Jack knelt down in front of the goblin and removed his gag. "Are you alright?" Jack asked, keeping his voice soft but firm.

The goblin took a few moments to compose himself before responding, his eyes darting around nervously as if assessing the situation. "I-I'm fine," he stammered, his voice betraying a hint of fear. "Thank you for saving me."

Jack recalled everything he had heard of goblins from the media back on earth. Goblins were often portrayed as evil monsters or mindless minions. However, Cael didn’t seem particularly malicious or aggressive. In fact, he seemed quite the opposite – frightened and vulnerable. Jack couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the goblin.

A thought struck Jack then, one he was amazed hadn’t occurred to him earlier when he was speaking to Elyra or Lyla. “How are you speaking English?”

Cale looked confused. “I’m speaking System Standard. What is English?”

Jack blinked, momentarily taken aback by Cael's response. "System Standard?" he repeated, a hint of confusion coloring his tone. "I've never heard of it. Is it some kind of language translation magic?"

Cael looked at him like he had just said he had never heard of the sun. "It’s the language all sentient beings speak." he said slowly, as though talking to a child. "It’s been like this since the end of the Age of Discord."

Jack still wasn’t sure he got it. “So, you’re saying there are no separate languages, and everyone speaks System Standard? Why?”

The goblin shrugged as best he could with his hands still bound behind his back. "It's just how things are," Cael explained with a resigned shrug. "The System implemented it to promote unity and understanding among all the different races and species in the world. Before, there were countless languages, and it often led to misunderstandings and conflicts. System Standard eliminates those barriers and allows everyone to communicate freely. Of course, conflict still happens but-"

"Wait a minute," Jack interjected, a furrow forming between his brows. "You mentioned the Age of Discord. What exactly is that?"

“Would you mind untying me before I give you a history lesson?" Cael asked, sounding more annoyed than anything.

Jack nodded, realizing he had been keeping the young goblin bound for far too long. It seemed clear that Cael was not some mindless brute. It took a few moments, but he eventually managed to untie the ropes binding Cael's hands, allowing him to stretch his limbs and regain some comfort. He went over to grab a sack that was lying against a nearby tree. Jack assumed it contained the goblins belongings.

Jack took the opportunity to examine the former prisoner more closely. He noticed the distinct features of Cael's race: the pointed ears, and slender build, reminiscent of the goblins he had read about in fantasy tales. However, there was something about Cael that seemed different, more refined, perhaps.

While Cael stretched, Jack went about storing the weapons and armor of the Ramkin. He was worried about fitting it all into his pouch but found to his delight that all he had to do was put a small part of something near the opening of the pouch and will it inside. It would vanish and Jack would see it in one of the slots. In this way he was able to store both the Ramkins weapons and armor without too much trouble. The weight on Jack increased significantly with these new additions, but he found that with his high Strength stat it wasn’t too much trouble.

Jack turned his attention back to the freed prisoner. "Alright, Cael," he said, gesturing for the goblin to continue. "I've untied you. Now, tell me about the Age of Discord."

Cael looked around “Do you intend to camp here? Or do you have somewhere else in mind?" he inquired, his tone indicating a desire to move from their current location.

Jack was hesitant to lead an unknown companion to his own campsite. However, between himself and Goldeyes he figured one of them could keep an eye on the goblin until they were sure he could be trusted. Besides, Jack could see the sun starting to appear over the horizon and didn’t want to keep his Companion waiting. He had been away from Goldeyes too long already.

Jack gestured for Cael to follow as he set off in the direction of his camp by the pool. As they walked towards Jack's campsite, Cael kept a cautious eye on his surroundings, his senses attuned to any potential threats. Jack noted the goblin's wariness and couldn't blame him. After all, they had just encountered a group of hostile creatures in the woods.

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As they continued, Cael began to explain about the Age of Discord. Apparently, several thousand years ago, the Realm had been plunged into chaos and conflict. It was a time of rampant warfare, when different races and species fought for dominance and power. Countless battles were waged, leading to untold destruction and suffering across the land.

"During that time," Cael continued, his voice tinged with solemnity, "there was no unity among the races. Each group spoke its own language, had its own religions, and pursued its own agendas. It was a time of division and strife, with little hope for peace or cooperation."

“What happened?” Jack asked, curious.

Cael paused, as if gathering his thoughts before continuing. "The Age of Discord reached its climax when the great kingdoms and empires clashed in a series of devastating wars. Entire civilizations were wiped out, and the land was left scarred and broken. Then… something happened. No one is sure exactly what triggered it. Theories range from a group of powerful archmages using high level spells, to the use of powerful Artifacts. At any rate, whatever the reason, every sentient being in the Realm received a notification that all languages had been standardized into System Standard. It was as if a switch had been flipped, and suddenly, everyone could understand each other regardless of their native tongue."

Jack listened intently, absorbing the gravity of Cael's words. The Age of Discord sounded like a harrowing period in the history of the Realm, a time of chaos and turmoil that had left scars that still lingered to this day.

"So, System Standard was meant to promote unity and understanding among the different races?" Jack surmised, seeking clarification.

Cael shrugged. "Maybe. No one knows for sure. Whatever the reason, the result was that a lot of the wars ceased, and communication became much easier. But it didn't magically solve all the world's problems. There are still conflicts, disagreements, and those who seek to disrupt the peace."

Jack nodded as he absorbed the information. That made sense. Standardizing languages was a step towards unity, but it couldn't erase centuries of animosity and mistrust overnight.

As they came into range of the pool, Jack felt his Companion’s mind once more. A few moments later, the wolf bounded eagerly through the trees almost knocking Jack over in his excitement.

“Hey there buddy. Good to see you too” Jack laughed, scratching Goldeyes behind the ears. Meanwhile Cael was looking between Jack and the wolf with something like awe on his face.

"You have a Companion?!" Cael exclaimed; his voice filled with wonder.

Jack nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Goldeyes here is my Companion," he replied, patting the wolf's head affectionately. "We've been through a lot together."

Jack continued to rub his Companions head as he turned to Cael, a curious expression on his face. "But how did you know?" he asked, his tone tinged with curiosity.

Cael blinked, caught off guard by Jacks's question. "Know what?" he asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

Jack gestured towards Goldeyes, his eyes still wide with astonishment. "How did you know he was my Companion?" he clarified. "I mean, aside from the obvious fact that he's a wolf.".

Cael chuckled softly, as if amused by Jack's confusion. "It's the eyes," he explained, pointing towards Goldeyes' golden eyes. "They're the same color as yours."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise as he realized what Cael was getting at. "Oh," he said, feeling faintly embarrassed. "I hadn't even noticed."

Cael smiled knowingly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "It's easy to miss," he said, shrugging nonchalantly. "But once you see it, it's hard to unsee."

They continued towards the edge of the pool. As they did so, Goldeyes told Jack “Something happened while Jack was gone”. Jack looked back at his Companion in puzzlement. Goldeyes elaborated “It was pup. Pup touch shiny thing in water. Pup changed”

Jack was about to ask him to explain further when an unexpected sight came into view. It was the pup or at least what had been the pup. Jack stared in astonishment. The creature now coming towards him only bore a faint resemblance to the fragile wolf pup that Jack remembered.

This wolf was much bigger for one thing. It wasn’t as big as Goldeyes, maybe half his size, but it was clearly no longer a pup. It’s fur was sleek in shades of deep blue. Each strand seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, giving the wolf an ethereal, almost otherworldly appearance.

Its muscular build was lean and streamlined, clearly built for agility and speed. Its limbs were strong and well-defined but its most striking feature was its eyes. Large and luminous, they gleamed with an iridescent glow. Their golden-yellow coloration contrasted starkly against the cool tones of its fur, adding to the creature's mesmerizing allure.

Jack simply stared at the transformed pup for several seconds before shaking off his wonder and Identifying the transformed pup.

[Juvenile Wavewolf

Rarity: Uncommon

Name: N/A

Exp: 0/100

Level: 1

Strength: 15

Agility: 15

Dexterity: 13

Wisdom: 6

Intelligence: 6

Charisma: 9

Constitution: 18

Endurance: 14

Health pool: 180/180

Mana pool: 60/60

Stamina: 180/180

Skills: Swimming (Level 2), Riptide Charge (Level 1), Liquid Senses (Level 1), Water Manipulation(Level 1), Frostbite Fangs (Level 1)

Titles: Waveborn

Resistances: Water (50%)

Abilities: Tidal Empowerment, Aquatic Regeneration]