Before the Throne

At'tok Krosfah was a monster of a man, standing over 8 feet tall and built like three of the world's strongest men were smashed together into one. He had dark green skin and wore a thick hide that must have come from a hunt he did back on the Veldan home world.

The makeshift throne he sat atop was crafted from monsters that you'd find all around this first season. The only monster parts that I did not see as part of the throne were the boss monster parts. Several Veldans, all dressed as seasoned warriors and equipped with warhammers and shields, stood at attention by At'tok's side. A single wooden table stood to the side of the room, with a chest sitting in the center of it.

I bowed my head. "At'tok Krosfah, leader of the Stormhammer Legion. I, Ronan Wilde of the humans, greet you."

"You may raise your head. You do not need to show such respect here, as you are an honored warrior." At'tok raised an eyebrow. "And I've been told that you've bested my daughter. None of her peers have been capable of such a feat. How many years are you, Ronan?"

I smiled. "I am 19 years."

At'tok grinned. "The same as my daughter! If it were not for…" He then gestured wide as he looked around. "…this competition, perhaps I would have proposed a union."

I blushed, knowing what he meant by that. The Veldans valued strength, and given the fact that his daughter had yet to be bested by any other honorable warrior among her peers, there wasn't a suitable mate for her. Although she was a beautiful woman, she was a different species altogether, not to mention she was a whole foot taller than I was. A brief future with her flashed before my eyes for a second, and I quickly shook myself out of it.

"I'm flattered." I quickly tried to change the subject. "I wanted to thank you for protecting me and my friend while I was unconscious."

"It wasn't without reason. It was in return for your warning given to my daughter. If it weren't for you, she may have been less cautious and had lost her life." He turned and looked at another Veldan and nodded. That Veldan motioned to the others in the room, and they all exited the tent.

I had been so distracted that it was just now that I noticed my weapon was not with me. I had access to my inventory, but there was nothing helpful inside that I could use to defend myself. At'tok was a Veldan, and I knew that he valued tradition above all, but a 100,000-point bounty would be very tempting when one's people were on the line.

He stood up from his throne and towered over me. I stood my ground and looked up to him. In my heart, I knew I would not be able to defeat this man. When it came to powerhouses in the first season, At'tok was second to none. Even with every advantage that I had taken so far in the first season, which had been many, At'tok had been through countless battles and hunts on his home world.

At'tok was a seasoned veteran who had attained power enough for him to fight in the third season right from the start. The only reason he and his people lost was because they had so much conflict with the Alorae in my past life. The Alorae also used dark magic and received unique sponsors and classes that allowed them to become a thorn in At'tok's side up until the very end.

What happened to cause such hostility between the Veldans and the Alorae?

At'tok furrowed his brow as he looked down at me. "Ronan, my daughter tells me that you are an oracle. Is this true?"

I nodded. It was better than explaining the truth to him, as it might give him a real reason to kill me. I can't let everyone know that I have so much knowledge of what is coming up. I also couldn't just let At'tok know that his people lost the first season in my past. "Yes, I am an oracle."

At'tok looked down at me, as if he were trying to peek into my very soul. Once satisfied, he stepped over to the table where the chest was and opened it up. He pulled out the head of a male Alorae and held it out for me to see.

"Do you know who this is and why he was after my daughter?"

The face had handsome masculine features, the skin was fair, and the hair was long and silky. I recognized the head immediately, but I could not remember the name. What I did know was that the head belonged to one of the members of the Alorae Shadow Council. He was one of the men they sent to kidnap or assassinate high-value targets.

I knew of him because he kidnapped a well-known human with a barrier class sometime during the second month of the first season in my past. Apparently, barrier classes were rare, and they ended up using her as a puppet in their war against the Veldans. Her name was Veronica West, a famous reporter who got caught up in this mess.

I closed my eyes to give the appearance of activating a skill. "I don't know who he is, but I know what he does. He is sent by the Alorae Shadow Council to kidnap or assassinate high-value targets." I opened my eyes and made an educated guess. "He was after your daughter."

At'tok smiled. "Yes, but he's no longer a threat. He was strong, but no match for me. Tell me, Ronan, could you defeat a man like this?"

I nodded. "Yes, if he's as strong as my visions tell me, I would not have any issues with defeating someone like him."

"Good. I would like to propose a deal, one of mutual benefit."

I looked confused. "What kind of deal do you have in mind?"

"The Alorae forces are after you; they have constantly tried to send scouts into Veldan territory to find you. We have managed to keep you safe and would have no problem continuing to do so if you desired to stay among us. I expect that you have plans and the desire to leave and accomplish other goals."

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what At'tok was going to say next. "Yes, I do have plans that I need to attend to."

"I am a man of influence among my people; there's only so far I can go when it comes to my own personal affairs..."