Eldrin's veil:Arcanist Awakening

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Chapter 5: The Echoes of the Past 3

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Aeron stood still, his attention diverted from the remnants of the Watcher of Realms, when he heard rustling ahead. His senses tingled with the anticipation of more unknowns. Emerging from the shadows, a small, disheveled man appeared—a sight that almost made Aeron smile.

"Oi! You there! New face in our world! Come here!" the man called out, his voice a bit too eager.

Aeron blinked in surprise at the odd figure. The man was short and dressed in an assortment of mismatched armor and tattered clothing. His wide, round eyes gleamed with boundless energy, and his face seemed to betray his eccentric personality—a smile that was a little too wide.

"Who, me?" Aeron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right! Come on over!" The man gestured enthusiastically. "I'm Hobbles, the finest adventurer in all this land! Or at least, I like to tell myself that. It helps the mood, you know?"

Aeron couldn't help but chuckle. Hobbles seemed harmless enough—if not a bit ridiculous. But in a world full of strange creatures and even stranger NPCs, this guy seemed like just another oddity.

"I'm Aeron," he said, still watching the odd NPC. "I'm new here. What's this about?"

Hobbles' grin spread even wider. "Well, you've come to the right place. See, there's this—uh—problem in the north, near the waterfall. It's this, uh... Giant Frog of Doom, and I've been too scared to handle it myself. But maybe, just maybe, you can help me out! What do you think?"

Aeron blinked. "Wait... a frog? A giant one? And it's a threat in our world?"

Hobbles nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes! Big as a house, it is! And its tongue—whoosh—it'll snap you up before you even know what hit you. The acid it spits can burn through armor, and its croak? It's enough to make your bones rattle!"

Aeron looked at him, unsure whether to laugh or take him seriously. "A giant frog is what you're worried about? Sounds... anticlimactic."

Hobbles crossed his arms and looked down, scuffing his feet in the dirt. "I know, I know... It sounds funny, but believe me, it's no joke. It's one of the most terrifying things we have around here. I mean, in our world, there's nothing more dangerous than an angry frog! Just… trust me. It's an issue. And I can't do it alone, obviously."

Aeron's eyebrow rose. "Alright, you've convinced me. Where is this thing?"

"North," Hobbles said with a dramatic flourish. "Near the waterfall. Follow the path past the old ruins, and you'll find it sitting on a big rock, like it owns the place. It's practically an overgrown landlord!"

Aeron couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, overgrown landlord frog. Got it. Let's go."

As they journeyed through the dense woods and mist-covered paths toward the waterfall, Hobbles did most of the talking, telling Aeron stories of his failed adventures, and explaining how he'd "defeated" bandits by offering them cookies. His enthusiasm was infectious, and while his tales were absolutely absurd, Aeron found himself chuckling at the absurdity of it all.

"The Giant Frog of Doom?" Aeron asked skeptically. "What's so dangerous about it, really? It's just a frog, right?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Hobbles replied, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. "It's the frog, but it's also the environment. Our world here, it's got strange laws. A frog in one place might just be a frog. But in our world, it's a whole different beast. The magic makes everything... more."

Aeron paused, a little taken aback. "Magic, huh? So you're saying the frog is just... part of the bigger picture?"

Hobbles nodded gravely. "Exactly! It's all part of the magic we live with. Things around here aren't always what they seem."

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