The seven individuals walked up to the center from the enemy's side. The first of these was King Veynar Molokh of Molowisk, a heavyset man with soft features that were on clear display, showing his years of living in indulgence.

By now, Fay and the rest knew that the king was fat and loved to wear the best of clothes, rumors they heard from those that used to live in his city.

Even now, in this meeting, he wore silk robes of the finest caliber, lined with layers of gold embroidery and adorned with jewels that reflected the light.

He looked a little drunk. Nahrin could smell the scent of wine on the man as he moved with the air of someone who believed comfort was his birthright a man who had lived his life to its fullest at the expense of not only his people but also the slaves he had forcefully taken.

Beside him were two of his commanders, forgettable men in Fay's eyes, for he hated the king and all those who followed him. His attention shifted instead to the next figure.

Fay did not know the man's name, but that was easy to find out. As Fay stared at him, the man raised his voice.

"I guess introductions are in order… I am General Arvos Drelthane of the Veylor Dominion. We come at the aid of King Veynar Molokh in hope of your quick surrender. We pray this ends fast and hope you quit before we bring forth the real fight. That is all."

Mirage huffed, sending a puff of haze forward, making the general step back a few paces to avoid the white fog-like substance.

Fay smirked at the sight. The tall, armor-clad general, with a face scarred from countless battles, showed wariness toward his dragon. Still, Fay could not take the man lightly. His short gray hair and the many dents and scratches on his weathered armor spoke of decades of hard fighting.

At last, the final figure of the group stepped forward. Her movements were measured, each one deliberate, as though even this simple approach had been rehearsed many times before.

She extended her hand, and the one she offered it to was Fay.

"It isn't every day I see a young boy with so much power… I can feel four elements within you, four different beasts… I might even sense another. Never have I seen such a strong soul before. But I am sad to say this coming fight is not something we can so easily stop with mere words. So try hard, kid. I can already see this will not be as simple as we first thought… I even see signs of an ancient blood pact. So this truly isn't what we came for, yet the expense is already upon us. Anyway, I am Marshal Kevara Valcyne of Solmere City."

Fay felt something different about this person. Her aura was not brute strength like the general's, yet it seemed more dangerous in its own way.

Intelligence was clearly seen behind her red eyes. Her gaze calculating every person within both groups.

Her red hair and the scorched edges of her armor gave Fay the impression she wielded a fire creature, likely one not easy to control, but powerful nonetheless. She appeared to be around thirty, perhaps the same age as the king of Molowisk, yet she carried herself in a very different manner, more refined.

Her ears were sharp like Elaruîn's, though shorter. Unlike the general's battered plate, her armor was polished to perfection, gleaming in gold, silver, and red. Only her cape and a few leather straps bore burn marks, scars of battles past.

"I am Fay," he answered firmly. "I will only say this once. This is our home now, and that includes the slaves and my own people from Earth, the Ravari, and the Eluwyn. You have one option: leave us be, or we will begin taking more cities. I'm certain I'll find more slaves and more of my people in them, and that is something I will not overlook. So choose wisely."

King Veynar's hand trembled as though Fay had cursed his entire family.

"You think you have a say in this, boy? I stand here with a fifty-thousand-strong alliance, ready to take back my kingdom. It is better for you to leave now leave my palace, with all the riches you stole. You have until mid-day to think this over before the real fight begins."

He tugged at his robe as he turned away, unwilling to linger a second more. He knew who Mirage was, and what she was capable of, and wanted no part of standing too close to her for fear she might end him in an instant.

"Well… the man has given the time we begin," General Arvos said with a rough laugh. "I hope you stay, though. I wouldn't mind taking a few of those Ravari or Eluwyn for ourselves…"

He turned to leave, but Nahrin's low, guttural growl rumbled across the field, loud enough to stop the general from glancing back.

The only one who lingered a little longer was Marshal Kevara of Solmere. She smiled as she studied Fay's team, their unwavering determination clear for all to see.

"It seems you won't leave… but intend to fight. I can't say which of us is crazier, especially when I see your beast… Ravari. That is a fine fire creature, one my Valcyne family would have been proud to claim. Sadly, it seems we are destined to fight. But know this I will not hold animosity for what happens when this ends. If you win, I will even help you."

The woman gave a quick wink before turning back toward her camp. Beside her walked two knights in full armor, their faces hidden behind visors, every part of them covered in polished steel.

"Too bad they didn't send anyone from the Calvesset Kingdom," Elaruîn muttered with a sigh. He had hoped to speak with them, perhaps sway them to their side. "They must have known we would try to buy them off. A shame…"

"It won't matter much. They'll be dealt with like the rest," Mirage replied coolly. She breathed a ball of fog into her palm, condensing it until the air around her shimmered faintly. The others watched in silence as the cloud grew dense, swirling like a captured storm.

"So then… which one should we take out first?" Mirage asked, her tone light, though her eyes were sharp. "I don't think I can wait until midday. It would only mean I'll need to devour more aether crystals to stay at my peak."

Her gaze turned at last toward the camp of General Arvos Drelthane ,the Veylor Dominion.

"Guess we can start with them… you should all return now. I'll be there in a few seconds. Let me just start this fun-filled day."

Mirage's words made everyone retreat faster than usual. Fay climbed onto Grin, with the others quickly following, while Horin joined her father atop his sabertooth. Only Mirage remained behind.

She continued condensing the fog into a tight sphere before hurling it into the camp of the Veylor Dominion. A heartbeat later, a thick white cloud burst like a bomb across their ranks. Silence fell within the camp, eerie and sudden, while those outside its range bolted in panic, running as though they had seen death itself.

Mirage stood unmoving, her gaze locked on the cloud. Even from a distance, it was clear she still held control, manipulating the fog with effortless precision.

Fay, however, sensed more. The surge of power radiating from the fog was unmistakable. He realized it wasn't only a weapon, it was restoring the little aether he had already spent.

"What is she doing, Fay… and why are they running?" someone asked, their voice tight with unease.

Fay thought back to how Mirage had fought before, trying to piece together an explanation, all while straining to see through the thick wall of fog spreading across the enemy camp as they stood in the tall walls.

"She is… killing off a good part of that army. I can feel at least a few hundred have already died in that attack, both summoned creatures and humans."

Everyone either gulped or cast uneasy looks at the dragon. Mirage herself seemed unbothered, calmly absorbing aether as though nothing were out of the ordinary. When she finally finished, the fog dissipated, and she shifted into her smaller dragon form before gliding over the wall toward Fay's group.

"That was quite tasty. A good start, I believe. Now, let's see how they react… hopefully they'll get angry and begin sending their strongest. I didn't want to start off too strong; otherwise, they might not summon their best creatures for me to devour."

No one knew how to respond, except Fay, who understood this was now the beginning of the battle.

"At least warn us before you act like that again," he said with a sigh. "What if they had rushed us in a crazed attack before we were ready to fight?"

His eyes shifted back toward the battlefield. It was just as Mirage predicted, the Veylor Dominion was already preparing to start the war.

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