After the group left the river, they shortly found themselves on a fairly well-worn dirt path. Trees sparsely decorated either side of the road as the rising sun streamed in through the gaps. They walked down the winding road for half an hour before stopping after a sharp turn. Up the road a few hundred yards, two large wooden carriages sat on the side of the road. At this distance, it was hard to make out, but it looked like a pair of horses with obsidian fur were hitched to either carriage, and a large group of people stood around the vehicles. Lloyd couldn’t get a headcount or an accurate description of anyone, but there looked to be easily over a dozen people.
The men looked at each other before gazing back at the group in front of them. Outside of Sylvia, these were the only people that they had seen on the road. Lloyd wondered if this was a group transporting goods between towns.
“Should we go check that out?” Lloyd asked.
“Might as well; we're already headed in that direction anyway, right?” Cassius asked, directing his question to Regal. Regal nodded, but he took a moment to take out the map and study it. Cassius leaned over to Regal and looked over the map with him.
“Yep, it looks like we're headed right where we should be. We might as well see if these guys need some help,” Regal said, putting his map away.
They strolled forward, and the group in front of them rapidly noticed their approach. A few of the people slapped their companions on the shoulders and began pointing toward Lloyd’s group. In a matter of a few seconds, everyone in the group by the carriages had turned to watch Lloyd’s party approach. As they got closer, Lloyd could see that the group was made entirely of men. He also noticed that all of them seemed armed to the teeth. That wasn’t abnormal, considering the dangers of the road, but something in Lloyd’s gut started to churn.
“Oi, you guys over there!” Yelled one of the men that surrounded the carriage.
Lloyd and company were still about a hundred feet away before the group started to meander towards them, leaving their transports behind. Regal turned to look back at Cassius and Lloyd, a concerned look painted on his face. The strangers all wore similar clothes to Lloyd’s group, leather pants and tunics. Decorated on their backs or hips were swords, axes, and daggers. Although the weaponry between men seemed to vary, their aesthetics were similar—short hair, tan-skinned, strong, and almost six feet tall. One man among the group dwarfed the rest. He stood many heads taller than the next person in the group. Tattoos swiveled across his face and up and down both of his exposed arms. This man wore no leather tunic, and his hairy, bare chest showed scars and battle wounds on top of yet more tattoos. Besides this mammoth of a man, two others stood out within the group.
Both of these men wore purple robes. One stood next to the large man, holding a wooden staff in his hand. The hood was pulled up over his head, only allowing his scruffy beard to show. Staves were exclusively made for those who wielded magic outside of themselves. Lloyd remembered Maria teaching them about different abilities. Cassius’ powers originated from within, so a weapon wasn’t needed to harness the external Mana and energy around him. Altered warriors that had physical combat powers could use traditional weapons as an extension and amplification of their power. This man would have powers that controlled something in their environment. The other robed man had his hood down. He had shaggy blonde hair and dead black pupils. The large group stopped about 20 feet from Lloyd’s group.
“How are we doing guys? Regal asked as he planted his palm on the top of his sheathed sword.
Lloyd expected the large man to speak. Instead, the man standing next to him in the purple robe walked forward. He used his staff as a walking stick, tapping it against the ground as he approached. A smile crossed his face, and he took down his hood. Jet black shoulder-length hair flowed in the wind that seemed to kick up out of nowhere.
“We're doing all right; we're just here protecting the road,” the man explained. A few men in the group softly chuckled at his words.
“Oh yeah, is that right?” Cassius asked.
“It sure is. We patrol this road, killing any dangerous monsters that other people can't contend with. In fact, we charge for these services. In order to use this road, each of you will have to pay 100 gold,” the man said.
Each of them left Breakwater with 500 gold. They knew they would be passing through many towns on the journey, and the coin would help them purchase what they needed.
Plus, they didn't use money in Breakwater. Each of them paying 100 gold would certainly hurt, but it would be doable.
“You must have missed a few spots. We just took on a half dozen beavers near the river back there,” Cassius said with a sneer.
The leather-clad warriors began to shift their hands toward their weapons, a few of them slightly stepping forward. Regal turned around and extended his arm toward Cassius in a calming motion. The blonde-haired, robed man took a few steps and stood alongside the jet-black haired individual.
“One with electrical capabilities, the other one has a strong defense, and the third has no abilities whatsoever,” Whispered the blonde man.
The whispering was unnecessary, as the closeness of the groups allowed the voice to drift over to Lloyd, Cassius, and Regal. Lloyd wondered how the man knew what Cassius and Regal's powers were. There were only limited reasons why a group that large would be concerned with what powers of people passing on the road. Lloyd copied Regal and readied himself.
“Well, it seems we aren't perfect. Unfortunately, the hundred gold is non-negotiable; we can take it from your hand...or your corpse,” the man said with an ever-growing smile.
Cassius began to dig his feet into the ground as electricity sparked off his skin. Regal looked at his friend and shook his head. Regal then readdressed the black-haired man.
“We simply do not want to pay 300 gold to pass, and we do not want to fight you guys. I think we can…” Regal began to say.
“Electric first,” the blonde man whispered.
As the words left the man's lips, Regal unsheathed his sword and charged towards the robed individuals. Lloyd slipped the bow from his back as he readied an arrow. Cassius discharged the electricity that had been cascading from his skin. The electricity shot forward in a large spread, making contact with a few of the leather tunic men. They were blasted off their feet as the rest of them charged ahead. The fighters cut off Regal while the black-haired man faced off against Cassius. Cassius charged up a shot, focusing it solely on the leader. At the last moment, a tree trunk appeared in front of the man. The lightning splashed against the tree bark, shattering the wood and dispersing the electricity. The fragments stayed suspended in the air for a moment before shooting towards Cassius. He tried to dodge, but the splinter projectiles propelled quickly through the small distance. Shards implanted themselves deeply into Cassius, turning him into a wooden porcupine. Cassius stood up, releasing a primal, guttural yell. His lightning danced on his skin as it burned away the large splinters. Holes remained in his clothes, but his wounds were seared shut by the electricity.
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“Omegas. Interesting,” said the black-haired man.
Cassius began casting more lightning as the man defended himself with more downed logs. Regal had begun to clash swords with the men around him, already lopping off the sword arm of one of the average-sized warriors, who cried out in pain as he rolled on the ground. Lloyd shifted his focus and targeted the back of one of Regal’s attackers, the arrow finding its mark in his skull. The man dropped his weapon mid-swing and crumpled to the ground. The massive man, wielding a greatsword, swung in a diagonal downward arc toward Regal’s shoulder. He missed his target, hitting Regal’s right arm instead. The force of the attack threw Regal sideways as the blade rebounded off Regal’s skin. The smaller warriors stopped their advance as they took a moment to look around at their brethren, clearly stunned by the lack of damage.
Taking advantage of an opening, Lloyd released an arrow at one of the men around Regal. The arrowhead penetrated through the leather tunic and placed itself in his lower back. He screamed out, and Regal capitalized on the distraction. Regal thrust his sword into the gut of the man, piercing him straight through. The man didn’t die instantly, but he was indeed out of the fight. Movement from his left made Lloyd change his focus yet again.
Cassius was getting up from the ground, yet again peppered with more shards of wood. The man smirked as he pointed his staff toward the tree line with his right hand and his left hand aimed at Cassius. A large tree trunk from a half-cut down fir tree was ripped from its soil. The man thrust his hand forward, and the large wooden projectile flew directly at Cassius. Cassius began his dodge, but his feet stayed firmly planted on the ground. He jerked his legs a few times, but they wouldn’t move. Lloyd noticed that the black-haired man now had his left fist clenched tight. The massive log crashed into Cassius’ ribs, his arms catching around the top of the tree as his body flew backward, pinning him between the projectile and another tree. The impact shook and cracked the trunk of the standing tree, causing leaves and nuts to fall from its branches. The thrown log split in half and flew off to the sides.
I need to be stronger. Lloyd slung his bow over his shoulder as he removed his pack and quickly searched for his Altered potion. He tipped his bag as he searched, reaching in, he grabbed the potion. Lloyd attempted to move his arm, but it wouldn’t budge. It felt as if he was in the palm of the surrounding air as it squeezed tightly around his body. The particles wrapping around him cemented his body in stone. He struggled against whatever force it was, but he could not move. His eyes were the only thing that would obey him. Looking sideways, he saw the black-haired man smiling, hand clenched and extended toward Lloyd. It must have been this man's magic; he was a Telekinetic.
“Useless, un-Altered,” said the man before he opened his palm and catapulted Lloyd backward.
Lloyd smashed directly into a large boulder. In an instant, he heard glass shatter, felt bones splinter, and a tidal wave of agony overwhelmed him. He crumpled to the ground as the suddenness and intensity of the pain overwhelmed him to the point of numbness. Lloyd lay on his side as blood and liquids began to pool on the ground around his face, every shallow exhale spitting liquid. He tried to move, but his body wouldn’t respond. It wasn’t the same as when the man had him within his telekinetic grasp; this was the unresponsiveness of a broken body, a feeling that he had grown far too knowledgeable of in the past few weeks.
Cassius was getting unsteadily back up to his feet. He shot a quick cast of lightning into the robed man. This time, the man chose to pick up one of his fallen warrior's weapons and thrust it through the air toward Cassius. Lightning lit up the robed man as the sword gleamed in the air, piercing through Cassius’ midsection. The force pushed him back into the tree that he first crashed into. This time, the impact was too much, and the tree completely fractured, a deep crack echoing off the surrounding trees before tumbling over. The splintered tree tipped forward on top of Cassius and towards the telekinetic caster. Cassius's lightning attack struck the man as well as his staff. He winced in pain while his staff crumbled apart, as the tree fell towards him. A last-moment movement of the man’s hands telekinetically caught the large tree mid-air. His sweaty face crunched up in pain as he flung his hands to his right, the tree careening into the forest.
Lloyd lay there as his vision blurred. Various red liquids surrounded him, some of them undoubtedly his blood, while others were the various potions from his pack. Lloyd’s heart seized when he looked over at Cassius. Cassius' eyes were wide open, filled with shock and alertness, while simultaneously, there was no movement in sight. Lloyd’s blurry vision temporarily evaporated as his heart vigorously pumped blood, some making it to vital organs, while more blood leaked onto the ground. He can’t be dead.
“Stop fighting the man; it's clear that you all are incapable of winning,” said the Telekinetic.
Regal was breathing heavily as the men backed away from him. He saw his opening and charged the caster, who in turn raised his hands toward Regal. Regal's pace and the swing of his sword slowed as if he were moving through quicksand. The attack missed as the Telekinetic side-stepped the slow swing. The man must have been controlling Regal’s movements. He did not have complete control over Lloyd's brother, but he was slowing him down enough so that he could get out of the way of the attacks. The man, with one hand extended to Regal and another extended into the forest, began chucking large, sharpened branches and stones in Regal's direction. He deflected the wooden objects with his sword and took a few boulders to his arms and midsection. He kept pushing forward, and at the same time, the caster kept pummeling him with objects. Lloyd could feel himself finding it more and more difficult to breathe. His vision began to fail him again as thoughts randomly ran through his head.
After a few struggling moments he was able to see that Regal was now caught within that man's invisible grasp. Regal still held firm onto his sword as he ferociously stared at the man. The mage walked around to stand in front of Regal, his hands visibly shaking as he did.
“Now try swinging,” said the man through grumbled words, the strain of containing Regal clearly showing.
The soldiers began to haphazardly and heinously hack away at Regal. The swords and axes deflectling and rebounding off of his skin. The behemoth of a man with his large greatsword told the rest of the soldiers to step back. He took a cleaving swing downward that landed on top of regal's head. The force of the swing made both Regal and the caster shutter. The large man pulled his sword away, a few drops of blood fell down the side of Regal’s face. The surrounding group began to cheer at seeing their opponent finally bleed.
“Quickly, end it,” the black-haired man said.
Regal, still frozen in place, let out a vicious roar that rebounded off the surrounding forest.
Fight. Lloyd heard a voice in his head say. A jolt of energy shot through his body as he saw his brother get cut by the men’s blades. I can’t let him die here; he is the best of us.
Lloyd, with his face still in the grass, decided to slurp up the red liquid that was pooling around him. He gulped down what he could, tasting the iron of what was assuredly his blood but also the faint reprieve of what he hoped was one of the healing potions. If Regal was bleeding, that meant his Mana was almost gone, and he didn’t have much time left. Very quickly, the mixture of blood and potion began to take hold. Most of the contents of the vials were likely soaked into the ground, but what remained was enough to give him a muted version of their effects. He crawled on the ground, blood still seeping from his head, bones still sticking out of his ribs, and an exhaustive weight still hugging his whole body. The mixture wouldn’t ultimately save him, but it was sufficient to clear his vision and give him enough strength to reach for his bow and arrows. He just needed a few more moments of clarity. He grabbed the bow and found an unbroken arrow as he crawled toward the boulder, pushing himself into a sitting position against the stone.
All of the men either had their backs to Lloyd or were fully focused on the now damageable man in front of them. They were laughing and having a great time while the leader was struggling to keep Regal still. Pulling back the string was more arduous and more painful than it ever had been in his life, even with the healing potion coursing through his veins. He could hear the bow cracking as the string put more pressure on the wood. His breaths were labored, and he focused on controlling it as much as he could. The fletching of the arrows scraping the skin of his cheek, he aimed just above the head of the robed man. Releasing his breath, he loosed the arrow. The bow shattered in his hands as he saw the arrow fly through the air. It made contact with the side of the man's skin, the arrowhead disappearing into the man’s skull. The man made no sound and made no effort to stop the arrow., his hands dropped as his body slowly fell sideways.
Regal, battered and bleeding, now freed from the mage’s grasp, swung his sword at his nearest opponent, cleaving the man’s head from his shoulders.
Lloyd could feel his heart stammer and began to pump rapidly in his chest. His breathing quickened, and his pupils dilated as a wave of panic rolled through him. The emotion cut off as rapidly as it commenced, and then a large beam of light pulsed from his body skyward. The beam lasted for mere moments, but when the light faded away, Lloyd could feel it. He had just Ascended. The behemoth of the man was the first to turn to Lloyd's fallen form. The large greatsword in hand, he sprinted the short distance to Lloyd.
Lloyd felt different in so many subtle ways. He sat there as his body was now beginning to break down again as the potion had run its course. He felt sad at that moment as the large man rushed towards him. For most, if not his entire life, he dreamed of having powers. It seems that he would die shortly after receiving them, not even knowing what they were. The man was only a few steps away with his giant sword extended overhead, ready to swipe down and finish Lloyd off. Lloyd was happy that he at least was able to save his brother. The man stopped in front of him and swung his sword down towards Lloyd's head. Lloyd was mentally prepared to give up, to stop fighting, but the same shock that woke him from his stupor before coursed through his body again. Both of his hands thrust forward, palms facing the attacking man. The man shot back like he was thrown from the inside of a cannon. His body arced into the air dozens of feet high and fell to the ground in a wet thud as a skull cracked upon the rocky ground.
Lloyd lay on the ground as his vision went completely black. He could hear the clashing of swords and Regal’s roars. Lloyd had telekinetic powers. What a cruel twist of fate to finally have power, only to lose your life moments later. A smile crossed his face as his consciousness faded away.