Legend of the Western Lands

Treasure Hunt (1)

The stone arch was easy to see.

Offending easy.

A conspicuous wall, littered with signs that ranged from, 'Don't go further, you die,' and, 'The ultimate death experience, right in front of you,' was already utterly suspicious.

Yet, the dauntingly obvious gate in front of them was the exact opposite of subtle.

Fancy obsidian rocks were lined up perfectly. Cale looked impressed at the gold accents that made the black pop even more. He wanted one of those in his home as well.

Choi Han stood before the gate, standing at almost exactly half the height of the doorway. It was utterly massive.

Why would someone build such an elaborate maze and gate in such a distant place?

Cale gulped. His eyes shone brightly at the prospect of finding actual treasures. This looked more and more like a prosperous treasure hunt. His fingers itched to grab some hefty gold coins. How about a few necklaces? He wouldn't mind finding some pretty ones to give to Violan and Rosalyn. Some jewels he'd scavenger could nicely decorate the hilt of a sword for Lily's use.

Even raw metals would be appreciated. Cale knew that Choi Han's sword was slowly getting dull. A new blade would suit him well. Just a shiny, golden brooch would be enough for Cale to chuck at Alver. The royal looked good in anything gold and since he was his nominated older brother, Cale thought a present would be quite nice.

Naturally, some parts Cale would keep for himself. His emergency savings had been stolen a while back and he needed to build them up again.

A dark look crossed his face.

When he gets his hands on that damned fake Hilsman, Cale will make mincemeat out of him for stealing his stuff.

"I can't wait to find the treasure!" Hong cheered from his perch on Choi Han's shoulders. His tail was wagging excitedly, tickling Choi Han's neck repeatedly. The other fought valiantly not to move in fear of making the small kitten sad.

Ohn chose that moment to inch forward. Her small paws tentatively touched the door. She was sure and confident in her actions since Erihaben's hovering form was not far off. Keeping an eye on the small kitten while listening to Raon talk without taking a breath about the complexity of mana surrounding them, Eruhaben had to hold back a smile.

His lips twitched in clear amusement, yet the grin would vanish as soon as Raon directed his unfairly large eyes at the elder dragon.

This left Cale with Silvio and Darnall, both did a rather bad job of hiding their curiosity.

"Are you a dragon as well?"

"No."

"But you know dragons? How?"

"I found them, they found me, and never left."

Darnall interrupted Silvio's excessive questioning after seeing Cale looking more annoyed as time went by. He pushed aside the mystery of Cale and what the implications of actual dragons existing meant for his already fragile state of mind.

"How will we proceed? The gargoyles mentioned a combat trial."

Darnall was an expert at magic, handling the volatile matter with glee and skill, while Silvio wielded the sword with enough strength and agility to trouble well-known knights easily. However, Darnall now knew better. Not only did Cale and his group outnumber them, they were also stronger.

Dragons were rulers of mana. How could Darnall compare? And Choi Han's level of skill during the short few moments they fought side-by-side was simply put exquisite. Raw and dangerous, ferocious even.