Arrival

The three men walked in unison. While the guard greeted his fellow peers and those he was acquainted with, the other two men observed the beautiful city around them. Indeed, the water clan spoke well of itself in its infrastructure. The province was nothing like there; it was a bit more old-fashioned.

The women here were free and exquisite, laying their bodies bare for all to see and thirst after, especially Thane, he couldn't take his eyes off the numerous women around him and they knew this, they called out to him to engage in their activities.

Kayden had been the one to keep him on track more than thrice, reminding him that the fate of humanity rested on them. Soon enough, they all reached the pavilion.

It was a pristine beautiful white pagoda with marble ornate designs, the building itself reflected the heat and beauty of the sun, shining in ways the two men had never thought to be possible.

"Wait here, I'll go inform the elders of your arrival," he said as he left them there and walked into the huge doors of the building, Kayden was more interested in the design and architecture of the building, he felt the pillars by his side, the smooth marble felt like slippery glass, something he had never really experienced before.

The entire province was just built on wealth and why wouldn't it be, the water clan controlled the sea depots and importation from other parts of the realm, it was only natural that they would swim in massive wealth, but beyond that massive wealth, Kayden could sense the looking danger ahead.

The guard came back and ushered us forward, Kayden held the head straight and walked with a straight back, eyes forward, he poised himself to be regal although he felt himself failing at it.

They walked through the doors and saw a number of elders seated on both sides of the hall, further ahead, sitting on the seat meant for the clan head was a beautiful woman, her legs were bare with just a single piece of cloth covering parts of her thighs, her arms were exposed and so was her neck all the way down to her chest, her breasts revealed themselves in a revealing manner and her face, her lips, everything about her spelled perfection.

"Thane, not now" Kayden whispered under his breath, he had already noticed Thane's jaw drop slightly as he looked at the woman in front, they both walled forward as they felt the eyes of the elders around them bore into their necks, it made Kayden feel greatly uncomfortable but he couldn't falter nor show weakness, he was a warrior who had evaded death countless times, evading gazes shouldn't have been a problem until he eyes met with the woman sitting on the clan seat.

She sat comfortably and regally yet with a lack of concern for those around her, she has the confidence of the strong, those who only mattered to her were those who were strong or with the talent to be.

Kayden and Thane both knelt on one knee simultaneously with arms stretched forward as they both greeted the clan head.

"We greet the clan head respectfully," they said in unison, but the woman waved them away with a hand, with just that simple motion, Kayden could feel the moisture on his skin sway under her command, it felt like she unconsciously had command over her element, as though water listened to her, did her deeds without a second thought.

"Rise warriors, I am not the clan head, I am his daughter, Wistoria," she said with a beautiful smile, Kayden could see Thane's lips curve with a devious smile, as though she had been talking directly to him but not that Kayden minded in the first place if anything he found the woman in front of him quite unnerving.

"What news have you brought with you today?" She asked in a calm voice yet her voice carried throughout the hall, as though even the birds quoted themselves down just to listen to her talk.

Seeing as how Thane didn't seem to be in his right facilities because of the allure of the woman in front of him, Kayden decided to take command.

"We are second-rate martial warriors from the Thunder clan far in the North," he said as he presented his plaque, he heard the distant mummers from behind him, of course, it was a shock, the Thunder clan was one of the most reserved clans with the least visits and hardly communicated with the other clans unless necessary.

"Tell me your name warrior" the woman asked as she turned her attention to me, all of a sudden Kayden could feel the air around him shift, as though now that she had decided to focus on him, he could feel the pressure from her gaze, his own sweat dragged down on his own skin, making him feel oppressed by the intensity of gaze.

"Thane," he said quietly, he wasn't going to reveal his origins and risk disgracing himself, he was known far and wide but yet unknown by everyone, in other words, his origin and past preceded him much more than he was known as a person.

"Speak, what brings you so far from the North" she asked finally.

Kayden had prepared himself for this, he wasn't going to go into much detail but he would explain everything that had happened to them, with the exception of the Blood Vine, there were some things that were better left unsaid at this point.

"We were sent on a mission to patrol the borders of the Blackened forest, we had heard reports of demon sightings far to the border" he started, he noticed how he heard gasps as he mentioned The Blackened forest, it was also one of the reasons why other clans never tried maintaining a close bond with the thunder clan, it was a dangerous land indeed.

"We were a dozen strong men sent out on the mission, the first was to search for our comrades sent before us and save them if it was possible, while the other was to observe the demons that had appeared" Kayden said with a pause, he kept it on for a little while longer, building anticipation, that was the best way to make people listen.

"And what demons did you find?" Wistoria asked curiously as her hand lay on the armrest of the seat.

"We were attacked by the Fluxxara," Kayden said calmly.

"Impossible"

"Nonsense, they're all extinct"

"How dare you bring lies here, foul children"

Kayden could hear the voices of the elders in the hall as they looked at him with disbelief.

"Silence" Wistoria's voice boomed through the hall, the armrest crumbled under her grip as she looked at Kayden with a serious expression, anger brimming in her eyes.