The Dragon Realms Saga

Elucard dashed through the training forest, once known as the Black Rabbit’s Blood Forest, the perfect place to test his new magic and incorporate into his training He conjured a leaf in his hand. He started simple, conjuring leaves. At first the leaves flew no further than inches from his hand but as he concentrated on their shape, he was able to make each leaf stronger in structure, smoother in texture, and sharper on the edges. He created an unlimited, hidden supply of throwing stars that came to him at his beck and call.

Elucard launched the leaf into a wooden target dummy. It sank deep with a thunk. Passing by he sent forth several more in a rapid succession. Thwip, thwip, thwip. Each found their marks. Head, shoulders, and chest.

He leapt into the air and scrambled up a tree. He closed his eyes and willed the trunk to warp and shape foot holds. At the top he jumped and extended his hand— a coil of vine shot out and whipped around the branch. Elucard stiffened the vine with his weight and swung across the ground, scraping the dirt with his heels. The momentum and speed he gathered with his maneuver tossed his body forward; he somersaulted towards a straw target shaped like an enemy body.

The assassin drew his ninjato and to his surprise it already flared with the Magi. Flickering emerald magic ebbed and weaved around the blade. Elucard smirked, in his mind his blade sliced cleaner and faster through the dummy than any cut he made before. As his blade touched the straw, his Magi arm pulsed with pain and flooded once more with the ice cold sensation Elucard took a knee and grabbed his wrist in discomfort.

This pain again. How am I supposed to protect Koda when I can’t even down a target dummy?

Elucard winced as he forced his hand to close and flex.

Pain is a weakness leaving the body. It is no more a distraction than a butterfly on my shoulder. Remember your Rabbit training, Elucard.

Gradually his pain lifted from his arm.

I must overcome this hindrance before it gets me killed.

A welcoming voice called out to him.

His apprentice, Kyzo Haze strolled up from behind him, along with Elucard’s former right hand man, the tiger-like Lear Crescenteye.

“Master, we missed you at the Mystic Fang for lun—” Kyzo stopped his sentence short and peered at Elucard’s strange new arm.

“Elucard, why is your arm glowing?” asked Lear, just as concerned as Kyzo.

Elucard grew a wry smile. How could he possibly hide his arm forever? “I’ve been selected to be Koda’s personal guardian—an elemental shroud for his new journey across the world.”

“So… this is part of becoming an elemental… shadow, was it?” asked Kyzo.

Elucard glanced at his colorful limb and raised his brow. “Shroud. No, this was more of an accident. I was meant to get a small dose of a mage’s magic, but Koda pumped me with too much.”

“So what can you do with this new power?” asked Lear.

Elucard formed a red apple in his palm. “Hungry?” He tossed it to the yikahti’s open claws. “Here, try it.”

Lear sniffed the apple before taking a nibble. “It tastes like a real apple!”

Elucard chuckled. “At first I didn’t know what to think of my powers, but I find them pretty useful. Can you imagine if I had shadow magic?”

“Boy, that would be useful!” laughed Kyzo.

Lear frowned and bent his ears back. “This yikahti thinks you should be careful in your travels. Now is a poor time to be a mage.”

Elucard raised a brow. “What do you mean, Lear?”

Lear folded his arms. “You should get briefed by Captain Silvertail about this, but do you recall an underground radical group called the Spellbreakers?”

Elucard scratched the side of his face. “It’s been a while, but I do believe they were a concern we watched out for with the Anti-Rogue Ops.”

Lear nodded. “You should talk to Mave, they could be a threat.”

“Worldwide?” asked Elucard in doubt.

Lear nodded again.

“Then perhaps I will visit the harekin,” decided Elucard

***

Elucard found Mave in her ARO office which had once served as Wiccer’s. Despite training, co-founding, and co-leading the Anti-Rogue Ops, Elucard was never graced with his own place of business. He never found pleasure in frivolous things such as ceremonial sabers, offices, or military balls. As a hardened assassin he trained in the most brutal of regiments, the mission’s success was his office or military ball.

He rapped at the door with his gloved left hand. Mave’s upbeat sing-song voice gave him permission to enter. The Harekin captain stood up quickly and walked around her desk to greet her elven friend. Elucard gave her a wide grin. She pulled off the black armor and red cloak ARO attire very well. Not only this, but the limp she received from her battle with the fierce draconian, Ro-Tan, was barely noticeable at this point. Elucard spotted her famous cavalier hat resting on the corner of her oak desk. No longer the SMO deep blue, this time the hat was dyed crimson.

“How are you doing Cap’n?” Mave said with an overjoyed smile.

“Retired, Mave,” corrected Elucard. “But I’ve been fine.” If the nightmares, the doubts, the stagnation of his very existence could be defined as fine.

Mave gave him a swift hug and ruffled his hair with her furry hand, leaving it a staticky mess. Mave inspected his freshly tailored and pressed bright blue doublet. “Still not an elf of taste, eh, Elucard?”

Elucard gave her a scowl and changed the subject. “I assume you know about Koda’s emissary mission.”

Mave crossed her arms. “I make it my business to know everything that goes on in this country”

The elf nodded. “Very wise. I need to be briefed on the current Spellbreaker menace that Koda may face.”

Mave nodded and gestured for Elucard to take a seat before sitting down at her desk. “The Spellbreakers have gone from a quiet concern, banging around in the underground to worldwide terrorist organization.”

“How big are we talking about? A hundred members? And what is their cause?”

Mave leaned forward and rested her snout on her hands. “They are at least five hundred strong and according to our contacts and spies, they have been spotted in cities all over Draak’Terra, not just Long Whisper. We don’t know their actual numbers or who leads them, but we do know their cause.”

Elucard’s mouth gaped open from the Spellbreaker’s size. “They were so small less than a year ago. How could they have grown so fast? What are they hoping to accomplish?”

“We believe they wish to eliminate the Mage Academy, or something to that degree. Either way, Koda is in grave danger if he sets off on this journey.” Mave cracked a grin. “But if he still must go, I think he is in safe hands with a psychopath like you guarding him.”

Elucard shook his head and hid a smirk. Despite her insult, Mave was right. Koda was in good hands, or so he hoped.