Adrian raised a hand, halting his escort team just before the castle gates. The wind blew softly around them, rustling the leaves in the distance as dawn broke over the horizon.
"Return to the manor," he commanded, his voice steady and firm. "There's no need for all of you to go further. Take Stormstride with you."
The escorts exchanged glances, hesitating for a mont. It was the young woman, an archer with short, blonde hair and sharp green eyes, with slightly pale skin, who took a step forward, her bow slung across her back and a determined expression on her face.
"Master Adrian, are you sure we don't need to be here?" one of the swordsn asked, but Adrian shook his head.
"Yes," he replied, his gaze unwavering. "Your job was to get here. Now, take Stormstride and return to my territory and wait for my arrival."
The n nodded, bowing low before turning to leave. They were afraid Adrian would force them to attack in order to silence them.
The two swordsn, the scout, the healer, and the mage all mounted their respective horses and began to ride away.
Stormstride let out a low growl of protest but obeyed, following the group with its powerful strides.
But the young woman remained, standing firm even as the others left. Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly and took a step closer.
"And you?" he asked, his voice softer now, but with an edge of curiosity. "Why haven't you gone?"
The archer looked up at him, her green eyes gleaming with sothing close to resolve—no, it was sothing more, sothing deeper, almost like a conviction.
"I can feel it, Master Adrian," she said softly, her voice steady despite the uncertainty in her gaze. "My sixth sense has always been strong… and it's telling that following you now will bring to greater heights than I could ever reach alone."
Adrian tilted his head, intrigued. "Greater heights? What exactly do you think I'm about to do?"
The young woman bit her lower lip, her fingers twitching slightly as if she were reaching for the bow that was not yet in her grasp.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But… it's almost like my senses are screaming at . Screaming that I have to follow you—no matter where you go. I know it sounds crazy. I have never been wrong with my intuition. It has saved from danger and has earned great opportunities."
Adrian's gaze softened slightly as he observed her. She was serious. Her conviction wasn't born out of loyalty alone; it ca from her intuition.
He felt a flicker of respect for the young archer's determination and intuition.
"What I'm about to do is dangerous," he warned her. "I'm about to go to war with Baron Mortir. This isn't just a skirmish or a confrontation—it's a battle to dismantle his entire foundation. If you follow , you're risking your life."
The archer nodded firmly, her eyes never leaving his.
"I understand. But even so… I want to follow you. I need to follow you. My sixth sense is telling that if I don't… I'll miss my chance."
There was no hesitation in her words, no wavering in her resolve. Adrian considered her for a long mont before finally nodding.
"Very well," he murmured.
Activating his Appraisal skill, Adrian's eyes glowed faintly as he focused on the archer, her stats and abilities slowly coming into view. The information that appeared in front of him made his eyes widen in surprise.
Na: Celes Emberfall
Age: 19
Class: Shadowed Wind Archer (Second Class)
Level: 53
Unique Ability: [Whisper of the Fates]
Stats:
Health Points (HP): 900
Mana Points (MP): 750
Strength: 84
Agility: 199
Endurance: 155
Intelligence: 78
Charm: 61
Luck: 153
Skills:
Wind's Precision: Increases accuracy and speed of arrows by 50%. Allows arrows to adjust their trajectory slightly mid-flight.
Shadow Arrow: Imbues an arrow with shadow energy, allowing it to bypass so physical barriers and strike true. Deals additional dark-elent damage.
Eagle Eye: Grants heightened vision, able to see clearly over long distances and spot minute details that would normally be missed.
Quickdraw: Fires multiple arrows in rapid succession. Each arrow can be imbued with different elental properties.
Arcane Binding Shot: Fires a special arrow that, upon hitting, binds the target's movents temporarily using arcane energy.
Unique Ability: [Whisper of the Fates]
Celes has an innate sense that alerts her to danger and opportunities, though it is not a precise foresight. This ability grants vague premonitions of future events, such as impending threats or favorable circumstances. The nature of these premonitions can be unclear or open to interpretation, but with experience, [Whisper of the Fates] can develop into the ability [Foresight], allowing for more detailed glimpses of the future. Eventually, it can evolve into [Future Sight], which offers true insight into upcoming events.
Adrian's brow furrowed slightly as he took in the details. For soone so young, Celes' stats were impressive.
But what surprised him most was her luck and unique ability. She had the highest luck of anyone he had t so far, probably due to her unique ability.
As for her unique ability, which could develop into Foresight and eventually Future Sight? Its value was beyond asure.
He t Celes' gaze again, the surprise fading into a calculating calm.
"Very well, Celes," Adrian said finally, a slight smile playing on his lips. "You can follow . Just don't get yourself killed."
The young woman's smile widened, relief and determination shining in her eyes. She bowed deeply, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders.
"Thank you, Master Adrian. I won't let you down."
With a nod, Adrian turned back towards the castle gates. The guards were still eyeing him warily, weapons at the ready.
"Stay close," he murmured to Celes. "We're walking into the lion's den now. Let's see if your sixth sense really knows what it's doing."
And with that, he began his approach once more, Celes at his side, her bow at the ready, her eyes scanning their surroundings with a sharpness that matched her resolve.
As they neared the castle gates, the guards' shouts rang out again, demanding that they halt. But Adrian didn't stop. He kept walking, each step a declaration of intent. And this ti, he wasn't alone.
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