[BACK AT THE SANCTUARY]
"Enhance!" Oreon yelled as his brown eyes gradually shifted to gold.
Aura circled him, her hand to her chin, studying him with a contemplative look as his golden eyes scanned her as well, waiting for her to speak.
"Hmmm…" A low hum escaped her throat as she looked him up and down. "Yeah, she clearly taught you only how to scratch the surface of your power," Aura spoke. "Leona really didn't want you finding out about the dragon blood in your body, even less on trying to stop your father and the Order from redecorating the world." She finished as she let out a thoughtful sigh. "That's just like your mother, careful to a fault." She returns her gaze to Oreon. "She meant what she said; she didn't want her kids involved, but unfortunately, life is cruel that way."
"It amazed me when he used it in the battle against Vexes." Mira stood beside Aura, also surveying him. "It's just like his mother's ability, but now that I get a closer look at it. It's definitely incomplete, a far cry from your mother's true form."
Aura responded with a gentle nod. "You're right about that," Aura remarked, as Sylvanie and Celestia, Usha, Gerhard, and Lena, who was with Mira, surrounded Oreon, observing his draconic transformation.
"How do you feel, little dragon?" Aura asked him curiously. "Any strain?" With a gentle tone, she crossed her arms and gazed down at him with her emerald green eyes.
With a subtle clenching of his jaw, Oreon watched the crimson aura re-form on his hand, flexing his fingers in the process. "It's like... it's like... crushing me, like a boulder I'm trying to lift," Oreon replied, the red light around him flaring brightly and then fading away. With his eyes reverting back to their usual brown, Oreon found himself breathing with more effort.
"It's as I thought,"Aura's words drifted off as she concluded. "It's not surprising, but besides your surprising feats of fighting Vexes, and forcibly keeping that gateway open for us to escape through. You can only maintain that form for a very short period of time."Aura ended as she cocked her head to the side for a bit, hand still on her chin. "If at all, if you're lucky."
"Aye," Mira moved her head in agreement. "During his fight, he was only able to have the advantage for a few moments, afterwards; that power faded, forcing him to rely only on his human abilities."
Oreon wiped his brow, trying to catch his breath after the quick change.
"So, what you're saying is he's essentially useless in a prolonged fight." Sylvanie's crimson eyes fixed on Oreon, narrowing slightly. "Leave it to our rescuer to be useless once again." She crossed her arms, rolling her eyes.
"Hey!" Oreon yelled in a funny way, his oversized head suddenly visible behind Syvlanie, who paid him no mind.
Celestia mirrored Aura's gesture by placing her hand on her chin while contemplating the situation. "If I'm understanding correctly, the first time you've actually used this ability was in our fight against Vexes, then you used it a second time when you kept the gateway open."
"And you damn near ripped your body apart doing that," Sylvanie added, turning her head towards Oreon," Tch, still proving how much of idiot you are." She pressed on, a slight smirk on crossing her lips.
"Enough with the insults, you crazy elf!" Oreon yelled again, with a comedic tone before he settled down back to his normal tone."What other choice did I have?" Oreon replied. "I didn't even know if it would even work a second time." He looked down at his hands, trying to think back to the day prior when he used his own two hands to keep the gate open so that he and the others could escape. "At the time, I just felt like it was all or nothing, so I went for it."
"Hmm, Sporadic burst, maybe? No...." Celestia thought for another moment. "Since this ability is new to you, it's natural that it would be unstable. Which would make sense why you would only be able to maintain that form for only a short period of time."
"Correct." Aura stepped closer to Oreon, leaning in slightly as if to get a better look at him. "The dragon blood is there, but it's like trying to force a river through a drinking straw. Your human body can't properly channel that kind of power yet."
Oreon looked down at his hands again."I was just going off what my mother taught me. I didn't know there were different levels to it," Oreon responded to the comments, before looking up at Aura. "Am I really that far behind Mom?"
"Far behind?"Aura scoffed, a small laugh escaping her lips, "Little dragon, you're not even close to being in the same league yet." She straigthened up, placing her hands on her hips. "Your mother could maintain her enhanced state for hours, shift mid-combat without breaking stride, and channel enough power to level mountains if she wanted to." Aura kept her eyes on him. "I'll be honest, the form you have isn't even the complete one. Barely stage one."
Mira stepped forward, her expression more gentle than Aura's blunt assesesment. "But remember, Leona didn't want him to develop these abilities. She deliberately kept his teachings miminal." Her gaze softened as she looked at Oreon. "What you've managed to accomplished in the last few days is nothing short of remarkable.
Celestia nodded thoughtfully. "The foundation is there. It just needs proper cultivation."
"Exactly!" Aura exclaimed happily. "Which is why we're going to take your training to the next level. Whatever your mother taught you, I'm going to multiply ten fold! Prepare yourself little dragon! For your training will be nothing short of tortorous under the Elven ways! Mwhahahaha!"A humorous dictator-like aura emanated from her as she raised her fist, causing everyone to nervously sweat until Lena intervened.
"So, question." She began, questionably tilting her head. "Do you have to say 'Enhance' to use it? Is that how you turn it on or something?" She asks.
Aura's excited look wavered when she looked at Lena, then Oreon, pausing before scratching the back of her head. "Ah, right. The verbal trigger. Incantation and all that." She thought to herself. "Great, I forgot to address that part.' That's actually a good question little keeper."
Blinking, Oreon's eyes moved between them. "I...yeah, I guess I do. That's what Mom taught me to say when I wanted to activate it. I never tried doing it without saying anything. Is that wrong?" He looked up at Aura.
Not wrong, just..." Aura gestured vaguel with her hand, "Its like...It's like..It's like your having your hand held while you try something." She tried her best to explain it in a way that Oreon could understand.
"Having my hand held?" Oreon repeated with confusion written on his face. "What kind of explanation is that?"
"Its a focusing technique. A verbal trigger to help concentrate your mind and channel the power without losing control." Mira gave Oreon a knowing look. "Most likely, a safety measure to limit how much power you actually draw out."
"That's right, your accessing your power, but by the looks of it. You're probably barely scraping 5 percent of it."
Aura's explanation was met with an examining look from Sylvanie, whose eyes turned toward Oreon with curiosity.
"So, he doesn't actually need to say it." She asked.
"Eventually, no. True mastery means the transformation becomes as natural as breathing. As I said before, little dragon. Your mother could shift between her human form and her dragon-enhanced state mid battle without missing a beat." Aura continued to explain. "Just like our two princesses over here can summon magic without an incantation."
Celestia raised her hand, a soft golden light emanating from her palm without a single word, while Sylvanie allowed dark energy to coil around her fingers, moving like living tendrils.
"Magic becomes second nature once you understand the flow of energy through your body." Celestia claimed.
"Though I'll admit, when I was younger, I had to chant stupid little phrases to cast even the simplest spells or when I wanted to break something." Sylvanie added in as she smirked. "Now look at me."
Oreon stared at both sisters, then down at his own hands, flexing his fingers experimentally. "So you're saying I've been..Limiting myself this whole time? like I'm fighting handicapped?"
"Yep," Aura smiled down at him. "Your mother basically put magical restraints on a dragon. Imagine trying to ride a warhorse while someones hold the reins." She crossed her arms, grinning. "However, make no mistake about it. Incantations aren't all about limiting, in fact...Some are there to remove the limits of your abilities." She proceeded with her explanation. "Different races, use different trigger words, for dragonborns it's enhance, which is why your mother taught you that word specifically. Werebeasts, use them to. But they go by 'Unleash."
Oreon's brow furrowed as he process this information. "So the word itself has meaning? it's not just...random?
"No, not all." Approval shone in Aura's eyes. "Each trigger word is tied to the specific nature of the power. 'Enhance' speaks amplification, improvement, making what's already there stronger." She gestured towards him. "Its telling your dragon blood to wake up and strengthen your human form,"
Mira nodded thoughfully. "Whereas, when a Werebeasts uses the trigger word. "Unleash' it implies breaking free from restraints entirely. Different philosophy, different approach to power.
Oreon absorbed the explanation, his eyes darting between Aura and Mira. "So the word is like...A key? Specific to what kind of power I'm trying to access?"
"Catching on quick, little dragon." Aura clapped her hands together. "But here's the thing--eventually, you won't need the key at all. The door will just...open when you want it to."
"So when I say 'Enhance," I'm basically asking my dragon blood to...wake up slowly and give me power? It feels like I'm being polite about it. Which is weird."
Aura barked out a laugh, slapping her knee. "Ha! that's actually not as bad way to put it, little dragon. Your mother taught you to knock politely instead of kicking down the door."
Sylvanie's red eyes sparkled mischievously as she leaned in. "Soooo, What happens if he just...doesn't say anything? What if he tries to force it without the safety word?"
"Dangerous consequences," Mira warned sharply, "Without proper control, he could burn himself out completely. Or worse--the power could consume him entirely and he could become something far worse than what was naturally intended for him."
Usha, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "I've seen warriors attempt to bypass their limitations too quickly, or through forcible means. Most don't surive the experience. "Her serious but composed face stared ahead, her yellow eyes fixed. "The body needs time to adapt. Forcing power like that will do nothing but kill him in the end."
Gerhard nodded grimly beside her. "I'd have to agree with that. Seen the Order pump plenty of magical energy in the soldiers and push them beyond the brink, nothing left of them but Ashes and a memory."
"Definitely don't feel like becoming a pile of ash." Oreon responded, slightly alarmed by the words of both Usha and Gerhard, but then his brown eyes lit up as a thought came to him. "Wait a minute, hey Aura; does that mean elves have a trigger word to. Like do you guys enhance yourselves or transform or something?" He questioned.
Aura tilted her head, considering the question. "Elves? Not exactly." She glanced toward Celestia and Sylvanie. "We don't transform like you do, little dragon. Our magic is more...integrated into who we are from birth."
Celestia nodded thoughtfully. "For us, magic flows naturally through our bodies. We don't need to 'enhance' ourselves because we're already channeling it constantly at a baseline level."
"Think of it like breathing," Sylvanie added, dark energy still coiling lazily around her fingers. "You don't have to think about each breath, right? That's how magic works for us. Sure we need those cute phrases when we first start out, but after that...We just simply do it."
Aura snapped her fingers. "But! That doesn't mean we can't push beyond our limits. When we really need to unleash everything..." She paused dramatically. "Well, let's just say it's not pretty. And it definitely doesn't require polite words."
Mira moved in, looking thoughtful as she also attempted to clarify."The difference is that elven magic is tied to emotion, will and understanding of the world around them, not physical transformation, they're different. Magic, after a bit of getting use to gets easier for them."
"The point in all this is, different races, different relationships with power. Dragons have raw, overwhelming force that needs to be channeled properly. Elves have natural harmony with magical currents. Werebeasts, theirs are one with nature so thats different line of abilities there and humans..." Aura glanced at Mira and the others. "Well, humans are fascinating because they can learn to use almost anything, but they have to work twice as hard for it. Take Mira as an example, I mean, she is the Eastern Keeper of the grove after all."
A gentle sigh escaped Mira. "Is that your attempt to flatter an old woman?" Mira smiled slightly. "Me, being a keeper is different. The grove's power isn't eactly mine to begin with. I'm more of a conduit."
"Still counts!" Aura waved dismissively. "You channel elven magic through that ancient bow of yours better than some elves I know. Even at your old age you're still a force to be reckoned with." Aura commended.
Oreon blinked for a moment, looking up at Aura and then gaze towards Mira. "Wait, what exactly is a keeper anyway?" Oreon asked highly confused. "Vexes called you, 'Keeper' "Oreon mimicked his voice. "And so did Aura. What exactly is a Keeper anyway?"
Oreon's question hung in the air, met with a stunned silence and wide-eyed blinks. Almost as if they couldn't believe what they just heard. The stunned silence stretched on for several heartbeats, with everyone exchanging glances as if they'd just witnessed someone ask what the sun was.
"You...You don't know what a Keeper is?" Aura asked blinking rapidly. Her voice pitched higher in disbelief.
"By the grove..." Mira said, her hand softly pressed against her forehead, and she seemed honestly surprised. "Leona really did shelter you from everything, didn't she?" Mira out an exasperated sigh.
Sylvanie's crimson eyes shot up. "How do you not--" she gestured wildly at Mira. "She's literally one of the most important people on this continent! Are you useless and stupid!" She shouted at him, her head growing comically big this time.
"Well excuse me if nobody bothered to tell me, considering I just found out two days ago!" Oreon shouted back at her. "And I told you to knock it off with the insults!" Oreon matched her tone as they both grew big headed and began to yell at each other.
"Then you stop surprsing me with how much of an idiot you are!" Sylvanie shot back, pushing her forehead against his.
"Who are you calling an idiot you half crazed night demon!" Oreon pressed his forehead back against hers.
Celestia smoothly inserted herself between her sister and Oreon as she gently used her hands to pry them apart. "Can we please...Not shout at each other." She stated as she turned to Oreon with a quizzical, but pitied gaze. "Oreon, I'm sure your mother had her reasons for keeping you unaware of...Well, most of the world it seems."Celestia responded, shaking her head as well.
Gerhard let out a low whistle while Usha simple shook her head in amazement, while Lena just pretended to look the other way.
A faint smile touched Mira's worn face as she glanced at Oreon, followed by a gentle chuckle. "Well, I can't say that I blame you for not knowing." She cleared her throat. "Leona," She paused. "Did want to keep the curtain in front of who we really were. Even after she passed, I was trying my best to keep it a secret, but it's out now. So," She took a deep breathe. "Keepers are guardians of the ancient groves--sacred vital points that acts as a barrier between our world, and the Void. We're chosen to protect these sites and maintain the barrier, so that the corruption doesn't flow into our land."
"There are five groves in total," Aura cut in, counting on her fingers. "Each one corresponds to a different cardinal direction, plus the central grove. "North, South, East, West and then, the center." She explained, counting each one off with her fingers. "Mira, here; has been guarding the Eastern grove for most of her life."
"Aye, 60 years and it doesn't get any easier on the body." Mira added.
"60 YEARS!" Oreon was taken aback by Mira's words, and his reply prompted a soft chuckle from her.
"Aye, 60 years, since the day that I've taken my Oath as to be the Keeper of the Eastern grove to help keep the barrier up against the void." Mira answered.
Oreon's jaw dropped completely, his eyes wide as he stared at Mira. "Sixty years…But you look like…I mean, you don't look…" He gestured helplessly at her, struggling to find the words that wouldn't sound rude.
"Like an ancient crone?" Mira finished with an amused smile, her wrinkled hands smoothing down her cloak a bit. "The grove's magic has a way of preserving those who serve it. Extending my life far beyond that of a regular human. Though, I assure you, I feel every one of those sixty years in my bones."
Aura nodded seriously. "Being a Keeper isn't just a job or a fancy title. It's a binding—body, soul, and magic tied to the grove itself. The responsibility ages you in ways that go beyond physical years. Like how we Elves age. Would you believe that Mira here is over 200 years old now, young for Elves, but for humans…Well I'm pretty sure you get it."
Oreon's face went completely pale, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. His brown eyes darted between Mira and Aura, as if trying to process information that simply wouldn't compute in his brain.
"Two…Two hundred…" He stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a step back, nearly stumbling over his own feet. "You're telling me that Mira is over two hundred years old? But she doesn't look like she's a day older than fifty…"
Sylvanie crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched Oreon's existential crisis unfold." Yep," She responded, clearly taking advantage of the situation. "What's next? Are you going to tell us you thought elves lived normal human lifespans too?"
Oreon whirled with a false angry face. "Can it! I already knew Elves aged differently from humans!" Oreon playfully yelled at Sylvanie.
Sylvanie's smirk widened as she tilted her head mockingly.
"Oh really? Then how long do elves live, oh wise little dragon?" She tapped her finger against her chin in exaggerated thought. "Since you're so knowledgeable about our lifespan."
"Don't call me that! And I didn't say I was knowledgeable about it, but if you must know." Oreon's confident expression faltered slightly, his mouth opening and closing as he clearly hadn't expected to be put on the spot.
"Well…uh…Longer than humans, obviously!" He crossed his arms defensively. "Like…A lot longer.."
Celestia covered her mouth, trying to hide a small smile at the exchange, while Aura burst into a delighted laugh.
"A lot longer!" She repeated between chuckles. "Oh, little dragon, if you're mother could see you now."
Mira shook her head with a bit of amusement, her weathered hands clasping behind her back. "Elves typically live around a thousand years. Some longer, depending on their magical affinity and bloodline." She spoke in a gentle and informative manner. "These two are still considered quite young by elven standards."
Oreon's face went through several shades of red before settling on a deep crimson color. "A…a thousand years?" He looked between the two sisters with newfound awe and embarrassment before a sly smirk ran across his face as he looked at Sylvanie.
"Wait, so does that mean you're old!" Oreon chuckled, watching Sylvanie's smug expression instantly morph into indignant rage. Her red eyes flashed dangerously as she took a threatening step toward Oreon.
"OLD?!" She shrieked, her voice reaching a pitch that made several birds scatter from nearby trees. "I am twenty-six years old in human years, you absolute moron! That's practically a baby by elven standards!" She tried to reach out for him, but Celestia quickly stepped between them again, holding her sister back, but she couldn't suppress the amused smile tugging at her lips. "Sister, please don't attack him. He's still learning…Somewhat?"
"Learning!" Sylvanie quickly glanced over at Celestia. "Sister, he called us old! We can't let him get away with such disrespect." Her eyes turned over towards the laughing Oreon, who was rolling on the ground, cackling at her reaction.
Aura joined in the fun, doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Old! He called her old!"
Mira's face crinkled as her features gently relaxed with a laugh. "In all my two hundred years, I've never seen someone so effortlessly rile up a dark elf, let alone a princess." She shook her head. "Your mother would be proud and probably horrified that her son is capable of such manners."
Gerhard cleared his throat, attempting to restore some semblance of order. "Maybe we should focus on the matter at hand? How about we…"
"Don't you dare change the subject!" Sylvanie whirled on him, her violet hair whipping dramatically. "This little whelp insulted my youth!" She jabbed a finger toward the still-giggling Oreon. "I'll strangle is stupid dragon neck until all that energy seeps out of it!"
Celestia sighs as Usha steps forward.
"As entertaining as all this is, we still have pressing matters to attend to." She quickly turned to Aura who was still laughing on the ground. "Aura, if you are quite done. This isn't becoming of someone such as yourself, take this seriously." She sent a slight glare towards Aura, who stopped laughing and looked up at Usha.
"Ugh, fine." Aura finally stood back up. "You're such a buzz kill Usha, jeez."
Usha's yellow eyes remained stern as she crossed her arms, her stoic expression unwavering despite the chaos around her. "Someone needs to maintain focus when everyone else is acting like children."
Gerhard crossed his arms as well, smirking as his gaze fell on Usha. "And that's why we always leave the tough jobs to you."
"Quiet, you useless oaf." Usha responded.
Oreon finally managed to stop his laughter, wiping a few tears from his eyes as he sat up from the ground. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry Sylvanie. You're not old—you're practically a baby elf," His grin widened mischievously. "A very angry baby el—"
"TWACK!" Before he could finish his sentence, Celestia had delivered a hard smack in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground face first, leaving a huge knot where she hit him.
"Now, that's enough of that." She said in her gentle regal voice as she repositioned herself between the two as if she didn't do anything.
Oreon lay face-first in the dirt, a comically large bump protruding from the back of his head like a small melon. His muffled groans mixed with Sylvanie's triumphant laughter as she pointed at his prone form.
"HA! Serves you right, you little—"
"Sylvanie," Celestia's voice carried a warning note, though her sapphire eyes sparkled with barely contained amusement. "That's quite enough gloating."
Aura snorted, covering her mouth with her hand, trying to hold back from laughter herself; but eventually failed miserably.
"Hahaha, that was priceless, she knocked you—"
'TWACKED!" Usha mimicked Celestia's gesture but used the sheathe that covered her sword and bopped Aura on the head, causing her to hit the ground beside Oreon in the same manner.
Aura's face met the dirt with a satisfying thud, a matching bump swelling on her head as she groaned in unison with Oreon. The two lay side by side, their muffled complaints creating a symphony of defeat.
Usha stood over them both, her sword sheath still in hand, yellow eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"Perhaps now we can proceed without constant interruptions. "She glanced meaningfully at the others. "Unless anyone else feel the need to contribute to the comedy?"
Sylvanie wisely took a step back. Gerhard raised his hands in mock surrender, while Lena continued her practiced art of looking anywhere but the scene in front of her.
Mira cleared her throat as both Oreon and Aura raised themselves up from the ground.
"Geez, that hurt." He said rubbing the back of his head.
"I'd have to agree with you on that one. Usha may be human, but her strength is something else." Aura added as the situation returned to its normal state.
Mira cleared her throat once more, regaining everyone's attention as the dust literally settled around the two victims of disciplinary action.
"Now then," She began. "Where were we before this…educational demonstration?" Her eyes twinkled a bit, clearly amused at what she saw. "Ah yes, the Keepers."
Oreon rubbed his still-throbbing head, wincing as he looked up at her.
"Right…So there are five groves in total. And you've been guarding the Eastern grove for sixty-years."
"Correct." Mira nodded approvingly. "Each grove requires a Keeper to maintain the barriers. Without us, the corruption from the Void would seep through and poison the world around us." Her expression grew serious.
"What kind of corruption?" Oreon asked, finally removing his hand from his head.
"Blight Beast," Gerhard spoke, his calm cheerful tone growing serious as well. "Creatures from the void that the Order can't even control." He continued. "Twisted versions born from the void's influence, corrupting everything that it touches, regardless of the race." He lowered his eyes to the ground.
Usha glanced over at him before returning her gaze to the group. "The Keepers job is solely to maintain the barrier, but…Once the Northern Keeper vanished, the barrier weakened, Blight Beast began to seep through, appearing in random villages, corrupting everything in sight." She finished grimly.
"So, it's not just my father were worried about, but the void to…"Oreon replied, his tone now serious as well.
Mira nodded gravely, her face etched with concern. "The disappearance of the Northern Keeper created a domino effect. Without all five barriers working together in tandem, the entire network becomes unstable."
Aura rubbed her own bump thoughtfully one more time. "It's like a dam with a crack in it." She sighed as she placed her hands on her hips, turning her gaze back to Oreon. "While the Keepers maintained the barriers, it was me and both your mothers," She gestured towards Oreon and the elven sisters. "Along with others who was trying to push the Order back and stop them from purging, but then something happened…Out of nowhere, the Northern Keeper stopped responding, then Blight Beasts began to appear."
Lena looked slightly confused at the mention of Blight Beasts. "So…What do they actually look like?" she asked curiously, having not seen one herself.
Gerhard's expression darkened as he looked at Lena. "Imagine taking something pure—a dear, a wolf, an elf, even a person—and creating a twisted variant of it."
"Their flesh turns grey and putrid, constantly weeping his oily substance that kills anything that it touches," Usha added. "Their eyes nothing but a hollow void of what they used to be, and they emit this…sound. Not quite a roar, not quite a scream."
Mira shuddered visibly. "You will know what a Blight Beast when you see one, they are not something that fit in this world. Something nature itself did not create. They are not perfect copies. Deranged twisted defects created on purpose, as if the void is mocking us with its creations." She gritted her teeth a bit.
Lena couldn't help but a visibly shaken by the information that she was receiving as Oreon stepped forward again.
"So, my father, the Order, the Void and Blight Beast?" Oreon gathered. "So, let me get this straight. My father, who is part of the Order, is over the Eastern side of this continent, who is basically a self-righteous tyrant, who is following the Order's orders and trying to purify everything." He began slowly reaching in his pocket to pull out the dragon shard that he stole when he released the elves. "But for them to pull anything off and make it permanent, they need this. "On top of that, they wanted to use Celestia's and Sylvanie's magic for some purpose that we're not even sure about. And then we have a Void that creeping through a magical barrier that got weaker because one of the Keepers is missing and now Blight Beasts are also terrorizing cities? Is that pretty much the gist of it?"
Mira nodded slowly, her expression grim. "That's…Unfortunately accurate. This is the situation we find ourselves in." Her eyes fixed on the dragon shard glowing faintly in Oreon's palm. "Though, I suspect the connections run deeper than we realize."
Aura crossed her arms, a troubled look passing on her face. "The timing isn't coincidental. The Northern Keeper disappeared right around the time when the Order started purging villages. Blight beast began to show little by little not too long after." She placed her hand on her chin.
"You wouldn't be too far off the mark." Gerhard added, causing everyone to look at him for a moment. "I guess…You could say the Order may have something to do with it.
"Gerhard," Aura spoke.
"I know I'm a former knight of the Order, but don't look at me as if I know what their plans were." He added, slightly raising his hands up defensively. "I promise, if I knew what they were planning I would spill it." He lowered his gaze to the ground. "But I don't think that the Northern Keeper would have just vanished into thin air, not to mention the power that Order was able to gain thanks to the Keeper's disappearance."
"What do you mean?" Usha asked him, as the group continued to look at him.
"I've…I've…Being in the Order…" He stuttered a bit as he tried to find his composure. "I've seen things." He ended ominously as the group gaze fixated on him as his eyes returned it full of nothing but serious…Fear.