The time of night had fallen over the whole inhabited earth as all creatures at this time of day were mostly sleeping in their homes. The owls were on the prowl, the bats wandering for their next meals as well… Oberon, however, had different intentions this late in the day. His journey through the valleys had just begun, and the distance was a day's worth of time, but thanks to his senses and abilities as a warrior, it would not take terribly long. The Knight was not quite sure what to expect out of this grand adventure, but he was not the least bit afraid of what might happen with his weapon and his strength at his side as he traveled through the tall grass. He had to clear through a lot of the brush and the tall trees while dashing through the area. Before he was out in the wilderness, The Knight had to ensure his sneakiness through the city streets before, running unnoticed as he left out the city gates white the guards were sleeping. The trees on the mountain walls loomed over the expanse as he continued underneath the branches and through the bushes.

  I will have to find a way to get back in secretly, probably. Maybe I will apologize later for leaving without authorization, and see if I can sort it out tactfully.

  Oberon dismissed the thought as he left the forest and out into the open fields of the prairie, the aroma of sweet-scented flowers and fresh grass grazing his mind as he sped out further. His running speed surpassed the average human by almost double, leaving heavy impacts on the dirt with every foot step. But he soon came to a stop as he realized that a figure was following him in secrecy. The Knight was not quite sure who it might be as he ran through the night, trying to run his way out of the situation. Holding the book out straight, he felt the needle of the compass tip slightly to the left. There was a mountain up ahead that was a part of the map, and he had to detour into the ravine trail to get a shortcut as his footsteps rang throughout the stone walls on his sides. Suddenly a shadowy assailant jumped out in front of him, and he stopped to battle.

  Oberon whipped out his sword. “Show yourself, bandit!” he demeaned, choosing not to back down.

  The person lifted their hood. “Who on earth are you calling a bandit?! You never got back to me about that guild matter,” Tami panted, trying to finish another sentence but failing as her only response was a wheeze. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night anyway?”

  Oberon tilted his head. “I would like to ask you the same question. Better yet, how were you that fast?”

  Tami scowled, ignoring his plea about her speed. “I was going to tell you that I got in the adventurer guild!” She pulled out the certificate. “See?”

  The Knight shrugged. “That is very nice and all, but I did not ask. I already knew you were competent enough and that Aaron would let you since he agreed with me.” He continued walking along the path, and he could tell Tami was angry, and his mind was internally laughing as he was walking along.

  “And that is all you have to say after I ran all the way to tell you that I got in?” She pouted. “How rude!”

  Oberon looked back at her. “Fine, fine. I praise you for your hard work.” He pulled out the map while still holding the book out to sense if he was going in the right direction. Okay, still doing good. “Did you manage to find some suitable housing?”

  Tami hung her head low. “Unfortunately, the guild master told me I need to get one myself after I have proven that I am serviceable, so I will still be with my family for the time being,” she replied.

  “I see, that is very good to know. Good luck on your travels, Tami,” he said.

  She dipped her head in respect, and with that, she was gone. She was gone with the night and the Knight was once again by himself. That’s twice now that she's just appeared out of nowhere, good grief.

  Finally, he continued traveling through the perilous path put before him and reached the ravine’s end by moon high as the temperature began to noticeably freeze. His final destination after the long run was a mountain, and he was still far away from getting a feel of where the giant hill was. Oberon felt the map with his hands carefully again. The tenebrosity of the midnight covered his whole world in darkness, but it was never an issue for his intuition as he began searching briskly. There seemed to be no creatures of any kind present in his area which was nice, the last thing he needed to encounter was a Draken, especially maybe Wyverns. The Knight studied that Wyverns were usually out at night time since they were powerhouses at any time of day needing much less sleep, and given the fact that humans were better off in the daytime it scared them to come out. That, or maybe he was too low on the ground to sense anything nearby. A while back on the trail, Oberon did notice some Draken of different sizes looming overhead. But it was difficult to tell with the wind, so he tried to stay knee-high and fast.

  The large structure of stone was in reach and finally, The Knight reached the point where he needed to start climbing up the mountain. Oberon took a deep breath.

  “Okay. I can do this all in one go. I have it in me to finish this mission and carry this out. I am ready.”

  Now obviously, the walls were steep and difficult to climb, and dangerous to consider if he ever fell, but it was never an issue when his blood enhanced his senses and his muscles. His hands were covered in rough skin that prevented him from getting stab wounds off the rocks, or bruising from reprise of repetitive motions. Sleep was not an issue right now either, as he had prepared himself for this moment by resting beforehand. He could maybe sleep later, but an adventure was before him, and he needed to be there at the climax, the highest point of the mountain. Climbing the mountain would not be all that hard for him, but it would take several days for any other human, making it obsolete for anyone to go up there but his kind.

  Makes sense. If no one had any point to go up there other than for the sake of exploration which would ultimately be a lot of risk for no reward, no one would ever really notice a tavern meant specifically for Drakens, he reasoned. Especially when the location might be as high as the heavens.

  He took it easy, grasping at the cracks in the walls, his hands latching onto the smallest edges. Oberon was cold and weary, but he still found it difficult to process this entire time, his village being killed, his kind taken away from him… he felt a rage deep within.

  Why would someone want them gone? Why, why, why?

  It made his teeth grit remembering when the news first hit him. There was no meaning for them to die… why?

  He climbed faster wanting to leave those thoughts behind but he could not block it out.

  It just is not fair! I do not deserve this! They did not deserve it!

  The dew of the plants that touched his finger tips the higher he got, and yet he was warm with the vexation. He kept going and going, remembering the faces of his parents and his teacher and even his classmates. Oberon reached a point where he could reliably stay in one place, and he sat down to rest for just a moment. He sat down, his head hung low with a strange remorse and a sour taste in his mouth.

  Maybe things would be different if I were there.

  By the time The Knight was in the middle of his way up there, the sun had already begun to rise. But then he heard a sound… a sound in the air, the sound of wings beating! He felt a Draken approaching and he had to act fast.

  If I were to fight, I would be at a severe disadvantage. I have good strength, but on these steep walls, I do not stand a chance!

  To his luck, there was a cave nearby, and he got into it before the Draken got any closer to his location. Luckily, it flew by without a care in the world, never knowing that Oberon was in there. It was rather cramped but smooth as it narrowed as if someone else had already been here. Oberon however, realized it was almost a mistake as The Knight sensed the presence of another Draken that was sleeping in the caverns with him, only mere feet away from where he was standing. The only way that he could tell was because he heard lots of snoring and big scaly features, but there was a Draken here. It was indeed in a deep slumber, so it posed no threat, but the Draken before him could be a threat if he were not careful. With light footsteps along the stalactite floor, he continued his ascendance of the mountain. Every stretch and lunge upwards made it ever so slightly harder to breathe as he recognized he was reaching the higher clouds. This adventure was not anything The Knight was used to, and it was hard not to back out of this ridiculous quest that may not even have a reward. By the time he was inside the fluffiness of some of the clouds, he saw a massive wooden structure that was reinforced by stone, carved on the side of the mountain. Oberon also noticed more Draken were passing by, and although it did not seem that any of them noticed him, he made sure to be a bit more careful with his passage to the building that was hanging off the top of the mountain. The structure was right up ahead, only a few more lunges away from his fingertips.

  One, two, one, two. Oberon’s will to continue was almost extinguished, but he kept his rhythm true to the pace he was expecting to go at. His hands were red and puffy from the exhausting climb, although the pain was mellow compared to some of his past wounds as it began to wear off quickly. Finally, his feet were on wood and stone, blissfully hurting as he looked around and saw the fruits of his labor. His mind grasped the area; a slight snowfall in the area with clouds on the bottom of the horizon. Some pine trees were on top of other stones, but they were so far apart from each other. Rocks came in different types, some jagged, some smooth to the touch… some of them ginormous, others minuscule. It was like a compendium of every mineral of the general area, all in one place. Crystals popped out from the ground, and it had the same aura as King’s place, but to a much higher degree. He stopped paying attention to his surroundings as he stretched his hands and back out, walking towards his final destination with a feeling of contentness that he was soon reaching the top.

  Time went by quickly as he realized the sun was already setting again, just like when he was preparing for the beginning of his adventure. The light had dawned on the large structure, and he could see it from far away but the moment he had met it up close he He decided to wait a few moments taking in a deep breath before giving the gigantic handles on the doors a good tug. Nothing budged, so he decided that he would only open one door to start with. With enough strength and leverage, the door managed to pry open enough for a human-sized individual such as himself to come in. When he made his entry through the grand doorway, he felt that he would see something incredibly meaningful upon his first sight in this legendary building. However, his heart sank at the moment he opened his eyes.

  Oh, dear God in the heavens.

  The inside was more extensive than any other site he had ever been in.

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  The people in this gathering place? There were none.

  But instead, there were Draken in every corner, every space of being inside this structure. All of this that was happening before his very eyes was not a sudden event or a regular everyday occurrence, it was most definitely planned since it happened every seven days. With tables and shelves set up, it only seemed like they were peaceful here. Aside from the broken plank or two in certain areas. Draken are very territorial and solitary, but then… Why are there so many of them here? Why did my dad never tell me about such a place?

  This place was known as the Tavern of Acknowledgement. There were Draken of all types, sizes, all body forms, and everything. There was only one thing that the Draken all had in common; they were all males. He chuckled to himself. They were all chattering and talking in a different language, one only the Draken and the Drakenblood Warriors could understand. Thank goodness I studied for this, or else I would be entirely lost in what is happening.

  They were all yelling and talking at tables and stands until one glanced at him, and the other began looking in awe. This process repeated over about fifty times until all of their draconic gazes drifted towards his tiny body, pathetic in might in comparison to their grand flesh.

  It is certainly clear that me being here is already a huge outlier. This is a place only for Draken… I have no idea what to do now. Oberon could not move from his position, killing his internal fear in front of him. All the eyes gazing at him, he could feel their gazes piercing him like arrows to the flesh, and he could only stand still and pretend he was almighty and confident in defense. It took all of his willpower not to scream and run out the doors, but he knew there was something more to this that he could get out of by playing the sly fox. If there is anything I remember about being in a situation like this, fear is the main killer of humans. That, or a face full of lizard teeth.

  Oberon decided that his most logical move would be to introduce himself as a Drakenblood Warrior. After all, if Alexander and the other adults had a map to a place like this, they would be welcome, right? He cleared the frog in his throat as he stood up even higher, as far as his boots allowed him to. Okay, just do not mess up, and you will be fine.

  “Ahem!” He shouted, regaining the attention of everyone in the room as if they never did before. He knew that it would not do to simply speak English in front of everyone "...Is this The Tavern Of Acknowledgement?" He spoke, imitating their fashion of growls and chatters to get them to understand. A lot of them gasped, looking at him as if he were the next Messiah.

  Damn it! This is not good. Here I was thinking that Alexander was here before, but most of them have probably never seen someone like me in their entire life, he noted. Now what?!

  One with curvy scales and a scarred face stood up from a front table and walked towards him menacingly as if looking for a battle. This Draken seemed like the owner of this establishment high in the mountains because he was the one that everyone was grouped up with most before he isolated himself over to him. He did not appear too strong but he was definitely older than any Draken he had seen before.

  "Yes, indeed it is. Human… do answer this question that is heavy on our minds." the Draken spoke, turning his head as he inched closer, mimicking a bird of prey. Every step towards him was another knot forming in his stomach, but he held his ground. He held his ground, because that was his best move. This was a game of chess, and he was the King mere spaces away from the Queen. The Draken's head leaned in until it was almost like he was breathing on him, the heat evanescent from his nostrils. A low-grade fire-breather, Western Draken, but likely aged for a hundred years at the minimum. Yes, definitely the alpha.

  I may just want to say my prayers here before I die.

  "...just how on this green earth do you speak our Draken language? Because you are a human, you should not be able to understand us, and yet here you are. What in Hydra's name are you doing here in this fine tavern?" He peppered him with questions as he began to laugh hysterically. Some Draken shared his excitement and curiosity, laughing with him, as his tensions lowered. However, not everyone was too keen on his funny and uncanny visit. Certain Draken were unphased, maybe as a reaction to sudden events like him. Others ducked down out of fear, even some Draken gave him hostile vibes.

  "I came searching for answers about a situation," he replied. "Answers about a certain Draken."

  "If you have questions, we will happily oblige." The Draken turned his head to look him in the eye. "However, as much as you are entertaining and modest in your ways, you must first prove your worth to us as Draken." He stepped aside, opening his left arm wide. “All of us here are veterans, keepers of our own land… it would be disrespectful to have someone as soft as you ruin our namesake, so be it?” The Draken bartender winked. Oberon took note. He is giving me a chance to show the Draken that are unsure about my presence a live display of power! I will not let this opportunity go to waste.

  Oberon bowed, hiding his smile and trying to show him his admiration. "Amen. And what does ‘proving my worth’ compose of, may I ask?"

  The bartender pondered carefully, choosing something not too violent or non-competitive. Then, lightning struck his mind as the Draken pointed to the table. "You, and another Draken. An arm-wrestling match. Pick your opponent wisely… if not, we kill you. All Draken who do not wish to compete, please come to this side of the room."

  None of the Draken moved. Figures. The bartender had something going with the ‘ruining namesake.’ There are clearly some pretentious foes to be seen here.

  The last part sounded very threatening even if the Draken did not actually mean it, and he pictured the whole room in a panic to find an opponent easy enough. Some large, some small, others with three claws, some with four. Some had sharp scales, some had round, stubby ones. Their body schemes were all different too, some tall and some short.

  Ugh, think back! What did the professor say about Draken and their power?

  And in the sudden stress, he recalled the words.

  “Their power directly corresponds with that they are blessed with upon birth. More claws, aggressive-looking scales, and heights, anything that sticks out to you that makes you think apex predator. If you find a short and small Draken about the size of you, you are likely to win as warriors. If you find one who is leagues taller than you and looks like the next serial killer, pack your bags and go dig your own graves.”

  Right. Of course, why did I not think of that before? Just choose an easy, small opponent.

  "That one," Oberon coughed out. From the farthest extents, there was a Draken as tall as him, with three claws and a robust yet limited build. All his instincts told him he was not that powerful, and the Draken lumbered over quickly without gestation. There was no fear in the small Draken’s eyes. By the looks of his nature, he looked to be twenty or thirty years old.

  The bartender looked at the small Draken. "Are you in favor of this battle, fully knowing you could be hurt badly if so?"

  "Please. You expect me to lose to this human?" He snarled. "I accept it because this will not even be a battle. Everyone knows that even if he is a human and he can speak the tongue of Draken, he will surely perish in any fight with a Draken. This will be too easy."

  Fear was not in the Draken’s eyes, and this much was true. But Oberon's eyes smoldered in judgment, and he was about to change that confidence to anxiety. You are right. This will not be a battle. He kept his lips sealed, but The Knight had power reserved just for this type of moment. He had trained for this very moment, knowing he was ready to give this egoist a beatdown, even if it was just an arm-wrestle.

  When Oberon and the contestant got ready to battle, he almost forgot to notice that the tables were much bigger than average since they were made for Draken, so the bartender helped Oberon up onto the table. It was apparent the Draken's talons were much more prominent, so he had to wrap his whole hand around the talons’ crease. The table was lowered for both of their sakes, considering the Draken as one of the shortest in the whole building.

  "Before we start, I want to ask; Have you ever felt what it is like to be powerless? Not being able to do anything as time passes by, watching those you love to be helpless as well" The Draken scoffed. "I bet you have not. You may as well be spoiled as well as all the others, but I will put you in place."

  The banter did not reach him, for The Knight was ready. "I have felt that plenty, but I know better now," Oberon replied.

  Almost all the Draken gathered around the table with eyes watching carefully and judging the scene, their mouths moving and talking about the whole event. It was such a marvelous but strange sight to see humanity challenging the might of Draken since most tales told that armies were needed to defeat Draken, and yet here they were mano a mano.

  "Are you both ready?" The bartender called.

  They both nodded, their respective fists grasping each other. They were holding on to each other as their lives depended on it, and Oberon could only chuckle a bit. The Draken looked at him. “What? What is so funny?”

  Everyone could hear pins dropping as the whole scene went dark. The only thing that ran on Oberon’s ears was the bartender's call to start and his own laughter. Everyone’s attention was focused on him. Chaos was about to unfold, and no one knew what to expect.

  "Ready…"

  The Knight readied his arm, preparing for a mighty battle. His jest was over; the smile on his face wore down to only stare in the candlelight blown out. No one could see his eyes, but it did not take Shakespeare to see how much power was locked behind his armor.

  "Set…"

  His blood ran cold, and his muscles bulged with power. The Draken noticed something unsettling and spine-chilling, but it was far too late to go back now. The game was already over

  "Go!"

  They both forced their arms upon each other. The Draken's clutch was mighty as he started to lean on one side heavily, his force hitting Oberon by surprise. The Knight could notice his toothy smile from the sidelines.

  The bartender looked carefully, announcing the results. “Oh, this is such a close battle-”

  But the smile on the Draken began to fade as he realized one problem.

  Oberon's eyes were blazing with a blood-red haze, and all of his body became pink, stressing as the veins began to overflow with power. Nothing was stopping him, and he would only continue to ramp up his ability as he began to crush down the Draken’s hand. The strength was too much, and with that, he overpowered his opponent in one swift slam. The Draken was overtaken not only with force but with great horror. The time stopped as everyone realized something was not right at all. This was not just a casual win, no, this was an execution. Oberon did not intend to win. In truth, in all of this chaos, he was making a visceral statement.

  Snap.

  A vicious sound echoed through the room. Nobody knew what it was until they opened their eyes and saw a nightmare before them, a dark and gruesome sight. He had bent the Draken’s finger horribly out of place, twisted almost perpendicular and all the way to the right. It was a clean break, blood seeping at the joint of the finger.

  It was a feeling of dread so intense some grimaced and looked away as time stopped again. Others kept starting like psychopaths as they realized this was no ordinary human, watching with great fascination and astonishment. The bartender's look was hilarious to Oberon. It was priceless. The killer instinct and bloodlust haunted his smile, and the bartender was gazing right back at him in fear, backing off a bit. Whatever the bartender had seen in his entire life, this was an entirely new type of power that instilled chronic damage to his anxiety control.

  The Knight sighed. "Truly I say to you; you are by no means allowed to tell me what it feels like to be powerless because I have been there." He watched as the Draken looked at his finger in pain and as all the others were silent and observant. The contestant silently screamed as Oberon glared at him.

  "The only difference between you and me?" He spoke, in a condescending tone. "I am simply not there anymore."

  But during all the commotion, Oberon noticed a Draken got up passionately, one that was all the way in the back of the room. Everyone's attention was stolen for a moment as she walked up and gazed down at The Knight after his triumphant victory. This Draken was nothing like any of them. Everyone in the room was a male Draken, excluding the fact Oberon was a human. But this was a female Draken, towering over him like a rampart of a castle, her towering height, her long five claws, and her seemingly demonic nature. Her horns twisted up and down weirdly, and her scales were little heart shapes that had deadly points. But most of all, her fingers had knives implanted at her fingertips, literal blades, and her tail tip like a sharp guillotine., and all of this was just the beginning of his new encounter as soon as her head lowered down to observe the action intently. Everyone was in dead silence as her voice rang out, figuratively calling The Knight’s name frighteningly.

  "Those eyes," she said, curiosity in her innocent yet murderous tone. "I want you to show them again."