Yoru sat on his bed, staring off into space, a habit he developed when practicing to circulate his Mana.
But he isn't doing it now, so he oftentimes spaces out when he does nothing.
He shook his head, rubbing his eyes and heard a commotion in the distance. His hut was quite far from the other residents, probably due to safety measures, but echoes could still be heard from afar.
He slid off the bed, drank some left over water from the small table and then went to the door.
It was raining still, and it was a calming sound to hear.
Especially high up in this place, the smell of rain and vegetation was satisfying and calming to him.
Yoru opened the door...
And he immediately felt something wrong.
"W– What the..."
Far, far in the distance.
A black otherworldly mist like aura was coming from all the way below, yet when he spotted some of the other village elves, they didn't seem to notice.
Not like they can anyway.
Instinctively, Yoru put the ghostly aura in the periphery of his vision, not staring directly at it just in case.
'This aura is nothing like what I've ever seen or experienced...'
Bad.
He felt that the situation in the near future would be very, very bad...
Somehow it's always been bad, he shook his head in resignation preparing himself mentally for whatever events that would transpire.
***
Rhaedric and Adrian Drakovar were escorted towards Aeloria, where they would be staying.
Hopefully far longer than the last, Adrian has not been able to cope from the last... Mission.
The elves that picked them up were flying swiftly, their town was high up in the trees. They couldn't see it since it's position was just above the first layer of thick branches.
It was a genius plan, no one would be able to find their home. However it had it's drawbacks, that being low visibility and the risks of living so high up.
There are monsters that could smell their souls after all, some having sharp hearing and sight that could pierce through the leaves and branches.
Fortunately they had patrols, unfortunately their patrols were not that strong. Just the recent battle cost several lives of their soldiers.
The risks...
Strong winds could blow them off, and it seemed not all of the town elves had gliders like the patrols and warriors.
There was also the weather, what if a tornado were to appear? What if heavy rainfall occured? Surely even their incredible engineering would give in, right?
Speaking of engineering, there was little to no materials, all of it was all wood and leaves. Vines and what not, maybe this tribe was not called a kingdom was because of that alone.
Adrian scanned everything and everyone in his surroundings, mentally noting every single bit of detail.
'I think I'm gonna be sick.'
Being so high up was sickening, the air was only slightly different up here yet everyone seemed fine. Even his older brother.
Rhaedric meanwhile...
Was flirting with one of the female patrollers subtly, while also befriending the others.
His bright exterior hid no flaws, and they were both recognized as harmless...
For now.
'If only they know.'
Indeed.
If only they did know.
But they didn't.
They won't know what'll happen.
***
Some time later, the brothers were brought to a small but very pristine and well kept hut.
It was only after they passed the main streets... Platforms... Bridges? That they arrived to rest, thanks to the influence of Adrian's brother, their meeting with the supposed village elders and possibly even their royalties to be paused.
Rhaedric Drakovar was in a different hut, one more clean and slightly bigger than his. It was just right next to him, but Adrian welcomed the separation.
The rain has gotten weak, only small raindrops came down from the canopy of branches and leaves.
Adrian looked around a bit, then left his hut, peaking his head out of the roof so the rain could wet his hair again.
He used a towel to wash himself, he has gotten pretty dirty, his body was a mess with scrapes and bruises.
Adrian wasn't an awakened after all, only his brother was.
His body wasn't strengthened and refined, his soul hasn't taken shape and molded itself anew.
He didn't even have a chosen weapon yet, nor does he have an element or a path.
Rhaedric Drakovar had Awakened all of these aspects, the only reason he was still here was either:
The Trial's challenge still wasn't resolved...
Or because it was his lowly brother who still hasn't awakened even one aspect of himself that they still haven't left.
It's already been years for them here, they were already sixteen.
They should have left ages ago, but it was Adrian dragging them down...
If it weren't for you none of them would have died!
The last words of one of his deceased comrades echoed in Adrian's ear, making him feel depressed and somber.
All twelve students who challenge the Trial of the North was dead.
"..."
Adrian sat at the edge of the platform where his hut was located...
If he jumped off now...
Would he be doing a good deed and freeing everyone of his burden?
Adrian wished he could...
'I... I'm sorry.'
But he couldn't just let it end yet.
He made a promise after all, and it's the least he could do to fulfill a promise.
Adrian snapped out of his somber mood and stopped staring into space, he continued wiping and cleaning himself, tending to the scrapes and bruises and using the herbal medecines he found and made.
Then he felt something strange and his eyes wandered, landing at a run down hut at a different tree across him.
He felt an odd aura within it.
Was it just his imagination?
"A familiar feeling."
He mumbled to himself, staring towards the run down hut, wondering what it could be that gave him such a feeling.
Suddenly, a hoarse manly voice snapped him back to reality again.
"Hey you!"
"!!!"
Adrian jolted and almost fell off the edge of the platform. He calmed himself down and then looked at the elven patroller.
The elven man gave him a long look, scanning him up and down and had a look that was all too familiar to Adrian.
The look of someone comparing him to Rhaedric.
After a short moment of silence the elven man spoke:
"You will be meeting with our elders tomorrow, prepare yourself."
The man left shortly after finishing his words, not letting him ask a question.
To think it'll be tomorrow, atleast it leaves time for me to mentally prepare myself...