The Uninvited Guest

Teeth as sharp as daggers, comparable to a sabertooth matching his size. White eyes, slit like a feline's, and a face that appeared shell-shocked.

"Meat," he muttered, digging his entire being into the flesh of the beast he had slain.

The warrior's armor was, in short, a masterpiece—fitting like a second skin, merging seamlessly with his flesh. It hugged every contour of his lean musculature and accentuated the sleek, predatory lines of his build, making him appear like a lithe hunter poised to strike.

Crafted from a dark, lustrous metal that gleamed with an almost ethereal sheen, it seemed alive—shifting shades of deep gray and silver with every movement.

He sat at the edge of the cliff, not too far from the Lift's door.

"How could they not have seen me? Did I hide my presence?" he whispered, eyes wide. "Kaelan's back. Anna and Elara too," he continued under his breath.

A striking feature of the armor was a bold silver mark resembling a dragon spiraling across his chest, winding its way toward his shoulders and back.

His shoulders were shielded by high, curved pauldrons that rose gracefully, like the wings of a falcon in mid-soar.

"Dry, bitter, and nasty," he said, licking the blood off his fingers. He snarled, tossing aside the chunk of flesh and eyeing the distant horizon. "I'll try raugdran next."

The gauntlets, extending from elbows to fingertips, ended in sharp, claw-like tips capable of tearing through flesh or clinging to rough terrain. Barbed hooks ran along the forearms, glinting menacingly in the light.

"Raugdran's skin is really tough," he mused aloud. His pupils—already slit—became fiercer as his thoughts intensified.

"Maybe I'll hide behind a cliff like this one, and.." he paused, a vicious smile tugging at his lips. "leap."

Beneath the armor, at the joints and where the metal allowed for movement, was a layer of shadowweave underlayer clinging to his body like a shadow. It was more than mere fabric.

"I could catch a wyrm..." he called out, though it was unclear if anyone was truly there.

From his waist hung a long, tattered sash—dark and muted—blending almost seamlessly with his armor, yet adding a dynamic fluidity to his otherwise rigid appearance.

"If they are here, the meeting should be over," he muttered, glancing at the distant figures below. "And the quest will surely begin in a year." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "They didn't pick their guide?" 

In his grip was a spear that felt like an extension of his own arm.

The weapon was perfectly balanced, with a shaft wrapped in supple, dark leather that offered a secure grip.

The blade split into two jagged prongs, each honed to a razor's edge and slightly curved to catch and tear through any defense.

Subtle engravings—mirroring those on his armor adorned the prongs, hinting that the weapon and the armor were created as one.

The warrior's hair, long and wild, flowed down his back—white with strands of silver that caught the fading light like the polished edges of his armor. It framed a face that was both youthful and handsome.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, watching the heirs but a few feet away from entering the estate—with smoke rising from distant fires and the artificial sky bathed in the soft glow of the artificial sun. 

The warrior was a figure of haunting beauty and quiet terror. A shadow poised to pounce.

"They shouldn't have picked a guide yet," he repeated, a wide grin spreading across his eerily perfect face.

"There are two people there that I don't recognize," he said, the grin fading as he sniffed the air. "But I notice the smell of that mage. Kaelan managed to get a mage—that's perfect. Anna." 

Now I have reason to seek the Wonders..oh, the creatures I've hungered for in dreams. Their blood, thick and ancient, will sing in my veins. Let me devour what the Sages forbade.

Now clinging to the cliff, he focused on them a little too much. Only his feet touched the soil, his predatory boots supporting the full weight of his body, suspended in the air.

His right hand shielded his eyes to see clearly.

"I don't recognize that boy..."

Without a second thought, he leaped—no skills, just pure physicality. A large dust cloud surrounded the area he left behind; the ground shattered. Loud and hearable from anywhere in the floor, like lightning hitting water, multiple times.

---

"What was that sound?" Kaelan asked, glancing at Leonardo, who walked beside him.

Leonardo turned slowly, eyes widening as he saw a figure rushing toward them at unforeseen speeds, his face distorted in a large grin. The smell of metal stinging his nostrils, he hated this smell. Blood.

"Not Altan. He shouldn't be here!" Kaelan said. The words reverberated in Anna's ears.

"He's already here," Anna whispered, her heart racing.

Altan rushed toward them, the wind shattering around him as he neared, his spear clutched tightly in his grip.

"Hi!" he screamed, his voice carrying an unsettling cheerfulness as he closed the distance.