Lance Morningstar.

***

“I hope Zeff will be alright with team two.” Sighing under my breath, I turned back to scan the path ahead. Not long after, the creeping feeling of hot breath against my flesh crawled over my neck and shoulders. A prelude to Rhot’s hissing tongue. “They will be fine until we makes our move.” With a sharp reptilian click, the scaled humanoid slithered off the path to kneel behind a tree and rapidly flick his tongue about.

“You seem awfully worried, Lance.” Silva boomed from the rear. “An unsettling sight, coming from an Angel.”

‘Am I really that powerful though?’ I snorted. ‘I wasn’t blessed with other affinities like the rest of you. Only more light.’

A red blur cut my thoughts short. It was Snusz, motioning to an emplacement of raised stone sitting just over three hundred meters ahead. He had good eyes. Especially for a kobold.

Darting through the brush in front of the others, I came up to their position to take a quick peek through the brush. “What do you sssee?” Rhot hissed.

“Winston’s there!” Smeal erupted in a strange smile. “Probably guarding Mr. Wolfgang, he is.”

“And that vampire Amun is always with is standing guard at the entrance,” I muttered. “I don’t see him or the meek one though.”

“Tch!”

“Is Doyle there?” Snusz asked, ignoring the sudden outburst from Smeal. “Amun?”

“No, Silentjaw.” Silva gave Snusz a gentle pat. “He is not.”

“I say we withdraw,” I said, invoking questioning or offended gazes from Rhot and Smeal. “If Doyle’s not here, he’s either underground or elsewhere. Either way, we should wait for the assaulting team to find them first before revealing our- Move!”

Silva pounced before I could even shout, leaping forth to hook Rhot and Snusz under his arms and rocket into the air just before a deafening crack split the air around us. Centered in a crater- which in turn was centered where Rhot was just standing, was the fist of the vampire girl, staring at us with glowing crimson eyes with her lips curled into a sickening grin. Then, a dense surge of mana swirled and bloomed within her.

I turned without hesitation. “Retreat!”

Frozen in place, Smeal could only look at the vampire with wide eyes. All but forcing me to pivot on my feet and reach out for his collar. On contact, I released the pool of mana held within and focused on our rendezvous point. And an instant later, we were back in the clearing we’d started down just over an hour ago.

“That was… ugh!” Smeal released himself from my grasp to stagger away and, after getting his bearings, stagger again. “What the fu- Hey!”

Another crash followed his shout. Though this one was larger and more energetic, yielding a wider and much deeper crater that housed Silva and the two reptilians.

“What iss the plan?” Rhot shouted as he slithered off the giant. “The girl will be able to pursue uss now.”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

“No.” I shook my head. “She knew what team we belong to. That’s why she didn’t hit any of us.”

“So then-”

Another boom cut Smeal short. A louder, more thunderous one that seemed to rock the swamp as a whole. Sending a shockwave of pure worry over me that carried winds of horrific realization.

“Team Two!” Rushing forward, I wrapped Snusz and Rhot under one arm and grasped Smeal with the other before motioning for Zeke to follow. Then blinked over to the source at lightspeed.

Wasting no time upon arriving, I released everyone and jumped to the nearest cover to survey the landscape. To my eyes, it was hardly any different from where we just left. Everywhere I looked sat massive plants and colossal trees with finger-like roots reaching into the surrounding waters, half-concealed by a blanket of thick fog hanging above the surface.

“Ugh… it’s so hot.” Smeal complained.

“I sssmell sssomething.” Rhot clicked and went on to chatter away with Snusz before they both waded out into the swamp. Within seconds, they were meters away from me and Smeal. Meanwhile, Silva was nowhere to be found.

“Ugh! I hate when he just leaves like that.” Smeal sulked. “Them too!” He spat towards those ahead.

“Shh.” I pointed through the dispersing fog.

All around us was sheer chaos. Or rather, its aftermath. Blackened or sometimes flaming trees peered through the fog to greet us as we moved. Each step- every few meters traveled brought a new edition of the same hellish scene. A scene of smoldering trees and upturned earth, boiling stagnant water, and billowing columns of ashen steam.

“An elemental battle?” Smeal asked.

“Yes. But between who, is the question.” I sighed.

The only attackers capable of using fire on this scale were Roheisa, any of the Striflings, or Ash. As far as defenders went, there was the brunette girl I spotted in the gym before and the meek kid often seen with Amun. And, obviously, Amun himself.

“Would you happen to know where Issac’s team is?” I asked.

“Probably wandering around like us.” Smeal shrugged. “Why, you think he fought here? Cause ole Issac ain’t strong enough to do this.” He took another gaze around, chuckling all the while.

“I was thinking more along the lines of Vlorlyn.” I pointed to the soaked trees. “She’s the only one who could conjure this much water.”

“Dunno about that.” Smeal snorted. “Ed and Jaimess’ elemental abilities are quite scary, to be honest. Can’t say that surprises me though.” He finished with a mutter under his breath.

“Why not?” I stepped towards him.

“Cause they’re infamous Amun of Odissi’s vassals.” He shook as head as if he were confused. “Oh, come on!” He recoiled with a laugh. “You’re a royal yourself and you haven’t seen it? The ways they speak and carry themselves, they’re like mirror images of him.”

“I see,” I muttered. Jaimess and Edward were indeed more skilled in the elemental arts than anyone else in our party. If they learned their technique from Amun, then the chances of Amun’s party being capable of this feat was high, to say the least. “Thanks. But your observation only makes things more difficult.”

Or rather, it made it nearly impossible to tell who did this and what we were walking into. It only broadened the pool of potential opponents awaiting us in this swampy pit. Further reducing my odds of coming up with a formidable plan, in turn causing my mind to recess back into the same worried state I felt earlier.

That worry compounded when Snusz and Rhot waded to a halt up ahead, forcing my eyes to widen and focus on their backs in an attempt to calm myself. Still having over twenty meters between us, however, I forced myself forward quicker. I pushed through the viscous waters, my ears straining against the stinging silence in order to hear something. Anything. But alas, I heard nothing until I approached the still backs of Snusz and Rhot, floating like gators in the murky waters.

“Ahead.” Rhot hissed. “I sssmell Doyle.”

“Aw shit!” Smeal drew his weapon with a subdued gasp.

“And who else?”

Lifting his scaled snout, Rhot drew in three powerful breaths. “Two more smellssss.” He dropped back into cover. “Unknown bodiessss.”

‘Well, we’re already here.’ I nodded him forward with a sigh.

Almost eagerly, Rhot swam forth with Snusz following close behind him. Looking ahead of their trajectory, I tried my best to see what it was they sensed or smelled but I saw only water. Even as they slowed and dispersed to circle an ordinary patch of water, I sensed nothing. I saw nothing- other than the lizardfolk and kobold, creeping forward at a snail's pace.

“Ack!” As one they lunched back and dove forward. Toothy maws open wide in an effort to chew threw Doyle and whoever it was guarding them.

And then, it hit me.

“Run!”