"It's only been a little more than a day….I miss the constant chatter," Luna sighed as she rested her head on Drake's shoulder, her arms wrapped around his as they continued walking through a clearing that acted as a path through the Thresh Old Forest.
"Me too. I hope that cheeky bugger isn't causing too much trouble," he said almost as if he was rushing to finish his sentence.
Drake stopped as his hand reached for the longsword behind his back. "This is far enough, no?" he smiled and turned towards his beloved, whose fingertips now had a jolt of lightening dancing.
"Should be." She disappeared the same instant, and screams and traces of terror now ensued all around them. Crushing noises akin to stepping on bushes were heard, branches were cracking, and sparks were flying all around Drake.
"I love my wife," he grinned as if he could imagine the pain the assassins felt. "Ouu my turn," he pushed his sword into the ground and punched his hands together, "come, I see you," Drake called out to the figure hidden in the trees' shadows.
"Your partner….she's strong," a voice replied, "she's capable of taking on a large number of my subordinates alone…truly impressive,"
"Depends on who you are, really. If you're a bandit, then she's playing with your lackeys. If not, well, the sparks are still flying around heh," he pulled out the sword and got into stance, the man talking to him finally emerged out of the shadows. Had this been a different period of time, Drake could have made sense of the situation. The man wasn't human, he didn't look it, at least. He resembled a Giant more than a human. Large muscles, nearly 8 feet, scars and wounds all over his body, disfigured teeth and a long gnash running across one eye.
"Do all you guys have the same scar ahah.." He gulped as he took a single step back. If this guy was truly a giant, things would be a little more complicated, however, that couldn't be so easily possible. There had to be some sort of explanation for what was happening.
Drake's feet gathered more strength as his grip around the hilt grew stronger. At that exact second, his vision exploded with blue sparks, and the next second, Luna sat atop the giant's head with a dagger stabbed into his temple. "What were you waiting for?" she jumped off and dusted her sleeves.
"To talk to him obviously? We don't know anything about them." Drake's grip loosened; his wife was truly strong. However, what made her scarier was her straightforwardness and confidence. In a way, her line of thinking made sense. Someone tried to kill them, so she just returned the favor immediately. Drake, on the other hand, was slightly more cautious. There was no doubt he was as strong as Luna, however, he worked very closely with actual soldiers, making him calculate his choices far more.
"The appearance of a Giant….I suppose I should've slowed down a little…" she sighed. This was the biggest advantage lightning users had over other elemental specialists. In the first place, Luna was slightly unique; she had an affinity with multiple elements, albeit a stronger one with lightning.
However, in actuality, when it was revealed that the mother of the Long lost King, Dio Aethereus, was also a lightning mage, Luna was excited and stubborn about choosing it. One could call the couple very devoted fans of the Lost King.
Just then, a crunching sound accompanied by a guttural screech brought both of them to their knees. Drake covered Luna and jumped in front of her. A black bubbling substance oozed out of the giant's pores, dissolving the body and leaving no trace behind.
"What…..the.." Luna squinted her eyes. A ringing sound paired with an acute pain in the head, sensory disorientation rendering her unable to process the whole thing clearly, "need...get back.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Presumed first contact has been successfully made through operation AMP. No signs of mental struggle, no signs of weakness. Death process accompanied by roars and oozing. Not enough evidence to establish cause and effect. Additional reports suggest that the targets of the attack were reportedly stunned due to the roar. Cannot confirm cause and effect,"
"Any traces?"
"Confirming…..none. All traces, including mana residue, have been cleaned."
"Any survivors?"
"Other than the reporter….none from our side,"
"Alright then,"
The room was eerie, a single glimmer of blueish light accompanied by a deep humming noise, it was constant and a part of the entire setting. The curve of the hood, illuminated by the only ray of light in the room, was the only thing that pointed towards the individual's wearing a robe. Their faces were masked by the darkness, almost as if it served them.
"Sire….why them? The experiment was valuable but failed against those two,"
"Hmmm….let's just say I admire adventurers a lot." his body moved forward and was now positioned exactly over the light, which emitted from a singular crystal embedded in a glass cage. Within which lay a figure that seemed to be in a deep slumber. Its features were remarkably similar to the Giant that Luna and Drake had fought.
"This world no longer has a ruler, Trimp…" the individual narrowed their eyes onto the creature, "nobody to step up. Nobody brave enough to break the balance and grab the reins. Fear Trimp…it courses deep within every one of us…"
"There will be a day... the magic that the arrogant Mages command will poison their own bodies. The very essence crucial for their survival will turn against them. The mana that seeps deep into a knight's body to enhance his capabilities will soon be the reason for his downfall. When their weapons and sustenance turn on them, and their rulers are too preoccupied fighting each other, that is when we strike. That is when they will realize their misdeeds. Until that moment, we observe, we plot, and we test. All of this, for the greater good. All of this... for our Emperor."