Ephalon - Triumvirate
Chapter 1 - Desperation
Ephalon - Shackles of Enterra
Chapter 1 - Laying the ground work
Fate has a funny way of turning out. For some, it is the inescapable truth that will come to pass, for others it is merely circumstance. To fight one's fate, one must first know it, yet knowing it might ultimately lead one to inadvertently causing it. Perhaps fighting fate is not the wisest thing to do, after all, we can't do more than we naturally can... or can we?
A little over one-hundred years ago Celestus Arramore, the dragon Queen Empress fell ill and died to a mysterious disease, something not thought possible for dragons. Ever since that day, which has been coined as the end of the Era of Celestus' rule, a long string of seemingly unrelated events has transpired. Less than two weeks prior to Celestus' death, Maeyl came to power as the Cenebrian Grandmaster. Following his inauguration, there were many attempts by others to challenge his right as leader. Each and every one of them failed miserably until no one dared to take it up again. This lack of defiance has placed Maeyl as the longest standing Grandmaster in history, more than a hundred years.
Another significant event that happened since was the fall of the Ancients. Forty-six years ago, a tragedy occurred in the Great Western Forest which effectively wiped out the Ancient race, a race of anthropomorphic wolves. This event left a scar on Ephalon in the form of a Rift in space and time. This tear was a direct connection to the dimension of nothingness known as Limbo. Fifteen years after that tragedy, Riptor Stormwolf, the last surviving Ancient, together with the help of his friends Rhea Loveheart and Dianne Morrigan, finally managed to close the Rift. Sadly, it came at the ultimate price, his life. By closing the Rift, the group of friends had prevented a terrible evil from returning to Ephalon, a heinous entity known as Void.
Thirty years later, Selene Arramore daughter of Celestus and former partner to Riptor, never once gave into the idea that he was truly dead. After receiving a hot tip, she found Rhea and one of the Forbidden books of the Ancients. Together with her help and some friends that Selene had found along her personal journey; they pulled Riptor back out of Limbo. Their efforts sadly weren't rewarded in the way that they'd hoped. From the dimensional tear, they merely received a comatose Riptor, who was seemingly brain-dead.
As a last-ditch effort to save her partner, Selene and company travelled to a sacred place known as the spirit gate. There they met an entity by the name of Lady Azure, who took Riptor's body into the spirit realm. It was in there that she retrieved his soul, once again reviving him to his former self. Unbeknownst to the companions, due to their actions, they had inadvertently unleashed a terrible evil back into the world. In retrieving Riptor from Limbo, they'd accidentally released Void's spirit which ever since its liberation had slowly been growing stronger.
Months later, due to the actions of a crazed cult that had long since tried to revive Void, the companions were forced into battle. However, this confrontation occurred amid the chaos of Void's spirit forcing people to commit suicide. In a cruel twist of fate, Dianne Morrigan fell in battle, at which point Rhea Loveheart sacrificed herself to allow the companions a chance at defeating Void permanently. Her sacrifice, however, did not make Void corporeal as they had expected; instead, a new entity was born, Coalescence. After an intense battle, Riptor and Selene only narrowly defeated this new threat. Fate, as it turns out, has a funny way of showing itself.
Almost a year had passed since the battle of Turnpike. The dragon princess Selene Arramore along with the last surviving Ancient Riptor Stormwolf had since made Mount Arramore their new home. Sadly, their dream of living their lives in peace had been the least thought about desire since coming there. Together with their hybrid friend Corphelax, they'd been busy planning out the best course of action going forward.
Two enormous threats still roamed Erafar, firstly the murderous Cenebrian Grandmaster Maeyl, who was still hell-bent on revenge for having been defeated twice by Riptor. Maeyl was never one to take failure lightly as he so famously claimed never to have left anyone alive that he had engaged in combat. The two adventurers had so far only heard whispers on the wind about Maeyl, never garnering more than a few reports of mere momentary sightings. Even the Cenebrians that the companions had confronted coming from Caldrigo, their capital city, had heard little to no word about their Grandmaster. All in all, it had been unnervingly silent on that front.
Secondly, at the battle of Turnpike, a new foe had emerged. A fusion of their friend Rhea Loveheart and their arch-nemesis Void which resulted in the birth of a tyrant known as Coalescence. After a very intense battle with this new adversary, Riptor only barely managed to strike a stunning blow against Coalescence; after which she escaped with the help of her monstrous Aquinti, a strange white-skinned, humanoid creature with two arms and four tendrils that reached from its back. Coalescence had not been seen once since the incident, nor had any rumours circulated about her whereabouts. There had, however, been the occasional mention of Aquinti attacking travellers along the road. Selene and Riptor began to suspect that Coalescence was planning something big in the near future, even though they lacked any hard evidence to support their theory.
Currently, the lovers were enjoying a quiet morning sitting at the edge of Lake Arramore, a beautiful crystal-clear body of water, which was part of a vast plateau halfway up the mountain. Riptor, however, was mostly engrossed by staring at a very different type of body, specifically that of his partner. At present, Selene was in her hybrid form, which was a state between the natural appearance of her true full-on, four-legged dragon form and that of a female human. To that end, Selene right now had a human-shaped body which was covered by black and blue plated scales. She also possessed a tail, roughly two-thirds of her body length, directly above her bottom. Additionally, a deadly trail of spikes travelled down along her spine all the way to the tip of her tail. Her mouth was similar in shape to that of a typical dragon's, and on the back of her head, she had two tapered horns and a crown-shaped set of fins.
"Good morning you two, I see you've already eaten breakfast," Corphelax remarked as he snuck up behind them. Their friend was an odd mixture of dragon and Ancient body parts. His face appeared like that of a wolf, yet his arms and legs were like that of a dragon. He strangely was born without a tail which made him naturally unbalanced and thus forced him to make use of a walking stick his entire life. Selene and Riptor looked up at the old man returning a gentle smile.
"Even after a hundred years, your mind is as sharp as ever," Selene replied jokingly. Corphelax greatly appreciated the humour, moreover, since he'd been alone for so long, the continued presence of these two definitely kept him energised.
"You mentioned yesterday that you wanted to discuss something?" he followed up with, and upon mention Riptor suddenly stood up to stretch his wolven body vigorously. Much like his partner Selene, the Ancient had a humanoid body type, although in his case it was entirely covered with black fur. His head was very close in shape to that of a typical wolf found out in the wild, and an assuredly not human aspect of his physiology was that he had a digitigrade leg structure akin to that of a wolf's hind legs; however, all currently present parties had that particular leg shape. Riptor's most dominant feature was his slightly glowing, blue eyes. A feature which matched rather well with Selene's green peepers, which also possessed a similar dim glow. The Ancient couldn't help himself during his stretch and let out a series of moans and groans that were rather pleasing on the ears, at least his partner thought so.
"That's right. Selene and I have been discussing the idea of forming a coalition between all the major cities of west Erafar. We need to stand as one if we intend to defeat Coalescence. If everyone fights alone, she'll have the upper hand, and it'll just be a matter of time before she wipes everyone out, however, if we unite as one group, undoubtedly, we can destroy her," Riptor said.
Corphelax nodded and agreed, further adding that regardless of the inherent necessity, a common ground for everyone to unite behind would be a good way forward, as increased cooperation between the cities would only lead to more prosperity. Amid their little exchange, Selene stood up and began to stare in the direction of the Celestial Grotto, a cave near the peak of Mount Arramore from where her mother used to rule the lands. Corphelax noticed her distracted state and remarked upon it.
"Oh... I'm sorry, I wasn't listening, but I'm wholly behind the idea of a united front," the dragoness replied off-handedly. Riptor suddenly realised that Selene's attention had recurrently been rather divided as of late.
"What's the matter, my love? You've been pre-occupied with something, but I can't tell what it is," Riptor asked concerned. Selene needed a moment to clear her thoughts and reflect on what it was that had been consuming all of her attention.
"I... it's hard to say exactly, but I think I've been hearing a voice calling to me. I'm quite certain that it's coming from the grotto. It's extremely faint and at the back of my mind but every so often I can hear it." Riptor and Corphelax glanced at each other, whereas the Ancient looked bewildered, Corphelax somehow appeared pleased.
"Perhaps the time has finally come for you to ascend to your role as Queen," the old man remarked excitedly. Selene's focus very quickly shifted to him, and she immediately dismissed the idea. It wasn't the first time Corphelax had tried to put this notion into her mind, as he wholeheartedly believed that she was up for the task. Unfortunately, more than anything else his faith in her was met with indignation.
"For the last time, no! I won't be party to your ridiculous idea that I could lead the dragons. Time and time again, they've made it abundantly clear that they don't stand behind me. I simply lack the same natural power that my mother had. What will it take for you to stop going on about it!?" the dragoness replied fiercely. Riptor couldn't help but snicker at the reaction, though it was met with a vile sneer, which promptly shut him up.
"Look, Selene, he's just adamant about it. If anything, just take it as a compliment and as a display of his trust in you. There's nothing wrong with that, right?" the Ancient deliberated. Selene calmed down a bit finding Riptor's reasoning something she could get behind, though the continual reminders did not lessen the annoyance it gave her.
"So what will you do now?" Corphelax questioned.
Riptor decided to take the lead in answering Corphelax's question as they'd already discussed their plans in great detail.
"First we're going to head to Highwall as apart from Caldrigo it is the largest city this side of the Black-ice mountains. We believe if there is to a be council of some kind, it'll have to be established there. We've kept in contact with commander Alphion throughout the past year, so that should allow us some leeway in gaining entrance into the city. Depending on the results we achieve there, we'll split up and ask for support from the other cities. Word has since spread throughout all of Erafar and beyond about Coalescence and the battle at Turnpike, so at least we'll have that playing in our favour." Corphelax was impressed by their idea; however, he found it odd that Selene wouldn't take up the mantle of Queen considering the nature of their plan. Though as per her expressed wishes, at least for today he'd try to remember not to remark upon it again.
"We should get ready to leave. It'll take about a full day to fly to Highwall," Selene said. Corphelax and Riptor took a step back to watch as Selene transformed from her hybrid form to that of a fully scale-plated black and blue coloured dragon. Her familiar crown of horns covered her head giving her a very regal appearance, and to accompany the look; her alluring green eyes flared up. Riptor gathered the necessary supplies and brought along two bags to carry them in before mounting the dragon at the front of her back. There he held onto one of her spikes in order to keep his balance.
"Best of luck to you both, and may your journey be fruitful," Corphelax stated while waving them off. Riptor had a compass at the ready and gave Selene a heading for north-east. The dragoness jaunted towards the edge of the cliff and jumped off catching a gentle breeze on the way down. Their height allowed her to speed up very rapidly and thus quickly descended towards the Dowder plains. Estimated flight time would be about one day. The voice that had been plaguing Selene throughout the past month suddenly fell silent, and her efforts were now focussed on getting to Highwall as fast as possible.
Thanks to the height advantage of starting at Mount Arramore, the companions swiftly passed the halfway mark of their journey to Highwall. The dragoness neared the road that led from the small village of Ora Terra to Turnpike and decided that this would be an excellent spot to have a little rest. A few passersby saw the incoming dragon and were mighty spooked by its presence. Riptor, upon arrival, tried his best to assure the humans that there were no ill-intentions; unsurprisingly, however, his words meant very little, and the group rushed along the road. The Ancient sighed at the sight, disappointed that people were still so afraid of dragons. Selene couldn't help but smile at her partner.
"It's alright, I mean have you seen my size? I understand their fear, even more so considering everything that's happened in this region over the past year. There's also a justified reason why dragons have a bad reputation," Selene commented. Though her words rang true, it was also part of Riptor's frustration. To overcome such a long-standing presumption would be an incredible task and not one that could be won in a single day. The two then enjoyed a quick lunch break before heading out on the final leg of their journey.
Selene flew for a good while longer before she eventually reached the outskirts of Turnpike. The couple was now quite close to Highwall, and even though nighttime was starting to settle in, they decided to fly the last portion there. Admittedly, Selene wasn't a fan of flying at night due to the increased difficulty in judging distance in the dark. Because of this, there was a genuine risk of incurring a false landing. A short distance in, the dragoness began to have second thoughts and started to complain vocally. Although the companions weren't quite there yet, Riptor had to agree that landing and walking the rest of the way was the wiser option. With what little light there was left Selene set herself down on the ground safely.
The dragoness transformed back into her hybrid form, though found herself significantly more drained than anticipated. They'd been at Mount Arramore for the past few weeks trying to relax but ultimately found themselves becoming very anxious because of it. Her lengthy respite had also weakened her condition a smidge as she'd entirely run out of stamina for the day. After a quick back and forth exchange, they decided to camp out near a small group of trees that stood out in the vast open plains.
The following morning after they'd had a good solid rest, the companions walked up towards Highwall. Along the road there, they were greeted by travelling merchants, who were out to procure food for the city. It took them less than an hour to reach their destination, the massive fortress city of Highwall. It stood proudly upon a hill overlooking the entire region in all directions. Stone walls surrounded every edge of the town protecting its well-developed insides. Near the eastern border of the city stood the castle along with various other incredibly tall buildings, which were visible even when standing near the front gate.
The companions approached one of the guards and informed him that they'd come to see commander Alphion. However, at that moment, it dawned on them that any prior meeting with Alphion had always been outside of the city limits. With this in mind, a slight worry suddenly crept into their thoughts as they were unsure if the city was still profoundly xenophobic. The guard's initial reaction at least did not give off this impression. He acknowledged the request and informed one of his fellows to send word to the commander. Meanwhile, Riptor and Selene moved away from the gate so that they could discuss the exact wording for their upcoming request more privately.
"Any idea what we should say exactly?" Selene asked Riptor. The Ancient much like his dragon partner hadn't quite prepared a speech for the occasion, all they had come with were their plans.
"To be honest, I thought it would be best to convey our intentions rather than having a pre-defined speech," Riptor suggested. Selene, however, wholeheartedly disagreed with him and took a moment to think back on how her mother used to go about addressing other factions among the lands. Even though the speeches Celestus gave were mostly prepared beforehand, they always felt natural. The dragoness still lacked the absolute confidence or perhaps better-described dragon-arrogance that her mother clearly had to come across as a natural leader.
"At the very least we'll have to speak with the residing King or Queen of Highwall. So, we could bounce the idea off Alphion first and see what he thinks, then later discuss it with the actual ruler," Selene remarked. Riptor agreed though much like her, he still lacked a solid idea of what to say, and their nerves were starting to affect each other, making them increasingly more anxious about the upcoming conversation. The companions for once weren't doing actions based on instinct or self-planned goals anymore. They were trying to assemble an army, and it felt like the hardest challenge of their lives. The couple even joked that it was likely easier to just fight Coalescence rather than doing this, even though winning against her head-on was highly unlikely.
Ultimately, it didn't take all that long for the guard to return. The man instructed the companions to follow him as he'd been given specific orders to guide them to the hall of heroes. The couple complied and ventured forth into the city. The inner architecture of Highwall consisted almost exclusively of stone pathways and brick houses with wooden roofs. The two outsiders were met with a wide variety of stares while on route to their destination. Thankfully, most of them were of indifference; however, there were a few looks of reverence since several people recognised them as the heroes of Turnpike.
The hall of heroes was situated at the side of the castle entrance, and it was there that the companions met up with commander Alphion, a dark-skinned, bald man with brown eyes, who welcomed his friends inside.
"It is good to see you both again," Alphion greeted. Much like every previous encounter with him, he was dressed in his plate mail armour. He made it a point of wearing it as often as possible as a form of training, thus allowing him to become more adept at using it in battle. The man truly was a hardened warrior through and through. The hall of heroes was a rectangular building with a dome-shaped room at the far end, and it was there that Alphion led them.
"I always meant to show you this ever since I had it put up, but we've never got the opportunity to do so. Here, at the very crux of the hall, lay the ashes of Dianne Morrigan. There have been many who have earned a spot in this hall of legends, but none more so than our dear Dianne." The companions remained silent in Alphion's company giving him space to reminisce fondly of their mutual friend. The man traced a finger along his eyes removing a bounty of tears that had formed beneath. He took a moment to compose himself before turning around to address his guests.
"So, what is it you seek to discuss or have you merely come to visit this lonely man?" he exclaimed jokingly. The companions looked at each other, and both visibly gulped. The act didn't go by unnoticed as the commander found it somewhat uncharacteristic of the two, especially since he held them in such high regard.
"You seem nervous, surely whatever it is you want to ask or discuss cannot be so grave?" he remarked unknowingly. Reluctantly, Selene stepped up to the plate as it had become clear to her by Riptor's less than subtle gestures, he was now also trying to enforce Corphelax's idea of her becoming a new ruler. Although perhaps it was more likely that he just didn't want to start the conversation. Selene let out a low grumble before addressing Alphion.
"Over the course of the past month, we've been thinking tirelessly about the best method to deal with Coalescence." Selene's words made the commander's eyes narrow and drew in his absolute attention to her.
"In order to counteract her potential danger, we feel that we first need to unite west Erafar. We want to create a coalition and military alliance between all the major settlements. That way no matter what Coalescence throws at us we can stand united and defeat her!" Selene stated. Alphion had to think very hard about her proposal, especially considering that there had been little to no political interference in each other's meddlings ever since the death of Celestus. This unspoken understanding had ushered in an era of peace, though he had to admit that there were growing tensions all around. The persistent lack of grounded communication had somewhat isolated the settlements from each other.
"Very interesting," Alphion replied, leaving both of the companions perplexed by his meaning.
"My apologies, what you ask is not for me to decide. Something on this scale would need the direct blessing of the King. I see the merit in your request, and on principle do stand behind it. Though the practical issues of it are quite vast," he mentioned. However, his answer served to make Selene more nervous about the colossal task ahead.
"Do not worry my friends. We will head to the King immediately and discuss this," Alphion instructed, and he wasn't kidding. The man moved with purpose, guiding his guests into the castle and straight into the room where his leader currently resided. The King, at present, was listening to an ongoing dispute between two merchants who claimed a specific stall space belonged to them on the market. It was very evident the King had grown annoyed by both parties due to their utter reluctance to compromise, and thus Alphion's sudden intrusion was a welcome one.
"My King, I have brought with me the heroes of Turnpike. They have an urgent matter they'd like to discuss with you. I implore you that this is of the utmost importance, and requires your immediate attention," Alphion urged. The King smiled brightly as he was relieved to have an excuse to dismiss the merchants. The room they were in consisted of a half crescent circle filled with chairs, and in front of them stood a sole throne. In the past, this place was used by a war council, who had met here to discuss invasion plans of east Erafar.
The King called them to step forward. The man was only slightly older than commander Alphion. Riptor guesstimated him in his late fifties. He wore a thick, royal garb which completely covered every inch of his body. From what little the Ancient could see, the man's skin was a light-brown tone, which made his piercing silver eyes stand out quite a lot. On top of his head, he had a curly bunch of hair which meshed rather well with his circlet, a meticulously crafted headpiece which served as the royal crown.
"If I may be so bold my King. Why are you receiving guests in the war room?" Alphion inquired. The man let out a hearty chuckle before answering.
"Loyal Alphion, it would have been my preference to receive these guests in the actual throne room, though I felt it appropriate to address these particular people within the confines of this place. I suspect the irony of the situation was lost on them," the King remarked snickering ever so slightly. The companions were far too nervous to appreciate the King's sense of humour; instead, they followed silently after Alphion, who brought them before the leader of Highwall.
"Welcome, Selene Arramore and Riptor Stormwolf. It is an honour to meet you both at long last. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed," the King commented. The couple was baffled by how this man knew their names. There was an inherent consideration to bow to him in his presence; however, they had not seen Alphion doing such so merely followed suit.
"My name is Charles Cothurn, and you probably know me best by my title of King. So, what is this matter you wish to discuss?"
This time without hesitation Selene stepped forward as she felt an air of familiarity wash over her which harkened back to her royal visits throughout her youth.
"Thank you for allowing me to speak. We seek to unite west Erafar against the threat known as Coalescence. As I'm sure you're aware, we barely managed to defeat her in the battle of Turnpike. We suspect that throughout the past year, she's been amassing an army of the monstrous Aquinti. They are the vile creatures she employs to aid her in her quest for total annihilation." Charles found her words worrisome, even disturbing. He needed a moment to consider the different aspects of her proposition.
"If, what you say is true, then yes, uniting under one banner is a wise choice. However, I feel that with the somewhat isolationist attitude that has become more and more prevalent over the past decade this task will not be easy. Nor is there any apparent direct profit from such a venture," the King remarked. Selene wasn't sure what he meant by profit and asked him to clarify his meaning.
"Historically, whenever such large-scale agreements were made, it often involved a trade of some kind. Exchange of land, the creation of common rights, or even the adoption of new laws. What you propose is almost selfless and reflects on the needs of the many as opposed to each town standing up for themselves. I see the wisdom in joining our military strength under one banner as it would assure us victory no matter the enemy; however, I must reaffirm that this is no simple task. There is also the matter of where would such a council reside? Many aspects of your proposal need a lot of consideration." Selene agreed with the King, though found his tone filled with doubt more so than outright approval.
"If I may speak freely and frankly," the dragon princess requested, immediately receiving Charles' blessing.
"From what you've said, I understand that you aren't wholly opposed by the idea, though I find that your words are filled with doubt. The exact form of the council is not of importance right away. Most pressingly we seek a military alliance between all the cities and towns to combat a genuine threat. We cannot say when this threat will emerge, but we know for certain that she will come and in great force." The King took her sheer determination to heart finding it quite inspiring.
"I will consider your request. This room we reside in is a place of bloodied history. Therefore, it would be a fitting home to hold such a council. I offer it to your cause if you manage to convince the others of west Erafar to stand behind you. Who am I to deny you if you can rally the people?" Charles commended. Selene had trouble reading this man as he seemed sincere but at times he also appeared very aloof. As long as she could trust his word, the plan was good to go.
Suddenly, a messenger burst into the room calling out to lord Alphion, swiftly informing him that there was trouble at the construction site. Riptor and Selene's curiosity was immediately peaked by what was going on.
"Very well, I believe our little discussion is over for now. Why don't you go join Alphion, you might learn something new," the King proposed. With his blessing, the companions accompanied the commander as they made their way east of town towards a field filled with construction equipment. Everything within the area was seemingly built up around a single massive mechanical construct. Selene and Riptor had never seen such a device in their life and were highly curious as to what it was.
Upon approach, Alphion was led to the machine, and it was there that it was pointed out to him that one of the engineers had got into an argument over a particular design choice. Since then the person in question had refused to cooperate any longer.
"Sheril, what are you doing up there?" Alphion asked while looking up at a disgruntled engineer. The somewhat smallish, white-skinned, blond haired human looked down from her perch atop the machine. Rather than replying to Alphion's question, she spotted his two guests; at which point, her sour mood suddenly shifted as her intrigue overpowered her defiance. A short climb later, she was on the ground, and things resumed back to normal.
"I'm sorry Alphion, but Makron was plain wrong, so I told him repeatedly about the way his new design would fail..." Alphion's finger suddenly halted the young lady's complaining as it pushed up against her lips.
"I must apologise for my colleague, she's very passionate about her work, and loves to talk about it. Even though, I have no idea what half the things she says mean," the commander remarked heartily. Sheril moved out of range of Alphion's finger and waved at the companions.
"The name's Sheril Hawthorn, I'm the LEAD mechanist on this project!" the young scientist greeted haphazardly. A series of groans emanated from all around, especially one rather loud one near the front of the construct.
"I'm Selene Arramore, and this is my partner Riptor Stormwolf," the dragoness replied. The scientist didn't recognise the names at all and awkwardly fell silent.
"Say what's that machi..." before Riptor could even finish his sentence Sheril interrupted.
"... this machine? I'm glad you asked! I've coined it the digger train! Cool name, right? We're almost done with it, and we'll be using it to dig a tunnel straight through the Black-ice mountains. That way we can start building a train route all the way to Sundia. That should make access to the east of Erafar less of a hassle," Sheril stated enthusiastically.
"I see, that's... amazing honestly," Riptor replied, noticing that Sheril would not stop boasting profusely about the invention. The giant construct was, in fact, a train-like vehicle with at the front of it numerous iron grinders for crushing stone. The track on which it was supposed to ride was still being laid down. Alphion suddenly intervened to excuse them all, letting Sheril get back to work.
"I don't understand how they do it, but it's impressive," the commander remarked as he led the companions away from the construction site. Time had flown by rather quickly as it had already passed midday. Riptor and Selene along with Alphion enjoyed a quick lunch together before parting ways, after which the couple sat down to discuss how to proceed further. Selene was first to speak up.
"I think we should proceed with what we first had thought of. You take the northern route, and I'll take the southern one." Riptor wasn't sure of his partner's exact plans anymore and requested that she explicitly state them once again.
"I'll head to Turnpike and seek out Gerald Garwing. Next, Moridia and then Pisidia before I go back to Highwall," Selene answered. Riptor then mentioned that he'd take the northern path from Highwall, heading past the smaller villages towards Telneth. After which he'd travel south to Efas before finally heading back.
"That sounds good, is there anything else?" Selene inquired, receiving an immediate nod from Riptor.
"Yes, any of the smaller villages I pass by I'll warn them to be vigilant, and that if things go bad to head to Highwall. We can't honestly recruit the smaller settlements in good conscience, but we need to make sure they aren't in harm’s way either." Selene's partner's words rang true; they brought back memories of the things her old friend Exster used to tell her. A slight sense of shame came over Selene as she was reminded of the feeling that this was somehow all her fault. Riptor reached in to embrace his partner, whispering gentle words of encouragement to her.
"Don't worry my love, once this is all over; we can discuss at length the merits of our actions. For now, we need to make sure as few people as possible are lost to Coalescence's evil." The dragoness appreciated the kind-hearted words prompting her to smile softly. Once they were done, they stood up and shared provisions equally as they got ready for the long road ahead. Their quest was not assured by any stretch of the imagination, all they could promise to each other was to try their best.