Bregnest smiled as Alex walked into the room. "It is good to see you, my friend," he said as he pulled Alex into a hug.

"Same to you," Alex laughed.

Bregnest looked at him, suddenly serious. "Did the oracle tell you anything important?"

Alex bit his lip, hesitating. Bregnest saw this and shook his head slightly. A worried expression coming onto his face, he spoke: "You do not need to tell me, of course. It is not my place to demand it."

Alex waved him off, but his face remained tight. "I understand, my friend. I know you would not demand it of me." He paused again, as his mind kept drifting away from the oracle's message to the less pleasant dream. "The oracle gave me my own challenge for this adventure," Alex spoke slowly. "She gave me my own goal for this adventure."

Bregnest looked at Alex seriously, and leaned over, resting his hand on his shoulder. "And is this task troubling you?"

Alex shook his head forcefully, trying to smile. Thoughts of the dream kept forcing their way into his head. "No – this is something else." He looked away from Bregnest. "Perhaps I will tell you about it later."

Bregnest nodded understandingly, and then settled into business. "This adventure will be a bit different from the others we have traveled together in. It will be a bit more dangerous." Bregnest looked at Alex solemnly. "Please know that you do not need to come on this adventure – if you turn me down, I'll understand."

Alex raised his eyebrows. "What could be more dangerous than fighting a dragon?"

Bregnest shook his head, offering a small smile in return for the remark. "Not much, I'll give you that," he spoke quietly, no humor in his voice. His eyebrows crinkled slightly in worry. "Do you remember what I spoke to you of in Alusia?"

Alex nodded. "You told me that this adventure, though taking place primarily in Alusia, would affect the known lands as a whole. You also said that there is a possibility of this adventure taking us to lands we have never explored."

Bregnest frowned. "Indeed. The success of this adventure will rely as much on outside help as it does on us. We will try to keep this help to a minimum, but we will need it none the less." Bregnest inclined his head slightly, keeping his eyes on Alex. "Having a wizard on this adventure would help us greatly, but again, do not feel forced to do this."

Alex frowned. His mind flashed once more back to his dream, but he shook his head to get it out. "So, tell me, my friend, what exactly is it that we're looking for on this adventure?"

Bregnest sighed, as though he was relieved Alex was still interested in the adventure. "We are searching for the treasure of the Venestreg, an ancient race of witches and warlocks." He clasped his hands together, frowning as he considered his wording. "More specifically, we are searching for their armor."

Alex rubbed his forehead in confusion. In his head, he heard Arconn's scream, but he ignored it as best he could. "Why their armor?"

Bregnest leaned toward him and explained. "The Venestreg were some of the greatest armor and weapon makers out there, even better than the dwarves, some say."

Alex thought of his sword. "What about the dark elves?"

Bregnest laughed quietly, though he didn't smile. "No one can outmatch the dark elves. The Venestreg and the dark elves were alive at the same time, and though they did not get along, there was little competition between them. They were known for different things," he clarified. "The dark elves were known for their powerful swords and other weapons. While the Venestreg did make exceptionally powerful swords, theirs were more likely to be demon blades."

Alex shuddered slightly, remembering the effects the demon blade he had encountered on his last adventure had had on its master. "What about their armor, the armor you're looking for?"

"That is what the Venestreg were known for," Bregnest answered. "Their armor was better than any in the known lands. Their leather armor was made, supposedly, from demon hide. Their metal armor was forged with demon or dragon fire, and magically enhanced to last longer and resist magic." Bregnest leaned forward, his eyes intense. "But their greatest armor, the armor we're after, is the Dracartura, or their dragon armor."

Alex's eyes widened. He knew what a dragon's scales were like; they were an armor nearly impossible to break through. "If the Dracartura is anything like an actual dragon's armor, I can see why you would wish to go after it."

Bregnest chuckled, smiling again. "And that is where the Venestreg's true talent lies. You see, the Dracartura is not just similar to a real dragon's armor," Bregnest told him. "It is a real dragon's armor." He watched Alex as his words sunk in. "Or it was, once. The Dracartura is armor made from the scales of a slain dragon."

Alex was speechless as he imagined the priceless strength of such armor, and the impossibility of making it. "It seems the Venestreg would need little magical enhancement to make such armor worth a large price."

"Indeed, though the Venestreg would enhance it." Bregnest tapped his fingers on the table. "The reason we are after this armor is not just for the wealth, however."

Alex laughed. "Of course it isn't, my friend. When are adventures ever solely for wealth?"

Bregnest smiled in return. "The real reason we are seeking this armor is because, as you say, the honor of adventurers bids us to protect innocents and our lands from evil." He lowered his voice to a rumbling whisper. "There is rumor of a – well, of a being, that would wish to have this armor for itself. It would use the power of the armor, indeed, the power of any of the Venestreg's treasure, to destroy the known lands." He raised his eyebrows at Alex. "And that is where the great danger lies."

Alex bit his lip thoughtfully. "So, just to make things clear, are we going after all of the Venestreg's treasures, or just the Dracartura?"

"If there is an opportunity to recover all of it, we will gladly do that. But, if we could recover any one thing, it would be the Dracartura, and the secrets to how to make it."

The corners of Alex's mouth twisted up slightly. "I doubt they'd have left an instruction booklet lying around," he joked, but Bregnest didn't smile. He cleared his throat, and spoke again. "Why only the Dracartura? I'm sorry, but I'm still confused. It seems like it would be more worthwhile to go after everything, or say, the weapons he could really use, instead?"

Bregnest shook his head slightly. "Don't apologize. Again, we will attempt to get everything we can. But to your question, the Dracartura is far more powerful than you would think armor can be. See, the Dracartura not only gives you the protection of a dragon, it also gives you the strength, and even a bit of the power of the dragon."

Alex nodded his understanding. "I can see why you wouldn't want this being to get a hold on them then," he said.

Bregnest nodded. "And of course, that isn't the only reason we would specifically take the Dracartura."

Alex raised his eyebrows. "No?"

Bregnest gave him a worried smile. "At least, with the Dracartura, we'd have a way to protect ourselves if the being does attack."