Varioneth Von Lyrandar-Velorian      

"Hey! Over here!" the elf shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Horizon didn't waste another second and sprinted up the hill toward the elf. The draconic wisps continued to materialize around him, relentless and immune to his physical attacks. He needed a way out — fast.

As Horizon ran, a thought gnawed at him. He had 15,000 MP and couldn't even cast a single spell? This wasn't just a problem; it was a liability. He'd have to solve this lack of magical skill if he wanted to survive encounters with creatures immune to physical damage.

The sound of gunfire echoed behind him as the elf unloaded round after round into the wisps. Horizon kept moving, his eyes fixed on the hilltop. He didn't trust the elf yet, but right now, he was the only chance he had of avoiding a gruesome end as dragon fodder.

Just as he reached the elf, he was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the gun's muzzle pointed at him. Horizon's eyes widened as a bullet whizzed by the side of his head, striking a draconic wisp that had crept up behind him.

Horizon gasped and lunged forward, just as the elf fired another volley of shots.

"There's no end to them. We need to move," the elf said, extending a hand to him.

The elf grinned from ear to ear, a seemingly friendly — almost naïve — expression. But Horizon had learned the hard way not to trust a smiling face; Travis had been like that too.

Ignoring the offered hand, Horizon scrambled to his feet and bolted as more draconic wisps emerged from the shadows.

The elf merely shrugged and followed after him.

"Come on! If we reach the Cleave, they won't be able to follow us!" the elf called out.

As they ran, Horizon couldn't help but notice the elf drawing blood from his arm with a swift cut of his sword. The blood transformed into bullets, automatically reloading into his gun before he fired at the pursuing wisps.

Catching Horizon's stare, the elf smirked as if what he was doing was entirely natural. "It's called blood essence, if you're curious. By routinely performing bloodletting and mortification techniques on my flesh, I've increased my body's production of blood essence, allowing me to create more essence bullets each day."

I didn't need to know that! Horizon mused. 

"Usually, I use the blood of my enemies to create sanguine blood essence, but as you can see, these dead creatures don't exactly have blood." The elf laughed as if he'd cracked a joke.

"What are those things? Why can't they be killed with physical attacks?" Horizon asked instead, trying to focus on the more pressing issue.

"Those things? They're undead creatures commonly found only in the outer borders of the Catacomb Reaches and other Nix territories — Drakehaunts.

"They're the disembodied essences of dead dragons. A Drakehaunt forms when a dragon dies by dark magic, and its essence isn't claimed by a specific dark power. Instead, it's left to roam aimlessly, bound to the realm of the living by nothing but its tortured memories. They can't be killed by physical attacks — only magic can do the trick. Like my essence bullets here."

The two slowed down as they realized the draconic wisps were no longer chasing them. Horizon and the elf caught their breath, glancing around warily.

"We're safe for now, but we need to reach U'drutz as soon as possible. We're still not out of danger here," the elf said, his tone serious.

"U'drutz?" Horizon echoed, unfamiliar with the name.

The elf stopped in his tracks, blinking in surprise before bursting into laughter. "You're not from here, are you? You're more like a halfling."

Horizon didn't bother to correct him.

"Did a dragon from Nix's brood snatch you?"

"Nix?"

The elf's expression shifted, his smile fading into a frown. "Wait . . . even if you're not from this parts, there's no way a Valerian doesn't know who Nixis is. Unless . . ."

His eyes widened, and his grin returned, full of excitement. Horizon couldn't help but wonder if the elf was completely sane.

"You're an Eternian!" the elf exclaimed. "Just like me!"

That got Horizon's full attention. "You're an Eternian? You came from Eternia?"

The elf nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking at grains. "Yeah! I thought the day would never come when I'd meet another Eternian. It made sense since the red moon just risen, and you got snatched by a dragon, didn't you?"

"By the way, we're having this conversation, and we don't even know each other's names. I'm Varioneth Von Lyrandar-Velorian of Jade Crown Woods in Eternia. But you can call me Von."

"Horizon. What is this Nix you're talking about?"

Von's smile dimmed, and he took a deep breath as he started walking again, with Horizon following closely behind.

As they walked, Von explained, "I can't blame you for not knowing since you're new here. So I will explain it to you. Drakha is ruled by seven broods, each led by their Azhurma (Leader/Mother).

"The most ominous of all fortifications on Drakha is the Great Mausoleum, located within Ossarium — a massive open grave left after a cataclysmic battle ages ago. The death and magic unleashed that day forever tainted the area, turning it into these lands, the Catacomb Reaches, a territory forsaken by most living creatures on Drakha.

"The Catacomb Reaches is a desolate, haunting place where the Drakhan deserts give way to a series of low crags and plateaus that stretch for miles. At the end of the Reaches lies Ossarium, a vast, ancient valley where the remains of countless combatants from a forgotten age lie in wait.

"This area is scattered with Nix brood 'nests' and what can only be described as ceremonial sites, where offerings of bones are placed and assembled into mockeries of dragons and other dragonkin. Ossarium is home to the Great Mausoleum, the lair of Azhurma Nixis herself. Don't ever go there if you want to keep your life."