Chapter 74: The Flicker of Exposure
As the ripples of Corvin’s newly achieved rank spread across Verthalis like a shockwave through still waters, more eyes began to turn toward Raven’s Nest. It wasn’t long before Corvin received word of two very particular envoys approaching from distant lands. One from the elemental archipelago of Aetheris, the ancient homeland of the enigmatic Aetherborne, and the other from the continent of Savaryn, representing the proud Dragonkin of the South.
The news arrived to Corvin not through letters or formal declarations, but via the sharp eyes of his ravens. The moment the dark birds brought him mirrored glimpses of the approaching envoys, he smiled lightly to himself.
"How civil of them to come for a chat rather than a chase," he murmured, amused. "Let’s hope I can manage not to nibble on the guests."
He cloaked his anticipation behind aristocratic calm, though inwardly he was curious, especially about the Aetherborne. This would not be the first time he met them, but it would be the first in peace. In his days as a mercenary, and during multiple missions across Verthalis, Corvin had siphoned and absorbed Aetherborne before. Those encounters had been brutal and swift, but never with Arcane tier variants. He had faced Fireborn, Earthborn, and other primary and secondary elemental types, their essence now woven into the vast tapestry of his own power. But never Gravityborn. Never Spaceborn. Never pure Aetherborn of such rarity.
The Aetherborne envoy arrived first. A small contingent of four beings approached the towering gates of Raven’s Nest, each radiating elemental majesty. Corvin’s eyes narrowed with interest, two were unmistakably Aetherborn, the other two, rarer still: a Gravityborn and a Spaceborn.
They were escorted inside by silent elven butler. The butler moved with fluid grace, leading the elemental beings to the grand meeting hall where Corvin awaited, his throne like chair placed beneath a banner bearing the crest of Raven’s Nest: a raven, black on silver spreading its wings above a broken sun
He stood as they entered.
It was one thing to observe an Aetherborne in the chaos of battle, but quite another to view them in stillness. They were magnificent. Each one a creature of living, condensed elemental energy, their humanoid forms shifting with light, transparency, and the illusion of depth.
The first Aetherborn stepped forward, a tall, graceful figure emanating a soft turquoise glow. Its body pulsed with calming luminescence, shaped like an idealized elven silhouette made of living starlight. No mouth, no face in the traditional sense, but its presence was undeniably sentient, ancient, and noble.
"Firstborn of Verthalis greets the Awakened," it spoke. The voice came not from lips but from the surrounding air, resonant and fluid, as though the room itself translated the thought into sound.