Tales of the Endless Empire

Chapter 349: The Soldier in White

Thalion watched as the streak of light closed in fast. He quickly stowed the blue crystal in his bag and left the ocean behind. To get a closer look, he shifted into his eagle form for just a moment. The figure descending wore gleaming white armor and a helmet, concealing any features. It could have been elf or human, though Thalion doubted it was human. And if it was not the tallest, most muscular female elf he had ever seen, then it had to be a man. Yet the chosen the old elf had warned him of was supposed to be female. So what was happening here?The armored figure slammed into the ground between the beach and the trees, right in their makeshift plaza. The impact shook the earth, and a moment later the voice of a young man, amplified by mana, boomed across the base.

"I am Eric, chosen of Solarian. Any act of violence against me will be punished by death. I am here to speak with your leader and I know you are here. Come out, Thalion!"

Thalion raised an eyebrow behind his mask. Another chosen? Things were certainly escalating. Annie and the Thalassan hadn’t gone far and were now hurrying back toward him.

“You’re not actually going to show yourself, are you?” Annie asked, catching Thalion as he moved toward the white-armored figure.

“It’s not as though I have much of a choice,” Thalion replied. He was confident, however, that if needed, he could escape. The water was close, and that heavy armor didn’t look like it would swim well.

Annie had no further argument and followed as Thalion advanced toward the imposing human. Eric’s aura pressed down on everyone, suffocating, though Thalion could tell this wasn’t even the man’s full strength. Even so, it was far more than Thalion could match in his current form. Chosen were frightening. He was glad he had stayed cautious when considering the elven chosen.

“I AM WAITING!” Eric bellowed again, infusing so much mana into his voice that the sound rattled bones and made ears ring. Everything about his bearing screamed soldier, strict, commanding, disciplined.

“Why are you shouting? It’s not like your little light show could have gone unnoticed,” Thalion said in a casual tone, refusing to treat Eric’s theatrics with respect.

Eric spun toward him far faster than Thalion had anticipated, faster than Thalion himself could have managed. That scratched at his confidence, though not enough to break it.

“So, you’re Thalion,” Eric growled. His voice was edged, though not dripping with killing intent. Still, Thalion knew that one wrong move could mean disaster. Against someone this much stronger, even his regeneration would not save him if a limb was torn off.

“Sure. What do you want?” Thalion asked with deliberate confusion. He truly had no idea what a human chosen would be doing here.

“You attacked and killed my people. I’m here to take control, to make sure something like that never happens again!” Eric barked, his tone pure drill sergeant.

“If you didn’t control one of the nearby incursions, then that seems unlikely. And… take over? Friend, don’t you see everyone’s leaving this place already?” Thalion spread his hands wide, baffled.

Now Eric looked uncertain, glancing around and noticing the exodus of people. “I had wondered… but you killed eight of my people traveling toward your camp.” His face hardened, his voice snapping back into a harsh bark.

“I don’t know why you’re so sure it was me. I’ve been hunting beasts and closing incursions, nothing else. Who told you this?” Thalion asked. Eric’s volume and posturing had no effect on him. For most, the aura and aggression might have been overwhelming, but Thalion saw through it. This was theater, a mask to enforce respect.

“Thorwald and his scout Joe. They were traveling with eight of my people. Your hunters ambushed them and slaughtered them.”

Thalion exhaled slowly. “First, I didn’t order anyone to kill Thorwald. Second, that man is a murderer who butchered innocent children and women while others fought orcs in the early tutorial. If he’s dead, he earned it. His family might disagree, but his victims won’t. Do we have any word on what happened to the hunting party?” he asked, directing the question to Maike and Kaldrek as they hurried over.

“No. We haven’t heard back since the scout reported contact. We assume them dead,” Maike admitted quickly. She was visibly shaken by Eric’s aura.

“Also on another matter,” Thalion added, “could you turn your aura down? It doesn’t affect me, as you’ve noticed, but we have children here.”

Eric blinked, then consealed his aura. In an instant the crushing pressure was gone, as though it had never existed. Thalion realized its nature was similar to the crippled eclipsar, only that Eric’s aura brightened everything around him, rather than frighting them. The chosen’s eyes swept the camp, lingering on Annie, then the Thalassan, before settling back on him.

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“So, to be clear. You’re not preying on my people, and the attack only happened because of Thorwald’s past actions?” Eric asked.

“I mean… yes,” Thalion said with a shrug, eager to move things along. Eric didn’t seem fully convinced, but the nods of the elite party backed Thalion’s words. That seemed enough.

“Then the next question. Why is everyone leaving?” Eric’s tone had softened. The military edge was gone, the booming mana stripped away.

“In our tutorial, we clashed with elves often and they lost. Now their survivors have found a chosen. They’ll be coming here soon to kill us all,” Thalion explained, keeping his tone calm. It was not the full truth, but enough of it to be believable.

“An elven chosen? Which god and how far?” Eric demanded, urgency flashing in his eyes. For a chosen, such things were life and death.

“Good question. Must have something to do with winds, I think. Not sure who it is,” Thalion said, deliberately vague. He should have asked his prisoners, soon enough those elves would be dead anyway. They knew too much.

Eric frowned. “This is bad. Now I see why you’re fleeing. Still, you are fortunate. I offer sanctuary to all of you. Join my base. I am chosen. I will protect you. In return, you must contribute. Murder and lawlessness will not be tolerated.”

The offer hung in the air. Generous, at least on the surface. For most here, it was far better than wandering through the jungle with no home. For Thalion, it was useless. Still, his friends and people might take it.

“Do you step down as leader of this camp and join me?” Eric pressed.

“I already stepped down. We’re only here until everyone’s ready to move. And I won’t be joining you. I’ve my own path. But you’re welcome to make your pitch, I’m sure many will follow.” Thalion’s casual shrug caught Eric by surprise.

Maike spoke up quickly, voice strong. “We’ll join, but only as equals. We match your strongest fighters. We will not be treated as lesser because we lack blessings. We’ll fight, but we won’t take demeaning missions. And no blessings forced on us.”

Eric seemed taken aback but then nodded. “You’ll have to prove your strength, but otherwise, agreed. I don’t micromanage my people. There are chores, like chopping wood, but quests from the board determine ranking. The more you accomplish, the higher you rise.”

From there, things smoothed out. Eric introduced himself to the camp while Thalion slipped back to his lagoon, readying the tidecaller serpent form for the crystal. Most of the camp accepted Eric’s offer. Only a handful struck out on their own. Maike and the elite chose to follow him too. It was the most practical path forward.

Annie and the Thalassan grew inseparable, working side by side. Jakob and Kargul also became close, though Kargul teased him mercilessly for not wielding a club. With Eric’s men helping organize the move, the base transformed quickly. Even Eric preferred not to clash with the elven chosen before he was ready.

Vorlok handled the final loose ends. The captive elves vanished, erased as if they had never existed. Thalion knew it was for the best.

Days passed swiftly. He tempered his body, studied the tides, and shared idle talks with Annie and the Thalassan about water magic. Slowly, the base emptied. By two days before the system event, almost everyone had gone to join Eric. The farewell struck Thalion harder than expected, especially with the Thalassan. Her calm presence had grown comforting.

When the camp was nearly empty, Thalion sat alone on the sand, armored and silent, watching the horizon. The sun crept higher, golden light washing over him. For once, there was peace.

A shadow fell beside him. Eric landed, thoughtful. He sat down on the sand, gazing out at the waves.

“I don’t understand you. With your strength, you’d have a place at my side for the system event and you’d hold one of the highest positions in my base,” he said.

“It’s simple,” Thalion answered. “I want to walk my own path. Maybe later I’ll join. For now, I need space. Running this base, the constant attacks. It’s worn on me.”

Eric chuckled softly, nodding in recognition. “Fair enough. You’re always welcome. Good luck in the event. Stay alive.”

He rose and left with the last of the stragglers, leaving Thalion alone. The tide whispered against the shore. Ahead lay only one task. Swallowing the crystal. And perhaps, if fortune favored him, testing his human form before the system event began.