The forest clearing was quiet as Hammond set his book aside, watching Nathan and Leonard catch their breath from another grueling training session. The light of the setting sun filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the grass.
Leonard, ever the loud one, wiped sweat from his brow and pointed a triumphant finger at Nathan. “You saw that? Perfect aim! Icicles pierced straight through that dummy’s heart!”
Nathan, seated on one of the mossy rocks on the training ground, let a small smile wander through his face “They were decent, for sure!”
"Decent? Decent?! Come on, Nathan, give me some credit!" Leonard barked a laugh, sitting heavily on the ground beside his friend as he spins the outer ring of his Gauntlet, looking at the four indentations spread symmetrically in a circle around it, as if something was missing.
“We’re still training, how can we be anything but just decent?” Nathan exclaimed, with a raised eyebrow.
Leonard sighed. “You’re right… You saw what Hammond could do with the flick of his wrist. Meanwhile we have been training with our absorbed artifacts for a whole month and all we have to show for it is a decent aim."
“You two done moping around? Good. Because we have something more important to discuss.” Hammond leaned against a nearby tree, his arms crossed. "You’ve been training hard, and it’s paying off, trust me. But it’s time we talked about why all of this matters—why you matter."
Leonard and Nathan exchanged a glance, the air around them thick with tension. They knew why they fought—or at least they thought they did.
"Kazzorak," Hammond began, his voice steady, "isn’t just our enemy. It’s a nation built on power and fear. You know that better than most. It’s the reason your parents are gone. The reason you’ve lived your lives in subjugation. Everything you’ve suffered, everything you’ve lost—it all traces back to Kazzorak’s conquest of our Nation of Baharor."
Nathan’s fists clenched at his sides, his expression tightening. Leonard sat up straighter, his jaw set.
"We know what they’ve done," Leonard said, his voice quieter than usual.
"But what you don’t know," Hammond continued, "is how they’ve managed to maintain control. Kazzorak isn’t just some faceless entity. Its strength lies in its leaders—its warlords. They’re the ones enforcing its will, spreading fear and destruction. They’re the ones who need to be stopped."
Nathan’s face paled slightly. "Warlords? What kind of people are we talking about?"
Hammond’s gaze darkened. "Each one is a master of their craft, wielding powers that make them seem more like forces of nature than humans. They’ve crushed armies, destroyed cities, and left nothing but ashes in their wake. They’re not just leaders and powerful arcanists — they’re legends. And they don’t fall easily."
Leonard leaned forward, his fists clenched. "Good. Let them try to crush us. We’ll take them down. Every single one of them."
Nathan, however, couldn’t hide his unease. "But...how? If they’re that powerful...how do we stand a chance?"
"You’ve already taken the first steps," Hammond said. "You’ve absorbed your artifacts, mastered their powers. You’ve trained harder than most ever will. But to win, you’ll need more than just strength. You’ll need strategy, trust, and the will to keep fighting even when the odds are against you. Let me tell you about the one Warden that I know about: Azrael.”
Hammond straightened, his tone growing even more serious. "They call her the Warden of Gravity, and trust me, she earns the name. She’s a force of nature wrapped in human skin, bending weight and motion to her will.
One flick of her hand can slam you to the ground like a fallen star or launch you into the sky like a ragdoll. Her artifact Featherweight is the source of her terrifying strength, and it makes her a nightmare to face head-on. If you’re thinking of a one-on-one fight, forget it—you’ll lose before you can even throw a punch. And as if this wasn’t bad enough, apparently her artifact is not unique"
Nathan swallowed hard, the fear in his eyes unmistakable. "She sounds...unstoppable."
"She’s not," Hammond said firmly. "But she is dangerous. Underestimate her, and you’re dead. Face her unprepared, and you’re dead. That’s why we’re training. And that’s also why we’re doing a little detour before fighting her."
Leonard’s voice cut through the tension. "We’ll take her down. Together. Just like always."
Hammond nodded. "That’s the attitude. But remember, this is just the beginning. Azrael is only the first. There are others—each one as dangerous as the last. They’re the backbone of Kazzorak’s power. If we take them out, we weaken the entire nation."
"But why do we fight her first?" Nathan asked.
Hammond tilted his head towards him. "There are two reasons. The first is that we have information on her. This helps in coming up with a plan. The second is that on our way to her, we can gather something they took from us. Something that will serve us quite well I feel like. First, we’ll need some allies. And I know just who.”
Nathan looked down, his thoughts racing. He muttered quietly: “The idea of fighting someone like a Warlord—someone who could control the very ground beneath our feet—is… Terrifying.”
Leonard noticed his friend’s tension and nudged him with his elbow. "Hey. Don’t overthink it. We’ve got this."
Nathan gave a weak smile but didn’t respond.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the trio sat around the fire inside of the cabin. Hammond flipped through his book of romantic comedies, occasionally chuckling at a line, while Leonard and Nathan remained lost in their thoughts.
"You’re quiet," Leonard said, breaking the silence.
Nathan hesitated. "I’m just...thinking about what Hammond said. About the warlords. About Azrael. It’s a lot to take in."
Leonard leaned back, staring into the fire. "Yeah, it is. But we’ll figure it out. We always do. And then we’ll get back at them."
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Nathan glanced at him. "You’re not scared? Not even a little?"
Leonard’s grin faltered for a moment before returning. "Of course I’m scared. But fear doesn’t get to decide what I do. You and me, Nathan—we’ve got something no Kazzorakian monster can take away. We’ve got each other. That’s enough for me."
Nathan’s lips twitched into a small smile. "You always know what to say, don’t you?"
"Part of my charm," Leonard replied with a wink.
Hammond looked up from his book, his voice cutting through the moment. "If you’re done with your heart-to-heart, get some rest. Tomorrow, we train harder. Azrael won’t wait for you to be ready."
Leonard shot him a thumbs-up. "Got it, Master Hammond. Tomorrow, we crush it."
Nathan nodded, his resolve hardening. "Tomorrow," he echoed.
And as the fire crackled softly, Hammond laid down in his bed as the two younglings walked to their bedrolls, pulled their blankets over their bodies and tried to catch some sleep.
----------------------------------------
The sun had barely risen, casting a pale light over the small cabin where Leonard and Nathan had spent the night. The scent of fresh pine mixed with the morning dew hung in the air as birds began to sing their songs outside. Inside, the fire in the hearth was still crackling, though it was starting to dwindle.
Hammond stood at the door, his long coat hanging loosely around his shoulders. “Boys,” he called, his voice gentle yet firm, “get up. It’s time to work.”
Leonard groaned from his bedroll, pulling the blanket over his head. Nathan, always the more disciplined of the two, was already sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Today, I’ll be off to sell some firewood in town,” Hammond continued, organizing his things by the door. “That’ll bring in a bit of coin. While I’m away, I want you two to head to the ancient magical tower in the forest. There’s no shortage of stories about that place, and it’s about time you two got some real experience. I’m assigning this mission to you.”
Leonard perked up immediately, his earlier fatigue forgotten. “A tower? Is it like one of those wizard towers, full of weird stuff? Sounds like a fun day to me!”
Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Is it safe? You said it was ‘magical’... What exactly does that mean?”
Hammond smiled, ruffling Nathan’s hair. “Safe? Well, in a sense. It's abandoned and mostly forgotten by the people around here, but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. There might be some old traps or magical constructs lingering in there. But I trust you two to handle yourselves.”
Leonard grinned. “Come on, Nathan. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Nathan, ever the cautious one, glanced at the door and the deep forest beyond. “Just... Let us be careful, okay? I don’t like the sound of old magical traps.”
Hammond chuckled. “You’re both good at keeping your wits about you, I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’ve packed you both a little extra food and water, just in case. The tower is about a half-day’s walk from here, but I’ll be back by evening to hear what you’ve found. Use your heads, and remember—stay focused on the mission. Don’t go looking for trouble unless you know you can handle it.”
With a final nod, Hammond left, his footsteps fading into the distance as he made his way to town.
Leonard and Nathan exchanged a look, a mix of excitement and apprehension in their eyes. After a moment, Leonard gave a confident thumbs-up.
“Well, no time like the present, right?”
Nathan sighed but stood up. “Alright. Let’s get moving, then.”
The walk through the forest was calm, the birds chirping overhead and the occasional rustle of animals in the underbrush the only sounds breaking the morning silence. It was peaceful, but Nathan couldn't shake the unease in his chest. Even though Master Hammond said the tower wasn’t dangerous, the unknown always had a way of putting him on edge.
Leonard, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the surroundings. He was walking ahead, burying his teeth into a piece of bread, grinning as if they were on some kind of adventure.
“Bet you I’ll be the first one to find anything cool,” Leonard called back to Nathan, his voice full of bravado.
“Just don’t go getting yourself into trouble,” Nathan muttered, tightening his grip on the strap of his bag. He had a feeling today was going to be more challenging than it seemed.
After a few hours of walking, they reached the outskirts of the tower. It loomed ahead, old and crumbling but still standing tall. Vines and moss grew up the sides, giving it an eerie, forgotten look. The entrance was wide open, the heavy wooden doors long since rotted away.
“That’s it,” Leonard said, eyes wide with excitement. “I wonder what kind of magical stuff is in there. Maybe we’ll find a cool artifact!”
Nathan, though still wary, nodded. “Let’s just be cautious.”
As they approached the entrance, they heard a faint noise—like stone scraping against stone. Leonard held up a hand, signaling for Nathan to stop. The air felt different here, heavier, as if something were watching them.
A rocky mess in front of the tower suddenly started turning into a different shape all on its own—a golem, its stone body cracked and covered in vines. Its eyes flickered with a weak, blue light, and its steps were sluggish, as if the magic that powered it had long since begun to fade. The golem raised its heavy, stone arm and took a slow step toward them, its footfalls heavy and echoing.
“What is that?” Leonard yelled?
“It’s a golem,” Nathan answered confidently - “I read about them, they are artificial constructs used to guard important places.”
The golem made a mechanical groan and took another step, its arm raised to strike. But before it could even make a move, Leonard slammed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave through the earth. Ice erupted from the ground, shooting up to encase the golem’s legs in thick layers of frost.
Nathan watched in mild disbelief as the golem struggled, its frozen limbs locking up. Leonard’s smile grew wider as he followed up with a series of swift punches, each one sending shards of ice flying, until the golem’s torso cracked and crumbled to the ground.
“That’s it?” Nathan asked, eyeing the remains. “That thing was a joke.”
Leonard kicked the frozen rubble. “Yeah, well, it was probably out here for too long. Still, pretty cool that we didn’t have to deal with anything worse.”
Nathan shook his head but couldn’t suppress a grin. “At least you had fun with it I guess”
They turned toward the entrance of the tower again, but just as they were about to step inside, a metallic rattle tore through the quiet like a crack of thunder. Nathan barely had time to turn before a gleaming chain, tipped with a serrated blade, shot out from the treeline. It coiled around his torso with alarming speed, pinning his arms to his sides.
“What—!?” he gasped, struggling against the unyielding grip of the chain.
“Gotcha,” came a voice from the shadows, smug and dripping with malice.
The chain yanked violently, pulling Nathan off his feet. He hit the ground hard, snow spraying up around him, while being dragged around the snow in a circle. A figure stepped into view, cloaked in white, slightly blending into the landscape. His hood was pushed back to reveal short, jet-black hair and a sharp grin. His eyes shined like amber and pierced his white outfit.
Nathan gritted his teeth, fighting against the chain as it tightened around him. “Who the hell are you?”
The man gave the chain a sharp tug, dragging Nathan closer before slamming him into a nearby tree. The impact knocked the air out of Nathan’s lungs, and he slumped to the ground, dazed and groaning in pain.
“Name’s Zeke,” the man said, stepping closer and raising a hand. The chain obeyed his command like a loyal hound, retracting slightly before coiling around Nathan’s legs, binding him further. “Warrior of Kazzorak, proud Arcanist and Explorer of ancient ruins. This tower and its secrets belong to us, Baharonian scum.”
“You—!” Nathan growled, his voice weak but defiant.
Zeke chuckled darkly. “Relax. I’ll finish you off soon enough. But first, let’s see how your little friend fares.” He turned his gaze toward Leonard, who stood just a few feet away, fists clenched and body trembling—not with fear, but with fury.
Zeke tilted his head, his grin widening as he gestured toward Leonard.
Leonard’s knuckles cracked as he stepped forward, his voice low and brimming with anger. “You’re gonna regret waking up today, pal.”