Kardo's dream was vivid and intense. He found himself standing in a dark cavern, watching as a group of spider-like creatures known as driders chanted and bowed before a regal-looking queen at the center of the room. She appeared to be listening to one of her trusted advisers, a mage who stood beside her.
As Kardo watched, the queen turned her gaze towards the mage and spoke, her voice echoing throughout the cavern. "Is there any threat to my reign, mage?" she asked.
The mage nodded and raised his hand, summoning an image that appeared in the air before the queen. Kardo's heart raced as he saw his own face staring back at him.
The queen studied the image for a moment before turning her attention back to the mage. "Who is this? What does he want?" she demanded.
The mage shook his head. "I am not sure, your highness. But he is a powerful rogue, one to be wary of."
The queen of the driders glared at the image of Kardo with fierce hostility. She knew that the mage's words were not entirely foolish, but she refused to accept that a mere surface-dwelling male could pose a threat to her rule.
She glared at the mage and hissed, "You fool! Only a male from the surface would be a threat to me? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"
The mage looked taken aback and tried to explain, "My queen, please understand that the visions are not always clear."
But before he could finish, the queen raised her hand and cast a spell that engulfed the mage in flames. He let out a blood-curdling scream as he burned to ashes in front of her.
The other Driders in the room gasped in shock and fear, but none of them dared to move or speak.
The queen turned her attention back to the image of Kardo and muttered to herself, "Who are you, rogue? And why do you appear in my visions?"
She narrowed her eyes and muttered an incantation under her breath, trying to discern any information she could about the mysterious male on the surface who had somehow caught her attention.
She wondered what could make this rogue from the surface a threat to her and her people. Was it his skills as a fighter? his cunning as a rogue? Or was it something entirely different?
She decided to send out her most skilled scouts to track down this rogue and find out what he was up to. She would not let anyone threaten her reign, no matter how insignificant they might seem.
After a moment, she called out to one of her trusted female scouts. "You there, come here," she commanded.
The scout quickly made her way to the queen's side and bowed before her. "Yes, your highness. How may I be of service?"
The queen pointed to the image of Kardo. "I want you to go to the surface and gather information on this man. Find out everything you can about him, his abilities, his weaknesses, and his motivations."
The scout nodded. "As you command, your highness. But may I ask why?"
The queen's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe he may pose a threat to our kingdom. But he intrigued me; he may cause trouble in the future. And if that's the case, I want to be prepared."
The scout bowed again. "Understood, your highness. I will leave at once."
The queen watched as the scout hurried out of the chamber, her mind already working on a plan of action. She would not let anyone, especially a male from the surface, threaten her reign.
Kardo slowly opened his eyes as he heard a noise coming from his closet. He sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes, still feeling groggy from sleep. As he looked towards his closet, he saw a strange figure rummaging through his clothes. The figure was dressed in strange armor that seemed to cover only the necessary parts, leaving most of her skin exposed.
"Who are you?" Kardo asked as he tried to get a better look at the figure. He could see that the figure was a dark elf, but there was something off about her. Her eyes seemed to glow a bright red, and her movements were quick and almost animalistic.
Kardo's mind raced as he recalled the dream he just had. The queen of the driders had summoned a mage to view his image, and now he found himself face-to-face with a female dark elf in his bedroom. Could this be the scout sent to gather information on him?
The dark elf turned to face him, her piercing gaze meeting his. "You're awake," she said, her voice like silk.
Kardo sat up in bed, his hand reaching for the dagger that he kept under his pillow. "Who are you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The dark elf turned towards Kardo and smirked, revealing sharp teeth. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" she said, walking slowly towards him. "A little human all alone in his bed."
Kardo felt a shiver run down his spine as the dark elf approached him. He quickly got out of bed and stood in a defensive stance.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.
Kardo's heart raced. This was no ordinary intruder. She is a member of a powerful race of elves known for their dark magic and ruthlessness. He knew he was in danger.
"What do you want from me?" Kardo asked, his hand tightening around his dagger.
Selene approached him slowly, her hips swaying seductively. "I want to know everything," she said. "Your name, your history, your abilities
Kardo gripped his dagger tighter, his mind racing. He knew he had to be careful. If the queen of the driders saw him as a threat, he was in grave danger.
"You shouldn't have come here," Kardo warned, brandishing his dagger.
The dark elf only sneered in response, and before Kardo could react, she lunged at him. Kardo dodged her attack and swung his dagger, but the dark elf was quick and agile, easily evading his blows.
They circled each other warily, both waiting for an opening. Kardo could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to anticipate the dark elf's next move. Suddenly, she darted forward, and Kardo leapt back, narrowly avoiding her blade.
Kardo focused on his passive skills, using his dagger mastery to handle his weapons with expert precision and improved evasion to dodge the dark elf's attacks. He saw an opening and used his active skill, swift strike, to dart forward and deliver a quick, powerful blow to the scout's side.
The dark elf stumbled back, surprised by Kardo's speed and skill. But she quickly recovered and lunged at him with her dagger. Kardo deftly dodged her attacks, using his improved evasion skills to avoid getting hit.
They continued to exchange blows, each one narrowly missing its target. Kardo was skilled, but the dark elf was faster and more nimble than he had anticipated. He was beginning to tire, and he knew that he couldn't keep up this pace for much longer.
Just when it seemed that the dark elf was about to land a killing blow, Kardo saw an opening. He seized the opportunity and lunged forward, driving his dagger into the dark elf's side. She let out a scream of pain and stumbled backward, clutching at her wound.
He saw another opening and used his active skill, the fatal strike, to strike a decisive blow. His dagger pierced the dark elf's armor, and she fell to the ground, defeated.
Kardo watched as she collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. He stood over her, panting and shaking, his dagger still clutched tightly in his hand.
"Who are you?" Kardo repeated, his voice shaking with anger.
The dark elf's eyes flickered open, and she looked up at Kardo with a mixture of fear and hatred.
"You'll never know," she spat, before finally succumbing to her injuries and dying on the spot.
Kardo stood there for a moment, still trying to catch his breath and process what had just happened. He knew that this was only the beginning and that there were others out there who would be coming for him.
But for now, he was grateful to be alive, and he vowed to be more vigilant in the future.
Kardo searched the body of the dead dark elf scout, carefully examining her clothing and equipment. He took note of her strange armor, which seemed to be made of a combination of leather, metal, and some sort of dark, shimmering material that he had never seen before. He wondered where she had acquired such advanced equipment.
Next, he turned his attention to the dagger, which he separated from her clutch. The blade was dark and sharp, with a serrated edge that could inflict serious damage on an opponent. Kardo knew that this was no ordinary weapon; it had been crafted by a skilled artisan and was likely enchanted with some sort of dark magic.
As he continued to search the body, his eyes fell upon a small, black bead that lay nestled in a pouch at the scout's waist. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before—smooth and glossy, with a faint shimmer that seemed to emanate from its surface. He wondered what it could be for and whether it had any significance for the dark elves.
Kardo carefully pocketed the bead and the dagger, knowing that they could be valuable tools in his future quests.
Kardo sat on his bed, his mind racing with thoughts of recent events. He couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had crept into his mind. Who had sent him that vision in his dream? And why did the Queen of Driders see him as a threat?
He knew very little about the queen of driders, except that she was a powerful and dangerous creature that ruled over a group of half-drow, half-spider creatures. But why would she be interested in him?
Kardo decided he needed more information. He stood up and began to pace around his room, trying to think of ways to gather intel. That's when he remembered the dark beads he had found on the scout's body.
He retrieved the beads from his pocket and examined them closely. They were dark and slightly iridescent, and they seemed to emit a faint aura. Kardo had no idea what they were, but he was sure they were significant.
He decided to pay a visit to the mage's guild. If anyone could identify these beads and tell him more about the queen of driders, it would be them. Kardo quickly got dressed, slung his dagger on his belt, and made his way out of his house.