Chapter 41: Brewing Storm
"We're under attack!" Hoggle's warning thundered across the camp, cutting through the night as every aura within flared to life.
The knights snapped into action, their expressions hardening as they prepared for combat.
"Three of your men are dead, Clemet!" Hoggle bellowed, his voice carrying a mix of fury and urgency. "Knights, gather to me! Crelos, by my side!"
Raising his hand, the ring on Hoggle's finger started glowing red. Then, with a powerful shout, "Eirg-sol!" bright orbs appeared, and in an instant, the entire camp and the surrounding woods were bathed in light. The abrupt change revealing the anxious faces of the knights as they rallied around Hoggle, their weapons and auras at the ready.
From the southern side of the camp, Clemet's solid aura could be seen smashing through the underbrush as he sprinted towards camp, his concern audible, "Three men down?! What happened to the watch?!"
His advance was forceful, with furious swings of his mace clearing a direct path towards the center of the turmoil. Just as he neared the camp's edge, eyes scanning the vicinity for any signs of the attacker, an unexpected explosion of flames engulfed his face.
In full view of everyone gathered at the camp's center, Clemet's headless body skidded into view, its upper end smoking and charred where his head should have been.
"Crelos! To my side, now! Eirg-tene!" Hoggle commanded, thrusting his hand forward. The ring on his hand glowed a deep scarlet as a fireball swiftly formed and shot into the woods behind Clemet's corpse. The impact obliterated the area, shattering trees and setting the surroundings ablaze.
With another wave of his hand, the spreading flames in the woods extinguished, leaving the area eerily silent apart from the occasional clink of armor and the crackling of smoldering twigs.
"Did anyone see anything?!" The knights shuffled uneasily, yet none offered a response. With a frustrated click of his tongue, Hoggle scanned the treeline, his eyes glowing, hunting for any hint of movement.
"Master! I'm here!" Crelos's voice broke through the tension as he hurried to Hoggle's side. "What's happening? Who's attacking us?" Wand in hand, his aura, a flickering thread of red, vibrated and pulsed.
"Quiet and stay behind me. Until we know what we're facing, do not act without..."
Chaos erupted—another explosion, followed by alarmed shouts, cut off Hoggles instruction. Another knight collapsed, his neck a smoldering ruin. Then, almost immediately, three sharp blasts echoed in quick succession. Before Hoggle could issue any orders, three more knights dropped, each missing their head.
The remaining trio—wielding fire, water, and earth—sprang into action. Their defensive maneuvers came to life, the air humming with the surge of mana. Their gauntlets shone brightly, enhancing their auras, as Hoggle commanded, "Eirg-bak!" Stretching his arm forward, his palm unleashed a fiery glow towards the earth, drawing an intricate array that rapidly expanded to encircle them. From this geometric pattern, a red dome materialized, enveloping the group.
"Crelos, crystals," Hoggle directed without removing his focus from the array, his mana continuously flowing into the protective design.
Nodding, Crelos passed a palm-sized mana crystal to Hoggle, its rainbow color bright and tinged with a radiant white.
As the group concentrated their attention towards the south, Darius remained concealed on the eastern fringe of the camp, thinking, 'Shit! There's no telling how many crystals they have. I can't let this drag on; it'll only get messier.'
Darius's expression turned grim, 'Why hasn't that damn snake made a move?!' His hands balled into tight fists, muscles taut, as he raced to devise a plan. From the start, Ramman's aura had remained unchanged, unmoving.
'I have no choice but to take the chance; I refuse to believe i can't break that barrier!' Darius's fist ignited, encased in dancing flames as he reared back, preparing to strike.
The night air was again filled by the sounds of explosions, the fire barrier at the camp's heart flickering under the assault. Darius's Solar Tyrant's Fist hammered relentlessly at the shield, it's martial prowess on full display.
The knights, sheltered by Hoggle's spell, began to visibly unravel, their glances flickering with each new blast. "We're all gonna die!" the water knight shrieked, his complexion ghostly.
"Silence! Maintain your composure; the enchantment will not falter!" Hoggle roared, one hand ablaze with fire mana, channeling energy into the earth to bolster the array, the other hand slowly draining the Mana Crystal. "Where is Ramman?!"
Darius, in a frenzy of movement, unleashed his martial technique, 'Break, Break, Break!' His fire mana dwindling with every attack.
Hoggle was drenched in sweat, the glow of his ring reflected in his eyes.
Then, a ominous Crack! shattered the tense air, rattling through the very souls of those within the barrier. The water knight, overcome by dread, cast his honor aside, "screw this!" he declared, turning his back to flee.
The moment he breached the protective sphere, a trio of blasts, Boom! Boom! Boom!, devastated him, reducing him to nothing above the waist.
"Fool!" Hoggle bellowed, fury seething through his command. "The next soul who dares move, I'll kill personally!"
The two surviving knights huddled closer, their gazes locked on the widening fracture.
'I'm nearly depleted of fire mana; it's now or never,' Darius ceased his assault, hunkering down, his form enveloped in surging lightning, every muscle in his body tightened
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Just as Darius was about to launch towards the barrier, a slow, hot wind brushed past his ear, "found you."
Laughter, dark and twisted, burst forth from the camp's heart, Ramman's aura exploded, his tent tearing away to dance in the storm of his unleashed mana. The figure of Ramman, amidst the chaos, was imposing—a dark and twisted form that seemed to draw the very light towards him. His armor, adorned with spikes and worn with the tale of countless battles, hung on his sinewy arms, his chest laid bare. His chest bore scars and ancient markings like a tapestry of battles long past. His laughter, now erupting from the camp's core, was a sound that matched his wild and untamed appearance, "Valdene! You never cease to amaze!"
'I have to finish this now!' Darius, coiled and primed with his mana at its limit, quickly unleashed an eruption of earth as he exploded forth.
"Break!" Echoed like thunder across the camp, the sheer force shaking tents in its wake.
Ramman's mocking ceased, overtaken by a dreadful screech that tore through the air. A blur, charged with violent speed, carved through the camp, hurling tents and debris skyward.
Before Ramman could comprehend, this force collided with the fire barrier. A defeaning explosion, paired with a storm of purple lightning, erupted, unleashing devastation upon the surroundings.
The fire barrier shattered with an ear-splitting crack, a sound so intense it seemed to vibrate the very air. Bright shards of light burst outward, their dance short-lived as they fizzled into nothingness. A dense cloud of dust and debris mushroomed into the sky, cloaking the camp in a thick haze.
The sounds of chaos—cracking timber, the clang of armor, panicked shouts—were muffled as if the world had been wrapped in a suffocating blanket.
"Beautiful!" Ramman's voice cut through the settling dust, a twisted note of desire tainting the word.
As he summoned his manaforged gauntlets and vambraces, Ramman's arms became covered in an additional layer of spectral armor, radiating a sinister dark green glow, bristled with ethereal spikes that seemed to thirst for violence. His aura, a storm of wind, spiraled towards his hands with purpose. Drawing across his palm, it solidified into a whip, the air around it wailing as if in pain.
Shouts from the two remaining knights pierced the air, a duet of terror and agony, accompanied by the sickening sounds of metal being savagely deformed.
Ramman leaned forward, muscles tensed, the night's sky behind him suddenly cut by a strike of lightning, but before he could spring forward, an incantation surged over the chaos, "Eirg-aill!"
From the heart of the dust storm, a brilliant circle of fire blazed upon the ground. It surged upwards in a majestic column, birthing a wall of flames that roared skyward. This inferno expanded outward, driving everything away from its center.
Within the fire, a shadow emerged, shrouded by a flickering blue barrier that held the hungry flames at bay. The silhouette, engaged in a dance with death, leapt back, its protective aura struggling.
Amid the unleashed spell, Hoggle’s frame emerged, Crelos sheltered beneath his outstretched arm. "What is going on Ramman?! Are the Valdenes attacking us?!" His ring, a beacon of crimson, pulsed with fierce light aimed at the fading shadow of Darius. Around him, the air itself seemed to ignite, his fiery aura leaping and raging.
Within the remaining cloud of dust, Darius landed, his momentum carving furrows in the ground as he skidded to a halt. 'They stopped,' he observed, noting the wall of flames had ceased its attack and was beginning to recede.
Ramman's voice, laced with pleasure, echoed through the forest, "It's the boy, you fool!" His lips twitched into a grimace of anticipation, eyes riveted on Darius's hazy figure.
With his senses focused, Darius's muscles coiled like springs, primed for the next strike, when abruptly the ground ahead erupted, hurtling shards of earth towards him.
Darius immediately jumped back, his movements a dance of precision as he deflected the stone shrapnel. Then, as a forceful gust swept the field, the lingering dust was banished, and Darius, once veiled in shadows, stood bare by the radiant glow of Hoggle's light spell.
Crawling out of the smoking crater, Ramman's whip, a living tendril of dark metal, retracted back across the distance. It carved through the air with vicious intent, coiling back towards Ramman, tightly wrapping around his body. "Patience, our time to play is coming."
"It seems, Hoggle, you've caught his fancy more than I. How ever did you manage that?" Ramman's expression contorted into a grotesque grin, his figure twitching, seemingly on the brink of bursting.
"All this havoc, by the dud? Impossible!" Hoggle's disbelief was palpable as his gaze locked onto Darius.
"Hoggle!" Ramman curled in on himself, clutching his sides, then slowly raised his gaze to meet the fire mage's, a twisted glee in his eyes. "Sent out a report?"
"Not a word yet. There was no chance..." Hoggle's realization dawned, his face draining of color as he caught Ramman's mocking sneer, "You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, dear Hoggle, how I've dreamt of this moment," Ramman murmured, his form beginning to dissolve, leaving no trace behind.
"Eirg-bak!" In desperation, Hoggle's ring ignited, a protective circle attempting to form under him and Crelos.
"Alas, too slow," Ramman's whisper teased Hoggle's ear, moments before the cold bite of his whip tore through Hoggle's defenses.
"You-!" Hoggle's aura flickered briefly before he was launched away, crashing into a nearby tree with a loud thud.
'Things are getting more complicated,' Darius thought as he surged forward, set on finishing this. But after a few steps, the ground before him burst open again, Ramman's metal whip lashing out and tearing the earth apart, halting his charge.
"Patience!"
Ramman suddenly appeared, towering over Hoggle's broken form, his breaths deep and frantic, "The child will be mine! Everything!...Along with his secrets." Rammans head tilted back to look at Darius, his eyes rabid.
"Rainslif... he'll know... what happened here. You can't hide this!"
Ramman's laughter broke free, unrestrained, "Oh, I'm sure he will." Closing the gap between them, Ramman hovered directly over Hoggle, their faces mere inches apart. "And when he discovers I've murdered you and claimed the boy," his voice dripped with mock concern, "he'll be furious. Whatever shall I do then?"
Hoggle, seizing the moment, extended his hand and unleashed a fierce stream of fire. Ramman was instantly engulfed, flames trailing a scorched path in their wake.
Darius noticed the high-grade crystal in Hoggle's hand flare brightly before turning gray, depleted. Hoggle had exhausted its last reserves to cast a spell instantly.
"Moronic! To think, you actually thought I would just let you kill me?!" Hoggle, now standing, kept his hand extended, blasting a continuous river of flames at Ramman.
"Crelos, head to m—!" Hoggle's order was cut off, his voice choked as a glowing green gauntlet burst from the flames, seizing his throat.
Hoggle was thrown through the tree behind him, breaking the pine in two as he rocketed across the ground, finally halting amidst the wreckage of the camp.
Ramman, stepping out from the flames, remained unscathed, his twisted yellow smile unharmed.
Hoggle's broken body laid still for a few breaths, then coughed, spattering blood across the leaves. Shaking, he removed his ring, placing it between his teeth to shatter the red gem. Light from the broken stone flooded into him. Then, struggling for a moment, Hoggle rose slightly, only to freeze at a sight that drained his color. "W-w-when?! When did you ascend?!"
Ramman stood, unaffected by the inferno. Now, not only were his arms encased in the spectral, green glow of his manaforged armor, but his feet up to his knees were similarly armored in glowing sabatons.
'He's a steel knight like father?!' Darius began to quietly retreat, eyes wide and fixed on Ramman, his earlier resolve fading.
"I have already marked you, Valdene." Ramman's tone was indifferent as he walked toward the struggling Hoggle, not sparing a glance at Darius.
"Once I've marked you, we're bound. Just wait, you'll have my full attention soon."
'Shit,' Darius froze, his eyes frantically scanning the area, mind running on overload trying to think of a way out. His eyes briefly stopped on Crelos, only to quickly disregard the trembling young mage.
Crelos was paralyzed, his life's brief span had never prepared him for this type of violence. The sight of men dying so gruesomely had shattered his bravery; he was rooted to the spot, unable to act.
Watching Ramman approach his wounded master, Crelos was suddenly overcome with shame and a newfound resolve. He raised his wand, his voice quivering as he uttered, "Eirg-tene." A flame erupted from his wand, hurtling towards Ramman.
The fireball struck Ramman squarely at the back of his head, having absolutely no affect.
"Disgusting," without missing a step, his whip then unfurled, lashing out with a casual flick behind him.
Crelos braced for the end, his eyes shut tight, the futility of his final act pressing heavy on his heart. In that moment of resignation, a surge of emotions sparked within him, compelling him to shout, "RUN DARIUS!"
Then, a sharp Thwap! filled Crelos's ears, a warm spray across his face jolting him.
Confusion slowly overtook fear as Crelos remained still, then from out of nowhere, the sound of Ramman's voice rang out. "NO! Why?! Why did you make me hurt you?!"
Crelos's eyes fluttered open, his vision initially clouded. Gradually, the blur faded, revealing a figure before him. It was Darius, standing protectively above, an arm raised to block Ramman's attack. The whip was now ensnared around Darius's arm.
Blood dripped steadily from where the whip had lacerated Darius's skin. "What are you doing?! Run you idiot!"
"I don't know what I'm doing?! I just moved! Maybe you should say thank you instead of insulting me?!" Darius's eyes began to crackle with lightning, "get up and move!"
All at once, Darius unleashed every last drop of his lightning mana in a massive outburst, the raw power coursing down the length of Ramman's whip in an instant.
Struck by the lightning, Ramman's body convulsed under the electric assault, purple arcs dancing wildly across him. His hand, the focal point of the attack, smoked as the whip detonated in a fierce explosion, hurling him like a cannonball through the forest.
"Run!"
Grasping Crelos firmly by the collar, Darius propelled them both into the dense cover of the woods. With swift, decisive strides, they forged a path opposite from Haku's hiding spot, steering directly towards the distant storm brewing on the horizon.