After a momentary pause of laughter from Kaedric, the conversation started up again. This time however there was no formalities that were expected of Valentine or Kaedric. It was obvious to both groups that any more attempts at such a thing would only result in them being embarrassed or causing a fight. The group of people that had contacted them formally introduced themselves as a group of Elves, and more importantly, the lords of the area the library had landed in.
Quinzel Von Brecket was the tall blonde mage who cast the spell that allowed both groups to understand each other. He was the elder brother of Zylphia Von Brecket. Besides being tall and blonde he wasn’t much out of ordinary. He was handsome but not incredibly so, he had pale white skin without a single blemish or mark. His long blonde hair was to show his noble status as he had explained later on. While he wasn’t particularly muscular he also wasn’t skinny nor fat either. Overall besides his above average face he was perfectly ordinary. His clothes however showed off his wealth and status. A sleek robe that looked like a mix between a suit and a robe worn by a mystical magician of legend. The overall feel being he was a rich and powerful man.
Zylphia Von Brecket however was a different story. It seemed where he had inherited the ordinariness of the family she inherited the prestigious noble looks. She was incredibly beautiful. Her long golden hair was only made more beautiful by accentuating her emerald green eyes. Her long pointy ears were adorned with emerald crested earrings, one in either ear. She was only slightly taller than Professor Roxanne. Her short slender body was only made more beautiful by her outfit. While it was obvious it wasn’t her most outstanding outfit as it was more suited for outdoor activities, it was quite ornate. The mid length skirt stopped just below her mid-thigh, and frills puffing out a couple inches from her body. Her above average bust was tight in the dress and the small part of skin showing around her collarbone was adorned with an ornate necklace styled similarly to her earrings.
Dorred was the name of the tall muscular bald man. He had a lumberjack-like beard, brown with a streak of grey hair, making it obvious he was the oldest of the group. He wore rough clothes, unlike the ornate dress and complex robes. His right arm was covered with a hardened leather brace, his chest protected by metal plate armor, and his left leg was covered with a similar leather brace to his arm. Underneath his armor he wore plain dirty and worn clothes, and covering his entire bulky frame was a thick worn cloak. Finally adorning his waist was a large scabbard for the sword he had used to threaten Valentine twice since meeting. Unlike the rest of his group, his ears were not pointy, but they were also not rounded like that of a human’s, rather they seemed to be cut short, scarred from the rough cut. His entire visible body was defaced with similar scars, his left eye having the largest, starting from his forehead cut down through the eye and curving seemingly underneath his thick beard. His eye did not seem to have permanent damage from what caused the scar, however. Overall, Dorred was the epitome of seasoned adventurer if Valentine ever saw one.
The final member of the group, named Gunther, was closer to Dorred in apparel. However, there wasn't much to say about either apparel or appearance. His face was covered up to his eyes in a mask, his hair and ears only slightly visible beneath the hood of the cloak covering his body. It was obvious that he was the hidden member of the group, only shown today probably out of goodwill.
Upon the introductions being completed Professor Roxanne and Quinzel moved away from the group to discuss privately matters related to the library. While Valentine was hesitant to leave Professor Roxanne alone with unknown people, he also understood that out of everyone in the group she had the greatest chance of survival in an event of emergency.
“Dorred, please make sure to listen to any requests from them as long as they are within reason. They are our guests now so we should do well to watch after them.” Quinzel told this to Dorred before leaving with Professor Roxanne closer to the river and out of earshot, though still within view.
“Hey old man, I want to learn some sword moves from you.” Kaedric had walked directly in front of Dorred and placed his hand onto the small bronze sword he had been wielding similarly to Valentine. Though his request was rude, Valentine also had a similar interest in learning from Dorred. It was obvious that he was much more powerful than Valentine, and while the sword wasn’t his main weapon, it would not hurt to learn how to wield one better.
“It is rude to ask a stranger to show their techniques to you boy, however I am willing to teach you a lesson. Young Master Quinzel has ordered me to be accommodating, but I will not go easy on you.” The rough and loud voice of Dorred was oddly happy at the sudden request, a slight smile showing on his face while speaking. Valentine thought about the weird phrasing of the answer and decided that he was better off letting Kaedric alone learn from Dorred.
With that Dorred turned around and walked toward the opposite side of the river from Quinzel and Professor Roxanne, Kaedric following behind smiling unaware.
“Would you like to watch them with me? It seems like it would be entertaining to see Kaedric’s punishment.” Valentine offered to the still slightly red and silent Zylphia. Her face lit up slightly at the offer, though she calmed herself almost immediately.
“I suppose we can watch together, it does look entertaining” With a slight smile on her face Zylphia accepted Valentine’s invitation. Walking first stopping once she had gotten close enough to hear Dorred and Kaedric once again.
Valentine followed behind her silently, Gunther in the rear, staying out of view of Valentine and Zylphia. “Move for me... earth control” Valentine cast the simple spell once he had caught up to Zylphia, making sure to stand with his back to her as to not insinuate it being an attack to her. Upon placing his palm to the ground in front of them both, cylindrical piece of earth rose from the ground, followed by two smaller cylinders on either side of the larger one.
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“A seat, for the young lady.” Valentine spoke half-jokingly to Zylphia, mocking his initial way of speaking to her.
“Thank you” Zylphia smiled and let out a small chuckle at the manner of speech Valentine chose. Hearing her laugh and seeing her smile cause Valentine to gaze upon her for a moment longer than he normally would. The way that her joy made him feel was foreign to him, Valetine had never felt like this before. The feeling was short-lived however as the fight between Kaedric and Dorred was about to begin, drawing Valentine’s attention away from Zylphia.
“I will start on your move, give it your all” Dorred smirked as he pridefully called for Kaedric to start the fight.
“Don’t get cocky old man, I feel like I really have a chance at this.” Kaedric’s words seemed to be even more prideful than Dorred’s. However, where Dorred seemingly had skill and experience to back up his words, Kaedric’s bravado was unsubstantiated. “Protect me... shield” As the words left Kaedric’s mouth a thin layer of translucent blue mana surrounded him. “Flame shot... spark” Another spell casted by Kaedric almost immediately after the shield formed to protect him. Positioning the palm of his hand to aim the spell directly at Dorred, a softball sized ball of fire and mana shot at Dorred’s seemingly defenseless body.
Dorred quickly pulled his sword from the sheath on his hip and sliced the ball of fire cleanly in two, both halves shooting to past him into the nearby river. Seamlessly raising his sword again Dorred rushed at Kaedric with unexpected speed for his large frame, catching Kaedric off guard. Almost immediately closing the distance, Dorred raised his sword above his head and swung down, slicing into the shield Kaedric had conjured, passing through the shield and slicing the air in front of Kaedric. After destroying the shield, Dorred changed his stance, and drove the butt of his sword directly into Kaedric’s stomach, knocking onto the floor. The entire fight had lasted less than two minutes, from the moment Kaedric conjured his shield to when he fell to the ground.
Valentine had thought that Kaedric would lose, but had not anticipated him loosing so quickly. Slightly shocked he turned to see Zylphia’s reaction, however all he could see on her face was a half disappointed and bored expression. Valentine understood that while they had thought they would only be slightly weaker than Elves they had met, but in reality they were completely defenseless. While the fight was only a friendly match, it showed the obvious difference in abilities.
“Kid, you really thought you could beat me with some flimsy shield and puny fireball? I thought you would at least take this seriously.” Dorred’s smirk from the beginning had completely disappeared, replaced by an expression disappointment and slight annoyance. Dorred had at least thought Kaedric would put up some sort of fight.
“You really didn’t go easy on me huh, well I guess I deserve this for underestimating you old man. Good match.” Kaedric let out an exasperated sigh as he rose to his feet and placed his hand in front of him for a handshake. “Good match”
Dorred’s smile reappeared as he grabbed Kaedric’s hand and shook it. “You took it better than I thought you would.”
“I may be dumb but I'm no sore loser” Kaedric laughed as he started to walk toward Valentine and Zylphia’s seating arrangement. “Oh sitting fancy while I get my butt kicked are we? Well its your turn now.” Kaedric grabbed Valentine’s shoulder firmly as he tried to move him from his seat.
“When did I agree to that?” Valentine tried to deny the fight, while he was interested before, after seeing how quickly Kaedric lost he was less eager to see it for himself.
“Hey, if I had to go through it then you should to, plus it was fun, not like you are going to die right?” Valentine would have been convinced by Kaedric’s point if he hadn’t started the fight himself. Kaedric saw Valentine’s unconvinced face however and leaned in, whispering “Plus, I think Mrs. Tall Blonde and Royal would be more entertained if you went up there and showed your stuff.” Valentine glanced at Zylphia only to see her looking at him expectingly, obviously excited at the prospect of seeing Valentine fight.
“Fine, I guess I have nothing to lose.” While Valentine was not as keen to get beat up like Kaedric, he did not want to disappoint. Getting up from his seat and walking forward to where Dorred and Kaedric’s fight took place, he readied himself to fight. “Are we going by the same rules as the previous match?” Valentine looked at Dorred’s nonchalant stance and assumed he was right, however he wanted to be sure of the rules for his plan.
“Yes, same as the last kid, I won’t do anything until your first attack is launched, do whatever preparation you want before that.” Dorred’s confidence was almost irritating to Valentine.
“Okay, then I will start now” Valentine looked toward Kaedric after declaring the beginning of his fight. “I’m not holding back” Dorred and Zylphia exchanged a confused look at the serious statement Valentine had shared with Kaedric. Kaedric however gave a concerned look
“Seriously dude, I was only joking about it” Kaedric gave a nervous chuckle as he crouched down in front of the seating area where he and Zylphia were stationed. In his crouched position Kaedric began drawing an intricate magic circle, the most complex and strongest design focusing in defense he knew. Upon finishing the design, he placed both palms on the circle, “Stand Strong... Fortress”. The spell began, with the magic circle in front of Kaedric glowing brightly as large translucent green blocks of mana formed around the seating area. Each block was as thick as a tree, and together they formed a wall that made the spell’s name of fortress apt.
“Thanks Kaedric!” Valentine himself had also been drawing a circle in front of himself, however he was focused on attack rather than defense. Placing both palms on the magic circle Valentine began to cast his spell “Burn” As the magic circle began to glow, the air around the river began to get hotter and hotter. The water in the river closest to Valentine began to steam and boil as the area got hotter and hotter. When the spell was finally cast, 8 pillars evenly spaced shot from the ground, surrounding Dorred.
The pillars began to violently shake as they grew bigger and bigger, growing large enough to engulf Valentine with only one. Then, the pillars began to slowly rotate around Dorred who had now pulled out his sword, in a stance ready to fight whatever was thrown at him. As the pillars rotated they picked up more and more speed, until each pillar had blended together to be a wall of fire. As the pillars rotated they closed the gap between them, completely swallowing the path towards the center.
All at once, upon reaching the center, the pillars were cut in half. Dorred stood still in the center, sword at his side. When the flames died down, having lost all momentum and power upon being cut, Dorred stored his sword in his sheath. Slowly walking toward Valentine who had a mixed look of defeat and resignation.
“Pretty good kid, almost had me there.” Dorred smirked as he put his hand forward for a handshake.
“Seemed to me like you would have been fine no matter what I did” Valentine grabbed Dorred’s hand and shook it.
“Maybe you are right, but I feel like if you went all out you could have done me in.” Dorred laughed as he patted Valentine’s back and began walking towards the seating area, defense spell now dispelled.