Without even telling it where he wished to go, the elk headed to the mines. It rushed through the forest, as if understanding the rider’s urgency to get to the mountain. And there was no doubt in the blonde’s mind that it did. The elk obviously came forward to help him.

It ran in the forest at top speed, casing the trees to become a blur. It soon reached the more rocky side of the forest, where the mountain begun, but didn’t stop there. Were Aldryn not so worried about his friend’s safety he would have noticed the lack of galloping. While other elks would have stopped and proceeded with care on the rocky plain, this one was different. Having been under great influence of magic since birth, the white elks were infused with wind magic, making them special. There were very few of them. As far as Aldryn knew, there were only two ten years ago.

The white elk was running, but its feet were not touching the ground. While the legs moved, no noise was heard. Its hooves were hitting an invisible barrier. Strong air currents were forming behind each powerful kick.

When the two of them finally reached the entrance to the mines, to Aldryn’s surprise, the elk didn’t stop. It rushed into the tunnel, something that shocked the blonde. The beast’s white fur was reflecting in the dark tunnel as it continued to run at top speed even in the darkness. It was only in that moment that Aldryn noticed the unusual quiet. He glanced down and used Fox Eyes to see in the dark. He was surprised again to see the animal using wind magic to rapidly glide through the air and reach the centre of the mines, where the city of Diarum was.

In record time, the blonde reached the entrance. A pair of grand double doors stood closed at the end of the tunnel. Aldryn and the elk approached them and the rocks groaned as the doors begun to open. It was an ancient type of magic that guarded the mines and allowed entrance only to those it deemed fit. This time, the poor elk hesitated. It was unfamiliar with this type of magic and was unsure if it was safe. With a gentle pat from the blonde it huffed and shook its head before proceeding forward.

Everyone stopped what they were doing the moment the two of them entered the city. The multiple races that filled it could not help but stare at the pair. They have seen Aldryn quite often, so they were not surprised by his arrival. It was his white companion from whom they could not tear their eyes away. Some of them heard rumours about those white elks that lived in Morien, but nobody has seen one before.

The blonde quickly dismounted and bowed his head to the majestic creature.

“Thank you” he said gently and the elk approached and nuzzled his face, as if saying that everything will be all right.

The elk then glanced around, seeing for the first time the city of Diarum and huffed. For it, the best place in the world was in the forest, with green grass and fresh air, not this murky place. It shook its heads, pitying the creatures living in this dark place and then turned around and ran off, heading back to its home.

Without a delay, Aldryn begun running. He ran through the whole city, never once stopping. Other Monias tried to get in his way to ask him where Ylvis was and what happened. Some even begun preparing their weapons seeing his actions. The Monias were peaceful people, but they would not hesitate to go to a full out war if it meant protecting one of their own.

Without delay, Aldryn reached the small garden. It seemed unchanged. The blonde felt like it was just yesterday when he brought Klyran to this location. Some flowers and trees begun to bloom. The water still gently flowed, causing near to no noise. The fish still swam around. But the blonde didn’t notice any of it. He rushed to the small house that stood on its edge. He begun pounding on the door rapidly.

“Calm down” the Fox gently whispered to Aldryn.

"Calm down? Calm Down?! How do you expect me to calm down?!" he snapped back, while thinking of all the things that he could possibly say to the man on whose door he was pounding.

It has been a while since the Thrae spoke to him. That, or maybe the apostle has been too deep in his thoughts to hear it before.

The door creaked open and a man appeared. He looked at Aldryn with disinterested eyes. His brows even furrowed in annoyance. He didn’t say anything despite his mood and waited patiently for the blonde to speak. The silence stretched between the two of them. The apostle didn’t know where to begin and how to ask this man for help. There was no doubt in this mind that if there was a person strong enough to face the Scavengers, it would be the Kenman.

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“Do you plan to stay here the whole day?” the older man asked and leaned against the door’s frame with a relaxed face.

It was the first time in years that the Kenman addressed to him. The man usually tended to ignore him.

“It’s Klyran”, Aldryn finally said after taking a deep breath, “The Scavengers…Do you know them?” he asked hesitant, “Of course you do. You know everything” he then scoffed.

“He was taken by them”, the blonde finally whispered defeated.

After those words another frown appeared on the man’s face. He looked at the oracle’s face, as if looking for something. But Aldryn couldn’t face him, his eyes were firmly set on the ground. He felt embarrassed to ask this man for help. The blonde was always proud and considered himself to be an excellent warrior. But in that moment, he felt powerless. It was both infuriating and terrifying to the apostle.

After the many years that he travelled, there were not many times that he lost in a fight, but against the Scavengers, he felt like he had no chance. If the state of the Greenyard's village was anything to go by. Tears of frustration begun sliding down his cheeks and his eyes burned.

'How embarrassing... To be begging help from someone who could care less about what is happening in the world' he cursed himself.

Even the Thrae was gently trying to soothe the blonde at the back of his mind.

The Kenman looked quietly at the blonde. He saw the tears falling down his face and heard him sniffling. If someone were to tell him in the morning that he will see a crying Aldryn that day, he would have punched them in the face. And considering that the Kenman refused any form of violence for the past few years, it said something. He knew, of course, who the Scavengers were. He encountered them more times that he could count and not only because of his long life. Their group were often after him, but seemed to have given up on all their attempts a few decades ago, after hundred of years filled with failed attempts to capture him.

With a sigh, the Kenman went back inside the house and gently closed the door. Those actions caused Aldryn to actually burst into tears.

'Why am I so pathetic?' he frowned at himself and angrily wiped his face, causing red marks to appear on the skin from the harsh treatment.

They were rolling down his cheeks from both pain and frustration. It all simply bottled up in his chest, until it didn't burst. He now knew that it was this group who murdered his family all those years ago. At the same time, he saw the destruction they were capable of and the fact that even the Shadow Legion were carefully to not provoke them spoke of their power. The apostle could not match them. Despite all the hard years of training and plotting his revenge, when the enemy was within his grasp, he was powerless to do anything. He no longer felt like someone who lived over 70 years. He felt like a child, a small child who needed someone to hold his hand. Someone who he could hide behind and hang onto their sleeves whenever he faced an opponent stronger than him.

In the next moment, the door opened again and the Kenman stepped out. Aldryn then looked at the man. The Kenman was no longer dressed in only his plain old t-shirt and pants. The grey and somewhat ripped shirt was replaced by a snow white one covered by a waistcoat. The baggy pants were also replaced in favour of a tighter pair that hugged his legs. His metal arm was also now covered by a long white coat that the blonde remembered him wearing all those years ago in Gilton. His hair, that was usually left to flow down his back in the mines, was now pulled up in a ponytail that reached his waist. Finally, the Kenam placed two thin swords on his hip and closed the door behind him

The man looked startled when his eyes caught the sight of Aldryn. Who was full out sobbing now and rubbing his eyes. That day was full of surprises for him. The Kenman then closed his eyes and gently muttered to himself. His eyes flickered a bit and were the oracle more careful, he would have recognized the blank eyes that the older man now had. In a minute, he blinked his eyes and then looked again at the apostle, who was still crying.

“Let’s go” he told the blonde and patted his head before heading off.

It took a moment for Aldryn to register his words and actions. That action felt gentle and even, dare he think it…affectionate. The blonde quickly spun on his heels and ran after the man. When he reached him, the apostle was overcome by a childish desire to grab his hand, but he didn’t. Instead, the oracle grabbed the Kenman’s sleeve. The man only glanced behind him and proceeded forward without saying anything. A part of Aldryn felt embarrassed by his own actions. He never once got such childish urges and displayed such behaviour since awakening.

"Well... I did always said that you were just an overgrown kid" the fox tried to make a joke to lift the mood.

The long haired man led the two of them toward the exit leading North. The Kenman walked confidently, his boots clicking on the stone being the only sound that could be heard once the two entered the tunnels. The blonde didn’t even asked how he knew where to go and blindly followed him. A part of him trusting this man. Even the fox was surprised.

“Now that’s unexpected” the Thrae suddenly said, surprised by the action.

Nobody tried to stop them. The Monias, upon seeing the Kenman leading the blonde apostle, finally decided that it was a serious matter. They even begun worrying again about Ylvis. Just before the two of them entered a tunnel, Aldryn spun around. He was more composed now and had the same calm face that the others were used seeing him with. The blonde told the nearest Monia that Ylvis should soon arrive back. He told them about the encountered with the Nalrits and how they saved some humans from their grasps. How Ylvis offered to take them to the nearest village before returning to the mines. The others accepted such an explanation and relaxed. They bid the two of them farewell and some even felt resentful that the Kenman was leaving, wishing to have learned more from him.

Once the two of them resumed their way, the brunette took lead, while Aldryn was one step behind him. He was was quietly speaking with the Thrae, who suggested that he asked the Kenman a few things while he seemed in a good mood. Which the blonde refused, for the first time fearing to annoy the older man. He didn’t want to give him any reason to turn around and go back home, because if he did, Aldryn wouldn’t know what to do. And so, the two of them walked silently.