Erend stepped out of the portal, his boots landing with a heavy thud on the polished stone floor of Saeldir's chamber. The air was cooler here, a stark contrast to the burning battlefield he had just left.
His body still radiated residual heat, the embers of his power simmering beneath his skin. But right now he already undone his scales.
The room was quiet except for the faint clink of porcelain. Eccar sat in one of the chairs near the window, casually sipping his tea, his golden eyes flicking toward Erend without alarm.
"Hey, you're back. What happened there?" Eccar asked.
Erend exhaled sharply, rubbing his face with a hand. "I'm really annoyed 'cause I couldn't finish that bastard there." He rolled his shoulders that still tense from the battle. "What happened to Saeldir and the rest who were already here?"
"Oh, Aurdis and the healer are tending to them," Eccar said, taking another slow sip. "Seems like it was quite troublesome over there."
"Yeah. It's troublesome," Erend muttered, his gaze drifting toward the door. The battle had left him frustrated but more than that, he knows that Laston wasn't done yet.
Something worse was coming.
Erend exhaled through his nose, crossing his arms as he leaned slightly against the wall. His mind was still racing, piecing together the bigger picture.
"What about the metal bird?" he asked.
They'ere still staying there," Eccar replied, swirling the tea in his cup before taking another sip. "I guess Laston still hasn't moved it yet. Waiting for something."
Erend's jaw tightened. That thing hovering above the clouds, hidden just out of reach, was a problem. Laston wouldn't just leave it there for no reason. It meant he wasn't finished, not by a long shot.
"The king still doesn't want us to be involved?" Erend asked after a moment.
"Yes. He still doesn't know that you helped them escape. Saeldir made sure not to say anything," Eccar said.
Erend nodded. Saeldir was always smart. He knew how to play things carefully. The Elf King wouldn't be pleased if he found out Erend had rescued them in secret, but Saeldir had kept that hidden for now. And that was fine. If Erend waited for the king's permission to come to Laston's world, Saeldir, Aerchon, and the rest of the scouts will be dead by now.
Erend sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as the lingering tension from battle slowly faded. He glanced at Eccar's tea, then decided he could use something to steady his mind as well.
He moved to the table, poured himself a cup, and sat beside Eccar. The warmth of the porcelain against his fingers felt grounding.
He took a sip, letting the taste settle on his tongue before leaning back in his chair, finally allowing himself a moment of rest.
"I fought him," Erend began, his voice steady but edged with frustration. "Laston's armor it's not just metal. It's made of some kind of nano-machinery that able to constantly adapting, shifting, and reinforcing itself. And on top of that, it's infused with Magic."
Eccar's gaze darkened slightly as he listened. He don't know what is nano machinery but he knows that having an enemy who has armor that can shift and change is bad.
"He wasn't even using his full power when I fought him. I knew it," Erend continued. "That alone was enough to tear through Aerchon, Saeldir, and the others. I don't know how much destruction he'll cause if he unleashes everything here."
Eccar exhaled, placing his tea down with a soft clink. "Then we need to get the king's permission to fight as well," he said. "If we don't, the Elves are going to suffer. You know that."
Erend nodded. "Yeah, I know. But King Gulben is firm and stubborn. He doesn't want our help. I don't thinks its about pride or anything like that… he just doesn't want his people to owe us even more than they already do."
"That's going to make things difficult," Eccar muttered, tapping a finger against his cup.
Erend took another slow sip of his tea. "Difficult, yeah. But we don't have a choice if the Elf don't want to lose too much soldiers."
The throne room of King Gulben was filled with an air of quiet tension. Seated before the two kings, Saeldir, Arlyn, Sylra, and Vael remained still while being tended by the healers, their expressions serious as they listened to the ongoing discussion.
Aerchon was absent, still recovering from the severe wounds he had suffered.
At the center of attention, Saeldir spoke with a measured tone, his gaze shifting between the two rulers.
"Laston has grown far beyond what we once knew of him, Your Majesty," he said. "His army isn't just made of ordinary metal soldiers. They are crafted using an advanced technique that blends technology from that world with our Magic. These machines aren't like golems or constructs; they can think, adapt, and fight with terrifying efficiency. Laston also have the same weapon wrapped around his body."
King Gulben's expression remained impassive, but there was no mistaking the way his fingers tightened slightly on the armrest of his throne. Across from him, the other king sat in contemplative silence, his gaze sharp.
Saeldir continued, "And for Laston himself, he isn't relying solely on his Magic or his machines. He has harnessed something else and using materials we don't fully understand, but it allows him to enhance his own abilities beyond anything we've faced before. It's as if he's merged his own Magic with this strange force from that world, making himself into something far more dangerous than we anticipated."
"Saeldir is right, Your Majesty. He's no longer just an exile seeking revenge. He's something else entirely."
Arlyn, who had been listening silently, finally spoke. "I don't know if we have the strength to stop him at all."
The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of their words settling over them. Whatever decision the kings made next would determine the fate of their people.