Dark Magus Returns

A death stare had been given by Rayna toward the Crimson Crane members. They felt like it meant it was their cue to leave.

They had already done everything they had wanted, and on top of that, Raze had told them everything he wanted to tell them as well.

To which, without giving a formal goodbye, the three just looked at him and left.

"He's going to be alright, right?" Reno asked. "I mean, why would Rayna want to meet him?"

"From our impression of her, and from what Dame has told us, she is one of the more normal ones in the family," Alba replied back. "So it depends; I do feel she thinks she has a debt with us and the Dark Magus due to us saving her back then."

"The question is, is she's here to see the Dark Magus because of her own interests, or is it something related to the Clan, and if it is related to the clan, there isn't much we can do."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Froma skidded across the ground, stopping in her tracks. "You don't think that the Neverfall Clan is going to try and steal him from us, do you? If that happens, then what?"

Alba thought about it for a while. Although the Dark Magus was part of the Crimson Crane, it was more out of mutual benefit. He didn't feel like an official member yet like the others.

Practically, what the Crimson Crane offered him, the Neverfall Clan could offer him the same protection and more.

It would also solve the matter with the Behemoth Clan, as she doubted Sha Mo would want to go against Belil.

"If it comes to it, are we going to have to have a fight with the Neverfall Clan as well?" Reno asked, worried.

Lately, it felt like they were going up against the whole Demonic Faction, and they already had trouble with the Light Faction now.

How much was it worth to keep such a person? How valuable was the Dark Magus?

"For now, let's not jump the gun and wait and see."

After meeting with Raze and seeing the portal close behind him, she now had an idea of what the Crimson Crane and he might have been up to.

She lifted her hand to fix her hair, brushing it to the side slightly, revealing the rest of her face.

"Do you mind if the two of us go for a walk for a bit?" Rayna asked.

"I don't have a lot of time," Raze answered. "I need to get back quickly."

"I don't think this will take long, and I believe that you will want to listen to what I say unless you want trouble with our Clan," Rayna replied sternly.

She didn't want to be stern or feel like she was threatening the Dark Magus, but due to his reply, she felt like she had no choice.

Looking at her eyebrows twitching in this situation and the mix of emotions that were appearing, Raze felt like he understood something was going on.

"I understand," Raze replied, and placed his hand out, allowing her to lead the way.

Rayna started to walk, although it wasn't the general brisk walk like one would on Alterian. Instead, this was one where Qi was placed in each step, and each step would allow a person to move several meters of distance.

It almost looked like one was flying on the ground if viewed from the side. Either way, Raze kept up with her.

"It seems you have gotten a little stronger compared to the last time I saw you," Rayna commented. "And your new outfit, it suits you, it looks nice."

"I didn't think it looked nice when I first was given it," Raze replied. "I wanted to pretend I liked the gift because it was from someone I cared about, but she could see the look on my face, it was impossible to hide my disappointment."

"She always did say, I wore my emotions clearly."

"She?" Rayna made note. A woman close enough to give a gift to him. The Dark Magus, of course, had a life outside of that of Pagna, but what life was it? "Do you have a lady in your life perhaps?"

When asking this question, Rayna noticed a deep thud in her own heart. She had no idea why her body was reacting like this.

"No..." Raze answered. "There is no one in my life."

He had given the answer quite short and stern, but he wondered himself, when he had given that answer, why did a certain group in Pagna that he had recently been traveling with pop in his head.

"From the direction we're going, it appears that we are headed for the Neverfall Clan base; you said this has something to do with your clan, is it to do with Dame?" Raze asked.

Rayna let out a sigh; there was still a way to go until they reached the Clan base, and she wanted to talk with the Dark Magus a bit more before she got there.

"Is it to do with what we took last time?" Raze asked.

"No, it's nothing like that, but I have to admit that matters have certainly become a little more troubling," Rayna explained.

"My Father, and our whole clan, they like to rely on their own strength and are proud of their techniques and methods in growing as warriors."

"It is one of the toughest clans that one can join. Which is why when the Dark Magus was being chased by everyone, in order to get a few items here and there, he had little interest in you.

"However, you saved my life, and his interest grew slightly. Still not enough to want to force you to join, and had decided to leave you alone."

"But then, the Behemoth Clan got involved. They badly wanted you, in order to increase their strength, and we all heard the stories of what you managed to do. Although we're not sure if that was the Dark Magus or not, or someone else altogether."

"But I'm pretty sure it's you, but either way, what annoyed my father the most were the reports. That there was a new Demon in town."

"After this, he pretty much had decided to see how strong you were and sent my two other brothers after you."

Raze could see the color on Rayna's face change slightly when her brothers' names were mentioned, and he remembered Dame's words, to never make an enemy of the Neverfall Clan.

"I know you're strong, but my brothers, they would be able to finish you off in a heartbeat. They wouldn't bring you in; they would have killed you and simply claimed it was an accident."

"Which is where I come in."

Rayna was remembering the conversation back with her father when the matter came up. When she heard her brothers were being sent, she knew her father knew there was a chance for the Dark Magus' death.

The Dark Magus' death would benefit them all since there would be no one joining or increasing the strength of the Behemoth Clan.

So she had to do something that was acceptable to her father. Just thinking back to it, her face was turning bright red.

"Anyway, in order for everything to work out, I'm taking you to the Neverfall Clan, to meet my father."