Count of Elden

"Huh, what was that?" whispered one of the guards stationed inside the manor.

*"Where is the Count?"* asked Errol as he walked through the manor hallways, his talons making clacking sounds with every step.

"W-W-What is that?" stuttered a guard as Errol came into view.

*"Now that I think about it, how did that beast talk to Cassandra without a mind link?"* wondered Errol as he used a base magic spell to lift the confused guards into the air.

{This looks like the right way,} he thought to himself, walking towards a heavily decorated door at the end of the hallway -the guards still suspended in midair. Meanwhile, dozens of guards were flooding into the manor, among them were a few dressed in black armor, each one having a certain number of stars painted at their shoulder plate.

{Perhaps I should've knocked?} wondered Errol after he had flung the door open using a base magic spell. The count was naked and sweat-faced with a scantily dressed woman's head in between his legs.

"G-Guards!!" he shouted hysterically, his round belly jiggling up and down as he hid behind the bed.

*"So human nobles are still fond of mating I see,"* commented Errol.

"W-What do you want?" asked the Count, shivering in fear next to the woman he was being serviced by.

Since Errol's words could not be understood, he used a base magic spell to levitate the piece of paper towards the Count's face.

"He's in the Count's room!" shouted a guard as he dashed towards the room, just to be hit by a wall- or something as hard as one at least. Errol had placed a barrier over the door in order to avoid disturbances, his casting speed was truly on a level that the guards couldn't hope to cope with.

"It's a high tier barrier,' whispered one of the guard mages as she tried dispelling the barrier.

"W-What's this about?" stuttered the Count, a glimmer of hope had shown in his eyes when he heard his guards were close by, but now that he knew he was dealing with a high-rank magical beast, he couldn't help but fear for his life.

*"Read it obviously. How was someone as dull as you allowed to have a seat of power?"* wondered Errol as he stared at the Count with a disappointed look.

"T-The paper? You want me to read it?" asked the Count, slowly stretching his hand out to grab the floating piece of paper.

What he was actually doing was trying to buy time until his guards could break through the barrier. So for now, he was going to continue complying with the strange magical beast.

[Dear Father

Forgive me for taking up your time without first requesting it. It is truly deplorable and something the son of someone as esteemed as you should not be doing.

I write this letter to tell you of my mishaps. During my trip through the forest, my party was attacked by a Streyga and completely decimated. The mages you assigned to me were nowhere to be seen during the attack, I can only assume they ran out of fear.

If not for three young boys, I would've been dead.

Father, I ask you to send a convoy of guards to help me in my return, and that you reward my saviors with something worthy of showing our neighbors and citizens that we reward those who deserve it.

I look forward to your response father.

Your son

Leon]

"Kukk," scowled the Count, he didn't seem too happy to hear that his son was safe.

"If you're holding him captive, I'm not paying you a single bronze coin. I don't do deals with kidnappers," shouted the Count.

"Stand back," said a low voice from among the guards crowded at the door, before a black adorned knight walked to the front.

"Estrio," he chanted as he touched the barrier, a purple hexagram appeared on top of it slowly corroding it.

*"Then I shall be on my way,"* announced Errol, before turning into black mist.

"Forgive me sire, we did not think that something as powerful as a Noctua would be the beast the sentries detected. Allow me to make up for my mistake," said the black knight, kneeling before the Count.

"G-Get them all out of here!" he shouted at the knight, regaining the dignified tone expected from a noble.

At that command, all the normal guards and mages returned to their posts, leaving five black knights and the Captain of the guards.

"Now, Servius, how will you make up for this mistake?" asked the Count as the woman behind him covered his body in an expensive-looking red robe.

*Swoosh*

A black knife went flying towards the Captain of the guards' neck, causing blood to gurgle out of the hole in his throat.

The black knights did not respond, keeping their kneeling position as Servius walked towards the dying Captain's body.

"This incident was the fault of the city guards, as such, you -their commander- will have to make up for it in blood," whispered Servius, before ripping the knife through his head, severing it.

"Will the head of the one responsible for this do, Count Berilia?" asked Servius, removing his helmet in respect.

"It will do," smiled the Count, looking at Servius's scarred face.

His face looked as if it had been completely burned and they had stapled on random facial features in order to make him look more human, however, it was a fruitless endeavor.

***

"It looks like it's going to rain. I hope father gets here before that," murmured Arya, still thinking about how he had spoken with a magical beast.

{You heard it too right? Tell me I'm not crazy,} asked Arya, for something like the third time since they left Cassandra's cottage.

{Yes, I heard it too Arya. No, you're not crazy,} replied Esla in a slightly annoyed tone.

{Do you think she'll allow us to talk to it? Maybe we can ask it a few questions on heptagonal constructs.}

{I-I don't think that's such a good idea, Arya,} replied Esla, a sort of sadness audible in her tone.

{What's wrong?}

{Arya, do you think I'm a parasite?} asked Esla, replaying the warning the Noctua had given him before it flew off.