At the same time as Raka's calling, not too far away, inside Dravareth's building of central defence.
Nova sat stiffly in one of the high‑backed chairs inside the meeting room. In front of her, an oval table large enough to seat 10 people.
Windows filtered the afternoon light into mellow gold, painting soft highlights across the stacks of parchment maps that lined the walls.
Steam rose from the teacup in her hands, slowly lifting it to her mouth to take a few sips. Putting the cup down after with a satisfied sigh, feeling her body relax.
She leaned back on her chair, feeling her mind finally able to calm down. Of course, she knew that accepting the mission to rescue Elder Cora would be a difficult one.
There were many unpredictable variables that she needed to prepare for, and if things went wrong, she needed to be ready to die.
Freeing a bunch of slaves definitely wasn't on the list of things she expected to do when she went on the mission.
But she was glad that she found them; she didn't want to imagine what would happen to them if she weren't there.
Thankfully, everything turned out all right, and Elder Cora, along with all the escapees, were brought back safely.
Speaking of which, Nova heard footsteps approaching the door inside the room, along with a very familiar presence.
The latch clicked and Cora slipped inside, looking tidier and wearing clothing more suitable for an Elder.
She acknowledged Nova with a gentle smile."Your mana flow is much more stable now," Cora said, settling into the chair beside her. "How's the leg holding up?"
Nova gave her thigh a couple of taps. "The healing spell back in the Swampland already healed me up good, the doctors here just gave me treatment to further the recovery process. I'm basically back to 100%."
Cora's lips curved upward. "Good. I'd rather you not pick another fight with a Dragon until then."
"Don't remind me, I still can't believe I let one of those things even injure me," Nova muttered, lifting the cup.
Cora chuckled, "Now now, you were already worn down after days of fighting, no need to beat yourself up over it."
Nova didn't respond and took a few more gulps of her tea, finishing it. After a moment, she set the cup down and met the elf's gaze. "When is he going to get here?"
Cora's fingers tapped the table once. "Someone in his position rarely has free moments, child. While he may be relieved that we arrived safely, our sudden arrival likely doubled, perhaps tripled, his docket. Still…"
She traced a small sigil in the air, creating a screen that showed a map of Dravareth, along with multiple glowing dots moving through it.
"I doubt we'll wait long. He is quite a brazen one after all, a far cry from Dravareth's previous leader."
Nova exhaled through her nose and nodded. Silence pressed in; the wall clock ticked softly, marking seconds that felt curiously stretched.
Finally, she cleared her throat. "So…Raka. What are we going to do about him?"
A knowing light entered Cora's eyes as she angled her chair. "First, tell me the truth: are you still afraid of him, Nova?"
A crease formed between Nova's brows. "Afraid? Absolutely not. No way." The answer shot out sharper than intended. An irritated vein appeared on her forehead.
She straightened, planting both palms on her knees. "He just… Surprised me the first time we met, that's all!"
Cora's chuckle was light, but when it faded, contemplation shadowed her soft features.
"Surprised is fair. I confessed as much to myself. Yet even with my age, I can't pin down the core of that boy's power. I have—" she raised thumb and forefinger,"—a tentative theory. But it borders on the absurd."
Nova leaned forward. "Absurd how?"
"I suspect," Cora whispered, glancing toward the door as if someone might eavesdrop, "that his mana pool is not mana as we classify it—at least, not solely. Something else is nested beneath it. The latticework of his magic feels… older."
"That makes no sense," Nova breathed.
"Precisely why I hesitate." Cora folded her hands. "We'll lay everything out once "he" joins us. His insight may confirm or dismantle my guess."
Nova took a moment to digest her words, gaze flicking to the giant window that gave a clear view of the statue of Dravareth's first king.
The heroic figure etched there now looked archaic, almost quaint, against the floating city spires. "He'll know what to do with Raka?"
"If anyone might." Cora's voice softened. "Until then, we can only wait."
Nova opened her mouth to reply, but the air became sharp enough to give her goosebumps along her arms.
The mana in the room abruptly densified, but it wasn't suffocating. It was more of a warm and welcoming sensation.
Cora lets out a sigh. "Speak of the dev—" She broke off as a ripple of crimson fire engulfed the room.
But it did not burn them or the room. Instead, it swirled together into a whirlpool of fire before dispersing to reveal a towering figure.
"I have arrived!" He yelled dramatically, earning a confused look from Nova and an exasperated expression from Cora.
"You kept us waiting, oh mighty Solas Ren~" Cora said with a hint of mockery.
The man, Solas Ren, put a hand on his chest feigning offence, "You wound me, Elder! Is that any way to talk to a god?"
As he said that, Solas released a wave of powerful mana. Potent enough to make Nova freeze up for a second.
But Cora did not react, and the two just stared at each other in silence.
Before they suddenly stopped and burst out laughing. Completely throwing Nova off as she thought that the two were about to duke it out in front of her for some reason.
"Alright, enough messing around." He said, taking a seat between the two before turning to look at Nova, who straightened up under his gaze, "Nova, I'm very pleased you returned safely."
"It's nothing, Overseer. I merely did my duty as a commander."
Solas chuckled and a teasing glint appeared in his eyes, "No need to be so formal now, we're already quite close to each other, aren't we?"
Cora made a look of mock offence, "That's quite the assumption you're making."
He raised his brow at her before turning serious again, "But in all seriousness, I am glad the two of you are alright. With Cora's return, the safety of the Anekanta is assured."
Everything gave an affirming nod at the statement. Solas continued, "While we may not have conclusive evidence, I am almost certain that the ones behind Cora's kidnapping to be one nation we are all too familiar with."
"Vel Ma'hl," The three said in unison.
"I was also able to gain some information on them from when I was captured, the slavers were quite a chatty bunch." Cora paused to gather her words.
"Vel Ma'hl was indeed the one who orchestrated it, but I know very well my words aren't enough to convince the scales of Hukama."
Solas scoffed at the mention of the god of Judgement. "Let's return to this subject later. Now, I hear that you have other matters you want to discuss with me?"
Nova's face became serious as she looked at Cora, who let her do the explaining. "Solas, we encountered an interesting and powerful individual on our way back to Dravareth. His name is Raka."
That got his attention as he waited for Nova to continue, "He came across me and my group after he got away from the slavers, but when I was able to get a grasp of his mana… His mana was so potent and powerful that I froze up."
Solas stayed silent, processing her words, "So this person was able to frighten even you? Do you think he is any danger to Dravareth or my people?"
This time, it was Cora who answered, "No, I don't think he is."
"Why is that?"
"On our journey back to Dravareth, we came across lesser dragons at the Queen's Swampland."
"Those guys? " Solas cut her off, "I thought I took care of them already. While they aren't much trouble alone, they tend to stick in groups, and that could cause problems for most people."
Cora nodded, but Nova swore she saw a hint of annoyance in her face. "You would be correct, it took the combined effort from Nova, the twins, and a Skywarden Eagle to keep them all at bay."
"Wait, a Skywarder Eagle? The one that the slavers captured? It was able to escape?"
At this question, a smirk appeared on Cora's face. "Not exactly."
Solas looked intrigued and waited for Cora to continue, "I was able to get some information from them, and they told me that Raka was the one who freed them."
"Hmm, so he was able to defeat the Semi Tier One mage in control of it? While it is certainly impressive, this feat isn't impressive enough to warrant that much worry… Unless there's something else you haven't told me?"
"One more thing, he emitted a wave of his raw mana at the lesser dragons and incinerated them all, along with a sizable portion of the Queen's Swampland. Completely incinerating everything caught in the attack. He didn't even look tired after."
"Ok, now that is something that warrants my concern. I assume you have an image of the aftermath of his attack?"
Raising her hand, Cora traced glowing lines in the air, creating an intricate rune. Once completed, it turned into a screen that showed an image of the Queen's Swampland.
"Oh wow, overkill much?"
Cora rolled her eyes at his choice of words, "That's not the only reason I want you to inspect him. I… have a theory that his powers may somehow be related to the Sunpiercer."
…
"I beg your pardon?"
Cora nodded, "It may just be speculation on my part, but I sensed that his mana definitely had traces of the Sunpiercer's energy within."
This silenced Solas, who leaned back into his chair with a loud sigh. It was evident that this revelation shook him, and he needed a moment to gather his thoughts.
"So… If he does have a trace of the Sunpiercer's power inside him. What do you want me to do?"
Cora closed her eyes and thought for a moment, before finally opening them and facing Solas, "I truly believe he means no harm… So I suggest you do what you always do."
"And that is?"
"Act like the compassionate fool that you always are."
"Haha… Alright then, I get what you're saying." Then he stood up from his chair with a focused gaze. "I'll be the judge on whether or not our newcomer is an ally… or a threat."