Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 234: Recruitment (2)

After they reach Arakath they part ways and he once again ask for Azrael cooperation to keep secret of his journey to the Land of Dragons.

Arial promise him that he will them him all about it later. Azrael nodded reluctantly and they part ways in good cordiality.

Arial and his entourage then begins his journey. They enter the Land of the Goblins, and Arial have to say he hated those goblins.

They are always harassed at night when they stopped to camp.

If not for Mikael urging him to have patience Arial might chase them and beat each single one of them.

Mikael informed him that the goblins are great prankster but they will never do harm with their prank.

Usually it is funny. At least funny to them.

Mikael also said that it is pointless to ask the Goblins to join them in their expedition. There is more trouble than good when it involves goblin.

They like to prank and trick people.

Mikael told him probably such traits of behavior manifested because they are mostly originated from the Fay and Orc bloodline.

The First Orc and the First Fay copulate and from there exist the Goblins, at least that is their myth.

And as their existence wonder Arial, his existence wonders them. How many ages ago since humans reached this far into the Dark Lands territory?

Then they move forward and enter the Eternal Wood, the Land of the Elves. Arial learned many things when passing this Eternal Wood

There is many kind of Elves, the dominants are the White Elf.

Then there is The Dark Elves and the High Elves. The High Elves are rare and not many can see one. But their capacities for great magic make them nobility by birth.

It is here when Arial had managed to persuade about seventy Dark Elves to join his expedition telling them that they are hunting a monster of great power and if they follow, they will be rewarded with many gold and items.

Dark Elves is known to be boisterous in battle and great swordsman, though not as proficient as the Kobolds.

After all monster is not uncommon here as it is on the human continent. The Purge has seen the extinction of monster species in Human Continent.

But not here.

Here the dark legends still live, monster of the dark, thrive, and ancient monsters, fabled creature still exist.

History of the Purge delivers humanity from the dark creatures but it is a bloody history that is not spoken in good company.

The history of such is bloody, but as such, it helps humans thrive in the Human continent. Thrive and prosper.

Under the rivers of bloods of Demonkind.

Then following Mikael advice, Arial took a detour to Orcs Land which he recruited about forty large Orcs with his gold and some fifteen dwarves. 

And dwarves love gold. Thankfully he had brought a lot of gold.

Arial is not too worried that he will be attack during following the caravan but even without the caravan he can protect himself.

Mikael also managed to persuade a beautiful young elf to join them. From the moment she joined, Arial felt something different from her than he felt for anyone else in his group.

She is a peculiar one. She rarely talks and she seems to always be looking for something. Of course Arial didn't say to his group that he is hunting a dragon.

At least not yet.

Then two months into his journey they are finally near the place he set out for. By this time, all of the crew knew of his intention.

Some returned back fearing the old stories about dragons but Arial give them some gold nonetheless.

He himself felt guilty for not telling them the whole story.

The one who stay call their allies and following Gerhoun suggestion, a dwarven on Arial expeditionary group, they hire Orcs mercenaries and Dark Elves mercenaries.

Their politics is highly different then human politics. Their loyalty towards their king is vital but their rivalry against each other is accepted.

Sometimes Orcs will fight against the Elves and the Faeries always held a deep resentment towards the Orcs.

The role of the King of Arakath is to act as an arbiter, to mete out punishment and to keep the law.

Maybe, someday he would hire them if he finds himself in a hard situation.

If they are made to repel a human invasion, they could certainly be a formidable force. After all, Arrandy have many enemies.

Though in one of these mercenaries there is a female elf that attract his attention, white and beautiful.

She has been with them since Mikael recruited her in some tavern with some dwarves and Dark Elves.

He had told her that this is an expedition to hunt dragons not some monsters like White Mouse or Fanged Bat. She insists to follow nonetheless.

Arial is not so cruel to lead a woman, a lady like this to her death.

Her level of beauty is comparable of that Arianna.

Arial have even heard some rowdy Orcs and horny dark elves said how they wanted to fuck her but such solicitation is not permitted if they want to remain in his expedition

But Arial have to admit she is beautiful.

Her name is Velamina. She never told her title to anyone in the group. In Elven culture, noble elves instead of having family name they have titles.

For example, King Oberon. His name originally is Oberon Sil Feradron. When it is time for his nameday, the Elder gives him the title Lightspear so his name become Oberon Lightspear

She must have one title after all she is not Dark Elves. Anyone could see that she has High Elves ancestry.

Her skin is as white as snow and her bodies allure men. Her face is clear without any sign of flaw that can be found.

But if there is a difference between her and Arianna, it must be their attitude and their air. She is quiet, unassuming and gloomy.

Her hair is silver blond, loosely flowing around her neckline, which matched her beautiful figure.

Her eyes are azure green, and when she looked at something, it sparkles sometimes. It was impossible for anyone not to keep their eyes off her.

Since she insists to follow, Arial had no other way other than to let her. Arial also has amassed quite the powerful troop.

He had a mercenary troops consisted of Orcs, Dwarves, Elves and Kobold.

He knew that many of these people here will lost their life when they fight the dragon and he is determined to compensate them which is why Arial had asked their name and their records are kept by Mikael.

If they died, he had promise, gold and items of great value will be send to their families which is why poor Dark Elves volunteer to join him.

And that is one of the reason why they did not desert the expedition. Such love towards their family is heartwarming but also tragic.

The Orc on the other hand living in a strict hierarchy in their land joins him because the fame that will follow if the manages to fight and kill a dragon.

To them, fame is sometimes more important than their life. Their Gods demands it.

And the gold is also a great incentive for them joining.

The kobolds, owing to Hur Gur, an Orc Aratai, which means a ten-man leader in Orc language, manage, to persuade some Kobold warrior to join us.

Hur Gur is from the Gur Tribe, a small tribe in the Orc lands. He seems to be looking for some gold to support his family.

Arial accepted him because of his capability in using maces.

He also has a lot of contact in the Land of the Kobolds. The Kobold leader Demu Haranaga, brought some of his men with him.

About a hundred of them joined.

They refuse the money, telling Arial that when they heard someone is so crazy to challenge a dragon, that must be a man worth their time.

And then, there is also the fact that sometimes dragons terrorized their plains and fighting dragon in an open space is always a bad idea.

In military terms, it is called an unfair advantage.

The land of the dragons is situated near the Titans Abode, the Land of the Giants. Giants is rare in existence and they usually sleep, a peaceful race.

All the mountains in Titans Abode are higher than even the mountains in the Human Continent, and it has mountains that spit fire near the land of the Dragons.

After many journeys and many weeks of preparing, they finally arrived at the Land of the Dragons.

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