“Quickly…go forth and bring me an army of man and monster alike. I don’t care what it is, as long as it is willing to work for me. I want thousands! All to the whim of Draven Bladenheart.” Draven said, waving his men away. Without a question, they all dispersed, going in different directions.
Draven grinned as he walked down the hillside and across the desolate field. Soon, he was at the edge of the crater, staring at the southern and main entrance to the castle. He held out the Adept’s Stone and used its power to pull at the intricate drawbridge designed in a slot below the huge doors. With a reluctant creaking noise, the bridge began to unfold across the gap, landing some feet below the crater edge. Draven shrugged and slid down the side of the crater. He hit the bridge easily and walked toward the doors. With a blast of neutral energy from the Adept’s Stone, the doors flung open. Slowly, he stepped into Tier Bastion, his new home.
**********
Voyse looked upon Sol City from a nearby hillside, thinking of a way to sneak into it, for surely he’d be recognized by the guards, almost everyone knew the identity of Voyse now. He looked at the awe inspiring architecture of the outer walls and the four spiraling towers near the center of the city. It seemed a kingdom of its own because of its massive size, but in truth it was only a settlement of the Cloud City, Altem Tier, and the only form of getting between the surface and the city in the skies. Some of the most powerful of wizards were said to live within the city’s walls, studying and crafting magic and magical weapons alike. If Voyse held any hope of combating the ever increasing power of Draven Bladenheart, then he’d need the assistance of a magical weapon. What, he didn’t know, but knew that someone within definitely would.
He thought of going in disguise, but shook that thought away quickly, for he had no supplies to disguise himself anyway. He’d just have to wait for the coming of night and sneak over using his dark magic. He had to be quick, though, for he knew that two particular bounty hunters were on his tail.