legendseekers catch-up 3-4

Lunerest was going through dark times. The knights were stretched thin across the land, looking for clues about the crisis while their hands were full trying to defend the various settlements. The future looked bleak despite the Queens’ valiant attempts at rallying morale. Reluctantly, most of Lunerest’s population had withdrawn to its capital city, where the knights could focus their efforts on defense. The night was long and deep outside of Moonreach’s defensive barrier, and corrupted creatures frequently tried to batter down its walls. It was now or never – they had to protect the city at any cost.

Soma was glad that his years of combat training had paid off. He could often be seen patrolling Moonreach’s outer fortifications, using his blessed bow to shoot down any approaching adversaries. However, he still had his limits, and his exhaustion allowed a flying snake-like creature to bite him before a fellow knight could drive it away. The Lullay Knights on duty examined his wound – while it was shallow, the creature was venomous, and the healers did not want to risk aggravating his injury. He was ordered to take a break from the front lines, which he reluctantly obeyed, returning to the barracks for a rest.

Still, he was worried. He could not sleep well, and his mind could not find peace as long as the city remained under siege. A few hours of fitful napping later, he got out of bed and tried to make himself useful. Perhaps he could deliver supplies to the front lines… he approached the knights’ canteen, which had been converted into a full-scale potion brewing facility. Once inside, he noticed a fresh batch of moon-energy brews were waiting in a crate nearby. There was no time to waste – he made a beeline towards the crate, but he was beaten to it by a sickly-looking Moxyn with a greatsword strapped to his back.

“Excuse me…?” Soma called out to the other Knight, who turned to look at him. He was startled by the colour of the stranger’s eyes – a depthless black that reflected no light. This knight looked weak; he shouldn’t be pushing himself by carrying heavy crates. “Let me take care of this. You can go and rest.”

“I don’t need to rest.” Azrael growled in a low voice, though he paused mid-sentence upon noticing the prickly tone of his words. He was a blunt person by nature, but he did not want to scold an innocent junior. “... we can carry it. Together.”

“I… yes. Sure thing.” If this was during peacetime, Soma might have taken offense at the lack of respect, but he understood that the crisis frayed every xyn’s nerves to some degree. What mattered the most was getting things done, not bickering over etiquette.

He picked up one of the crate’s carrying straps and waited for Azrael to grasp the other. The two knights set off from the barracks in tandem, balancing the supplies between them. Soma was expecting to have to slow down to match Azrael’s pace, but he was instead surprised by the steady gait and physical strength of the older knight. It seems appearances can be deceiving after all.

The two Moxyns reached the front lines after twenty minutes of brisk walking. They set down the crate in a sheltered spot and began passing out potions to the nearby knights. Many of the xyns sustaining the barrier were evidently fatigued, but their gloomy expressions never failed to bloom into a relieved smile when Soma pressed the potions into their paws. Seeing their renewed vigour gave him a bit more hope that Lunerest would survive the current ordeal.

Once they finished handing out all the potions, they returned to the knight barracks with the empty crate. Soma intended to continue delivering supplies, but Azrael had other plans. Before he could leave, the younger knight called out to him.

“Wait! We haven’t exchanged names yet. I’m Soma.”

Azrael peered at him, taking in the Bowbie hovering at his side and the determination creasing his brow.

“You may call me Azrael. Do not seek me in this realm; I will depart these lands once the moons shine again.”

With that, he seemed to vanish entirely into thin air, leaving Soma to reflect on his cryptic words.