Not long after the arrival of Chase and Equan, the other members of the team followed into the meeting room.
Chase explained the route that they would take, and how at dawn they would leave Rider kingdom, and head north, crossing the frozen river, and treading directly into The Frozen Forest.
After he finished discussing the first leg of the trip, he took a deep breath.
"Any questions...?"
Michael spoke up.
"Are we setting up camp?"
Chase nodded.
"Leander told me of a place within the vast world of ice, where warmth resided, we will set up camp there hopefully tomorrow night."
Then Onyx spoke.
"Our goal is to slay The Wendigo on his home turf, correct?"
Chase nodded, feeling determination take over his very being.
"And whoever may assist him."
Then Onyx stood, and looked into Chase's eyes from across the table.
It was like an unstoppable object meeting an immovable force, just from the pure pressure of their gazes.
Onyx then nodded.
"May the gods show them mercy."
Chase was caught slightly off guard, at the mention of the ancient Phoenix saying that his father had read to him in those old fairy tail stories.
"For my house will not."
He followed after.
"What house?"
Talon chuckled, as he stood up.
Many of Chase's friends and even Onyx turned toward the man with a look of disgust.
Chase wondered if The Black Dragon had been told about his true identity, but he was more amazed at the audacity of Talon of The House of Terror.
"Sit back down soldier."
Onyx demanded.
"You might wanna listen to him."
Summer said, with a smug expression on her face.
Talon put his hands up in defense.
"Relax, I was just joking."
Once the tension cleared up, Vivian decided that it was her turn to ask about the journey.
She walked over, and put a finger on a certain part of the map.
"This is where the main forces are going to stay, correct?"
Chase nodded.
"Yes, all three of the kingdoms within the alliance have already sent a plethora of their best soldiers, and stationed them south of Frostfang..."
Then Chase pointed at a small palm tree that seemed quite out of place on the map. It rested in the center of two large snowy mountains within the Frostfang region.
"And this is where Leander had told me to set up a base of operations."
He paused.
"On the third day of every week, Sazir and his men venture toward it, and claim many of its swift growing fruits and vegetation in order to keep the kingdom fed."
Vivian thought for a moment, and then nodded.
"So we will set a trap?"
Chase smirked.
"We are the trap."
...
Later that night, Chase sat on the edge of the stairs behind the mighty stone fortress, his sword resting in its scabbard on his hip.
In front of him, was a large training grounds, that had once been filled to the brim with soldiers; however, now it looked quite depressing with the lack of recruits filling the grounds with sword clattering and laughter.
He stood up, and walked over to one of the many training dummies, and unsheathed his sword.
He knew that he was no where near strong enough to clash with the mighty Wendigo yet, but he had hoped that Black Dragon's presence would be enough to turn the tide of war when that time came.
As growls escaped from his lips, he clashed his sword against the wooden training dummy, for what had felt like hours upon hours, but once he grew so tired that he could have sword he was hallucinating, a voice beckoned from behind him.
The voice was unfamiliar and gruff, but he had not caught what the voice had said.
When he turned, he spotted Onyx watching from the stairs, but the voice could not have been his...
Dragon walked over, and raised an eyebrow.
"What? Are we being watched?"
"I don't know..."
Onyx let out a deep breath, and as a faint purple light began to engulf his hand, a shining violet blade grew from the dragon's powers.
"Shall we duel? There are some things id like to discuss in private, and what better conversation then that of battle?"
Chase nodded, feeling the urge to know more about the man who bore the sigil of the dragon.
They found an open spot in-between all of the training equipment, and stood exactly fifteen paces away from each other.
"Leander warned me of you."
Dragon said with a smirk.
"Warned of what? The hellhound that lives inside of my chest, the second lineage that had threatened to destroy my body since birth, or maybe it was the Naga mask I own that can take the shape of anything I desire..."
Dragon's smirk grew wider.
"None of that, although maybe I should be more wary... But no, he warned me of the chip resting on your soldier, and the royal clan that you may one day become."
"I have been tasked with protecting not only you, but your father's legacy, but dare I wonder what other secrets I may learn of during the coming battles."
Chase raised an eyebrow and rolled up the piece of leather on his gauntlet, revealing the phoenix sigil resting on his wrist.
"What is your game?"
He asked Dragon, feeling a sense of dread and wonder within the same breaths.
"I sense something strong within you, unimaginable power, and maybe just a little more. On the day of my birth, I was outcasted by the Aries clan as a Stray, and now live my life in order to gain vengeance on the royal clan. And you... You could swipe their legs from right under them and hold the throne as your own..."
Chase's shoulders slumped.
"What do you mean...?"
Dragon grinned.
"So they have not told you... The reason that the great clans had wiped each other off of the face of the earth..."
Chase waited.
"Each of the three great clans are all technically heirs to the throne of Vallmora, and the Aries clan just so happens to not have any sons in line for the throne. I am willing to bet my soul, that when you look down at your vox it will not tell you your own potential..."
Chase nodded, feeling less and less safe the more that the two of them continued on.
"You are the only heir that lives within this continent, and carry the blood of a king wherever that which walks..."
"Do you know what that means...?"
Chase shook his head, even though he knew damn well what that meant.
"If the king is a Grand Paladin, and carries the sigil of twelve star potential, and you are the only living heir of Vallmora, then you not only carry that of twelve star potential, but whatever monster your mother had once been, you carry that with you as well."
Chase felt shivers run down his back, as he dreaded just how much Onyx knew of him.
"Have you ever heard of the term... Paragon?"
Shaking his head, Chase guessed.
"If Paladin is twelve stars, then I am assuming that I carry the potential of beyond twelve stars."
If Dragon's grin could grow bigger, then it would have.
"Do you know what they called Orion back in his time, and the very reason that the king of constellations had imprisoned himself?"
"A Paragon..."
"Correct..."
And as the stars above them danced within the vibrant night sky, Chase lifted his blade to meet the coming onslaught of the man born from dragons.