A Journey That Changed The World.



Archer watched a woman appear from one of the always nearby, and his jaw dropped when he saw her. She had striking white and black hair, her eyes were a mesmerizing mix of red and yellow.

The woman's stunning appearance and unique charm immediately captured his interest. He shook his head and introduced himself, "I'm Archer Wyldheart, and my Shadow Army said I should come here."

"Tiamat said you'd come, but not this soon," the woman said with a smile. "My name is Nyx Drakebane. I was once a daughter of the Drakebane Family, but they're all gone now."

Archer shook his head, "Your brother is at the College of Magic looking for you," he revealed while stepping forward.

Nyx looked at him with narrowed eyes before speaking, "Join me for dinner; I'm hungry for some chicken."

He laughed but nodded in agreement as Nyx led him through the dilapidated city, sending Fianna a message through the bracelet. The mature woman said she would wait by the entrance as the Shadow Creatures dealt with the monsters.

Pleased with that, Archer followed Nyx, who kept looking back at him with a knowing smile as they reached the city's eastern part. He glanced at the passing buildings and soon realized they were in the noble district.

The dragon woman continued walking until she reached a grand mansion. Nyx entered the grounds, and Archer followed closely behind. They entered a lush park surrounded by a small forest of trees that gave the estate a secluded, enchanted feel.

Archer observed Nyx stopping at a tree with a treehouse in its branches. She climbed up, and he followed suit. Inside, he found the space surprisingly cozy and spacious. A kitchen welcomed them on one side, while a living area welcomed them on the other.

He noticed a bookcase filled with old, well-loved books, adding charm to the place. While admiring the place, Nyx asked, "Would you like some soup, White Dragon?"

His stomach grumbled, causing him to reply with a smile, "Yes, please. Do you need any meat? I have a lot on me."'

Nyx turned to him and nodded, causing Archer to drop some orc corpses. When the dragon woman saw this, she smiled, "We can have a feast. I must prepare the meat."

She then gathered the bodies and dragged them towards the entrance before dropping them through the opening. Nyx climbed down, prompting Archer's curiosity to peak, and he followed her.

As Archer stepped onto the dry grass, he heard tearing and chopping sounds behind him. Turning around, he saw Nyx butchering the orcs, carefully storing large chunks of meat into a storage bracelet.

Suddenly, Archer noticed something approaching the city in the distance. "What is that?" he exclaimed.

A mist weaved through the streets and entered every building before getting closer to them. Nyx finished processing the first corpse and then looked up. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the incoming mist.

"The Death Mist has returned," she murmured. "Interesting. Let's get inside White Dragon before something bad happens."

He followed her back into the treehouse before climbing back up and looking down when he reached the top. A red mist enveloped the orc corpses and turned them into sludge, shocking him.

The dragon woman shut the hatch and locked it behind her, explaining, "When the Swarm feels threatened, they release the mist. It's a deadly concoction they've developed, capable of killing even Demi-Gods."

Archer nodded before telling Fianna to meet him back in Draconia because of the mist, which she confirmed covered the whole city and the surrounding area. The older woman told him the Shadow Creatures were all waiting for it to vanish.

He thanked her before turning to Nex, who was now chopping up the orc meat into small chunks and dropping it into the massive pot in the kitchen. Nyx looked at him and spoke, "Do you want to hear my story while I cook? It's been over a decade since I've talked with someone."

"Yes please," Archer replied.

Nyx started speaking as he leaned forward to listen, "It all started on that fated day that Frostholm fell to the Swarm."

***

[Nyx's POV]

When Nyx lost her parents, she went crazy and slaughtered any monsters she could find until even more powerful foes appeared, forcing her to flee deeper into the city. The young girl had to hide out in a half-destroyed bakery.

She climbed into their oven and hid as the Ratlings and Blightborns rushed through the street looking for her. Nyx stayed hidden for a while while eating and drinking the stuff from the store, but it soon ran out.

This forced her back onto the dangerous streets where corpses of the population littered the road. Nyx scavenged for homes and stores alike before she found a garden she took care of for a while.

Years passed by like this, with her fighting the Swarm before retreating deeper into the city only to find the treehouse,

Nyx remembered it from her childhood that all the noble children would play in. She made it her home by hiding it with runes and magic so that the Swarm couldn't find her. This continued until the Terravians got annoyed and released the Red Mist.

She had discovered this while observing a group of Treasure Hunters plundering the city. As they slew enough monsters, the mist was unleashed, annihilating them all. Nyx considered herself fortunate; her treehouse was protected by her chaos magic, intricately woven into the wood and the tree itself.

Periodically, the Swarm would attempt to hunt her down, but Nyx would swiftly eliminate them before disappearing, forcing the Terravains to steer clear of confronting her, much to her satisfaction.

Following that, the years passed by slowly, and hundreds of people came to the city looking to make a name for themselves to be brutally killed by the Ratlings, Blightborns, or any other

monster.

Everything was monotonous until the Swarm attacked the surface world with trillions of monsters that washed over the kingdoms and empires. Nyx witnessed hundreds of armies leaving Frostholm behind.

She witnessed the Forsaken marching south to aid their vile allies, but this changed when two people appeared in the city. Nyx followed these newcomers, and her world changed when she spotted the white-haired young man and a mature blonde woman who clung to him.

Nyx watched as the duo walked through the city and easily slaughtered the Swarm's creatures after summoning horrifying-looking shadow monsters that washed through the city like a

flood.

They systematically butchered every creature they encountered without mercy until the young man and woman ventured into one of the Swarm's tunnels, startling Nyx as Terravians emerged from within. Explosions echoed from the dark hole.

An hour later, the couple nonchalantly reappeared, showing no signs of being bothered by what they had just done. Nyx was taken aback as she approached them, and upon meeting their gaze, she realized this was the person she had been waiting for.

***

[Back to Archer]

Archer found Nyx's story interesting, but that's when he asked, "Would you like to destroy the Swarm with me? They're all over Pluoria and need to be killed."

When the dragon woman heard his offer, she stopped stirring the stew and jumped up before walking over to him. As her eyes shone, she said, "Do you mean it? I've never left this city." His eyebrow raised, but he nodded, "Of course, I mean it. Tiamat once told me about a lonely dragon who lost her family and was waiting for me in the doomed city. When my shadows told me about this place, causing me to come earlier than expected.

Nyx beamed, "Can I fly in my dragon form?"

"Yes. I've just grown again and enjoy flying in that form; it's relaxing," Archer said while sitting down and getting comfortable.

A bay window on one side of the treehouse looked out to the garden with the distant mountains as a beautiful backdrop. He loved the view from this place and wished one of the

girls were with him.

As Archer recalled the Swarm's spell-blocking teleportation, he resolved to address it once the situation stabilized and Draconia strengthened. Shortly after, the soothing sound of red rain hitting the window filled the room.

He was beginning to drift off to sleep when he felt a weight settle on his lap. Opening his eyes, he saw Nyx standing there with a wide, eager smile, holding a tray with a bowl and a loaf of

bread.

Archer responded with a charming smile, "It smells delicious. I'm starving and can't wait to

try it."

Nyx beamed with satisfaction before fetching her dinner, allowing Archer to start eating. As

he brought the meat to his mouth and took a bite, various flavors exploded on his tongue, which shocked him.

Despite all the different tastes, he thoroughly enjoyed the food. He turned into an eating machine, devouring everything in front of him, which initially surprised Nyx but ultimately made her happy to see him enjoy her cooking.

She brought over more bowls as he continued to eat voraciously. Eventually, Archer ate so much that his stomach started to ache. Nyx spoke softly, "Even though we haven't spoken much, being with someone else has been good."

Archer nodded, understanding her sentiment. "We can talk more if you'd like," he offered

sincerely.