Part 5 - An Unexpected Visitor

"So?"

Tsaindorcus Vaison's old friend was in an unusually tense mood. His former companion from the Thirteen Heroes was normally a lighthearted spirit, but her discovery had set her on edge - and rightfully so.

He warily eyed the unconscious creature reposed on her [Floating Board]. Though the unclothed body was clearly humanoid - it had the proper physical anatomy - its skin was of a shocking blue hue, and the facial structure wasn't quite human. In near-darkness, it might even be able to pass itself off as normal.

"You were right to bring it to me," the dragon lord confirmed in a surprisingly gentle voice.

"Come off it, what's that supposed to mean," Rigrit admonished, masking her apprehension with a weak grin. "We both know that you're not the type to beat around the bush."

"Perhaps," he acceded with a chuckle. "As to this creature - it is unlike anything I have ever seen."

"Could it be some experiment of the Slane Theocracy?"

Tsaindorcus Vaison raised his majestic head in thought, absentmindedly surveying his hoard in the grand hall of the Floating Castle Eryuentiu.

"Probably not. Their magic only destroys; it cannot create. One of my less scrupulous kin may have mutilated a humanoid creature, but to abandon their handiwork in this desert without my knowledge would be beyond them. I fear, rather, that this is a soul cast adrift."

"You mean…"

The former adventurer brought a knuckle to her chin.

"The world isn't ready, not yet…" she muttered. "This one was already weakened by the sands when I encountered him. [Enervation] and [Sleep] put him out, as you see, but who knows what others are out there?"

"A troublesome prospect, indeed… What of that girl?"

"Oh, she's around," Rigrit chuckled. "Causing trouble for somebody, most likely."

"Surprising," he yawned. "Keep her close."

"Like a farmer watches the sky," she swore.

"...Of course. You never change, do you?"

Rigrit burst out in the throaty laugh of an aging woman.

"I would say the same, but you're on such a different scale, you know?"

Huffing, the dragon lord lowered his head and pensively gazed at her with a sidelong eye.

"What of his equipment?"

Her face growing troubled once again, she waved her hand, beckoning from the shadows.

Another two translucent instances of [Floating Board] drifted forward. The first bore a unique set of clothing. Arranged as though they were being worn were a decorated white tunic with matching pants, a wide belt, high-cut black boots, and, piled to the side, several tight-fitting undergarments.

The tunic was a feature of some interest. It sported twin golden epaulettes, as well as a placard of curious colored squares over the left breast region. Four odd implements were secured in pockets to either side of the torso. An unfamiliar eye might claim it to be in the style of the Re-Estize Kingdom's nobility, but that relation was tenuous at best.

No, it was more likely that separate cultures merely converged upon the most efficient design of hierarchical clothing. While the Platinum Dragon Lord was perhaps the most entangled in human life of all his kin, there were some things that he would never understand - arbitrary hierarchies being one of them…

The second board, though, was more concerning. It carried nothing more than a small metal cylinder - likely a magic item - and a rather singular handheld object. For a creature from the other place to carry nothing more than those two implements, they must be quite dangerous.

The unidentified object appeared to feature a trigger mechanism constructed into a humanoid grip. It was obviously a weapon of some sort; perhaps it could discharge a small bolt, like a crossbow? Such an easily-concealed weapon was insidious, and almost as concerning as the obvious fact that the creature carried no spare ammunition. This implied that the weapon spelled guaranteed death, or at least incapacitation, and that the creature was so confident in their ability that they wouldn't even consider their own error.

"What power do they possess?"

The beings not native to this world invariably equipped themselves with clothing, armor, materials, items, and weapons with inherent magical properties. The quality of an individual's gear would serve as a rough estimate of their own power.

"I don't know. I headed straight to you after subduing him."

"Well, do check."

"Of course."

Rigrit beckoned the clothing board to be in front of her, and raised her hands over the tunic.

"[Appraisal Magic Item]."

Threads of green light traced themselves through the wrinkled lines of her palm, dripping down to the white fabric like marionette strings. The tunic glowed dimly for a moment, before the light faded into nothingness. She quirked an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

Tsaindorcus turned his full attention to his companion.

"No enchantments?"

"No, nothing. No magic, no ability boosts, no special effects, not even the possibility for applying any of them. Wait… [Detect Magic Item]."

Rigrit peered intently at each of the creature's articles in turn, beginning with the clothing, then turning to the objects, growing more dismayed every moment.

"No… No… Not this one… None, none of them a-"

As she faced the dragon lord again, her eyes were immediately attracted to the blue creature. To her eyes, its entire body was cloaked in a wispy aurora of colors, slowly rising from its unconscious form to lick towards the ceiling. The phenomenon was remarkably similar to descriptions of [Mana Essence], but that spell was outside her repertoire.

Noticing her surprise, he hummed his curiosity.

"It… It's enchanted."

"His body?"

"I don't know," she said, walking over to the creature. Raising her hands once again, she intoned her spell. "[Appraisal Magic Item]."

As the threads of emerald radiance descended from her hands once again, the creature awoke, its shocking vermilion eyes rapidly focusing on Rigrit.

Stunned, she broke concentration, and the light faded. To awaken from magically-induced sleep so quickly, and reflect such cognizant awareness… She backed away several paces, and glanced meaningfully at the Dragon Lord.

The alert creature instantly followed her gaze, and noticed the suddenly menacing Platinum Dragon Lord hanging over it. It cleared its throat, and carefully spoke in a raspy voice that reflected its wanderings in the desert.

"Can. You. Understand. Me?"