After waking up, the group quickly packed up and prepared for their journey to a new location. Excited about their destination, Dragbaki and Lyria began setting up the portal with the guide from the Nexus of Arcanum. After a while, the duo finished setting up the portal and activated it. Chanting the words that appeared in their minds, transmitted by the Nexus, the portal emerged, ripping a hole in the fabric of reality. The duo proceeded to enter the portal and was immediately transported to an empty hall inside a temple. As they began to look around, they noticed that they were completely surrounded by soldiers and casters.
"State your names, purpose, and the origin of your portal. It's been centuries since anyone has emerged from that gateway, and your sudden arrival is a grave concern. We are the guardians of this ancient site, and we will not tolerate any threat to our city," the captain of the guards said as she stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the duo. She gestured for her soldiers to lower their weapons but remained vigilant. The head wizard of the casters also stood beside the guard captain, brandishing his arcane focus, a staff.
Dragbaki said in response, "Wait, please… We're adventurers from the Verdantreach region up north. We discovered ruins outside the city of Thornhaven and decided to see where the portal there would lead us." They chose to keep the information regarding the Nexus of Arcanum to themselves.
"Thornhaven, you say? This is a name I've not heard for many generations. No one from up north has even been here for a long time. The portal you used was a connection to a distant past, a time when these lands were different," the captain of the guard said.
She explained that it's been a century since the last record of the portal was last used. The head wizard, Maldris, continued to study the duo with a scrutinizing look, but his stance relaxed as he detected no malicious intention from the group, and the magic energy of the portal had vanished.
"Indeed, and it is imperative that we understand your intentions and the consequences of your arrival. The portals here are ancient relics of an age long past, and their activation has not occurred for centuries. Such a phenomenon bears grave significance," the head wizard said as he exchanged a meaningful glance with the captain of the guard before turning his head back to the party.
"You speak of ruins outside Thornhaven. Those ruins were once a great city of knowledge and magic, but now they are lost to the ages. What led you to activate the portal? Were you seeking something in those ruins, or was it an accident?" the captain of the guard asked as she continued her interrogation of the group.
"Uhh, yes, we're..." Just as Dragbaki was about to answer, Auric, the group's spirit guide, decided to answer on their behalf. "I am Auric, once a sage of the said ruins. This young hero is here to fulfill his prophecy of saving the world from the darkness." Auric turned his head to the head wizard. "Knowing of the great city of knowledge, surely you must've heard of the prophecy about the child of Mystra."
Surprised by what the two leaders heard, they exchanged surprised glances and looked at the spirit guide with reverence. The head wizard stepped forward with a glimmer of recognition and admiration in his eyes.
"Auric, as in… The great sage, Auric the Grand Sage of the Ages, I… I cannot express how deeply shocked I am right now, getting to meet you like this. I've heard various legends about you," the head wizard continued to sing praises for Auric.
The spirit guide acknowledged the head wizard with a gracious nod and warm smile. Dragbaki and Lyria were also shocked by how amazing Auric was.
"Captain, we can trust them. I can guarantee it to you as the head wizard of the guards," the head wizard said, guaranteeing the identity of the party.
"Very well. Everyone, stand down and return to your posts. Thank you for your effort!" the captain of the guard commanded everyone to return to their posts. "Please follow us, everyone. Let's go somewhere we can talk more properly," she gestured to the party.
As the group followed the two heads of the guard, Dragbaki asked Auric, "So when you said you've never been to the, you know, Nexus of Arcanum, did you lie to us?" Lyria also listened closely, curious about the guide's answer.
"It is a shame for me to say this to you, young hero, but I did lie to you, for I feared that the ears of the forces of darkness would hear," Auric answered, feeling guilty for what he had done.
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"Ah, no… No need to be ashamed. I understand your reasoning, and it's all good. We can never be too cautious, after all," Dragbaki quickly assured Auric that he'd done nothing wrong and that he had no reason to be ashamed.
After following the two heads of the guard, they reached a meeting place within the temple. After sitting down, the two leaders introduced themselves.
"First, we would like to apologize for what happened earlier," the captain apologized to the group. "My name is Seraphia Stormshield, Head Captain of the Temple of Arcane Echoes." Captain Seraphia introduced herself, providing a quick and brief introduction that said what needed to be said, reflecting her demeanor as the head captain of the guards.
"I, on the other hand, am known as Maldris, Maldris Thundertome, Head Wizard of the Temple of Arcane Echoes, and the head of the acolytes that study here," Head wizard Maldris introduced himself. Maldris's eloquence perfectly reflected his personality and wisdom.
"Well, it is only right for us to also introduce ourselves, considering what happened earlier. No hard feelings, though," Dragbaki explained. "I am Dragbaki Glynpeiros, a high D-rank adventurer with classes as Sorcerer-fighter. I am also the son of Mystra, as according to Auric." Dragbaki introduced himself, though he felt weird introducing himself as the son of Mystra.
"And I'm Lyria Nightshade, also known as 'Shadowblade.' I am a low C-rank adventurer with classes as warlock-fighter. I am currently in a party with Dragbaki as our goals align," Lyria introduced herself.
Seraphia and Maldris listened to the duo's introduction. After the duo finished their introduction, Captain Seraphia then asked the group why they were there.
"We're here to look for more people to join our party and to train before we go to the Order of Astral Wisdom. We're also here to help fight the forces of darkness," Dragbaki explained to Seraphia and Maldris.
"Hmm, so you're saying that you're still too weak to properly fulfill your responsibility as the hero?" Captain Seraphia said with a concerned look.
"Hmm, we can't say for sure how 'weak' the two of you are, as you don't have the experience in fighting the forces of darkness yet," Head wizard Maldris expressed his opinion.
"Ah, yes, I know what we can do, Captain
. Since we're pretty much veterans in fighting the forces of darkness, we can help them gauge their strength. They can also help with the sieges of the forces of darkness when they're not completing guild quests. This would be a good way to train them, don't you think?" Head wizard Maldris continued, turning his head to Captain Seraphia for her approval.
The captain, agreeing with the head wizard's recommendation, suggested they should go to the training hall. As the group made their way to the training hall, some of the guards and casters decided to join them to watch the group. As the group entered the training hall, weapons lined the walls with training weapons placed on racks. There were magic-enhanced targets for archers and casters to use for accuracy training, and regenerating dummies for the guards to practice their melee weapons. Several guards could be seen engaging in a spar, while some were training with casters to dodge spells and vice versa.
"EVERYONE, LISTEN UP!!!" Captain Seraphia shouted to gather the attention of the guards. Seeing the guard leaders in the training hall, everyone lined up to greet them. After the guards greeted their commanders, Head wizard Maldris explained that the group would need the training hall to gauge the current skills of the hero and his partner. After Head wizard Maldris explained, the guards moved to the upper balconies surrounding the training hall, curious about how powerful the duo was.
"First, we would be testing you individually and then as a pair. The test will consist of melee combat with Captain Seraphia and magical combat with me. Step forward when you're ready," Head wizard Maldris explained how the test would be conducted.
The duo decided that Lyria would be the first to be tested since she had recently powered up, providing a good opportunity to gauge her current skills. Lyria stepped forward to be the first challenger, and Captain Seraphia also stepped forward. Both readied their weapons, with Captain Seraphia wielding her longsword. Seeing this, Lyria asked if she was allowed to use her pact weapon. Head wizard Maldris replied that using a pact weapon would be considered magic since its damage was magical and not physical. After getting her answer, Lyria picked a spear from one of the weapon racks to use for the test.
After picking her weapon, both combatants readied for the attack. When Head wizard Maldris gave the signal, Captain Seraphia immediately rushed forward to close the gap, and Lyria responded by thrusting the spear toward the oncoming Seraphia. The captain dodged the thrust by moving to the side. Seeing that the thrust had no effect, Lyria switched her position and maneuvered the spear to guard against the vertical strike from Captain Seraphia. After successfully blocking the strike, Lyria jumped back to increase the distance and executed a horizontal swing with her spear. The captain leaped forward for a counterattack. Seeing the captain's leap, Lyria delivered a vertical strike by using the momentum of her swing to lift her spear. Captain Seraphia used her longsword to block the incoming attack and deflected the spear to the side. She then rushed forward to deliver an attack. Lyria, making the mistake of extending the spear too far forward, struggled to block the rushing captain, which ended the match in Captain Seraphia's victory.
The watching guards cheered for the short but exciting fight. Captain Seraphia acknowledged Lyria's skill but advised her to be less technical and rash with her attacks. After giving her pointers to Lyria, the captain prepared to fight Head wizard Maldris. Both of them stepped into the training area and readied themselves.