Tales of Xalthia

by xXGhostStalker

*DISCLAIMER: This holds no relation to Tales of VS. This is an original story* A mysterious lineage. An unimaginative power. Oblivious to Tsuki Himura, he defends his kingdom from evil and learns of a sinister plot. Forced to seek help, he travels the globe for much needed allies. Join him as he learns more about the world and about himself as something awakens inside him

47. Colonial Life

Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 46: Colonial Life

Tsuki and the others have made themselves at home within the Colonies and have separated across the settlement so that they could learn as much about their surroundings as they can. Having the next few hours to themselves, they were going to make the most of it. By the time the group had separated, it was roughly around noon. The clear skies started to show signs of storm clouds brewing. Dark clouds could be seen forming off in the distance and were heading in their direction.

Cesela and Allie had walked away from the huts and took a moment to stop at an overlook. They took the next few minutes to soak in the sights as the chilly winds blew past their faces. Allie was still shivering from the cold, but not as much as when she was flying. Cesela had grabbed a spare coat of hers and put it around her so that she could be warm. After a few minutes had passed, they continued to make their way over to the house that Melphi had pointed out to them.

As they walked through the streets of the settlement, they received various kinds of looks from the settlers, but none of them looked at them with disdain. In fact, some of the settlers have approached them and tried to make them feel welcomed. It was obvious that they were outsiders, but no one was brazen enough to pick fights with children. Eventually, they reached the house that Melphi said Shinji resided in. The front yard was pretty well maintained and it looked like there were some small renovations being done off to the house's right side.

Cesela stood by the archway that served as the entrance to the front yard. She stared at the front foor to the house in silence, almost frozen in place. She felt her nerves start to catch up to her. She has never personally met the father and son that had saved her all those years ago, so this would be the first time she'd see them face-to-face. Meanwhile, Allie was standing behind her as she watched her. She didn't know what her relationship was to this person, but it was clear to her that it involved her past that she remains hidden from everyone else. There was something she needed to clear up.

Cesela soon took a deep breath before looking back at Allie. "Sorry, Allie. I know you came out here with me, but could you wait out here for me?" she asked. What she was going to talk about with Shinji would involve her past which she didn't know about.

Allie was silent for a moment before answering. She fidgeted around a bit as she looked up towards her. "Sela, before you meet up with this person, there's something I need to tell you" she said.

Cesela tilted her head a bit, turning around to face her. "Hm? What is it?" she asked. She looked pretty anxious as she fidgeted around.

Allie took in a deep breath before continuing. "First off, I would like to say that I'm sorry. I...know about your secret" she said.

Cesela simply stared at her with a slight tilt of her head. "My...secret?" she asked. She felt a cold sweat run down the side of her face.

Allie walked up to Cesela, looking down towards the ground while fidgeting around with her hands. "It wasn't intentional, but...I overheard your conversation with Ryoka back in Haven Village. I know...that you're the lost Princess of Sirione..." she said.

Cesela's eyes widened with surprise. She was referring to when she and Ryoka spoke by the giant tree around a flower field. With Allie busy checking out the flowers, she all but admitted that she was the Princess and that Ryoka once served her and her late family. She didn't think she overheard their conversation. Thinking back on it, they did lose sight of Allie for a while as they spoke, but they assumed she was on the other side of the field beyond the giant tree. "Y-you heard all that!?" she shouted in surprise.

Allie bowed to her apologetically. She knew it wasn't right of her to listen in on a conversation that she wasn't meant to hear. "Well, you two didn't really make it easy for me to come back when you were having such a serious conversation" she said. She knew that this was just an excuse despite it being the truth.

Cesela knew that there was no point in hiding it from her at this point and denying it wouldn't make any difference. She decided to own up to it and be honest with her as she let out a sigh. "You have nothing to apologize for. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me. Yes, I'm the Princess of Sirione. That night when the castle was attacked, my brother took me and the two of us fled with a group of knights. Knowing that our lives were in danger, the knights sacrificed themselves so that we could escape" she said.

Memories came back to her on that fateful day as she started to reveal her past to Allie.. She had just turned 3 years old, so it was supposed to have been an exciting celebration for everyone. However, it turned into a night of bloodshed as the foundation of Sirione came crashing down. Her brother, who was 19 years old, carried her on his back as they fled through a dark forest. Cesela was scared out of her mind, but her brother did everything he could to try and reassure her that everything would be okay. Their escape through the forest eventually led them to a wide chasm with a significant drop-off to a raging river below. They tried to find a way across the chasm, but in the process of doing that, their pursuers had caught up with them and quickly encircled them.

With their weapons drawn and dripping with fresh blood, they slowly closed the gap between them with the intention of killing them. Cesela clung onto her brother's back as he had his sword drawn and ready to fight back. However, as they closed in on them, the edge of the chasm that the two of them were standing on had collapsed. This resulted in the both of them falling down into the chasm and into the raging river. The last memories she had was her struggling to stay above water as the river swept her away. At some point, she went under and lost consciousness from drowning. When she regained consciousness, she found herself tucked in a warm bed, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She could hear the voice of her brother calling out to her as she opened her eyes again. When she looked around the room, she saw her brother leaning against the side of her bed and two unknown figures on the other side of the room. They were both Dragonkin and one of them looked much older than the other.

The older Dragonkin, presumably named Shinji Gensatou, explained to them that they found the two of them drifting pretty far down the river. They recognized the two of them right away as the Prince and Princess of Sirione. News of the attack and subsequent takeover of Sirione had already spread all across Megrove within the first few hours. When they found them drifting along the river, her brother was badly injured from protecting the fall into the river and using his body as a shield to protect an unconscious Cesela, who thankfully only had minor injuries. According to her brother, he found her just as she went down beneath water and blacked out. It was thanks to his quick actions that she was able to escape drowning.

Both of them were wrapped up inbandages from having their injuries treated and with Sirione now under full control of the Syndicate, their safety became paramount. The deaths of the King and Queen, along with the vast majority of the royal knights, had also spread like wildfire, so it didn't take long for them to hear the devastating, heartbreaking news. There was also a massive hunting party out looking for Cesela and her brother as well since their deaths couldn't be confirmed by the Syndicate. Knowing that they were the last hope for Sirione, the older Dragonkin suggested taking the two of them as far away from Megrove as possible. Cesela's safety was her brother's prime initiative, so he didn't hesitate on agreeing with this plan. It was at this point that the two Dragonkin took them and fled the continent completely.

They were brought to Ersheath and placed under the care of a young Dragonkin couple that were close friends to the other Dragonkin that had saved them. After parting ways with them, Cesela and her brother lived with this young Dragonkin couple for the next few years. That is, until she was 10 years old. Her brother was out hunting in a nearby forest when the cabin that they were living in was attacked by slavers associated with the Syndicate.. The Dragonkin couple attempted to put up a fight, but were killed in the struggle and Cesela subsequently taken away. From this point up until she turned 12, she became branded as a slave and would have continued to live out that way if she wasn't rescued by Tsuki and his friends, along with Shadow. It was unknown to her on whether they knew of her real identity.

Allie could be seen trembling a bit after hearing the story from Cesela. She always knew that she was hiding something, but this wasn't what she was expecting to hear. She knew she was the princess of Sirione, but didn't know the details outside of what Ryoka had told them. Hearing it from her point of view was a tough pill to swallow. "S-Sela..." she said, her voice slightly trembling.

Cesela could see that she was visibly upset by what she had told her and started to panic a little bit, flailing her arms around. "W-wait! Why are you upset!? Don't be, it's fine now!" she said. She looked like she was about to cry. However, her next reaction would be the exact opposite of what she thought.

Allie clenched her fists tightly and looked up at her with a fire and anger in her eyes. "Just wait a little longer! We'll give the Syndicate what they deserve! We'll liberate Sirione and then we will reunite you with your brother!" she said. She had so much taken from her and she was motivated to have it all returned.

Cesela blnked a couple tmes as she stared at her, unsure of what to say. After about a mnute, she gave her a warm smile and took hold of her hands. She was younger than him but far more mature than her age and she was once again reminded of this. "Thank you, Allie. I'm glad that I have you and everyone else by my side" she said. Who knows what she'd be subjected to right about now if it wasn't for Tsuki and everyone. "Can I ask you to keep this all a secret, though? I'm not ready to come out and tell them yet" she said. There was too much that they were doing right now, so they didn't need to know about her identity yet.

Allie nodded as she took hold of her hands, returning a bright smile. "Of course! It's a secret between us. Not even Master will know" she said. She wasn't prepared to spill her secret, so she was going to honor her wishes.

In that moment, the door to Shinji's house opened up. An older Dragonkin male with a human appearance of someone in their early 60s could be seen standing on the other side. He was wearing simple clothing with a sleeveless top. He was physically fit with toned muscles of a bodybuilder despite his physical age appearance. He had jet black hair and red eyes with a number of small scars across his arms.

The man spoke out in a deep tone of voice as he opened the door. He apparently had been hearing the commotion that the two of them were making outside his door, so he came to check. "What's going on out here? Who's loitering around in my yard?" he asked. His eyes soon met Cesela and Allie and found himself stuck in his tracks. He knew right away that the two of them were outsiders. He could sense twisting power surging within Allie that he has never seen before and there were no Foxkin living in the settlement, so Cesela stood out like a sore thumb. He's been in his house all morning long, so he hasn't heard about the commotion that Tsuki and the others have caused. "Who are you two? Why are you hanging out in front of my house?" he asked.

Cesela felt her nerves caught back up to her when she was suddenly confronted by the man. Memories of the man flashed back into her mind. He looked almost exactly the same as before. "U-umm...I..." she said, lost for words.

Allie saw that she was retreating into her shell, so she stepped behind her and gave her a gentle push forward. "Go on, Sela. You can do it" she said, wanting to support her efforts.

Cesela was pushed forward towards the man as she fidgted around. She didn't interact too much with the man all those years ago, so she was a bit flustered. After a few moments, she gathered herself and looked up at the man. "Y-you're...Shinji Gensatou...right?" she asked.

The man tilted his his head, folding his arms across his chest. "Huh? Yes...I'm Shinji. And you are...?" he asked.

Cesela took in a deep breath before putting her hand up to her chest. "You saved me and my brother 9 years ago. You pulled us out from a raging river. Do you...remember me, by any chance...?" she asked. A part of her didn't expect him to remember. She was only 3 years old at the time, so she's grown quite a bit in more areas than one. It'd make sense that he wouldn't recognize her.

Shinji scratched the back of his head in confusion. He didn't understand what she was trying to get at. "Remember you...?" she asked. She gave her a good, hard look from head to toe. It's been over 9 years since the last time he saw a Foxkin, so it wasn't that hard to dig back into his memories and with the added detail that he had saved her once before, it didn't take long for him to recognize her. "Wait, are you...Cesela Reese? The Princess of Sirione?" he asked.

Cesela had a smile on her face as she kept her hand up against her chest as she nodded at him. "Yes...it's me. It's...been a long time" she said. She was glad that he remembered her. She was afraid he might have forgotten.

Shinji couldn't believe who he was seeing. She had grown significantly since the last time he saw her and looked far more mature. If she hadn't brought up the fact that he had saved her, he probably wouldn't have recognized her. "It certainly has! You've grown into such a fine young lady, haven't you?" he asked. He stepped aside and urged the two of them to come into his house. It wouldn't be proper to have a conversation like this out in his front yard. "Come inside and we can talk in private" he said.

Allie and Cesela accepted his offer and entered his house. Shinji guided them to the living room and went to prepare some tea and snacks for them. After a few minutes, he came back and set them down on the coffee table in front of the sofa for them before sitting down in the chair across from the sofa. Cesela and Allie sampled the tea and snacks that he brought them as Shinji properly introduced himself for Allie's sake. With the brief introductions out of the way, they were able to continue the previous conversation.

Shinji still couldn't believe just how much Cesela has grown. Back when he had saved her, she was understandably distant and afraid. Amongst the Humans that turned on the royal family, there were also other Faeries of different breeds. She didn't know who to trust at the time outside of her brother. From their brief exchange so far, she was now a bright and mature girl. "But really, you've grown so much. The late King and Queen would be proud to see you now" he said. He wasn't too familiar with the late King and Queen of Sirione, but he has seen them in public from time to time while they were still alive. The people of Sirione, and all of Megrove, adored and loved them, so it came as a grave shock to find out about their murders at the hands of the Syndicate.

Cesela had a sad smile on her face as she thought back on her parents. She had always wondered how her life would be if none of this never happened. Her mother was such a beautiful woman and her father was pretty handsome. Each of them had their own set of admirers. "I don't think I could ever hold a handle to them, though. They were both pretty stunning while I'm just...average" she said. She wasn't all that confident when it came to her looks and when she tries to compare herself to her parents, that confidence plummets even more.

Allie shook her head vehemently. She strongly disagreed with what she said and looked at her with a burning passion in her eyes. "Nonsense, Sela! You're plenty beautiful as it is already! Don't sell yourself so short" she said.

Cesela looked at Allie with a cold sweat from her sudden outburst. "I-I'm not beautiful at all! If anything, you're far more beautiful than me! You have a nice face with such pretty eyes and that long, silver hair of yours is absolutely gorgeous. I wish I had looks like yours" she said. She always admired Allie in a number of different ways. How she was far more mature than her appearance suggests, the strength that she boasts despite having the looks of a child, the loyalty she has towards Tsuki and her mental fortitude as well as her overall looks. When she heard that she was a Spirit from Year 1505, she couldn't imagine how many hardships she's had to endure. To live for so long and to have witnessed so many things good and bad and yet still retain a bright, positive outlook on life took an incredible amount of strength in and of itself.

Allie refused to acknowledge any of what she said. She wasn't going to sit there and listen to her talk down about herself. She couldn't help herself but to reach out and gently grab onto her fox tail and stroke it with one hand and using her other to ruffle her hair up and caress her fox ears. "You've got your own set of charms too, you know! Your silky smooth hair, your soft ears and fluffy tail. Your face is much cuter than mine and you have that elegant vibe of a Princess despite how much you try to hide it and you've still got lots of growing left to do!" she said.

Cesela jumped a bit with a yelp when she suddenly grabbed onto her her tail and started to stroke it while caressing her ears. It made her body tense up with her tail sticking straight out as her face turned red. For the Foxkin and just about every other breed of Faerie out there that has a tail, it's one of their most sensitive parts of their body with their ears being the second. Tsuki and the others have brushed their hands up against her ears before, but they never went into full-on touching them, so she was never bothered by it and her tail was practically untouched. She basically had to cover her mouth to stop her voice from coming out from Allie playing around with her tail and ears. "I-I get it already...! P-please stop touching me like that!" she said through her hand. It was too much stimulus for her to handle.

Allie eventually stopped and pulled her hands away from her. She held her finger up at her and gave her a scolding look. "Then, don't talk down about yourself again! Otherwise, there will be consequences!" she said. She knew that Cesela had beauty to her, so she wasn't going to let her shut it out.

Cesela took a few moments to catch her breath and calm herself down. Her ears were drooping a bit with her tail twitching around from her playing around with them. Once she was calm enough, she shot a quick glare up at Allie as she instinctively grabbed on of the sofa pillows and threw it at Allie. "But did you really have to play with my tail and ears!?" she asked.

Allie offered up no defense as she was hit in the face with the pillow, causing her to fall back on the sofa. She groaned a bit before pushing the pillow off her face. "It was a good way to get the point across!" she said.

Cesela puffed her cheeks out and gave her a glaring look. One could almost see small puffs of smoke coming out from the top of her head. "There were plenty of other ways to do it, you know!" she said.

Shinji scratched the back of his head. It was a bit awkward for him to witness these events unfold. Seeing the Princess of Sirione in this state was something that could land him under scrutinous eyes with the right conditions. Usually, most Faeries that have sensitive parts to them such as animal ears and tail hate it when people touch them which almost always results in some form of violent retaliation. Cesela, however, didn't get violent with her and instead took a more playful roughhousing approach. Basically, what you'd expect from a fight between kids. It showed how closely bonded the two of them were. "I can tell that the two of you are very close. One would think you were sisters with how you act" he said.

Cesela quickly remembered that they were guests in someone else's house, so she quickly gathered herself back up. "I-I'm sorry! We're acting like this in someone else's place..." she said.

Shinji laughed a bit as she flustered around. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. It's fine. It's great to see you so bright and energetic. It beats the look you had when we first met" he said. She was so distant back then, so it was heartening to see that she was doing well. "Anyway, how have things been going?" he asked. He hadn't heard from her or anything about her since he left them in the care of that young Dragonkin couple.

Cesela grabbed one of snacks on the table and took a bite out of it. "Things have been going well. There have been a lot of hardships though..." she said. She wasn't sure if she should tell him about her time as a slave. Based on his demeanor so far, he didn't have any idea of what happened to her or the young Dragonkin couple that was taking care of them.

Shinji tilted his head a bit. He could see her facial expression darken a bit. "What happened? Hopefully, things with Drayce and Eleanor haven't been too bad" he said. The couple he had entrusted them with were young, but they were very supportive and kind. It's been two years since he's heard word from them, however. "Come to think of it, how did you even get here? Did the two of them bring you here?" he asked. Since they were Dragonkin, they would have known where the Dragon Colonies were. If they were around, then he wanted to meet up with them and do some catching up for old times' sake.

Cesela fell into silence for several moments. She gripped the bottom lining of her top as she trembled a bit. He needed to know the truth, no matter how hard it may be. "It's not easy for me to say this but...Drayce and Eleanor...they've been dead for a while now..." she said.

This news came as a great shock to Shinji. The look of horror was clearly evident on his face as he ended up dropping the glass mug he was holding which ended up crashing onto the floor and breaking. "Wh-what!? They're...dead!? How? When!?" he asked, shouting. The two of them were excellent martial artists with powerful dragon abilities. They were part of the rare few that were able to use their dragon powers while in ther half-Human form just like Melphi could.

Cesela took a deep breath and proceeded to tell him what happened on that fateful day. It was just a normal day for them, living out in the open fields in the northern region of Ersheath not too far from Spiral Woods. Her brother had gone out to hunt for food in the nearby woods while she stayed back with the young Dragonkin couple, Drayce and Eleanor. It was in the late afternoon as the two of them were preparing to make dinner for everyone. Suddenly, they were ambushed by a large squad of Shinobi belonging to the Shogunate.

Drayce and Eleanor showed no mercy and gave them a good fight, wiping out more than half of the group. However, they soon gained the upper hand and overpowered them. Their initial goal was to capture and subdue them. However, the shinobi were forced to kill them instead as they came to the conclusion that they would be too dangerous to be left alive. Despite putting up a tough fight, they were ultimately cut down and slaughtered ruthlessly by the shinobi. The shinobi were frantic to explain the outcome of this ordeal as they had orders to capture them alive and as they were in the process of figuring out what to do, they discovered Cesela who was in hiding. Of course, she tried to get away, but was quickly caught and knocked out. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself inside a cage wearing torn clothing, her wrists and ankles bound by iron shackles with a Cursed Mark, typically use to mark a slave, just below her neck. She also found herself in an unfamiliar environment as she was being hauled away in the back of a carriage and the only thing she could do was curl up in the corner of her cage, ignornat of will become of her.

Hearing all of this from her made Shinji's blood boil, his hands had rolled into tight fists. It would explain why he hasn't heard from them in two years. This angered him greatly and it's only made worse after hearing what has happened to her for the last two years. "Those...despicable, miserable Humans...!" he snarled, trying to control his rage. He was able to calm himself down after taking several deep breaths as he came to a sudden realization. "But then...how did you get here? Don't tell me someone from here bought you" he said.

Cesela shook her head. "No. Just as I was about to be sold off at a slave auction, I was saved by a man named Tsuki and a friendly shinobi named Shadow. It's because of them that I'm standing here now" she said. She will forever be thankful for Tsuki and everyone else and that will never change.

Shinji looked at her with a curious look on his face. The fact that a Human rescued her caught him by surprise. "A Human, you say...?" he asked. Given the track record of Humans, he couldn't help but be concerned for her. "Has he done anything to you?" he asked.

Allie soon stood up from the sofa, facing Shinji and putting her hands on her hips. "Master would never do anything to her! He isn't like those selfish, arrogant Humans at all!" she shouted. She wasn't going to allow anyone to slander Tsuki or anyone else.

Cesela gently grabed onto her arm to calm her down. "Allie, it's okay" she said. She didn't want her to fly off the handle before she got the chance to finish her explanation. "She's right, though. Tsuki is a kind and caring person who puts others before himself. He doesn't treat Faeries any different than he would a Human. I feel safe and secure when I'm around Tsuki and his friends. I found a new family among them. All of them treat me with unbelievable kindness and I love them" she said with a soft smile on her face. They were all very important and irreplaceable to her. They may not be related by blood, but she thought of them all as family. "And right now, they're all fighting against incredible odds that are stacked against them which is what brought me here with them" she said.

Shinji felt his rage settle down as she told him about Tsuki and the others. He could see the love and care she had for them from her facial expressions and how she spoke of them. His concerns about them soon turned into pure curiosity now. He wanted to know more about these people that she had opened herself up to and embraced. "These people...tell me more about them" he said.

Both Cesela and Allie proceeded to tell him everything about Tsuki and everyone else. They explained to him what has been happening around the world and the things they've experienced. Their struggles in Cayhill and across Ersheath, the discontent they all shared about the mistreatment of Faeries, how they wanted to wipe out the Syndicate and put an end to slavery, their encounters with the Shogunate in Haven Village and in the lava tunnels of Mt. Praxis, what their current goals were and that they were split up to tackle two different fronts. It would all culminate to how they got to the Colonies in the first place and what their purpose was for being here.

To hear that the Azure Spark herself would bring outsiders into the settlement was quite surprising. Shinji knew Melphi pretty well despite not having very many interactions with her. Like many other Dragonkin in the settlement, he wasn't too keen on the fact that she kept her connections with Humans. However, no one would ever dare confront her directly about it because of the contract that bound her with the famous S-rank Elf mercenary, Shana. Not only were Elves respected among the Dragonkin, they also respected the strength of Shana. Very rarely does someone show up with the might and fortitude to bring down even the High Acheron himself. There were settlers that even compared her level of strength and skill to that of the Dragon King himself. It also stunned him to know that this Tsuki person also carried the soul of the Dragon King inside of him. At first, he didn't believe her when they said that, but thinking back to earlier in the day, he felt a powerful, familiar presence arrive in the settlement but wasn't sure who it was. He knew it wasn't any of the native settlers because no one had such a presence to them, even the High Acheron. In fact, he was about to head out to investigate it when he had heard the commotion the two of them were making outside.

Shinji stroked his chin as he mumbled to himself. As he did so, his gaze shifted over to Allie. "So, this Tsuki is your master, huh? He must be quite a powerful Human if he's able to not only wield the power of three different souls besides his own, but to also command a powerful Spirit such as yourself" he said. He's never heard of such a Human before. The world has seen it's fair share of strong Humans, but nothing that seems to compare to his caliber.

Allie tilted her head a bit. During their explanation of events, she never brought up her own strength, the fact that she carried the Aer of multiple Great Spirits inside of her or the ancient power of Light that was being blocked off from those foreign btis of Aer. "You can sense me...?" she asked.

Shinji nodded at her. His thoughts went back to when he first laid eyes on her outside his door. The tumultuous Aer that was swirling inside of her ran deep with an even more powerful feeling beyond that. He wasn't sure what it was, but he could sense that this powerful feeling was being restricted somehow. "You're far from an ordinary Spirit, that much is clear. I've laid my eyes on many of your kind, but none of them were quite like you. Much like this Human that Her Highness speaks of so fondly, you're also very unusual" he said.

Cesela shook her head when he called her by such an old title. "Please, call me Cesela. With Sirione as it is now, I have no right to call myself a Princess" she said. She's done nothing to help her own people and has to rely on the support of many people to even get this far. It'll be a while before she's able to step forward on her own two feet. "But, that's why I genuinely believe that if anyone can make a difference in this world, it's Tsuki and everyone else. Maybe they are what this world needs in order to regain balance" she said.

Shinji grew more curious about Tsuki with each passing second. "I would very much like to meet these friends of yours. If even the Azure Spark full trust and confidence of them, then I'd like to see for myself" he said. He wanted to gauge them to see if they truly are as she says they are while they were within the settlement.

Cesela nodded at him with a smile. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind. I can talk to them later about it" she said. She soon looked around the room and decided to bring up something that was on her mind ever since they first entered his house. "By the way, where's Fafnir at? I haven't seen him since we got here" she said.

Shinji scratched the back of his head, mumbling to himself. That was a difficult question for him to answer because he hasn't heard from him in over a year. "That's a tough one to answer. He suddenly came up to me last year and said he wanted to fight alongside the rebel army in Megrove. Of course, I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn't budge from it. In the end, he flew off to Megrove to aid in the rebellion. I haven't heard from him since then" he said. He was worried about him as a father, but Fafnir was a strong young man. Unlike him, he was also one of the rare few that could wield his dragon abilities while in his half-Human form. These special breed of Dragonkin were considered the elite of the elite. He had no reason to worry for his safety, but as a father, those parental instincts can never be shaken. "What he did say before he left, however, has left a lasting impression which showed me his resolve" he said.

Cesela tilted her head a bit. "What did he say?" she asked. She remembered talking to Fafnir a lot during their brief time together. He reminded her of her brother in several different ways.

Shinji took a moment to answer her question. "Apparently, he was recruited to aid in the rebellion by none other than your brother" he said. Even he was surprised when Fafnir brought up her brother. He tried to press him for more details, but he refused to share anything.

Cesela's eyes widened a bit with surprise. "My brother did!?" she shouted. If this happened last year, then she was still being held as a slave. Of course, she wouldn't know that he was behind it all.

Shinji nodded. "According to what Fafnir said, he suddenly showed up in the lower mountains while he was out on patrol. Since it had been 8 years since the last time they saw each other, he was initially wary of him until he revealed his identity to him. I'm not sure what the two of them discussed, but he came to me a few days later and told me of his plans" he said. He thought back to the day he left. He never really understood what he meant back then, but now that Cesela was standing in front of him, he now knew why. "He said that there was something extremely important for him to do and wasn't able to do anything with his attention focused on fighting back against the Syndicate. He needed someone he could trust to oversee matters while he took care of his personal matters" he said. While she never confirmed it, he had a feeling that he had a role to play in her rescue.

Cesela mumbled a bit to herself before taking a sip of her tea. "Isaac..." she mumbled to herself softly. She was curious to know what he was up to right about now.

Shinji looked over towards a picture of what can only be assumed to be Fafnir. "He was always disturbed about what became of Sirione and has always wanted to aid them in their fight. He didn't want to see anyone end up like you did, so he spent the next few years training his body and honing his skills. The Azure Spark was a huge inspiration for him with strength he greatly admired" he said. He put himself through some pretty intense and rigorous training that pushed his limits to the max, but the end result was worth it. Through his hard work, he became one of the elites that were highly respected. "Hiyoshi's son even recommended him as the next Overseer for when the Azure Spark takes over as High Acheron at one point, but he ended up refusing the recommendation" he said.

Allie tilted her head a bit. Fafnir must be quite the amazing person if he's talking him up so much. She wanted to meet him some day to see if he's as amazing as Shinji says. "It's a shame he isn't here. I would of loved to meet him" she said.

Shinji chuckled a bit, shifting his glance over towards Allie. "I wouldn't worry about that. If you and your friends really are planning to help out Sirione, then you'll run into him at some point" he said.

Cesela set het cup of tea down and grabbed a few more snacks. They've talked enough about herself and now she wanted to know about him. "What about you, Shinji? Tell me about these last few years" she said.

Shinji scratched the back of his head a bit. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he didn't have very many stories that were as exciting as hers. "I can't guarantee that they'll sound all that eventful as yours were, but I don't mind" he said.

Shinji proceeded to tell the both of them many different stories that took place over the span of these past 9 years. Most of them involved things that have occurred within the Dragon Colonies. Over those 9 years, he didn't leave the Colonies a whole lot. The only times he left were when he had to do down into the mountains or when he had to make trip down to Marstead, though that was extremely rare. He told them about the affairs of the Colonies and it's culture. What intrigued Cesela and Allie were the various festivals that they held throughout the years. They all sounded interesting to them as they were shown photos from those events. As they talked, they didn't realize just how much time would have passed.

Two hours have passed since the two of them arrived at Shinji's place. The scene shifts over to another part of the settlement with Lynette walking through the streets by herself. During the last two hours, she had Melphi teach her what she knew about Draconian medicine. It was all interesting to hear and it only fueled her desires. Draconian medicine by itself was lethal to anyone that wasn't a Dragonkin, so there was no getting around that. However, she had been doing various experiments where she has been trying to incorporate medicine with Healing Artes. Normally, the two wouldn't mix with each other since each have their own properties to them. Healing Artes are great for closing up serious wounds and various physical injuries while medicine tackles injuries and sickness from within the body itself where Healing Artes can't touch.

Lynette got the thought of wanting to try and see if she could somehow mix them together to boost overall recovery effects. Many Healers and doctors have tried to do this same thing, but were all met with failure. However, she was confident in her skills in the Healing Artes and she's become much more knowledgeable when it came to medicine from being taught several different practices and methods from three different licensed doctors. The doctor that Melphi recommended her to seek out had been in the field of medicine for well over 150 years and was respected by all within the settlement. Before she could learn how to apply the field of medicine to her Healing Artes, however, she needed to know how Draconian medicine worked and how it is created. Since the ingredients used are different than what Humans use, it takes a certain level of knowledge and know-how to properly crreate it. Part of the main reason why many Human doctors have failed to apply medicine to the potency of Healing Artes is because of the ingredients themselves. They weren't potent enough or contained the right properties. The element of Light, while it may feel warm and soothing to many, can be corruptive if applied too much to the ingredients. The main problem is that it can dilute their effects, making them as non-effective. With the ingredients the Dragonkin usem she may have a shot at figuring out the right blend since according to Melphi, they're of a far higher quality and the best person to teach her this would be the doctor of the settlement.

Lynette was walking back into the main plaza where they had arrived, carrying a bag with her that was given by Melphi. She was staring at a medium-sized building that overlooked the plaza. Over the doorway had a sign that read Apala's Clinic. She was warned by Melphi that the doctor can be a bit difficult to handle especially an outsider Human like her. However, the things that she had in the bag that she was carrying would make it easier for him to strike up a conversation and possibly may be even willing to teach her some things.

After gathering her thoughts and courage, she started to approach the building. She knew that she was going to have to prove herself to him as both a Healer and as a medicine-maker in order to gain some level of trust. She approached the door and opened it, stepping into the clinc. She found herself standing in what appears to be the reception hall. There was a work desk directly across from the door and the walls were lined up with various plants, herbs and bookshelves filled with books. On the other side of the room, there were a number of doors that presumably went into clinic suites and the backrooms for the staff. Sitting at the front desk was an older Dragonkin male dressed in a white lab coat. He wore a monocle and had snow white hair that was pulled back in a small bun. If she had to guess his Human appearance, he'd probably be someone in his late 50s.

The man was busy working on what appeared to be various stacks of paperwork that were piled on his desk when he heard the door to the clinic open up. When he looked up, he was surprised to see an unfamiliar Human enter the establishment. "Hm? I don't recognize you. Who are you?" he asked rather bluntly. He's treated every native Human settler, so it was easy for him to tell that she wasn't one of them.

Lynette stood by the door, feeling a bit nervous as he spoke to her. "H-hello. I'm sorry if I'm intruding on your work. My name is Lynette Suzaki and I've come with the intention of learning a few things" she said. She needed to make a good first impression on him if she was going to get anywhere. She could see that his guard was up almost instantly when he laid eyes on her.

The man tilted his head a bit. "Learn a few things?" he asked. He examined Lynette and at first glance, she appeared like a regular Human girl. However, it didn't take long for his curiosity about her to peak. The attire she wore was immediately recognizable. While it was in a different style, it was practically the trademark of any respectable Healer, so he knew right away that he was dealing with someone who was experienced with Healing Artes. He could also feel the warm and gentle element of Light coming off of her which was also a dead giveaway to her abilities. "You're not a native, are you? Based off what people have been saying, you're one of those outsiders, aren't you? Why have you come to learn?" he asked.

Lynette walked up to the desk. "You see, I'm a traveling Healer and I'm currently trying to learn how to incorporate modern medicine into Healing Artes. However, I lack the knowledge about Draconian medicine. I'm a friend of Melphi and she told me that the best possible way to learn that is through the use of high quality ingredients and medicine, something that can't be bought within Human cities. She said you were the best person to reach out to regarding this" she said. This man was her best shot at learning how to do this. If she can learn the limits of each type of ingredient and medicine, then she will be able to figure out what she needs to do in order to boost the recovery effects of Healing Artes and maybe the medicine themselves.

The man has heard of this type of research before and all of it has ended with poor results. He was deeply rooted in the world of medicine which has acquainted him with knowledge of both Draconian and Human medicine as well as any breakthroughs or failures that may occur. Even some of the past Draconian doctors and Healers have tried their hand at this, but all were met with the same result. Unfortunately for her, he didn't have the time to entertain such thoughts. "I'm sorry, but the field of research you're conducting has a high failure rate, as I'm sure you know. With that said, I don't have any intentions on pursing such avenues as it'd be just a waste of materials and cost" he said. He wasn't going to waste his own ingredients and medicine for pointless endeavors that would yield little to no results.

Lynette reached for the bag she was carrying and placed it down onto the desk with a loud thud. "I was told that might be the case and I respect it. That's why, I came prepared with what I'm told are some of the finest ingredients" she said.

The man stood up from his seat and looked into the bag. What he found really surprised him. "What!? Dragon Horns, vials of Pristine Dragon Blood, Silver Scales, Wyvern Teeth, Red Sage, Lavender and Jasmine? And they all appear to be of exemplary quality too..." he said. The scales and teeth were easy for them to produce, but the rest required some work.

The horns are harvested from wild dragons out by the Scaled Peaks which lie north of Marstead. Harvesting them required precise skill and knowledge otherwise, you run the risk of destroying them or making them less effective as ingredients. The blood came from a certain breed known as Silver Dragons, which are also found at the Scaled Peaks. These breed of dragons are pretty rare and don't appear often due to the fact that they were considered an endangered species. Silver Dragons were considered to be on par with Black Dragons in terms of their strength. The only difference is that the Silver Dragons were more docile and wary of others, especially Humans. It takes a high level of trust between dragon and the other person in order to obtain some of their blood. Because of this, Pristine Dragon Blood tends to run exceedingly high on the markets. A single vial can net someone hundreds of thousands of Gald and she had several in the bag. If she were to sell it, she could easily make upwards to and over a million Gald.

As for the rest of the ingredients, while they may seem ordinary, what she had were also of high quality and hard to come by. When it comes to herbs used as ingredients, there are seven that are commonly used: Sage, Lavender, Rosemary, Verbena, Saffron,Chamomile and Jasmine. These were common ingredients not only used in medicine but also in various types of foods. However, there's a much rarer varient to these herbs that aren't easy to come by and these were labeled as Red Herbs, so Red Sage, Red Lavender, Red Rosemary and so on because of their distinctive red hues. These types of herbs are typically found in extremely remote locations and places such as old ruins and deep caves. Much like with the Pristine Dragon Blood, these Red Herbs go for high prices on the market. While not as valuable as the blood, a batch of Red Herbs can go for tens of thousands of Gald.

The man couldn't believe she carried a bag of such valuable materials on her. Of course, knowing who she probably got the materials from, his surprise didn't last. "The Azure Spark has been quite busy, it seems" he said. He let out a heavy sigh as he gave her another look. He could see the burning passion to learn in her eyes and wasn't going to back down. Whether she knew the value of what she was carrying was unknown to him, but that didn't seem to matter anymore. If she wanted to work with the materials she brought, then there wasn't any harm in showing her some of their medicine-making techniques. Normally, he'd be reluctant to teach an outsider the secrets to Draconian medicine, but since she was friends with the Azure Spark, she couldn't be someone with ill intent. "Alright, Human. With the materials you brought, I can show you how to make one of our potions used to treat injuries. Keep in mind that these are extremely lethal to anyone not a Dragonkin" he said. He took the bag and guided her to the room behind him.

The both of them entered the room and inside was various tubes and vials filled with various liquids. Bottles of herbs and other medicine lined the bookshelves along the left wall while various medical books and binders filled the ones off to the right. By the looks of the room, it was the place where he makes his medicine. Since it was her that was going to be developing the medicine, he planned to simply watch her. He'll give her small tips and the like, but won't offer any assistance. He didn't have any expectations from her.

The man set the bag on the desk and took two vials filled with liquid, one with a blue fluid in it and the other with orange fluid, along with a couple of empty vials and tubes for her, a few other medicinal ingredients that were easy to come by and set set them on the table. He cleared a space for her and provided some materials and utensils that she would need to create the medicine. "Tale a seat" he said.

Lynette walked over towards the desk and sat down on the chair. Her gaze was locked on to the two vials filled with the blue and orange liquids. "What are these?" she asked.

The man followed her gaze to the liquid-filled vials. "These are basic recovery potions commonly used amongst us Dragonkin. The blue vial is of normal quality while the orange vial is of a higher quality. It's called Divis Vitae. These are what you could make with the materials that you brought" he said. He didn't know what her level of expertise was when it came to medicine-making, so he was curious to see what she could do. "First, you pour a vial of blood into one of the empty flasks. Then, chop off some of the Dragon Horn and grind it down to bits. Repeat the process with the teeth and pour both bits into the flask. Once you've done that, pour a cup of fresh water into the flask and stir it until the liquid is a transparent, clear blue and let it sit. While you do that, crush the leaves of the Sage, Jasmine and Lavender and then mix them together. Finally, take the crushed leaves and pour them into the flask and stir it once more. If everything's done right, you will have your very own Divis Vitae" he said. While the instructions seemed pretty basic and easy, the process was harder than it seemed. The portion size of the horns and teeth as well as the mixing process was precise. He didn't tell her just how much to use or the proper mixing method, which boils down to how slow or fast someone handles the mixture. There was also a secret ingredient amongst what he had provided that would either lower or boost the potency of the mixture. However, he wasn't going to say anything and wanted to see if she could figure it out. "Use the other ingredients as you see fit" he said.

Lynette examined the ingredients he had proved her. They were basic herbs and plants that were commonly used to make various types of medicine. Some of the ingredients that he gave her don't mix well with others, so it gave her some thought. Once she had an idea of what the ingredients were, she started to follow his instructions. He never told her just how much to use in her mixing, so she had to figure it out for herself. She poured a vial of blood into the flask and cut off a small chunk of one of the horns that she had. She used the tools that he gave her to chop the chunk up into smaller pieces before crushing them down into small grains. She then took a small handful of teeth and proceeded to crush them down as well. Once they were grinded down to her satisfaction, she combined the crushed teeth with the crushed horn grains. She was about to add them to the flask, but instincts stopped her.

The man raised a curious eyebrow when she stopped herself from adding the crusheed grains. This was the first challenge that she needed to figure out. While adding the grains to the blood would still lead to creating the mixture, they'd be lacking in potency with just them alone. This was where she needed to use one of the ingredients that he provided for her. He was impressed that she seems to have figured out that what she had wasn't enough. Her gaze shifted back over to the ingredients that he gave her. There were 5 different bottles containing different types of ingredients and medicine. One bottle had a bunch of different herbs inside of it, two had fluid in them, one yellow and the other clear like water, one with strange looking weeds and the last one a white powder substance.

She took one of the empty vials and poured some of the crushed grains into it and took the bottle containing the yellow liquid and added some of it to the grains. She gently mixed what was in the vial and then added a small portion of the clear fluid and mixed it some more until the grains completely dissolved and the liquid became a vivid, clear yellow color. She placed the vial in one of the holders on the desk and then reached for another empty vial. This time, she took some of the green Sage that was in one of the bottles and cut some of the leaves off. She placed them in the mortar and started to crush the leaves down to bits. Once this was done, she added a sprinkle of the white powder to the crushed leaves and grinded it down a bit more before adding it into the empty vial. She took more of the clear liquid and added it to this mixture and stirred it some more. After about a minute of stirring, the liquid became a bright green color.

The more the man watched her, the more intrigued he became. The steps she was taking were exactly what was needed, but what interested him was the clarity of the colors. Both vials had a clear and vibrant hue to it, something he wasn't expecting. Lynette soon took the flask of dragon blood and poured the vial containing the green liquid inside of it and started to mix it together, alternating between gentle and vigorously. After about a minute of nonstop mixing, the initial dark red color of the mixture became diluted to the point where it came a very clear and light red. She then added the vial containing the yellow liquid and stirred it up in the flask. The liquid soon became a slightly brighter yellow, but still maintained its clear transparency. After this, she took some of blue flowers out from the bottle containing a bunch of weeds and removed a number of it's petals. What she was holding was a flower called a Borage which are known for their vibrant blue petals. She used the mortar to grind down the petals before adding them to another empty vial and adding a teaspoon of white power and some of the clear liquid from before. She mixed it vigorously for a another minute before the clear liquid became a vibrant azure blue.

She then added it to the flask of yellow fluid and after two minutes of gently mixing, the liquid became a vivid, vibrant bright green. Following the steps that she was given and a bit of creative freedom on her part, she has concocted some manner of potion, but it didn't share the same color as what he had shown her. She wasn't sure if she made Divis Vitae or something else. She looked at the flask with visible confusion, thinking if she made a mistake somewhere. However, the man was staring at the flask in almost disbelief. She had no idea what she had just created.

The man couldn't believe his eyes as he stood here, visibly stunned. "Wh-what did you just make!?" he asked.

Lynette looked back at the man, tilting her head. She couldn't tell if he was surprised or mad at her from his facial expressions. "H-huh? Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

The man walked over to the desk. He needed to try something. "Stand up for a second" he said.

Lynette nodded at him with a confused look on her face as she stood up. The man sat down at the desk once she moved and then attempted to create what she did, following the steps that she took to do so. After a few minutes had passed, he created his own Divis Vitae except that the one he produced was different than hers. Rather than the vibrant, bright green color that she ended up with, his was a mix that of a much darker green color. The look on his face showed that what he created ended up being a failure.

The man shook his head a bit in disbelief. He followed the steps she took to the letter, but wasn't able to re-create what she made. He needed to make sure that this wasn't just a fluke. He stood up and stepped back from the chair. "Do it again for me. I need to see something" he said.

Lynette didn't understand what he was trying to get at. "O...kay...?" she said with a confused expression. She sat back down on the chair and repeated the steps she took as well as the same mixing procedures. Minutes passed once more and she finished another vial of Divis Vitae, yielding yet another vial containing the same vibrant, bright green liquid. "Is...something wrong?" she asked. She didn't understand his sudden behavior.

The man was in genuine awe. The same steps and the same mixing procedure and yet he couldn't create what she did. A doctor who's been in the medicine field for over 150 years. Yet, not only was a beginner like Lynette, and a Human at that, able to do it not only once, but twice. There were many things that were flowing through his mind as he tried to process this. "Human...do you really not know what you just created?" he asked.

Lynette looked at the two vials that she made. "Umm...not really..." she said. She's made several types of potions during her travels with Tsuki and the others, but this was the first time she's been able to make something with such a vibrant color. The medicine that she's made so far were more potent than the standard medicinal Gels that can be bought at the shops, but making them was a bit of a process. Since they're constantly on the move, she's not able to produce them as often. Not only that, there was the issue with supplies and ingredients too.

The man walked over to one of the bookshelves and took an old, beat-up book from it. He opened it up and flipped through the pages, eventually stopping at one. He then set it on the table for her to look at. "When it comes to medicine, the level of quality and potency is important, as I'm sure you know. What you made was indeed Divis Vitae, there's no denying that. However, we're talking of a quality that hasn't been seen in centuries" he said. He grabbed the two vials that he showed her that contained the blue and orange liquid in them and put them next to the two she created. "To distinguish them, the blue vial is referred to simply as Vitae and the orange vial is Hi-Vitae. These are the standard varients of Divis Vitae that you can readily find in Draconian shops" he said. His gaze then shifted over towards the two vials she made containing the vibrant, green liquid. "What you've created is of exceptional and rare quality that many Draconian doctors have tried to create ever since it's first creation 230 years ago. It became known as X-Vitae and was rumored to heal even the most serious of injuries and illnesses a Dragonkin can endure" he said. He could almost be seen trembling with excitement at such a feat.

Lynette was pretty surprised at herself that she was able to make such a rare medicine considering that this was the first time she has ever handled these types of materials. "Wow...and you're saying that I created this?" she asked. To know that she was able to create a type of medicine that many other Draconian doctors seemingly failed at made her feel quite proud in her skills.

The man held his hand up to his chin for a moment before nodding to himself. He then reached down and took one of the vials she created. He wanted to put it to the test to see if it truly was an X-Vitae and he knew the perfect patient to try it on. He's already verified that what she made was indeed Divis Vitae, so he could guarantee it's safety when it came to applying it. "Come with me to the next room. There's someone I want to try to use this on" he said.

The two of them left the backroom and headed into one of the doors in the lobby area. Inside of the room was a standard exam room where there was a young female Dragonkin sleeping in the bed. Based off her Human appearance, she'd look somewhere around Cesela's age. She was heavily bandaged and looked to be in terrible condition. It shocked Lynette to see such a young girl in this state.

Lynette held her hand up to her mouth when she saw the girl. "Oh no...this poor girl. What happened to her...?" she asked.

The man walked over to the window and opened the curtains to bring some light into the room before going over to the young girl's bedside. "There was an incident a few weeks ago down in the lower plains. A strange monster of unknown nature and origin appeared and attacked the farmers. Many people were injured, but thanks to the swift efforts of the Overseer, his son and the High Acheron, no one was killed and everyone has since recovered from their injuries...except for this girl, that is" he said. He's been in the process of treating her injuries over the last few weeks, but no matter what he tried, it didn't seem to make a difference. "The nature of her injuries are very peculiar too. In all my years, I've never seen anything like them" he said.

The young girl soon groaned a bit in her sleep before opening her eyes to see the doctor sitting down next to her. "Oh...hello, Doctor" she said, still half-asleep.

The man reached over and patted her gently on the head with a warm smile. "Hello, little one. Sorry to wake you up like this" he said.

The young girl shook her head at him, smiling back at him with a slight pained expression. "No, it's okay" she said. Her eyes soon trailed over to Lynette who was standing at the foot of her bed. She didn't look like any Human she recognized. "Who's she...?" she asked.

The man looked over at Lynette for a moment before nodding and shifting his attention back to the young girl. "Someone who might hold the key to fixing you up. Do you mind if she takes a look at you?" he asked.

Unlike the adults of the the settlement, she was just a young girl so she wasn't as suspicious of her. "Huh? I don't mind, but...I look hideous..." she said.

The man shook his head, gently stroking the top of her head. "Don't worry. We'll make those nasty scars go away" he said.

The girl nodded after a few moments, sitting up in bed and removing the blanket. Lynette was now able to see just how bandaged up she was. The right side of her face, the entire length of her left arm, her stomach and halfway down her right leg were wrapped up bandages. The man set the vial he was carrying on the side table next to the bed and began to unwrap the bandages. After about a minute, the full extent of her injuries were seen. She had black burn marks across her face and arm and strange violet markings that resembled puncture wounds across her stomach and right leg and looked like they were oozing out violet fluid. Lynette was in utter shock to see her injuries.

Lynette was visibly shaken and upset when she saw the girl's injuries. "Oh gods..." she said. The injuries to her stomach and leg were unlike anything she's ever seen before. They were by any means normal injuries. Once she was over the inital shock, she then started to realize a few things. The black burn marks on her face and arm resembled what Elle had after she escaped from the lower levels of the castle back in Eresseas meanwhile the other injuries looked similar to that of what Lesser Daemons had. "Wait...these injuries...there's no doubt about it. This was definitely the work of a Daemon of some kind" she thought to herself.

Once the bandages were removed, he grabbed a clean towel and picked the vial. "I'm going to apply some medicine now, okay? This may sting a little" he said. He took the towel and gently wiped around her stomach and leg to wipe away to oozing liquid. Once it was all cleaned up, he poured a few drops in the open wounds across her leg and stomach.

The girl writhed in pain as she let out a sharp yelp. She could feel her stomach and leg burning as the pain of the sting shot through her entire body. Lynette walked over to the other side of the bed and took hold of her hand for her to squeeze. What she failed to realize was that she had an intense grip considering that she was a Dragonkin, so when she squeezed her hand tightly, this made her hand hurt, but decided to bear with it. After adding a few more drops of the Vitae, the girl could start to feel the sting go away. Moments later, the violet wounds across her stomach and leg started to emit a bright glow. This surprised the three of them and what happened next surprised them. The wounds started to slowly disappear and after a few moments, they were completely gone.

The girl soon felt the pain that she had been experiencing on her stomach and leg vanish completely. When she looked down, rather than seeing the gross violet injuries, she saw her own skin. It looked like she wasn't even injured there at all anymore. "They're gone..." she said as she felt around her stomach and leg. Before, they were extremely sensitive to touch, but that wasn't the case this time. "I...I don't feel any pain anymore!" she said.

The man was in awe, but there were a few more areas to treat. "We're almost done. Lay back for me for a moment" he said.

The girl nodded and laid back on the bed, still holding onto Lynette's hand. The man pour several drops on the black burn marks on her face and all the way down her arm. She felt a slight sting, but not as bad as before. Much like then, the burn marks all started to emit a bright glow for several moments before it disappeared along with the burn marks. To everyone's surprise, the girl was now fully healed. The man, trying to keep his composure, reached for a mirror and showed it to the young girl. "Take a look at yourself" he said.

The girl looked in the mirror and saw that the burn marks on her face and arm were all gone. She looked as good as new. "The burns...they're gone too! But...how!?" she asked. She knew that they tried all kind of different medicine and none of them seemed to work.

The man was now fully convinced that what Lynette has created was indeed an X-Vitae. He stood there in bewilderment as he tried to process what he just saw. "This Human here developed the medicine that was used to cure you" he said.

The girl's eyes widened a bit as she looked over towards Lynette. "Really!? Wow, you're amaz-" she said. She then noticed that she was in noticeable pain. When she looked down, she saw that her hand was bleeding quite a bit from her strong grip. If she had gripped any harder, she could have easily crushed her hand. "Ah! Oh no! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! Are you okay!?" she asked, releasing her hand.

Lynette felt an intense pain coming from her hand as she pulled it from her. Blood dripped down across her hand but gave her a reassuring smile. "I-I'm fine, don't worry" she said.

The girl shook her head a bit, looking down at her bloody hand once more. "But your hand-!" she said.

Lynette shook her head as she smiled and held her other hand up over the bloody one. "It'll be okay. Watch this" she said. A warm, gentle light enveloped her bloody hand as she applied some minor Healing Artes on herself. Within moments, the injuries on her hand closed and healed up. She then got up and walked over to a nearby sink and washed the blood off her hand. Once it was all cleaned, she dried it off and went back over to her to show her hand. "See? Like nothing happened" she said.

The girl looked up at her in amazement as her eyes glowed. "Whoa! That's amazing! What did you do!?" she asked. She's never seen Healing Artes before, so she was understandably excited.

Lynette sat down on the edge of her bed and looked at her. "They're called Healing Artes. With them, I can heal most physical injuries with relative ease" she said. This was the first time she's seen someone who wasn't familiar with Healing Artes.

The man stared at Lynette, stroking his chin as she healed herself. Much like her, it was his first time seeing Healing Artes too. As he did, a thought came to his mind which prompted him to take a closer look at the X-Vitae she made. After giving it a deeper examination of it and referencing to the gentle light that enveloped her hand, he was able to pick up particles of Light within the X-Vitae. They weren't too concentrated, so they didn't dilute the Vitae and considering how fast-acting it was, he could even say that the restorative effects of the X-Vitae were boosted. She wasn't aware of it herself, but she had accomplished another impossible feat, one that she had set out to do which was incorporating medicine with Healing Artes. His interest in Lynette has now reached to incredible heights.

Before he could confront Lynette about these revelations, there was something he needed to do first. "Would you mind staying with her for a little bit? I need to go inform her parents about this right away" he said.

Lynette looked over towards the man, tilting her head a bit. "Huh? Oh, sure. I can keep her company" she said.

The man nodded, placing the vial down on the table and heading towards the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes" he said.

The man walked out of the room and left his clinic in a rush. While he was out fetching the girl's parents, the two of them talked amongst themselves. Lynette told her all about the wonders of Healing Artes and what they were capable of as well as any taboos relating to the field such as the art of ressurrection. This topic deeply interested the girl as she listened with great intensity. Lynette could see the glow in her eyes as she talked about Healing Artes. After about 20 minutes, a pair of footsteps could be heard running into the clinic and approaching their door.

Soon after, a female voice could be heard calling out from the other side of the door. "Mika!" the female voice shouted.

The door soon flew open as a young Dragonkin couple came entering the room. Both of them looked to be in their 30s based off their Human appearance. The male had red scales across his body while the female had blue scales. The girl seemed to inherit her mother's looks as the two of them looked similar while she inherited the father's brown hair.

The girl looked over towards the door when she heard it open and saw what appeared to be her parents. "Mom! Dad!" she said.

Lynette smiled and stepped away from the bed as the young couple huddled around the girl's bed. She walked up next to the doctor and looked back at the young family as they had an emotional embrace. "I'm happy for her" she said. She could see the color come back to her face as the reality started to set in.

The doctor put his hand on Lynette's shoulder and urged her to come out of the room. "Let's give them some space. There are a couple things I want to talk to you about in the meantime, so let's wait out in the lobby" he said.

Lynette nodded and the two of them walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. The two of them grouped up by the front desk so that the two of them could talk in relative peace. Lynette could see the serious look on the man's face, so what he wanted to say must be pretty important.

The man scratched the back of his head before sighing. He didn't intend things to go this far, but now he was invested in it. "First off, I never introduced myself, did I? The name's Melfhor Apala. You said your name was Lynette?" he asked.

Lynette nodded at him. "That's right..." she said. He had a serious tone to his voice which he didn't have before.

Melfhor's instincts as a doctor and medicine-maker compelled him to learn more about her. She was clearly not your average medicine-maker. "Human, do you understand now why I was so shocked earlier? After witnessing the effects of your medicine, I can all but confirm that it's the genuine article. An X-Vitae, something that myself and many doctors that came before me have failed to create" he said.

Lynette was surprised to see the effects of the medicine though she wasn't when it came to on how fast-acting it was. All the medicine she's made for Tsuki and the others have worked that way before, so it wasn't anything new to her. "But how? I've never handled Draconian ingredients before, let alone Red Herbs" she said.

Melfhor leaned back against the front desk, folding his arms. "Creating X-Vitae requires a certain inherent skill that isn't seen too often in the field of medicine. No one knows just what that skill is, even the person themselves. It's something that comes to them naturally without any explanation" he said. Having such a skill in the medicine field would have long-lasting benefits for the person and everyone around them.

Lynette tilted her head a bit. She had no idea what this skill could be as she hasn't really felt like she's done anything differently. "And you say that I possess this skill?" she asked.

Melfhor nodded at her. "Without a doubt. You wouldn't have been able to create the X-Vitae without it. Not only that..." he said. His gaze shifted over towards the door they came from. "You mentioned how you wanted to incorporate medicine with Healing Artes, right? You probably haven't realized it yet, but you've already achieved that" he said.

Lynette was surprised to hear this bit of news. "What!? I have? How!?" she asked.

Melfhor shook his head. He wasn't fully sure himself since he didn't notice her do anything while making the medicine, but he clearly saw traces of Light within it. "I'm not sure myself. Take a look for yourself" he said. He took the vial he grabbed from the room and showed it to her. "It's faint, but you can definitely sense traces of Light. They give off the same exact feeling as when you healed yourself just now" he said.

Lynette took a closer look at the vial he was holding and examined it. She was immediately able to sense her Light within the medicine. She didn't understand how it happened. "Huh...?" he said. She then reached into her bag to pull out some of medicine she already had on her from before and gave them a closer examination. To her surprise, she could also sense particles of Light within them. "Y-you're right...but how...?" she asked. She didn't understand how this came to be as she hasn't done anything differently in her brewing process.

Melfhor could also sense the particles of Light in the other medicine she pulled out. They were a bit weaker compared to that of the X-Vitae. "A doctor should never leave guesses on the table, but in this case, if I had to, I'd probably say you did it subconsciously. I wouldn't be surprised if that inherent skill I mentioned also played a part in it too" he said. It was undeniable at this point; she has accomplished something doctors in the medicine field have worked for and all failed at doing without her even knowing it herself. She was definitely one-of-a-kind and he could see the huge level of potential and future prospects for her as she continues through the field of medicine. Wanting to further enrich this experience and for what's to come, he's come to a decision.

After about of minute of silence between them, the door they came from opened up and out came walking the young Dragonkin couple and their daughter. They walked up to the two of them as the couple bowed deeply to Melfhor before the male spoke. "Doctor, thank you so much. We don't know how we'll ever repay you for healing our Mika" he said.

Melfhor shook his head, waving his hand in front of him. This wasn't something he could take credit for. "If there's anyone you should thank, it's this Hum-I mean, Lynette here that supplied the medicine for your daughter" he said.

The couple didn't hesitate to turn their attention and bows to Lynette. The female was the next to speak. "You've done so much for Mika, Miss. We're deeply in your debt" she said. The both of them knew she was one of the outsiders that recently arrived since she wasn't among one of the native Humans within the settlement. However, all of their suspicions went away as the Melfhor confirmed that she was the one responsible. They had no reason to mistrust his words since he was the settlement's most respected doctor, so if what he said was true, then it was.

Lynette looked a bit flustered as she waved her hands out in front of them. While it wasn't her initial intention, she was glad that Mika was cured. "N-no, don't worry about it, really! I didn't do much to begin with" she said.

The male stood up straight and shook his head. "Nonsense. The doctor has been taking care of our daughter for weeks now to the best of his ability, but wasn't able to do much. Your arrival here, while it has caused some commotion across the settlement, was a blessing in disguise for us. Mika would still be writhing in pain right now if it wasn't for you. We can't thank you enough for this" he said. Being face-to-face with her, he could see that Lynette was a kind and gentle person. She radiated a type of aura that makes one feel comfortable which was rare amongst Humans.

Lynette's face was red from embarrassment as they kept praising her. She didn't need such statements being made about her as she only grew more flustered. "P-please, enough! There's no need for you to do this!" she said.

As she flailed her arms out in front of her, she felt her sleeve being tugged. She looked down as Mika pulled her right arm down and grabbed onto it gently, mindful of not to squeeze too tight like before. "Your Healing Artes are amazing too! I want to learn about them!" she said. Her interest in the Healing Artes were piqued and wanted to try her hand at them herself, not realizing how difficult it was to even learn them.

Lynette let out a nervous laugh as she looked down at the girl. "Healing Artes aren't easy to learn, you know. It takes years of dedicated practice and requires a certain aptitude for it" she said. Looking at the girl again, she could definitely sense potential inside her. It was faint, but she could feel the essence of untapped Light within her.

Mika nodded her head, releasing her and pumped her arms close to her chest with a bright look in her eyes. "I'll do it. I want to be a Healer just like you!" she proclaimed boldly.

The female grabbed a small sheet of paper off the front desk and wrote something down on it before handing it to Lynette. "Here, this is directions to our house. We insist you come over for dinner tonight. It's the least we could do for you. Plus..." she said. She glanced down at Mika for a moment as she was a bit taken aback by her excitement. "Mika genuinely wants to learn. She never gets this excited and determined about something unless she really means it. It'd be great if you could teach her some things about Healing Artes, if it's not too much trouble" she said.

Lynette took the paper from her as she was a bit lost for words. They're being so upfront about it that she couldn't rightfully refuse them. "A-alright then" she said.

Mika jumped for joy when she said that she would come over later and teach her some things. "Really! Yay! I can't wait!" she said.

The male urged his family over towards the door. "We'll make sure we prepare some of our best dishes tonight, so make sure you show up" he said.

With that, the family left the clinic with Mika waving back at her with a bright smile. Once they were gone, peace and quiet had returned to the lobby. Lynette couldn't help but see herself in Mika. She reminded her of when she was younger back when her parents were still alive. It was a nostalgic feeling with a tinge of sadness. She could see a bright future for Mika.

When they were gone, Melfhor decided to act while she was still around. "Lynette, how would you like to help out here at the clinic for a while? In return, I'll teach you everything there is to know about Draconian medicine" he said.

Lynette was a bit surprised at his proposition. Draconian medicine, according to Melphi, was a closely guarded secret from within the settlement. She didn't expect him to open up about the secrets so easily. "A-are you sure? But, I'm an outsider..." she said.

Melfhor shook his head. He's sure to get an earful about this from the High Acheron, but his pursuit of medicine was too strong to ignore. Truth be told, he's felt his skills lacking for a while now and seeing Lynette's skills in action has lit a fire under him. "It's been a long time since I've seen someone of your skills. As a doctor and medicine-maker, I can't simply let this opportunity slip by me. I'm sure others will understand" he said. He wanted to see what other things she was capable of and possibly see if he can get her to make more X-Vitae and of course, pay her for the services.

Lynette saw this as a great opportunity herself too. She wasn't going to deny his offer since this was her chance to learn about Draconian medicine. "Then, I will take you up on your offer. I'll be in your care then" she said, bowing slightly to him.

Melfhor nodded at her, extending his hand out towards her. "I feel like I'm the one that I'll be your care. I've got a good feeling about you" he said.

Lynette extended her hand out and grabbed his as the two sealed the deal with a handshake. Over the next couple of hours, she spent her time in the clinic, helping out and creating various types of medicine too. She helped stock Melfhor's clinic with the medicine that he was falling short on as well as providing him a supply of X-Vitae. In the end, she gained a deeper knowledge of Draconian medicine and it gave her the opportunity to figure out just what this inherent skill of hers.

At the same time across the settlement, in a rather large building made out of cobblestone and wood, Elle was sitting at a rectangular table with a pile of books and stacks of papers laying all across it. She was sitting in the center of a large library. She had been flipping through numerous books and files and sitting across from her was an older gentlemen who was one of the native Humans. He appeared to be someone in his late 50s. He had short, white hair and beard. He wore a monocle and was wearing a grey coat. He appeared to be assisting her in whatever it was she was looking for. She had been hitting the books for over an hour now,

Elle had been scouring through books and files to learn more about the Dragon Colonies and their culture. With her being a High Elf, she was able to garner trust amongst the locals quite easily. Since Elves were considered friends and allies with the Dragonkin, the settlers were quick to open up to her and having the royal blood of a High Elf only elevated things for her. After spending over an hour reading through the various books and files, she came out of it learning things that she couldn't learn elsewhere. The culture of the Colonies really intrigued her. Some of the files that she went through even documented the different types of festivals they have and pictures to go along with them. Everyone looked like they were all having fun and the time of their lives.

After a while, she leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms up over her head as she let out a loud groan. It was then that she took notice of the time. She hadn't realized how long time had pssed since she had hit the books. "Man, there's so much information to soak up about this place" sher said.

The gentleman let out a hearty laugh as she saw the satisfied look on her face. "I bet it is. It's been a while since Elven royalty has paid our humble settlement a visit. If there's anything you wish to know, feel free to ask me" he said.

Elle brought her arms back down and rested them on the table in front of her. She's learned enough about the history of the Colonies for the time being and was curious about any recent developments that has occurred. "Well, how about something more recent then? Has anything new occurred here?" she asked. Part of the reason she asked was because she wanted to see if anyone else has been able to pick up on the aetherial disturbance that has spread across the settlement. According to what they were told, only the High Acheron and Hiyoshi knew about it, but that doesn't mean that someone else can't pick up on it.

The man stroked his beard in thought. There has only been one thing worthy of note that's happened fairly recently and it's been an ever-growing mystery for the settlers. "Something recent, eh? As a matter of fact, there has been some...unsettling developments" he said. He then leaned in closer towards the table. "A couple weeks ago, the lower plains where our crop and herb fields are was attacked by a strange monster" he said.

Elle tilted her head a bit. "A strange monster? What was it?" she asked. She noticed that the library got unusually quiet when this monster was brought up.

'The man nodded. It was a fresh topic despite being a couple weeks old at this point and people still are reluctant to talk about it. The creature was downright terrifying for many, something straight out of a nightmare. "My family has lived amongst the Dragonkin here for the past 6 generations. Even with all this rich history at our fingertips, no one seems to know, not even the High Acheron. It was a grotesque creature that looked like a bad mutation. It had the appearance of a Human, but he was much taller and muscular than one. His skin was a dark shade of purple and he had piercing yellow eyes with razor sharp claws. And that violet aura it emitted...it felt pure evil. It almost resembled one of those creatures from legend" he said. Just recalling the thing was enough to send chills down his spine. The day that thing arrived has brought untold amounts of unrest and anxiety amongst the settlement.

Elle stroked her chin in thought as he described the monster. "Resembled a Human...tall and muscular...an evil, violet aura..." she mumbled to herself. She had an idea of what it might be, but she needed to see visual proof to be sure. "Did someone happen to get a picture of it?" she asked.

The man nodded once more. "Yes, let me go fetch it for you" he said. He stood up and walked over to the counter on the far side of the library. He rummaged through the shelves and took out a folder containing a single document. He walked it back over to the table and set it down for her to look at. "It's not the best image, but it's all we got" he said.

Elle opened the folder and looked at the document that was inside it. There was a photo attached to the document which appeared to list the physical characteristics of the creature in question. As for the picture itself, it was rather blurry and hard to make out the more definitive traits, but it was an undeniable, familiar figure to her. "A Daemon...? It has to be..." she thought to herself. Aside from Lesser Daemons, the last time she had laid eyes on one was back when they fought that dragon-like creature back in the desert outskirts of Chesberry. While she couldn't make out the definitive features, some of the other noticeable physical characteristics reminded her of that encounter as flashbacks played back through her mind. That was a sight she'll never forget. "What happened? Where did it come from?" she asked.

The man shook his head. It was an answer many people have been wanting answers to, but weren't able to figure out. "No one knows. It just suddenly showed up out of the blue in the lower plains and attacked the housing district and the nearby fields. It was an unprovoked attack" he said. He was there to witness it all himself. In fact, he just narrowly escaped being crushed by falling debris. If he had just been a few seconds too slow, he wouldn't be sitting here right now. "The High Acheron and the Overseer immediately took action against the creature. Unfortunately, the creature ended up fleeing into the mountains, but also sustaining some heavy injuries in the process. The Overseer was then given the mission of hunting down and eliminating the threat" he said. He soon fell silent for a few moments before sitting back in his chair before continuing on. "This was around the same time when I started to feel something was...off. It's hard to describe it, but the air around here feels...heavier...and thicker than normal" he said.

Elle raised her eyebrow with a curious look on her face. Based off the timeline of events, this was probably the beginning of the aetherial disturbance. What bothered her was why the High Acheron completely withheld this information from them. "Did the Overseer manage to kill it?" she asked.

The man shook his head again and started to stroke his beard once more. "If he did, the High Acheron would have made an announcement, so no, I don't believe he has" he said. Then, the recent rumors about Hiyoshi started to pop up in his head. "Come to think of it, this was around the same time that people started to notice an immediate change in the Overseer's behavior and attitude. Ever since he returned from his initial pursuit of the creature, he hasn't been the same" he said.

They've already heard the rumors about Hiyoshi from the Dragonkin they accompanied back to the Colonies. How he was acting differently and how his attitude became more cold to others. People could see the change in him almost right away from what they've been told, but didn't really think much of it at first. However, as weeks went by, it only became worse to the point that people have started voicing their concerns, even consulting the High Acheron about this.

Elle mumbled to herself as she took in the information. She wasn't sure what to make of it yet, but it all sounded like everything was connected. She just didn't know what it meant or how. "What's the Overseer been up to lately?" she asked.

The man looked out over towards the window where the mountains lie off in the far distance. "He's been scouring through the mountains for presumably the creature that fled. No one but the High Acheron really knows. He hasn't been in the village often as a result of it. but every time he comes back, I can't help but get a sense that something is wrong" he said. He couldn't explain it himself. He kept experiencing feelings of dread and anxiety every time he comes within vicinity of Hiyoshi now. It's like a dark cloud was looming over his head. "Everyone else feels the same way too. They see that something of off about the Overseer, but assume it's just the weight of the creature's prolonged search that's beating him down" he said.

Elle stroked her chin more as she sat back in her chair. This was all information that seemed important, so she made sure to take note of it all. Hearing this, she couldn't help but think back to the immediate violent reaction that Cesela had when he entered the hall during their meeting. "What do you think?" she asked.

The man mumbled as he shook his head before letting out a heavy sigh. "If it were just that, I wouldn't consider it as much. However, my gut is telling a different story...and for whatever reason, thinking about it sends a chill down my spine. It's just like I said, there's something off about the Overseer. I just don't know what it could be" he said. He wants to voice his concerns with the man himself and has tried to on a few occasions when he had the chance, but something always stopped him dead in his tracks. Every time he saw Hiyoshi wandering through the settlement, he couldn't help but feel his body freeze up instantly.

Elle thought back to their brief interaction with Hiyoshi. Aside from Cesela's reaction with him, she didn't sense anything wrong with him. He seemed like a normal person but thinking back on it more, she noticed that there was a nagging feeling. She didn't know what to call this feeling besides strange. "Hmm...what is this feeling...?" she asked herself. She soon shook her head to shake the thought since she wasn't sure where to start. "Did the monster leave anything behind in it's wake that could help identify it?" she asked.

The man was silent for a moment, looking around the room first before speaking in a lower tone as if to prevent others from hearing. "One of it's scales fell off and I...couldn't help myself and took it. It was like a powerful urge came over me when I saw it" he whispered.

Elle wasn't sure why he suddenly whispered to her, but it was obvious that it was something he wanted to keep secret. "Mind if I take a look at it?" she asked, whispering back at him.

The man nodded and stood up from his seat, urging her to follow him. The two walked over to one of rooms behind the receptionist's counter into what appeared to be a storage room. Elle closed the door behind them as the man rummaged through one of the nearbiy cabinets for a minute. Soon, he took out something wrapped in cloth. Immediately, Elle could feel the uneasy vibes from across the room. The man walked over to her and unwrapped the object. Inside was a dark scale stained with a violet fluid that shared a similar consistancy as blood. At first glance, it didn't look like anything but an ordinary monster scale.

Elle closed her eyes and held her hand out over the scale and channeled some of her Mana in order to analyze it. What she learned confirmed her fears. "There's no doubt about it. It reeks of Arcanum, but there's...something more to it. I've felt this before..." she thought to herself. After being silent for a few moments, she opened her once more and looked at the man with a serious expression.

The man noticed the look on her face. "Well? What do you think?" he asked. The look on her face told it all, but he wanted to hear it for himself.

Elle shook her head. "That scale reeks of a power that doesn't belong to this world. Keeping it here within the settlement is dangerous. Fortunately, you can say that I'm experienced when it comes to handling a power like this" she said. What she needs to do is remove the scale from the settlement as soon as possible. The scale reminded her too much of the tainted crystals they encountered back in Cayhill where they wound up exploding. There was no indication of that happening with this, but she didn't want to take any chances. "Mind if I take it off your hands so I can dispose of it?" she asked.

The man nodded. He's felt nothing but bad vibes ever since coming into contact with it that seem to worsen with each passing day. He'd be glad to see it gone from his sight. "Yes, of course" he said.

The man wrapped the scale back up and handed it to Elle. She took it from him and held it in the palm of her hand. Moments later, the wrapped scale floated up over her hand as a green aura channeled through her arm and around the wrapped scale. Soon after, a small containment sphere of energy formed around the scale. Once the containment sphere was properly sealed, it floated gently back into her hand. She then took the sphere and stuffed it in her bag.

The man was intrigued about what she just did. He's seen a lot of Magical Artes, but nothing like what she just did. "Whoa. What did you just do?" he asked.

Elle looked back at the man when she put the sphere away that contained the scale. "It's an Elven technique that's used to temporarily seal away cursed or dangerous objects. I'll need to get to an isolated location to properly dispose of it later, but for the time being, it's safe to handle" she said. She's had to do this several times back in Cayhill when it came to the safe transport of dangerous, volatile crystals. Unbeknownst to Tsuki and the others, she had used this same technique on the crystal shards that they were transporting back to Eresseas from Basilwell.

The man was interested in what other stuff Elves were capable of. The last time he saw an Elf come through the settlement was in Shana appeared almost 28 years ago. By that point, she had already established herself as a powerful, dominant figure. Both the Overseer and High Acheron challenged her to a duel of strengths and lost against her. They were completely unaware that she had the blessings of the former Great Spirit, Volt and even without him, she was still a force to be reckoned with. Dragonkin within the Colonies admire strength above all else, so if one were to prove their strength and reliability to them, gaining respect and trust would be a simple matter, especially for an outsider.

The man stroked his beard as he stared at her intensely. "I must say, Elven magic is pretty unique. They have the same principals and formula as Human-based Magical Artes, but the foundation is a little different" he said. Being a man of history, he needed to know more about it, but that wasn't all. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in the Elves. From their culture all the way down to their anatomy. Your eyes tell me of many experiences of life and yet, you look so young. What are you, 18 years old?" he asked.

Elle shrugged her shoulders a bit, shaking her head. "It's a little rude to ask a girl about her age, you know. But, you're not too far off if you're going by general physical apperances. If I had to go off the basis of Human growth and anatomy, I'd be 17 years old. However, my true Elven age is 36" she said. Despite being over two times older than her outward appearance, she's never thought of herself as that old. Considering her life growing up and the loving family that took her in and helped raised her when she was at her lowest, she's always gone by Human growth.

The man stroked his beard more as he mumbled to himself more. There was much about Elven anatomy that remained a secret, but what was known was that they shared similar growth traits to that of Dragonkin. "There comes a point when Dragonkin reach maturity and stops growing. That's the same for the Elves, right?" he asked.

Elle nodded at him. "Yes. Dragonkin aren't considered 'adults' until they're around 100 years in age, so someone like Melphi is still considered a child. From what I've been told, Dragonkin reach maturity around 75 years old. For Elves, we aren't considered 'adults' until 60 years old and don't reach maturity until 40 years old" she said. Going off that information, it was deduced that despite how mature she seems to act, she was still regarded as a child within Elven society.

The man nodded as she spoke, mumbling even more. "Elves are a rare sight these days since they don't leave their forest homes, so it's easy to spot one roaming around which I'm sure catches a lot of eyes and attention" he said. He then started to look over her body with an intense stare. She still had a little more growth left in her before she reaches that mature age, but after taking a moment to admire the view, she had quite a developed body to her. She had nice curves, smooth and flawless skin, had a pretty face to her and a had a near perfect bust size to her that wasn't not too large or too small. She was practically eye candy for anyone to look at. "I'd imagine someone as gorgeous as you would have a fair share of problems, particularly with the Syndicate and their hatred towards non-Humans" he said.

Elle instinctively covered her chest with her arms as if to hide it from view, her face slightly red. "It's even ruder to stare at a girl and even more so to stare at their breasts" she said. She glared at him slightly but sensed that he had no ill intent, so she didn't get too worked up over it. He was right, however. She's been given a lot of looks by people because of her appearance. It ended up attracting a lot of attention she didn't need, which was why she wore the silver armor all the time back in Cayhill. However, now that she no longer wears that armor, her figure was practically in full view to be admired again, whether she likes it or not. "You're right about a few things, though. Elves, and especially High Elves, can fetch a high price in the slave market and with the types of people within that market, it's not hard to imagine what their intentions would be" she said. Thankfully, Cayhill was free from the influence of slave trade, so she never had to personally deal with anything, but that can't be said about the rest of the world, however. She had that reality check when Cesela was being pawned off with a high bidding price back in underground slave auction near Chesberry.

The man scratched the back of his head, soon realizing that he's been making rude stares at her along with some rude comments. "Ah...sorry, I didn't mean for things to come out that way" he said. The reach of slave trade extends far and wide. Almost every corner of the world was affected by it. The only places that weren't were Cayhill and the desert continent of Saiso where the Principality of Loné was located. "The Syndicate's influence spreads far...and unfortunately, it seems that even our little settlement has been hit by it with the recent abductions. However, I've heard that your group brought them back" he said.

Elle nodded at him. "Yes. We also eliminated the Syndicate cell that was responsible for the abductions too, so there shouldn't be any problems" she said. With an area that was so remote and tightly guarded by Dragonkin with the ever-watchful eye of the High Acheron, it was a mystery on how it occurred in the first place since they were told by the victims that it happened from within the territory of the Colonies. "Has this been the first time they've encroached upon here?" she asked.

The man nodded. No one knew what happened to the group that went missing. Everyone saw the group leave the settlement together for a hunting trip, but never made it back home. It was assumed that they went missing in the mountains or something happened during the hunting trip, so a seach party was sent out but came back with little results. It wasn't until Tsuki and the others brought them back that they learned the real truth behind their disappearances. Hearing this only made people more unsettled and anxious than they already are from the strange creature. "Yes. We had all thought we were safe and beyond their reach. However, it seems that is no longer the case here. With that strange creature on the loose still and hearing about the Syndicate's involvement in the disappearances, I imagine that secruity and patrols will be doubled" he said.

Elle mumbled to herself a bit as she stroked her chin in thought. "The Syndicate will do anything and everything to fulfill their agenda, even to incur the wrath of the Dragon Colonies. Not like they care or anything" she said. With the group that was responsible for the abductions wiped out though, hopefully, there won't be anymore incidents. However, the Syndicate are a persistent bunch, so there were no guarantees.

The man soon sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Why is all of this happening now...?" he asked. There haven't been many things that put the safety of the Colonies and its settlers at risk, so it's understandable why people, including himself, were feeling restless. The Syndicate was an easy solution to handle, but the strange creature was another matter. So long as that thing still roams around the area, no one is going to feel relaxed.

Elle closed her eyes for a few moments to process everything. If Daemons are involved in this somehow, then they must play a part in the strange occurrences around here. No doubt that it was linked to this Necrotic Cloud and Necromancy business. She then decided to consult with Frost through telepathic communication about this. "What do you make of this, Frost?" she thought.

Frost's voice soon spoke back through her mind. "It's most definitely what you're probably thinking. It's faint, but there's no denying it. I sense his presence within the aetherial disturbance. The presence of Sarex" she said. It was a feeling she and the other Great Spirits would never forget. After all, they aided Cliff and his friends in defeating him back in Year 1500. Even back then, his strength and influence was formidable yet incomplete at the same time. This time was different, however. It may have been a faint presence, but she could tell right away that he's gotten far stronger since that time. "What concerns me the most is how much we still don't know. We're playing too deep in the dark" she said.

Elle nodded to herself as she agreed with her statement. Not just about Arcanum as a whole, but Sarex and his underlings too, especially the Hands of Sarex. "There's a darkness that's growing behind the scenes, that much is certain. We're at a disadvantage" she thought.

Frost could be heard letting out a heavy sigh before she spoke again. "If only Undine and Sylph were here. They were the ones that played the biggest roles when it came to confronting Sarex. If anyone would know about this, it'd be them" she said. With Undine still sealed away in Cayhill and Sylph in Menorion, they're lacking the necessary tools and knowledge.

Elle soon shook her head. They couldn't rely on them, so this was something that they needed to figure out themselves. "We'll have to make due. Perhaps there's something in this library that can tell us more about Sarex" she thought. The library had two floors to it and had a vast array of knowledge to plunder. It wasn't guaranteed that they've kept records dating that far back, but it was worth a shot.

The man noticed that Elle had been lost in thought for a while. She looked like she was deep in thought about something. "What is it? If there's anything I can help with, just ask" he said.

Elle nodded to herself once more before opening her eyes and looking at the man. "You're the Head Librarian, right? Do you guys keep any records from, let's say, Year 1500?" she asked.

The man tilted his head a bit at the curious question. "Of course we do. After all, that was when the Colonies were founded by the Dragon King. Why?" he asked.

Elle felt like she struck gold. This was a chance that she wasn't going to escape her. "Mind if you show me? There are a few things I want to try and learn about" she said. She didn't want to bring up Sarex or anything of that nature. The last thing she wanted was even more concern.

The man wasn't sure why she wanted to go that far back in her pursuit of knowledge, but he wasn't going to stop her. "Sure. We keep that stuff in a separate part of the library. Follow me and I can show you the way" he said.

The two of them soon left the storeroom and wandered off to another part of the library. If she could learn a little bit more about Sarex and his underlings, they might be able to formulate some sort of idea on how to deal with them. Granted, they'll be relying on old and most likely outdated information, but it would give them a base to start with. They knew practically nothing about Sarex or those elites of his. Any little information would go a long way rather than just swinging at the dark. She would spend the rest of the early afternoon surrounding herself in dusty old books and records before she knew it.

Two hours would pass on from this as the scene shifts over to the settlement's plaza with Melphi by herself. She appeared to be taking a walk through the streets, reminiscing on old times. Many people welcomed her back with open arms, but there were some that gave her looks of discontent, mainly because of the fact that she brought outsiders into the settlement, violating the established laws. Even if they met the approval of the High Acheron, they still didn't trust them. It were these types of people that also didn't approve of Melphi's connection with Humans. Of course, Melphi would just ignore these people as she moved through the streets. It's not like she was expecting a warm, welcoming party in the first place. She knew that they would be forced to restrain themselves anyway. After all, she was the Azure Spark, the eventual successor to the High Acheron when it finally comes to retirement.

Melphi spent a good amount of time reconnecting with old friends like Aida. For once, she had a softer look to her face that didn't show itself too often. Despite how certain may feel about her, this was still her home, so it was nice to be back, to a certain degree. Even the younger kids greeted her with open arms and warm smiles. She may be sensitive to the fact that she was no taller than a young teenage Human, but it made it easier for her to mingle with the younger generation and vice versa. The young Dragonkin always thought she was easily approachable compared to the other adults despite almost being one herself. For once, she didn't have to put up a cold, guarded front with people. She looked like a regular, carefree girl that actually smiled. This was her real self. However, she would never show this side of hers to others unless they were special and the only ones who she would probably consider were Taichi and his companions as well as Tsuki and everyone else. The more she traveled with Tsuki and the others, the more she was reminded of Taichi and his friends.

After hanging out in the plaza for a while, she went over to a nearby overlook not too far from there. This overlook had a magnificent view of the snowy mountaintops in the distance and the grassy fields down below. She walked over to the edge of the overlook, resting her hands on the stone wall as she took in a deep breath, feeling that crisp air blow across her face. She soon looked down towards the fields and saw a few buildings that were burnt down or had become piles of rubble. She already heard from the settlers as she made her walks about the strange creature that attacked them a few weeks ago. It definitely concerned her especially even with the combined might of the High Acheron and Hiyoshi, they were unable to kill it. It didn't take her much time to deduce that the creature was a Daemon of some kind and that's where her concerns lie. She didn't know what level of Daemon it was.

Based off testimony, it was clear that it wasn't that of a low class Daemon like zombies or that of a Lesser Daemon. That means, it was either that of a Devil class or a Hell Lord. She hopes that it was of a Devil class though. If they had a Hell Lord on their hands, the situation would change drastically. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to get descriptions of any solid definitive physical features about it. She stared out at the distant mountains, seemingly lost in thought.

It was then that a male's voice spoke out to her, which broke up her thought process. "Wait, Melphi? Is that really you?" the voice asked.

Melphi recognized the voice and turned around in its direction. There was a male roughly around her age, but basically towered over her. "Bryant? I didn't expect to see you here" she said.

The male named Bryant approached her, putting his hands on his hip. He wore a top that exposed most of his torso and wore hunting attire to go along with it. He had numerous tiny scars all over his torso and right arm. He had spikey black hair, red eyes and carried a short sword that was strapped to his waist along with a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back. He was muscular and looked extremely fit.

Bryant looked at her with a confused look. "Thats what I should be saying. I didn't even know you were here. When did you return?" he asked.

Melphi shrugged her shoulders a bit. "A few hours ago" she said. She was surprised that he hasn't heard about her return yet which means he probably doesn't know about the others. "Didn't you hear about it?" she asked.

Bryant shook his head. "No, I've been out hunting in the upper mountains all morning long. I was just on my way back when I saw you" he said. He had a look of relief on his face to know that she appeared to be doing well. She had suddenly left the Colonies a few weeks ago, so he was concerned about her. "If you've come back, I take it that you've decided to step up?" he asked, referring to taking over Varnis' place.

Melphi shook her head. "No. I've come here for a different purpose with a few of my friends" she said.

Bryant tilted his head a bit. "Friends...? Wait, you mean you brought outsiders here? Are you crazy!? The High Acheron won't like this once he hears of it" he said. He couldn't believe she'd bring outsiders into the settlement. That was a rule that everyone had to adhere to within the Colonies.

Melphi put her hand on her hip. "They've already met and gained his approval. Right now, everyone's getting the lay of the land before helping the Overseer" she said.

Bryant held his hand up to his chin. "With my father...?" he asked. This was confusing for him to hear. It was unheard of that the High Acheron would allow outsiders in, much less give them his approval. There definitely was a story to all of this. "Can you tell me what's going on?" he asked.

Melphi spent the next several minutes explaining to Bryant about some of the things that led up to her returning and what their purpose for being here was. She didn't give him the full story of what's happening outside of Nargelond though. He was a bit unsettled when he heard about what's been going on around Dolothlond and it's War Council, but those were Human affairs. What interested him most was the fact that she and a group of outsiders will be working with the Overseer to conduct an investigation. It was pretty surprising to hear just how easy it was for them to be granted approval of this. Hearing that Cliff had a part to play in all of this too was also surprising to hear, though part of him didn't believe it.

Bryant was leaning up against a wooden pillar as he stroked his chin. It was unfortunate that she didn't come back to take over as High Acheron, but it was still good to see her again nonetheless. "So, you'll be teaming up with father as you investigate the mountains. Considering his recent behavioral changes, it might be a good thing for him to have assistance" he said. Bryant was the son of Hiyoshi, the Overseer and a good friend of Melphi's. He had known her ever since she was taken into the settlement after the tragic downfall of Elkhorn.

Melphi nodded at him as she posed him a question. "Do you know why he's changed? People seem to be pretty concerned about him" she said. If anyone would know the answer to this, then it'd be him.

Bryant sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, even I don't know. After he came back from pursuing that creature, he was...different. I tried to probe him for answers, but he always brushed off the topic" he said. His behavior hasn't improved at all in the weeks since that day occurred.

Melphi stroked her chin in thought. She was hoping the closest person to him would have some answers, but that route didn't go far. "I see..." she mumbled. It seems they'll have to probe the man himself and retrace the steps he took. It was clear that something happened to him out in the mountains.

Bryant scratched the back of his head. She wasn't the first person to come to him about this issue and he was still as much in the dark about it like everyone else. "In fact, me and him haven't exactly gotten along these past few weeks. There have been arguments that we've never had before and some almost became violent to the point that the High Acheron had to step in" he said.

Melphi tilted her head a bit. It was unusual for the two of them to get into arguments. They were pretty close and while there have been some minor disagreements, there has rarely ever been full-blown arguments especially if they got violent. This only concerned her more about his change in behavior. "That's not normal. Did anything happen prior to that creature appearing in the lower fields?" she asked.

Bryant shook his head. "No. Everything was as it should have been. He was preparing for the anniversary of mother's passing when it all changed. Ever since he started his hunt for the creature, it's almost as if he's forgotten everything about the anniversary, which was a tradition he had always upheld" he said. This greatly concerned him has the anniversary of her passing was always a priority for him regardless of what may be going on. It was the 5th anniversary, so he had been planning something special to honor her memory. To him to seemingly abandon this was very uncharacteristic of him.

Melphi folded her arms, bringing them up to her chest and stroked her chin in thought. "When he left to first pursue the creature, how long was he gone for?" she asked.

Bryant thought back to a few weeks ago. "Hmm...about three days, give or take" he said. Considering how vast the mountains were, the creature could have escaped anywhere. It could take weeks to find the creature.

Three days of pursuit could have taken him anywhere within the mountains. Melphi knew that whatever occurred during those three days held the key to everything. They just needed to figure out what happened and considering his recent attitude and behavior, the likelihood of him telling them was low. Which meant that they would need to somehow retrace his steps. "So, the answer to all of our problems is somewhere out in the mountains. Talk about finding a needle in a haystack" she said. Searching the entire mountain range in an attempt to retrace his steps was an impossible task especially since this all happened a few weeks ago. Any tracks that were left behind will have been covered by fresh snow.

Bryant nodded at her deduction. He was of the same mind as her which is why he has taken the initiative and used the times he goes out hunting to scour the mountains. "I may be able to help with that. After all, two heads are better than one" he said. While he doesn't have any solid leads, there have been a few areas of interest that he has noted.

The two of them started to walk through the streets as Bryant informed her of what these points of intrest were. There were four locations located in different areas of the mountains that felt off compared to their surroundings. Bryant didn't know what it was, but he found himself unable to approach these locations. Instincts have told him that whatever lies in these locations posed serious danger. He made a mention of this to the High Acheron, but informed him to keep this information secret so that people don't grow more anxious. He went into deeper description of these areas and based off of experiences, it was easy for Melphi to deduce that these areas would prove vital to their investigation. She decided to withhold her thoughts until she rejoined Tsuki and the others. Bryant was a strong Dragonkin, but she didn't want to put him in danger of what lies ahead of them.

The conversation between them eventually shifted to a more casual topic as they strolled through the streets. Both of them talked about various events that have happened to them over the last few months. Bryant confidently boasted that he's gotten far stronger since the last time they were together. This was an obvious observation for Melphi with how he carried himself. He started to become more like his father, the Overseer. Of course, he still had a long way to go to fill in those shoes. Melphi told him about the brief time she was together with Shana before parting ways with her in Eresseas and some of the crazy times she shared with Tsuki and the others. Bryant was wary of these outsiders that she brought with her, but the more she talked about them, the more interested he became of them.

Eventually, their stroll took them over wide building nestled against the mountainside. Based on the exterior of the building, it appeared to resemble that of a school. There were multiple windows that lined building's outer walls and inside, you could see classrooms on one side and what seemed like dorm rooms on the other. In front of the building was a small play area where young Dragonkin and Human children were playing. The sign just outside of the gates of the building read Guardian's Grove and standing next to that sign were two familiar figures.

Melphi walked over towards the main gates of the building and noticed that Tsuki and Varnis were together, seemingly chatting away. "Huh? Tsuki? What are you and the Old Man doing here?" she asked.

Tsuki heard Melphi's voice call out to him from behind and turned around. "Oh Mel, it's you" he said.

Time goes back 40 minutes where the scene shifts over to Tsuki sitting on the edge of his bed in his cabin, wearing nothing but a light shirt and casual pants as he worked on repairing his battle attire. It's been a while since he's been able to take it all off for a while and since he had some downtime, now was a good time to do some mending. While he was by himself, he took the opportunity to talk with the souls of the Sigil to hear what their input about their situation was as he worked on his gear and used the nearby tools to sharpen the blade of the Caliburn.

The spirits of Cliff, Fumiko and Alexander were scattered around the room. Cliff was leaning against one of the wardrobes while Fumiko was sitting at the small table on the opposite side of the room. As for Alexander, he was skimming through the bookshelves as he trailed his finger across the spines of the many stacked books. There was silence that had filled the room for a time before anyone decided to speak up. The only things they could hear were the noises outside and Tsuki's mending. Surprisingly, he didn't feel as strained as before when he channeled all three of them. Back in the Glacier, it didn't take him too long to drop to his knees from the strain of his body. The three of them have been channeled for some time now and he wasn't feeling that same level of strain this time around.

Tsuki decided to make note of this. "You know, I think it's getting easier to channel you three. My body doesn't feel as strained as it used to be" he said. They've been through many battles, so it's natural that his body would eventually grow and adapt to new changes over time. Perhaps this was one of those times.

Fumiko looked over towards Tsuki as she sat back in the chair. "Well, I would hope so. You may not realize it, but you've been subconsciously channeling are energies this entire time. It's a gradual and steady growth, but your body is definitely getting stronger. Soon, you'll be able to wield all of our powers at once with ease" she said. That was the end goal for him regardless of how things play out. As the Sigil Bearer, it was crucial for him to learn how to wield the full might of the Sigil if he had any hopes on winning against the Archfiend.

Alexander nodded in agreement with her as he looked back towards him. "She's right. There have been two occasions now that you've already glimpsed at a portion of the Sigil's true might. The first time was when you practically destroyed that one port area in Basilwell when he clashed with Caius and the second was when you repelled the attack from the man in robes in the Glacier" he said. It was quite surprising that he was able to tap into that strength not once, but twice and one of those times wasn't even done intentionally. Tsuki had a certain level of potential that was a rarity amongst Humans.

Cliff shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "He's still got a long ways to go though before he's able to properly wield that kind of power. Just look at what happened to him at the Glacier. The intense pressure started to break apart his soul in a matter of seconds. And let me tell you, healing an injured soul isn't something that can be done through Healing Artes. Thankfully, the break was very minor, so we were able to restore it" he said. It was partially their fault too for channeling themselves through him to make themselves visible for all to see. That only exacerbated the break.

Tsuki thought back to the events of the Glacier when he channeled the three of them through a technique they called Soul Fusion. He remembered feeling an excruciating pain in the deepest parts of his chest like something took a tight hold of him with a firm squeeze. It made it very hard for him to breathe and even resulted in blurry vision and coughing up blood. He felt weakened for a while after the fact. He wasn't sure what that pain was and didn't bother bringing it up to the three of them as he thought what they said it was, a power that far exceeded what his body could handle. Now, he knows just what that pain was. "My soul was breaking apart...? So, that's what it was..." he said. It wasn't a feeling he wanted to experience again. He's never felt such deep, intense pain before that happened. Not even the Healing Artes that Lynette was casting on him at the time made a difference.

Fumiko was silent for a moment. After a while, she shifted her gaze towards one of the cabin windows. "That pain you felt...it's what Spirits feel when they die. A hard, excruciating death. There is no such thing as a 'painless death' for a Spirit. A Spirit Core is their soul equivalent, so imagine the pain you felt and multiply it by a hundred when one shatters" she said. Thankfully, the three of them were still technically 'dead', so they didn't have Spirit Cores. In other words, they can't feel any pain. The only time they could feel pain is when they take control of Tsuki's body through Spirit Swap.

Cliff pushed off the wall he was leaning against and walked towards the center of the room. "It's not just the fact that he's gotten stronger. I founded the Dragon Colonies here because the abundance of Aer was quite high. Not enough to cause harm, but more than enough to have life flourish and prosper. The added isolation from the rest of the world was also a good bonus" he said. It was because of this that he was able to channel them with relative ease. It wasn't enough to harness the Sigil's full power, but if it was something as simple as this, there weren't going to be any foreseeable future.

Fumiko closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the chair. Being an entity entirely of Aer, it was easy for them to sense any form of aetherial disturbance. She looked at the two other Spirits who gave her the same look back. "With the high levels of Aer surrounding these mountains, we can definitely say that Yorick is up to no good. Things may be calm now, but it's only a matter of time before he takes action" she said.

Cliff nodded in agreement with her. "Yeah and it won't end too well for the Colonies too. We need to find him as soon as possible..." he said. He felt personally obligated to see this through considering that the Colonies and especially Yorick was involved in this. It'll give him the chance to correct his past mistake. "And this time, I'll make sure he dies by my hand" he said. Yorick escaped him once more and he wasn't going to let it happen again.

Tsuki shifted his gaze over towards Cliff. His last words to him before leaving the meeting hall have been bothering him. "Cliff, what did you mean when you said to be cautious around Hiyoshi? What did you sense?" he asked.

Cliff looked over towards Tsuki with a serious look on his face. "The smell of death and rot permeates from him and I don't think it's leftover residue of a hunt as he said. Cesela's reaction to his immediate presence was enough to confirm this. Not only that, but there's something about his Aer that doesn't feel right" he said. He's been trying to figure this out since he laid eyes on Hiyoshi. It was clear to him that Hiyoshi was hiding something. "I'm only speculating, but I believe that he came into contact with Necromancy at some point" he said.

Alexander stroked his chin for a few moments. Necromancy was an Forbidden Arte that hasn't been reported since Year 1500, when Cliff first had his encounter with Yorick. Both him and Fumiko never experienced anything like it during their time, so they could only rely on whatever Cliff had shared with them. "You think he encountered Yorick in the mountains?" he asked.

Cliff nodded his head. "If he's been investigating areas around the mountain that Yorick is active in, then there's a good chance for it. We need to be wary of not only him, but our surroundings too. I've never heard of Necromancy affecting a living person since it's a subject that primarily deals with the undead, but this is Yorick we're talking about and he's had centuries to refine it" he said. Knowledge on Necromancy was already extremely limited as it was, so it greatly concerns him on just how far Yorick has gone with it.

Tsuki soon finished mending his equipment and put it back on, strapping the Caliburn to his waist. "We should see how the settlement is affected by this, just to be on the safe side" he said.

Cliff was in agreement with this plan. The negative effects of Necromancy can leave a lasting mark on the surroundings and even poison food and water supply if not handled properly. Considering that it's been a few weeks since this all started, there were many safety and health concerns. "I was just about to suggest that. We need to get a better understanding of the current state of affairs here" he said.

Fumiko soon stood up from her chair and walked over towards Tsuki. "We'll leave this to you then, Cliff. You're the expert in this, after all" she said. She then walked into Tsuki's body and disappeared.

Alexander soon stepped away from the bookshelf and approached Tsuki as well, glancing over towards Cliff. "Try not to cause anymore trouble for Tsuki, alright?" he asked. He followed suit with Fumiko and disappeared into Tsuki.

Cliff scratched the back of his head. Being the local expert on Necromancy and the Dragon Colonies, this was an outcome he had expected. "Looks like we'll be putting our heads together on this one. As usual, I'll keep a close eye on things, so reach out to me if you need something" he said. Just like the two of them, he also would disappear into Tsuki.

Tsuki took a deep breath, feeling a slight relief as the channeling between the three of them ceased. It was just like Cliff said, he wasn't tired or in any sort of pain once it was all said and done. He did a few light stretches before heading towards the door and leaving the cabin. From there, Tsuki would spend the next 20 minutes walking through the streets of the settlement, taking in the sights and adjusting to the thin atmosphere. With possible contamination in mind, he made sure to pay extra close attention to any food stalls and water supplies. With Cliff's assistance in evaluating them, they were easily able to determine if there were any signs of necrotic poisoning as he explained to Tsuki the risks of it all.

Necrotic poisoning can have serious negative effects on the body. It can destory blood cells, cause organs to fail and cause irreperable damage to the body itself, both inside and outside. Minor exposure was easily treatable, but heavy exposure was not. The only caveat to this was that necrotic poisoning can only be treated through Healing Artes. Normal medicines will not touch it, not even Draconian medicine despite how potent it was. It was unclear to them if the Colonies had their own Healer, but considering that Healing Artes aren't as effective as Draconian medicine to treat injuries, the chances of that are fairly low. In other words, the Colonies would be in significant danger if necrotic poisoning was discovered. If left untreated, it'll eventually lead to the death of the host and if that happened, it would open up a whole new can of worms.

If someone were to die from necrotic poisoning and the body was left untreated, it'll cause the body to reanimate into a walking corpse, a zombie. This is where the threat of the Necrotic Cloud came into play. Cliff told him the literal horror stories of the past back when he was still alive as they made their rounds across the settlement. He had mentioned before that several villages were wiped out by Necrotic Clouds, but never went into detail before. It was this poison that the Necrotic Cloud generates that wiped these places out. Villagers succumbed to the poison from prolonged and heavy exposure and turned into mindless zombies. These zombies would then, in turn, attack and kill former friends and family which would further spread the necrotic poisoning. A single bite or injury from a zombie is enough to spread it, even with the absence of a Necrotic Cloud.

According to what Cliff said, the last case of a zombie outbreak resulted in mass casualties, taking out an entire city of nearly 2,000 people. Out of those 2,000 people, only roughly 750 people managed to escape or survive. In order to prevent the spread, the entire city itself, and the zombies themselves, were wiped off the map completely by his own hands by channeling what was known amongst Dragonkin as Primordial Rage. This was a power that could only be harnessed when a Dragonkin abandons all sense of self to attain destructive power. This happens when they're overcome with an intense, all-consuming rage. If a Dragonkin were to reach this stage and allowed themselves to be consumed by it, they would become nothing more than a rampaging beast, attacking anyone and anything. Allies would become enemies in an attempt to subdue them.

This was an extremely rare occurrence amongst Dragonkin, however. The last reported Dragonkin to lose themselves to their Primordial Rage were several centuries ago. Upon delving more into the matter, Cliff had informed him that he had almost succumbed to it himself once before. He explained to him that he had never felt such power before and that it had even surpassed the might of the Sigil at the time. He explained to him that an incident occurred in Year 1505 that resulted in the death of someone he regarded as a brother. That was the first time he ever experienced Primordial Rage which left an entire stronghold belonging to the Anti-Spirit Faction in ruins. It was only due to the presence of the one he loved and cherished most that he was able to calm himself down. She fearlessly faced him, knowing full well that he could have killed her. If it wasn't for her, Cliff would have became nothing more than a monster.

He had never harnessed the power of his Primordial Rage again, knowing how dangerous and destructive it was. He never planned to use it again. At least, not until the necrotic outbreak occurred. Knowing that there was no other option but pure annihilation, Cliff managed to harness his Primordial Rage, albeit on a much lower capacity, and used it to wipe out the affected village and the zombies along with it. Thankfully, this was the last time a necrotic outbreak had occurred, so the fear of zombies and everything related to Necromancy eventually became tales of myth as time went on. That is, until the present day.

This was a lot of information for Tsuki to process, but he felt like he gained a deeper understanding of Cliff. To their relief, there were no signs of any necrotic poisoning in any of the vendor stalls or water sources that they came across as they walked through the town. Aside from all the stares he's been given, everything seemed to be fine. There was no doubt that they could sense the presence of Cliff inside of him. He could even hear a few whispered conversations about how he was being guided by the Dragon King's spirit. Some even thought he may be the reincarnation of the Dragon King himself. This made it a bit hard for them to approach him.

Eventually, his walk took him to a large, gated building not too far from the central plaza. The building itself resembled that of a two-story school that seemed to double as a dormitory. There was a small play area in front of the building where young Dragonkin and Human children were happily playing together. The main building was well-maintained and not too big, though it was hard to tell since it was built right up alongside the mountain. Outside were a few older Dragonkin and Human adults, seemingly supervising the young kids that were playing. They took notice of Tsuki's presence and, like with the rest of the settlers on his way here, found it hard to approach him. However, sensing the presence of the Dragon King, they didn't seem to be too cautious of him, but that didn't mean that they weren't completey unguarded.

Tsuki stood by the front gates of the school as he looked over towards the main building. The sight of it was a bit nostalgic for him. "School, huh? Those were the simpler times" he mumbled to himself.

Memories played back through his mind. These memories contained visions of when he was still a young kid, living in the countryside of Tomoha. Attending classes with his sister, Elize and Nagi. Hanging out in the flower fields to work on homework. Various sponsored events that brought the whole village together like sports days and family meet-and-greets. Times that depicted a vastly different scenario than the present day. He also had memories play back of when he was training to become a knight. After being taken in by Taichi and Emma and nursed back to health from nearly dying from illness and malnourishment, he was trained by various individuals and was taught by instructors of what it meant to be a knight through Eresseas' own knight academy.

Being still just a child, the vast majority of people were heavily against Tsuki's enrollment into the academy. However, learning who his parents were and seeing his skills in action, people started to gradually accept him despite the age difference. His parents were widely respected amongst the Eresseas knights and the officials of the knight academy. They were easily able to tell what traits he had inherited from them. He carried his father's strength and resolve and his mother's determination and resilience. They see the both of them through his words and actions. It was difficult for everyone when they heard that they were killed in Tomoha on that fateful day.

As he stared off towards the school building, almost as if in a daze, he didn't realize that Varnis was standing right next to him. He had been standing there for the last few minutes in silence before speaking up. "It's a heartwarming sight, isn't it? Seeing young children play and frolic without a care in the world. Without have to worry about conflict" he said.

Tsuki didn't realize Varnis had walked up alongside him, so when he suddenly spoke, it startled him a bit. "Whoa! When did you get here?" he asked.

Varnis laughed a bit at his reaction. "For a few minutes. You seemed to be transfixed on the school, so I felt that I shouldn't disturb your thoughts" he said. He could tell by the look on his face that he was doing some form of reminiscing.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head and sighed. "It just seems like a rare sight these days for me now" he said. His gaze soon shifted back over towards the school. "Times were much more simpler back then. No wars or large-scale conflicts. No senseless violence or bloodshed. Ignorant to the world's problems. It feels like a lifetime ago" he said.

Varnis laughed a bit at his comment. "You speak as if you've seen the depths of Human nature yourself. I've been around a lot longer than you have. I've witnessed many things you couldn't possibly imagine" he said. He's been alive for over 200 years. Despite the solitude afforded to the Colonies because of it's remote location, he used to be well connected with worldly events. No matter how much time has pasased, Humans still haven't changed.

Tsuki leaned up against the gate of the school. He couldn't imagine what he could have seen and heard during his lifetime. He could only speak about what he's heard and experienced himself. While many things are still a mystery to him, he did understand one thing and that Humans were at the root of all the world's problems. "I've lost many things. My hometown was destroyed and my parents were taken from me when I was still young. I experienced rock bottom and struggled to survive which resorted into stealing to sustain myself. If things played out differently, there's no telling where I'd be now. All of this caused by Human hands dabbling into fields better left alone" he said. His gaze slowly shifted over towards the playing children. "Widespread slavery of Faeries that's controlled by the Syndicate, forbidden genetic research that irreversibly changes a persons' genetic code...and even the grand mystery that surrounds our long forgotten past" he said. He may not be as experienced when it came to wordly affairs as he was, but he's seen and heard his fair share to make solid judgment.

Varnis mumbled to himself, stroking his beard as he spoke. It was easy for him to tell that he sympathizes with the plight against non-Human individuals. He shared similar opinions and views that the native Human settlers did. These settlers have long since removed themselves from the world of Humans, many whom of which no longer associate themselves with the title. What he was seeing was genuine concern for non-Humans and anger towards the Human race. "That is why the Colonies remain isolated and will continue to do so. Maybe one day, Humans will change for teh better and things can go back to how they used to be. Where Humans and Faeries lived together in peace, just like how we do here. What you've seen here is what remains of that old culture and lifestyle" he said. His gaze followed his towards the children playing in front of the school. Despite being restricted to the mountains, everyone lived their lives to the fullest, even the children. "It's my duty as High Acheron to maintain this peace no matter the cost. And soon, that responsibilty will fall on Melphi, the true successor of the Dragon King's will. So long as she carries the Spark, a prosperous future awaits us" he said.

Tsuki looked over towards Varnis, tilting his head. He's heard a few mentions from the ones they had rescued of how they referred to Melphi as the Azure Spark. This, in turn, made him think about how Cliff was also known by a similar name, the Crimson Spark. There seemed to be a deeper meaning to it than just a simple title. "What's up with this Spark thing anyway? I always thought it was just a title, like Dragon King. However, something tells me that there's more to it than just a fancy name" he said.

Varnis nodded at his assumption. "You're right, it's something much more than a title. Amongst the Dragonkin, there are many different types of strength. Raw, physical strength. Deep, magical power. Impenetrable defenses. A deep-rooted power known as Primordial Rage. Basic, savage instinct. These are the core elements to a Dragonkin's power. However, there's one power that's unique to a certain bloodline of Dragonkin and those that carry it are the one's fit to bear the mantle of High Acheron" he said. His gaze shifted up towards the sky for a moment as he took a moment to think back on things. While he has held this position of his for a good portion of his lifetime, there was a hidden truth behind it. "Depending on how it manifests, this power grants the carriers of that bloodline inexplicable strength, defense or magical power that surpasses beyond what normal Dragonkin were capable of. It's a power that's been around since ancient times and carries heavy responsibility with it. That power became known as the Spark and the first person to wield that power was the Dragon King himself. His Spark granted him immeasurable strength and raw power that none could match. Once harnessed, it's said that he could become a one-man army. This became known as the Crimson Spark" he said. As he spoke, a young Dragonkin girl took notice of him and ran up to him, holding out a single flower towards him. He knelt down and took the floor from the girl with a warm smile on his face. The girl had a satisfied grin and waved at him before returning to the other kids. "The Dragon Colonies were formed by the Dragon King and he became the first High Acheron. From then on, every High Acheron that rose to rule would all bear the Spark. This was a tradition that had been upheld for many generations. That is, until the previous High Acheron rose to power. Rather than continuing where the predecessor left off, he sought to use the Spark for his own personal gain. He enacted changes that went against tradition and nearly caused a divide amongst the settlers that almost got violent. He would have succeeded if me and the settlers hadn't banded together and forced him out into exile. However, the seat of High Acheron could not remain empty, so the people elected me to take their place despite not bearing the Spark" he said.

Tsuki stroked his chin as he processed what he was telling him. Now, it all made sense to him as to why the title of High Acheron was being pushed onto Melphi. "So, Mel has always been the real successor, huh..." he said. Then, a thought occurred which stopped him in his tracks. "Wait, if Melphi carries the bloodline that the Spark originates from, then that would mean..." he said, trailing off at the end.

Varnis nodded at him once more. "Yes. It's undeniable that his blood runs through her veins. In other words, Melphi is the very distant daughter of Cliff Steele" he said. He was silent for a few moments before continuing his explanation of the Spark. "Melphi now carries the Spark inside her. However, it has manifested differently as one would expect. It manifests in the form of scorching flames of azure that burn hotter than normal. She may not be as phyiscally strong or have the tough endurance like other Dragonkin, but she does carry a deep, innate talent for Magical Artes. Her wisdom is what guides her, just like how strength and raw power guided the Dragon King" he said.

Tsuki wasn't all that surprised to hear about the areas she seems to lack in. He's only seen her fight once in her dragon form, so he couldn't make a proper assessment on her strength, but her level of endurance was apparent to him. She could only maintain her dragon form for a short time especially when she has to carry people on her back. He noticed that while she tried her best to hide it, she was pretty drained and tired after they arrived in the Colonies and again when they flew into Ustrisu Fortress where she could barely walk on her own. The topic of Cliff Steele also sparked some old memories too. She had always exhibited interest in the Dragon King himself. At the time, he just assumed it was because she was interested in the stuff of legends, but now it was more than that. "I had always thought that Mel was unique, but this was unexpected. She is able to wield her dragon abilities while in her half-Human form, which I've heard was a rare thing. I thought she had to have been one-of-a-kind in order to pull off such a feat. But a distant relative to the Dragon King, the strongest Dragonkin to exist..." he said. Those were some pretty big shoes for her to fill.

Varnis leaned his back up agaisnt the other side of the school gate, folding his arms across his chest. "While she isn't one-of-a-kind in that regard, she is still a special individual amongst Dragonkin. It's as you've heard; normal Dragonkin aren't able to wield their dragon abilities and traits while in their half-Human forms. While in these forms, Dragonkin are at their most vulnerable. We have stronger bodies than normal Humans, so they can withstand a number of injuries that may be fatal for Humans, but that doesn't make us invincible. We can still succumb to our injuries if they're severe enough. While they can still fight and defend themselves with normal weapons, many still opt to take on their dragon forms to avoid serious risk and injury" he said. His gaze soon shifted over towards a man standing guard by the entrance of the school. He carried a spear on his back and wore metallic armor that covered his torso and part of his legs. "However, there is a small percentage of Dragonkin that can utilize all of their dragon abilities and traits, even in their half-Human form. That man over by the entrance is one such Dragonkin. These special individuals are widely respected and admired and act as the first line of defense. They're able to wield roughly a third of their full strength in their half-Human forms. These special individuals come in small batches every generation" he said.

Tsuki mumbled softly as he continued to stroke his chin. He listened to him intently as he had always wanted to learn more about Dragonkin, but was never sure of what or how to ask. "How many of them are around here now?" he asked.

Varnis shifted his gaze back towards Tsuki. "Not counting Melphi, there are about 20 people within the Colonies that have this ability. Hiyoshi's son is one of those individuals too" he said.

Cliff's words telling Tsuki to be wary of Hiyoshi rang through his mind as well as the comments he made about him whille at the cabin. He's checked in with a few people around the settlement about their opinions for Hiyoshi. Everyone pretty much told him the same thing. He was someone who put the safety of the Colonies first before anything else. He was a noble man who cherished values and tradition. Everyone was also in agreement with his odd behavior as of late. Hiyoshi was the type of man that was a stickler for the rules and it was this thought that has given him pause about him.

While their initial encounter was very brief, Hiyoshi seemed a bit too eager to offer up their help, even if it was on orders of the High Acheron. If outside assistance was so heavily frowned upon here, asking for their help, let alone accepting it, should have been out of the question. After all he's heard about him, nothing seems to add up. Then, there was Cesela's odd reaction towards him. She's never had a reaction like that with others before and Cliff's suspicions about him have only made things more confusing.

Tsuki mumbled to himself for a bit. Now that he's brought up Hiyoshi, it was a good chance to dig up some more information about him that only he would know. "About Hiyoshi...what can you tell me about his current behavior? On the surface, he seems fine, but from what I've heard from others, something about him has changed which has made people concerned" he said. He was his closest confidant, so it's possible that Varnis knows some things that the rest of the settlers don't.

Varnis was silent for about a minute as he stroked his beard. He's received questions and concerns about him from the settlers and even his son, but has always skirted around them, giving them vague responses. Some believe that he's hiding something considering that this involves the Overseer. However, in truth, he's about as confused as everyone else. "It seems you've done a bit of research in the short time you've been here. It's as you have probably heard, he acts more coldly and distant towards everyone which is out of character for him. I even had to split up an argument that almost resulted in a full-blown brawl between him and his son not too long ago" he said. He turned his head, shifting his gaze towards the mountains off in the distance. "A couple weeks ago, a monster of unknown origin appeared and decimated the lower fields. Both of us repelled the creature, forcing it to flee into the mountains and Hiyoshi gave chase. After three days, he came back but instead of returning as a triumphant man, he returned as...well, this" he said. He thought back to when he returned to the settlement after chasing the creature into the mountains. He knew right away that something about him seemed off, but wasn't able to figure it out. He has been trying to probe him whenever he had the chance, but he's had no luck so far. "I've tried to press him for details on what happened out there, but he either had nothing to share or was hiding something. Since then, he's been spending most of his time out in the mountains and only occasionally showing up to give me a progress report" he said.

Tsuki had also heard news of the attack that had happened weeks prior. An unidentifiable creature of unknown origin suddenly showing up didn't seem like a typical monster attack based off the vague descriptions he's heard. "So, even you don't konw much, huh..." he said.

Varnis nodded. He was trying to figure out what to do about him, but then Hiyoshi suggested taking up their offer for help. This was a suggestion that the normal Hiyoshi wouldn't have made lightly, so for him to make it so easily only makes things more mysterious. However, it did present a possibility to learn about what's going on with him. "That's why I agreed to allow your outside intervention. Whatever happened to him out there, he seems to be keeping his own kin at arm's length. Perhaps if it's someone that he wasn't familiar with, maybe there's a chance he might let something slip" he said. His gaze soon shifts back towards Tsuki. "Not only would I like this issue with the Necrotic Cloud solved, but I want you to uncover what we can't about Hiyoshi" he said.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit. He didn't expect things to be easy. "Sounds like reverse logic to me, but if it helps in any way, we'll see what we can find out. Mel seems to be pretty concerned about him too and she's done much for us already. Alleviating her worries about this is the least we could do for her" he said. He didn't want her running off on her own to investigate like she attempted to do back in Jibril. If something concerns one of them, it becomes a concern for everyone.

Varnis mumbled a bit as he stared at Tsuki. He could feel the sincerity in his words. It was clear that he harbored no grudge or ill-intent towards non-Humans not only because of the fact he was traveling with a Dragonkin, High Elf, a Foxkin and a Spirit, but also through his morals and stance on things. It was pretty easy for him to determine what kind of person someone was just through basic interaction. Everyone amongst his small group all seemed to be of the same mind. It made him a bit nostalgic. "Heh...maybe this was what it was like back when there was peace between Faeries and Humans" he said with a slight smile.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit at his response. "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked. For a moment, he could see the soft demeanor of Varnis.

Varnis leaned his head back and looked up towards the sky. "As you may know, Humans and Faeries once lived side-by-side with each other in peace. They were neighbors, friends and even lovers. Sure, there may have been times where there were disagreements, but that was just a part of life. They still maintained a close bond to one another. That's why there are half-breeds out there. People who carry the blood of a Human and a Faerie and all the abilities and power that go along with it" he said. The settlement was most likely the last remnant of this old civilization. Even the Dwarves, who have been friends with Humans since time immemorial, have started to drift apart from them. "We had all thought that the old way of life was gone. That we had to preserve what we can of that way of life here in the settlement" he said. His gaze shifted over towards the surrounding area outside of the school gates. Dragonkin and the native Human settlers, both young and old, walked side-by-side and helping each other out. People talked and laughed amongst themselves. People were in business together, trying their best to get the most out of their daily lives. Dragonkin and Human couples walked together with their hands interlocked, stuck in their own little world. "The bond and trust you have for each other is a sight I don't think any of us would have expected. Despite the racial differences between everyone, you still treat each other with the same respect and care as if you were all the same" he said. His gaze eventually returns over towards the young children playing in front of the school. "It has been a long desire of mine to see that bond and trust return to the world. Perhaps the bonds you all share...the connection that Melphi shares with the Humans due to her contract with Shana...maybe that's what the Colonies need in order for change to occur. Perhaps there may come a point in time where we no longer abide by outdated tradition and do what feels right" he said. Someone like him wasn't capable of making such a movement especiallly since he wasn't a true successor of High Acheron. Such a movement would require a special, unique individual with a different stance on life. His head soon slowly turns back over to Tsuki. "That's why, I believe with all my heart, that Melphi is the one that will be able to lead the Colonies back to how things once were. She carries values and connections that others here don't. If change is ever to occur, she is the one that will initiate them" he said.

Tsuki could see the trust and love he had for Melphi. There was no sense of doubt in his words or voice. He truly believed that Melphi would be the one to change history for the Colonies despite the pushback that's been received due to her connection with the outside world. "Your faith and trust in her is strong. You must really love her" he said. This interaction with Varnis makes him think back on Taichi and Emma. The circumstances may be different, but the context between them are strikingly similar. Ever since he became a knight and proved himself to them, they've placed undying faith and trust in him and that only solidified further when he was appointed to be Cheria's bodyguard. "It reminds me of a certain other couple who have put their faith and trust in someone who was undeserving of it, but has accepted it all nonetheless" he said. While the two of them never publicly showed it, both Taichi and Emma have treated him as if he was their own. Whether it was because of his parent's influence and history with them or through Cheria's tight-knit bond with him, it were those bonds that saved him from himself.

Varnis pushed off the wall of the gate and stood up straight in front of Tsuki, giving him a serious look. "We may not be related by blood, but she's still my daughter whom I love very much. If there's anyone I could entrust her future to, then it would have to be you and the friends she holds so dear. As both a father and High Acheron, I hope that you would continue to look out for her in the future" he said. After a few moments, he ended up bowing to Tsuki. This caused the onlookers around them to stop in their tracks and stare towards them, some even whispering amongst themselves.

One of the female onlookers who was standing out in the streets pointed towards the two of them before speaking. "D-did the High Acheron just bow to that Human outsider!?" she asked.

A nearby male onlooker standing near the female stood there in disbelief and shock. It was rare for the High Acheron to bow his head, so to see him doing it to an outsider was unreal. "U-unbelievable. For the High Acheron to bow to an outsider...just who is he?" he asked.

Many people were understandably shocked and surprised about this. It was one thing to gain the High Acheron's approval to stay in the Colonies, but for him to go as far as lowering his head to someone, especially one who was from the outside world and a Human at that, it had a much more deeper and significant meaning. The last time anyone saw the High Acheron bowing his head to someone was when he lost in a duel against Shana and acknowledged her overwhelming strength. This was truly a sight to behold and would become a topic that would become most talked about.

Tsuki was surprised when he suddenly bowed at him in front of all to see. Everyone had stopped dead in their tracks, even the young children that were playing. Even the roaming guardsmen looked on in shock and disbelief. This sudden spark of attention made him very uncomfortable as he waved his hands in front of him. "P-please raise your head! Seriously, you don't need to go that far!" he said.

Varnis continued to keep his head lowered in front of him. "No, this is something that I must do. As a father, I failed to be there to support her when people were judgmental about her future role. As High Acheron, I failed to alleviate the people's worries which caused her to leave in the first place. Because of this, she felt more isolated than she was already, having lost everyone she knew and loved in Elkhorn" he said. He thought back to his short interactions with Melphi since their arrival. While she was still the same girl he always knew, he noticed that she wasn't nearly as closed off and guarded as she used to be. "It's because of you and the connections she shares with the outside world that brought a smile back to her face. If my daughter has that much faith and trust in you, then I shall do the same" he said.

The crowd around them only seemed to get bigger by the minute as people started to eavesdrop on their conversation. Based off their reactions, Tsuki was able to assume that this was a rare sight to see. He could feel his sincerity in his words and actions, but he didn't need them. "Okay! I get it! Just raise your head!" he said. He didn't want to attract anymore attention than he already has and now it's only gotten worse. "Besides, it's not like I did it for you or the Colonies. Mel is our friend, so this is only natural" he said.

Varnis soon stood back up straight and nodded at him. "Right, of course..." he said. His gaze soon shifted over to the onlookers. "Melphi has made the first step to achieve our old way of life. It'll be our responsibility to follow that step when the time comes for her to ascend. After all, an isolated world can't sustain itself forever" he said.

Much of the gathered crowd showed signs of indifference to this or remained silent, unsure of what to make of it. Opening themselves up won't be an easy reality to grasp for most of the Colonies, but if they were going to prosper, it was something that had to be done. They couldn't avoid it forever. After about a few minutes, the crowd started to disperse as people went back to doing their own thing.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit. "Was that alright to say so early on? You still have a few years left in you don't you?" he asked. The change that he believes that Melphi would bring about would be difficult for many to accept and there may be even more pushback than she has already gotten.

Varnis shook his head."It's a reality check that many within the Colonies have been avoiding. These mountains have given us peace of mind, but there's no denying the fact that the lands are changing. Hunting parties have been producing less and less fresh meat and there will come a time where the mountains will no longer be able to sustain us alone. With little trade with the outside world as it is right now, the Colonies wouldn't last another few years like this" he said. Times of change would have to come sooner or later, so it was for everyone's benefit that they start thinking about the idea of it. Change didn't necessarily have to happen right away, but it was inevitable. "The more outside connections Melphi can make, the better it'll be for all of us" he said. While he's always wanted to implement changes of his own, he has never once felt like a true High Acheron considering that he was lacking the Spark. He felt that such a dramatic change should be lead by someone who carried the blood of the Dragon King inside of them.

The two of them fell silent for the next several minutes as they hung around the front gates to the school, watching the kids play. It gave Tsuki time to process everything he had told him. He did get to learn more about who Melphi was as a person and some of the worries and future struggles she has to endure at some point, so the conversation with him was more than fruitful. Melphi had always kept a lot about her secret, so it was natural for some level of curiosity to grow. Knowing all of this now, he felt like he could understand Melphi a lot better and even relate to her on some level. While they were separate matters, he's had to deal with his own fair share of future worries and struggles as both a knight and as a person.

While it was still far off, the day will eventually come when Cheria will become the new Queen of Eresseas. This will leave him with an uncertain future. Will he remain her personal knight and bodyguard or will he become something more? He was no stranger to talks of the two of them marrying as the possibility had been discussed between him and her parents while Cheria herself was competely left in the dark. It was clear to him and everyone around them, especially her parents, that he loved her. Not just as someone he had to guard and protect, but as a woman. However, these thoughts were always pushed into the back of his mind as they would get in the way of his responsibility towards her. He still had much growing to do before he could even consider something like marriage. Though, sometimes those intrusive thoughts slip in which is what happened back in Imil when the two of them had a heated moment. Not only that, another one of his concerns were if he was even capable of filling Taichi's place. Even now, he wasn't as strong as him and he certainly didn't have the mental aptitude for political affairs. He always saw himself unfit to rule as king which has been the biggest deterent for him.

As the two stood there in silence with each other, a pair of footsteps could be heard approaching them from behind. Soon after, Melphi's voice was heard speaking out. "Huh? Tsuki? What are you and the Old Man doing here?" she asked.

Tsuki heard Melphi's voice call out to him from behind and turned around. "Oh Mel, it's you" he said.

Varnis looked over towards Melphi and Bryant as they approached them. "Well, speak of the devil. We were just talking about you" he said.

Melphi folded her arms across her chest, giving Varnis a stern look. "You know, it's rude to talk about a girl behind her back, old man" she said. Her gaze shifts over to Tsuki for a moment. "I apologize if he filled your head with unnecessary things" she said.

Varnis scoffed at her remark and stroked his beard. "And just who is the rude one here, hm? I just figured he'd like to know more about you and your childhood secrets grow up" he said.

One could almost see a vein pop out on Melphi's forehead for a brief moment. "And he doesn't need to know any of that!" she shouted, gritting her teeth as she walked up towards him, getting into his face. You could almost see puffs of steam come out of her head as she confronted him.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit before glancing over towards the man accompanying her. "Who's this with you?" he asked.

Melphi sighed and stepped away from Varnis before looking over towards Tsuki. "This is Bryant, Hiyoshi's son and a good friend of mine. We ran into each other while I was walking around town" she said.

Bryant walked over towards Tsuki and examined him for a bit before nodding and holding out his hand towards him. "It's good to meet you. Tsuki, right? Melphi has told me about you. You're quite impressive for a Human. The name's Bryant, son of our illustrious Overseer" he said.

Tsuki shrugged his shoulders a bit. "I don't think I'm that great. I haven't really done anything meaningful" he said.

Bryant shook his head. Her story about him intrigued him, but after getting a good look at him, he could tell what kind of person he was and how capable he was. "And that's where you're wrong. I can see it. You carry a lot of weight on your shoulders, almost too much weight. Your eyes are that of someone who's seen both the lowest and highest points of life. Your eyes are that of strength and determination, but also carry a sense of fear and uneasiness" he said. He soon closed his eyes for several moments. The scene around them becomes dark with only the two of them standing in a pitch black void. It was as if he was in a meditative state as he analyzed Tsuki. "I can sense many obstacles that lie ahead of you and within those obstacles are foes of insurmountable odds" he said. It was as if he could hear a multitude of different voices all speak out in the dark void. Of course, he didn't know who the voices belonged to, but he was able to tell that they were a mix of both ally and enemy. After about another minute, he opened his eyes and the area around them returned to normal. "You carry the hopes of many people but also the ire of powerful enemies. You're surrounded on all sides by oppression, but still fight and push forward with unwavering motivation. This is something no ordinary Human can endure alone" he said.

Tsuki shook his head as he analyzed him. "I'm not alone. While it's true that I'm up against incredible odds that are stacked against my favor, I'm not the only one fighting this battle" he said. He looked over toward Melphi for a moment before shifting his gaze up at the sky. "My friends stand by and support me. If not for them, I wouldn't have made it this far. While we push deeper into enemy territory, our allies from afar are risking their lives in order to draw attention away from us. This is a fight that's far bigger than just us" he said. This was a fight that wasn't going to be won on just numbers alone, however, and where they currently stand isn't going to be sufficient enough if they want to come out the victor. The enemy still holds a pretty significant advantage over them.

Bryant stroked his chin as he spoke. He's had his fair share of run-ins with a few Human outsiders in the past, but none were like him. Looking at him reminded him of the elf, Shana. Like many Dragonkin, he was someone who admired real strength and he definitely had it. "I feel like I can trust you with Melphi" he said.

Melphi glanced over towards Bryant, giving him a displeased look. "Why do you sound like a father approving his daughter's marriage request?" she asked.

Bryant shrugged his shoulders, looking away from her. "Hey, someone's got to look out for you, pipsqueak. Leave it to your big brother, Bry-" he said. He was suddenly interrupted by a powerful punch to his stomach which caused him to let out a pained groan as he dropped down to his knees.

Melphi shook her hand, slightly wincing from the pain after throwing her hardest punch at Bryant. Bryant was the type of Dragonkin who boasted strong endurance, which meant that he could take quite a beating compared to others. He was what one would call a frontline tank and he's only gotten better over the weeks that Melphi's been gone. Before, she could land a good punch on him easily, but now it seems to backfire. His body was almost like punching hard stone. She did her best to shrug off the pain. "Gods, what is it with everyone here!? First, it was Aida and the old man and now, it's you! Can't you see I have an image to protect here!?" she shouted, standing over the crouching Bryant with puffs of steam coming out from her head.

Tsuki chuckled a bit at the scene. He was seeing more sides of Melphi in just the few hours that they've been here than he has seen in the last two months that she's been traveling with them. "You don't have to worry about keeping up an image with us, you know. Just be yourself. I'm sure everyone else would agree with me. Besides, I kind of like this less reserved version of you" he said.

Melphi shifted her gaze over towards Tsuki. "I didn't ask for your input!" she said. She then let out a heavy sigh and took a few moments to calm herself down. "Anyway, how are things on your end? Get your bearings of the surrounding area yet?" she asked.

Tsuki nodded. While he hasn't seen the rest of the settlement, he's got a grasp of the surrounding area. "More or less, yeah. It's quite the place, I'll say" he said.

Varnis soon stepped away from the school gate and faced down the hill towards the plaza. "While the Colonies may not have the same advancements that other towns do, but we do our best to preserve our way of life" he said. As time flows, towns and cities adapt to change either through expansion or some form of restructure. The Colonies have been the same for centuries and the settlers would rather keep it that way.

Bryant nodded, looking around them. "We might seem primitive to the outside world, but we all like the simplistic lifestyle" he said. Their entire culture was based off the ancient way of life which included farming and hunting to rely on food and other resources and tapping into underground water channels and reservoir in order to supply the settlement with water. With land and water sources untained by pollution, they didn't have to worry about any contanimants.

Tsuki could see himself adjusting to a simplistic lifestyle like this in the far future. It had a cozy atmosphere to it and it reminded him of Tomoha. "All the more reason why we can't let this place become tainted by this Necrotic Cloud and whatever Yorick has in store" he said.

Bryant has only heard bits and pieces of their objective from Melphi. They were supposed to assist his father with his investigation in the mountains in order to find the source of whatever has been plaguing the town. "Melphi mentioned something about that. Over the last few days, I've been feeling rather...odd. Like something is off with my body. I'm not sure how to describe it" he said.

Varnis folded his arms across his chest as he looked towards Bryant. "Can you try and be more specific?" he asked.

Bryant stroked his chin for a moment to gather his thoughts. He needed to explain it in a way that it would make sense. "Like...something is eating away at me. It's been getting gradually worse as they days go on, but I noticed in two different areas of the upper mountains where this feeling is at it's worst. The air around these spots also becomes a lot thicker to where it's almost suffocating. There's also an extreme pressure to go along with these areas too" he said. He's never experienced anything like it before in all the years he's been hunting around the upper mountains.

Melphi mumbled to herself for a moment. It couldn't be general atmospheric pressure and the high altitude. Dragonkin have called this place home for centuries, so it wasn't out of the ordinary that they'd travel to the highest peaks. "Interesting. Did you see anything strange out there?" she asked.

Bryant shook his head. "No. I couldn't even investigate it even if I wanted to. Something about those areas felt...off. My instincts told me that I shouldn't be in those areas and as a hunter, we always follow our instincts" he said. He wasn't sure what those areas had hidden away that made him feel so uneasy, but he wasn't going to find out, especially by himself.

Melphi knew that these two areas had to be a point of interest. She reached into her bag and took out an old, beat up map of the settlement and the surrounding mountains. "Those could be worth investigating. Could you mark where they are?" she asked.

Bryant nodded and walked over to her to mark the two areas on their map. According to the map, both areas were northwest and southwest of the settlement. "The one off to the northwest is located fairly high up the mountain. The best way to get to it is by flying there otherwise, you'll have to climb up the inner workings of the mountain. However, I wouldn't recommend it as the pathways inside the mountain haven't been maintained very well ever since we experienced an avalanche a few months ago. The other one is located in a small cave on the edge of an embankment. This one isn't that far off from the settlement; all you have to do is leave through the northern exit that leads into the upper mountains and follow the trail until you get to a three-way intersection. Take a left there and follow the trail until it eventually starts to wrap around the mountain and you'll see the cave entrance" he said.

Melphi nodded as she examined the mark areas as her eyes locked ontothe one that was more difficult to reach. Getting to the location wouldn't be an issue, but it's location was known to everyone in the settlement.. "This area...it's close to Wyvern's Peak, isn't it?" she asked.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit. "Wyvern's Peak?" he asked with a confused look on his face.

Varnis pointed up towards the sky as he looked up into the towering mountains above them. It was small, but there was an outcropping of stone that stuck out over the side of the mountain, roughly halfway up to the summit. "It's a place where many of us go to if we want to clear our heads. It offers a view of the entire settlement and the wide vistas help one ease their worries" he said.

Melphi nodded, rolling her map up and putting it away in her bag. "We'll keep these areas in mind. They might be nothing, but they're worth investigating especially if your instincts are telling you something" she said. Bryant's instincts are usually never wrong which is why he was the leader of the settlement's hunting crew.

Varnis looked over towards Melphi. "Hiyoshi has information about two other areas of interest that seem to relate to what Bryant has described, so be sure to ask him about it when you guys meet up" he said. He soon turned around and was preparing to leave. "Oh, speaking of which...Hiyoshi said that you guys can take the rest of the day to rest. He'll find you guys at the cabins tomorrow morning. Make sure to get some rest later" he said. He waved them off and soon walked away from them.

Bryant scratched the back of his head as he left them. It was getting close for his queue to leave too. "Well, perhaps I should-" he said.

Suddenly, a small Dragonkin boy and Human girl approached Bryant from the schoolyard. The boy grabbed onto his right arm and pulled on it. "Bry! Are you done talking to the adults?" he asked

The young girl also started to pull on his arm too. "Yeah! We found something in the garden that we want to show you!" she said.

Bryant soon found himself being pulled by two of the kids from school. As usual, the both of them were full of energy. "Alright, just don't yank my arm off" he said. He looked over towards Melphi for a moment. "I'll talk to you later, Melphi. Be careful while you're out there investigating" he said.

With the two young kids leading the way, Bryant made his way into the school, leaving Tsuki and Melphi alone. The two of them watched the kids play a bit longe in the schoolyard until the adults started to gather them up and lead them back into the school building. The two of them decided to walk off from the school, heading back towards the cabins.

Melphi looked out towards the mountains off in the distance as they walked through the streets together. "Hopefully, everyone else hasn't run into any problems with the locals" she said.

They were told that there will be people that might not take their presence too kindly. Thankfully, everyone that he's ran into are fairly nice and haven't given him much trouble. "I'm sure they're fine. Once we all reconvene, we can go over what we learned. I have a feeling that things are going to be more complicated than we thought" he said.

Melphi was silent for a moment. Talk of the strange creature and the growing anxiety amongst the settlers on top of Hiyoshi's strange behavior are their main concerns. She wasn't sure how, but she felt like all of this was connected to this Necrotic Cloud that has been affecting the surrounding area. "Yeah. I think you might be right. I have a bad feeling about this" she said.

The two of them continued their way through the streets. After about 20 minutes, they returned to the cabins. They were the first ones back, so they decided to hang around until everyone else returned. With new information in hand, they can start to develop some form of plan. However, they were still very much in the dark about things, so they were still running blind. They were going to need to know more about what's going on in the surrounding areas if they were going to have any hope in solving their predicament. The information they got from Bryant was a good starting point and Hiyoshi had the missing piece that they needed.

While the two of them wait, the scene shifts to somewhere in the mountains within a cave. At the very end of that cave, a large violet incantation could be seen illuminating the otherwise dark cavern. Standing in front of that incantation circle was a man in black robes, holding a staff that matched the incantation circle's glow. A gust of wind ended kicking up the robes slightly, revealing that the figure was missing their entire right arm. He had a crazed smile on his face as he let out a sinister chuckle. That chuckle would soon turn into an evil laugh that echoed through the entire cave.

To be continued...