Alaric stepped off the mutuka with palpable urgency. After the swift journey from Sakar, he found himself before the imposing gates of Lorandel, the city closest to the Guild of the Eternal Dawn. The cobblestone streets were crowded with people, and there was an unusual commotion that immediately caught his attention. As he moved forward, his gaze landed on a series of posters plastered on the walls.
Each poster bore an image of his friends, Lira and Kael, with a death warrant written beneath their faces. His heart clenched violently in his chest, and a wave of panic washed over him.
"No... this can't be," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. Panic-stricken, he began to run through the crowd, bumping into passersby without even noticing. His mind was racing. How could this have happened? And why? Each thought dragged him deeper into anxiety.
In his haste, he collided with someone head-on. A woman of striking grace and beauty stumbled slightly from the impact but quickly regained her balance. She turned to him with an expression of both surprise and curiosity. She was breathtaking, as if sculpted by the goddess of beauty herself. Her deep, dark skin shone under the sun, and her eyes, sharp and intelligent, seemed to hold entire worlds of cunning and wit.
Alaric, slightly thrown off by the collision, took a step back. "I'm sorry," he stammered, still reeling from the posters.
The woman gave him a slight smile, but it was a smile that suggested much more than mere politeness. "Don't worry. You seem to be in a hurry," she said in a voice that was soft yet firm. "I was just about to head to the Guild myself. Maybe we could go together? It seems you've forgotten the way."
Alaric looked at her, surprised by her offer. "How do you know...?"
"Your face," she replied with a small laugh. "It's obvious you need help, and it just so happens I know this place well. My name is Kimpa Vita," she added, extending her hand.
Alaric took a moment to think, but he didn't have time to be suspicious or ask questions. He shook her hand. "Alaric. Thank you. Let's go."
As they walked quickly through the streets of Lorandel, Kimpa Vita threw him a few curious glances, as if trying to understand what was troubling him. "Did you come here alone?" she asked, trying to break the silence.
Alaric shook his head. "No, I... I got separated from my friends. I need to find them."
Kimpa Vita nodded. "I understand. I'm here for a similar reason. My fiancé is in danger, and I have to save him. Maybe our paths crossed for a reason."
They soon arrived at the massive gates of the Guild of the Eternal Dawn. Alaric felt his heart grow heavy as he saw a crowd of enemies gathered in front of the entrance, forming a barrier to prevent anyone from entering. Mercenaries, archers, and mages all seemed ready to defend the guild against any intrusion.
From the top of his tower, Gobinot, the guild leader, looked down at Alaric with a sneering smile. His face was marked by arrogance, and his voice carried palpable condescension as he spoke. "So, you've returned, Alaric," he spat. "You and your friends are only good for serving others, being at the bottom of the food chain. How could you ever think, even for a moment, that you could be treated with dignity here, among people of value?"
Alaric felt a slow anger rising within him. He remembered their first arrival at the guild, the condescending looks, the mocking whispers behind their backs. Gobinot had never hidden his contempt for them, and this new verbal attack only reopened that old wound.
"Weaklings like you and your friends are only good for picking up the crumbs left by the real fighters!" Gobinot continued, his face twisted with disdain. "You're nothing but a common pawn, Alaric, destined to be crushed under the weight of those who are truly strong."
But what Gobinot didn't know was that Alaric had changed. Over the past year, he had made incredible progress. After his last confrontation with the entity, he had surpassed level 96. Alaric didn't let Gobinot's words disturb him any longer. He took a deep breath and released a wave of magical pressure.
The response was immediate and spectacular. Everyone blocking his path suddenly collapsed, falling unconscious under the intensity of his power. The air grew heavy, and an invisible shockwave swept through the crowd. The force he unleashed was enough to crush the will of every mercenary present.
Gobinot, witnessing the scene from his tower, lost all composure. His confidence evaporated in an instant, and his expression shifted from arrogance to terror. "Wh-What is this?!" he cried out, panicking. He stumbled backward, tripping over his own robe, pathetic and powerless in the face of Alaric's display of strength.
Beside Alaric, Kimpa Vita, also known as Vita, watched the scene in surprise, admiring the raw power of this young man. Before she could compliment him or ask a question, a group of hidden archers decided to launch a desperate attack. With a war cry, they fired a volley of arrows at Alaric.
"Heavenly Arrow!" one of the archers shouted, using a formidable skill that sent luminous projectiles hurtling at breakneck speed.
Vita reacted in an instant. In a fraction of a second, she used Archangel's Rush, moving so quickly she seemed to vanish from where she stood. She reappeared amid the arrows, stopping them in mid-air with a simple wave of her hand, surrounded by a sacred aura that dispersed the projectiles like leaves in the wind.
In a fluid motion, almost invisible to the naked eye, she teleported again, this time towards the direction of the archers. The few moments were enough for her to be among them, and with disconcerting agility, she used Dance of the Light Blades, striking with her staff at a breathtaking speed. Every movement was precise, every strike accompanied by a burst of divine light, disarming the archers and bringing them, powerless, before Alaric.
Alaric looked at her, stunned by the display of strength and grace. "Who are you... really?" he asked, fascinated by her mastery.
"I am a Nganga Nzambi, a Witch Priestess," Vita replied with an enigmatic smile, holding her staff firmly. "But it seems you haven't seen everything yet."
She turned towards Gobinot's tower, now visible amidst the general panic. "I'll take care of him," she declared calmly.
Gobinot, terrified, tried to flee, but Vita didn't give him the chance. Double Strike Divine Ray. Two beams of sacred light shot from her staff, cutting through the air at lightning speed and striking the tower with such force that the top collapsed, cutting off any escape route for Gobinot.
Alaric, impressed, looked at Vita with newfound respect. Together, they crossed the guild's entrance, where the enemies were either unconscious or too frightened to move. Alaric and Vita advanced, their steps determined, toward the main hall.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense. The guild members, surprised by the dramatic entrance, backed away, unsure of what was going to happen next. Alaric and Vita stood side by side, ready for whatever would come...