Zeroi and Alatricia rode side by side through the cobbled streets of Eyrica, their steeds' hooves clacking against the stones. They were weary from their long journey – one not without its share of unwelcome detours – but they had accomplished what they had set out to do.
"Here," Zeroi said, reaching into his coin pouch and presenting Alatricia with a small bag filled with gold coins. "As promised."
Alatricia took the bag, feeling its weight in her hand. "Thank you, Zeroi,” she said curtly, little expressiveness showing in her voice. “And I apologize for how things went down.”
Zeroi gave her a smirk. “If the bandits hadn’t betrayed the both of us, I probably still wouldn’t trust you. At least now I know we’re on the same side.”
Alatricia smiled back. “Take care. And good luck in finding whatever it is you need to stop this evil from spreading.”
As the two reached a fork in the road, Zeroi led his steed in the opposite direction of the young princess. Alatricia continued along alone until she reached the inn where she planned to stay, where she came into contact with a rather unwelcome familiar face.
"Oh, greetings, sister," Alatricia said, her brow furrowing in suspicion. "You just happen to be here right when I return?"
"Of course," Allana replied sweetly. "I've missed you dearly."
"Did you, by chance, have anything to do with my… incident?" Alatricia pressed, her skepticism obvious.
“Incident? What happened?”
Alatricia scouted her sister’s eyes. There were no signs of a lie, which Alatricia had gotten good at spotting. She sighed.
“It’s… nevermind,” she let out, getting off her horse and walking past Allana and her ever-present bodyguard
"Alatricia, despite our differences, you are still my sister," Allana said, following after her. "I would never do anything to hurt you. In time, all will become clear."
“We'll see about that,” Alatricia murmured, gritting her teeth as begrudgingly let Allana and the Wolf come with her.
Meanwhile, at the seats of the inn’s tavern, Warius found himself sharing a table with Koe'ul, the pirate he had once pursued relentlessly. The irony of their meeting was not lost on him.
"Funny, isn't it?" Warius remarked, raising his mug. "After all the years I spent hunting you, here we are, on the same side."
Koe'ul chuckled, the sound low and gravelly. "Times are strange indeed, old friend," he replied, clinking his mug against Warius's. "Whispers are spreading throughout the Region of Spring—times are changing, for better or worse."
Suddenly, the elf pirate leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing. "No matter what happens, people will do whatever it takes to come out on top. Stay cautious, Warius."
The professor nodded, taking the pirate's words to heart. Koe’ul cast an intimidating figure, and his words foreboding – but there was truth in what he said, regardless of whether he meant it as a threat.
Finally, Zeroi stood before the Royal Society, his palms sweating as he presented his evidence of the return of the Siima. The room was silent, the weight of the revelation settling heavily upon those present.
"Orcs… then there’s no doubts about it," one of the society members declared solemnly. "Preparations must be made immediately. We must build a coalition to face this threat."
"Zeroi," Kalykus said, his voice resonating with authority. "I give you the lead in developing this coalition."
"Me?" Zeroi stammered, taken aback. "High Regent, I respect the courtesy, but… my background is in arcana and archaeology, not diplomacy and warcraft!"
"Trust me, young elf," Kalykus interrupted, his gaze piercing. "I have seen your future in the Aldcraft Mirror. Whether you wanted it to or not, your journey is just beginning. You will have the help of many – the sworn backing of the Royal Society, for one. But it must be you."
Zeroi’s heart beat heavily, the sweat beginning to drip from his temples. It was clear that what Kalykus said was true, and that he held it in high importance. The greatest sage in the world – one of the greatest who ever lived – looked upon this dire threat and decided Zeroi would be the one to lead the charge against it.
“As you wish, High Regent,” Zeroi simply let out, giving a bow.
The stakes were now higher than they ever had been.