I offered tea to my party to drink while we listen to our guest's story, which they promptly declined leaving me with a pot of tea to myself. I Drinking a cup of tea as we sit across the cage where our guest reside, all of us remained silent as he tell his story and what a story it is indeed.

Even from the beginning of his story I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Being stuck in the void for unknown number of years while saying he is without mana during that duration? Even more ridiculous was that he said he survived an encounter with Prince Reginald who command the elements itself to obliterate his enemies. The story was so absurd that we look at Kurt to see if the man was lying which he answered with a shake of his head.

He then continued to tell his wild tales. He won a duel to the death against Vash the Reaper. Time stops to allow him to escape the hidden stronghold of the rebels led by Prince Arthurius. He then woke up in the middle of the forest and was stranded there for months while fighting wild animals day by day. He then proceeded to tell us that the past few weeks was like a haze and have no recollection on what happened to this point.

After his story, the night has already fell and the forest was wrapped in darkness, save for our lone camp fire. Cloud declared that he was feeling tired so we told him it is ok for him to go to sleep since we are done questioning him. Once he was asleep, our party then all convened around the camp fire to discuss what we found out. Everyone were silent as we try to contemplate the revelation thrown to our faces out of nowhere.

"So, what do you think of the story of our friend here?" Ortho asked the others.

"I don't really know how to react. His story was really ridiculous to be believed. You sure he's not just spouting lies Kurt?" I asked.

"His heart beat was normal for the whole duration of his story. I also don't sense any falsehood in the way he deliver his story. If you doubt my judgement Philip, then I don't have any more to say." Kurt answered.

"Ey, don't say that Kurt. You know we trust ye. It's just, what he told us was kind of mind blowing ye know. Especially the one with Kaizer. Even an army of a hundred thousand couldn't lay a finger on him and he says he killed him? I don't have any ill will with the lad. We spoke earlier, and underneath his scruffy exterior, I sense that he is not a bad kind." Ortho said towards Kurt.

"Sorry if I offended you Kurtis. But just like Ortho said, I was just overwhelmed. No worries. Whether he really did told us the truth or lies, we will find out once we get back to the guild." I answered while apologizing.

I then turned towards Alora and Mark Anthony who were lost in their thoughts and remained silent. "What about you guys. Any insight to share?" My inquiry was answered by silence. Alora being silent I could understand for she keep to herself most of the time. But seeing Mark not jumping in excitement and pester Cloud nonstop for more information after hearing such revelation was disconcerting.

"Hey Mark. Are you ok?" I asked him.

He didn't respond so I place my hand on his shoulder. My action startled him and he answered. "No, no, nothing wrong. I am just… Thinking… hmmm…" He paused before continuing. "But I am ok. No need to worry. What are we talking about?"

Before I could answer, Alora suddenly stood from her seat and grabbed her bow and quiver. "Hey, where are you going Alora? The meeting is not yet done yet." I shouted at her.

"I don't have anything to add to the discussion so instead of sitting around and arguing if what we heard has truth in it, I will just go and patrol our surroundings." She answered.

"You just finished patrolling around our camp. I say your shift is over. Just take a rest for a while and let me be our sentry for the night." I offered.

She just scoffed at me. "You humans don't have night vision. So it is fit that I be on guard duty. That way, the dwarf would shut up about seeing figures watching him while he relieves himself in this sacred forest."

"Hey now ELF. Are you implying that I lie? That I didn't saw what I saw? That the figures that I saw and heard while I poop was just my imagination? Why on earth would I lie about that?" Ortho declared. Visibly annoyed by Alora's remark.

Before it escalates I quickly interjected. "We are not saying that you lie Ortho. We are taking what you told us seriously. That is why we started to send Alora to scout our surroundings yesterday."

"Or maybe you just screamed because you got startled by a squirrel and just couldn't admit it. That is nothing to be embarrassed about. We are all friends here." Grinning from ear to ear, Mark teased Ortho which earned him a sharp look from his friend.

I have to intervene before the meeting will devolve into the two bickering nonstop once more. After Ortho calmed down, I find that Alora was nowhere to be seen.

"She left when you are trying to pacify Ortho." Kurt answered my unspoken question.

"Why didn't you stop her? She was already tired from two days of scouting. I should relieve her so she could rest." I told Kurt.

He just stared at me calmly and replied. "I know that you are concerned about her Philip. But don't let your feelings affect your decisions. Alora was right. Just as it is your duty to defend our back line in a fight as a knight, Alora is our ranger and it falls to her to scout around our camp and make sure we don't get ambushed." He threw another piece of wood to the fire. He gestured to the dark forest around us before he resumed. "Specially now, that we are in the Elven Forest. Based on what we heard from Cloud's story it seems that the animals attack him, drawn by the malevolent energy his body expelled ever since he woke up in the middle of the forest. Even though we haven't been attacked yet, we could not afford to lower our guard."

"Yeah, I know. It is just, she haven't slept for two days straight now." Poor Alora. That's it. Tomorrow I will relieve her of her scout duty from morning till afternoon. I would ask Ortho to make a cart and attach it behind the cage where she could rest her exhausted body.

Noticing the silence. My attention went back to Mark Anthony when I find him staring at the fire in silence once again. I can see that he lied when he said he was all right based on the troubled look on his face. "Mark. I know that something is troubling you. I can see it in your face. Always know that we are all friends here. You can tell us everything and we will help you if we can."

Mark just smiled. He was hesitating at first but after a few goading he finally relented. "It's just, you know that I chase for knowledge as much as the other mages before me. I want to learn every secrets the world could offer if possible. But if there is a subject that I want to avoid. It is about the Void. You know the rumors about people who chose to study it right?"

The Void. There is so much mystery surrounding the Void. No one knows when its' existence was discovered or the name of the one who discovered it. Although not much is known about it, it is common knowledge among high society, scholars and mages that the subject about the Void was taboo. It is not because studying it by itself is taboo, instead all of the ones who are known to study it was found missing. Never to be seen again. The study of the Void was banned when several of the high ranking mages of the Mage's college suddenly vanished. Even all of their notes and books on the subject gone without the trace.

"Are you afraid you would go missing too you idiot? Don't worry, I am on the edge of completing the invention I was making." Ortho brought out a collar and an orb with a needle inside. "When I succeed, I can get your mana imprint in this here collar and this orb. Once both the collar and the orb got your mana imprint, they will synchronize allowing this needle here to always point towards the direction of the collar. If you help me by donating some money in developing this wonderful device, I would give a set to you with a 5% discount."

Here he goes again. "Pray tell us how much do you need to finish your invention?"

"To complete my masterpiece, I would need… 10,000 gold pieces. Ye know, for materials and research and development cost. Not mentioning it being made by no other than the greatest inventor in Astera." Ortho puffed his chest.

"So it will be made by Duna then." Mark answered, earning a glower once more from the irate Ortho. He is proud of his works and hated his former friend, now sworn enemy Duna who then was his assistant. The story of Duna's betrayal by stealing the blueprints of his invention and patenting it for his own was told over and over by Ortho when he was drunk. Worst was when he stole the blueprint of his greatest invention, the element rifle. It is a portable version of the dwarven cannons that shoots elemental projectiles based on what Mananite crystal is in its' socket that travels faster than arrows.

"Ye do know how to push my buttons eh? Go on then. When you get abducted and we could have found you if only this device was completed, then you will taste the bitter taste of regret." Ortho was grumbling to himself as he puts the collar and crystal back to his backpack.

"Don't worry about me. I don't intent to study further on this subject. I haven't learned all the things there is to know about the world yet. I don't have interest in studying the Void just yet." Mark answered.

"Since you are not interested in studying void related matters, then may I have the other gauntlet of our friend here? You know. Since you won't need it." Ortho said. I remember both of them acquired Cloud's gauntlet after he passed out from fighting Kurt.

"No way. You already have one. Even if I don't intend to study the Void right now doesn't mean I won't, once I unravel the mysteries of the world." Mark tried to look dismissive but I know that deep within him, he truly wanted to know more about the Void, especially when someone who claims to be trapped within it for what he describes as thousands of years is just a few meters away.

"With your race's low lifespan and your lower intelligence, I doubt it." Ortho mockingly said, no doubt in revenge of Mark's jab at him.

"Stop with the childish banter you two." I admonished them before they start throwing insults at one another and we would not be able to go further with our discussion. "We can stop talking about the Void now. What I really want to know is about the malevolent energy that his body released during his fight with Kurt."

"That energy is quite disturbing indeed. I felt my Ki getting drained just by being near him." Kurt answered.

"Based from what he said, he doesn't know what it is or why his body is releasing it. One thing is for sure, it absorbs the life out of living being for a certain radius, evident by Kurt's experience and the trail of dead trees and plants in his wake." Ortho declared. "I can feel the same energy coming out of the Mananite crystal in his gauntlet. The crystal looks like a low grade but when I hold it, its' capacity is no doubt at least a high grade. How fascinating." He mused to himself while scratching his beard. "He mentioned that it was depleted in his fight with the Reaper but when we found him, the crystal was overflowing with the same energy." He then brought out a note of his own and started writing. I can barely hear him grumbling on how he can use this to improve the rate of which a Mananite crystal can recharge its energy once drained.

There goes Ortho. We probably won't be able to talk to him while he is like that. So I turned to the other genius in our party. "How about you Mark? Any thoughts?"

"I have a hypothesis. Although I don't think I should share it with the both of you." He answered while staring at the fire.

"Come on. Out with it. I want to know what we are up against." I quickly asked once more before he too was lost in his thoughts.

"Okay. But remember. This is only a guess. I haven't tried any test or would even try it for the unforeseeable future." Both Kurt and I nodded in agreement. Mark exhaled in response before revealing his thoughts. "It must be energy from the void."

Both Kurt and I looked at each other in confusion. How can that be? From what little we know about the Void was it was void of energy, both mana and life energy, that is why it was named the void.

"Wipe those stupid looks on your face and listen. I know that it is believed that the Void was just an empty space, without the presence of mana and Ki. Cloud's account of his experience while trapped inside also solidifies it. But before you try to discount its possibility, let us recognize the fact that he was able to last a thousand years without dying of old age while Kaizer, with his godly amount of mana was barely hanging on when they met. It must be because the void was absorbing mana and life energy from him." Mark explained.

"How does that relate to Cloud's energy?" I asked.

"That is the good part." He seemed back to his excited self as he share his thoughts. "You are aware that a persons' mana tend to be aligned to the dominant element where he was conceived. This is due to the belief that a newly conceived child's mana was like a blank canvas and the ambient mana in the environment is the paint making him more attuned to the element abundant in the area."

"So are you telling me that Cloud absorbed the energy of the Void that is why his energy is unlike any that we have encountered before? How can that be? He is already a grown man. The scenario you describe earlier only applies to newly conceive child up to their birth. Attuning to energy much different from your base element is impossible especially to a middle aged man." How could that even be possible? Even if it is, the void is devoid of all energy so it makes it even more impossible.

"I don't know. Maybe he is the exception. I really can't say. That is why I told you that this is only a guess." Mark looks annoyed as he answer.

"Let's stop talking about the void. Also this discussion is going nowhere since we don't even know if he is indeed speaking the truth or had his memory altered when Kaizer used mind magic against him." I stated.

Kurt seem to agree with me and said. "Agreed. Let us go and rest. Things will become clear once we turn him over to the guild for further investigation."

Seeing Mark is no longer listening to us and was also lost in his own mind just like Ortho, Kurt and I just leave them be. Kurt proceeded to go to his tent and went to sleep while I gaze to the darkness of the forest. Where is Alora now I wonder? I hope she come back soon.

As I enter my tent, I couldn't help but curse the one who caused my beloved to roam in these dark forest. Damn Ortho imagining figures peeping on him. As if someone has the stomach to watch him while he is taking a dump. Because of him Alora is out there, scouting, alone in the dark. I truly hope I could accompany her but Kurt was right. Since I don't have night vision I would just end up stumbling in the dark. I am sure Ortho have a device that would allow me to see in the dark but he would sooner electrocute me before he lets me borrow it.

I look at the dwarf still in the middle of writing something in his notes. Oh well. I can't really blame him. At least we are alert right now. Just like what my mentor always tell me that it is better to err in the side of caution, we too should stay alert as long as we have not accomplished our mission.

Maybe I would spar with Kurt early next morning before Alora returns from her scouting mission. Just to shake up some rust. After all I haven't fought for almost a week now. A practice would be good to stay in fighting shape. I just hope he doesn't kick my ass too much. Especially not in front of Alora.

Once more I gaze into the darkness in hopes to catch a glimpse of my beloved. I think I saw a figure moving in the dark but when I tried to look carefully it was gone. Is it Alora or just my eyes tricking me?

I put it out of my mind and went inside my tent. It must be Alora. There is no one in the guild who could get past her detection so as long as she is on sentry duty, it is safe. I then proceeded to fall asleep for tomorrow I am determined to be on watch while my princess get some well-deserved rest when she comes back.