**In an unknown location somewhere in Aetheria**
In the dimly lit room with three imposing thrones, only one of them was now occupied. It was the throne from which the adolescent voice emanated. Bowing before them once again was an image of Amara, faithfully paying her respects. "Oh, you're back! Did you get the old guy?" asked the voice with excitement. "No, sir. Just as I was about to capture him, a boy intervened and got in my way," Amara replied, clearly annoyed. "Ah, that sucks. By the way, you can speak to me in a casual tone. You know I'm not like the others," the voice said in a relaxed manner.
"As you wish, sir," Amara replied obediently. "You say that, but you said it in a formal way again. Whatever. So, who was this boy that got in your way? I mean, we all know how powerful you are," the voice remarked, emphasizing the word "your."
"I do not know him personally, but he had distinct blue hair," Amara explained. "Surprisingly, he appeared unharmed even after being hit by my Fiery Phoenix. Moreover, officers were on the scene, compelling me to retreat, sir."
The voice sounded eager as it asked, "Hmm, well, do you know where they are now? Also, do you know anything else about this blue-haired boy?"
Amara replied, "I knew where he lived, but I burned that place down. His name is Xain, and the she-elf and the man are currently under the officers' protection."
The voice inquired with excitement, "Ah, I want to know more about that boy. But can't you just eliminate all the officers and take them anyway?"
Amara responded, explaining the potential consequences, "I can, but that would create too much commotion and attract stronger individuals, making our operations more difficult, sir."
The voice dismissed her concerns, in an immature tone, "Oh, that sucks! But who cares anyway? Can you just spy on the boy and let me know what he's up to?"
Amara tried to reason, emphasizing the importance of their original plan, "Sir, the boy has nothing to do with our objective. It's the man who possesses the information we need."
The voice persisted, insisting on his preference, "Oh, come on! That boy, Xain, sounds way cooler than Darkin or whatever his name was. Just do what I told you, please!"
Reluctantly, Amara agreed, "I... okay, I will, sir." As she finished speaking, the image of her vanished, leaving the voice alone in the dark room.
Excitedly, the voice expressed its own desire, "Ah, this makes me want to go there myself."
**Back to Ironhelm**
Xain peacefully slept, immersed in dreams of a calm and ordinary life. However, his tranquility was abruptly shattered by a loud banging at his door.
Xain swiftly shot up from his makeshift bed, groggily making his way to the door. In his mind, he complained, *Come on, why do I have to get up so early?* Ercale's voice echoed in his head, retorting, *Because you have a job to do, ape.* Ignoring the banter, Xain opened the door to see who was causing the commotion.
His gaze fell upon a young woman with striking red hair and piercing blue eyes. She stood before him in a guard uniform, appearing slightly nervous. "Um, you're Xain, right?" she asked, her words slightly stuttering. "Yeah, that's me. Who are you, and why are you so nervous?" he inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Uh, I'm Sergeant Clare Ateria, and I'm supposed to help you with The Shadow Baron," she replied, her nervousness still evident. "Okay, I get that, but you still haven't told me why you're so nervous," he pointed out, a hint of confusion in his voice. Meanwhile, Ercale chimed in his thoughts, questioning her rank as he wondered, *How is she a sergeant?*
"I'm sorry, I don't know how to talk to someone new," she apologized, bowing her head. Xain, feeling a sense of urgency to reassure her, interjected, "What? Stop that! You don't need to apologize!" Startled, she quickly responded, "Ah, I'm sorry for apologizing." Frustrated by the repetitive apologies, Xain firmly asserted, "You're doing it again. Just stop!" Realizing her mistake, she was about to apologize once more, but Xain swiftly placed his hand over mouth and said, "Okay, just calm down."
Clare nodded in response as Xain removed his hand from her mouth. "Are you okay now?" he asked, to which she replied, "Yes, sorry for that." Xain couldn't help but inwardly curse, thinking, *Goddess damn it,* as she apologized once again.
"Okay, moving past all that. Do you know where we should start? I don't know much other than the fact that he mostly operates in the market district," Xain said. Clare nodded nervously and replied, "Y-yes, we know of an area where some of his thugs like to hang out."
"All right, that's better than nothing, I guess. So let's head there, Clare. Do you mind if I call you by your first name?" Xain asked. Clare nervously replied, "Uh, no, sir." "Hey, don't 'sir' me. You're the guard here!" he said, wondering how someone could be so nervous.
**A few minutes later**
As it was now daytime, the streets were bustling with people of various races walking peacefully side by side. Ercale observed the scene, realizing how much things had changed. *Wow, things sure have changed significantly while I was... well, whatever I was,* he remarked in Xain's head. Xain had been following Clare for a few minutes when he responded, *What do you mean?* Ercale explained, *Well, when I was around, humans and other races didn't really get along. Until they united to fight me that is.*
*Huh, well, it's been like this for a while, though there still is a divide. I mean, look over there,* Xain said, pointing to a bar with a sign that read 'Only humans allowed.' *I expected things like that, but I didn't think they would be so blatant. But the technology is very interesting,* Ercale commented. As Clare noticed Xain pointing at the bar, she asked, "Um, do you want a drink right now?" Xain stumbled, "Huh, no, I... um, I was just pointing at it." Clare pressed further, "But why?" Xain hesitated for a moment and then replied, "No reason."
"Okay," Clare said, slightly puzzled. They continued walking, and after a few more minutes, they arrived at the market district. The bustling area was filled with various stalls, shops, and people going about their daily activities.
There were numerous automatons moving about in various forms. Some gracefully flew through the air, while others navigated the ground, serving their owners or carrying out tasks. As the automatons smoothly interacted with their surroundings, some following individuals closely, while others appeared to be engaged in delivering objects or performing designated functions. Ercale, who had been absent for an extended period, found himself intrigued by the sight of the bustling market district. The various automatons caught his attention, and he observed their movements with interest. The intricate designs and advanced technology piqued his curiosity, prompting him to ask *How long has this technology been around for?* To which Xain replied, *Way longer than I have been alive, but I think they have been around for about two hundred years. I don't really know how they work, though.*
Xain continued followed closely behind Clare, but as she abruptly stopped, he almost collided with her. He quickly regained his balance and asked, "Why did you stop?" His question was soon answered as he noticed what had caught her attention. They both saw a little girl, malnourished and dressed in patchwork clothes. The girl seemed to be desperately trying to speak to the passersby, but everyone ignored her.
Xain and Clare immediately approached the little girl without hesitation. The girl, with tears still streaming down her face, immediately turned to Clare noticing her uniform and pleaded, "Miss, will you please help me!" Clare, sounding confident for the first time, reassured her, "Yes, I will. Tell me what's wrong." The girl explained, "There are people who are beating up my older brother and demanding money from him. They said they'll kill him if he doesn't give it to them."
"Take me to them," Clare said immediately. Then she turned to Xain and added, "You don't have to come if you don't want to." Xain replied without hesitation, "Of course I will. Let's go find them right now." The little girl nodded, grabbed Clare's hand, and started running. Xain followed closely behind them.
They followed the girl into an cluttered alley where they witnessed a distressing scene. Five individuals, consisting of an orc, two human women, and two human men, were violently assaulting a man who bore a resemblance to the little girl. His eye was swollen, and blood trickled from his mouth.
*Well, it's good to see things haven't changed too much,* Ercale said to Xain, seemingly unfazed by the situation at hand.
"All of you, freeze and release the man!" Clare's voice rang out with authority, commanding the attention of the individuals who were brutally attacking the man. The orc, appearing to be the leader, sneered and retorted, "Get the 'ell outta 'ere, guard. We got business with this bleedin' bastard. Piss off if ya don't wanna get hurt."
"Wait a minute, you're the little shit that attacked me a while back, ain't ya?" one of the men said, pointing at Xain accusingly. Xain maintained his composure and responded firmly, "Clearly, you haven't learned your lesson." Tension filled the alley, the atmosphere thick with the possibility of a violent confrontation. The orc locked eyes with Clare and issued a warning, "Listen 'ere, lass. You'd best bugger off now. We work for The Shadow Baron, and you know right well what'll 'appen if you mess about with us. You'll pay for roughin' up one of me mates." He jabbed a thumb in Xain's direction, his intent clear as day.
Xain whispered to Clare, his voice barely audible, "Can you handle those four?" He discreetly pointed towards the humans. Clare nodded with confidence and replied, "I can handle them." Xain's gaze shifted towards the orc as he made his decision. "Alright, I'll take on the orc," he declared, mentally preparing himself for the confrontation. The orc smirked and taunted, "I warned ya, lads. Get 'im!" He positioned himself behind his cronies, ready to join the fray.
As the thugs rushed at them Xain swiftly moved in between them and charged at the orc.