"Ugh... I can't see anything in all this mist. Are you SURE this is the way?" Notte asked again as we pushed forward into the foggy woods. This was the third time the fairy asked Cleo and I silently wanted to slap Notte to get her to quiet down. Cleo however, responded politely and patiently.
"Yes... Or at least, it will be. Euden, head that way, into the deepest part of the mist" The sylvan healer instructed and Euden nodded, turning to a particular section up ahead where the mist was thickest. Nothing was even visible in there. The Prince quickly disappeared, but instantly, countless rays of light fell from the sky and fell upon the forest we were in, forcing us to avert our eyes. When the light cleared, the mist was no more and a beautiful, tranquil forest was in it's place. All around us, nature bloomed and flourished as the quiet afternoon twilight bathed the forest in warm light. I felt myself getting drowsy by the second.
"Just look at it... You'd never know a land this large was hiding in the mist," Elisanne said with awe and I followed her gaze. Out of the forest was a massive castle on the horizon, connected by a singular ornate stone bridge. Clouds and mist floated underneath the landmass and gave the castle a "city atop the clouds" sort of feel. Even more bizarre was a floating rock formation above the regal fortress, "Incredible…"
"So pretty!" Notte gasped, "It's just like the pictures of Old Alberia I saw in my storybooks!"
"The vista and fresh air are revitalizing me. I can feel my memory starting to clear," Cleo breathed in a fresh breath of air, sighing contently "I cannot believe this day has finally come. There it is, Euden. That is the Sacred Shard you have been searching for"
The sylvan pointed to a stone pedestal nearby, where a prismatic crystal laid on top, shining brightly. A feeling of peace, relaxation and content settled within me the instant I laid eyes on it. It felt like all the darkness within my body was leaving me, replaced with tranquil light. I could understand why the shards could repel fiends now.
"Here it is…" Euden seemed similarly awestruck, approaching the twinkling shard gingerly.
"I've never seen anything so lovely," Zethia marvelled, entranced by the shard's beauty, "Now we just need to return it to the royal city. Everyone will be so pleased! I cannot wait to tell Father"
"Not so fast" Another voice said out of nowhere. The voice sounded exactly like King Aurelius's. Zethia semed to pick up on it too.
"Everyone, get down!" The Auspex cried and everyone hit the floor as a bolt of dark magic flew over Euden's head, exploding behind him. The culprit warped into the scene in front of us, pulsating with miasma. The Sacred Shard's light dimmed by his presence and I felt fear settling into my body again. I dared to look up and saw the ruler of Alberia himself: King Aurelius. And he did not look happy.
"You will hand over that wretched Shard...right...now" King Aurelius commanded in a firm tone, although it seemed to be strained. His reddish eyes instantly told me something was wrong with him. The king never wielding dark magic either. Who was this imposter?
"F-Father? But I thought you went to the Binding Ruins" Euden got up, still shaky from his father's attack on him. The king flashed a dark smile in return.
"Oh, I went. Indeed I went," King Aurelius's wolfish grin grew wider "I awoke in the miasma and reclaimed one of what was lost"
"What are you talking about, Father? You're not making any sense!" Zethia cried, her face marred with confusion and betrayal.
"I thank you for removing the detestable barrier protecting this land. I set all the fiends I could muster upon it, but the sylvan kept thwarting my efforts," King Aurelius glared at Cleo, who shot one back, "However, you have solved that problem. Now nothing stands in my way"
"So those fiends WERE being controlled by someone" Cleo growled, raising her rod and Ranzal did the same with his axe.
"Good! I've been lookin' for someone to blame for all this fiend nonsense," The mercenary heaved his weapon, ready to strike the king, "Looks like King Jerkface here is the guy I need to talk to"
"You have me all wrong, my friend. I am the king of mercy," The monarch's aura of dark mana grew stronger, billowing as purple flames behind him, "Because today is the day I grant you eternal rest!"
"Your Highness, get away!" Elisanne cried before a blast of dark magic smashed into her chest, sending her sprawling onto the ground, "Aaagghhh!"
"Elly?! Hold on, I'm-" Euden ran to the Paladyn's aid before Aurelius fired another shot, clipping his son in the back, "Argh!"
"You… you're not King Aurelius! Die, you imposter!" I shouted and charged the fell king, bringing the point of my lance straight into his chest. However, King Aurelius simply deflected my attack with a shield of shadows and counterattacked, raking my chest with a rigid dark claw. I fell to the ground, blood pouring out of my wounds. My body felt like it was on fire. Midgardsormr didn't hit this hard when we fought him.
"Damn…! This guy hits as hard as a dragon…" Ranzal grunted nearby. I risked a glance even if it made a shriek build in my throat. Everybody was on the ground, injured except for Zethia.
"This is not our father. Nobody would ever strike their own son like that," Zethia glared at the king, who was still brimming with dark energy, "Who are you and why do you look like our father?!"
"Heh heh heh! And why would I tell an insignificant speck like you?" The king cupped Zethia's chin with his hand and the Auspex slapped it away, her eyes defiant "Come, Auspex. Surrender to me, and I will spare the others. You and the shard are all I want"
"Zethia… no…!" Euden croaked, his mouth soaked in blood, "Don't do it… Run...!"
"I won't leave you here to die, and I will not surrender!" Zethia cried courageously before raising her staff into the air. The magic weapon shined with azure light, "Blessed Ilia! Help us!"
"What's...going on? My body is feeling...hot...and I feel power...that's welling inside of me...I…" Euden began floating into the air, surrounded by transparent yellow light like a shapeshift, "AAAAAAAAH!"
Golden light surrounded Euden like a shell before he shapeshifted into a dragon. Not Midgardsormr, but a platinum dragon bearing golden horns, a muscular physique and snow white scales. It's holy aura completely nullified King Aurelius's dark one.
"RARRRGGHHH!" Dragon Euden roared, forming a sphere of white light in his maw. Instantly, he threw it onto the fallen king, causing an eruption of holy light that shone like the brightest beacon. I could feel the grass fly and the trees sway from the sheer force of the blow as King Aurelius roared with agony, consumed by the pillar of light. When the light faded, Euden turned back to normal and fell to the ground, spent.
"He shapeshifted without a pact? How is that possible?" Zethia gasped in shock, "Do I somehow have the power to awaken his dragonblood?"
"Graaagh! Elysium! You vile, accursed creature!" King Aurelius roared curses, his body on one knee and steaming from the attack, "How dare you stand in my way again!"
"What just happened? Zethia, did you do...that?" Euden groaned, trying to stand up. However, a massive gash was over his back, gushing blood, "Why is everything so… foggy…?"
"Brother! Are you alright?! Stay with us!" Zethia cried, raising her staff to heal, but King Aurelius rose onto his feet, surround himself with the dark aura once again. The spike in dark mana knocked Zethia off balance.
"Dragonblood and maiden's prayer have united to awaken the new king... The cycle repeats...and that I cannot abide" King Aurelius marched towards Euden, intent to finish him off. Ranzal and Elisanne attempted to stop him, but they were slapped aside like children.
"Are you kiddin' me? How is he still standin' after getting nailed by an attack like that?" Ranzal groaned, struggling to stand up.
"Zethia... Again! Give me that power again!" Euden demanded, wincing from his injuries, "It's the only way to protect everyone!"
"You're in no state to shapeshift again. Your wounds have opened, and doing so could kill you," Elisanne crawled over to Euden, intent to help him. The prince simply shook his head and rose, panting. His sword arm was as shaky as a twig, "Please, Your Highness…"
"He's getting up? The wretched fool... He does remind me of Alberius…" The king put his hand up to Euden's head, ready to blow it off, "But today the dragon bloodline ends!"
"WAIT!" Zethia screamed, jumping in front of Euden, "Stop it! You win…"
"Mmm? What's this?" King Aurelius cracked a sinister smile as the Auspex stepped forward, dropping her staff.
"I'll go with you. Only if you swear to spare their lives"
"Zethia, no! Don't do it!" Notte cried in desperation and the Auspex simply shook her head.
"One day, Euden will save our people. Alberia cannot afford to lose him," Zethia replied in her strongest voice, although I saw tears sparkling in her eyes, "If we try to resist, all of us will perish. The wisest choice is for me to obey"
"At least one of you has some sense. Now bring me the Shard" King Aurelius commanded and Zethia nodded, taking the prismatic shard from it's place. She gave it to the fallen king and instantly, he crushed it in his palm.
"Good, good. Another shard gone" The king gloated before raising his hand. A swirling portal of dark magic opened behind him, taking both him and Zethia away.
"I'm sorry, everyone. Be safe. ...Good-bye, Euden" Zethia put her hands into a prayer and instantly, both her and the king were gone.
"No… No! ZETHIA!"
No... Zethia, no! Why?!" Notte sobbed, "What do we do, Euden?! That creep kidnapped Zethia!"
"We go after him!" Euden groaned, trying to rise from the ground. Elisanne however held him down, "Nnnngh… Elly…?"
"You're injured, Your Highness! He'll kill you if you try anything!" The Paladyn cried, "Let Cleo heal you and get some rest first. I know for sure that imposter wasn't the real King Aurelius"
"She's right. Right now, ya need to heal up so we can figure out what'n blazes just happened" Ranzal agreed, before looking ahead to the castle, "Let's rest there for the time being"
"A...alright. We'll return to the royal city as soon as I can move. Father will know who that imposter was" Euden nodded as Cleo rose her rod, healing the worst of his wounds, along with everyone else's. My chest still feels like it's been sliced open, but at least blood wasn't gushing out of it now. Still, I felt incredible wobbly.
"The mist has cleared. That means the castle here is ours to use. It is called the Halidom. This is where Alberius the Founder's dynasty began," Cleo gestured to the pristine castle, "We should tarry here for a while and explore the castle. We may find something useful for the battles ahead. Also, if you will have me, I wish to accompany you and offer what help I can"
"Thank you. You've been a lot of help, Cleo. We'd be lucky to have you," Euden nodded as he stood up, "Alright, everyone. We'll rest at the Halidom and prepare for the next leg of our journey"
…
The Halidom was cleaner than I thought it would be. For a supposingly ancient building, it was well kept and signs of activity were about before we arrived.
"Is something the matter?" Cleo asked. She guided me through the Halidom's second floor, which seemed to contain over a thousand bedrooms. An entire battalion of Alberia's standing army could rest here and the bedrooms were no cheap barracks either. Each and every one was luxurious and comfortable, complete with a walk-in closet, queen sized bed, feather pillows and so much more. I felt like I was living like royalty here.
"Nothing. I'm just wondering how this place is so well-kept," I replied, inspecting the railing next to me. Unexpectedly, it was dusted and seemed to be in a darker shade than usual, like was recently cleaned, "I mean, this place was present back in Alberius's time. Shouldn't it be ancient and well… collapsed already?"
"I was still here in the Halidom, even after Alberius's company long left. My old master bade me to protect and maintain this place as his final order," Cleo said, showing me a room numbered 128 like it was an inn, "As such, I've been cleaning the entire Halidom in preparation for Euden's arrival"
"You've cleaned this entire place?! It's gigantic!" I replied in awe. The sylvan didn't look the least bit winded from her efforts. No signs of age or exhaust anywhere, "Do you not have hobbies or activities to indulge in?"
"... I draw and paint occasionally. But I'd rather not say more," The healer shook her head, "Anyhow, here is your room and key. I'm going to help out Ranzal next"
"Alright," I accepted the simple metal key with a wooden card attached to it, "And thank you"
"My pleasure," Cleo nodded before taking off down the staircase. I decided to explore my room a bit. Leaving my spear and sword by the door, I checked the closet for a spare change of clothes. Astonishingly, there were several sets of clothing already inside. Nothing my style obviously, but enough to be comfortable. Sleeping in my armor while on campaigns was already torturous. I was grateful for the lighter clothes.
"... This should be good" I murmured to myself. I adorned myself with a fair-fitting white tunic secured by a brown belt and brown pants. It was peasant clothing really, but it was far more comfortable than my armor and Prince Euden didn't give a crap about status anyways. I could afford to be a little more loose. By the door of my room was a desk with a mirror, comb, razor and other utilities. Who even bought all this stuff? The bill must of been ridiculous.
"Let's check the armory after this. I need some stronger weapons" I told myself as I combed my raven black hair to get the helmet-hair down. Once that was done, I exited out of my room and headed back down to the foyer to explore some more. To my surprise, there were already a few new people gathered by the door. Euden was already conversing with them.
"... Me and Ezelith met each other on our travels. Don't mind her. She's as good as she says she is," A swordsman with black hair and a wide hat assured. The girl beside him, who I assumed was Ezelith simply crossed her arms.
"Damn right. Ku Hai here was lucky to find me when he did. Then again, anyone's lucky when they have ME on their side," Ezelith grinned and then skipped around the foyer, "Wow! This place is massive. Do you live here?"
"For the time being, yes," Euden nodded, "What are you two here for anyways?"
"Oh, we simply saw this place emerge from the mist a few hours ago and decided to investigate. The fact that a dragon was roosting nearby piqued Roc's interest too," Ku Hai replied. Catching Euden's confusion, the swordsman drew a green crystal similar to a pactstone from his clothes. Muttering under his breath, the traveler summoned a white and green bird-like dragon beside him, brimming with wind mana.
"This is Roc, my companion dragon. Like Ezelith, I met her in my travels and decided to band together," Ku Hai's voice dropped down a little, "And no offense to Ezelith, but Roc has been my greatest boon ever since we met"
"Ha! You do know how to charm a dragon, Ku Hai!" Roc laughed, "Anyways, we came here to rest a little before resuming our travels. Do you mind?"
"Of course not. There are plenty of rooms to pick from," Euden grinned earnestly, "And I'm sure Roc would love the company of another dragon. Find Cleo, a purple haired sylvan to get your room and key"
"Wonderful! Thank you so much for your kindness," Ku Hai nodded before looking around the foyer, "Ezelith! Where are you?!"
"Oh no, not again," Roc groaned, "That girl is always out and about doing what she likes"
"Looks like a child and acts like a child. I'm just glad she's such a powerful magi," Ku Hai muttered and the two of them set off. I approached Euden and he looked as surprised as I was.
"Well, that didn't take long. Two people plus a dragon," I remarked as I looked outside the Halidom's lobby, "Makes sense that a massive castle like this attracts attention, especially since we unveiled it just an hour ago"
"Yeah… I should be resting, but I want to be here in case more people show up," Euden felt his back, which recovered nicely thanks to Cleo, but he still winced, "Ranzal and Elisanne are exploring the Halidom so…"
"Your Highness!" On cue, the Paladyn ran up to the prince, panting, "What are you doing standing here? You should be resting!"
"Sorry Elly. Some people are taking notice of the Halidom, so I want to be here to greet them and know what they're here for," The prince apologized, "I'll take up your suggestion to rest though. You mind taking over here?"
"Of course, Your Highness" Elisanne nodded and Euden took off to the second floor. I decided to resume my exploration to find the castle armory or storage.
"Hey, Notte," I caught the fairy floating around the kitchen, peering around for snacks, "You happen to know where the armory or storage shed is here? I need a new weapon"
"Uhh… I haven't taken a full look in here yet, but Ranzal said he was heading back to Rovetelle for a quick minute," Notte replied, "He said he was bringing back some old friends to help us. A trio of blacksmith sisters!"
"Really now? Well, so much for finding that armory. Why have a dusty old lance when I get a newly forged one?" I grinned, "Thanks for telling me, Notte. Good luck finding some food here"
"Yeah! I swear that Cleo doesn't eat anything here…" Notte continued her search and I went on my way, eventually coming out to a massive courtyard, which could fit an entire festival. Several trees lined the field along with some training dummies, archery targets and a sparring area by the corner. Clotheslines, wash basins and gardens were on the other side of the field.
"Mm… I suppose it'll be a while before those blacksmiths arrive. Let's get some training in" I told myself and went over to the sparring arena, where rows of wooden lances, swords, axes, daggers and bows laid to use. I took up a spear and began jabbing away at a training dummy, my mind going on autopilot. I was mostly focused on awakening the elemental spirit within myself to execute skills. Everyone in our group could do it except for me, so I needed to not fall behind.
"Come on… Luna Breaker!" Just for fun, I even made names for my elemental skills, but like usual, nothing happened. All I did was gut the dummy through like usual, "Mm… nothing again. Disappointing, but not unusual"
"... Pray tell, what are you doing?" A voice asked behind me and I whirled around, nearly impaling the woman through. However, she didn't flinch, "Prithee, I didn't come here to get run though. Lower the weapon"
Reluctantly, I did, "Okay. Who are you then?"
"I am called Nefaria," The woman introduced herself. She had very dark skin and wore a desert-like ensemble. In her hands was a bow pulsing with faint purple light and she had a quiver over her waist. A shadow-attuned archer, "It came to my attention that an ancient castle has returned to this world, and I could not resist laying eyes upon it myself"
"... We unveiled this castle not too long ago. Unless you were lying in wait, I couldn't fathom how you caught word of it so fast," I replied and Nefaria simply shrugged.
"You'd be surprised how easy it is to see spires of light falling from the sky. This castle's return has been seen for miles," The archer explained, "Upon that sight, I journeyed far from the south where the sun scorched the land without mercy. Now finally, I have arrived"
"Where the sun scorched the land without mercy… that's the southern desert, far from Alberia," I frowned, "Okay, I'd like to say again that we unveiled the castle two hours ago. You couldn't have possibly come here that fast"
Nefaria smirked, bringing out another dragon crystal like Ku Hai's "I had company. Come forth, Nidhogg!"
The purple crystal glowed in the afternoon sunlight and suddenly, a massive purple and blue dragon appeared in the courtyard, spreading it's torn wings. Around it was an aura of dark mana, although not the same like King Aurelius's. This one made me fearful, not terrified.
"Me and him share a connection and we've been travelling since. He has been the most benevolent protector," Nefaria said proudly and Nidhogg simply grunted in response. I noticed a few gaping wounds here and there on the dragon, "However, his has sustained awful injuries on the way here thanks to fiends. I was hoping to both visit and rest here to restore Nidhogg's condition"
"... Take that up with Prince Euden, our leader. I'm not authorized to recruit people here," I shook my head and Nefaria nodded in understanding, returning Nidhogg back to crystal form, "Before you go though, can I have a favor?"
"What is it?"
"I noticed that your bow is brimming with dark magic. You're also bonded with a shadow dragon," I began, "And long ago, someone determined that a shadow spirit lived within me. So I was wondering…"
"You aren't able to execute any skills, is that right?" Nefaria guessed and I nodded sadly, "I see. If Euden allows it, I'll stay here and help you. Nighttime is the prime time to hone your spirit in particular"
"I assumed so. Thank you Nefaria" I bowed to her out of respect and a faint smile appeared on her face. The archer then took off into the castle, leaving me alone again.
"Prithee…? She speaks old and sounds old, yet she looks so youthful," I murmured as I took more practice jabs at the dummy, "And she said her and Nidhogg shared a connection. A shadow dragon that emanates fear. What connection could that possibly be…?"
"Alright Smithwyrms! Let's restore this armory real quick so our blacksmiths can take some residence!" I heard Ranzal yell from the other side of the courtyard. I looked ahead and saw two winged fafnirs with hammers and hardhats hammering away at an old shed by the corner. By some magic, their hammers restored the structure bit by bit with every hit. Not too long later, the armory was restored and open for business.
"Ah ha! Smithwyrms never ceases to amaze me" A blonde haired woman wearing a blacksmith's outfit complete with goggles exclaimed with pride. The fafnirs grinned before flying back to the castle, their job finished, "Just a couple hits of their hammers and they can rebuild anything"
"It truly is marvelous," An older woman with maroon hair agreed, gazing upon the armory with awe, "Thank you Ranzal, for giving us the opportunity to work here. I'm sure the Halidom would attract more customers than our run down storefront in Rovetelle"
"Ha, no need to thank me! You girls and your father have done more than enough for me since forever!" Ranzal grinned, "I don't know anyone who could maintain my armor and axe better! Same for you, Malka!"
"Heh. I'm glad you didn't forget me," A purple haired man covered in gold armor smiled. Rich fellow, looks to be be, "Now then, let's get this armory up and going. I'm sure Ranzal's gonna need his weapon sharpened AGAIN soon"
"Ha ha! You know me too well, Malka!" The mercenary laughed as the four blacksmiths entered into the restored smithy. I approached Ranzal once he was alone.
"Huh. If I didn't know any better, we'd be starting to build an army in here," I joked, "Two dragons, seven new recruits and now a full fledged armory. Euden's base is going to be pimped out compared to the royal capital at this rate"
"Let's call them "adventurers" instead of recruits. They haven't been fighting for us yet," Ranzal suggested, "They've come from places all over Alberia, so they're travelers technically"
"Fine. Adventurers then," I shrugged, "In any case, I believe we'll be moving out back to the capital tomorrow morning thanks to our injuries. So let's just-"
Suddenly, I heard a loud bell ring throughout the entire Halidom. I looked around for the source of the noise while Ranzal jerked around with excitement.
"The lunch time bell! Time to see how good Cleo's cooking is!" Ranzal exclaimed excitedly, pushing me aside, "I haven't had good grub in a while, so this food better be fit for royalty!"
"Considering Cleo's position, I wouldn't be surprised," I smirked, "I'll see you at the mess hall. I need to get a new weapon"
Ranzal stopped in his tracks, "Oh, you'll need to grab the materials yourself if you want that. By the time I found Ramona, Rena, Renee and Malka in the workshop, they said they were just out of ore. So be prepared for some extra work"
"Wonderful," I groaned, "Where can I even find materials to make weapons around here?"
"Fiends usually drop them. I suggest prowling the Mistholt a bit to look for them," Ranzal said, "Now then, time to eat. See ya later!"
"Yeah… See you"
…
Several hours later, I found myself alone in the Mistholt forest in my armor. The sun was setting behind me as I prowled around in search for fiends. In order to forge a Mailbreaker lance and a Ensorcelled Sword for myself, I need to find some Fiend Claws, Light Metal and Iron Ore. Also I needed rupies to pay for it. Luckily, fiends dropped all three according to Ranzal, so this shouldn't be hard.
"Hah!" I stabbed a fiend through, dissolving it into dark mana. The fiends around the Mistholt were garden variety, so they didn't pose much of a threat to me. Just the goblins, slimes and a few eyeballs. The bigger problem was actually acquiring their loot, since fiends dissolved into dark mana as they die. That made it impossible to gather their claws.
"Maybe if I just hit them this way to incapacitate them…" I slammed the butt of my spear into a fiend's stomach, making it spiral to the ground. I drew my sword to slice the goblin's hand off to get the claws, but it's club connected my face and I staggered away with a bloody nose, "Damn it!"
The fiend got up and charged to take advantage of my dizziness. I had no other choice but to stab the fiend through, wasting my kill.
"If you want to gather fiend body parts, you have to kill them the right way," Suddenly, a man covered head to toe in dark armor appeared before me. His visor showed red eyes, which I still didn't recover from after Aurelius. I twitched, instantly thinking he was an enemy and raised my weapon, "Wait! Be at peace!"
"Who are you and why do you look so…"
"Evil? Scary looking?"
"Yes. That"
"It's just his armor. Don't mind it," Someone dropped down from the trees, startling me. It was a sylvan archer with blonde hair and white ears. She only wore a breastplate and a green skirt, complete with a white cape, "I told you to shed the armor already, Rodrigo. You're scaring everyone you meet"
"I can't afford another set. This is the best I got!" Rodrigo replied, frustrated, "Nobody wants fiend meat, so making money hasn't been very easy"
"Well, naturally! Fiends are vicious and vile creatures. If you aren't careful, some are poisonous too. What humans would want to eat that?" The sylvan sighed, shaking her head, "Not even sylvans consume fiends. Harvest and sell something normal! Like meat or crops!"
"You know this already, Eleonora. I've been a mercenary my whole life!" Rodrigo argued back, "I don't know nothing but killing and hunting"
"My goodness, you're hopeless…" Eleonora groaned, "Are all humans like this?"
"I can assure you that they aren't. Now then, what were you saying about gathering fiend parts, Rodrigo?" I asked the dark swordsman and he turned to me, hand on his sword.
"I was saying that you have to attack them in a way to not kill them. That way, you can harvest their parts easily" He explained and I sighed.
"I tried that already. All I got back was this bloody nose" I grumbled, putting my hand onto it to suppress the blood flow. Eleonora produced a tissue from her pouch and handed it to me.
"That's because you only knocked it down, letting it fight back. You need to take out vital spots like the eyes, arms and legs without killing them for it to work," Rodrigo drew his sword, "Here, I'll demonstrate. Watch and learn!"
Taking a nearby goblin fiend by surprise, Rodrigo leapt on the beast, shearing off both of it's arms in a single swing. Before the fiend could even screech, Rodrigo ripped through it's legs and eyes before finally cleaving off the fiend's neck. Before now, I only aimed for the chest on fiends to slay them, but Rodrigo was magnificent. The most efficient fiend slaying I've seen.
"And there you go! I recommend using your sword to hunt fiends. That or a bow, if you know how to use it," Rodrigo gathered up the fallen fiend parts as the main body dissolved, handing them to me, "Lances have a tougher time shearing off individual parts"
"Ah, I see. Thank you so much!" I stuffed the fiend parts into the bag I brought along, "If you don't mind, could you two help me gather some more parts? I need it to forge a new weapon for myself"
"It would be my pleasure. Eleonora?" Rodrigo turned to the sylvan, who was picking at her bowstring, "You want to pitch in here?"
"Sure, sure. There's still time to kill before I have to get back to my village," Eleonora nocked an arrow into her bow, "Let the fiend hunt begin!"
…
An hour and a half later, night began to fell over the Mistholt and I heard Cleo sound her bell for the arrival of dinner. Me, Rodrigo and Eleonora managed to slay about 56 fiends total and snagged plenty of loot. It was thanks to Rodrigo's technique and Eleonora's hunting skills that we got so much to use.
"Thanks again, you two. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you" I told the duo as I tied up my bag of spoils, shouldering it. We decided to split the loot 50-50, since Eleonora declined taking back any bits of fiends with her. Even then, the payload was more than enough to forge five Ensorcelled Swords. Along the way, I even learned how to skin and eat fiend meat. A handy survival skill.
"You're welcome", Rodrigo grinned before looking into the sky, "Ah, nightfall comes. I'm afraid our time has ended, Adrian"
"Yes. I'm long overdue to return home, so I must be going," Eleonora shouldered her bow before digging into her pouch, "Here's a parting gift though, Adrian"
The sylvan tossed me a wyrmprint and I caught it. The artwork displayed on the print was the Alberian banner, flapping in a stormy day. Appropriately, the wyrmprint was called "Alberian Banner" and increases the power of my force strikes. How thoughtful.
"You seem to have an affinity for force strikes, so I thought that would be useful to you," Eleonora flashed me a smile before turning her back on us, "Now then, I hope to see you two again. Farewell!"
And with that, the sylvan bounded off, racing into the ever-increasing darkness of the Mistholt.
"And to one friend to another, here is some cured fiend meat," Rodrigo handed me a pack full of raw slabs of meat almost like steak, "Grilling or roasting them brings out the best of the natural flavor. I hope you enjoy it"
"Thank you, Rodrigo. I… I don't know how to repay you," I shook hands with the mercenary, "Actually hold on, I do. You said you knew nothing except for fighting and hunting, right?"
"... Yes. What are you suggesting?"
"Do you have anywhere to sleep tonight? Or a family to go home to?"
"No. Either I live in the wilderness or an inn until the next day. Money is tight with me having to maintain my sword and armor," Rodrigo replied sadly and I grinned.
"Come with me. I know a place where you can stay. I'm sure the people there would love to have you," I turned around, heading back to the Halidom, "A fiend hunter like yourself will be valuable"
"Truly so? Wonderful!" Rodrigo grinned, "Then I shall accompany you. Lead the way!"
With my new companion in tow, we headed back to the Halidom under the light of the rising moon. Life here seemed peaceful and simple, but unbeknownst to me, everything was going to change the very next day...
Current team:
- Adrian, Yearning Freedom - Shadow lance. Level 11
Equipment: Battleworn Lance, Soldier's Brand (Weapon) and Alberian Banner (WP)
- Rodrigo, Sincere Giver - Shadow sword. Level 15
Equipment: Blood Price (Weapon) and Unfulfilled Visions (WP)
And that's another chapter down. The new adventurers introduced in this chapter aren't exactly from my first tenfold, but they were ones who just came to mind first. Yes, that means I technically pulled three 5*s with Nefaria, Ezelith and Nidhogg, but meh, everyone's sorta on the same power level here. Coming up next is the start of in-game Chapter 2, where stuff really starts to get serious. If you want to be notified of when a new chapter comes out, favorite and follow. If you want to leave constructive criticism, leave a review. Until next time!