Xavier, Anna and Benedict were all a little out of breath as they were heading towards the dungeon exit. The delve had been brutal, the group they had gone with was strong enough to clear a level seventy floor but the issue was that they had to face a floor boss.
“It doesn’t feel like the floor is that cold.” Anna ntioned as they made their way through the frozen desert. “I thought elental floor bosses turned the floor into a much harsher equivalent.”
“It’s because we’re still under level one hundred.” Benedict answered he had studied a lot about dungeons after they returned from their delve trip. “Floor bosses don’t always spawn before that point and even when they do, their area of influence powers seem weaker, the theory is because of the lack of Aura. It’s what makes floor bosses like the werewolf so feared since this dampening of power doesn’t affect them.”
“That it was previously a desert probably also weakens the effect.” Xavier also joined in. “I also think you have a skewed point of view.”
Out of all of them Anna was the only one who wasn’t bundled up with warm gear, her mastery of her flas had allowed her to gain the Epic Skill [Fla Armor] and while it did take a decent chunk of Mana to activate the ongoing cost was rather low and the flas benefited from her Legendary Skill.
“So does this count as a success or not?” Benedict asked.
“I say it's a success, not even Ajax can predict floor bosses.” Anna
said as she petted her bond. “But this was just one run, we’re going to need to do more before there can be any confidence.”
Previously Anna hadn’t been inclined to bring her bond with her in a dungeon since it would only endanger it but since Ajax’s reveal that dungeon floor could be navigated she had always wanted to try and see if her bond’s abilities or Skills of finding treasure could also be used to find favorable floors. Anna’s bond also refused the first two arches however when looking for a Fire based floor so it was at least looking promising.
“I hope the egg hatched.” Xavier said. “I can’t wait to form a bond of my own.”
“How do you think the war is going to progress?” Benedict asked.
“I wouldn’t make any plans on going if I were you.” Xavier shut his friend down. “We don’t have the power to qualify as elites and it seems that regular units are already pretty commonly forced to fight smaller elite hit squads from what my father says.”
That wasn’t the biggest worry regarding the war that the crown prince or the king had however. Xavier was going to keep it to himself however that the beastkin seed to be targeting champions from Brightstone and Sylvanthal who had already sent their reinforcents early. Gryndor still had an excuse about the attacks inside their borders on a Duke so they had delayed for a short while but it was clear the beastkin were trying to weaken other nations before conquering the Republic to start off other conflicts among them.
The sun was just rising as the group of twenty exited the dungeon. “I take it this was a pretty big mark against your bond being able to help navigate the floors.” Anna’s bodyguard said as he watched them exit.
“Actually there was an ice elental floor boss, it was a desert floor we got led to.” Anna petted her bond and passed it a small treat as the group began to move away from the dungeon. “Anything happen in the week we were inside?”
“Your friend Duke Hearthbound returned.” The bodyguard’s words caused Xavier, Anna and Benedict to do a double take. “He’s in the capital now.”
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“So soon?” Xavier was surprised. “Father said they only called him back a little more than two weeks ago.”
“He must not have ventured very far into the Wild Lands.” The comnt ca from one of the nobles that had joined them on the delve, while Xavier had decided to delve as a thod of stress relief the royal family had added a few other prominent young nobles who were showing promise since they might be the teams Xavier would have to delve foreign dungeons with in the future.
There was no chance for any answer to co as panic gripped the street as an oppressive Aura settled on the group a mont before a dragon landed in front of the group in the middle of the street causing everyone to freeze.
“I was hoping you’d be out of the dungeon sooner rather than later.” Ajax’s voice broke Xavier, Benedict and Anna out of their shock as he dismounted Aurexion but his missing arm silenced them once more. “They said you’d been in there for about a week already but you really have your timing down, I barely got here yesterday.”
“Ajax… wh- I an who is that?” Anna cut herself off at a slight growl from Aurexion, her social Skills helping her pick the right words.
“Right, where are my manners?” Ajax nodded in acceptance of his mistake. “This here is Aurexion, he’s my bond.”
“You bonded a dragon?” Xavier was staring at the massive scaled killing machine that was no more than ten feet from him.
“Actually it's more like he bonded .” Ajax said not wanting to get into the equal partner bonding in the middle of the street, more than that he could feel the contentnt coming from Aurexion at his explanation.
“Dragons must have so pretty low standards.” The sa noble muttered under his breath in an unwise show of bravado as he was trying to deal with the presence of a dragon in front of him.
That whisper had quickly proven to be a demonstratively bad decision as he couldn’t even react to the speed of Aurexion’s tail as it slamd him into the nearest wall. The only ones to actually register the attack as it happened had been Ajax and a few of the bodyguards who were waiting for the group to exit the dungeon. None of them however had been prepared for the attack once Ajax dismounted the dragon.
“Ouch.” Ajax winced a little but he had noticed Aurexion hold back enough that the blow wouldn’t cause more than a few sprains considering the armor the noble had on. “I’d be mindful of my words if I were you. Aurexion has very good hearing.”
“He can understand us?” Anna was surprised, not that dragons had the intelligence to use language but that it understood human language.
“He can also speak.” Anna’s bodyguard moved next to her hearing the slight threat in Aurexion’s voice. Everyone else however was left staring in shock at Aurexion. While the guards had already known about the presence of a dragon in the city that it could speak was news to everyone.
“There’s quite a lot I think we’d have to go over.” Ajax said as he looked at his friends. “I was just going to the royal palace anyway to continue getting my arm healed. Care to join ?”
Their trip to the royal palace was a lot faster than Xavier had expected. A small contingent of royal guards cleared the way pretty quickly even in the rchant quarter early in the morning but they had nothing on how quickly everyone got out of Aurexion’s way.
“What happened to your arm?” Benedict asked.
“It got bitten off by a floor boss.” Ajax waved away the question. “I already told that story twice since I’ve returned from the Wild Lands. I’m more interested in what you've all been up to since I left.”
Much to the displeasure of the other nobles present Anna, Xavier and Benedict all picked up on Ajax dodging the topic and didn’t press for details they were all sure Ajax would explain it to them but it was information that was more sensitive.
“I’ve actually been waiting to get a bond of my own.” Xavier said. “I doubt it’ll be as impressive as Aurexion here but I am very excited.”
“So I’ve heard.” Ajax nodded. “The egg hatched a few days ago, I wanted to see the newborn but they won’t let anyone et it until you do.”
Xavier was ecstatic to hear the egg hatched and he turned to one of his guards that just gave a nod of confirmation to Ajax’s words. “That’s great news.” Through sheer will Xavier was trying to get the group to move faster towards the royal palace, unfortunately for him the pace was dictated by Aurexion and he didn’t seem to be in a mood to move any faster just from the news of the newly hatched griffin.
“You find anything you’re willing to sell out in the Wild Lands?” Anna asked.
“I didn’t bring all that much back myself.” Ajax admitted, though nobody felt any pity for him considering he had returned with a dragon bond. “But Judy is going through Aurexion’s hoard, right as we speak probably. As long as you can convince Aurexion she might be willing to trade so of them.”
“Anything to help with Fire Mana?” Anna asked Aurexion excitedly.
“Judging by how strong you feel the only Fire attuned item in my hoard that could be of use to you would be the ever burning tree.” Aurexion knew he had already consud any of the other weaker Fire treasures he had inherited from his father in an attempt to increase the power of his dragon’s breath without spending extra Stats into his Intellect.
Once they got to the royal palace the other nobles outside of Anna and Benedict were upset to be led towards the royal court while everyone else was headed deeper into the palace. With a little more privacy there were a lot of questions Ajax’s friends had for him and Ajax himself was looking forward to having his arm back.
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