Zephyrion straightened, slipped his gun into his pouch, and walked over to Lilith, the girl he saved.
Taking his hand, she rose to her feet, her body still trembling from her near-death experience. If Zephyrion hadn't intervened, she would have been dead.
"Th-thank you," she stammered, straightening her white hair.
Elian and Selene walked up to them, but before they could close the distance, Zephyrion stiffened and spun around. He pushed Lilith behind him and pulled his gun.
"You!" he said, glaring at Selene, his gun aimed at her head. His green eyes took in her outfit, gun and swords. "I know what you are. Stay away from me, or I'll shoot."
Selene cocked her brows. "Why? Scared of me?" She sneered. "The only danger here is you, the Halven."
Zephyrion flushed angrily. Halven was an offensive name for a half-elf, and even though most forgers were half-elves, they were often discriminated against in the realm. This was because they were brilliant beings skilled in craftsmanship.
It was obvious Zephyrion was half-elf. He was short, about 5'4, with high cheekbones and a more refined jawline. He had large almond-shaped emerald eyes and signature curved ears.
"A half-elf is a hundred times better than a dirty bounty hunter," he hissed.
Selene fingered her gun, inching forward.
Elian quickly stepped between them, his arms spread wide. "Hey. Why don't we all just calm down." Turning to Zephyrion, he said, "I promise we are not here to take or hurt you. We-"
He broke off as a scared white face peeked out from over Zephyrion's shoulder.
That white hair, heart-shaped face, brown eyes, full lips and green uniform...Elian shuddered and involuntarily took a step back.
She was another person in his visions.
In his visions, he had seen glimpses of her mixing potions, she was a healer. But how did she end up in Aetherforge, of all places? And why today?
If any doubts about meeting these two were not a coincidence, it was driven right out of Elian's mind.
"I've been looking for you." Elian breathed. "Both of you."
Zephyrion's smile did not reach his eyes.
"Not shocking," he said dryly. "You are travelling with a bounty hunter, after all."
"That's not why I was looking for you," Elian countered.
"We need to leave now." Selene interrupted, her eyes darting around. "More of those birds will come here soon."
"How do you know that?" Lilith asked. She slowly crept out from behind Zephyrion but remained at his side.
"I think the birds have a hive mind," Selene replied. "Killing or hurting one of them draws others to that location. In Destitropolis, I blew one of them up. Others came seconds after that."
Elian turned to Selene in surprise, realizing the explosions that had drawn the birds away before they ripped him to pieces were hers. Right from the beginning, fate had linked them together.
"You mean... you blew those things up?" Lilith asked. "You're a girl."
Selene shrugged. "So? I've got the same hands as a guy." She glanced around again. "Come on, we're wasting time. We either leave now or die when more of those things come."
Zephyrion and Lilith exchanged a glance. Could they really trust the strangers they just met, especially a bounty hunter?
Selene swore under her breath when she realized they hesitated to leave and dashed for the exit. Elian followed, and finally, Zephyrion and Lilith reluctantly joined them.
They followed Selene down the winding streets, through an alley and to a pub that looked almost as damaged as the rest of the city. It was deserted.
Everyone flopped down, panting on the dusty chairs, but Zephyrion remained standing. With his hand tightly holding his gun, he glared at Selene.
"Tell me now." He demanded. "Why were you looking for us? Talk, or we'll leave."
"Oh, shut up!" Selene snapped, aware that he was agitated because of her. "If I wanted to take you in or kill you, I would have done that five seconds after we met. And that gun you're holding will be useless against me...elf."
Zephyrion clenched his fists. "You little-"
Feeling the tension building, Elian jumped to his feet.
"Why don't we introduce ourselves," he cut in loudly. "I'm Elian Vance. She's Selene Willow, and you are..."
Zephyrion glared at Selene for a moment, then he relaxed a little.
"I'm Zephyrion Luminoth," he grumbled. "Most people call me Zeph for short."
"Lilith Everwood," the white-haired girl said promptly.
"Now we've all introduced ourselves, answer my question," Zephyrion said.
Elian nodded and told them all about what happened from the moment the collectors came to his door. After finishing his elaborate story, he lifted his shirt and showed them where the monster had hurt him.
"It didn't even leave a scratch on me," he finished.
Zephyrion and Lilith exchanged puzzled looks, not quite sure his story was true. They turned to Selene, who nodded.
"It's all true," she said.
"The Beakstorm Reapers can be stopped-" Elian continued.
"Beakstorm Reapers." Zephyrion laughed. "So they even have a name."
"Yes. I saw everything in a dream. I know how to stop them."
Lilith eagerly leaned forward, her voice trembling a little as she said, "How? Tell us. Those things are tearing the whole realm apart. It's- it's horrible."
Lilith was a quiet soul, the kind of girl who moved through the realm as if afraid to disturb it. Although it was an attribute of every healer in Nexoria, Lilith was much more delicate.
"Aether can kill them," Elian revealed, suddenly swelling with a little pride of being knowledgeable. But his smile faltered when he noticed the look on Lilith's face.
Lilith frowned and leaned back. "Aether?" She scoffed. "I can believe your dreams and what you claimed you did, but I'm sure Aether can't stop them. I mean, the whole realm is powered by Aether."
Her eyes grew angry as another thought occurred to her. "You're a damn fraud. You're trying to steal Aether at a devastating time like this. What kind of person are you?"
Selene hissed in annoyance. "He's not a fraud. I've seen him do things I still can't explain. He saved me from four of those creatures."
Lilith snorted. "Then he must be a magician who survived using petty tricks."
Selene scoffed and shook her head. "I've visited almost every citadel in this realm. I know a magician when I see one. Do you?"
While they argued amongst themselves, one person remained quiet. Zephyrion. He was in deep thought, and they almost forgot he was in the room until he spoke.
"He's right."
All eyes swivelled to Zeph, the least likely person in the room to support Elian's story. The rings on his fingers glittered as he ran his fingers through his short brown hair.
"What do you mean?" Lilith asked, her eyes narrowing. "Do you believe him?"
Zeph placed his gun on the table. "This is the reason I'm being hunted." His finger grazed the trigger. "This gun uses Aether dust. I pump Aether dust through the canister, which comes out as hard bullets. I've killed two of those monsters with five bullets each when ordinary guns couldn't kill them."
Lilith stared at him. "So, you mean he could be telling the truth?"
"I don't know," Zeph answered. "What I do know is there are two places in Aetherforge those monsters didn't attack.... the bank and Orionis' mansion. As you all must know, Aether dust, Aether coins, and anything made with Aether are stored in the bank. And as for Orionis's house, the security shield around it is powered by Aether, just like that in Celestralis."
"It took 3 grenades to kill one of those birds, but 5 Aether bullets did the job," Selene added. "Can't you see it's true?"
Elian nodded. "We will have to make weapons from Aether."
Lilith began to see the logic behind Elian's story. Even if she didn't entirely believe him, she would do anything to save the realm and stay alive.
On the other hand, Zeph tried to figure out a way to help Elian. "We would have used the factory, but I was dismissed as a forger after I made this gun. I'm wanted in every citadel."
"It doesn't matter now," Lilith said. "Because of the attacks, the factory will be empty anyway. Our major concern now is getting enough Aether dust."
"That will be difficult," Zeph explained. "Only one person has the keys to the bank- Orionis- and he's as wicked as he looks. He has the keys hanging on his belt day and night, and he'll kill anyone who even looks at it twice."
Now, that was a big problem. How could they get the keys from Orionis? He was Aetherforge's leader, a ruthless elf who controlled the flow and use of Aether in the entire realm.
As they debated on what to do, Lilith suddenly had a bright idea.
"I can get it," She said suddenly.
"How?" Zeph asked.
"I came here with my team to cure Orionis from a terrible ailment. We left his house shortly before the attack started. I could beg him to let us stay since I saved his life, then try to steal the keys."
Zeph smiled. "Good plan, Lilith. If we get the keys, I'll forge the weapons."
That was a good enough plan.
"No time to waste then," Selene said. "Let's get going. We'll take the underground tunnels to avoid any sudden attack."
And with that, they embarked on their short journey to Orionis' house.
They moved quickly but carefully through the streets and found the underground tunnels. It was dark, damp and gloomy, but they felt safer there. Outside, they could hear the creatures screeching and killing.
"How did you meet him?" Selene asked Lilith as they walked, interrupting her murmured conversation with Zeph.
"I got separated from my team during the commotion, and he saved me," Lilith smiled at Zeph. "After that, we decided to stick together. How did you and Elian meet?"
Selene exhaled. "I heard someone calling for the birds to kill him, and then, I decided he was worth saving. Turns out we were meant to stick together."
Lilith chuckled. In Nexoria, they are taught many things about fate and destiny. Maybe this was a clear example of one.
Selene edged close to Zeph. "When we get the Aether dust, I want you to make me a gun just like yours," she said.
Zeph shook his head slowly. "Afraid I can't. I forged my gun by mistake. I tried so many times, but I still haven't been able to replicate the design. Orionis even promised me a pardon if I could make one for him. I couldn't."
"Why did Orionis not just take your gun then?" Selene asked.
Elian, who was in the lead, stopped walking. "Was about to ask the same thing."
"The gun doesn't work in the hands of another," Zeph told them. "It's like it chose me."
"Weird," Elian muttered and resumed walking.
"So, Elian," Zeph said. "How do you intend to kill all the birds? There are a lot of them, and they are in several citadels."
"Good question," Lilith piped in.
"We don't have to fight all of them," Elian answered. This was part of the things he hadn't revealed to them yet.
"Yes," he added, looking at their surprised faces. "There's one Beakstorm Reaper we need to kill. It's their brain and power source. Kill that one, and the rest will die."
Selene was right when she described the birds as a hive mind. But Elian had not figured out the depth of their connection.
"And how will you find that particular one?" Zeph asked.
"I don't need to find it. It will find me. I know it." Right from the moment those creatures attacked, he had seen the clue to getting rid of them. And for some reason, he knew that whoever controlled the birds was after him.
"In that case, we better get ready then," Zeph said.
Like Lilith had said, the tunnel led them right to the back of Orionis's mansion.
"Listen, Lilith," Selene said, lowering her voice as they neared the end of the tunnel. "Be careful, okay? Choose the right moment to grab the keys and-"
They stepped out of the tunnel and immediately found themselves surrounded by rigid, cold bodyguards pointing weapons at them.
"FREEZE!"