Fantasy Depths of the land

[Alba Teno]

Alba slipped on his gauntlets as he looked in the mirror and sighed. He has looked for to this for years but leaving his home was a step that he wondered if he was truly ready for. Turning to look at the broadsword and kite shield he had bought and after putting them on he felt ready to leave this town and take his first step to becoming a hero that could make his family proud.

"This is it… I won't come back without becoming a hero like you two were." Alba said to an old photo of a man and woman before looking at the blade that hung above the picture and taking it. "I love you…"

Slipping the sword next to his broadsword, Alba put on his black cloak and took his bag before locking the door and making his way north out of Extua City. Ignoring any merchants and dodging any guards, Alba made it to the gate and took a few steps out of the city before he turned and whispered a goodbye the grand castle that loomed overhead…

Alba's nervousness from leaving Extua City slowly began to disappear as he entered the nearby woods and memories of a child wielding a stick as his mighty sword and beating legions of imaginary foes returned. He smiled fondly and rubbed a hand over a tree that had deep cuts and groves. He pulled out his sword and left a symbol etched into the tree before walking off deeper into the woods. Night came quickly so Alba set up a basic campfire and laid on his back, staring at the many stars in the sky.

"So many places to go and see but after you've seen it all where do you go next?" Alba yawned and left his mind with that question as he drifted off the sleep. Alba woke with a scream several hours later, sweaty and holding his chest to calm his racing heart. "I'm still not passed this…" A nearby howl caused him to turn and his eyes widen as many eyes could be seen staring at him.

Wolves. Alba slowly grabbed his things as he kept the stare of the deadly animals but the moment he touched his blades, they all rushed him. Alba slammed them in the face with his shield and started to run as fast as he could. Snarls could be heard right behind him and bites were barely missing. It was dark so when one finally sunk its fangs into his ankle he yelled out and beat it off with his sword before wobbling forward and falling into a deep hole underground. Alba landed hard on his back and groaned in pain. The wolf that had bitten him looked down the hole with blood on its fangs.

"When I get out of here I'm going to kill you!" The wolf left and Alba began to use his limiting magic to heal his leg. "That's better but where Extua am I?" He had fallen into a wide room that had three ways to continue into the dark depths. Pulling out his two blades, Alba walked into the middle path and hoped he could find his way back to the surface…

 

[Czeshire]

'It must be here..' Calcifer thought to himself as he stepped through the stone corridor in the hidden cavern. His arm was raised, a crackling purple flame dancing in his hand as he used it to illuminate his path. The young sorcerer had traveled far from his home in Valious in search of a magical artifact that was rumored to be hidden somewhere in these catacombs. However the male was left with slight concern. He was close to Extua city, where many of its residents looked at someone like Calcifer with disdain. He was a Drakken, a race known for their dark practices and violent tendencies. The male himself stood out from that stereotype, though many would not take the time to let him explain such. It was better to just avoid others..

For the most part his surroundings left a strange stillness in the air, aside from the occasional sound of flapping wings from the bats that had made these catacombs their home. But as he went on, Calcifer soon caught the sound of echoing footsteps from the distance behind him. The sound had caused the male to stop his advance, his amethyst hues peering off to the side before he slowly turned around. Calcifer's eyes glimmered briefly as he looked down the corridor. Before they could see a physical form, they could detect a glowing aura. It was a type of sensory magic, allowing the Drakken to see the mana flow through the form of another. He knew for sure now that he wasn't alone in this cavern.

This did not frighten the male, rather it piqued his curiosity. His eyes did not look upon an overly powerful source of mana.. but it felt a bit different from the others he had seen. Soon enough though, the figure was slowly revealed in the distance. It was a human, carrying blades in either hand. Could he be searching for the artifact as well? What would a human do with such an object anyway? Perhaps he was simply an adventurer, going out into the world to explore its vast mysteries. With any luck, the stranger was not hostile. It would be an inconvenience if Calcifer had to engage in combat, collapsing these catacombs would make it rather difficult to proceed through and find the artifact.

As the human stepped close enough to see Calcifer, the sorcerer lowered his hand and let his violet flame hover beside him to keep the hallway illuminated. "Greetings." The Drakken's smooth tone spoke out calmly to the human male. Despite his race being a naturally aggressive kind, Calcifer made it a point to not engage in battle unless forced or provoked. Though he did not sense hostility in the male. In fact..his aura felt rather warm. Kind..

 

[Alba Teno]

Alba groaned and complained to himself as he explored the caves and found nothing that could help him. His eyes had gotten used to the darkness and he would be more interested in exploring and looking for treasure if he wasn't lost.

"Please, I just need some help." The moment the last word left his mouth, his crystal necklace glow with a purple light that led him through the caves and slowly died off. Alba was about to shout when he saw a person nearby with a violet flame in their hand and wearing a hood. Throwing caution to the wind, he rushed to the stranger and happily answered the greeting he was given.

"Hiya! I'm Alba Teno. Are you lost down here too?" The male looked strange and had an aura of pure power surrounding him. Alba shrugged off the appearance as he didn't care and the power thing could only help in this situation.

 

[Czeshire]

As the male came into view, he actually seemed rather excited to see Calcifer standing there. Slipping his hood off, he granted the human a better view of his features. All the while the Drakken was examining the cheerful male. Most humans Calcifer had met were rather put off from his appearance, given his tinted skin and pointed ears. His kind were naturally on the shorter side, so he stood a bit smaller in front of the male.

Calcifer listened as the human exclaimed his name, followed by the question. He guessed that the human known as Alba wasn't down here to find the magic artifact after all. It seemed he was simply lost. This discovery caused a light smirk to creep over the Drakken's face. Humans were such curious beings. But this one in particular.. he seems different from the other humans Calcifer was used to. It wasn't in a negative way, either. Despite the blades Alba wielded, the male gave off an inviting energy. It was something the Drakken hadn't felt from someone else before.

"No, human. I traveled quite a distance in search of these catacombs. There is something here that I wish to obtain. Though you've piqued my curiosity. If you are in fact lost, how did you end up here?" Calcifer held his hands resting behind his back as he spoke, looking up at Alba's blue hues with his own amethyst eyes that glimmered in the dancing flame that hovered beside the two.

 

[Alba Teno]

"Human? Whatever, I was just starting off on my own when a bunch of wolves attacked me and chased me into a hold in the world. I been lost and wandering around all this time. Can you help me?"

Alba awed at the stranger's features and smiled kindly, closing my eyes and doesn't notice when my necklace glows for a moment. "So you came here for something right? I'll help you out for now. It could be an adventure!"

 

[Czeshire]

The expression on Alba's face had suggested that the male had now seen a Drakken before. It wouldn't be a surprise, Calcifer's kind was not prone to simply wandering about the lands. However the male didn't seem taken aback from his appearance. If anything, he showed a pleasant curiosity.. He even went as to asking Calcifer for assistance out of the catacombs they traversed through. Alba definitely seemed to be the adventurous type.

A hand rested on Calcifer's hip as the male had offered to help find the artifact the Drakken had come here to find. It was rather odd.. But the male didn't seem as interested in finding the treasure for himself rather than to help the young sorcerer. Perhaps a little assistance wouldn't be a bad thing. It's rumored that some hostile beasts lurked in these corridors, having a companion to watch his back could be beneficial..


"I suppose you could accompany me on my search. Then we can get out of this place." Calcifer moved to turn and proceed down the corridor, when his eyes caught a shimmer on Alba's chest. That necklace.. where has he seen that before. With a twang of curiosity, the Drakken reached out and touched over Alba's chest, cupping the jewel around the male's neck in his open palm to observe the artifact. His head went off to the side slightly, before his gaze met the male's once more. "Where did you get this..?"

 

[Alba Teno]

For the first time, Alba hesitated to answer and pulled away from the touch. He regretted it instantly as he didn't want the stranger to think that he had done something wrong. "Sorry about that but I'm protective of my necklace. It's an heirloom from my great grandfather who was said to have been a legendary hero. It was a gift from some ancient sorceress he saved."

Alba waved the story away as that one was a rather boring one to him and he didn't care much for the magic abilities of the necklace but for what it means for his family. "It was said to hold the ability of absolute energy manipulation or something like that. Magic from the body or from the planet."

 

[Czeshire]

Calcifer's eyes widened a bit as the male male pulled back from Calcifer's touch. Honestly he wasn't surprised. It was rather forward for the Drakken to simply take hold of something that did not belong to him. Though strange enough, there was something Calcifer had felt when he was touching the pendant. Something old..something with a dormant power..something he's felt before. He was actually surprised when Alba proceeded to apologize. Though what caught the Drakken's attention was the brief explanation of the story behind the artifact. It was a story he had heard in his youth.. No, it couldn't be the same..

Calcifer shook the thought from his head. Now wasn't the time or place to delve in with more questions.Time was slightly of the essence, as the Drakken's sensitive hearing caught a low rumble in the distance behind them His eyes narrowing to peer back into the dark corridor, he shook his head before cocking his head and beckoning Alba to accompany the male. Though he would be sure to ask the male at a later time about that pendant.. "We should get moving. Staying here might attract unwanted attention.."

 

[Alba Teno]

"Really? You think there are monsters here?" Alba tried the hide the bit of excitement in his voice as he had hoped that he could add new pages in his monster Encylopedia but a part of him was still wary after the wolf attack. As they traveled, Alba examined the stranger more and was happy to see the differences he had from humans. Alba believed that they needed all races of the world to work together and he might as well gain friends in the meantime.

"So this thing we're looking for is important to you?"