Chapter 13: The Elder of Orinis

Vito gently pet one of the horses. To call it a “horse” would be a stretch. They were technically a breed of monster. Slightly larger than a Shire horse, and boasting sharp fangs and armored backs, they were incredibly strong and fast. One of their elven guild members, a quiet man named Elion. He and a few other elves were abducted when they were young. Greye and his friends saved them from a slave house. However, records indicating their original homes were destroyed. Elves typically lived in hidden cities and villages, and not even Greye could find any who would offer aid.

“Careful with that one, Vito. He has a bit of a temper,” Elion warned him. His smile suggested that this temper wasn’t as dangerous as he suggested.

“I’ll be careful, Elion. I know better than to endanger your friends. You care for them well, after all.” He boarded the carriage and sat beside Iris. Delwyn sat across from them with a devilish smile on her fine lips. She sat between her supply bag and Vito’s supply bag to make sure he had to sit beside Iris.

The two carriages swiftly departed the hamlet. Greye drove one carriage with Vito, Iris, and Delwyn as his passengers, while Parsifal drove the other with Kaelyn and Galien as his passengers.

“It’ll be a few days before we get to Orinis~ Don’t mind me though, you two go about your business.” Delwyn looked outside the window. Vito knew what she was doing and simply rolled his eyes. Iris blushed once more and looked down at the carriage floor.

Their trip to Orinis was uneventful. Iris managed to fit entire camping sets in her satchel, which she kindly offered to the others. They had their own sets, but Iris’s were much more comfortable and boasted different magical enchantments that made for a very comfortable and secure rest.

Greye and Parsifal parked their carriages near the local inn. Vito felt a pang of sorrow when they arrived in Orinis. The soil was less than ideal for efficient farming, and the route to the nearest body of water went right through a monster-infested forest. These people were poor and in dire straits, and the last thing they needed was an elder dragon to burn what little they had to ash.

The village showed signs of disrepair and poverty. Food stalls were bare, and a small family tried to draw water from a well. A nearby group was discussing a reliable merchant who was due to arrive soon, so they could purchase food and other supplies.

Greye led the group to the village elder’s house while Parsifal arranged for rooms at the inn.

“Elder Reinfar?” Greye called out to an older gentleman who used a cane to walk.

“Yes?” The man replied. Three nearby guards, wary of the group, walked toward the elder.

“My name is Greye. I’m the leader of the Silver Oak Guild. Lord Renaudin sent us to investigate and slay the elder dragon that has been seen near your village.”

“Did he?” Reinfar scoffed and stroked his long beard. “We sent a call for aid to Kyrenia weeks ago when more monsters started appearing nearby. They only replied and sent a few mages from the Avreora Academy of Magic when we told them about the elder dragon,” he explained. “They just spent less than a day here, told us they would send reinforcements, and left behind just three low-grade sacred wards.” His disdain for the capital was evident in his voice.

“What are low-grade sacred wards?” Vito inquired. He was beginning to regret not researching magical artifacts more often.

Iris stepped forward to explain. “Sacred wards are used in settlements, from villages to cities. They prevent monsters from appearing in or around those settlements. The higher the grade, the more powerful the sacred ward.” She gained a severe expression. “Three low-grade sacred wards are little more than an insult. Those will only repel D- and C-Rank monsters. An elder dragon wouldn’t even notice them.”

“Some village guardsmen have reported seeing lizardmen and even orcs nearby,” Reinfar added. “The wards haven’t bothered them. Some of us think that the sacred wards are mere forgeries.”

“Depending on their levels, they could easily rise to B-Rank,” Parsifal noted as he rejoined the group. “Low-grade sacred wards are less than useless here.”

Vito grit his teeth. “This may sound naive to ask, but shouldn’t the army have posted defenses here? Or at least more powerful sacred wards? This place borders the Aitraethen Empire. That’s basic national security, especially when you’re not friendly with your neighbors.”

Reinfar scoffed in resentment. “We’re on the frontier, far from the capital. They don’t care about us.”

Greye stepped closer to the elder. “I give you my word, we’ll look into this and do what we can.”

Reinfar offered a tired smile. “Thank you, kind sir. We’ll appreciate anything you fine people can do for us.” Hope had not truly returned to his eyes, but he was willing to entertain the notion. “It appeared mostly in the areas west of here, towards the Aitraethen Empire. The guards reported that it was alone and appeared to be in something of a frenzy.”

Delwyn considered his report. “It’s odd for a dragon to appear anywhere near here. They tend to live in high mountain ranges or deep caves. I didn’t see any mountains on the way here.”

“We have mining caves, but nothing that would interest a dragon. They’re far too narrow and not deep enough,” Reinfar explained.

“We’ll head toward the border then,” Greye announced.

“Goddess be with you all,” Reinfar bid them with a kind smile.

Greye nodded to the rest of his party, and they set off on foot. “Come, let’s go slay a dragon. You’ll get a special title when you accomplish that feat. It’s a symbol of pride for many adventurers.”

Delwyn delivered a light punch to his armored arm. “Yeah, and I didn’t get it last time because you ran off without me. You owe me that Dragon Slayer title, Greye. I’m performing the final strike.”

“You got it. Heheh…” Greye feigned panic and backed off.

Parsifal shook his head and went on ahead. “Vito, Galien, don’t be like those two.”