Age of Heroes

The wind blows his white hair as he walked alongside the beach. Beside him a woman can be seen supporting him to walk. 

The sea birds fly in the middle of the blue oceans, and sometimes the waves would gently reach them.

'Is it better?' the woman asked.

'It is better than yesterday.' The man said smiling. For these past few weeks Ana has helped him in his recovery. 

He promised her that one day he would help her. She only scoffed at him. After all, the man was stranded in a strange land. 

How could he think to help her when he himself is in dire straits? She mused. But she accepts Arial kind intention. 

If only she knew that Arial is an Emperor and his ship is searching for him now she wouldn't think that Arial helping her is a preposterous idea.

Arial is looking at the ocean waves, and then he closes his eyes and take a deep breath.

Looking at the ocean he is reminded of that voice. Rhyssa? Could it be she was on the ship? 

What was she doing there? 

In a way Arial is worried about Rhyssa too. He recognizes that voice. He recognizes that eyes. That beautiful pair of eyes.

And he finally realizes why that spear that the person was holding seems so familiar. It must be the White Spear of the famed Empress.

I hope she turn back the ship and return to the Human Continent. Rhyssa is after all is his fiancé now. 

And, Arial admit, that eyes….still haunt him. She has an unparalleled beauty. It is not an exaggeration to call her the beauty of the ages, like Leliana the Divine Archer.

Arial heart is of course waver seeing her there. How could it not be? How could he not understand now? 

Rhyssa like him enough to follow him. And he also understands something about himself when he looks at her.

People said, love between nobles has to be cultivated before marriage. And Arial believed that. 

It isn't until his marriage with Helia did he feel true love towards her wife. She was always patient with him. 

But…..he felt what it was like to fall in love... at first sight….when he sees Rhysa. He never felt that with Helia or Velamina. 

But he felt that when he saw Rhysa that day. That day, when she enters the ball, looking like a goddess descended from the heavenly realm and graced the mortals with her beauty.

How could he deny the connection he feels with her? How could he deny the attraction his heart feels for her. 

The yearning, a primal instinct to have something so pure and beautiful.

It's not a love born out of friendship, or familiarity, or lust…it was love at first sight. It had no reason. 

Arial had no reason to love her, but he did. Without reason. 

Even when he didn't want it, his heart couldn't help but go out to her, yearning, begging to be loved….afraid to shatter her, to damage her….even when he knows that the Empress is not a fragile woman.

He was afraid. Afraid of putting his heart on the line….to be broken again. But now…she has endangered her life for him.

Novus Gaia is not a land as simple as Arial thought. There is more danger here than he thought before. 

The information for Novus Gaia was little and now that he is here, he truly knows how little he knows about the land of shadows.

Even Ana could not help him much on the knowledge of these strange land. 

Ana told him a few days ago, that she lives in a walled city called Ragora or more affectionately called by the inhabitants, the Bastion. 

Ana said that before her sister fetches her, she didn't know that there are other cities or that the tribes still thrive. 

But strangely the people of other lands have always known that the Thirteen Tribes survived. 

After all isn't Renasia mountain men are from the descendant of the Thirteen Tribes?

Even Asteros knows that the thirteen tribes is still alive, so does Vorthy, so does Ariundus. So why Ana who live in Novus Gaia didn't know that the tribes still thrive? 

The manipulation of information. This is what Arial has concluded. However for what reason would they hide this information? 

What gain they could possibly have?

Ragora is said as the last city of human kind in Novus Gaia. But that is certainly not true. 

Is there a reason why the ruling class of Ragora hides the truth from the people of Ragora? And if they did, they must be brutal indeed in their methods. 

After all Arial knows how hard it is to stop a man from spreading rumors. 

If only one man spread a rumor about the existence of the tribes, then by the evening the entire city would know. 

Arial knows because this is how his reputation is spread all across the continent and the dark lands. 

They are still song about him defeating the Orcs in the Orc Civil War that paints him as the possessed Horned God himself.

The ruling class of Ragora must have systematically annihilate and destroy anyone with even a shred of information about the outside world. 

Then it comes to question how this weak little girl escaped such fates? The answer is simple.

Then, it must have been her younger sister which Ana could not stop talking about. What does that means? 

It means that whoever Ana sister was, she is also an expert.

There are too many things he does not know right now. Too little information, only questions. 

'What are you thinking about Arial?'

'Hmm?'

'I said what are you thinking about?' Ana asked again.

'Nothing.'

'Nothing huh?' They keep walking. 

'How long are we going to walk?' Arial asked, clearly annoyed that he has to keep walking.

His legs are sore, his body is exhausted…and he doesn't like it. It is…unfamiliar…to be so helpless. 

All these years, he was blessed with great power, his body healing properties bordering on divine miracles and things he takes for granted like being tired, sweating or soreness has long been forgotten.

This is the first time since a long time that he felt all these….human limit. He felt what it was like…to be mortal men. 

He is not divine…Arial knows this. 

But he is not quite mortal either. The Dragon heart protects him from old age, from sickness or fatigue.

Tatiana shakes her head. Arial look so refined and powerful but he likes to whine like a little kid.

'This is all to make your body get some exercise, Arial. It will help the blood in your body circulates better.'

'This is aimless walking.' Arial said, clearly he felt this was unnecessary. Ana chuckles. 

'You are whiny.' She said.

'Am I?' Arial said, shocked. This is the first time he has ever been called…whiny. He has been called many things. 

Dragon. Conqueror. The Devil. And many more. But whiny? This is certainly the first time.

'You are.' Tatiana smiling, while chuckling looking at Arial expression.

For a moment they just look at each other, and as the wave strikes the shore they avert both of their gazes.

Tatiana blushed. Arial smirked.

Then Arial asked.

'When will you leave the cave?'

'When its time' Ana replies

'Are you trying to be cryptic, Ana?'

'No.'

'Then?' 

'I'm waiting' she said

'Waiting for what exactly?' Arial asked

'A sign from my sister.' She replies

'What sign?' Arial asked again 

'You know, you have too many question.' She said, clearly feeling like she is being interrogated. 

'That's because I don't get many answers.' Arial reply smirking

Then Arial shut up for a while. They walked again on the beach in silence. Only the lapping of the waves and the sound of the birds fill their walk.

And then Arial asked again

'What sign?' Ana sighed and answer

'I will just know.'

'What if your sister lied? What if she is leaving you right now, because you are a burden? What if that was the case?'

'She won't' Ana said frowning 

'But what if she did?' Arial insisted

'She won't! Do you have such little faith in humanity? You always assume the worse of people.' Ana said slightly frustrated with Arial. 

A week with him, and Ana already knows that this young man called Arial has many secret and a very private person. 

'I do not!' Arial said denying

'You try to kill me the moment you laid your eyes on me.' Is her argument

'Alright point taken. But that maybe because people keep disappointing me.' Ana then look at Arial, there is pity in her eyes.

'You are hurt aren't you?'

'You know I'm hurt.' Arial stares at Ana weirdly and he sees the look of pity in her eyes…and that it was directed at him.

She pities me?

'I don't mean physically.' And she pointed at his heart.

'You..' Arial said as he was…lost for words.

'What is it? A broken heart or- 'and Arial face turned rigid.

'A broken heart it is.' Ana said clearly she did not miss that subtle sign.

Arial just keep his silence. Ana just keep walking supporting Arial shoulder. They did not talk again. Both people are lost in their own thoughts.

Then after dozens of steps Arial asked, almost like a whisper.

'You won't ask anything?' Arial ask suddenly

She shakes her head.

'Why?' Arial asked

'It's your sorrows.' She replies

'That's cold of you.'

'Nothing that I could say could heal you. Healing broken bones, erasing scars is easy. We can see it. We can touch it. Rub some salve, concoct some medicines and it will be alright. Inside? Healing the heart? Not that easy. I'm not a healer of the heart. Healing of the heart begins with oneself.'

'That's profound.' Arial said nodding.

'I read it in a book.' And they walked again along the beach. A man and woman, walking along the beach with one supporting the other.

Looking from afar it looks like a couple unaffected by the world, riding through the unceasing motion of the world.

'What do you think of me Ana?' Arial asked as they are reaching the cave.

Ana look at Arial and she stopped. And she said it to Arial…looking straight at his eyes.

'Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad. You are a sad man. You trust no one. You can't accept help from anyone. You can't be vulnerable even for a second, guarding yourselves very single moment of your life….from pain perhaps if I have to guess. Hiding in your own world. You are…..damaged' and she stopped her words. And she guided Arial inside the cave and lay him down.

'Is that what you think of me? Damaged?' Arial said as he is lying down on his bed of hay.

'That is what I know of you. We've been here for weeks. You tell me the stories of your land, your people, your culture and I have told you mine. Yet, you never once told me about yourselves. All I know about you is your name. And all you know about me is my name. You are afraid of creating bonds….because you don't think it will last.' 

'What are you? A seer?'

'No. Just an observant woman.' She said.

'I was a recruit in Ragora. One of the first things they teach us is to judge a person. I was not good in combat nor am I capable in magic. But I am a good judge of character.'

'And you think you are correct in this?'

'I don't know. You tell me. Am I correct? Am I wrong?'

Arial was about to deny it but he couldn't. Because in a way, she was right. Ana look at him and smiles.

'Just as I thought. Now rest. We'll do it again tomorrow.'

'More aimless walking.' Arial groaned 

'Exercise.��

Arial smiles a little when suddenly his senses pick up on something. After his breakthrough, his senses have become more sensitive. 

Something that is very fast is approaching the entrance of the cave.

What is it? He wondered.

Since he can't move too much, and his body is a wreck, every movement could give him pain. 

he is worried whether this is a bandit or some beast that is nearing the cave.

He couldn't protect Ana right now, let alone himself.

He quickly alerted Ana.

'Ana, there is something fast approaching us! Beware' Arial spread his sense again and his heart sank.

'It is outside the cave!' Ana quickly unsheathe her dagger and stand at ready, looking at the entrance of the cave.

She didn't notice anything unusual when she entered before. What could possibly be there? 

A beast? Bandits? 

Her line of thoughts coincides with Arial. But if she knew that this thing, whatever it is, was approaching this cave with lightning speed, Ana might have not been so calm right now.

Arial understand the graveness of this situation. 

He just hopes that this is not a foe. He tries to concentrate his internal energy but the lightning roars inside him, refusing him access to his pool of energy. 

It crackles in his dantian, like a thunderstorm in a vast sea.

Arial bit his lips in frustration. If he forces it, his body will be wrecked with energy deviations.

But he will risk it if the thing that is coming to this cave is a foe determined to make trouble for him and Ana.

Then as Arial look at the entrance of the cave, and he could see a large shadow approaching from the side. 

And then a gigantic sharp claw appeared. Slowly, the thing that was coming to them comes in their views.

A furry creature with vicious eyes in looking at Arial and Ana. It was large. Arial look at it and he recognize the beast.

It is a wolf.

It was the largest wolf Arial has ever seen. It is even large than a horse. And the wolf looking at Ana, howls and its howl reverberated across the cave. 

It was standing looking at them with dignity. The wolf is sniffing the smell in the cave. Ana was trembling. 

This was her first time encountering such beast.

Even when she was a recruit she only heard stories in the tavern about the beast that roam the land.

This is the first time she ever see one, and it was a large creature

Arial on the other hand is weak at that moment. If he is at full power, he didn't think this wolf would possess any advantage over him. 

He has begun circulating his energy when suddenly even before Arial had manage to summon up the energy to his body the wolf lunge towards Ana.

Arial yelled in helplessness.

'NO!!!'

*********************************