Chapitre 6: DRAGON TAMER PART: 1
Chapter Six:
The Council Of Guilds
Hollow Flame was a complete mystery. He arrived out of nowhere and rose against the odds, to the point where he shook the very foundations of the powers that had held strong over the empire for centuries. And now, at the height of his strength, he was called for a meeting.
"Welcome, honorable Hollow Flame." The pale, lanky man bowed with the stiffness required for a man of his stature. Although his face looked unstrained, Hollow knew the truth that lies buried within.
Hollow made no sign of a reply, merely walking past him and entering the grand halls. Caped in all black, he walked over with the air of darkness surrounding him. His hood covered his head, with a steel mask hiding his lower face. All that people could see were the hauntingly gray eyes that seemed to puncture a hole to your very soul. To his side, a sword was strapped tightly. Its blade had claimed the life of thousands, having the makings of becoming a legend like its master.
The hall was massive. The floor was tiled with a pristine white that reflected the gold ceiling. To the right, a line of windows opened up to reveal the silent night. On the other side, portraits were hung, depicting various figures of the past that had molded the society of today. And as Hollow walked past each of them, his eyes landed on a familiar sight.
Guessing from its frame, it was new and recently hung. It showed a man covered in darkness with eyes that seemed to take over anyone that looked too deep. Hollow scrutinized the painting, looking for any imperfections to the image. Its hair, eyes, even the angle at which the cape flowed in the wind. It was perfect, something that bothered him.
"Never took you as the type to admire oneself." A familiar voice caressed his ears. Turning, his eyes landed on a feminine figure.
"Spirit wielder?"
The woman was just as tall as him, with a slender figure resembling a nimble acrobat. Just like him, she wore a mask. On the contrary, her mask covered her entire face. With holes for a nose and eyes. Her black hair, with pale, white streaks was tied in a long ponytail. She wore tightly fitting garbs, something that hugged her without providing any inconvenience.
"Stop with the formalities, Hollow." The woman flipped her hand to the side. "Just call me Pan."
Hollow Flame nodded. He turned his head once again to the portrait. It haunted him, reminding him of his hollow accomplishments.
"How does it feel? To have your portrait in these great halls?" Her face looked at him, though Hollow made no sudden reaction to her question. His eyes looking at the ghost of himself splattered onto the canvas.
"I feel nothing." That was all he could say before turning forward.
Pan already guessed that would be his answer. She did not follow it with another, merely walking towards his side. Instead, she brought forth the reason from their invitation.
"From my sources, something happened in Humphrigg Hollow." Pan said, her eyes looking forward as they made their way to the chambers.
"A Dragon Tamer." Hollow stated, earning a hiss from Pan. The two continued their walk, individually thinking of a plan until they arrived at the meeting room.
Opening the double doors, they were greeted to the sight of a circular room held by golden pillars. At the center, a round table stood in its glory. At the end of the room, a golden statue of a man holding a sword and shield towered opposingly. Seated at the round table were the central powers of the entire empire.
The Guild Heads.
Guilds were factions for Knights, where each formed a group or family under the head of a powerful warrior. These guilds served to bring order and honor to knighthood, by singling out those that go rogue. In front of Hollow stood the heads of the strongest guilds in the empire, they were the sword that made sure the empire remained in its seat amongst its neighbors.
The round table was currently occupied by three individuals. Two of which Hollow immediately noticed. They carried an air to them that spoke of authority and status. From their movements alone, Hollow could feel the divide rising between him and the others. One of them showed a twisted face at their entrance while the other used a more calmer approach by giving no elicit reaction.
Perfect Warrior, the name of the man to Hollow's right. His face visibly turned rotten at their appearance. His body towered over everyone else, including him. His skin would bulge at every moment he flexed his muscle. His hair was short, standing up like spikes to the top of his head. His face held a scar that slashed all the way over his eyes, nose, and mouth. The man made no gesture to cover up, leaving his entire upper body bare for all to see, and Hollow would admit it was a sight.
His chest was wide and firm, various scars and battle marks etched on to the skin. His body showed no sign of any hair, but the skin was rugged and hard from the looks of it. The man's entire body was covered in tattoos all the way to the straps that held his pants. Depictions of weapons, ranging from swords to bows and maces were placed. On his back was a tattoo of a knight kneeling forward, while on his right chest was the jaw of a skeleton. Hollow made no sign of discretion as he stared at the tattooed jaw with an appeal that caused a twitch to Warrior's lips.
Hollow blinked, and turned away.
On the other side of the table and spectrum, sat a fine, young woman. Unlike Warrior's remarkable physique, the woman was slender and thin, yet not curvaceous. Her posture had the air of a noble lady, or a queen if Hollow had a say to it. However, her personality was a whole other sort. Her face, although porcelain, pale, and smooth, contained a brow of pure mockery. Her eyes were sharp like knives, and each of her stares seemed to stab them off one by one.
Her light golden hair was pulled back by two pins resembling angel wings. The rest of it cascaded down her back like a river of gold streaming down a hill. She wore a robe of all white that seemed to buckle at her hips. It contained silver accents and was cut to resemble a knee length dress. Her feet wore heels of silver and on the back of her robes, symbols of wings and spheres were stitched with golden thread.
The woman, was Andromeda. Unlike Warrior's incredible feats of strength, Andromeda made up for it with her magical prowess. Her skill in various forms of sorcery and acts of magic, along with knowledge that no ordinary human could hope to have, had made her untouchable in the realms of the supernatural.
Finally, at the center stood no guild leader, yet he held the most power here. The Guild Councilor, he alone controlled the guilds of the entire empire, making him the center point of this whole organization. The man was bulky, but not the size of Warrior. His whitened hair stretched to his shoulder, with a beard that reached all the way to the neck. His face was covered in lines and wrinkles. His eyes were that of a cold, steely gray. They were the eyes of a man that witnessed and experienced countless battles and sacrifices.
Hollow gave the man a slight nod and bow along with Pan. The man acknowledged their presence, showing no sign of this distaste at their arrival. He simply replied with a nod of his own, gesturing for them to sit at their respective seats. The man's eyes lingered to Hollow for a moment, before returning to the papers in his hands. Warrior clicked his tongue while Andromeda tightened her gaze.
Pan and Hollow made their way to their seats, each taking their place at the table. There was a silence to the room, one that the Councilor did not seem to care of as he seemed to be more invested at the papers in hand. Hollow used this moment to observe, to his sides were the strongest knights in the empire.
Warrior was unusually silent, though Hollow could guest it had something to do with the reason for their arrival. His scowl was eminent, but it did not hinder Hollow from examining his form further. His muscles were indeed attracting, Hollow wondered what it would feel like under his grasp.
Warrior noticed Hollow's glance, sending him a look that signaled to back off. However, Hollow did not. His eyes remained emotionless. Warrior was always the one to sprout fire, Hollow was just waiting for the right moment. Yet, as the seconds passed, he didn't. It was interesting.
Hollow's eyes curved.
Hollow then turned to Andromeda, she made no reaction to Hollow's glance, merely looking at the pillar in front of her. Hollow did not stop however, as his eyes continued to examine her body further. Andromeda was about to open her mouth when the double doors opened
"Finally…" Pan sighed, her body leaning back as the two awaited figures strutted in.
The two made their way to the seats on opposite sides of the councilor, taking their place with a resounding thud. One of them was a man whose face never twitched a muscle, always petrified at an eerie smile that stretched from cheek to cheek. His eyes were droopy, lacking the same vigor as the rest of the room. Even so, it had glistened with various shades of purple that gave it a silent soul. His body was draped in an odd violet robe that seemed to contain striped and intricate patterns of black circles and spots.
The other was a tall woman, wearing shimmering armor with a sword the size of broomstick strapped to her back. Her hair was in a ponytail with star shaped pins that held it together. She was shimmering truly, like the stars that bedazzled her entire form. Once the two arrived, the Councilor finally dropped the papers to the table.
"Guild leaders of the empire." He started. His words echoed throughout the room, earning stiff reactions from everyone. "Upon taking the mantle of such a position, you have sworn an oath to protect our empire, now it will be tested." He followed, everyone waited for his words.
"A Dragon Tamer has been discovered."
Those words sliced through the thick air. It was a bitter taste, really. Dragons, figures of myth and power. To be paired with the word "tamer" was insane. Even the dragon's themselves thought the same.
"Impossible. There hasn't been one for centuries. Our forefathers made sure of that." Warrior was the first to speak. His voice dug like a shovel through dirt, it was relentless.
"I beg to disagree with that. Andromeda." The Councilor denied then gestured to the pale woman who shot up and summoned an illusion upon a familiar town.
"First years attending their apprenticeships at Humphrigg Hollow were the first to take note. Once they finished their task, they described the event that followed as a 'tower of flames and thunder soaring up high before ending in a burst of dragon breaths.'." Andromeda flicked her wrist and the illusion turned into a silhouette of a man covered in pure energy, with eyes that glowed an intimidating hue. "We got this after some heavy temporal tracing. The culprit has now fled the scene with my troops scouting the area along with some of Marqui's."
Andromeda looked at the man who's smile never faltered. He merely nodded at Andromeda and she continued.
"We have effectively sealed off the area. Redirecting the dragon energy and keeping it from spreading. Unfortunately, there are still that have managed to slip through as the burst of wind carried it further away." She paused, looking at everyone at the table. "We still have no lead on them as of this moment."
Andromeda sat back down. The picture of the Dragon Tamer continued to float, garnering the eyes of everyone. The Councilor coughed.
"It is of utmost importance that we find and detain him as fast as possible. You all know what happens when a Dragon Tamer enters the land. It has been written in the sacred laws, along with the consequences that follow such a betrayal." The Councilor's voice laid hanging like a wisp of smoke. Continuing to linger and clasp like a cloak of inevitable doom.
There was silence, everyone pondered on what to say. Hollow was intrigued by the prospect of an incoming disaster, as such would happen whenever dragon's are involved. The silence remained heavy until the man with the unfaltering smile hummed.
"What is it Marqui?" The woman that came in with him asked. The man turned to her and moved his lips.
"A telepathic message Star." His voice was soft and felt like a flutter of wings flapping at your face. Hollow wanted to blow it away.
The man looked at everyone, his smile never leaving.
"They found the Dragon Tamer."
That single line sent everyone on their heels. Andromeda was the first to react, asking the person's location.
"His heading for the Silent Canyons." Was all he said, earning the nod of the all white maiden.
"A good place to corner him." The Councilor began. "We need to capture this individual immediately, before he disappears once more."
"My Angel's are on the move." Andromeda responded, her eyes lost to some faraway land.
"It must be a quick ambush." Warrior stated. His eyes looked at Andromeda.
"And must be silent." Pan continued, finally entering the conversation.
"Very silent." Hollow finally said, earning the stares of everyone around. It was not common for him to speak, and when it did, it would gain everyone's ear. His voice was raspy, almost synthetic through his metal mask. "If this is truly a Dragon Tamer, which I do believe, then send everything you've got." Hollow's eyes turned to Andromeda.
"Don't be afraid to bring those canyons down."
Hollow's words were low, crackly, and lacked the smoothness of the smiling man. Nevertheless it gained the attention of everyone, and the nod of the Councilor.
"If so, then do as you must." The Councilor's words were immediate and earned the nod of Andromeda.
As the leaders continued their talk of a plan, Hollow kept his eyes focused on the silhouette of the Dragon Tamer. His interest has been piqued. And now, something inside of him is saying there is more to him than meets the eye.
"Dragon Tamer."
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
FloatingLanturn
FloatingLanturn New characters all after Holland. Should they be trusted?
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