In the beginning, there was nothing. Only Blackness. It wasn't until light shined that the universe was created. Millions of years ago, there were four beings. They were the ones who shaped the land and the sea. They were the ones that gave light and life to the world. They named their world "Ageria".

It is unknown as to how or why these beings came into existence, we do know one thing however, they are the reason we are all here today. Centuries past and the four beings became lonely. A paradise with no one to share with but themselves. All they had were the creatures that roamed the fields and climbed the mountains. The creatures that dug beneath the dirt, and sored through the sky. Each of these four beings decided, that they would each create something new. Something like them.

The first being created was a mortal man. Selfish and reckless. They were the weakest and desired power above all else. They named their god "Asdros."

The second being created the people of the sea. Merfolk. Wise and quick, these creatures were a blend of other species with that of a fish. They could swim through the world's oceans. The Merfolk named their goddess "Atalanta."

The third being created the Elves. Quick, fast, and light on their feet, these creatures were immortal and could never age. The Elves named their goddess "Arja."

The final being created was the Dwarfs. Miners, and craftsman, these creatures dug through rock and created technological marvels the world had never seen. The Dwarfs named their god "Mordin."

Years passed, and the gods lived among their children, keeping order and preventing conflict between the races. After some time, each god has gifted an item from their creations. The gods took each gift and enchanted them with their own powers.

Asdros was gifted a wooden shield, and he cast upon it a spell that it would never shatter. It would protect any wearer from harm. Arja was gifted a golden ring from her Elves. Helped made by the Dwarfs of course. The goddess enchanted the ring to provide sunlight, even in the darkest of places. Atalanta has gifted a bracelet from her Merfolk. She enchanted it to allow the Merfolk to control the sea, the waves, and the wind. Moradin was gifted a hammer from his Dwarfs. He enchanted it to harness the power of the earth. It was able to create mountains and valleys in a single swing.

Time went on, and soon a mortal man, known only by the name Valhalla Wolf, found a desire to possess all the tools enchanted by the gods. He believed that he too could be one. Over many months, each tool disappeared without a trace. It didn't take long for the gods to find Valhalla.

They tracked him to Avonduff Island, a large piece of land off the coast of Ageria's shores. There, he had created a hellish landscape where no creature could live. Wielding the power of the god's items, Valhalla gave birth to monstrous creations and sent them far and wide across Ageria's mainland. The four gods soon arrived and demanded that Valhalla was to stop and return the tools to them.

When Valhalla declined, they had no choice but to take the tools back by force. The four gods battled with Valhalla and he was soon defeated. As he laid there on a ground of charcoal, the gods loomed over him, but could not find the strength to kill one of their creations. For although his crimes were great, they still cared for him. Instead of death, Valhalla was brought back to full health, before being banished to another realm. A realm where he would suffer for his crimes. Hell. The gods tried to undo the damage by Valhalla but it was too late, for they could not reverse it. Unable to break the tools that they had enchanted, the gods had one final plan.

They decided amongst themselves that their tools were too powerful for their children to wield. So the gods each created a temple to hide the tools in. They hid these temples away and made precautions to ensure that no child of theirs could enter them. The gods left Ageria, ascending to the heavens above to watch over their children.

They were said to only return in Ageria's most desperate hour, so the people waited. Thousands of years passed. History became a legend, and legend became a myth. For another four thousand years, the knowledge of the tools, now artifacts, passed out of all knowledge. Only a few alive knew of their existence. Until one spring day, when the temple of the Asdros was found. Once the rest of Ageria heard the word of the temple is found, they flooded to the city of Peccatum, the capital city of men. The king of Peccatum announced that he was offering an award to the brave soul who could venture into the temple, and return to him the relic of men. This message was sent out to all corners of Ageria.

The Kingdom of Peccatum was massive. It was praised as one of the biggest cities in Ageria. The entire city was circular, enclosed by a 30-foot wall of stone. The palace was in the center of the city, separated by a canal of water that surrounded the borders of the castle. Only a single bridge could be used to cross. The markets were flooded with people from all walks of life. Men ran their shops both in, and outdoors. On the outskirts of the city, a tall Elf of dark brown skin approached. The Elf's skin had a slightly greyish tint to it and had many scars across the arms and legs. The Elf's long pointed ears made it easy to tell the species. Her eyes were two different colors and were darting around her restlessly and taking in everyone and everything. One a bright silver and the other a dark, stormy grey. A permanent frown seemed etched into her face. She only seemed to wear the most basic of armor, with hardened leather greaves, and a leather shoulder piece on her left, as well as hardened leather bracers on each arm. Each bracer had a small piece that extended over the back of her hands. Her left arm had a dark sleeve that covered it, matching her leggings, but her right was bear. Long white hair hung untamed midway down her back. A traveling cloak of sorts hung down over her, seemingly unattached to the hood over her shoulders. Oddly this cloak seemed to be covered in black feathers. It was an odd choice of outfit for most, to be sure. A long sword hung in a sheathe from her hip, and the more skilled of the eye may catch a hint of other sheaths here and there, but it was hard to tell exactly how many blades she had with her. A quiver hung from the back of her belt, and an unstrung bow was strapped to its side.

The elf passed many people. Some would look at her funny and whisper to their nearby friends and family, pointing out the strange attire. Some just saw her though as another face in the crowd. Very little emotion was shown towards anyone she passed, keeping an impassive face as she makes her way down the street towards the palace. The elf soon approached a busy street. It was crowded as the nearby shops where all having sales to celebrate the finding of Asdros's temple. The elf looked around briefly at the stores, but seemed to have a single destination in mind and doesn't slow down. As she passed more shops, she noticed more things. Some sold shoes, food, some even sold magic items. While the elf made her way through the crowded street, a younger kid ran into her. The kid was wearing a cloak with a distinct pattern over her head and didn't stop to apologize. Another kid ran passed the elf and after the cloaked one. The elf froze for a moment before instinctively reaching for the coin pouch she kept on her belt. The pouch was missing. She makes a small noise of anger and ran after the kids. She heedlessly shoved her way through the crowd of people, quickly following any hint of where they had gone. She managed to catch up to the uncloaked child. He stood, looking in various directions for the child he chased. The elf grabbed the kid by his shoulder, looking very displeased.

"Where'd the other one go?" she hissed. The kid shrugged his shoulders and spoke in an annoyed tone.

"I don't know." The boy spoke to her in an annoyed and angry tone. She stared at him for a second before grunting and pushing the child aside, looking for any hint of the cloaked child. However, she was unlucky, as the cloaked child was out of sight.

She clenched her jaw, then sighed softly, and turned around. Releasing her grip on the child, she continued, rather upset. The elf soon arrived at the center of the kingdom and made her way to the castle's entrance. Workers were constructing an elevated platform, just before the drawbridge. The elf sighed. The king was said to announce the location of the temple the next day, not wanting the news to spread out to bandits and giving them a head start. The elf questioned the guards about the time the announcement was being made, and the explained that it would be closer to the afternoon. The elf nodded and soon left. Now knowing the time she had to return, she set out to find the pickpocketer. She avoided the main roads this time, searching through the adjoined streets for any scent or sign of the child. She had no luck, however. Peccatum was a massive kingdom, and it would take hours to find anyone in this place if they were lucky.

Night fell, and after hours of searching, the elf had no luck. She slipped down into a quiet alley and slightly padded down the cobblestones. A man soon walked past her, carrying a large sack over his shoulder. His rugged attire and condition would make it seem like he was one of the poorer members of the kingdom. The elf gave the man a brief nod as he passed, and the man nodded back, smiling at her. She watched the man and once he turned a corner into another back alleyway, she pursued him, staying to the shadows. The man kept walking, and the elf kept following him, making no sound, or hint of her presence clear. Soon, the man placed the sack on the ground and sat for a moment to rest. Silently the elf steps up to him. The alley they were in was closer to the outskirts of the kingdom, and near the wall, so not many people were around. Before the man could notice the elves presence, he was met with a quick jab to the neck. A knife of silver dug through his flesh, cutting through the vein and windpipe. A hand quickly covered the man's mouth to prevent any screaming, just in case. The man squirmed as the elf held him down, killing him slowly. She shushes him gently as she slowly removed the blade, allowing him to begin bleeding out, keeping her hand over his mouth to prevent any cry for help.

He soon bled out. It began to rain, washing the blood from the ground and spread it further. The elf hummed softly and crouched next to him, opening a bag she had carried with her. She looked at the man she had just murdered. His limp body against the side of a building, with blood, dripping from his mouth and neck. There was no life in his open eyes. The elf shrugged and leaned closer to the man's corpse. She reached into her bag and pulled out the jar, begging to hum thoughtfully as she tampered with the corpse.

As the rain fell harder, the elf continued her search for a child that had stolen from her. She left the body where it was, not bothering to hide or move it. Slipping out of the alley, she started walking down the street, looking at the remaining people outside as she walked. Luck soon favored the elf. With her eyes, she spotted it. In the third story window of one of many inns, she saw a cloak with the same pattern as of that of the thief's. While it was a long shot, the elf investigated anyway, for it was the only lead she had found. She walked through the inn doors and was greeted by the smell of alcohol, and meats. The inn was rather full tonight. Men sat around at tables with friends, talking. The elf stayed to the shadows, wanting to stay as out of sight as possible. She made her way up the steps of the inn and into the hallways leading to other rooms, soon finding the one she believed was connected to the window with the cloak hanging in it.

In a surprising move, the elf looked both directions down the empty hallway before phasing through the inn door. Her body appeared like it was made of smoke for the brief moment she completed the action. The room was dark and small. From what could be made out, a young girl was sleeping on the inn's bed with her eyes shut. She slept under the covers, and only the top of her head poked out. There was a dresser beside the bed, and on it was a long stick that looked like it was ripped from a tree. Besides the stick where two rings, each having a small colored gem embedded into them. One had a bright red ruby, and the other, a ghostly blue sapphire. The cloak she had worn was wet and hung up to dry. A small puddle had formed under the cloak, and water started to seep through the cracks of the floorboard and into the room below. The girl seemed to be all alone, with hardly any sign of personal belongings, beside the clothes she wore. The elf slowly and quietly approached the girl, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. The girl in the bed shifted a bit but other than that did not react. The elf purses her lips, then gently lifted the girl upright by her shoulder, shaking her lightly.

"Wake up, little one..."

The child heard the voice, as she was shaking. She quickly opened her eyes, and tried to let out a scream but was quickly covered up by the figure's hand. The elf crouched in front of the bed and whispered.

"Hush. Don't panic... I just want to talk, alright?" The child's eyes were wide awake. She couldn't see the figure very well in the dark but nodded her head quickly. Her heart was racing.

"Calm down, little one..." she sits on the bed next to her, keeping a hand on her shoulder. She paused for a moment, looking at the frightened child. There was silence between the two, the only sound being that of commotion, coming from the bar two stories down. The elf let out a relaxed sigh and spoke softly. "So... you stole from me."

The child quickly shook her head. Her eyes were still wide, as her right hand shifted under the covers, slowly making its way towards the dresser beside the bed. The elf noticed the shifting under the covers, and in a quick motion, grabbed the hand, holding it through the sheets. She shook her head and spoke a little louder.

"No, no, little one. I know it was you," there was a pause as she went silent for a moment, letting some fear settle in, "but I'm not mad... I just want to know why?" The elf lowered her hand from the girl's mouth to allow her to respond but kept her hand close enough to cover the child's mouth again if she were to scream or call for help. The child opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She closed it and looked at the elf, swallowing nervously. "I won't hurt you, little one... probably... but answer the question please." The girl was silent, only answering a moment later after a few deep breaths.

"I... I... needed a coin." Her voice was hoarse and scratchy, and she spoke quietly.

"...and whys that?"

"Because... I don't have any." The girl responded. The elf paused for a moment, before asking softly, "why?"

The child shifted slightly, "I... I don't...", she stopped herself and sighed. The elf looked at her and the child's appearance.

"You can't get a job, I assume?" She asked. The child shook her head. The elf paused for a moment and looked around the room. "No family to turn to?" The child shook her head again. There was a long silence, as the elf stared back at the girl, she asked her in a soft voice.

"What's your name?" She finally asked.

"E-Emily..." She spoke quietly. The elf fell silent, her head tilted to the side, staring at the girl in the darkened room. A small sense of compassion was worming its way through her mind, and she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. After a long moment, she made up her mind. What exactly drove her to wonder this? The wish for the company? A family? The fact that after looking at the girl and the condition she was in, she didn't want to see the child harmed? God forbid in a place where she couldn't get any help? She didn't quite know why she asked the next question.

"Emily, shall we make a deal?" She waited to see if the child reacted, but all she did was relax a small bit. The elf spoke a little softer, "I have the means, and god knows the ability to keep you safe, and... relatively happy. I could... take care of you, I suppose," The child relaxed a bit more and sat up, "But I'll warn you, I don't always go to the safest of places, and I don't know what you could offer me in return. But how about it?" The child sat there quietly and thought about it. She didn't have anywhere else to turn to. Nowhere else to go. She had used some of the money she stole from this woman to rent a room for one night, and now that same woman was offering to take care of her. It didn't make sense in her mind. Usually, when she stole from people, they would get mad, and she would have to run, but not this woman... this... elf. She thought about the proposal, and after a long time, she finally made a decision.

"O- Okay..." There was hesitation in her voice as she spoke this, unsure if it was the right call, to follow this stranger. The elf smiled back widely, her teeth flashing white in the dim light of the room.

"Alright, little one. Now then. You have two options. I was planning on going to the temple of the Asdros... you can either come with me, or I suppose to stay here if you feel you could stay safe till my return. However, you may be arguably safer with me as opposed to by yourself in an unfriendly city. But it's your choice, what would you prefer?" Emily had heard of the king's quest a couple of times by people passing by. To her and her life, it sounded like fun, to go exploring, but it also sounded dangerous. She thought for a long time again, before giving the elf a nod.

"I'll... I'll go with you." There was more hesitation in her voice. The elf nodded.

"Alright then, you sleep well little one. I'll come back to get you in the morning." She stood up, backing away from the bed. Emily nodded nervously as she watched the elf back away from her bed in the dark. Before the elf left the room, she turned back to the child and spoke once more before leaving. "I'm Alina, by the way." after that she phased back through the door. The girl didn't notice this in the dark, but she wondered where the elf had gone. She sat up for a bit longer, still shaken by the interaction. Eventually, she slowly rested back into the bed and looked up at the ceiling. Her heart still racing.

As the night rose, and everyone went to bed, the stench of a rotting corpse floated around the kingdom, followed by the sounds of chainmail and metal clicking down the streets. There was no disturbance aside from that.

The next day the smell would still stay faintly, however, the cause of it may have left town already. Though a knight in bulky heavy black armor could be seen in one of the kingdom's many taverns. A black greatsword, much bigger than an ordinary greatsword was planted onto the wooden floor and leaning against the table with a black coated great shield placed over it. The black knight sat beside his gear.

Alina had made her way around the town a bit, staying in the inn's general area. Eventually, she stepped into the tavern below the inn and tilted her head curiously at the sight of the black-armored knight. The knight was fully armored, from head to toe, the neck is covered up well by a black helm almost in the shape of a thick bucket. The knight was looking down at a journal, not noticing the glaring eyes of the locals. Alina leaned against the wall and silently watched the knight. She practically blended into the dark corner of the room, even with the sunlight shining through the tavern windows. The knight continued to write in his journal, as he sat there. Either he was a very detailed writer or there where many travels to recall.

Emily woke up in room two stories above. She sat up in the bed for a bit, still thinking about the elf that had visited her the previous night, contemplating if it was a dream or not. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and climbed down. She started dressing, even though all she had to put on was the cloak hanging in front of the window. The rags she had slept in was all she had other than that. Emily grabbed the stick on the dresser beside the bed and put on the two rings. The ghostly colored gem was put onto her right pointer finger, while the ruby-colored gem was put onto her right middle finger. She stuck the stick into her torn-up boots. Afterward, she sat back down on the bed and thought to herself. Was the elf really coming back for her? For now, though she thought it would be best to wait in the room, just in case.

Some time passed, and Emily grew impatient, now wondering more if the events that transpired the previous night really were only a dream. She reached under the bed and pulled out the coin bag she had stolen from Alina the previous night. Emily made her way out of the inn room and downstairs to the tavern so that she could return the room key she was given. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she froze for a brief moment upon seeing the black knight. Feeling rather nervous, she threw her hood on, and slowly approached the bartender, returning the key to him.

The elf seemed to appear behind Emily as she handed the key over, she didn't make a sound. Alina gently rested a sharp-nailed hand on Emily's shoulder, causing her to jump and turn her head. She saw that it was the elf, or at least she thought it was. Alina's facial features were a little harder to make out in the dark, but they were much more clear now. Alina gave her a smile.

"Hello, Emily. Sleep well?"

Emily let out a sigh of relief and gave a small nod, "Y-Yes?"

Alina smiled a bit more. "Lovely...," she paused for a moment, looking down at the rags Emily was wearing and how torn up they really where, "... I think we should start by getting you something a bit better to wear, hmm?"

Emily tilted her head in confusion. This all seemed strange to her. First, she was offered to venture with the woman, now she was offering her clothing?

"A-Are you sure... I... I'm fine with these..."

Alina shook her head. "You're dressed in rags, Emily. You need something warmer, especially up here. Humor me?"

Emily went silent again for a moment. "I- If you're really okay with it?"

"I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't" Alina replied back. She grabbed Emily's other shoulder and steered her outside. Emily allowed herself to be taken by the elf. She was still unsure and slightly uncomfortable having this stranger guide her. Alina led Emily down many streets, looking for a shop or stand that sold the appropriate clothing for someone of Emily's size and age.

"See anything you like?" Alina asked her. Emily looked at a few of the shop windows. In one shop, she spotted a couple of mage cloaks hanging in the store window. They looked very similar to the kind she was currently wearing, only cleaner and in better condition. "Pick whatever you want, don't worry about it..., " Alina went silent for a moment. "... still, have the coin you 'borrowed?" Emily nodded and unclipped the coin pouch from her belt.

"May I?" Alina held out her hand for the coin, as Emily handed it back over to her. Once she handed Alina the coin, she looked down at her feet, frowning. "Don't feel bad, I'm not upset. Now go pick something... how're your shoes?" Emily moved the cloak out of the way so Alina could see the poor condition they were in. Alina let out a long sigh. "Better find some decent shoes too. Gonna be doing a lot of walking, your feet will be messed up if you don't have proper footwear," Alina said.

Emily gave her a small nod and spoke in a quiet tone. "A-Alright..." She was led into one of the shops and looked around. They're where many rows of clothing. From shirts of wool to pants, and undergarments of linen. After a bit of browsing, Emily eventually found some clothing that she liked. She was hesitant to show Alina because the clothing she chose was rather expensive once purchased together. Alina examined the clothing and shrugged.

"If that's what you want?" She gestured towards whoever was running the store that they were ready to purchase the clothing. Emily followed Alina to the front counter and placed the clothing onto it. As Alina started pulling out a coin from her now returned pouch, she looked down at Emily and noticed something. She was gazing in the direction of the witch hats that hung on the wall nearby, specifically the one in the middle which was more traditional and black. Alina got the hint and walked over to the wall, and grabbed the hat. She plopped it down onto Emily's head and through more coin onto the table. Emily was surprised at how much money the elf had just spent on her. The elf she had stolen from no less.

Once the transaction was complete, the store owner offered Emily a private area to change into the clothing. Alina waited outside while Emily changed. She watched the people pass by outside the store window. More knights and adventurers had shown up the previous night, and all of them seemed to be heading in the direction of where the king of men was said to give his speech. Emily soon stepped out of the dressing room. She now wore a darkened shirt, and pants. The cloak she wore was a dark green color, and the witch's hat on her head was black with a dark green ribbon attached around the base. The shirt and pants had a few pockets outlined in gold and the edges of her cloak were outlined in gold coloring as well. She kept the two rings on their respective fingers.

Alina gave Emily a small smile, "Looks good."

Emily gave her a small smile in return, "T- Thanks... for this."

Once Emily was in front of Alina, she was once more grabbed by the shoulders and led forward, out of the store. The two walked for a while before Alina spotted a shoe store. She led Emily inside and gave her the same request, to find something she liked. Emily walked around a bit before finding a pair that she liked. Alina examined the shoes to make sure that they would last well and gave Emily a nod. The shoes Emily had chosen were black boots, that matched with the rest of her outfit, and each boot had a large buckle.

"Those should work." Alina paid for the boots and gave them to Emily to put on. She made sure to take the stick out of her old boots and put them into her new ones. Alina took notice that Emily had been carrying the stick around, and had an idea as to what it was. She led Emily out of the store and into a more private area before speaking to her.

"So... Can you defend yourself at all? Have any weapons or know any magic?"

Emily nodded. "I have a wand, but it's pretty old." She pulled the stick back out. Alina looked at the wand and its condition. The wand looked like it was a small branch ripped straight from a tree.

"What can you do with it?" she asked Emily.

"Well, only basic spells... very basic spells."

Alina raised an eyebrow and leaned against the nearby wall. "Like? I'm looking for examples."

Emily looked back down at her wand, as she spoke. "Uhh... I can make light... and... uhh... I can make a small ball of fire."

Alina pursed her lips a little. "Alright." Emily looked back up at Alina, feeling as though she needed to know more.

"Is it enough?" Emily asked her in a rather disappointed voice. Alina nodded.

"It's a start, for now, you should try and learn more when you can." Emily gave her a nod.

"I can only learn so much with this wand though," Alina sighed, "What do you mean?"

"It's a beginners wand. It's what they give us when we first go to a magic school. It can only do small basic spells to help us get used to magic before we move on to more advanced things."

Alina stared at Emily for a while. She wondered why this girl had the training and if she wasn't attending a magic school.

"... So then we will have to get you something better at some point... well, it's enough for now."

Emily nodded, sliding the wand back down the side of her boot. She stood there for a moment in silence, unsure of what to do now. Alina kept staring at the girl. She wasn't sure why she was spending so much money on her, or why she even took her in, in the first place. She just felt like doing.

"How about we get you something to eat?"

***

Alina was seated across from Emily. They sat at a small table off to the corner of the bar below the inn. Emily sat there eating a rather large loaf of bread as Alina watched her. She didn't seem to have ordered anything. After the long silence of Emily looking down as she ate, she tried to make conversation with her new 'friend'.

"D- Do you live here?"

Alina shook her head, "Not really. I wander from place to place." She spoke in a more relaxed tone.

"So then where are you from?" Emily asked curiously.

"Not here. You?" Alina raised an eyebrow at the kid.

Emily looked down again as Alina asked the question. "N- No... I used to l- live in a town a couple of miles from here."

Alina raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head. "Why'd you move?"

Emily went silent again. "... Bandits..." She spoke in a soft voice. Alina frowned and looked down slightly. All went quiet again. Emily just sat there eating. She had not eaten this much food in a long time. It was nice after having to go for scraps the past year. Alina watched her as she came close to finishing the bread.

"Do you need more right now?" she asked. Emily shook her head and looked back up at Alina.

"Okay." Alina stood up and left Emily at the table while she went to the bar. She paid for Emily's food and inquired about taking some bread or anything else that wouldn't go bad, as they'd likely be traveling. After doing so, she made her way back over to Emily and once again, grabbed both her shoulders and started leading her out of the bar.

"So... What are we doing now?" Emily asked, looking up at Alina.

"Well, we could go to the announcement happening in a bit, unless you can think of anything else you'll need?" Alina asked. Emily shook her head.

"No... You... You have given me plenty..." There was more silence. "How do I repay you?" Emily said. Alina just shrugged.

"We'll think of something, I'm sure. C'mon." She started steering Emily back towards the palace entrance. The abrupt lack of information and tugging around seemed to be somewhat of a theme for her. By the time the two arrived at the palace gates, a crowd had formed. There was quite a lot of people for the announcement of the temple, and why wouldn't there be. The large black knight from the pub strolled up behind Alina and Emily. Their weapon over their shoulder and the shield on their back. More time passed and soon the king of Peccatum appeared. His attire was that of royalty. He wore a long purple robe, with gold outlines. The crown on his head was golden and contained a single red ruby in the center. The black knight looked around at the adventurers who had gathered around, unsure as to what was going on. The king stood on top of an elevated platform so that everyone could see him. He began a long and drawn out speech, explaining the history of man and the importance of the artifact. Emily stood there, rather bored of all the talk. The king said that he would offer enough riches to last a lifetime to whoever could bring back the legendary artifact to him. He explained that the journey would take at least 4 days. The temple was found at the peak of one of Ageria's tallest mountains to the north. It just passed the human city that had lain dormant at the slopes, not knowing that the artifact was behind them for centuries. The king explained that no one had entered the temple yet and that he was unsure of what was inside.

The black knights placed down their blades as well as their shields vertically in front of them and listened. The king stated that he did not care how long it took, as long as he was to get possession of the artifact. Alina watched the king silently, her long stare slightly unnerving. Emily sat at her feet, not paying much attention to the details. The king went on a bit more before finally saying that going in groups would most likely be a wise decision. After that, he stepped off the podium and many people in the crowd started leaving. Alina turned to leave as well but bumped into the large black knight. He looked towards her, being slightly shorter than the tall elf. He spoke in a deep and menacing tone that echoed off the armor he wore.

"... Excuse me..." The black knight spoke. Emily shivered as she heard the knight talk, and stood up, taking a few steps back. He directed his attention at the child.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to scare you." He spoke down to the girl in the same tone. Alina raised an eyebrow at the knight and stared at him. After another long silence, the knight finally broke it.

"Would you two like to form a group?" he asked. Alina kept staring at him, considering her options. The king had mentioned something about traps being a possibility, and being in a group could increase her chances of success.

"Sure." She gave the knight a small nod. Emily stayed behind Alina. The knight gave Alina a nod back.

"I would go alone, but with traps and all that, I do think going in a group would be better, Knight said. Alina gave the knight a small smile.

"Well..." Alina lightly reached back to pat Emily's shoulder. "It's just the two of us at the moment, so someone else to travel with may be a benefit." Emily finally spoke out at the knight.

"So you're coming with us then?" she asked softly. He gave her a nod in response.

"You two might need someone to defend you, two fair ladies," he said chuckling. Alina arched an eyebrow at him.

"I think I'll be just fine. It's Emily here I'm worried about. But what do you want us to call you?"

"Kara." He held out a hand, his black gauntlet had dark brown leather over it. Emily quietly mumbled hello to the Black knight.

Watching the three from afar was another knight. He looked down at the halberd in his hands, smiling underneath the helmet, quietly muttering to himself.

"There's always something to fight for." He placed his halberd on his back and leaned against a nearby wall where he wouldn't bother anyone. Although he did contemplate on how to approach this temple.

Alina held out her hand and lightly shook Kara's. Her grip felt soft, showing no sign of strength, but it was hard to tell if it was an intentional impression or a true one.

"Alina. It's a pleasure. Which kingdom are you from, if I may inquire your race?" Kara went quiet for a moment before responding.

"...Human. I shall put it at that," he said. Alina gave him a brief nod.

"Alright. Shall we head out, then? Or do you think we should try to get more people to join our party?" Emily just stood there as the two talked. She was not paying much attention to the conversation and was looking down at her feet and the clothing Alina had just purchased for her. Kara spotted the other knight leaning against the wall, he told the other two that he would be right back, and started making his way over to the knight.

"Pardon my intrusion, but would you care to join us. We are forming a party for the quest. We could use all the help we can get." Kara's voice continued to echo through his armor. The other night looked back at Kara, surprised, and content that he would consider his participation.

"I'll admit, I was hesitant when hearing your conversation, but I suppose there's nothing to lose. I'll gladly join you, friend." He took a step forward, ready to follow the group. Kara nodded.

"What might your name be?" Kara asked while the two walked back to Alina and Emily.

"Just call me Warden. If I decided I trust you enough, I might tell you. We'll see." Emily watched the two approaches with a nervous expression on her face. She was under the impression that she would be traveling alone with Alina and was slightly disappointed that they had made a party with other strangers. Alina introduced Emily and herself to Warden, and they all started making their way out of the kingdom.

Once at the kingdom's borders, the four were faced with the long rolling fields of Ageria. A few groups could be seen walking different routes. Alina stared around at the hills for a few moments, stretching her arms over her head, then began to make her way down the hills. Warden knelt down for a brief moment. He had been using his halberd as a walking stick for a while now. He stood a moment later.

"Onward."