Tags to
@Pegasus_Milk,
@Fukurou and
@Magyar.
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Sitting atop a watchtower in the busy city of Ketra, Tri gazed towards the grey sky, which let thin beams of light penetrate through and brighten the Draconi forest in wide patches. None of this light shone down on the city itself, which stunk of livestock and rumbled with the sounds of merchants wheeling their carts of produce down the cobblestone walkways. The swordsman looked down at the wyvern eggs in his hands, the same eggs that he had retrieved from Saevic's hideout deeper in the forest.
Just days ago, he had ran across his 'friend,' Oblivia Koln. The necromancer listened to what he had to say regarding the eggs, and Saevic's experiments in the Draconi, but she gave no real helpful advice. All she did was beg to come along on whatever big adventure he had planned next, but he knew better than letting that happen. Oblivia had a tendency to get in the way and cause mischief. If he was to have any help finding out what the Demon of Chaos was up to, he'd need someone who wasn't going to simply screw around.
The necromancer did however give him someone to talk to. A local Serenian mage living in Ketra, who was an expert on the forces of the underworld, and all of their devious plots. Surely, he'd know something about what Saevic was up to. Hopefully. He jumped from the top of the tower, grabbing onto the ridges between the stones that made up its sturdy wall. Climbing his way down, he fixed his cloak so that it covered his hard, red gauntlets before starting off into the middle of the road. The crowds of people that passed from either side seemed to part off into two individual sections at the sight of the mysterious figure. This, in Tri's eyes, was a good thing.
If these people had seen an armored man with a huge sword walking through town, he'd be arrested on account of suspicious activity for sure. At this rate, he was just some weird hooded man who nobody wanted to mess with. The children, innocent and naïve that walked down the middle of the road as he had been were quickly pulled to the side by their mothers, who gently scolded them for getting in the way of someone who was possibly dangerous.
Not only did this conceal his armor and weapons, but it concealed his identity as well. Here, Tri stuck out like a sore thumb. His light skin was a direct notification of his Serenian blood, as well as the obvious Serenian insignia on his back. Adelans weren't as intolerant of the Serenians as the Connlaothian people were, but everywhere you went in Le'raana had its fair share of xenophobes and bigots. Everywhere that he went without his cloak prompted guards to check up on him, even if he was without his armor or sword.
Tri looked from side-to-side, making sure no guards were watching before taking a hard right into an alleyway. He inwardly prayed that Oblivia's directions hadn't led him astray, or into an ambush of thieves. She was known not only for how she used her body and feminine charms to get her way, but also her little 'pranks' that she seemed to love playing on people. No matter how messed up, every inconvenience to another human being that she caused was comedy gold. Those who didn't laugh? Well, they just didn't have a sense of humor. This was the necromancer's thought process.
Luckily, as Tri approached a fancy door with a golden bramble pattern around its purple-painted exterior, this didn't seem to be the case. A small slot, closed off to avoid anyone peeping inside, rested about nose-height with Tri. Raising a brow, the swordsman knocked a few times with the steel doorknocker. After a moment, the slot shot open to reveal a pair of wide, bloodshot eyes. "Who goes there!?" A panicked voice asked. Tri narrowed his eyes. "Tri Greysteel. I was told that a friend of Oblivia Koln lived here." He said calmly. The eyes seemed to relax slightly, the man on the other side nodding. "Yes, yes... Ms. Koln... Please, come in!" He said, a number of locks being undone before the door opened. What had Tri just stepped into...?
Going inside, Tri explained everything. The eggs, Saevic's hideout, and what exactly the course of action was. He was hoping that this man, as psychotic as he seemed, could give some answers regarding what Saevic was doing, if nothing else. He seemed intelligent, as odd as he was. He definitely didn't look like the mage type, though. He wore a peasant's rags, his white hair thinning and his chin sporting a bushy, unkempt beard. "I... I cannot say I know what the demon's true intentions are... But his involvement with dragons troubles me. A lot." He told Tri, who tilted his head in confusion. "Why so?"
The man blinked, looking astonished that such a question would be asked. "Dragons are a powerful and destructive creature, my boy. Why do you think that Adela's brave and mighty army has employed them as a valuable weapon on the battlefield? Dragons are a nearly unstoppable beast." He began, sitting down with a cup of tea in his frail hands. "You worry about what the demon is doing with so many eggs in his possession, but I have a feeling that he isn't who you need to worry about so greatly. I feel as if he is a pawn in a much higher threat's game."
Tri leaned in, eyes narrowed in even greater confusion. "There is no greater threat than him. I've seen what he is capable of. I've seen the destruction he has caused firsthand." He said, seeming as if his intelligence had been insulted. The old man shook his head rapidly. "Saevic may be a deadly foe, but there is one greater." He told Tri, who sighed. "Then who?" The question was answered with nothing but a long, dramatic pause. "I wish I knew. But I jest you not when I say that I and many others have heard the mountaintops quake, and have seen the dragons grow more restless as of late!"
Tri looked out the window in deep thought at the old mage's work. "I have studied many vile abominations of the underworld... Saevic is as abominable as they come, and the pain he has inflicted is beyond measure. However, I have never heard of a demon causing such a shift in the atmosphere... A village at the base of the Thunderblacks just two days ago was scorched by a dragon. No survivors. A mining town in Connlaoth was destroyed in a similar fashion. The dragons are becoming hostile, and it isn't by natural means. Not even by Hellish means! I would know..." The old man proclaimed. Tri stood, heading for the door. He placed his hand on the knob as the old man spoke up again.
"What are you planning on doing, boy?" The old man asked. "I'm turning these eggs into the authorities. Then, I'm having a tiny meeting with the dragon riders' mounts. They'd ought to know something. Besides, there's a good chance that they're the only peaceful ones left." With that, Tri stormed out.
It was at this time, near the stables, that something sinister was going on right under the noses of the inhabitants of Ketra. At the thick, low wall that surrounded the dragon stables, where two guards were guarding the gate, and more were doing their rounds within the wall outside of the stables themselves, the Demon of Chaos himself was about to conduct the next stage in his sinister plan. Not just his plan, but also the plan of an ally he had met just hours before. Nobody suspected anything was wrong, as the area was quiet, and not a lot was going on at all.
Suddenly, the first guard at the gate's back lurched inwards as he let out a pained cry, turning towards his shocked companion with burning, red eyes. The second guard readied his halberd, his hands shaking at the sudden disturbing sight. "Roger! W-What has happened to you!?" His question was ceased as the first guard angled the sharp end of the halberd, thrusting it into his own skull. As blood splattered against the earth, the guard fell and died on the spot. "I-I need backup over here!!! M-Man down!" The terrified other guard yelled, though his voice was quieter than he thought.
As soon as these words were uttered, red-hot embers and smoke blew in from thin air, taking the shape of a man in front of the guard. His eyes wide, he swung the halberd, hitting nothing as the blade cut straight through the smoky figure. As soon as all embers were in place, the figure took the shape of Saevic, white hair, long coat and all. "Somebody hel-!!!" The guard screamed, his voice being cut off by Saevic's sabre slicing through his throat, a fountain of blood painting the wall next to him. As soon as the second guard fell, Saevic sheathed his blade, making his way through the gate.
Saevic already didn't fear human opposition, as frankly, not very many humans could overpower a monster from Hell. He looked around at the other guards, who were already being outmatched by his demonic forces, their bodies hitting the ground one after the other as the demons diced through them with nasty-looking, curved blades and axes. Saevic walked past the carnage, looking elegant and stoic as usual as he prepared to open the door to the stables. He took a deep breath, preparing to be showered in dragon's fire as soon as he entered.
Luckily, upon entering, the dragons were asleep. Well, were asleep, until the creaking of the rusty hinges brought them out of their deep slumber. They suspected that they were being awoken for another check-up, or someone coming to clean their pens, or even another mission, which they hadn't really been on in what seemed like ages. However, as their eyes focused on Saevic's menacing form, as well as the dead guards, surrounded in pools of crimson outside, they all growled, smoke shooting from their nostrils as they backed up protectively.
"Good afternoon. Let us discuss things, shall we?" The demon's unnerving voice rang out, grabbing a stool from the corner of the stable telepathically and sitting upon it.