Zasutir POV

The evening was getting well on its way as the drakewardens and imperial women had gotten properly settled in. Zasutir walked among everyone, quietly checking in as the two groups gradually intermingled more and more. The idea that they would probably be spending more than one night seemingly helped encourage the idea that everyone should try to make friends rather than keep to themselves wordlessly permeated around, leading to the pleasant ambiance after the fancy-looking tents were set up.

It was when the food started being brought out in a mixture of metal and wooden trays that things got really started as the people enjoyed themselves to various styles of fresh fire-grilled meats that were seasoned to perfection, steamed tubers, and mushrooms sprinkled with salt and drizzled with butter, not to mention soft loaves of bread and a wonderful collection of imperial cheeses. Zasutir particularly enjoyed some of the fire-grilled meat kebabs of venison and some gooey cheese when a man approached where he sat, settling beside the Shepherd as he held up a pair of metal cups and a bottle of amber liquid. "Hope you don't mind the company; I was told you are the community Elder, is that right?" The man asked, looking vaguely skeptical but smiling as he set the cups on the table before pouring the glasses out.

Zasutir smiles pleasantly, casually licking his teeth clean of some melted cheese before looking the man over. He was a tanned-skinned human with a gnarly, if not impressive, claw scar across his cheek and jaw. The man looked to be in his fifties, possibly in his sixties, though he wore his age well and still seemed relatively strong and active. Zasutir could understand the man's skepticism; after all even he couldn't believe it sometimes, expecting to wake up and be a feeble old man all over again. "I am much older than I appear," Zasutir mentioned cheerfully as he took up the metal cup and gestured to the man with it. "And I certainly don't mind company, as long as it's good." The old lizard jests as he takes a sip of the amber liquid, it proves to be a rather delicious whiskey.

This seemed to confuse the man moments before he simply accepted the information and took a swig from his own cup. "Well, I've seen many things over my years; I suppose a young-looking, old lizardkin is just one of life's many oddities." The man agreed quickly enough as he looked at his plate with bread, wild bird meat, and buttered tubers. "Oddities like your man in the mountain." The man continued, not even glancing at Zasutir as he began to eat, taking a mouthful of bread and chewing casually.

Zasutir didn't flinch, but he sipped at his drink before setting the metal cup down with a thunk. "I suppose so... What are you getting at?" The lizardkin asked, tossing some side-eye over at the man as he took a bite from his kebab.

The man nodded intently. "A man from another world, a man with no ties or affiliations to anything of this world beyond a peaceful mutual alliance with this continent's superpower." The man continued to speak, not making his point as he took up a fire-grilled drumstick, biting into it as he tore off some of the meat.

Zasutir felt uncertain about all this, glancing away as he spotted Isaak standing off in the distance, their eyes met, thankfully enough, and with a subtle head tilt, Zasutir looked back towards the man and watched him more pointedly. "A man with a lot of power and many abilities, someone who doesn't suffer fools or those who stand against him and those in his care." Zasutir states, taking a slightly more challenging tone.

Isaak caught the look from Zasutir and began making his approach casually. At that, three other drakewardens from around the camp started moving closer. The four of them are not outright acknowledging each other quite yet.

The man chuckles softly, sipping at his own whiskey before bringing the drumstick up to his lips again. "Sounds like a man after my own heart." He mused, taking another bite and slowly chewing as the four others soon arrived.

Nobody else seems to notice anything amiss, the party going on strong as Luna broke out the bottles of wine and other alcohol they got from the carts. One of the drakewardens pulls out a stringed instrument as the people from the Haven, the imperial ladies, and Freyli starts a song around the old fire pit outside.

To keep the moment from escalating, for now, Isaak takes a seat across from the older men. The trio of drakewardens also take a seat, a young brown-skinned half-elf woman procuring some more metal cups as she pours out drinks, though she otherwise remains silent.

Zasutir was about to speak again, feeling only slightly uncomfortable considering the circumstances. However, he remained confident, remembering what Vitmori promised, that if he needed help, just call for him, and help would come. Though before Zasutir could say a word, the older man continued as he wiped his lips on his armored sleeve before sipping at his whiskey. "How are the winters down here?" He asked suddenly before taking up the loaf of bread.

Sufficiently blindsided by that tangent, Zasutir holds his tongue for a moment before continuing. "Harsh but manageable... At least in the comfort of the Capital, which many of us used to call home." He stated, glancing over at Isaak, who was swirling his cup of whiskey before taking a swig, just listening and watching intently.

The older man nodded some more, glancing back as a burst of fire came from a drakewarden performing a party trick amongst the others using some alcohol, only to be outshined by Trisha as she performed a similar act without the aid of alcohol. He then looked back to Zasutir and continued as he picked up a tuber with his fingers. "Are there many dangers and threats down here?" He asked before taking about half of the tuber in his mouth and taking a bite, now chewing with a full mouth as he set it down and wiped his lips once again,

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"I suspect so; this land is feared for good reason, be it beast or man... Likely most of the threats have migrated north for warmer lands due to the incoming winter. Otherwise, we stand protected by Vitmori." Zasutir explains thoughtfully, as there weren't many overt threats that Vitmori hadn't handled. The winter is the very likely explanation for it.

The man nods, looking at the other drakewardens while nodding. "About two months until winter, and three months of winter, give or take, no?" He considered aloud, the other drakewardens looking rather thoughtful.

Isaak was getting annoyed as he listened to the back and forth, setting down the metal mug harder than necessary as he looked around at the surrounding drakewardens, his impatience more than visible on his face, yet he held off for now as Zasutir continued to handle the situation.

Zasutir shoots a glance over at Isaak before looking at the man again. "What is your point?" He asked with a harder edge than earlier, shifting to face his body at the man beside him as he more pointedly stared him down.

The man flashes a relatively wide grin as he turns to look over at Zasutir and holds up his mug. "How do you feel about being neighbors?" He finally asked, the other drakewardens relaxing as they seemed to understand what the man was now getting at fully.

At that, Isaak and Zasutir glance at each other, confused by the response. Zasutir managed to find his words first as he spoke up. "Excuse me, what?"

Vitmori POV

So much for getting time alone with my thoughts... Well, not entirely alone, Basti did remain in my chamber to keep her vigil over my core chamber. Regardless, I've got more visitors incoming, according to Zasutir. As I'm not too sure what to make of these groups, I decide that flaunting some of my own power might be necessary. With that in mind, I have all of the sinners and Dread make their way up to my chamber; the eight of them spread out along my chamber, wearing various sets of armor and brandishing weapons of their choice, sure their weapons might be stone, but it is meant to just be a display, and hopefully, no fighting will come to pass. Of course, Basti is the powerful centerpiece of this whole show, my trusted Executioner resting on my steps as the minutes trickle by until my visitors arrive.

Before long, Zasutir enters my chamber, followed by a grizzled older man who looks around curiously in my chamber, his eyes examining each of my sinners and Dread, though stopping short as he spots Basti, looking somewhat surprised as if he didn't see her at first. He is soon followed by three other drakewardens, each carrying a cloth-wrapped bundle. Zasutir steps forward as he gestures to the group. "Vitmori, I bring you the Drakewardens who escorted the Empress Historietta and the others to us. They wish to speak to make a request of you."

The older man approached first, getting down to one knee and lowering his head, all the while bringing a fist to his chest in some kind of salute. "Tobias Lokhart, Senior-Drakewarden representing the Southern Order of Drakewardens on the continent of Yildrazis." The other drakewardens got down to one knee as well, lowering their heads, but they continued to carry the cloth bundles they had brought in protectively.

I'm not exactly sure what to make of all this, though he seems respectful for some reason. 'Er... At ease, Tobias. What brings you to me? Is there something you want?' I just ask straight out, hoping for a clear answer.

The Drakewardens stand in near unison, though Tobias is the one to speak. "Speaking directly, we wish to settle our southern branch in your territory." He stated simply, being somewhat professional compared to what Zasutir had told me.

Well... That indeed came out of nowhere. 'Alright, go ahead with the long answer.'

The man smiles as he stands a little taller. "With peace times coming to the land, our services will no longer be needed with the Empire; with that in mind, we'll be needing a new home since our last Keep was destroyed in battle; rather, we destroyed it rather than letting a foolish nation that no longer exists try to take it from us. We are an independent order of warriors that was founded just over four-hundred years ago, we serve those who need it and those who have done right by us, and we stand vigilant for dangers that threaten all life, ready to act when such a time comes to prevent such calamities from coming to pass. We serve on many continents and have treaties with many nations that allow us to act freely within reason. Our standard operations are to maintain two to three keeps per continent to allow us to be spread out enough to respond to any number of threats and to prevent all of us from being wiped out in one fell swoop."

At least they're being straightforward with all of this, and I can't see any signs that they're lying to me. This only makes me wonder why they came to me about all of this, never mind the fascinating-sounding history. "I see, but what brought you to me?" I ask again, starting to understand what Zasutir was talking about when he described them to me.

The man nodded again, looking straight into my core as he spoke, the green light reflecting in his gaze. "Our founder was a man named Davey McDougle, and he was someone from the world of Earth." He stated, seemingly pausing for dramatic effect before continuing. "He wasn't a particularly knowledgable or intelligent man, but he stood against a calamity that had risen in his era, wandering the land, gathering companions, and convincing nations to properly unite against the threat at the time. It is recorded he merely followed the legacy of an order of warriors from his world called the Grey Wardens; thus, we were designed in that image." He explained thoughtfully as he recalled his order history. The other drakewardens are standing at attention, not particularly reacting to this information as if they've heard it all before.

Something kind of sticks out to me during his explanation, aside from the fact that he still hasn't answered my question. 'Hold on, if you were aware of the idea of people coming from other worlds, why don't more people know about that information? Why isn't it common knowledge?'

Tobias nods intently. "We are a particularly secretive order, as per the instruction of the First Drakewarden Davey McDougle; he also told us about what sort of signs to keep track of when otherworlders rise up in this world. Things like rapidly advancing technology, advancements in social sciences, drastic improvements in crops as well as dramatic changes in political power. " He went on to explain as he listed the signs on his fingers. "There are many more, but those signs are what led us to the Empress and motivated us to align with the Empire during their rush to unify the continent. From there, we realized that you, Vitmori, must also be an otherworlder, based on the Empress' talks with Mage Reyvyre, and thus we planned accordingly on our way here." He said as he gestured to the other drakewardens who stepped forward and presented their cloth bundles, unwrapping them as they revealed a good-sized egg. "You see, with the appearance of so many otherworlders, it has led our order to believe that another calamity is coming. Considering our business is done with the Empire, we offer you these drake eggs for permission to settle on your land so that we may be close by for the inevitable." He explained, sounding somewhat official near the end of all that and finally answering why he came to me.

'Well, you're not wrong about the calamity... I was informed by the being that placed me here that we only have about four years left until some kind of calamity occurs... Give or take,' I mention as I recall that countdown that I got to look at for a moment. Honestly, I'm pretty surprised by their intuitiveness, though if I had at least four-hundred years of prep time and experience, I'm sure I could be as on top of it as these folks.

Though, as I mentioned that little bit of information regarding the current timeline to the next calamity, the drakewardens seem to pale with surprise, one of the trio nearly dropping and catching the egg they were holding. "F-four years?" Tobias asked with uncertainty.

'Yeah, give or take.' I replied. I had no reason to lie to them about that, after all.