Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 30: Shadows

01 Seedmonth 1007 AF

Late Night

Knight Lord Faragur's Office

Study Room

"There's something not quite right about that Vermont boy," Agnaris said the moment he takes a seat. He and Faragur were seated discussing the night's bizarre events.

"What do you mean?" asked Faragur.

"That technique he employed in the ceremony. His voice amplification technique for a start not to mention what the Seer said. It's remarkable. I've never seen anything like it." Agnaris said and his eyes seems to glint with some light

"To be honest, I'm intrigued as to how he did it," said Faragur.

He had spent the rest of the evening watching the boy, as if he would suddenly climb up onto the table and reveal all his secrets.

Agnaris shifted in his seat.

"So, I did some research of my own. Do you know how he came to be here? With a scholarship, and a recommendation from Adrian himself."

"Really?" Faragur sat forward, his ears perked.

"Yes. His father is a minor noble and rules the city of Danoba and was just appointed a few months ago. Apparently, the boy is known by the locals to be an extraordinary talented boy. He's incredibly clever, he knows languages that nobody else in Danoba knows and he could read from a very young age, yet he has never had a teacher. How can you explain that?"

Agnaris asked. The more he investigate the boy the more he found some similarities with the boy and one particular person in history

"I cannot, that is very strange," sighed Faragur. "So, what do you mean by telling me this?"

"I don't know," Agnaris said, sinking back into his chair.

"I just feel there is something wrong with the boy. Well, not wrong, but Marco the Seer told me what he felt when he touched the boy's hand. He has been presiding the Ceremony since he was seventeen of age and he never experienced what he experienced when he touched that boy hand. Boundless energy. He said in all his years performing the Choosing he has never felt so much raw power in a child. An energy bubbling in his very core, he said, screaming to be released. So, powerful that if he had pushed it, he would have surely died."

"He said that?" Faragur's eyes were wide as he listened.

"Indeed, he did. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, keep a watchful eye on Arial Vermont."

Silence fell between them.

Faragur raised his wine glass and gulped its contents in one go. They watched the flames in the fireplace dance and crackle as the night grew cold.

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02 Seedmonth 1007 AF

Arial approached a beautifully crafted door, decorated with a roaring dragon breathing fire from the top of a mountain, while a man kneeled before it.

It was quite a symbol to have it carved into a door. He rapped at the door smartly.

"Who's there?" a deep voice called from inside.

"Recruit Arial. I seek an audience with the Commander of House." Silence followed for a moment.

"Come in," the voice called finally.

Arial pushed the door and entered Faragur's office. As he enters he could see a lot of things in the office.

On the back of Faragur chair is a large horn Arial did not recognize. He could also see a slightly cracked sword with a golden hilt hung beside a dented shield in the corner of the room.

To Arial's left stood hundreds of books, stacked neatly in enormous bookshelves, and some of the titles caught his eye: 'Levitia's Lament', 'The Rise and Fall of the Vern Empire', 'The Bloodline of the Blue-Haired King' Duvan Renasi the Pirate?' Leliana: Another Story'

There are a lot of history books.

But Arial also notices some book that is more suitable for a teacher.

Magic and Our World, Dragons and the Other Races, The Eight Important Races, The Unverified Fact of the Sky People, Bloodline and Magic, The Pillars Mystery, The Chronology of the Anjou, Siege and Warfare, Sieging a Castle, Basic of Swordplay and many others.

He is a reader.

Arial had read those books and many like them during his years in Vern. He could feel Faragur's eyes on him.

"What is your reason for coming here? I don't believe we have any classes yet," said Faragur as he resumes looking at the document which he signs without stopping.

"My friends and I would like to accept a quest," said Arial. He looked up at Faragur and could see intrigue in his eyes.

Arial handed him the quest notice. He looked and read the description of the job. Then he frowned slightly

"In our Academy, we never forbid anyone from taking a quest," Faragur said slowly.

"Unlike any other school of knights, we give our students the right to choose whichever quests they believe they can handle. But this?" Faragur waved the notice.

"Don't you think this is far beyond your capabilities?"

"I don't believe so," Arial replied firmly. Faragur searched his face for a trace of fear, but found none.

He smirk a bit.

"This is around the city of Rodes. Rodan family land. Do you know the road there?" Faragur asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes."

"And how do you know it?" he asked, clearly skeptical.

"I went with my father to trade in the city," Arial said smoothly.

Faragur sighed, and glanced at the other names on the notice.

Kyle and Lisa Lethe were the son and daughter of common folk. Nobody would bat an eye if they perished. It is sad truth but that is how the world works.

But Helia Zephyr, daughter of the House of Zephyr? Now, that is not a commoner household.

Her father is an influential and powerful man. If anything happened to her, the Academy would undoubtedly suffer.

The boy himself is one of noble's son. One of the wealthiest.

Faragur never met Lord Aries the father of Arial. But he heard the story about him. He is kind, sociable a good hearted man.

Though he doubts that Lord Aries will be kind if his son is dead here. But he had no room to argue.

Even so, the Knight Code of the Academy stated that no one should interfere in the quest if the knights are willing to take it.

That has always been the rule of the Knight Academy.

Faragur knew his hands were tied.

"Fine," he said curtly.

"But don't blame me if you all die horribly. Now off you go."

Faragur signed the quest notice and handed it back to Arial, who left the office feeling rather smug, with a triumphant grin on his face.

A quest.

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Faragur stood next to a crackling fireplace, a glass of wine in his hand, his lips pursed tensely.

His short black hair look dashing and his face is still handsome and look peaceful even when he is still not satisfied with what happened today.

He is in one of the Knight Master room in the Academy.

It is in the second floor of a building far away from the Main Castle which is situated in the center of the Academy.

The room is circular, elaborately and elegantly decorated. On top of the circular dome was a fresco of Nasrana, a holy figure in the Thirteen Tribes lore's.

It depicts him fighting Darkness riding a Black Dragon with a colossal bird following behind him, its body colossal, its wing blocks the sun above Nasrana, its feather has a variety of colours, and its neck is like the neck of a lion, and this lion possesses four wings, two of the wing is long while the other two was significantly shorter.

On the right side of the walls of the room is the frescoes painting of an angel blowing a Horn as people bowed and prostrate themselves.

On the left side is the fresco painting of Three Demonic faces, having black wings and rivers of blood streaming down underneath their feet while they are sitting on a throne made up of human bones, the handle of the thrones is human skulls.

He is waiting for someone here. On the steps leading to the second floor a tall, lean man is walking calmly.

And then that man arrived in front of the door and he slowly pushed it.

The door behind him creaked open, and Faragur turned to see his old friend Agnaris slip inside, looking at him expectantly.

"Agnaris, old friend, I have a favor to ask," Faragur said softly, looking back to the fire.

"No small talk?" Agnaris chuckled as he closed the door and take a seat in one of the chairs in the room.

'No food, no drinks, no entertainment, straight to business.' Faragur smiles bitterly.

'It is a bit rude of me' Then he opens up a cupboard.

'Which one do you want?' Faragur asked Agnaris as Agnaris look at what inside the cupboard. Bottles of wines was neatly stacked.

'The Knight master even have a Riella wine in his collection. He sure is wealthy'

Faragur understand Agnaris likes and dislikes so he just took the wine bottle and closes the cupboard as he pours the wine on a glass and handed it to Agnaris.

The gold colour liquid emits a rich fragrance,

He smiles and take a sip while closing his eyes. The moment he tastes the wine his face was full of joy, as the high quality wine from Ranoa Republic do its work.

It is soft and rich, just the way he likes it.

'What's the matter, Faragur that you would even open the Knight Master wine stock for me?' Faragur closes his eyes and sighed

"It's about those children" Faragur began slowly.

"Ah," said Agnaris, nodding his head. "You want me to protect them."

Faragur smiled.

His old friend truly understood him in a way that no one else did.

While he could not forbid his students to accept the quest, the Academy did allow him to assign them a protector, an experienced knight who would follow them in secret.

If they did happen to fall into danger of which they could not escape, the protector would be able to interfere and ensure their safety.

If it is too much and the quester requires help and the protector in the shadow deemed it was impossible for the quester to continue the quest, then the protector can interfere which will result in the quester to fail his quest.

After that usually they will be warned not to tell anyone that for every dangerous quest, that there might be a protector for them.

While this is true, not every quest requires a protector only in certain special caseslike this.

"Well?" said Faragur, looking up at his friend.

"Will you do it?"

"Of course, I still owe you from last year matter" Agnaris clasped Faragur's shoulder affectionately.

"But I'm taking the rest of the bottle!" He nodded to the half empty wine bottle on the desk beside them. Faragur grinned.

"One more thing. Keep a close eye on Arial Vermont. He must survive. No matter what," Faragur's voice was suddenly urgent, and Agnaris raised his eyebrows.

"You really care about that boy?"

"Not me," Faragur sighed.

"Knight Master Orval's orders."

'Knight Master Orval?' Agnaris ask again trying to make sure he did not heard wrong.

'Yes. Is it that weird?' Faragur asked weird by how Agnaris is reacting

'Hmm. No, not weird. Only interesting' Agnaris knows about the true identity of the Knight Master. And he knows the mission of the Knight Master here.

Which is why the more the Knight Master pays attention to Arial Vermont, the more Agnaris is confident that Arial is the person Orval was looking for.

'Orval Valaiswhat are you playing at?' He thought to himself.

They both watched the fire in silence for a moment. The crackling flames seemed louder than before. Agnaris rolled Faragur's words around in his mind, wondering why Orval was so concerned about the Vermont boy.

"Don't worry friend," he said at last. "I won't let you down."

Patting Faragur on the back, Agnaris swapped his wine glass for the bottle and swept out of the room. Once he was out of earshot, Faragur spoke to the empty room.

"Is that good enough Orval?"

With a click, the bookcase by the fireplace sprung open, and the Knight Master stepped up the flight of stairs behind the secret door.

He took a seat beside Faragur and nodded.

"Who is the boy, Orval? Why do you dote on him so?"

"Is that how it seems to you?" Orval smiled. "Would you believe me if I said I was protecting him because of his hair color?"

"If you don't want to tell me, then fine," Faragur huffed. "I don't work in riddles."

"Oh, calm down. I have other things to discuss with you and it will not do if you are angry," said Orval.

Faragur sighed and relented.

Faragur calms himself down and after downing a few bottles of wine, his anger dissipates and they talk together in a jovial manner like old friend reunited.

But it has to be said that in his entire time he was friend with Orval his orders and command regarding the Arial boy is mysterious.

Faragur knew the Knight Master was eccentric, and he tried to put his puzzling words out of his mind.

He would wait to see how the situation, and the mysterious Vermont boy, developed in good time.

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Second chapter for the day. Next chapter will be the last for today

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