I named him "Opal." He affectionately called me "Mamma." I began his training.
He reciprocated with bites. Gradually, over the following months, I became resistant to his venom. Even more gradually, over several years, I grew somewhat tolerant of his peculiar sense of humor.
As I found my footing in my new profession, Opal proved to be of great assistance. Initially, it was minimal, but it soon grew significantly. After all, who pays any attention to another Vorgan flying around the city? But a Vorgan, on the other hand, is a keen observer.
As the days turned into months and years, I gained proficiency, stature, companionship, and wisdom.
And, true to his mother's prophecy, I became a hunter.
The symbols of Dragon ,Pardus,Fenxera,,Lurivox, Baku, Falcon Fenghuang ,Baku and vorgan swirled before my eyes. The Imperion Empire, its populace fragmented into twenty-three Great Houses, each symbolized by a unique creature, seemed to lay bare before me. This was the realm of the Imperions, and there I was, a Terran, the odd one out.
It was not going to be any simpler.
With no divine eyes upon me, I embarked on my journey.
To the north and west of Avandryl, about two hundred miles away, a mountain stood. It resembled a colossal grey Pardus, as if sculpted by an extraordinarily ambitious artist.
The illusion of the massive feline is flawlessly captured in countless paintings and psi prints from numerous perspectives. However, what's intriguing is the left ear. Despite appearing every bit as feline as the right one, it is believed to be artificially created. Though there are suspicions about the entire structure, the left ear's authenticity is certain.
Here, according to the legends, Alyssra Volade, the Enchantress, the Dark Lady of Pardus Mountain, resides like a sinister spider at the heart of a malevolent web, ensnaring unsuspecting heroes. The legends do not explain why she does this, but then again, they don't need to.
Legends are born from such tales.
I was perusing a couple of letters I had received. One was from a human girl named Zandria, expressing gratitude for a delightful evening. Upon reflection, it indeed had been enjoyable. I mentally planned to respond and inquire if she was available next week. The other letter was from one of my workers, requesting an extension for a client who had borrowed money to cover his gambling debts owed to another staff member. As I pondered this and drummed my fingers, I heard Thorne clearing his throat. Opal, my companion, sprang off his perch and landed on my shoulder, growling at Thorne.
"Boss, I wish he'd quit doing that," Opal conveyed to me telepathically.
"So do I, Opal," I responded.
Turning to Thorne, I inquired, "How long have you been there?"
"Just a little while," he replied.
Thorne, tall and lean with an imposing Imperion frame, was casually slouched in the chair across from me. For once, he wasn't wearing his usual smug expression. I was curious about what was troubling him but decided against asking. If it was crucial for me to know, he would disclose it. I said, "Do you recall a Fenxera named Lumivex? He's asking Elysir for a loan extension, and I'm not sure—"
"Viktor, we have an issue," Thorne cut me off.
Surprised, I responded, "Go on, tell me about it."
"You had Ignar collect receipts from Voltaire, Elysir, Tor—"
"Yes, I remember. What's wrong?"
"He gathered them and fled."
I stayed quiet for a while, absorbing the implications of this revelation. Only a few months had passed since I took over this region after my predecessor's untimely demise, and this was the first time I was encountering such a problem.
Ignar was what I referred to as a Point-man; a vague term implying he was accountable for whatever tasks I assigned him. He was an elderly Imperion, probably nearing three millennia, and had assured me that he had given up gambling when I hired him. He was composed, as courteous as Imperions generally are to humans, and highly experienced in the kind of operations I was managing—unregulated gambling, illicit brothels, illegal loans, trafficking stolen goods, and so on. His earnestness when I hired him had seemed genuine.
I sighed. You'd think that after all these years, I'd have learned not to trust Imperions, but I keep making the same mistake.
I asked Thorne, "What exactly happened?"
"Auror and I were on security duty with him. As we were passing by a shop, he asked us to hold on, approached the window as if something caught his eye, and then, he vanished using magic."
"Is there any possibility he was abducted?"
"I'm not aware of any method to teleport someone against their will. Are you?"
"No, I don't think so. Hold on. Auror's a Mage. Didn't he trace the teleportation?"
"Yes," Thorne confirmed.
"So? Why didn't you chase him?"
"Uh, Viktor, neither of us is keen on following him to his destination."
"Why? What's the problem?"
"He teleported directly to Pardus Mountain."
"Pardus Mountain," I echoed after a lengthy pause. "Well, I might as well become a dragon's meal. How could he know the coordinates? How could he be sure he'd be safe from... what's her name again? How—?"
"Her name is Alyssra Volade, and I have no idea," Thorne interjected.
"We'll need to send someone after him."
"That's impossible, Viktor. No one will agree to go there."
"Why not? We have enough funds."
"Viktor, it's Pardus Mountain. Let it go."
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