"A silver Behemoth…" Elia muttered, leaning back on the wall of the room as she looked to the commander who had informed her of the attack, Serphia herself still unconscious as she was laying in one of the barracks beds as Reginhard sat beside her. After the men had returned, the commander immediately moved to inform the barracks captain, at the same time managing to find Elia and Arlus there working on the squad formations. They had kept silent during the entire trip in fear of what the old man might do, but it seemed he was honest to his word to the very end. Elia just looked at the old man with a calm gaze, her mind trying to process this man as he used the shadows to look around the place. "And you, you say your lord is Oliver?"

"Indeed, though that's only because he made me the caretaker of his castle." Reginhard responded, his gaze overlooking the forest around the city as his gaze finally found the two men playing a game of chess, three marks on both their sides as Oliver's gaze continued to hold it's orange glow, Eanor only smirking as he tapped one of his pawns that had reached the end of the board, the form soon changing into a queen as the two played their game. "In truth, he absolutely hates being called a lord or anything of that manner, though it is understandable given his lineage being of those who had fought what they had considered a tyrant at the time."

"Lineage..." Serphia muttered, opening her eyes lazily as she looked around, still a bit dazed as she pulled herself up. She then rubbed her neck as she felt the pain from the hit, remembering parts of what had happened.

"You're up." Elia spoke, her voice showing a slight bit of concern as she walked over to the girl, her gaze searching around the place for someone. "Oliver apparently stayed at the area, and I have half a mind to march my troops over there myself in order to understand what the hell he's hid from us."

"But then you'd lose the chance to take care of that behemoth, though you wouldn't exactly succeed in capturing him." Reginhard spoke, his eyes not even moving from the window as he watched Oliver and Eanor play. Elia just looked at him confused, remembering her own match with him. "Unlike when you faced him yesterday, he's regained all of his former strength, though it's depleted from its part in building his home. Besides, would you really stop him from obtaining information for you?"

"You mean the mark on the beast's arm?" the commander asked as he remembered their encounter, making Reginhard only nod as a part of his own shadow rose and formed the seal on the arm. "We already know it's the seal of the northern kingdom, but there's differences in it from their coat of arms."

"Looks like the same seal that's on the drinks Oliver orders when he's eating at the tavern." Serphia muttered, remembering the few times she had taken him bottles he ordered from Oric and had asked about the seal. "It's their trading seal, not the military coat of arms."

"Meaning someone is more than likely trying to play us all for fools." came Arlus, who had remained silent thinking during the entire time, his gaze calm as he saw the shadows moving around Reginhard. "I always found it strange how he managed to kill those creatures with brute force when he brought them back for his agreement, though it just means that he'll be stronger if his abilities only returned just now."

"Indeed, along with the fact that he has the potential of a king." Came a voice, making them all turn to the entrance to find Oric enter, his body straightened and looking as if it was twenty years younger as he walked to Serphia. "I heard from the guards of how only three of the squad came back alive, and was expecting to hear the worse, but it seems we've gained quite the defense."

"Wait, what do you mean he has the potential of a king?" Orias asked, looking to Oric confused as the old man sat down beside Serphia, his gaze overlooking the arm she had in a cast. "Do you mean he would want the power for himself?"

"No, otherwise he wouldn't have lived on his own for so long, and with so little." Arlus responded, his gaze on Oric as the man watched the small viewing glass that Oliver and Eanor were playing chess in, Oliver moving his rook forward and placing Eanor's side in checkmate as the other man sighed and marked a new line. "From what I've heard, though, he has the presence of a king."

"He holds the presence along with the mind for it, though he never wanted to turn his country into a monarchy." Oric spoke, making Reginhard turn to him confused as the man kept his gaze on Oliver and Eanor's game. "Unlike most of the others who had played for control of his country, he found it his duty to ensure it wouldn't fall in his time, making him one of the two main forces at the end of the War of Darkness."

"That is because of the lineage that I had spoken of earlier." Reginhard responded, turning his gaze back to the image as he went through his own knowledge. "The country was founded by two of his ancestors, in fact he was named after the older who had been among those who signed the declaration of the country's independence, and who he found the most correspondence with from their actions in life. Along with this, he had a grandfather who played a major role in a war that shook the foundations of his country along with various others around it."

"Oric, how do you know so much about him?" Arlus asked as he looked to the older man, who only smirked as he stroked his own beard. "Did he tell you about it?"

"No, given it would be impossible for anyone to know in this land." Oric responded as he looked over to Arlus, his eyes not even showing a care of the people in front of him yet showing a form of joy. "I'll explain why when Oliver returns, but until then I'll keep to the secrecy that my own master holds on me."

"What does Instructor Yamada have to do with him?" Elia asked, making Reginhard look back to them confused.

"Yamada?" Reginhard asked, making them all look to him as they saw the genuine curiosity in his gaze, its sight set on Oric as the man looked to him. "Who exactly is he?"

"Someone who saved me and many others, but that explanation will wait until after Oliver has returned." Oric spoke, looking to the screen again as the two men played their game. "After all, that man demanded that I don't utter a single word to him until after he had regained his abilities, and to inform the truth to him alone."

"I see…" Reginhard responded, seeing the unmoving gaze of the barkeep as he turned back to the screen 'Yamada… I can only think of one man who has that last name, but they're supposed to be dead.' Reginhard thought, his gaze returning to the game being played by the two men in the rain, their heads covered from the water as they played it. 'What in creation did that missile do, anyway…'

"In the meantime, I need to understand a bit of the story behind Oliver before I can decide anything on him, and before anyone within the nobles learns of him and tries something brash." Arlus spoke, looking to serphia as she rubbed her neck as she only nodded to the prince as she recalled the tale Oliver had told her.

"I only know bits and pieces, but I'll say what I know." Serphia spoke, making Oric only nod as she started to recount the tale.

-Oliver-

"So then, looks as though they won't be heading out anytime soon, seeing how the ties to Reginhard are feeling, though it seems something's troubling him." Oliver spoke as he got up, stretching his arms as he took a quick break from the game. "That doesn't mean they won't move before I decide to, however."

"Though it is rather curious as to what's caught Reginhard's attention over there." Eanor responded, making Oliver only nod as the warrior stood up, his helmet set by his side. He held a lighter brown hair than Oliver, something that was to be expected for reincarnation along with the physical changes, but the gaze he bore was also different in it's own way. It held ambition, but it also held a sense of a protector instead of a conqueror. 'It's to be expected though, given that reincarnation doesn't leave the mind as it once was.' Oliver thought, his mind moving through the small amount of Myrkr's knowledge he had managed to put together as the chess board fell into the shadows. Eanor just looked around, seeing the darkness ripple around them as Oliver picked up his dagger, it's seven marks still showing on the blade. "You're reaching your limit as it is, aren't you?"

"Items forged of shadow fire take a lot of power, even if it's only simple things as nails or hinges, of course this might be my limit." Oliver responded, moving his hand to where it rested on the tip of the blade, his mind remembering the requirements for it to pass through. "I have enough to summon Ksalso to take me over to the beast after it's reached it's location, but I won't have enough to fight afterwards-"

"Unless you use the dagger." Eanor interrupted, making Oliver nod as the man sat down. "I may have twenty thousand years of memories, but I still know a thing or two about our ideas and inventions."

"Just making sure." Oliver spoke as he looked to the dagger, the marks now clearer in their design. At first glance, it would look like nothing more than scrapes on the blade that just happened to be evenly spaced, but if someone took a closer inspection to each, then they would see that the marks each held a small symbol on the center of them, and seemed to ripple with power hidden beneath the metal. "Seven uses until I can properly refuel my power, I made certain of this back when I had left our realm. However, I'm fairly amazed that I haven't had to use it till now."

"Shouldn't you be more focused on your bird at the moment?" Eanor asked, making Oliver smirk before he closed his eyes, focusing his gaze to that of the birds own. As he did so, the darkness around them seemed to calm, draping over them as Oliver's movement ceased, his breathing near nonexistent as Eanor watched. "So that's how we look when we move our mind…"

-7 miles from Oliver-

The ground shook as the behemoth ran through it, pushing the trees around it to the side as the black bird followed in hot pursuit, it's eyes soon glowing orange as Oliver witnessed it's run. 'Strange, though, that a creature used for battle knows the instinct to run from those who control darkness.' Oliver thought as the bird flew over one of the overturned trees, the beast in an obvious panic from what he had said to it. However, as the bird flew higher and over the beast, flying just over the tree the creature was making, he noticed a look of determination in its eyes instead of fear. 'Well, that's even more interesting…'

As the bird slowed down, however, the beast slowed down as well, soon looking up at it as if making sure it was following, confusing Oliver further as he went through what he had learned of beasts similar to it. Behemoths, though bearing the same name as a few beasts he had seen in stories and games, were among the more intelligent races of danger beasts, known for their way to use the environment around them when they'd have to face creatures stronger than themselves. Out of all of them, however, the ones with silver fur were ten times the strength of the rest, but were few in number throughout the lands. Because of this, they could be sold for a small fortune as pets or defense beasts, but that would take away the instincts and knowledge they would learn from the wild in the process.

'So how come this one knows to fear me though it bears a seal of a trading company…' Oliver thought, the beast soon coming into a clearing that led to a valley a few yards off. The bird just flew past it as the creature slowed down further, speeding towards the valley in due haste to see a small camp start to appear in it's gaze, it's sight more focused on the area in front of the camp. Along the edge of it was a large wall of spikes, and on each were the heads of beasts and others. Outside of the wall, however, was a small wooden cage that held around ten people inside, each either wearing the clothes of merchants or those of peasants as the bird landed on the top of the cage. 'Reginhard, how long will it be till Erebus is ready?'

'Not long, only thirty more minutes in this realm.' Came a reply in his head as the birds gaze scanned the area, the behemoth soon reaching the edge of the area before a horn sounded, making it stop. 'I suppose that means you found the location?'

'Looks to be the case, but the creature willingly led me here…' Oliver responded, seeing five guards move out of the camp and warily towards the behemoth, a small boy walking in front of them. Oliver used the birds eyes to analyze each of the guards, each of them bearing what looked to be basic leather and iron armor, shoddy weapons resting on their sides that still looked to be a higher quality of metal than what the people at the city had. What interested Oliver, however, was the boy in front of the soldiers. He had silver hair and a strong gaze despite only looking around fourteen, but his clothes were tattered and weathered. Along with this, he bore chains on his legs and arms, a collar shining on his throat that led to one of the guards behind him, his helmet discerning him as a higher rank than the rest from the hue of it's shine. 'A slave…'

Oliver had expected there to be slavery in this era, especially given the events that would occur in a millennia, but it still shocked him to the core as the bird flew over towards the people. It soon landed a few yards away as the boy walked over towards the behemoth, the creatures' eyes focusing on the boy with a far gentler gaze than it had prior. "It's claws are covered in blood." The boy muttered, his movements stopped at a few feet from the beast as he looked down at it's paws. The guard holding the boys chain then lifted his hand, signaling the others to move around the beast as it looked over to the bird, it's gaze showing a pleading look as the guards circled it. The boy only walked forward again as he rested his hand on the creature's nose, patting it as the beast looked back down at him. "I'm sorry for you doing this for my sake."

'It was being told to by a boy? But why on earth…' Oliver thought before the birds form started to ripple, signaling the timespan ending. Oliver only mentally sighed as the bird turned and flew back towards the path it had come by, his mind overlooking the area as he felt his connection to it link together like a chain. 'There's more behind those two, but it will have to wait for when I've come here.'

'In the meantime, the others are watching your form as we speak through a viewing glass I made in the area.' Reginhard spoke as the bird flew into the trees, now changing from the path and heading straight for him as he listened to the old man. 'I've simply put it up so I could see more of it, but apparently they've grown interested. Your orders?'

'Might as well make it a show with sound as well once I return, no need to have them worrying over what I might say to those bastards in the camp when I reach them.' Oliver responded as the bird landed in the shade of one of the trees, the darkness pooling around it as his own body started to rise up from it. 'Time to make an entrance.'

-Behemoth-

The creature followed the boy as the guards circled around it, aiming their spears at it despite the creatures only focus being on the child in front of it. After two months of these events, it had gotten used to the attempted fear treatment they tried despite it knowing full well that the blades wouldn't hurt it. However, it couldn't get rid of the annoyance in fear of endangering the child in front of it, the boy that pulled it from the dark hole it had been tossed into at birth after two years of it's life. The creatures body then slowly tensed as it caught the scent of another person, making it look up to find the head of a man it had known well, the original merchant who had wandered with the boy on their own path, only for all three of them to be captured by these people. It then lowered it's head as it looked back to the boy in front of it, the child simply looking ahead with grim eyes as he walked past the dead merchant.

'That makes seventeen, leaving the boy as the last of those captured.' The beast quietly thought, counting the number of people that had died since it's master was captured by these people, now as heads ornamenting the area by the command of the leader of this camp. The creature could've easily decimate all the people in this camp if he had the chance, the entirety of their armory not even being anything stronger than iron, but that would put the boy in jeopardy. The very boy that pulled it out of that dark crevice and raised it beside him at the beginning. 'I can't allow any more harm to come to him.'

It's thoughts were then interrupted as clapping was heard ahead of them, making the beast look up to find the leader of the group that had captured them. The man wasn't anything spectacular, bearing a balding head and fairly large beard, along with an axe resting on his back that he normally used to decapitate any of the prisoners he deemed unnecessary. "So then, I take it the mission was successful with how your claws show a good deal of blood." the man spoke, a grin on his face as the boy looked away from him. "Just continue like this and you'll be free within two months."

"Enough of the lies, you've said two months for the past three weeks." the boy spoke, his gaze now looking up at the man with anger as the beast noticed the boy shaking from how he had been containing it. "You're lucky that he'd rather die than lose me or I would ask him to kill every last one of you bastards without worrying about me."

"Big talk coming from someone in your shoes." the man spoke as he walked up to the chain holder, soon grabbing the chain before he tugged it, pulling the boy towards him in a quick motion as the beast stepped forward in warning. The man only smirked as he grabbed the boys hair, his gaze cold as he looked down on him. "You may have the blood of the famed Northern General, but your title and your spirit are meaningless here. The only thing that's keeping you alive is the fact that the beast is here and listens to you."

"So you are forcing him into this." came a familiar voice to the behemoth, causing the group to all look over to the entrance to find a man in black armor standing there. The creature immediately recognized them, the same man that had stopped it from killing the girl, but was still shocked over the speed that they came here. "It doesn't explain why such a beast knows to fear beings such as myself, but it's not the first time I've met something that knows my identity. Then again, I don't think the civil war counts given it became a literal war of darkness..."

"How did he find our camp?!" The leader snapped, making the guards simply turn to the man with their spears pointed as the leader let go of the boys hair and drew a dagger on his side, placing it at the boy's throat. The man simply sighed as he walked forward, the glint of a black dagger coming off of his side as he stepped forward.

"So then, I guess that means I can't enjoy a meal then?" the man asked as he heard one of the men blow a warning horn, making him smirk as he heard the thundering sound of steps moving towards him. "Guess that's a no."

-Arlus, Elia, Serphia and the others-

"So Oliver and six others had led a civil war in his country under another by the name of Myrkr?" Arlus resounded, Serphia finishing with the tale Oliver had told her as the man sat in thought. Reginhard only nodded to the question of the man, his gaze moving from the viewing glass as Oliver walked further into the area. "But I don't get why he told you that Myrkr was the one who held darkness embodiment if he also held it."

"More than likely because they never asked, along with the fact that he kept the abilities secret for his own reasons." Reginhard responded, making Arlus nod as Oric closed his eyes in though. "Myrkr, or the one Oliver called Myrkr, was the one who trained Oliver in his abilities, and had given him his final test before he came here. At the same time, however, the Myrkr the people knew worked to achieve that which he believed in."

"The way you've said that is as though there's more than one with that name." Arlus spoke, making Reginhard only smirk as he looked to the prince. Elia just kept her silence as she watched the conversation, looking in between her brother and the old man as Reginhard's staff vanished from his hand.

"Myrkr itself is from the norse language meaning 'darkness', and was chosen as a binding title during Oliver's training, as is the custom for those who learn in the control of the primordial darkness." Reginhard spoke, his gaze overlooking the group as they listened, making him chuckle at the intensity of their stares. "The details upon it are personal to Oliver alone, so I am forbidden to say anything of it until he allows me. I can, however, say that the Oliver most of you know is far different from the outgoing one that had led the war, now reverted to a mere hunter, a hollowed shell of his former self from the pain he had felt during the final events of the war."

"Yet he still kept his own unbreaking will from how I saw him." Oric spoke, soon looking to Elia as she nodded. "He managed to kill those first beasts with his bare hands and a broken bow, and even managed to build his own home on his own."

"He even bore more strength than I anticipated during when we had fought, though his move would've been a do or die counter." Elia spoke, remembering her own fight against the man as Reginhard smiled. "He held a massive presence that was of the same strength as our father bears at times."

"Yet he couldn't awaken his abilities till now because he still held himself back from those events." Reginhard responded, making the entire room silent as they looked to him, his own gaze piercing through them like daggers. "He had walked the path of the conqueror and is among the few who succeeded and survived where others died before their achievements became a reality, but had started at a far younger age than most. He was only seventeen when he had decided on the path, and took two years to prepare himself before fighting."

"Just what kind of a man was he?" Arlus asked, making Reginhard only smile as he looked to him, tapping his staff on the ground as the viewing glass grew larger, allowing them to see Oliver better as he was soon surrounded by at least thirty men.

"If you watch, then you'll see with your own eyes." Reginhard responded as Oliver stepped in the middle of the group of soldiers, his dagger raised in a defensive position before he smirked, turning the blade towards himself.

"Well then, better get the party started." Oliver spoke, the smirk on his face only growing as he stabbed the blade into his left hand, making the men around him back away in shock as his eyes started to glow orange. The others, in the meantime, just stared in utter shock as the blade cut through him like butter, causing Oric to hold his hand over his mouth to keep from gasping as he watched.

"Did he just stab himself?!" Elia spat out as she leaned towards the viewing glass, Arlus just watching the inflicted wound as the darkness under Oliver started to pulse, though the men around him paid it no mind. Elia then noticed something else as Oliver's eyes glowed brighter, making her confused as she looked closer at it.

-Oliver-

"Wait... Why isn't he bleeding?" Oliver heard Elia say as he smirked, feeling his control over the darkness return to it's former form as he cracked his neck, pulling the blade out of his hand as the wound closed itself.

"This dagger is merely a means to allow me to replenish my power if I don't have my normal means, though that doesn't apply that it's painless and can't kill me if it hits any vital organs..." Oliver spoke silently as he sheathed the dagger, one of it's seven seals fading away as he looked up at the leader of the band, the child still held by the chain beside him. He then felt as the darkness seemed to wash over his bones, popping and moving them into place as he felt a great deal of stress lift off of him, soon looking over to the boy as he pondered what to do.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly, seeing as how you're going to be the pawns to use to remember my former strength!" Oliver shouted, his voice carrying through the camp as more men poured in and surrounded him, a calm grin on his face as he counted them out. 'Around forty-five in total at the moment, though they probably have more getting some extra things somewhere.' Oliver thought, doing a mocking bow as he held a small smirk. "The Wolf of Connecticut, Oliver Wolcott, shall be your executioner this evening."

"Wolf of Connecticut?" Oliver heard Elia ask, soon hearing Reginhard chuckle as he slid his feet back in a ready stance.

"A name granted to him during his time as a mercenary, Connecticut being the place he and his ancestors were born and raised in, though it was not the first title he bore." Reginhard replied as Oliver's muscles tensed his gaze having a light orange glow as he viewed more men starting to run in.

"Everyone, I know you can hear me as well as I can hear you." Oliver spoke as the men slowly surrounded him, their weapons all readied as the rain began to pour overhead again. "Let me ask you something: what makes the qualifications of a good leader? Answer it frankly, in what you believe, not what you've been told. You have three chances."

"What..." Oliver heard Elia say as he felt the very tension of the room seem to reach him from so far away. Oliver only chuckled at it as two of the men ran towards him with spears, causing him to grab both weapons and tug, pulling the men forward even faster as he moved in between the spears and grabbed both of their heads, darkness trickling from his hands and wrapping around their skulls as he heard Elia answer. "A good leader must make decisions out of wisdom, taking note of the battlefield or the current state of affairs. They must also aim to have the minimum casualties or deaths while working for a goal."

"Those are the qualifications of a general, which is not the answer I wish." Oliver spoke as he twisted both of his hands, hearing resounding cracks from the necks of the two as he let go of their heads, their bodies falling limp as the men around him backed up in shock. "Who's next?"

"A good leader must bear the ability to choose the morally right path, while also paying attention to how it affects the area around them." Oliver heard Serphia say, making him smirk as he heard three sets of feet running behind him, making spin around and kick up one of the spears of the fallen men, soon grabbing it before swinging it in an arc as he continued his turn, the weapon hitting the man only three feet from him as two others were behind him on either side, both having axes ready to hack him down. Oliver then slammed his left hand to stop the spin of the weapon before stabbing it into the man in the left, soon drawing it back before spinning it down into the head of the last man, his gaze cold as he felt the crack of the mans skull in the wooden staff of the spear, the man falling past him as the group now got ready to deal with him in a rush.

"That's the idea of a righteous king, one who goes down the path most consider the right path, but it is still not the answer I seek." Oliver spoke as he took a ready stance with the spear, his footing now wider as he noticed ten of the men getting ready to rush him. He then heard Serphia sigh as he spun the spear in his hand, smirking as he crouched down in preparation. "One more, and make it count."

"Well then, let's see..." came Arlus's voice, making Oliver merely tense as he remember that the prince was with the group, making him ponder what the man's response would be.

'If he is the one who will make an empire that will last a thousand years, that might depend on his answer here and now.' Oliver thought as the ten men ran forward, Oliver's gaze soon glowing orange as he ran forward faster than any of them, the strikes and slashes of the spear seeming transparent as he seemed to danced around each. he then jumped back to his original position as the ten men fell back, some even having limbs or their own heads fall off as he stood straight, awaiting the prince's answer.

"A good leader depends on who you're asking, be it in terms of strength or knowledge." Arlus spoke as Oliver smiled, hearing the man's answer only stop for a moment. The men around him, on the other hand, simply moved back in shock as he stabbed the spear into the ground, a black pool forming under him as the leader of the group dropped the dagger, pure terror in his face as he saw Oliver's hand extend out towards him, making him back up from the boy while letting go of the chain as well. "However, a leader must have the resolve to accomplish that which they believe in, otherwise they will be unable to accomplish any of their dreams. As such, resolve and ambition walk hand in hand for good leaders, but depend on the traits of the man to find if they are worthy of it."

"Exactly, well spoken for a prince with such potential." Oliver spoke as he turned his hand to face the ground, a black portal opening under the boy as he fell in, making the behemoth roar in response as it reached for him. However, it was too slow as the boy vanished in the portal, another opening above Oliver as the boy fell beside him. Oliver only chuckled as he saw the behemoth look at him in shock as he kneeled before the boy, the child just looking at Oliver with shocked eyes. "You're rather interesting, showing shock instead of fear, despite how young you are. Tell me, have you been held hostage these past seven months just to be used against the beast?"

The boy just sat there in shock, nodding slowly as Oliver stood up, his face changing to a colder form as he held his right hand out to his side. "Then I have no need to hold back and toy with them any longer, they don't even deserve that mercy." Oliver spoke as the darkness wrapped around his head, shaping into a helmet as the men around him just readied their weapons, each showing a glimmer of fear in their eyes as Oliver's gaze changed to a red glow. Then, a black ball formed in his hand as he closed it, the ball changing into a shaft before a warhammer was held in its place, the red glow of his eyes seeming to give a heavy pressure on the men around him as he remembered a set of words he had normally spoken, even close to feeling the enjoyment of the being watching him fight his war as he smirked under his helmet. "Now then, who will be the first to grovel in the face of my wrath?"