Level Up Legacy

The two women in his embrace were still disoriented, but Raheem needed them to save them. After they dived into the fog, there was nothing else he could do other than pray for a lake. But there was ground. "Princess Sapphire!" shouted the strategist to the dizzy woman. "Please use your force to decelerate our fall! If not, it would have been less painful to be killed by the dragon!" Those were too many words for a man falling to his demise, but they worked to alert the princess. She raised her head, the veil on her face flapping in the wind, as she pushed her force forward. Raheem felt the resistance as their speed began decreasing. Before they slammed into the ground, the group hovered for a moment before falling, landing on their feet. "That was a close call," said Rain with a laugh, wiping away the sweat from her forehead. "You were quick to act, Raheem. I appreciate it." "Don't mention it," the strategist slumped to the ground while panting. That was the closest he had been to death in his entire life. Their boat was gone too, so they had no chance of returning anymore. "What was that creature?" Rain asked Sapphire, who adjusted herself using her force. In a matter of seconds, she looked as tidy as ever. "The guardian of Mount Ehler, protector of the Netherborne Family. It was the pet of the man who split Sourna," answered the princess while looking around. "It should not have attacked us." "Can it recognize people?" "The force of the royal family is very distinct," said the princess while raising her hand, letting out a soft orange color. "It works as a signature to identify us." "Something is wrong, then," said Raheem as he rose from the ground while dusting himself off. "The dragon did not even wait before it attacked us. Did its masters instruct it to attack anyone who approaches?" "We have to ask them ourselves," said the princess with a smile as she looked at the sky. Even from within the fog, they could see the summit of Mount Ehler. A black palace resided atop the mountain, standing aloft and untouched by the world. "How do we ascend the mountain?" asked Rain with confusion. "There is a family that acts as the gatekeepers of the mountain, and we have to ascend the mountain by contacting them," answered Sapphire as she began marching in a certain direction. "What family?" "The Silvera Family." *** Rain tried to wrap her head around the mystery of Arthur's origins. His name was Arthur Silvera at some point, but then he declared to the entire universe that his name was Arthur Netherborne. As she followed after the princess and the strategist, she could not help but wonder how the two names worked together. According to the princess, the Silvera Family served the Netherborne family. "How long until we get there?" asked Rain again, feeling her legs turning to strands. "We have been walking for hours." "Almost a day now," said Raheem while panting, drinking more water to keep himself going. "This fog is the bane of our existence." "Elements are weakened in this fog," said Sapphire while pushing forward, proving to have more endurance than the rest. "We should be close." "Is there even a destination?" asked Raheem with confusion. "Not really. They should find us soon," answered the princess, making the other two speechless. They followed her for another few hours, killed by boredom more than anything. During that time, Rain began chatting with the strategist, learning more about his life. She was surprised to hear that he was once taken as a slave by pirates, then sold to merchants in Sourna, and then employed in the palace before he got into the academy. His life was harsher than she thought, which explained why he frowned all the time. Raheem was the typical Sourna resident, with brown skin, thick eyebrows, and a large nose. Rain did not like him the first time they met, but he seemed to be changing throughout their journey. As she entertained such thoughts, the princess stopped walking. "You are surrounded," said a voice from beyond the fog as several shadows appeared around them. "If you fight back, we will not hesitate to kill you." "My name is Sapphire Zephyra," said the princess while raising her arms in surrender. "I came here as an envoy of Sourna, seeking to meet the Netherborne Family." "No one is allowed to meet them," replied the same gruff voice from beyond the fog. "Return to your nation at once." "We lost our boat," intervened Raheem while raising his hands in surrender as well. "The skeleton dragon attacked the moment we entered the uncharted lands. Please help us." "We do not have an obligation to help you," said the voice as the shadows began glowing. "Leave before we attack." The situation reached a deadlock, making Rain sigh as she stepped forward. The shadows prepared to attack, but what Rain said next alarmed them. "You live here in isolation, so you would not know that a man known as Arthur Netherborne has emerged as the strongest in our world. We might be your only chance of learning more about him." The shadows swayed, and a man emerged from them. It was an old man wearing heavy armor, with a head full of white hair. His eyes were piercing green as they examined the woman before him. "We know no such man," said the man as he raised a sword toward Rain. "Your lies will result in your death." "I do not lie," said Rain with a smile. "Before he called himself Arthur Netherborne, he had a different name. His name was... Arthur Silvera, son of Seref Silvera." The old man seemed visibly shaken, even loosening his grip on the giant sword he pointed at Rain. Then, he lowered it as he gulped down, looking at Rain with a frown. "How can I trust your words?" "We have nothing to gain from lying," said the princess, and the old man was silent. Then, he nodded, making the shadows disappear. The old man began walking through the fog, calling for them to follow him. As they did, Princess Sapphire spoke to Rain. "How did you know that would work?" "I'm not the only one who should have made the connection," said Rain with a smile. "Netherborne and Silvera. Those are the two names that every single human knows at the moment because of that man." "But how did you know they wouldn't kill us for it?" "I risked it," answered Rain with a laugh. The princess was speechless as she looked at her like she was a lunatic. The old man guided them through the fog until it began to clear. They found themselves in front of a giant mansion of white marble. Once they were in front of the gates, the old man pushed them open. "Come inside," he invited them, and the three entered while looking around. Inside the mansion was not the usual gardens, but sparring rings where young men fought against one another, training and honing their skills. "What is this place?" asked Raheem with confusion. "This is the Silvera Residence, protectors of Mount Ehler," explained the old man. "And I am the Lord of this residence, Benjamin Silvera." "How are Seref Silvera and his son related to you?" asked Rain with interest. The old man was silent, dragging his armor up the steps of his mansion. "Seref is my son, who left long ago," answered Benjamin as he reached the double doors and pushed them open. "I did not think I would ever hear his name again." The three entered after the old man, following him through the empty mansion that almost seemed abandoned. He took them to the guest room, which had couches, beds, and even a small kitchen. "Make yourselves at home, but do not try anything," said Benjamin as he flicked the lights on. "We will talk after you rest." The three were amazed as they saw Benjamin leave after that. The guest room indeed had everything they needed to rest, but they did not think he would be this welcoming. "Is this some sort of trap?" asked a confused Raheem as he looked through the room. "He was about to kill us earlier." "The moment we entered his house, we became his guests," answered the princess as she took out a set of clothes from her storage ring and went into the bathroom. "I will be the first to shower." Raheem looked at the two women who made themselves at home, even letting their guard down. But he seemed to be on high alert the entire time until it was late at night. Benjamin returned to the guest room once more, bringing with him young men who carried food. As soon as they placed it down, the young men left. "Who are these men?" asked Raheem with a frown, since they seemed to be of different nationalities. "Anyone who wanders into the fog ends up with a choice," answered Benjamin while sitting at the table. "To either serve in my house or be sent back through the wall."