TBATE: Art and Tess's Second Chance

Chapter 23: Journey to Alacrya

Arthur Leywin's POV:

Tess yanked me through the portal and within mere seconds we were standing on Alacryan soil. Taking a look around, the area we were currently in looked the same as it would years from now if everything were to progress the same as before. The only difference was a little campsite with a certain dragon princess that was sprawled out on top of a purple-haired boy as she used him as a mattress, both of them were snoring loudly.

"Hang back, my beautiful Aya, my majestic self will take care of that Vritra dog!" Regis declared in his sleep, flinging his arm around as if he was swinging a sword.

Tess and I shared a laugh at our companion's expense before I decided it was time to wake the two adorable kids from their slumber, "Hey Splint, you wanted to introduce yourself to these two, I'd say now is as good a time as any," I stated with an evil grin that Tess mirrored.

Splint shot out of Tess's core with a smile painted on his ghostly face, "Well it's about time, sit back and enjoy the chaos, my gorgeous master and her average-looking human!"

'Since when was I average looking, I'd say I'm pretty darn attractive. I managed to score an elven princess after all!' I mentally complained as Tess simply rolled her eyes.

Splint held two of his thin, viny tentacles over the sleeping duo before releasing two buckets worth of water on top of them, an action that caused the two tentacles to wither away and fall off before two new ones slowly grew back in their place. Sylv and Regis instantly jumped up with one pulling out Dawn's ballad and the other conjuring an aether sword.

"Hello Sylvie Leywin, Regis Leywin, my name is Splinter Eralith, at least until my master marries yours once again, and I am the latest member of this rag-tag little group you all have here," Splint introduced himself with a slight bow.

His introduction reminds me a lot of Tess when she was younger, always using full names and being as respectful and formal as possible at all times in social settings. Guess she wasn't kidding when Tess said his personality was based on all of us.

"Ahem! Well, Splinter, it's nice to meet you I guess. I'm guessing by your introduction that Tess was the one to create a new familiar," Sylv noted as she gave a confused look.

"Indeed, Miss Tessia was able to create my existence while fighting off a fearsome shadow opponent, quite the skilled master I have. Oh, and feel free to call my Splint for short if you prefer to shorten my name your Highness," He said with another small bow.

"Sure, but only if you call me Sylvie. If we are family now then there is no need for any stupid formalities. Besides, I'm pretty sure neither my father nor grandfather would let someone who hates their guts be a princess in their 'kingdoms,'" She snarled when she even had to think about the two tyrants.

"Very well Sylvie, it's a pleasure to meet you. As for you, I believe you are the 'very majestic' Regis, correct?" Splint asked the unusually quiet Regis.

Regis walked around our new member a couple of times observing him before replying to him saying, "That I am, you appear to be quite similar to what I was when I was first born. The only difference is that you have a lot of wind and water mana flowing through you."

"Well, my physical being was based on my master's elderwood guardian beast will so that makes sense doesn't it?" He replied coolly with a tilt of his head.

"I guess so, I do wonder though...if Princess over there didn't break his core originally, I might've gotten some cool dragon abilities as well!" He fantasized while I just shook my head at his crazy imagination.

"If you want more 'cool' powers, Regis, then you should learn how to use mana or how to use the aether version of Realmheart," I deadpanned my companion.