Alex leaned back, considering what Bregnest had told him. The sound of Bregnest's scream rang through his ears again, and he shivered slightly. He took a deep breath and looked Bregnest in the eyes. "Tell me about the agreement," he said, somewhat sharply.
Bregnest observed him silently, then nodded. He pulled the folded up contract from his pocket, and when he spoke, his voice was crisp, guarded. "There are ten of us going on this adventure. A bit of a larger company, yes, but larger numbers were a necessity. Some, you already know. You may have seen our old friend Arconn when you arrived today, and Sindar is with us, as well. There is another elf from the dark forest, named Ailariel. She is an elfin sorceress, as you will see, and a fairly powerful one."
Alex raised his eyebrows. "Having an elfin sorceress will be helpful, is we must battle with this powerful being."
Bregnest sighed. "A wizard would be even more so, but I fear, if we encounter this being before we get the Dracartura, a wizard and a sorceress wouldn't make much difference."
Alex felt a twinge of worry as he understood what this implied. "Still, it may help us reach our goal sooner."
Bregnest nodded his agreement, than continued. "I will introduce you to the others tonight at dinner, should you agree to join. Now, the king has offered a reward of 500,000 gold coins to each member of this adventure, and any treasure found on this adventure, is ours to divide."
Alex's eyes widened. "That's quite a generous reward," he murmured.
Bregnest shook his head, but his eyes never left Alex. "Not quite so generous. It is a fair amount for an adventure as dangerous as this." Alex shivered again, as he thought of his dream, which he was becoming more and more certain was a warning. Bregnest noticed this, but made no comment. In a quiet voice, he continued, "This adventure may cost us more than we could gain if the king gave us his entire treasure hoard, Alex. Please, you understand the danger here. As your friend, I beg you, know that you do not have to do this. I will not hold it against you, should you choose to walk away."
Alex swallowed. He understood the danger, and he knew that if he chose to join this adventure, he would be risking his life more than he had ever risked it before. He opened his mouth, then shut it again, hesitating.
He thought of what the oracle had told him. The possibility of meeting a family member had seemed so exciting at the time. It still did. He longed to know something of his family, where he came from. But, if he might kill himself in the process…
You might not die, you know, a voice whispered in the back of his mind. He bit his lip, glancing up at Bregnest.
Bregnest looked at him, patiently, and whispered, "Take your time."
Alex nodded. He went back to his thoughts. If I go on this adventure, I might die… He closed his eyes, concentrating on the battle going on in his mind.
The voice turned colder. And what if you don't go?
Suddenly, images rushed to Alex's mind. The image of a being, an entity, dark, and powerful…more powerful than anything Alex had encountered, wielding the power of the Venestreg, with the entire hoard of treasure, weapons, knowledge…and the dracartura. The power of the dragon armor making the entity stronger…invincible…as it tore the Known Lands apart.
Alex gasped, putting a hand to his head, his eye wild. He vaguely heard Bregnest speaking, asking if he was alright…he barely felt the hand on his shoulder, shaking him, then steadying him…
The voice continued, darkly and forcefully, What if you don't TRY to fight it? What if you aren't there to bother TRYING to protect them?
The dream. The dream came back to him, in full force. The language he couldn't understand, the beings he couldn't see. And more clearly than before, much, much more devastatingly clear, he heard them the screams. Bregnest…Arconn…the woman…screaming in pain as he fought desperately to get to them.
What if you aren't there to protect them?
And just like that, Alex knew what he had to do. He shook his head, clearing his mind as the voice died out and the vision faded. Blinking, he noticed that he was standing, posed in a low crouch, as if preparing for an attack, his whole body tensed and drenched in sweat. Bregnest was standing, as well, his hands on Alex's shoulders, deep concern etched into his face.
"Are you alright, Alex?" Bregnest asked, his voice tight with worry.
Alex took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm…I'm alright, my friend." He reached out and patted Bregnest's arm reassuringly. He gestured to the contract. "Now, show me where to sign."
Bregnest, still looking worried, gradually sat back down behind the table. "Alex, are you sure you want to do this? If you don't think it's the right idea…"
Alex was already shaking his head. Looking Bregnest in the eye, he said firmly, "Bregnest, what I just saw ha convinced me that I must go on this quest. I can't explain it now, I'll tell you as best I can later…but you must believe me: I must go on this adventure with you."
Bregnest nodded slowly. "Very well. Sign here, old friend." He smiled warmly, though he was still tinged with worry. Alex did so, and Bregnest stood and shook his hand.
With a deep sigh, and a small, tense smile, Bregnest said, "Welcome to the company!"