Chapter 107 NIGHT OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Chapter 107 NIGHT OF NEW BEGINNINGS
Magnus and Xyra stood at the edge of the valley, ready to move on. It had been a long few weeks, and with nowhere else to go, they decided to head back to Millmore to rest and regroup. Besides, Magnus wanted a word with the young mayor.

Darren stood with them on the hill, looking down at the ruined village. Below, the surviving dragons were already at work, clearing debris, burying the dead, and gathering timber to rebuild their destroyed houses. The small dragon tribe faced a grueling task ahead, and the emotional scars of losing so many loved ones would not heal easily. The man behind the massacre, Mr. Nixon, had to be stopped. The fact that he possessed a powerful talisman only made Magnus more determined to track him down.

"So," Darren broke the silence, "where will you go from here?"

"I'm going after Mr. Nixon," Magnus said. "If he really has a talisman, I'm going to take it. A man like that shouldn't have one, especially after using two of them to breed those twisted hybrids."

The hunter looked at the sorcerer, wondering if he had truly grasped the weight of his words. "You know what that means, right? To find him, you’ll have to infiltrate the league headquarters. That’s incredibly dangerous, and worse, nobody even knows where it is."

"That's why we're going to Millmore first," Magnus replied. "I'll dig for information there. Someone in the city must know something about the league."

"I hope you're right."

"Darren," Xyra said, her voice catching. "You're making it sound like you're not coming with us."

Darren offered a small, sad smile. "I’m staying here. They need me right now." He glanced back at the dragons. "I can't just walk away from them."

"It's alright," Magnus said, offering a sympathetic smile of his own. He hated to part ways with the hunter again, but he understood. The dragon tribe was in a desperate state, and rebuilding would take a long time.

"I'll catch up with you guys down the road, I promise," Darren said, turning to walk back down the hill. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Xyra called out. Of all their partings, this felt the heaviest. Darren's usual confidence was gone, replaced by a quiet, heavy sadness. Watching him walk away, Xyra had a sinking feeling it would be a very long time before they saw his cheerful smile again.

"Shall we?" Magnus asked gently.

Xyra nodded, following him away from the valley. The moment they crossed the border, the peaceful atmosphere of the grassy hills vanished. The surroundings felt dangerous again, as if a threat could leap from the shadows at any moment. Yet, even the safety of the Andagon Valley had been broken. They had been attacked, and no amount of rebuilding or revenge could truly bring back the comfort they had lost.

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After a week of steady traveling, Xyra and Magnus arrived back in Millmore. They immediately noticed something unusual. The streets were packed — far more crowded than normal. It looked less like a busy shopping day and more like a massive influx of newcomers had just arrived.

As they navigated the crowd toward Christian's house, they noticed most of the travelers were dressed in fine, elegant clothing. Clearly, a major event was brewing, though it didn't seem to be anything dangerous.

The crowd thinned out as they approached the castle grounds. Surprisingly, the grand courtyard was empty; everyone was congested in the city streets instead. Magnus and Xyra had practically shoved their way through the throngs just to reach the front steps.

"I wonder what brought everyone to town," Xyra said as they reached the entrance.

"Maybe there's an event happening," Magnus suggested, knocking on the heavy wooden doors.

The door opened almost instantly. A smiling servant bowed to them warmly. "Welcome back! Right this way, please."

Instead of leading them up the stairs to the young mayor Christian's usual office, the servant turned down a completely unfamiliar corridor. The castle was massive, filled with wings and rooms they hadn't yet explored, so a new route wasn't entirely surprising.

They stopped before a pair of grand wooden doors. The servant pushed them open, and Xyra and Magnus stepped into the largest room they had ever seen. The ceiling towered high above, dominated by an enormous, glowing chandelier that cast bright light into every corner of the space. The floor was polished to a mirror-like shine, reflecting the candlelight perfectly. A magical enchantment likely kept the chandelier lit, as it was far too high for regular candles. The room gleamed with golden accents, featuring marble pillars and a sweeping staircase that led to a wrap-around balcony. It was a flawless ballroom.

In the center of the floor stood Christian and Scarlette. They were deep in discussion, pointing to different corners of the room and debating arrangements. Deciding to cut in, Magnus and Xyra walked forward.

"Wow," Magnus called out with a grin. "Did we time this perfectly, or are you throwing a party just for us?" Christian and Scarlette turned, their faces lighting up.

"Welcome back," Christian said. "You timed it perfectly, actually. Tonight is our annual gala. I take it you saw the crowds outside?"

"Kind of hard to miss," Xyra joked. "So, is this a formal fancy one?"

"Very much so," Scarlette said excitedly. "It's a traditional, regal type of ball. Formal dress, classical and ballroom dancing... I always look forward to this night."

"Will you two join us?" Christian asked. "We'd love to have you as our guests."

"Sounds great to me," Magnus replied easily. "It's been a while since I've been to a proper ball like this. Back in Vekta, my family used to host these all the time."

"Then you'll feel right at home," Christian smirked, and Magnus mirrored the expression. Xyra couldn't help but note how scary it was when the two of them acted alike; both could be surprisingly lightheaded at times.

"You two should find something to wear," Scarlette suggested. "We keep plenty of formal attire on hand. I'm sure we can find things that fit."

"Thank you," Magnus said. "When does everything start?"

"At sunset," Christian said. "Which means you should probably get ready soon. Scarlette, do you mind helping them find suitable outfits?"

"Of course," she said cheerfully. "Follow me, you two."

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They followed Scarlette out of the ballroom. She was practically glowing with excitement. Xyra remembered Christian mentioning how much his wife loved dressing people up for these events. Magnus glanced at Xyra, a fond smile crossing his face as he remembered how stunning she looked the last time Scarlette gave her a makeover. He loved seeing the young thief in elegant, formal clothes; she always looked beautiful.

Xyra caught him staring and raised an eyebrow, suspicious of his smug grin. "What are you smiling about?" she asked, a sharp edge to her voice.

Magnus gave her an innocent look. "I am just thinking about how wonderful you're going to look tonight. Dresses like that really suit you."

Xyra caught the teasing tone in his voice. That was just like Magnus — he never missed a chance to fluster her. Seeing the blush creep up her cheeks, Magnus laughed softly. Xyra puffed out her cheeks and looked away, annoyed that his teasing worked so easily. He was supposed to be a proper nobleman, yet he was acting like Darren.

She focused her eyes on Scarlette ahead of them, trying to ignore the sorcerer. But ignoring Magnus was nearly impossible. He had a charming face, striking eyes, and a brilliant smile. More than that, she admired his fierce determination and loyalty. A man like him was rare, and any woman would be lucky to have him. If only we were more than just friends, she thought bitterly. The word "friend" felt completely empty to her now. Deep down, she knew it wasn't enough. She wanted Magnus to look at her the way he used to look at Meryel. It was a painful, desperate wish, but he was the only person she wanted.

Great job, Xyra, she scolded herself silently. You had to go and fall for someone completely out of your league.

"We're here," Scarlette announced, snapping them both out of their thoughts.

They stood before a large door leading into a grand bedroom, likely the one Scarlette and Christian shared. Scarlette ushered them inside. The room was breathtaking, spacious, and fit for royalty. Scarlette walked over to a massive wardrobe and threw the doors open, revealing rows of exquisite formal wear meant for noble kings and queens.

"Pick whatever catches your eye," Scarlette said warmly, backing toward the door. "I'll leave you to look through them and check back in a bit." 

With a soft click, the door closed, leaving Magnus and Xyra alone with the wardrobe. Since Xyra was roughly Scarlette's size and Magnus wasn't much shorter than Christian, finding the right fit wouldn't be too difficult.

"Let's see what we have," Magnus murmured, stepping forward. He pulled out a regal, heavy cloak made of black silk with navy trim. Nodding in approval, he unclasped his travel cloak and unbuckled a heavy object from his waist, setting it aside.

Xyra's eyes locked onto the weapon. It was a very familiar sword sheath.

"Magnus," she said, surprised. "Isn't that Darren's sword?"

Magnus smiled, setting the cloak down for a moment. "Yeah. He gave it to me a day before we left the valley. At first, he just wanted me to repair it, but then he told me to keep it. He joked that now I wouldn't have an excuse for being useless in a fight." He chuckled softly, looking down at the blade. "It's a special weapon. It can cut through almost anything, even dragon scales. Xerxes gave it to him before his last mission because his old sword broke during the fight with the ogres. Darren wanted me to have it just in case we encounter another magic-resistant demon."

Xyra smiled, though she felt a sudden pang of worry. Darren was clever, but now that Magnus had his weapon, what would the hunter use to defend himself? Then again, Darren was a half-breed; his raw physical strength surpassed even a dragon's. He could handle himself against almost anything in the valley, so long as he didn't face a fully transformed beast alone.

"Come on," Magnus said, breaking her train of thought as he gestured to the wardrobe. "You need to pick an outfit too. The sun will be setting soon, and we don't want to be late."