Frontier expeditions weren’t exactly a rare occurrence for Freelancers. Considering even schools like the Sword Saint Academy and Sorcerer’s College made points to bring their students to such places for academic or training purposes, access to the locales were doable so long as one had a Hunter to act as their guide for such a trip.
Granted, there were restrictions on such things, as with anything. One wouldn’t see a group of students touring the places within a Frontier seen as the most dangerous to be even with a guide keeping an eye on them.
And when something especially dangerous such as the new target for any in the Frontier? That was cause to prohibit any activity not undertaken by the Hunters of assisting Freelancers from occurring. Best to leave these things to the professionals willing to take the risk involved with investigating and managing these threats.
And the Zenith Frontier in particular was a bit renowned. One of the largest Frontier regions not just on its continent, but perhaps the world. Located in Laguna’s southern region, it also formed part of the border the nation had with the neighboring Rubicon Alliance. It was a massive stretch that made the difference between Laguna’s forested plains and the savannah that was the Rubicon region. Known both for its dense forests that coursed with rivers and lakes and the drylands that stretched out from the forest’s end, coursing along the rivers that made up the lifelines of the savannah beyond it all.
Of its most well-known zones, the one with all eyes on it now was Albireo Lake. The single largest lake within the territory of Laguna, it was a source of many rivers that coursed through the nation and its neighbors, making it a prime point of interest and research. And so, maintaining access to the lake was seen as a prime mission to the Hunters that managed the region.
On top of that was also the fact Ascian ruins were present at the lake. With the value such a place had, it meant the lake was a hotbed to be eyed for purposes of all kinds. So to say some mysterious, and most likely incredibly dangerous Wyrm was now making that region its territory at worst, it was an event that sent ripples of news to very high places the second such a thing reached the news.
VERY high places in fact.
Deep in the center of Laguna’s very capital city, the sprawling, dominating metropolis of Aurora, was its most prominent landmark: The Citadel. A towering building dominating the very heart of the city, and home to its main body of governance within its gigantic high-rise. In another time, when Laguna was still a nation of centralized power, it had been the home of the royal family and their residing council.
And while it still did serve much of a similar purpose, Laguna’s rise to becoming a republic a century prior shifted that purpose even as the royal family remained influential figures within the nation. Members of said family, while often not ones to be active in politics, had far from lost a place of influence as many of its members got up to other activities besides governance.
And that was no truer than the current bearer of that title of King. Nuada “The Silver Arm” Pendragon, to many known better as the Hero of the Dawning War. A man who’s advancing age since then hardly did anything to diminish the power he emanated, standing tall with a clean but ruggedly tanned face, bearing regal blonde hair and strikingly red, seemingly crystalline eyes. The man’s most striking feature though was his right arm.
Not a real one, but instead an advanced prosthetic known as a Replica, the source of his nickname due to its shining silver plating forged of Dragonscale.
It was this man who news of the Shadow was managing to reach, even the office of this man who stood at the peak of one of the most powerful nations of the world.
“Twenty years of peace since the Dawning War… and now something like this,” with furrowed brow, Nuada glanced through all of the information that had been sent his way ever since the Grand Guild had put out their declaration of action. “What do you think, Freyr? Is this just some normal occurrence or do you think this means something more?”
“Can’t ever be too sure. Twenty years ago, it was The Beast getting his hands on a working Ascian access key that kicked that whole mess off under everyone’s noses. Who’s to say some Magic Beast we can’t dig up any records on won’t do the same.”
The active line was audio only, so it was only the light trill of a voice from one of Nuada’s oldest companions replying to him. It prompted the king to give a chuckle, adjusting his artificial arm.
“Meanwhile all we can do for now is leave it to the intrepid Freelancers of this generation to find the solution. A shame, I’d be quite interested in getting out of this stuffy office to have some fun like old times.”
“We have duties that require the skills besides fighting we possess, Nua. Leave it to the young ones this time. Us old timers can get involved later.”
“We’re not that old yet Freyr.”
“Says the one with the daughter trying to run off and do what her old man did.”
“Didn’t your sister finally find an excuse to bugger off from the forest and do her own thing? You’re one to talk.”
“It’s how we Alfs are. Father even gave his blessing… despite her position. After all, we’re not a society intent to hold people back, even if they’re connected to what they are.”
“Heh, fair enough… I’ll just need to make sure Celis is as prepared as she boasts she is before I let her loose. Eventually.”
“Haha, don’t stifle her too much… I’d rather pay attention to the current events. Perhaps we’ll see some intrepid hero rise up as we did with this threat coming to our doors, whatever it is.”
“Perhaps. We’ll just have to wait and see. Onward and upwards, Freelancers.”
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Soren was really wishing he could be more relaxed at the moment.
One would think coasting high in a first-class airship specialized for Freelancer transport would mean his nerves could get a chance to calm themselves a bit, but in the days following the announcement of the expedition to track down the Shadow, he’d hardly been able to keep that sense of worry for what could come from this down. He knew all of the dangers, not a Freelancer alive wouldn’t. And this worry wasn’t that.
Instead, it was a worry born of this… idea. A hunch more than anything. He couldn’t really explain it, it was something like an instinctual idea. The fact it came with that itch in his right arm, or rather, in his Crest, meant that uneasy feeling had to be for some reason.
“Oi, something naggin’ ya lad? Your brow’s rarely looked tha’ furrowed ‘fore a job like this!” Glancing over, Soren was greeted with Branmek strolling over, the Dwarf taking a chair at the booth Soren was ruminating in. “Or ya’ just eat some tripe and it not sittin’ well with ya?”
“Haha, I wish it was some bad food,” Soren snickered as he shook his head, though the mirth only last a second. “Just… a gut feeling I’ve got. Something about this Shadow is making me uneasy.”
“Well I mean it’s only natural i’nnit? We barely know a thing abou’ the blot, anyone’d be unsure of wha’ we’re throwin’ ourselves int’a!”
“Not that kind of uneasy. I don’t even really know how to explain it. It’s just… weird. Like some part of me just… knows something, and I just can’t pin down what in Gehenna that something is.”
“Hearing that the Amber Dawn’s Sword Saint is uneasy just makes me more excited!” and now Ard popped up, downright appearing from nowhere behind Soren as he leaned on the booth’s bench. “Y’sure that nagging isn’t just the excitement you’ve got in there? You love Frontier expeditions!”
“It’s not like the excitement isn’t there. I just want to go into this with some caution. Besides… the other problem is this damned thing,” Soren lifted his right arm, Ard and Branmek giving knowing hums. “That odd feeling is because my Crest is acting up again. That never means anything good.”
“Last time that happened was that Ascian ruin venture we went on up in Vulcanus,” Ard took a seat, leaning on the table of the booth. “And that was the time we ran into one of those damned Destroyer-type automechs. MAN that was a messy fight!”
“Yet tha’ wasn’t the first one Soren ‘ere took down,” Branmek chuckled. “Wouldn’ have that fancy sword of ‘is otherwise.”
“Let’s not bring that one up,” Soren let his head drop aside a bit, Ard snickering.
“So… you gonna tell Syr about your Crest?” asked the Kólasi, Soren letting out a hum. “I mean, yeah you took a while to tell us and Sellen, but isn’t like the little Alf is untrustworthy. Hell, as interested as she is in the Empire, she might be able to help you with finding out what the thing even is.”
“I’ve thought about that. For now, I’m still gonna hold off. Maybe after this expedition, depending on how it all goes.”
“Well, we won’t nag ya’ about it,” Branmek chuckled as he then brought up a holo-screen with a tap to the table. “Now how about we chat over some nice food hm? We need to be good and stuffed for when the expedition starts!”
“Bran, you have a black hole for a stomach,” teased Ard. “You’ll be hankering for some more as soon as we land.”
“Why do ya’ think I keep rations on me, hm? Man’s gotta be prepared! ‘Sides, unlike you twiggy mages, muscles like these take plenty o’ effort to keep!” The Dwarf pulled a sleeve back, flexing his arm to show off the bulging muscles of his arm. Ard and Soren merely exchanged glances as Branmek went about his gun show.
“If you’re gonna get eating, don’t leave us two out!” and now completing the group, Sellen approached with Syr not far behind her.
“Back from touring the ship?” mused Soren, scooching over so Syr and Sellen could slide into the booth. “Must be busy with all the other teams from the different Guilds running around here.”
“Yeah but these big ol’ Stalwart class hulks have the room. Ain’t some luxury liner for the fantastically wealthy, but us Freelancers have never needed that,” Sellen snickered as she leaned against the table, glancing to her two teammates. “So whatcha three talking about?”
“Soren’s got the nerves running on high,” Ard had a teasing lilt to his voice, Soren giving a sigh. “Nothing too big. Just some normal pre-high risk job butterflies.”
“Honestly I think I’m even more nervous,” said Syr, twirling a lock of her hair. “You four have way more experience with all of this than me, not to mention we barely even have an idea of what we’re going to find once we’re in the Frontier itself.”
“Ah they’ll abide,” Branmek said. “Once ya’ boots ‘re on the ground and we’re actually explorin’, I bet you’ll ease right up and have some fun! Least uh… till we find wh’ever that Shadow even ruddy is. Can’ say it’s easy though, since tha’ running theory is a bloody Black Wyrm.”
“Ah c’mon, we’re some of Amber Dawn’s best! The two new High Rankers who blew the pants off the old guard despite only being in the guild for a couple of years, and the fresh rookie who’s no doubt gonna catch up with us all in now time flat!” Ard elected to put a foot up on the table, striking a pose with both a clenched hand and his tail. “It’s a dream team for sure, we’ll be fine!”
“First, sit back down will you?” Soren chuckled as Ard flopped back into his seat. “Let’s actually get down to the Zenith Frontier first. We can start wondering what new wild stuff Zenver will get to make a song or two about later. Speaking of the Frontier… hey Syr, you ever see one of the places from an airship?”
“I mean the one time I did was years ago. And certainly in an airship that could reach this altitude.”
“Hehe… then take a look outside and see for yourself.”
Soren shifted side, letting Syr sidle over to his spot by the window. And as soon as the Alf got a good look outside, her ears fluttered and eyes widened at the sight below them.
Stretching as far as could be seen, from the visible coastline back to the plains beyond was a forest so dense it reminded her of her homeland. Trees that stretched as high as the skyscrapers of Clearhabor, split by the carvings formed by titanic rivers and lakes, dominated in size only by the mountains that broke up the expanses of woodland between them. And she knew that what lay before her only stretched further and further on, well past the very border of Laguna itself.
“Welcome back, Syr, to the Zenith Frontier,” said Soren. “The largest Frontier of Aeonia, and our hunting grounds for the next few days. The race to get to Albireo Lake is gonna start as soon as we’re let loose from the observation base.”
“Then let’s actually eat!” Sellen snickered as she pulled up the menu as well. “Gotta make sure we’re all good to make as much progress as possible. A shame we can’t just be dropped right over the place.”
“The ambient ether are too strong once you’re at a certain altitude,” said Syr. “The reason airships can only pass over them at these heights is because of how thin the ether gets up here. If we were any lower, with how thick it is it would interfere with the ship’s ability to fly.”
“Interested in engineerin’, eh lassy?” hummed Branmek, Syr giving a chuckle.
“It’s more something you learn during college studies. Though the advancements in magitech for things such as land vehicles and airships has always been interesting to me.”
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“Aye it is! Haha, lemme tell ya’ some stories I got from back home on Machinia next time, aye?”
“Oh don’t go and bore her with your ramblings about that boring stuff! I’m more interested in what stuff the College taught her. Never felt the urge to visit myself, more the homegrown, self-taught kind of mage y’know? Perks of being a Kólasi, magic comes easy for some of us.”
“More like a ruddy cheat is what you’ve got.”
At Branmek’s snipe, the Dwarf and Kólasi were quick to start glaring daggers at each other, leaving the other three to collective sigh and exchange looks. They could only hope the two would be much more focused on the monsters once they were on the ground.
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Standard practice for Frontier operations was that, along various points of the region the Frontier took up, various outposts meant to serve as home bases for the personnel monitoring them would be set up. Their style and purpose often varied based on what particular region of a Frontier they were set to observe, or the kind of operations they were meant to cater. Much like the Freelancer guilds, but perhaps even more specialized in nature as a result.
The largest of these home bases were effectively settlements in and of themselves. Not quite such as the grander cities further away from the Frontier zones, but serviceable enough for the purposes they were meant to serve.
The destination for Soren and company was one of the Lagunan bases along the border of the Zenith Frontier, known as Polaris Station. It was the largest and most well-developed of the Zenith Frontier’s various bases built from one of the oldest outposts from the early days of Frontier exploration. The locale was outfitted with all kinds of facilities its residents would need for their ventures into the Frontier and beyond and even fitted with its own, if small, airship port for both shipping and travel purposes.
From the port, new arrivals were quickly greeted by the central plaza of the expansive base. Pathways leading from one facility to the next, be it the towering central command building, or places such as storage facilities for vehicles or the living quarters and more.
“Quite more militaristic looking than I thought it would be,” Syr trotted up to Soren as she made the comment, their overall group of every team from Clearharbor proceeding along the path a guide was setting for them.
“Hunters and their crews need to be practical,” said Soren. “Not gonna help anyone to have fancy architecture when the main goal is dealing with monsters. Easy to build, easy to repair is their motto. Goes for buildings and the weapons they get specialty forged.”
“Aye!” Branmek gave a proud chuckle. “While we Freelancers get ta’ boast some fancy hardware, Hunters be more specialized in tha’ regard. The ones who don’ use magic be using the kinda weapons that’d be damn impractical on anyone but some towering Beast or another! Marvels of weaponsmithing they be!”
“Wasn’t the Vulcan who made your sword taking orders for the Frontier?” Syr glanced to Soren’s sheathed blade, the half-alf nodding to affirm the reminder. “I assumed it may have been ordinary weapons for a shop like that, but I suppose not. Shows I have plenty to learn.”
“I mean if it’s the Bullrush we’re talking about, there isn’t a better smith in Aeonia than ol’ Dómhall,” Sellen gave a proud grin as she palmed at her folded-up spear, currently sat at its holster on the back of her waist. “Well, at least outside of Vulcanus that is. Still, Emberstone was in the running for the spot of Vulcan Master Smith during their last run-up.”
“Hah, nobody’s gonna dethrone Odin for years to come!” Branmek said. “Ain’t a soul alive who practices the martial arts who wouldn’t covet a weapon made by that man. Even us Dwarves gotta respect the skill Vulcans possess.”
“And Dwarves don’t respect a lot of things,” snarked Ard, Branmek shooting him a glare. “Well, at least with smithing.”
“Aye, I ain’t ashamed o’ that, not a Dwarf alive would be! But, on topic now, yeah? Most Hunters have their weapons made at bases like this one. Call it specialty resources, since they get most of their materials from the Frontier itself.”
“They do mining operations in a place like this?” Syr raised a brow when Branmek shook his head. “Then… what do they use?”
“While they do mine some ores when they find veins in the Frontier, what Hunters usually use is… a lot more efficient let’s say. Know how Soren got his fancy sword made from the parts of an Ascian Automech?”
“Mhmm.”
“Same idea. But with Magic Beast parts instead,” Branmek gave a satisfied chuckle when Syr gave him a flummoxed look. “They never teach ya’ tha’ up in the College? Hehehe. Is the truth! Like Soren said, easy to build, easy to repair. And wha’s easier than buildin’ the weapons and armor you hunt Beasts with than the stuff you get off ‘em eh? Heck I’m sure those robes o’ yours were made with cloth and silk foraged from a Beast! Hmm… I’m guessing it’d be native to Vanira soooo… ah! Arachnerian Silk, right? Mighty fine material for ether conduction, sturdy too for as light as it is.”
“Wow, that’s a spot-on guess,” Syr’s ears fluttered as she visibly showed how impressed she was. “Specifically, we use a variety from a kind bred for this kind of silk. It’s one of Vanira’s main export goods as it happens.”
“Aye. Somethin’ those fancy business moguls like, that’s for sure.”
“While I’m sure the talk about exports and other trade stuff would be really interesting—” Soren cut in, “—let’s keep the eyes forward on what’s coming. Syr, what kind of process did the College do when you came here for that study trip?”
“Well, since it was a tour, we only went into the safer area just outside of the base we departed from,” Syr put a hand to her chin, and the procession was slowing down as the crowd of chattering Freelancers reached the central building, now being guided into a central hall. “But we were escorted by a pair of Hunters… thinking on it, I do recall their weapons and armor did seem unusually made, though no one really commented on it.”
“That would have been their specialty gear,” commented Ard. “Anyway, I think it’s about time we stop chattering. Once everyone’s line up, we’re gonna get another lecture about what’s goin’ on.”
Once the central room was filled with the various teams, all and all totaling to around thirty arrivals, the chattering went on a bit longer until a door at the far side crashed open. The gathered Freelancers went silent, and strolling in was a figure who certainly inspired that sudden silence.
A towering Dynor man in sturdy scaled armor, charcoal hair and blazing red eyes looking over the new arrivals from the moment he entered the room. Taking center of the raised platform at the front of the room, the man leaned on the podium, and when he spoke, his voice boomed across the room, not a lick of assistance carrying it from one end to the other.
“Greetings to all of you Freelancers joining us on this expedition!” and he spoke with all the gruff experience of a man with more experience than most in the room combined. “My name is Conall, the Lead Hunter here at Polaris Station. And for the next few days, your effective boss. Whether you’re a familiar face to us here or some newcomer, it’s my command you’ll all be following so listen up! Because we’ve got a lot to go over before you all get sent out into the Frontier.”
Conall snapped his fingers, the room darkening and a series of magi-screens flashing into form behind him, all various images from across the Frontier along with a region map.
“Let’s start with what we all know going into this: The target of the expedition,” with another snap, the images changed into the scant few ones of the Shadow that they had. “The unknown Wyrm codenamed Shadow. As you are all aware, it was sighted by our Hunters around the Albireo Lake. For those who may not know, the lake is an important research site for Ascian technology, housing several ruins from the old Empire. Thankfully, by the time the Shadow decided to start prowling around, the last team out there had already left to rotate with the next But, with it being there, we can’t send any more teams in.”
[Is it really that important of a site?]
“It is,” Conall nodded to the crowd member who’d spoken up. “From our findings the ruins were a monitoring station meant to keep tabs on regions such as Zenith. Ever since the facility was made operable, it’s become a prime source of information for monitoring and understanding how Frontier regions such as this work. So, as you can all assume, having some unknown Wyrm shacking up in the vicinity is stifling that monitoring. However, while we know the Shadow lingers around Albireo Lake most of the time ever since we started keeping tabs on it, Hunters out in the field have also reported sighting it hunting in several other locations away from the Lake. As such, we’ve established a search radius around the lake for you all to monitor and hunt around.”
Conall nodded to one of the assistants on the side. They nodded, waving their hand and enlarging the map screen, a node of light flickering into form as it scrolled to the location of Albireo Lake, the node expanding outwards into a far larger area around the lake itself.
[Pretty wide area.]
[Guess the thing’s gotta hunt like any other animal.]
[Yeah but going out that far has got to be a problem going by what those two from Amber Dawn found out.]
Soren snickered as he caught Syr puffing up with a hint of pride next to him.
“Correct assessment,” Conall snapped again, bringing up more images of that tar-like residue, coating everything from flora to the carcasses of faun, and several images of other Beasts showing the same deformities the Plains Raptors Soren and Syr had hunted had shown. “Whatever this substance the Shadow leaves behind it is, our research has found it directly attacks ether flows it is in contact with. And when this happens to other Magic Beasts, it promotes a reaction that turns them feral. Ones that would normally flee from even minor injuries fight with abandon, and already aggressive predators have only become even moreso. For now, our Hunters are working overtime to keep this contained within the radius you see here, measuring to around a 16-kilometer area.”
“That’s gonna be a lot of walking…” Ard mumbled, Sellen nodding to that as a few other mutters spread in the crowd. “Nothing we can’t handle though.”
“Say that when you got legs like mine!” Branmek’s hiss went uncontested by those around him, a few similar sentiments coming from similarly stature challenged Freelancers who’d overhead.
“You’re still taller than a Halfling,” Soren was the one to add in a bit of snark, Branmek smacking the Half-Alf on the thigh for it, almost making Soren buckle over to boot.
“Considering how many of you there are, covering this radius alongside the already deployed Hunters should be easy,” another move from Conall’s assistant showed three more blips within the search zone. “We’ve got three of our best teams on patrol currently, but they can only cover so much of that wide an area. For this, we’ll be inserting the various teams you all make up to cover more ground. My advice on arrival is that you start moving towards Albireo Lake, following whatever path you find is best to get there.”
[What if we come across other Beasts while we’re searching for the Shadow?]
[Or find anything else it may’ve done?]
“Then do what any good Freelancer does: Deal with the problem,” Conall smirked at a few smart-aleck chuckles that followed. “If you find any Beasts leave ‘em be if they’re unaffected by the Shadow’s residue. Even the predators should leave you alone if you move carefully. If a Beast is affected, take them down and call it in. We can’t have them spreading whatever that affliction is further than it’s already gotten by going after other Beasts or letting bodies linger. And if you find any traces of the Shadow, be sure to follow it to see if you can get any hints about its movement patterns. Just be cautious: As you vets know, ether flow is pretty thick here in the Frontier, making communication by Deck tricky. Albireo Lake’s general isn’t the thickest it gets, but some places you’ll be moving through could get spotty, so move carefully and try to stay connected.”
“And what about if we come across the Shadow before or at the lake?” Syr chose to speak up. And already, the tension in the room grew from that prompt alone.
“Don’t be reckless about it,” Conall was quick on the reply, looking to the main image of the Shadow they all could reference. “Even our best Hunters know to tread lightly with an unknown like this. If you run into the thing before meeting up with other teams on the way or at Albireo Lake, do everything you can to stay alive. Don’t fight it recklessly, and try to get into contact with other teams nearby to encircle it. We can assume it’s capable of flight, so try to prevent it getting above the tree line to take off. As some of you can guess, we can’t go blazing in with gunships without risking severe damage to the forest, so they’re not an option unless it can reach altitude.”
[Damn, guess air support isn’t on the table for this one.]
[Would be if this expedition was happening on the Rubicon side of the Frontier.]
[We just gotta take what we can get.]
“Glad you all understand,” Conall clapped his hands, the magi-screens all vanishing in an instant. “The expedition starts properly tomorrow, so take the rest of today to rest up and get everything in order with your team. Returnees, show any newbies around the outpost and get ‘em familiar with it. With that, you’re all dismissed! I’ll see you all on the tarmac at 0600 tomorrow!”
“Well, at least we get a chance to take a break before getting our sorry tails tossed out into the thick of it!” Sellen stretched her arms as the procession out started, all of the teams quickly splitting off into their smaller groups into various directions to explore the outpost and what else. “I dunno about you guys, but I think I’m just gonna head to the dorms and pass out for a while. The flight here was exhausting… freaking six hours I swear…”
“Well can’t be much worse than flyin’ to another continent entirely!” Branmek said. “It’s what, 12-hours by airship at travel speed to get from Aeonia to Machinia? Even further if you’re going to Venwilde!”
“That’s if you keep going east though,” Soren said. “It’s a bit shorter if you head out from an eastern area like Clearharbor. Bet some of the Freelancers closer to us only got here within a couple of hours.”
“True enough,” Branmek hummed. “Clearharbor is the easternmost city in Laguna.”
“How did you end up all the way there if you’re from Machinia?” asked Syr, Branmek chuckling.
“I actually first came ‘ere from the western port city, Aramis. I was headin’ east over time. Stuck solo for a while, plied my trade helpin’ some smiths out with gatherin’ supplies and wha’ not. Met ol’ Emberstone and wound up in Clearharbor ever since. I have been back home a few times over the years, so it ain’t like I’m ever gone long.”
“I’m Clearharbor born and raised,” said Ard. “Family was from the Northern Rubicon, but they moved up to the eastern Lagunan coast long before I was born. Soren tell you were he’s from yet?”
“No, no he hasn’t actually,” at Syr’s prompting, Soren sighed as Sellen made sure he couldn’t escape by putting an arm around his shoulder.
“Soren’s a capital kid like me. Though he’s not some rich kid from Aurora’s Royal District,” Sellen said, Soren giving a relenting sigh.
“I grew up in a pretty middle-class neighborhood. Dad’s a Vaniran Alf who moved into Laguna just before the war twenty years ago. Met my mom after he moved to Aurora, and the rest is kind of history. He did teach me some swordplay before I went to the Sword Saint Academy, and my mom… she’s just kind of a stay-at-home type.”
“Wait, just before the war…” Syr hummed. “So you’d at best be…”
“21,” Soren said, giving a nod. “I entered the SSA when I was 17, skimped out on a normal high school to go there for the three-year tenure instead. And I’ve been with the Dawn for about a year, same as Sellen.”
“Ah I remember you two’s rookie year!” Branmek snickered. “The fresh-faced Sword Saint and Spear Maiden, making waves in the Dawn from their initiation tests alone! Hahaha, Syr doing the same must be a sign of good things to come!”
“Don’t jinx us man,” Ard sighed. Then he perked up with an idea. “Oh! Hey, before we go to the dorms and stuff, how about we take a look at things from the wall? They have a viewing area so you can get a nice view of the forests from here! How about it?”
“Would be a nice chance for some pictures. Sure!” With Syr’s nod, the party turned around from their current direction and followed the pathway back near the direction of the landing area.
Further past that, the wall guarding the outpost came into better view, topped at regular intervals with defensive artillery alongside the shimmering pulses of an active barrier, and whatever guard was set on patrol duty at the time. And while it was mostly just staircases to the upper parts of the wall and a few doors to internal structures, not to far off from the footpath was a wider entrance.
When the party entered, they were quickly met with what they expected. A viewing area right into the entrance of the Frontier itself, the only thing between it and them the thick, no doubt tempered glass meant to provide maximum protection even with the active barrier. And beyond that, the thick of towering trees filtering in the sunlight above, swaying leaves laden by ivy and vine growths that stretched across them, just giving a view into the thickets beyond of the floor covered by grasses, flowers, and fungi.
A few roaming beasts darted in and out of view, be them grounded mammals or birds flitting from branch to branch. The sounds of roars and calls echoed through the air even into the viewing area.
“That’s going to be something once we’re in the thick of it,” Syr had an awed look on her face as she was taking photos. “It’s been so long since my trip here with the College I about forgot how ambient it all is.”
“Yeah it’s nice and all… until something jumps out of the brush looking to tear your throat out,” Soren’s dark comment earned him a glare from Syr. “Kidding, at least in this part of the Frontier. Most of the predators don’t like getting close to the outposts. They’ve learned.”
“Well, let’s try and stay optimistic about things,” said Sellen. “Because tomorrow, it’s going to be all business… of the worst kind some could say.”
“Yeah… it’ll be something.”
Soren gripped his right forearm, and Syr took note of it this time. From the troubled look that came to his face, the Alf could tell there was something stewing in that head of his. And she just had to wonder what it was. And if, perhaps, a theory she had was correct. One she’d had ever since the day they’d met and she’d seen those crystalline blue eyes.
Is Soren an Ascian Descendant?