Chapter Fifteen

Dagon rubs his brows, he's been doing that a lot lately. He stares at Namarie who shyly glances away. "What part of leave the kid alone did you not get?" He growls, his voice filled with frustration. "We're swamped enough as it is, with the undead just beyond the city. We don't need you carelessly pissing off the wrong person."

Papers cluster his massive oak desk. Maps and reports spill unto the floor, too many for him to pay enough attention to all. Two teams of scouts had been sent to Riverra, only one returned. The news was both reassuring and concerning, the undead monster barely left the confines of it's undead domain however, said domain was rapidly expanding. 'And this idiot thought it was the perfect time to look a dragon in the mouth.'

Dagon could still remember the moment he thought he was about to die. Only a few hours ago, he felt cold. So cold he thought he was a corpse, adding to that was losing any feelings in his limbs. No matter what he did his body refused to move. An intense wave of killing intent washed in the next moment sending him into a panic attack.

Namarie leans forward, her cleavage slightly revealed. "A piece, Dagon. I saw just a piece of her power and Dagon, I want it." She can see Dagon staring at her like he is looking at an idiot.

Namarie sighs. "Never mind then, first we deal with the Ursagorath. When's the raid?" Taking a seat on one of the lounge chairs she smiles.

Dagon, already used to her antics simply sighs. "In two days, we have the A rank party Storm bringers and three B rank parties." A little peeved at the turn out Dagon massages his brow yet again.

"That little?" Namarie can't help but question, this isn't something to be taken lightly.

Dagon rearranges the reports that had fallen previously. "Yeah. well, most of our adventurers are off investigating what happened to Pelveria, and anything less than b rank is just fodder." Glaring at for a second before softening his gaze. "We really might need your help after all with those mages of yours. Don't mess this up."

A thoughtful look crosses Namarie's face. "Speaking of Pelveria, which one of us should go?" She asks.

Dagon pauses to stare for a second before continuing his arrangements of the reports. "You go, I don't think I can deal with those guys. I'm getting too old for this by the way."

A smile immediately creeps into Namarie's face sending a chill down Dagon's spine. "A summons from the kingdom of Welvern. The seven sins, the witch queen, even the elven conglomerate is going to attend. With all those powerhouses, I'm going to need bodyguards, some real muscle."

Dagon can only stare in shock at what could possibly be the most reckless idea ever. 'Wait, that could work. Keep them away from the city and still seeing what they're capable of.' A subtle glance tells him Namarie can guess what he's thinking. "You want the newly formed Maple Tree party as your guards. That can be arranged."

A feeling of elation in her heart, Namarie blows a kiss at the guild master before standing up and taking her leave.

Dagon's eyes followed Namarie's departing figure, his mind racing with the implications of her proposal. Using the newly formed Maple Tree party as her guards was a risky move, but it could also be a clever way to assess their abilities without putting the city in harm's way.

With a heavy sigh, Dagon turned his attention back to the papers on his desk, his mind already shifting gears to focus on the upcoming raid against the Ursagorath.

As he worked, his mind wandered back to the events of the past few hours. The killing intent he had felt was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had just dodged a bullet. Maple's powers were still a mystery, but one thing was clear: she was a force he didn't want to mess with.

////

Chrome glances behind Maple, looking at the two individuals behind her. "Maple? Are those friends?" He asks. Mai and Yui walking over.

Maple fidgets for a brief second before answering. "Yes, everyone meet Leone and her younger sister Rosa." She places her hand on Leone's shoulder.

"Uhm, sure. Welcome Leone, Rosa. I'm Chrome, nice to meet you." Chrome pats both sister's head as he smiles.

"I'm Mai." Mai greets enthusiastically. "And I'm Yui." Yui follows her sister's lead.

Rosa's eyes lit up, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Nice to meet you all! I've heard so much about you from Maple." She playfully nudges Maple's shoulder, her gaze shining with excitement.

Leone, on the other hand, seemed a bit more reserved, her eyes darting between the group before settling on Maple. "Hi," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Maple's cheeks flushed, her eyes shining with a mix of happiness and relief. "Hey, guys. I'm glad you're all getting along." She glances at Rosa, a hint of warning in her voice. "Rosa, don't get too carried away, okay?"

Chrome, noticing Maple's slight unease leads her to the balcony behind the inn, leaving Mai and Yui to have fun with the new company.

"Maple, is anything wrong? We felt your power from wherever you were. It took a lot of convincing to stop Yui from coming after you." Seated on a wooden bench, Chrome incquires.

Maple lets out a tired chuckle "You felt that huh?" She glances at her hands which she had balled into fists. "I didn't feel anything." She says after a moment.

Chrome keeps his gaze steady. "Hm?"

"Rosa was kidnapped by some, bandits?" Maple recounts her day and the events for Chrome.

"I killed them, and I didn't feel anything once I did." Maple raises her head to stare at Chrome. "Is that normal?"

Chrome lets out a sigh. "I wouldn't know, this is all new to us." He turns his face towards the twins as they bombard the sisters with questions. "It probably won't be the last time, this is our reality now. I do believe that you'll be fine though Maple, as long as you remember who you are and where you come from."

Maple also turns to face the four girls. "Thanks." She whispers. "Don't worry, Leone and her sister will be staying in one of the student's dormitories while Leone trains to become a mage"

////

A large group of people stand before a dead forest filled with death and decay made manifest in the form of undeads. Silvari suppresses the urge to turn and run. She glances at the leading group, the Stormbringers.