sigh.
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SELENE THE DRAGON POV:
'Honestly who would have thought that I, an elder dragon, would be bonded to this boy.' I think this as I walk behind the energetic black haired youth dressed in an all black adventurer outfit.
"Hey Selene"
"What is it Jacob?"
"Why did you choose that set of clothing?"
"What?" I ask as I then look at my clothing it consists of grey adventurer pants, a tank top with a lighter shade of gray and what I assume to be grey fur, covering my waist and behind.
"I like the colour."
"Would you look at that, I thought you'd like black more."
"Why? because I'm a black dragon."
"No...no, nothing of the sort, I just assumed it would be what you are used to, you know, seeing as you, are....a black dragon." He says this and then gives me an awkward smile.
I will never understand the humans' sensitivity to the colour of their skin, but looking at Jacob, I can easily tell he is on the darker spectrum.
We walk in a silence for a while. Now that I think about it the boy is tolerable or rather far more easier to hang around than the stuck up mages from back then. But I gotta say, for someone to be able to manipulate aether without being a god is still extremely absurd. His physical capabilities even more so. But above all there is still this eluding sensation I feel everytime I try to gauge his power.
Speaking of power, My mana levels are slowly but steadily increasing, It must be due to the after effects of those spirits' seal. I sigh helplessly, even though I've finally escaped from the firm grasps of the seal, I'm still bounded.
Judging by my current mana levels, I could be considered a high stage legend rank. Not bad but its still far away from my original power.
"Man, winters are just awful, cold and dry, the worst kind of climate." I listen to Jacob as he complains about the season. Might as well entertain his complaints.
"Dry? isn't the winter normally accompanied by snow?"
"Well yeah, but that's for the other continents which by the way are currently experiencing summer."
"Hmm, a truly detestable situation we find ourselves in."
"I know right, I also want to play with some snow during winter."
"That's why you're angry? Because you wanna play with powdered ice?" I shake my head at the "stressful thoughts" that plague his mind.
I look up and notice the sun has set.
"We should find shelter."
"Man...again?"
"Why are you complaining, you go do your job and hunt mana beasts so we can eat, and make sure not to trespass in the elves' territories ,Okay?"
"Yes madam." Jacob says this as he then sprints off before I can even tell him our rendezvous point in case things go wrong, No matter, as long as he is in a 5km range I'll be able to communicate with him through the bond. To think there'd come a time I'd care for someone other than myself.
But that's a binding ritual for you, giving us access to our bond's thoughts and emotions. I think the boy's personality is affecting me. Of course there's also the fact that I might die if he dies and vise versa. I sigh knowing there's nothing I can do about it.
A few hours pass, and the moon is high up in the sky illuminating us with it's beauty. That's odd, I still haven't heard anything from Jacob. Usually he comes back rather quickly. Has he encountered a beast he cannot handle... unlikely, perhaps he found himself in a situation which he'll need more than brute strength to escape from.
Regardless I have to go find him. I try using the telepathic transmission of the bond but to no avail, he must be outside it's range. The old fashioned way it is, use of sensory magic and as I think that I realize that unlike manaless people who have mana that is too dispersed, Jacob has no mana whatsoever due to his aether circuits, Damn it.
I sigh realizing I'd have to search this thick forest in a rather primitive way so to speak. It takes about 10 minutes of searching before I sense his thoughts. something about horrific and cruel? What is it that he has encountered?
I then run towards where the bond feels the strongest, it's at moments like these I wish I had Jacob's insane physical abilities, for what would "theoretically" take him seconds to do, it took about a minute for me to finally reach him.
As I arrive, I notice the corpses of mana beasts that he must have slain, surrounding him.
"Hey Jacob what's taking so....long?" I ask this as I look in the direction which he is facing. Needless to say the scenery takes me by surprise as I see bloodied and destroyed buildings, heaps of rubble and mangled corpses. This kind of scenery is not for the faint hearted.
"What...happened here?" Silence then lingers following my question. I can feel great anger bubbling inside Jacob, And personally knowing his strength I feel an uncharacteristically great concern for the nearby surroundings.
Jacob clenches his fist and from his aura I can only wonder how much fury is plastered on his face. Woe, to whomever his ire is directed to.
As I'm thinking of this Jacob then answers me in a voice so low that if I wasn't paying attention to him I wouldn't have heard.
"Vampires." Jacob says slowly with pure hatred evident in his voice.