Ambush at the Cleave    

"So Nixis is the leader of this place, the Catacombs Reaches?" Horizon asked.

Von nodded with a solemn face. "That's right. Nixis isn't just any dragon like those we saw earlier. She's the real deal — a Great Wyrm who has lived for over a century, possibly even a mythical one. Along with the six other Azhurmas, these Great Wyrm's are the apex predators around here."

"I see . . ." Horizon pondered, contemplating whether he could defeat such a dragon and bond with it. He doubted it with his current stats.

Based on what he recalled with his studies, a Great Wyrm could wreak havoc in Eternia. Defeating something like that was beyond his current capabilities right now.

DRAGONS were extraordinary creatures, as Horizon had studied extensively in the ARK. Even in a world teeming with dangerous magic, wrathful gods, fiendish hellspawn, deadly dungeons, and daring heroes, dragons held a unique and significant place.

Every culture and society told tales of dragons: the furious red dragons that burned nations to the ground, the noble silver dragons that fostered orphaned gnomes, the duplicitous green dragons that seduced celestials. These were just a handful of legendary stories that revealed only a fraction of a dragon's extraordinary potential.

It was wise never to assume one knew everything there was to know about dragons, especially if you were a tasty humanoid looking for trouble.

"What about this U'drutz?" Horizon asked.

Von's serious expression softened into a more relaxed demeanor. "That's where the Amberskins live. It's also where I'm staying currently. The Amberskins are a semi-nomadic tribe, mostly made up of Valernian exiles or those with Valernian ancestry. Many of them escaped or were freed from dragon captivity, managing to carve out a precarious existence in the harsh Drakhan wastelands."

"The Amberskins have a partially occupied settlement at U'drutz, also known as the Cleave — a terraced precipice that forms the natural border of the Catacomb Reaches. The settlement is protected by the fear of other dragon broods, who dare not cross into Nixis' territory. Thanks to that, the Amberskins have managed to survive and remain independent, but they always live under the shadow of the undead Azhurma."

As Von explained, Horizon's map updated, revealing the areas he had crossed before, now mapped out with names and details. The map showed the Catacomb Reaches and the parts that he had already walked.

Eventually, the two of them reached the edge of the Cleave. In a dark spot under an overhanging rock formation, Horizon spotted the entrance to a cave, thanks to the slow-moving, half-hidden Valernian sentries guarding it. The sentries seemed to be watching the base of the cliff and the foggy expanse beyond.

To reach the cave, they had two options: they could follow the winding paths among the rocks along the side of the cliff, which would take time, or they could rappel down with ropes into the hidden cave below.

Reading Horizon's thoughts, Von immediately spoke up, "Don't even think about using ropes. If we fall, it'll be ugly. Let's take the long safe path to reach the cave."

Horizon didn't argue and followed Von down the crags and trails. After half an hour of climbing, they suddenly came across a patrol of seven Nix'udjar dragonkin lying in ambush.

Both groups were equally surprised to encounter each other. The skeletal dragons rattled their teeth to attack, but Horizon moved swiftly, slashing through them before they could attack him. He took down five of them in quick succession, but this time, he only received 2 AP for the five he killed.

Horizon wasn't surprised; he knew that AP depended on both his stats and those of his enemies. Facing weaker foes meant less AP, sometimes none at all.

Two of the skeletal dragons lunged at Von, catching him off guard. Horizon was about to intercept them when a whistling creature zipped past him, targeting the skeletons. It was a bird with bat-like wings and a large glowing orb as its belly.

The creature was too fast for the naked eye, and it quickly pecked at the skeletal dragons, causing them to lose balance, giving Horizon the chance to finish them off.

"Cappy! You came for me!" Von said as the bird perched on his shoulder.

"You went off on your own again," the bird chirped in response.

"Ah, sorry. I just wanted to observed the Red Moon and find a way out. I wasn't planning on staying out there for long. Good thing I did, because I found a friend!" 

"Hm? Eternian?" Cappy asked, looking at Horizon with its hallow eyes. 

Horizon was stunned. "It can talk . . ."

"Right, Horizon, this is Cappy. Cappy, this is Horizon. He's also from Eternia, like us."

"That bird came from Eternia?" Horizon asked, still in shock.

Von nodded with a grin. "Yep, he's my familiar. Cappy has saved me more than once when I ran out of healing potions in some dank dungeon back in Eternia. See this big glowing orb-like tummy of his, it can digest food and spit out healing essence. He's a Caprisoul, and when it comes to Caprisouls, just make sure you keep them fed and watch out for the pointy bit if you don't want to be poked by a needle."

"A glowing Caprisoul is a safe Caprisoul, like I always said," Von continued, "Those ones have fed recently and are still digesting their life force meal. With a long, narrow proboscis capable of finding chinks in most armor, a Caprisoul pierces more than just the body when it attacks; it finds its way into the target's very essence. And shortly after, that essence finds its way into the Caprisoul. Cappy can transfer this life force back to its owner or unleash it in a psyche-devastating ray."

"I-is that so . . ." Horizon stared at Cappy in awe, realizing he was looking at a living, flying healing potion.

"Nice to meet you," Cappy chirped back, its voice as cheerful as its unsettling appearance. With bat-like wings, hollow eyes that seemed to peer into the void, big round glowing orb as its tummy, and a sleek, almost featherless body, the creature exuded an eerie charm. The only splash of color came from its tail, a plume of soft, shimmering blue feathers that seemed out of place on such a strange being. Despite its unsettling appearance, there was something undeniably captivating about the Caprisoul.

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