Omurai frowned as he watched the beast fly away. “Good riddance!” He grumbled as he spun around to head to Ghahama.
“She is the witch…” Asher said, barely a whisper.
“What’s that?” Omurai asked, turning to regard the alchemist.
“The witch was supposedly an earth adept, and you saw how Kzarak had control over the earth back there.” Asher tried to explain, still putting the pieces together.
“I see now! But…how could she have turned into a wyvern?” Omurai asked.
“Maybe it is the other way around. Dragons and the more powerful wyverns are known to have transmutation powers.” Asher responded, a smile on his face. “That must be it! She turned into a human form to live with them for some time, but then returned to her woods as retook her true form.”
Omurai nodded his understanding, and then turned to Ghahama again. “Well, enough wondering about that one! I didn’t like her superior tone over us.”
“If you were as powerful as her, you’d be the same.” Asher said with a chuckle.
The wind adept merely pouted, crossing his arms over his chest, as he walked along the trail.
**********
“What could have done this?” Voyse asked quietly as he examined the damage at the center of Ghahama. The assassin had made his way into the city soon after the incident, and was just now putting everything together.
“That man did…” an old man said somberly, the same man who had pleaded to Draven not so long ago. “He had long, black hair and pale skin. He dressed much like you do, but without that cloak of yours…and that mask.” the man’s eyes seemed to widen at his own words. “Voyse En’Dir…” he gasped, unable to find words.
“Calm thyself. I’m not here to kill any of you. I’m after that man you spoke of. It seems Draven has already learned to control the Adept’s Stone quite efficiently.” Voyse said as he looked at the charred ground around him. “A fire adept came against him.” He guessed, looking to the man for an answer.
“Y-yes he did…poor boy.” the old man replied, glancing at what remained of the fire adept, which was nothing more than a charred skeleton.
Voyse stood up and looked at the damaged street ahead of him. “He went north, didn’t he?”
“Y-yes. Please, Mr. En’Dir, will you find that man and get proper revenge! He’s hurt us so much…” the old man pleaded.
“Trust me…there isn’t enough revenge in the world for everything that one has done. I can promise you that he’ll be dead soon enough, though.” the assassin said as he brushed his cloak with a hand and headed north. He stopped, turning to regard the old man again. “I can find some fairly powerful magical weaponry in Sol City, correct?”
“I do believe so, sir. The best in all of Liteo.” the old man replied.
“Good…then I’m heading northeast again.” Voyse said as he continued walking toward the northern exit.
**********
Asher nearly fell to the ground at the sight in Ghahama. “Wh-what has happened here?!”
“Looks like an explosion went off, much like the bomb of an alchemist.” Omurai said.
“I…I came here for part of my studies…now look at it! I bet that Voyse character did this!” Asher said, burning with anger.
“Not so…” a woman said, walking over to the two. “That Voyse fellow just left a few minutes ago. Said he was heading to Sol City for something. He mentioned the name of the man who did this, however. I believe it was Draven.” she explained. “Whoever he was, he kept swinging around some kind of stone, blowing things up and the like. Took out one of our poor adepts…”
“The hunter has become the hunted, then.” Asher said, causing the woman to stare at him questioningly. “We are after Voyse En’Dir.”
“Oh, you must be bounty hunters then? Well, like I said, he is going to Sol City.” the woman said pointing to the northern exit.
“Thank you, miss. We shall look into that.” Omurai said, his tone grim. “Come, Asher, we have not the time to grieve here.”
Asher nodded and started heading to the north exit, Omurai catching up to him easily.
**********
Draven stood over a hill, looking down at the valley below. He and his men had been traveling for two days now, and finally they found what they were after. The valley below was barren and dead, the remnants of trees and the sort all scattered about. In the center of the valley, however, was a massive crater. Within that crater was an elaborate castle, the outer surface of it a black marble color. There was a central tower of the center, then a sub-tower in the eastern section. The western section was a collection of large rooms all connected by arched bridges. This was Draven’s destination: a castle for his own.