Reunion

[Aion]

The land of Eliseia. To a majority of Dragonians it was difficult to grasp exactly why any individual would willingly choose to reside here. Even for it's population, it's reputation for being a lifeless frozen tundra is quite hard to dispute. Blanketed in snow, finding even the most common forms of plant life here would be akin to searching though a field of hay for a single needle. This land was also the cradle for the many storms that were born unto Dragonia; and yet there was something that kept it's small population from venturing into the much more desired areas, such as Lavertia or Permecia. Perhaps it was the natural beauty of this land; even during the most brutal of wars, Eliseia's "violent" environment managed to remain peaceful and silent, untouched by the boots of soldiers. However, it was due to a recent event that all of this might drastically change.


A slight breeze brushed against Aion's face. The young man stood high above The Circle Of Eliseia, on the fourth floor meeting room balcony of the High Priestess' residence, to be exact; cup of warm tea in his hand. He watched silently as children ran through the snow filled walkways of the capital. One of the things he enjoyed most about The Circle Of Eliseia was how beautifully decorated it was. The capital always seemed to have the feel of a city during a Christmas fair. "It's good to be back home...." Aion paused long enough to take a small sip of tea. "Even if it is for business." He chided.


Two loud knocks came from the door.


"As always...right on time."


The opened door revealed a woman who looked no older than thirty. Simply describing her as "beautiful" would've been considered snide remark; in short, she was what most Dragonian males would die for. Interestingly enough, the aura that surrounded her was her single most outstanding feature; it only seemed emphasize Eliseia's ambiance, in both power and beauty. "Aion...!?!?!" Her eye's seemed to light up in joy as she laid sights on the young man before her. "My aides had informed me that I'd be meeting with a Lavertian official, but I had no idea..."


"Aunt Luneia, it's bee-"


Before Aion could even finish his sentence, Luneia had rushed across the room at full speed, pinned him against a wall; and in a quick motion forced Aion's mouth wide open with a couple of fingers. "You've been brushing everyday, right?" The high priestess spat out as she began to look for any sign of dental damage. "Have they been feeding you well? You've been showering daily? Andrak hasn't sent you into the battlefield, has he? I specifically stated that you couldn't be involved in any fighting!" Those and about a million other inquires followed.


Aion gently wrapped his hands around the woman's wrists, placing them back at her side. "I've done well for myself these last few years. No need to worry." The young man spoke in a soft tone, a smile on his face. He wasn't one to admit it, but it felt good to be under Luneia's loving gaze again; to just be worried about in such a manner. It was far different from how he was treated in Lavertia. In Bereteca he was always reminded of his rank and place within the boundaries of the city. Even knowing the king on a personal level, Aion wasn't privy to any special treatment; he had to call Andrak "majesty", he lived under stricter laws than citizens, and was expected to succeed on every mission. "Au--Lady Luneia..." At that moment he was reminded of why he had been sent here, "business". Success came first, everything else was secondary. "I appreciate the warm welcome, however, I'm here to speak with you on a very important matter."


"O-oh, of course." Luneia seemed to understand the young man's feelings, and retreated to a large chair out on the balcony. "From what I understand this is a military matter?"


"Correct. A few months ago I met up with Kelljah Radiuju privately at his residence. Of course meeting with him is always entertaining, but one thing bothered me, he seemed obsessed with showing off the Zolan Land's military might. There were even a few parades while I was there, each celebrating the acquisition of new weapons, armor..."


"You're saying it wasn't just Kelljah flexing his muscle?"


Aion nodded. "He was making a statement, though I'm still not sure exactly what he was trying to say. To be safe I sent two of my agents into the Zolan Lands; from the intel I've received they've been running military exercises in the desert, Justian Ocean, Western Parmecia, and Larleta."


"Would that mean that they're cooperating with Western Parmecia?"


"No, I doubt either of the Parmecias want anything to do with whatever Kelljah's planning." Aion went into his pocket and pulled out a small map of Dragonia, handing it over to Luneia. "Training in the Justian Ocean and desert is self explanatory, but the training in Western Parmecia is what worries me. It's environment is similar to Lavertia; and the further south you go a few of the small islands that were lucky enough to survive the destruction of Guardinia hold resemblance to Eliseia."


"So what's your plan?"


"I want to build a small military camp on the outskirts of southern Eliseia. I've already gotten approval from Nasarad and Rues; all I need is your permission. If it means anything, I'll stay on Eliseia and oversee the camp personally."


Luneia stayed silent. She wasn't sure how to respond; allowing Lavertia to do this would definitely make her people a target; but if things were as Aion had said they were already in the Zolan Land's sights. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Allow me go over the details with the council. I'll get back to you in a day or so."


Aion gave another nod as he made his way toward the door. "Great. I need to travel back to Lavertia and make preparations. When I return we should sit down for dinner..there's a few thing we need to talk about; mainly this years ceremony." With that he closed the door behind him and started his trip back to Bereteca.

[Aion]

It had been exactly three days since his meeting with Luneia, and as Aion promised, he has since monitored the progress on the new Lavertian military camp in southern Eliseia. It was no easy task, within these three days the young Nenian had been traveling in and out of Eliseia by boat several times. Though a good deal of the trips were his normal duties, such as status reports to the royal family and meetings with other leaders, a majority of Aion's time was devoted to closely keeping an eye on supply ships and the business dealings during construction of the Nasrad, Rues, Eliseia camps; this was especially true the Eliseia's base. Since this project was of a personal importance to him, Aion had made the effort of traveling the supply routes personally, as well as paying for extra equipment.

"Everything's on track to be completed within a day or so." He mumbled while glancing over the blueprints of the Eliseian base. "Thank god, maybe I'll finally be able to---" Within a single second the sounds of tools being used, the constant chatter of workers, even the Eliseain winds stopped in unison. Aion's eyes shifted upward toward the direction of the base. Admittedly, when it came to projects like these Aion not only expected a great deal of himself, but of his employees as well; that said, he expected to be greeted with the cold stares of an angry mob, but what he seen instead was surprising. Everything was still, even snowflakes remained suspended in the air. It was as if time had stopped. However, before Aion could attempt to shield himself from a potential mental onslaught, he heard a voice.

“Warriors of Dragonia, hear my words."

"No.."

I am in need of your immediate assistance. For those who wish to help me I promise glory, riches and power beyond your wildest possible dreams.

As the voice continued a great chill swept over Aion's body. "I-it couldn't be..." The young man's eyes widened, each of his labyrinth shaped irises giving off a crimson glow. Though it was different from person to person, this was Aion's reaction to being connected to other lords of hell, more specifically, those of great power. However, this reaction wasn't out of fear, it was similar to a transformation to some; simply being connected to one of his peers increased his powers tenfold, he could hardly control himself.

His eyes were fixated above him, hundreds of energy threads poured from the sky like rain; this was a sign of mass telepathy, a technique he'd never seen performed on this scale. He couldn't tell who this man was, in his short time as a member of this group he had only encountered Dramanius and Natas, and neither had this much potential power.

"All of you who are interested meet up with two of my allies in the most northern part of the country where the land dies, the mountains surround and time appears to stand still; the old ruins in the North of Metapha. That is where your journey begins. They will be there at midnight, but they will not wait for long. Without your help all will be lost. Hurry.”

As the voice faded time returned to it's normal state, everything else remained silent; a few peoples eyes on each other as if they we're quietly confirming what they had just heard. Aion reacted quickly, picking up his two way radio and linking directly to his the assistant supervisor.

"Yes, sir?"

"Contact the Nasrad and Rues camps immediately, order them to keep working; it's of the utmost importance that each base is completed within the next few hours. Second, send a request to Bereteca to beef up security throughout the country; especially on the borders and in the capital. I'm heading to Metapha."