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--- Sadera ---

Date: July 26th, 2025

“Raise! Another mug!” A blonde elf exclaims as he brings his mug onto his lips and begins to take a big swig of his ale.

The mood in this small tavern was both warm and uplifting as everybody celebrated the triumph of the young long-haired blonde elf, Aldon. He had recently returned from his hunt and brought back his prize; the fangs of the poison night trappers that had moved in to terrorize this small village.

Other adventures had taken up this request only to never be heard from again. With the war going on, even the Empire had no available troops to spare to clear the creatures out, dooming the village to its fate. The village folk even banded together to drive out these pests but to no avail. As the weeks turned to months, the population began to dwindle as many began to move away while some were dragged away by these monsters. Eventually even travelers stayed clear, knowing how dangerous it had become.

The village folk, losing all hope, began to ponder on their next moves when all of a sudden a lone hooded fellow arrived into town. They were surprised at first that someone would come here but that quickly turned into hopefulness once it was known that the traveler was another adventurer, and a silver rank no less. Normally any bronze rank or higher wouldn’t have bothered with this quest because of how little night trappers paid. But that hope quickly faded once they found out only he had arrived; they were sure he would die once he set out.

Aldon chuckled at the thought. ‘If he would perish at the claws of these creatures, then all of his efforts would have been pointless.’ He ignored their comments, not really caring about the fate of this place, he was just here for his prey. He was only here after hearing the tails of how so many warriors were bested by these animals. The exhilaration of hearing how dangerous these beasts were made his blood boil with excitement.

Not wanting to waste much time he quickly set out into the forest housing these foul beasts. Blades of all sorts littered throughout his body, ready to be thrown. The sun still shone brightly so the creatures would still be lurking in their lair. He hoped to get them all at once and avoid any one of them from running away. He moved quickly and cautiously, following the tracks they’d left behind. His sharp eyes easily picking up their trail, examining the disturbed brush and broken branches. Knowing that these monsters hunted in packs; he carefully moved further towards their direction, keeping his ears up to avoid being ambushed. Though they were primarily nocturnal, it wasn’t unheard of for some of them to venture out during the day to attack any intruders.

He hears a high-pitched shriek coming nearby as a grin begins to form on his face. ‘I’m getting closer,’ he thinks to himself as he faces the direction of this screech, slowly reaching for one of his knives in anticipation.

As his attention was focused elsewhere, a creature merely watched as it bared its fangs. A primate-shaped beast with a long protruding snout sat up in the trees. The hairless armored creature licked its snout, slowly opening up its jaws as it began to quietly move down from the tree. It let out a soft quiet hiss as its hind legs pressed up against the tree, ready to pounce. The trapper began to position its sharpened appendages that protruded from its back, ready to strike at its prey if he somehow managed to dodge. It holds, waiting for its opportunity until it lunges forward directly at Aldon.

Aldon merely smiled as his hand grabs the blade he was already reaching for and launches it at the beast while he rolls towards it; barely escaping its claws as the beast flys over him tumbling on the ground and lays there, lifeless.

“Hah, not that it matters now, especially since I knew you were already there, but before pouncing maybe you should not alert your prey of your presence,” he teases. He walks up to the dead beast to claim his prize and remove the blade lodged into its brain.

Aldon hears another screech coming from the same direction once he finishes here. He smirks, knowing he has found their home, and all he can feel is the excitement. He creeps up closer and closer to the nest of these hideous abominations with a smile painted across his face. The scurrying of these monsters heading towards his position exciting him further. “I am here, come hunt me..” he says quietly to himself.

It wasn’t too long that he returned to the village unscathed. The villagers were surprised by his return but were more surprised by the dozens of night trapper fangs he had brought back. He only took on this request from his guild to kill the boredom from his leader’s indecision as well as to take his mind off the horrors he had witnessed during the otherworlder’s initial invasion, but to his surprise the people of this village treated him like a savior.

He smiled, chatted, and waved to the village folk. It was just another hunt like many others he had been on before but it seemed to have a greater impact on the residents. However, he wasn’t going to complain about the free drinks, food, and attention. The party was going on in full swing and he was enjoying every second of it. One drink after another was paid for as he gulped them down. Delicious pieces of meat and other dishes lay all across his table as he sampled everything this place had to offer. ‘The perks of being an adventurer were sweet,’ he thought to himself. ‘I can get used to this kind of treatment.’

He engaged with the happy and cheerful villagers. Wooing women left and right, singing songs to keep the mood going, and offering more rounds as people drank. A pretty young flower approached him and whispered a candied treat into his ear as he smiled and turned to face her. He reaches to hold her chin, giving her a sweet kiss before releasing and giving her a wink. He knew what he was planning to do this fine night.

A few streets away from the celebration, two hooded figures were making their way to where the commotion had originated. Drunk men could be seen littered all over this road as they made their way towards this tavern. One even dared to lay a hand on the leading figure, only to be thrown back by his companion. They continued as they eventually reached the village tavern that held their target.

Aldon finished up his last drink as he stood to make his way to his rose that he wished to conquer for the night. She waited by the door, discreetly baiting him over as he finished his engagements. Once he rose, he felt another hand land on his shoulder.

“Why don’t you take a seat with us?” said the person who laid his hand on him. He quickly looked over to see this male dark elf with a determined look on his face as his companion, a human with a scared face made his way to the opposite side of the table.

“Look, I’m flattered. Really. Not many people have been able to keep their hands off me all night, but you both are really not my type,” Aldon responds. But before he can say anything else, he feels a sharp sensation poking behind him. “So that is how you two want to play this then?” He says as he sits down. “Let me warn you then, I..” he begins as he’s interrupted by the human’s actions.

The human with the scared cheek removes a blade from his pouch and unsheathes it, revealing a darkened blade and strikes it down onto the table. The dark elf removes the blade he held at Aldon’s back and moves over to take a seat next to the hooded human. The tavern still up in a roar, celebrating, masking their actions. Aldon merely stares at the blade, anger visible on his face. “How did you get..” he began but was interrupted.

“Now, now,” the hooded figure begins as he pulls down his hood. “I know how your kind can get sensitive with this kind of thing.”

“Krysist.” Aldon mutters through his gritted teeth with no hint of humor or sarcasm left in his tone. But before he can say anything else, that same village flower wraps her arms around him.

“Hey, are you almost done? I am getting quite lonely here and could use your company,” she says as she gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Aldon quickly looks over to her with murderous intent. “Leave us,” he commands. Feeling frightened, she backs away and walks out of the tavern.

He draws his attention back to Krysist and continues, “you do have a lot of nerve ruining my celebration so this had better be good especially since you have ruined my plans for the night.”

“Hah, do not worry. I do not plan on keeping you away from your distractions. Besides this blade was taken from someone who will not be needing it anymore but I am willing to return it to you for some information,” Krysist finishes with a smile.

“What kind of information?” Aldon asks with his guard still up, hostel eyes trained on him.

“Relax, trained pup. I don’t want to let you loose on both of us so take heart in knowing I took this back from the hands of those your kind considers enemies. So are you willing to listen to us then?”

Krysist asks as he finishes with his usually dramatic flare.

Aldon sighs as he thinks before he responds. “Fine, what kind of information are you looking for?”

“Well, I’ve been led to believe that your kind witnessed the invasion of these Other Worlders onto our lands. I want to know everything you saw, every last detail; tell me everything,” Krysist commands.

Aldon squints his eyes and responds, “and why would that matter to you? As far as I know you’re nothing more than an exiled warrior, a coward who betrayed his oath, responsible for attempting to overthrow the existing emperor. It has nothing to do with you, unless…”

“Stop!” He orders. “I know what you are thinking but that is not what I am after at all. Your kind might understand but I look for the survival of my great Empire and nothing more.”

Aldon still looks at him with suspicion but understands his sentiment and continues, “then have you decided to challenge these devils?”

“What else is there? Your kind prides themselves in seeking out these types of monsters and yet hides themselves from them. Now tell me, who are the real cowards?”

“You had best watch your tone,” Aldon responds. “We are merely waiting for the right opportunity. No need to throw our lives away needlessly as your empire has thoughtlessly done. Even you can see the folly of the Empire for recklessly starting this war. No matter which side wins this war, the Empire will not relish in the power it once had, you and I both know this.”

“Exactly,” Krysists agrees with Aldon, confusing him. “That is why I need to make my move, before this war gets any more damaging.”

“What are you planning, Krysist? Has this Empire not abandoned you? Why risk coming back to a dying nation?” Aldon asks.

At this moment, his dark elf companion chimes in, “do not mistake my master’s intentions. Despite his appearance, he is well aware of his actions and the consequences they may bring. He is also no fool, something to keep in mind, elf.”

“Frayen, I have already told you to stop calling me that,” Krysist orders as he faces his companion. “But my companion here is correct. These otherworlders are both a curse and a blessing. One that I wish to exploit to my advantage.”

“I do not know what your aim is here, Krysist, but I do not care. Though holding something like that,” Aldon says as he points to the blade still lodged into the table, “can be unhealthy.”

Krysist chuckles. “Oh I am well aware of the consequences, but believe me the risk is necessary. So are you willing to agree to my terms?”

Aldon thinks on his proposal, it wasn’t a bad deal and he could easily give him the information he sought as it didn’t implicate himself or his group. But why was he after this information? That question circled around in his mind but he quickly dismissed it as it had nothing to do with him. “Fine, but if you try anything, know I will be the least of your concerns.”

“So we have a deal then?”

Aldon sighed, knowing he couldn’t do much else on the matter. He sits up and looks directly at him. “Here is what I know, if you plan to face them, good fortune to you because you will need every bit of it. Although the entirety of the hill was covered in darkness which should hamper any large force, it did nothing to slow them. They knew exactly where the enemy was and quickly ended them,” he says as they’re interrupted by the waiter bringing more mugs for the table.

“Enjoy, these are from those gentlemen over there,” she says as she points to a celebrating group at the other end of the tavern.

“Well, I will not say no to free drinks,” Aldon says as he eagerly accepts his mug. The waitress places the other mugs in front of Krysist and Frayen. Krysist smiles and accepts while his companion merely stares at it. The waitress smiles back at all of them and takes her leave.

“You were saying,” Krysist insists as he takes a swig.

After Aldon finished his first drink he continued. “I heard many cracks of thunder throughout that hill; I saw many small sparks that night and with each, the sound of dying men followed. They appear to fight from a distance with lethal accuracy,” he says as he takes another drink. “Whoever they are, they are well trained.”

“I see, so they primarily fight a great distance away from their enemies, dispatching as many as possible as quickly as possible. Being able to see somehow in the darkness. I can see how that can be troublesome. I can see some of the arrogant commanders viewing this as cowardly but it is effective.”

“Being able to see in the night is strange but is not unfamiliar to Falmart,” Frayen chimes in.

“Speak your mind Frayen, what do you mean?” Krysist asks.

“There are many creatures residing in this land that hunt in the dark. Each having their own way to stalk their prey.”

“Ohhh yes, he does bring up a good point,” Aldon says as he thinks of previous hunts he’s been on. “The Edras bloodhounds hunt through their strong sense of smell, the night screechers hunt through sound, while some like the basilisks primarily hunt using heat.”

“Hmm, the varying creatures that exist here never ceases to amaze me,” Krysist says admiring the beasts. “Well it cannot be sound by the way you described it, the battlefield would have been deafening. Smell? No, with the blood, fire, and ash, they would not be able to keep locating us. Then, heat? That would make the most sense but how?” He keeps pondering these ideas and scenarios to himself.

“There is one more thing, probably the most terrifying,” Aldon says, breaking Krysist’s concentration as he leans in to listen.

“I do not know what they did, but they brought the entire hill to life. Explosions could be seen all over, there were no reliefs. Nothing but screams could be heard with every impact; it was as if the hill itself had erupted and came alive,” Aldon finishes with a grim expression painted on his face.

With that look, Krysist could tell how deadly serious this was. “Magic that erupts the ground, engulfing our troops in fire and ash,” Krysist repeats back. “How interesting.”

“I am surprised, most would have dismissed these claims as mere nonsense,” Aldon responds.

“Maybe, but with the staggering losses the Empire is facing, it makes sense. Only a fool or the arrogant would dismiss these claims when the evidence is littered all across the battlefield.”

“That kind of magic would certainly be devastating but how many talented mages would you require to cast it numerous times, I wonder,” Frayen ponders out loud.

“No magic, actually,” Aldon answers him.

“What?!” Krysist and Frayen exclaimed. Fully focusing on Aldon’s next words.

“How could that be possible? That much destruction and no magic?” Frayen asks.

“Afraid so, I sensed nothing at all and I am very good with appraisal magic, but I saw nothing at all,” Aldon says grimly, picturing the sight he had witnessed as he looks up to the ceiling. He refocuses as he hears a clunking sound and sees another one of those blades laying in front of him. He looks up to see Krysist finishing his drink in one chug and places the mug back onto the table.

“You had two?!” Aldon started but was interrupted.

“That was all I had, you know they do not travel alone. I thank you for this information, I am truly grateful. We have much to think about. Frayen, we are done here,” Krysist says as he and his companion begin to get up to leave.

“I am in a good mood so I will let you go tonight, but do not ever show your face to me again,” Aldon warns.

“I got what I needed so I do not plan too, unless I need more information,” Krysist says with a smile. “You enjoy your celebration.”

They begin to exit as Aldon watches them intently and as they finally disappear. He places both blades in his pouch and breathes a sigh of relief. He reaches for the mug Frayen had left behind untouched and takes a nice long drink. “Now let us see if I cannot find another flower I can enjoy the night with,” he says to himself.