Ezra clambered back to his feet as the Stirges pulled away from him. There were claw marks and cuts all over his neck and arms, and he was bleeding from multiple orifices. But even in this weakened state, his resolve remained unshakeable. As Ezra stood up straight, the spectral wolf growled and took its position by his side. Almost immediately, a golden panel of light flashed open before his eyes. [New ability acquired: Soul Drain.] [Soul Drain (Level 1): Allows the spectral wolf’s master to directly drain the souls of low-level creatures around him in a 100-feet radius. This ability can be used once every twenty-four hours and does not expend any magic power. All souls drained from living beings are directly transferred to the master’s inventory. Caution: Soul Drain can be blocked by magic barriers and wards. It does not work against high-level creatures and the undead.] Ezra had watched his siblings use the powerful abilities granted by their Spectral Companions during training s

As Ezra and Aurelia walked out of the mansion, they were greeted by the sight of a clear blue sky, and the gentle gaze of the autumn sun warmed their cold bodies. The town of Aranor looked as charming as a wood elf’s abode with the Dogwood and Red Maple trees donning new cloaks dyed in scarlet hues. Even the air was light and soothing as the wind carried with it the songs of distant robins. It had been quite some time since Ezra had taken a stroll down the streets. But it wasn’t because he was too lazy to walk or thought too highly of himself to mingle with the commoners. It was simply because he felt insecure with all the gossip around him. However, now that Ezra had Aurelia by his side, he felt a lot better. “I must admit father hasn’t let the years catch up with him. He is still as clever as always,” Aurelia said as she fixed her glove. Ezra had always regarded Lord Sebastian with respect, but he didn’t understand why his sister was praising him on this occasion. “What makes yo

A noble being refused entry into an establishment by a mere commoner was unheard of in all of Aranor, and this left Ezra shocked and confused. Gathering his hurt pride, Ezra looked straight at the guard, his eyes blazing with fury. “Do you even know who I am?” “It does not matter. Only members bearing the guild pass are allowed to enter this establishment, so beat it, kid,” the guard replied, tilting his head to point Ezra in the direction of the tavern. Offended by his impudence, Ezra lost his cool and pulled out his enchanted revolver. Pointing it at the guard, he spoke in a commanding voice, “I am Lord Ezra Romanov. Get out of my way, or I’ll drop you where you stand.” The guard never expected someone to pull a gun on him. And though he too, was armed with a flintlock pistol, the sight of the enchanted firearm in Ezra’s hand made his hands turn cold. Raising his hands, the guard whimpered, “You are making a big mistake here. Even the nobles aren’t allowed to enter without permi

The three rogues slowly emerged from the shadows and took flanking positions, surrounding Ezra from three sides. “Get out of here. You can still run!” the old man lying on the floor parted his bloodied lips and cried aloud. “It’s a bit too late for that!” the rogue wielding the large iron axe snapped back. Pulling out a prickly grape-sized fruit, he tossed it in the direction of the door. As soon as the fruit touched the wooden door frame, it split open to release a cluster of thorny green vines which spread out from the center and blocked the doorway. Ezra looked over his shoulder and saw that his only exit had been blocked by an impenetrable mesh of vines riddled with venomous thorns and tendrils. “Thornberries aren’t local to our province. How did you manage to get your hands on such an exotic fruit?” he asked, turning around to face the bandit. The man who had just tossed the Thornberry smirked and replied, “That’s none of your business. Besides, you are going to end up in a

In another part of town, Aurelia had met up with the miners’ guild, which comprised mostly of able-bodied dwarven adults and their pet mole rats. Since Aurelia used to visit the mines quite often for inspection, most of the old miners were well-acquainted with her. So, instead of treating her as an outsider, they welcomed her as one of their own. However, things at the mine weren’t looking too good for the dwarves. There was news of trouble brewing in Kasari, the largest coal mine in Aranor. And the problem was so great that it had forced the miners to stop working and abandon the mine altogether. Currently, Aurelia was in the guild’s meeting room, carefully studying the layout of the coal mine, which was drawn on a piece of brown paper. The dwarves standing around her looked vexed and were constantly grumbling among themselves. “Keep it down, men! You’re distracting, Lady Aurelia!” the chief of the miners’ guild thundered, silencing his comrades. Although he was only four feet ta