Chapter Forty-Nine: The Emissary and A Gift.

Stepping out of the Town Hall, Aiden gripped the Immaterial Realm Summon. Taking a deep breath, he opened it while holding the Alliance Contract in his other hand. Anna watched him from the side of the steps, verdant wisps of power dancing over her fingers. Her jaw clenched when she saw the Alliance Contract in his hand, but he didn’t change his mind.

Stepping several feet away from the Town Hall, he beckoned toward the rest of the group. Making their way over, Aiden began to read the notification that appeared when he unfurled the Summon.

Once he had the scroll in hand, he tried to figure out how to activate it. He expected some kind of prompt, but nothing appeared. Instead, the notification just waited for him to clear it. Looking over at Anna, he noticed her playing with the magic.

Maybe…

Digging deep into his chest, he pulled at the raw pool of Essence within - the magic that fueled his abilities. Leading it toward his fingers was a struggle of wills as the power tried to snap back to its place. His chest tightened as he connected the outpour of magic into his fingertips, the Summoning scroll flashing brightly as he finally gave it a last tug.

Prompting the Summoning onward caused it to disintegrate in a misty of silver and gold wisps that floated into the air in front of him, coalescing into a swirling ovular portal.

I know one thing’s for sure. Definitely not choosing Spiderkin. He wasn’t an arachnophobe, but that didn’t mean he’d wanted to be around a bunch of spider people. The only two that really appealed to him were the Dragonborn and the Naudox.

From the sound of it, the Dragonborn would be good if he wanted to understand the capabilities of the elemental magics. Having only elemental options himself, it seemed like a decent choice. Considering everyone else, he knew Olivia had wind, but it was otherwise not too helpful. It really depended on what qualified as elemental.

If metal did, then that would be good for Olivia, Josh, and Claudia. If it didn’t, it felt selfish to choose.

The Naudox on the other hand would only truly benefit Anna magically, but the profession bonuses to Agriculture and Beast Handling…

It was hard to decide, especially if he could get some of those warbeasts from the Naudox. Clutching the Alliance Contract, he considered their situation. Agriculture would be important, and having additional companions around would be a force multiplier, even if it did mean they’d have to find a way to feed them all.

Agriculture felt too hard to pass up. He didn’t know a damn thing about growing food, and from the way the Gate Hub Quests were turning out, it seemed more and more likely that they’d be there awhile.

Food was important. But, he couldn’t decide if it was worth passing on some of the other options. The Valkyr seemed like a good option if he took out potentially learning something about the new world and system. If he wanted force multiplication, the Valkyr’s description screamed “we’re looking for a fight”.

With the Shadowborn, Avacyn, and a world of unknowns…

As he watched the list, Spiderkin and Celestial greyed out. What?

Then Valkyr was gone.

Time to make a choice, Aiden. It’s now or never.

Yes, yes, yes! The notifications faded as Dragonborn greyed. Now, how am I going to communicate with this Emissary…?

Four green arms gripped the side of the portal, a horned head quickly following suit. The Naudox Emissary grunted as it pulled itself through, steaming wisps of liquid gold and silver wafting off its skin. Immediately, the Emissary stumbled onto its knees, slamming its powerful arms into the ground to stop it from faceplanting.

Contrary to Aiden’s expectation, the portal remained open. A moment passed, and the Emissary pushed itself back to its feet, clasping all four of its hands and bowing.

“Apologies, Candidate. The Summons is taxing,” a deep, kind voice emitted into Aiden’s mind.

Pulling the Essence into his fingertips once again, he activated the Alliance Contract. The Emissary huffed in annoyance as blue bindings surrounded it, coalescing as a Mark around its neck - much like a collar.

“I understand your reluctance, but was that really necessary?”

“I think we both know that it was,” Aiden responded aloud, unsure of how to communicate with the Emissary. Anna groused nearby, but she didn’t speak up. The Emissary was massive, and its limbs bulged with muscles that had muscles. Despite that, its leather arm fit it well.

The description said its specialty was in nature magic, beast handling, and agriculture, but what if it can also craft with a decent amount of skill? That would be useful…

“Anywho, now that you’ve forcefully bound me, let’s proceed. I am Dauvar, the Emissary of the Naudox.”

Aiden nodded before realizing that the Emissary probably wouldn’t understand his intent. “Yes, let’s.”

As much as he tried to exude a facade of bravado, Dauvar set his teeth on edge. It made him wonder if this was the feeling the others had around him. Aiden was tempted to release his Apex Predator aura.

Dauvar looked around at the group, taking them all in. When his eyes landed on Blizzy, lying behind Aiden’s feet, his demeanor shifted greatly. His eyes lingered on Blizzy for a moment, making Aiden put his hand in his pocket to rest on Silver. He couldn’t read Dauvar. Whether the look was of greed, awe, or something else, Aiden couldn’t tell.

And that set his teeth on edge. Not to mention, he didn’t even know how effective the Alliance Contract was. Could he still try to harm them? What happened if someone attacked him? What were the stipulations and definitions attached to the magical “Alliance”.

Looking around at the others, he noticed they seemed on edge. Looks of confusion and frustration made it clear that they couldn’t hear anything Dauvar said.

“You’re new to Midrath, so I’ll explain some things to you. Firstly, all Alliances are give and take at an equal exchange determined by the system. Secondly, forcing someone into an Alliance is usually frowned upon if the party hasn’t exuded any ill intent.” Aiden ignored the mental grumbling, meeting the Emissary’s powerful, unblinking gaze. “Thirdly,” Dauvar placed two fingers on his forehead, two fists over his chest, and two fingers in the air in front of him. “To be in the presence of such a rare creature is truly a pleasure. I pay my respects.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Crouching, Aiden scratched Blizzy’s head. “She’s such a good girl. I’m lucky to have her.”

“That statement is truer than you realize, Candidate.” Dauvar dropped the salute, glancing behind him at the portal. When he turned back around, he huffed.

“What does that mean? That’s the second time you’ve called me ‘Candidate’.” Aiden wanted answers. The more he knew, the less he knew. And that was frustrating. “And while we’re on the topic of things that make no sense to me, how the heck can I understand you?”

“To address your first question, you’re in control of a Town Control Hub and have a Quest to summon me. There are others like you from different worlds, and this isn’t the first time this has happened.” As Dauvar spoke, his eyes kept shifting to Blizzy. Even when Aiden caught him doing so, he would continue unashamed. “As for your second question, I’m an Emissary of my people. The system makes it so, otherwise its challenge would be impossible to complete.”

Oh.

Shit.

That explained the different Summoning options greying out. It also meant whoever - and whatever - he was competing against were equally as developed. Furrowing his brows, he thought of all the people he left behind.

Are they alive?

Not only that… If they were all brought here for this competition by the system, how would he and his group survive if the other Gate Leaders - or Candidates - had an equally powerful initial group that stayed together?

Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit.

“I have a gift, but it comes at a cost.” Dauvar pulled a pendant from his neck, opening the clasp to reveal a swirling mass of green and brown.

When he tapped it, the magic pooled on his fingertip. He then traced a rectangle in the air, the liquid magic sticking and solidifying. Once he finished tracing the frame, the door snapped into place. Immediately, the air filled with various sounds of beasts.

Opening the door, he prompted everyone inside.

“What is this?” Aiden asked, hesitant to step into what might be a trap.

“Ease your mind, Candidate. I need you as much as you need me. This is my gift for your team. Through the door lies the Great Bestiary. Each of your team can choose a companion,” the Emissary explained.

Aiden turned around. “Into the magic door.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Isaac muttered, rushing through the door. Ian followed, hot on the shadow mage’s heals. “Woah! This is awesome!”