It's been a week now since Morris was crowned as the new king of Adelaide. He tried making a peace offering to the elves, but they refused, without any proper explanation.

  Alaric was near the stables, caring for his horse, making sure it's clean. Before his best friend's wife, came, the usual.

  "when... Are you going to find them?" said the woman.

  "I'm heading out now, I'll be checking some places"

  "alone...?"

  "the daegal knights are coming with me"

  A silence stood between them, Alaric knew his promise, was nothing hut words to her, it meant nothing. Vauquelin, arrived with his fellow knights.

  "we're ready, sir, we'll be waiting for you, near the gates" said vauquelin, before he went away.

  Alaric, followed him briefly, his cape swaying, it was meant to be a sign of his honor, and strength, which it was, to others. But to him, it was merely a reminder to his greatest suffering, the disappearance of his friends. He wished it was him gone, and not them. Every day, he would look at the dent on his sword, another reminder of his suffering.

  The woman, just cried at the stables, knowing she probably would never see her son and husband again.

  Alaric, now near the gate with his horse, found Morris. He was waiting for him.

  "I know, this means nothing to you... And that you already knew this... You can magic under my order... Which is nothing... And I hope you can teach it to the other knights, I'll pay anything" Morris said.

  "don't worry, I already started teaching them" said Alaric, as he mounted his horse.

  "good luck on your expedition, I'll be taking care of Adelaide while you're gone"

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  Alaric, nodded, before slightly bending down to Morris on his horse, something he never did to the previous king. And with that, Alaric and the others went away, towards the horizon, where? Only the roads know, and Alaric probably.

  They were nearing the great tree. Where Alaric said they'd camp for the night.

  Alaric, could see a faint silhouette of some knight walking beside the great tree. With the blink of an eye, the knight disappeared, Alaric chalked it up to just hallucinations perhaps.

  Reaching it, they set camp. And started another magic reaching session. Where Alaric coud definitely see some improvements. Bekfr they eventually fell asleep, to rest as they had a long day ahead of them.

  Waking up to the faint hint of sunrise. Alaric stood up, and went to take a walk through the long grass of the field surrounding the great tree.

  He had come here before with his fellow knights of honor. As if he could see them walking by his side. Whether it be Kresimir, his best friend, and the husband of the woman. The man who took down a dragon, and made it surrender with his bare hands.

  Or whether it be Jack, their leader. And the one who took them to many victories, who had taken on the Abyss by himself, just to protect his mother.

  Alaric's cape was a mere reminder of how he failed his friends. They'd always said "We live together. And we die together", he knew they're not dead. But he couldn't help but feel like he betrayed them.

  Then, Alaric turned back, to head towards the great tree. Waking up his fellow knights. As each mounted their horse, and headed west of the tree. Wherever it would take them.

  Then, they heard a roar, something they never thought they'd hear. A dragon's roar. They could see one descending from the clouds, towards them.

  "Turn around, run away, split up." shouted Alaric.

  As every body steered their horses to the opposite side, each heading a way different from another. Alaric could see from the corner of his eyes, the dragon was targeting a knight of daegal.

  Alaric, went towards the dragon. As he jumped above the dragon, while his horse went under it. Catching its attention, the dragon lost some control, as it rolled on the ground. Before straightening itself and heading towards Alaric, who knew his horse wouldn't be fast enough. He signaled for it to follow one of the daegal knights. As he ran away, with great speed away from the dragon.

  The daegal knights went back towards Adelaide. While Alaric was left to try and steer the dragon away. But without much effort, Alaric was left puzzled as the dragon simply flew away. He could only watch from the ground, as he saw the dragon head back towards the Sacred Skies.

  Alaric headed back towards Adelaide. From a distance, he could see fire raging from there. As he went towards it.

  Alaric realized that the elves were attacking Adelaide.