"What are you doing Loria?" Carius demanded, his tone stern and firm, as he stood up and walked to Loria
Loria, the girl who interjected Elias and Carius' conversation was a girl of at least twenty years, her hair was braided and coiled at the back of her head.
Her eyes were a clear deep blue, she wore a serviceable dress that was dyed a modest shade of brown, a leather belt cinched her waist, making her natural curves more prominent, while her hips had a gentle flare that gave her a modest yet elegant silhouette.
"Look at him, the way he is dressed. He may not be a noble, but I'm sure he is someone very important. Not just anyone can afford to look like that" She whispered into Carius' ear
"So what, you're going to suggest to him your solution, hmm? Remember we already tried that, and that was how Father got killed.
Let it go, what we need is for someone like us to sit on the throne and maybe give them a taste of their own medicine while they're at it" Carius' whispered back in a frank tone, causing Loria to back down meekly, a look of sadness rose to her face as the memories of the tragic event Carius spoke about came flooding back to her.
"She's right you know, while I am not a noble, I am someone very important to not just Eldoria, but the entire world" Elias who had been listening in on their conversation with Perception chipped in
"What? How did you hear what we were talking about?" Loria asked, a shocked expression on her face
Carius' brow furrowed deeply as he stared at Elias, "He's a mage" Carius announced
The entire room was instantly filled with murmurs, people began shifting further away from Elias, their fear was evident.
Mages weren't ordinary people, in the eyes of the common folk, they were demi-gods capable of moving the earth to their will, causing tempests out of thin air, they had these abilities that people only dream of.
And as they were special, were they few in numbers, only two percent of people who pass through the academy successfully graduate to become mages. It was apparent why the flares were shocked.
"Yes, I am." Elias concurred
"Makes you even more suspicious, what is a mage doing in such a part of town? The king sent you to finish us off?" Carius pressed
Elias rolled his eyes in frustration, "As I said earlier, I am trying to help you. You can trust me" Elias said
"Trust? Why? You aren't a flare, and we don't know you. I have a grasp on what every person of importance in this kingdom looks like and you who claim to be important, I cannot identify"
"How can we be sure of what you say," Loria asked
"In a few days, you will believe. Now please tell me your plan that failed, maybe with me as a spear bearer, we can succeed this time"
"Brother, I don't know why, but I feel like we can trust him," Loria said to Carius
"No! No! Remember what the–"
"[Barrier Ward], [Ward of Silence]" Elias spoke and Carius was covered in a dome, and all his words became inaudible, even the sound of his fist banging against the barrier was not heard
"Speak, don't worry your brother is safe. Tell me about your plans" Elias asked, with a warm smile.
Loria's eyes glanced over from Elias' face to her brother and then back to Elias, "Th...There is a crystal, known to be found only in a cave in the Highlands, that crystal functions the same way as the collars, but without the side effects" she said
Elias raised a brow, "Then why isn't everyone wearing it instead of the collars?" He asked
"Because the entrance to the cave is guarded by a beast, not just any beast, a magical creature rumored to be as big as the mountain in which the cave dwells.
To get a piece of the crystal, my father and others barely escaped with their lives." She paused and a visible wave of sadness washed across her face
"You see, my father understood the threat of the spontaneity we as flares pose to those around us, but he didn't like the idea of the collars, so he took the crystal to the king and proposed that the king send a group of warriors and mages to exterminate the beast and begin mining the crystal.
Instead, the king had my father thrown in the cell for breaking the law of not wearing a collar....he died in that cell. The king would rather enslave a significant amount of people than make an effort to satiate their request, a slothful king" She narrated, her voice filled with rage and sadness as she held back tears.
'What a man you are...Alaric'
Elias canceled his spells, releasing an angry Carius, "So your plan is to propose the same thing your father did the last time?"
"Doesn't make sense, does it?" Carius chipped in, "What we need is a new leadership, not to try and appeal to an unreasonable person!"
"The difference is, we have you now. Someone considered important to the King, even better, important to the world to speak to the King on our behalf" She said with a pleading tone