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Chapter 55:

Arthur\'s Point of View

Lestranian Capital

"How long are you going to continue with this little sullen routine of yours!?" I asked through the door. "This won\'t help you get your crown back, and are you really willing to take things lying down like this!?" Rudnurth was still refusing to leave his room, and it had been a month since our first victory over the Demons. "All I want to do is teach you a few things and see how you handle things, but I can\'t do that if all you do is mope in bed all day!"

"..." There was no response.

I sighed in frustration, and Aydan just shook his head. "Sooner or later, he\'ll have to come out. Leave him be for now. We need to talk about one of our villages going completely silent near the Dragonlands." He told me.

Rubbing my face in annoyance, I eventually just gave a tired nod. "Okay. Take us to the meeting room." Aydan quickly teleported us there, and several others were waiting for us. "Apologies for running late."

Elias, Mara, Aerowyn, Robert, and Varvara were all present as well. "We just arrived ourselves." Robert said with a nonchalant shrug.

Taking our seats, I spoke. "Have our scouts come back?" My inquiry started the meeting as Aerowyn stood and shook her head.

"No. All my scouts have disappeared, which is unusual. Even with Demonic Flyers in the air, most Zugal can outmaneuver them." She explained.

"However," Elias started as he leaned forward. "They would be hard-pressed to run from a Dragon. If the Dragons are once again on the move, it will be difficult to fight a war on two fronts." Tapping the village in question on a map at the table, he continued. "We need to find out what is happening out there."

Varvara cast a dark look over the maps as she spoke. "Perhaps the Dragons have joined the Demons and are working together." She offered in a low tone as her magic seemed to flicker.

Aydan quickly replied. "That seems unlikely. Despite our past differences, Dragons despise Demons like the rest of us. Collaboration between the two would be extreme, and until proven otherwise, I think investigating should be our top priority." He then looked to me with a firm nod. "To find out what exactly is the reasoning behind this situation. Demons or Dragons, whatever it may be, we need to resolve this issue one way or another."

"Sir Aydan is right." Mara agreed with him as she gestured to the maps. "The Demon\'s movements have not been anywhere near this area, but that does not mean the Dragons are behind it." The Princess pointed towards the border. "Demons have been wary of Dragons like most races, and I doubt they would be so bold to attack a settlement so close to the border."

"Both Dragons and Demons could be behind this, and both seem unlikely. The only way to confirm which one is the culprit is to go there and find out." Leaning back in my chair, the room became silent as I steepled my fingers together. "If our scouts are unable to return, that worries me about bringing any Zugal, and Elves have a history with Dragons."

"You cannot go alone!" Elias slammed his fist on the table. "A team must accompany you!"

Aydan held up a hand to calm the Prince. "He never said he was."

Tapping my fingers together, I thought about how to proceed. "Aydan?" My hooded figure turned to him.

"Yes?" He stood and asked back.

Gesturing to the map, I spoke. "Have you been to this village or the area before?"

The Great Sage was confused for a minute before nodding. "I have during an old scouting mission before it was turned into a village, Sir."

I was quiet as I thought about our best course of action. "Could you teleport us there and back if you needed to?"

Almost everyone in the room turned to Aydan simultaneously as he frowned, and a nervous expression came to his lips. "Possibly?" Was his unsure response. "I have never teleported that far before and doing so might leave me weakened with little magic remaining." That got my attention.

"Is that so?" The Sage became quiet for a moment, and I looked around the room. "Leave us for a moment."

Others in the room seemed surprised but did as I instructed and left. They filed out one by one, and some looked back at us as they did. Ignoring them, Aydan didn\'t look at any of them leave as he kept his gaze locked on me. Licking my lips at what he might want to say, he quickly created some manner of privacy bubble around us as the last person left.

"I can do it, but most Elves should not be able to travel that far. My magic will have to substitute for part of the journey, so I may very well be weakened upon arrival."

"Why can\'t you just channel more of this original magic like you usually do?"

"There is a balance to be maintained between my magic and the magic that inhabits everything. I\'ve felt little pulls as of late when using original magic, and it has caused me some concern. Getting there would be simple, but I\'d like to be careful as well."

Standing, I looked over the map and pointed at a closer area. "What if you teleported us further away than the area surrounding the village itself? Would that help?"

He stroked his beard for a moment in thought. "It should. Going there would allow my magic to remain in full reserve and will be useful in case we need to make a quick getaway." Aydan then looked at me. "Apologies, Arthur. I\'m willing to experiment, but not in such a situation, and the strain from such a journey alone is something that would leave any Elf exhausted or comatose."

I nodded. "Then we\'ll aim for a closer area and not risk it. Same for if we need to teleport back. We can walk back if we need to." While I did want to offer my energy as a substitute, Aydan informed me that the spell used to save Ayda in the future didn\'t exist yet. "Should something be there that you feel is too dangerous for you, feel free to leave without me."

"Arth-"

"That\'s not a request, Aydan. You\'ve seen what I\'m capable of. If I tell you to leave, you leave. I\'ll figure something else out to return." Putting my hand on his shoulder, I shook him lightly. "Trust me."

"If that\'s what you think is for the best."

"I do." His magic bubble dropped as I sat back down. "Tell everyone to rejoin us. We have a plan."

The Sage left for a moment and returned with everyone in tow. All of them were quiet as they looked between Aydan and me.

"We have a plan. Aydan and I will be going alone to investigate the settlement along with trying to find out what happened to our missing scouts." As I looked over to The Great Sage, he continued as he pointed at the map.

"Sir Mordred and I will be teleporting a few miles away from the village in question before continuing on foot. This will give me time to recover if needed and won\'t put either of us at unnecessary risk. It will also give me time to recover my magic in case we need to make a quick retreat." Aydan explained.

Putting my hands on the table, I continued. "This will allow us to move without the worry of a large force being spotted and keep our options at the ready compare to bring more people." My gaze drifted back to Elias. "You will be in charge once more while we are away. Mara will aid you along with everyone else, but the people will look to you in our absence."

Elias bowed and replied. "I will do my best to look after things while you are away." He stated.

"See that you do." My attention turned to Mara, who looked down more than anything. "Keep your brother in line while we\'re gone."

The Princess smirked at that. "Of course!"

Aerowyn spoke next. "If something goes wrong, or we come under attack, my fastest fliers will head your way."

I nodded in agreement. "Take care of Arceana and Elincia as well. Don\'t let them skip their studies."

Elias crossed his arms at that. "I will see to it that they are looked after during their training and study sessions. However, I do think it would be best for Arceana to start sitting in on these meetings. She has earned it; despite her indifferent attitude towards you, it will help her in the long run."

The Prince had a valid point. I had tried limiting my time with the two youngest since I knew they would be alright, and I didn\'t want to slip up by accidentally revealing myself to them in the future. However, Arceana had worked diligently with all the tasks I had given her, and she\'d been trying for some time now to prove herself.

"Agreed. Arceana has earned it. Tell your sister she will be joining us for future meetings." I replied.

"The news will surely make her day." Elias stated.

"Very well. If everything is settled, I must prepare to set out. It will only take a few minutes, and I will return here afterward." Aydan said before leaving the room.

Many of us looked at him before everyone else looked back at me. "Aydan has decided to get ready, and I have no other topics to address. Feel free to go about your business." Didn\'t really know what else to do other than adjourn the meeting.

Princess Mara stayed behind while everyone else trickled out. "Are you sure you will be safe?" She inquired as she moved beside me as I looked over the map.

"Safety is never a guarantee, but this way, I know almost everyone else will be safe in my absence, and we aren\'t putting others in harm\'s way unnecessarily." Sliding my hand over the map, I tapped a spot and continued as I tried to change the topic. "How many villages are there in the area and on the borders?"

"Several, but you cannot focus on all of them." Mara informed me.

"I\'m not planning on it, but I want to know which villages are closest and if perhaps something was in-between us playing interference. It\'s something to keep an eye on." I pointed out. "If it isn\'t actually the settlement in question, something may be lurking nearby that is cutting off our communications."

"Sir Mordred, can we talk more privately?" The Princess inquired in a hopeful tone.

Pausing, I looked around and answered. "Are we not already in private?"

Naturally, Mara gestured to the room. "I was thinking in your personal chambers or mine. A place where people cannot interrupt us." Turning towards her, she moved forward and put her hands on my chest, and looked up at me.

Sighing internally, I looked down at her directly. "Do you wish to speak about something in private? If so, a spell should suffice for a more concealed conversation than a room if you\'re worried about someone eavesdropping on us."

I knew what she wanted, and I didn\'t want to go down that road. The problem was that I liked Mara. She was a very talented individual who had a great sense of humor and wasn\'t afraid to speak her mind. A very strong woman who knew what she wanted and was trying her best to get it. Unfortunately, love wasn\'t meant for someone like me, and she didn\'t know about me, which I felt was unfair to her.

Before she could respond, Aydan returned. "Now, I am ready!" He announced as he reentered the room. "Shall we be off?!" The Sage asked excitedly as Mara merely backed away from me slowly after a moment. "Did I-" He began, but I cut him off.

"Ready when you are." I replied to Aydan as he hesitantly moved forward.

Casting a curious look towards the quiet Mara, he activated his magic. "We\'ll return as soon as we can." Aydan told her, and Mara waved at us as we teleported away.