Talos Myron sat at his desk reading over the latest reports of the incursion in Sapphire City. The destruction was immense along with the loss of life. All the reports though had been consistent. An unknown sorcerer, a woman with blue eyes and snow white hair, stopped the incursions after killing most of the demons single handedly. The local sorcerers had also helped out with smaller break away groups that had formed during the attack but the news wasn't covering them.
For the first time in a long while, the illusion that humanity was safe was beginning to slip away. Cracks were forming and Seris Ardentis brought hope.
"Sir?"
Orion's voice called out from the doorway where he stood patiently waiting.
"Come in and have a seat."
Orion did as he was instructed, sitting across from Talos with an expectant look on his face.
"Did you accompany Miss Ardentis to Sapphire City?"
"No sir, I was not made aware of the incursion until after she left."
"So she didn't say anything to you prior to leaving?"
"No sir. I found out about the attack from a friend who lives in that city. Once I heard of it I made my way there as quickly as I could but ground transportation was unfortunately too slow."
Talos nodded, he knew all too well how bad traffic could become when people mass panicked and attempted to flee all at once.
"How did she get there then if not by ground?"
Orion scratched his chin thoughtfully. He had been asking himself that same question for the last two days yet he hadn't come to a satisfactory answer.
"The only theory I can come up with is that she somehow knows of a spell that allows her to teleport."
"Perposterous."
Talos dismissed that idea almost immediately. No sorcerer, outside of legends and myths, had the power to teleport anywhere. Such spells simply did not exist despite the amazing things that sorcerers were capable of.
"I would normally agree with you but witnesses, namely the family of Amelia Hoshizora, reported that both Seris and Amelia vanished in a golden light after casting some sort of complex spell."
Talos leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. Had he been wrong this entire time? Was Seris telling the truth? These questions floated around in his mind, disturbing him greatly.
"Let's assume for a moment that Miss Ardentis is being truthful, that she really is a sorcerer lost in time from three hundred years ago."
Orion nodded while waiting for Talos to continue.
"That would make her a living legend. Our temple holds numerous records of her activities, discoveries, and combat encounters with demonic beings as well as undead beings."
"Not to mention she was part of the Majestic Trio," Orion added quickly.
"Indeed, she was close to both Rhianon Tee and Leo Torrent, both were arguably the most powerful sorcerers the order had ever seen, next to Seris of course."
"I'm not as well versed on history as some of my peers but from what I can remember during training, all three of them formed a strike team that specialized in responding to disasters caused by demons or undead monsters."
Talos leaned forward, his eyes shining with calculation and something that Orion couldn't place.
"It would mean that she might actually be able to turn the tide of events, stop a war from occurring, and push our enemies back."
"Are you saying you believe her story?"
"I'm beginning to think I have been a fool this entire time. There is simply too much to ignore. Her spells, abilities, power, and overall attitude all point towards sincerity."
Orion frowned at that. From what little he had seen so far, he knew Seris was powerful but he hadn't exactly seen anything that convinced him she was the real deal beyond reports and eye witness accounts.
"I'm still skeptical sir. Her overall attitude towards our order is deplorable at best. If she was the Seris of legend, wouldn't she be eager to rejoin the temple that she was a member of for so long?"
Talos stood and paced the room, thinking hard as if exploring every clue and detail that his mind could muster.
"Perhaps she resents the order because we couldn't find her," Talos suggested. It would make sense that she would feel resentment towards the ones who were supposed to be her friends and allies.
Orion though knew better than that.
"After speaking with Seris the other day, I got the strong impression that she thinks our order is weak and disorganized. She seems to blame the higher ups for this."
Orion still bristled at the memory of their argument. She hadn't even seen their instructors in action, much less the higher ranking members of the temple or order. It was unfair to judge them all in the same light.
"That would make sense too."
Talos sighed heavily before sitting on the edge of his desk.
"It's not a secret that we have been getting weaker over the last few hundred years. I have my suspicions as to why but what really matters is that she is right."
"Sir!"
Orion sprang from his chair, momentarily forgetting that he was standing before the head of the temple and his superior.
Talos though merely smiled at him sadly before waving at him to retake his seat. Orion did so without hesitation, ashamed of himself for that momentary lapse in discipline.
"I understand your indignation, you've been a part of this temple your entire life and have devoted yourself to protecting humanity with your gifts. The truth remains though, no matter how painful it is, we can't ignore the fact that we are not able to keep up anymore."
Orion reflected on Talos's words. He hated to admit it but perhaps he was right. Thinking over the more recent battles, the sorcerers on the front lines had struggled more than usual and the demons were growing more powerful too. The barbarian demon that nearly killed Darius Valeno had been twice as strong as normal. Something that continued to bother Orion.
"Perhaps sir, you are right in your estimation. I don't like to think about it but it seems like our enemies are only getting stronger while we are struggling to repel them."
"Humanity hasn't noticed this yet. They live comfortably behind the idea that we are there to defend them. Yet war is coming, mark my words. There will be an invasion by the Demon King and we are not in a position to stop him."
"What do we do then?"
"I'll have to think about this. For now, keep all of this between us. If the other Temple Heads learn of Seris there might be consequences that could be unpleasant for everyone."
Unknown to both of them, a single black raven sat outside of Talos's window. Its unnaturally bright red eyes watched everything with a sharp interest.