We come to the tall marble statues of histories hero's and adventurers. I admire them to the high heavens, especially:
Sentry Allovard, the High elven warlock. Spent 10 years in the poor homeless life and it turned him to light, he was raised by the wilderness. He fought in many dangerous battles and yet always lived to tell the tale. The hardest one he came in contact with was the eye of Cthulhu, almost lost his arm that day, however him almost losing his arm was minor to the deaths of his team. And so. He had slain every single monster and had taken out the eye of Cthulhu with ease.
I stand before the tall statue and curtsey in respect gently placing my right hand on the engraved hand marking. Dracana does the same and remembers Sentry, "Sentry was a strong warlock, very very strong." Verece states. "he was quite the inspirational one" Eshin states, "Really inspired Verece, and by the looks of it, yourself, o' noble one."
I turn to face him, "Of course, Sentry was an outstanding hero, born and raised in the kingdom I lived in. Oh how I wish I could meet him in-"
"Person?" A familiar voice calls, I turn and see a man still young, in a light blue elven blouse and dark blue pants that had diamond cuts down the outside of his legs, he wore a cape and shoulder armour, on his arm was a horizontal scar and his hair was snowy white, his eyes gleamed with a relaxing ocean blue and his posture was strong with a caring demeanour. Me and the Paladin shook our heads, looked at each other and then looked at the elf before us, "One should be careful, although the war has ended, Elves should still be wary. We lost many. cant afford to lose an upcoming Cleric. Especially one of noble standing." He says coming closer, I look at Dracana before back at the Elf, "Never seen the kingdom hero before?" He says as I bite my lip, he opens his arms and Dracana nudges me to go hug him, "Come on, I don't bite, plus, I always meet with new adventurers to wish them good fortune on their journey. Also just to let them know they can come back to me if they need my assistance or in dire emergency." the man laughs.
"Sentry? It- It's really you?" I ask, so in awe my mind goes completely irrational, I get wrapped in his cloak as his arms settle around me, he's so warm and soft, I wonder if Verece is like this...
"Don't fall asleep on me little cleric." Sentry laughs, stroking my hair; waking up on him. I stand up and blush, looking away from him. Embarrassing! "Woah. It's okay. You're fine. Though take to the nearest inn, sadly one isn't available here as we are still building one, "the nearest one is in the next elven village, only an hours walk, not too far." He says to Verece as he lays me in his arms, Verece is actually strong - physically. I rest on him as Verece smiles down at me, "Thank you for everything you have done that's lead us to today, Sentry." He says looking over his shoulder at Sentry who gives a worried smile... "No problem I couldn't of done it without the help of my kind and my team... Many lives lost, Many families broken... Many hearts broken... not enough healing..." He looks down to his scar and saddens, "I have survivors guilt you know... I really do wish I could atleast of saved 1 person. a mother, a child, anyone, of any race. But I couldn't..." he says as Dracana comes to him placing a hand on his shoulder.
"My mother and Father were in the Dragonborn squad against Cthulu. Sadly they couldn't make it. Seeing you gives me enough courage to stay strong and remember everyone that fought. Cthulu is dead at the cost of many, My parents would have defended you till the end- I bet anyway-" Dracana states as Sentry nods
"I did notice your parents and they were strong, they kept me alive for as long as they could so I could deal the final blow. The death of Cthulu caused the death of your parents. If you wish to see their graves that put together for them I will show you when you come back from your mission." He answers placing his hand on Dracana's shoulder.
"I'd like to." She replies with a nod, "I bet their souls haven't crossed yet because I haven't been to their grave yet.."
"Thats most definitely why." Sentry adds, "You run along now. Your parents will watch you as you fight, they're proud of you - Dracana."
Dracana looks towards him as she left shedding a tear. "Don't cry now. Do them justice and you'll prosper." Sentry says saluting to Dracana as Eshin and Sedin comfort her.
30 minutes had passed with the group when I first saw Verece's power hungry side, he places me down and signals to defend me as soon as he heard rustling from the woods around us, he knew for sure it wasn't forest creatures. Dracana casted a spell which protected us, she looks to Verece and nods as he does in return. In an instant goblins jumped out and targeted me for being a Noble. Instead of running away from them like I normally would, I was told by Sedin that it would be no use and I would be tackled in no time.
Verece hears the whistling of an arrow fly by him cutting the skin just off his right eye. A deep growl eminates from him as he locates goblin archers above in the tall trees, "RANGER, THE SKIES!" Verece calls as our Ranger, Eshin, fires several arrows that fly through the sky and into the skulls of goblins that where firing at me and Verece. Verece used his magic to kill all the goblins running at him and myself.
He looked-
Badass.
The look on Verece's face as he casted spells we're not only intimidating but reassuring and loving. I couldn't think to myself that he could probably fall to the darkness because of his power hungry side.
Dracana takes each hit and shields me, who was cowering like a little girl, I hadn't been outside the walls of my home before and I was petrified, I noticed Sedin, the changeling, sit by me, and change his appearance to look like my father. He smiles and pulls me close to him as I cry in his arms, he kisses my forehead softly and strokes my hair, as my father would. Verece looks behind him and notices Sedin with me, "Sedin, You knew her father?" he says as Sedin nods, "Of course I do, I maybe the youngest in the group but I knew her father pretty well." He stands me up and gives me words of encouragement in my ear before turning to his normal self and finishing off the last of the goblins.
"No one sustained injuries did they?" Verece checks as everyone shakes their heads, "Good. If so we'd have to have our little cleric here do the work."
Eshin kicks Verece's shin, "You do know that just because she's a noble you don't have to always treat her like some queen. Simp."
I blush intensely and place my face into Dragara's chest as she shields me from Verece, who is playfully arguing with Eshin. Sedin laughs, "Oi. Prince charming, Lady blush is over there blushing away."
Verece looks over his shoulder at me behind Dracana's shield, and smirks a smug smirk. I saw him do this and blush intensely, the air got thicker and I had feelings for him, not that I hadn't already - Anyway! I look towards Verece, the obvious leader of the group, who swung me into his strong grasp, "Never fret, little Ashentai, I will be with you always. If anything troubles you, do not fear to talk to me."
"Yeah- i'll try talking to a power hungry handsome Tiefling about my problems when he's having his little 'I wanna be the very best~ Like no one ever was.' " I roll my eyes as I catch a glimpse of childish sadness in his gaze. I sigh and kiss his cheek. He smiles almost scarily. "I knew you'd do it some day." He says swooping me up into bridal style and carrying on with our journey. The other three gaze at each other most certainly perplexed, "Eshin, give the special Noble context on why-"
"basically. Verece here, calls himself a prince. Though he isnt wealthy, he calls himself a prince and a prince of romance at that, i bet you can guess what he put his points into." Eshin Interrupts Verece.
"Charisma? For a Sorcerer? I must be dumb." I shake my head
The paladin walks next to us with her shield on her back and her one-handed greatsword in a sheath, "You're not dumb but he just has a new 'play thing' which usually means he wont be as power hungry, but more creepily romantic." She says, "There's no winning with this man."
Verece gives a cheesey and childish smile.
"Dracana, You're kinda wrong there. Remember when you joined and he tried to impress you with his 'amazing power'" Sedin reminds her as Dracana pauses and looks down.
"Yes." She says slightly embarrassed. Verece reassures Dracana.
Another 30 minutes of being carried in Verece's arms we see the next village in flames and a elven child being carried by his older sister, I hop out and talk to the eldest sister who cries in my arms begging they needed me, "Get all the injured here, I'll tend to them. Verece. You had your chance at leadership, you were good but this is my terrain. I live in these lands and so, I will do the leading." I catch note of fire breathing dragon floating around, and relay it to the team.
Verece nods, "Take the dragon out, as it's a threat to the villagers, if we do this for them, they may repay us." I continue, as the team get to dealing with the dragon, "Dracana, Get the citizens out the burning village, and near the river, I'll conduct my healing there. 1. they'll extinguish any embers on them and 2. They'll be healed if injured and clean any wound by bathing in the river while they wait for me."
Dracara nods and runs into the burning village guiding survivors to the river and saving any survivor trapped in burning buildings. I run to the river seeing many injured and instruct them to bathe in the waters as its cool and it will remove ash and embers. "Children first." I say as I pray to the gods.
After a few moments the gods listened and all the injured become healed, however some had amputations from the fire and they couldnt be healed. "who's the villages black smith?" I ask as a newly killed black smith get put to my feet. "That's-" Dracana begins as I rest my hand on him and raise my free hand to the sky calling upon the gods to give him a second chance, Moments pass and I don't get a connection, "DRACANA! I NEED A CATALYST!" I call as Dracana holds my hand thats in the sky and raises her other into the sky, "It's working, just a little longer..."
I notice him cough and splutter, I smile happily, and roll him to his side seeing his wounds heal, I walk him to the river and bathe him rinsing the soot and ashes off of him. Verece and the others come back with multiple dragon scales, the blacksmith looks to them, "The scales.. I can make armour from them.. and you can stay with us for tonight- no. As long as you like, You have a talented cleric and a talented paladin, thank you for reviving me, and thank you for killing that dragon. It twas a bother. I look towards Verece who's stood coldly his eye twitching. Dracana's eye's widen as with Sedin and Eshin, "Verece. Not now." Dracana mentions as Verece ignores her walking towards me, and gripping my robe and clicking his finger showing a spark. "How. Did. You. Revive. Him?" He questions menacingly as I gulp, I look at him, a tear shedding my face that was stone cold with fear.
"V..Verece.. Listen to me... the dark is tainting you with the knowledge of wanting more power. don't let it control you. Stay with me in the light..." I say as the paladin agrees, Verece shakes his head and drops me he backs off embarrassed and falls to his knees as me and the paladin hug him, tightly. "Girls, I- I am sorry, So so sorry... and specifically Ashentai, I'm so sorry, I cant control myself."
"With us you're in the light. It's fine, just- if I ever get like that again... please leave me, and don't come back for me." Verece says as me and the paladin back hand him.
"Absolutely not." we say in sync, "We will try our hardest to bring you back to the light, we won't give up on you, you never gave up on us."
Verece smiles, "you have people to heal." He says brushing my shoulder. I run back to the villagers and gently guides the children to Verece and Eshin, Sedin keeps the other waiting in the river in good spirits as Dracana and I heal the others in bulk, this much healing requires me to have a rest, "Extinguish the fires and we can rest, I'm feeling weak with such frequent divine connections." I say as the other villagers extinguish the fires and get to the inn where we can rest.
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It doesn't hurt me...