Bella's wrinkled hands enveloped Rayen's, guiding his fingers to cradle the fragile herb. "See, H is for herb," she whispered, her voice like a warm breeze on a summer day. "G is for gardening, the thing we are doing now." Bella moved Rayen's hands to place the herb in the soil. "S for soil," she said with a knowing smile.
From the side, a floating watering can sprinkled water on the just planted herbs. "W is for water," Bella informed the ever-silent Rayen as she washed their hands together, the cool liquid cascading over their muddied fingers. "M is for mud."
"And this is what we call planting," Bella finished, her voice tender and patient. She urged Rayen to repeat after her, but his eyes only held confusion and a strange sense of familiarity. It was as if he had been here before, the outlines of plants blending with Bella's soothing voice. But why did it feel so familiar? No answer came to his troubled mind.
"All right then," Bella said, perhaps sensing his confusion or simply choosing to let it be. She wiped their hands with a cloth, then took Rayen's hand in hers. With a subtle flick of her fingers, Bella made him float and brought them back inside into the living room where another student was learning from her teacher.
Cellia sat on the sofa, her blue hair framing her delicate features, and asked Cherry, "Is it woo-f or wo-of?"
“Woof!”
The golden labra corrected her with an enthusiastic bark, causing Cellia to say, "Okay, it's woof then."
“Woof!” But once again, Cherry corrected her, creating a playful back-and-forth that continued until Bardar's barely suppressed smile made Cellia snap. "What?!"
“Woof!” Cherry whined in agreement, and Bardar translated. "She says you're her slowest student yet."
Bella clicked her tongue, waving a hand to summon books that sailed into her grasp. "Enough teasing, you two." She passed a text to Cellia. "My old notes. They should help."
Cellia beamed gratitude at her saviour before glaring her eyes at Bardar and Cherry. Those two had been toying with her for days now. Well, no more.
A sudden chill raced down Bardar's spine as Cellia shot him a piercing sidelong glance, causing him to squirm in his seat.
“Woof!” Cherry let out a sad whine as if mourning the loss of her entertainment. It's not like she found hapless people to poke fun at every day.
Bella placed Rayen on the sofa, allowing him to observe the scene unfolding before him. Contrasting energies of playful banter and solemn introspection filled the room.
As night fell, Bella emerged from Rayen's room to find Cellia waiting in the hallway, her blue eyes reflecting deep concern.“Is there something on your mind, dear?" Bella asked, her voice soft and inviting.
"It's about Rayen," Cellia hesitated for a moment before confessing her thoughts. “I can't help but suspect that he still has memories locked away somewhere. Every day when I look at him, there's this confusion in his eyes... not like a child seeing new things, but like someone struggling to remember what they've seen before."
"You're quite observant, Cellia," Bella said. Her expression was unreadable but her tone was casual, almost dismissive. This only served to confuse Cellia further.
“Shouldn't we do something?" Cellia asked, desperate for answers. Bella shook her head and looked towards Rayen's door.
"Let us not."
“We shouldn’t do things anymore?”Cellia couldn't fathom why Bella would be so nonchalant about the matter, especially considering how much effort she had put into saving Rayen. Sensing her thoughts, Bella posed a question to Cellia:
“Cellia, have you ever met someone who had no will to live?" Bella said while Cellia remained silent, unable to reply. "Or someone who wished to forget everything just to escape the nightmare they were living in?"
“…”
The silence fell upon them until Bella finally spoke again. "Rayen is such a person. If he were to remember all that has happened to him, there would be nothing but pain, unbearable enough to see life as something meaningless. It has broken him once before. His body is not allowed to die, and his consciousness from being destroyed, all efforts were there to hold him in that state. Now tell me, what do you think a boy in that situation would do?"
Cellia remained silent, her mind racing at the thought of the torment Rayen must have endured.
"Sometimes, the only solace we can find is in forgetting.”
“Forget?" Cellia said, her eyes searching Bella's for understanding.
“When faced with tremendous trauma, the mind tries to protect itself. To prevent outright death, it blocks out the pain. To keep living, the body tries to make the brain forget it ever happened. It's not uncommon for people in such situations to lose their sanity at one point. Rayen is one of them. He learned to—no, he forced to learn, to forget anything that would bring him more pain – memories, feelings, even his own will to live. Can you say that's a problem, rather than a skill?" Bella said while looking at her with an unwavering gaze. Cellia bit her lip, unable to respond. Her experience paled in comparison to Bella's, who no longer sealed her memories.
"Of course, there are spells that could restore Rayen's memories," Bella admitted to herself, "But they would also bring back all the pain he fought so hard to forget. And though I saved him once, what right do I have to subject him to that torment again? Besides, there's no spell in this world that can give some a will to live, the very thing Rayen needs.”
The hallway fell silent as Cellia struggled to find any words that might counter Bella's wisdom. Unable to think of a retort, she let out a defeated sigh.
"Listen, my dear," Bella said with a gentle tone, trying to lighten the mood, "there's no need for you to worry yourself over this. You're still young, after all. Let's not push Rayen in this matter. He may not have any memories of himself or maybe he does, but why does that matter? "
"All I want,is for him to find peace in a place he can call home." She glanced at the door to Rayen's room, her expression softening. "Now, it's getting late, and you should get some sleep. I can't have a beautiful lady like you developing dark circles under her eyes, can I?"
With that, Bella urged Cellia towards her bedroom. As she watched Bella walk away, Cellia couldn't help but think of a place called home. ‘So that’s where that idiot learned those words from.’
**
As the last light of the day vanished from Bella's house, the day ended for many but not all. Away from the vast empty desert landscapes, leaving behind the almost endless blue ocean, the sun was still shining on the huge landmass called Terralea.
From the vast coastlines to the wilder regions, home to large swaths of lands, claimed as well as even larger unclaimed. It teemed with life, both intelligent and feral. But going beyond the many living cities built near the shores as well as open grassland and into the uncharted wilderness, the sense of security dwindles. One could even smell a faint scent of danger that hung in the air. As was the case this rural road running through the middle of dense forest, present with the many scenes of broken carriages lying on the sides for one to see. They were full of broken exterior and interiors with few also had large splashes of dark red blood with rotting corpses still inside them.
“Boom!”
At such, one broken carriage, a little away from the road and into the deep woods, the echoing boom of an explosion filled the air, sending frightened creatures scurrying for cover. A black-furred beast, towering over the tallest man and brandishing forearms as thick as four human heads, roared in fury as it attacked a fleeting shadow. Its massive paw slammed into a tree, splintering it with such force that the trunk went hurtling through the underbrush.
"Watch out for the tree!" shouted a voice. "Keep your distance!"
Encircling the monstrous creature were thirteen knights clad in shining armour and three mages with their hooded robes, their expressions focused and intense. Everard Blackthorn, adorned in his obsidian-black plate armour, deflected the beast's attack with practised ease.
"We're almost there, Keep luring it!"
With a swift kick, Everard forced the beast back, only for it to be assailed by his comrades. Enraged, the creature roared and lunged at the knight who had struck it, its red eyes blazed with murderous intent. The knights darted away, their movements agile.
"Get ready!" Everard shouted to one mage as the beast missed its target once more. At his command, the mage unleashed his power, causing the ground beneath the beast to vanish. It plummeted into the depths of a just formed pit, its roars of anger echoing through the trees.
“Roooaaaa…!”
The surrounding trees trembled with his roar. Seeing his prey above, the beast leapt out, but as he did its eyes widened in surprise as it met with the sight of Everard's hammer hurtling towards it. Midair and helpless, it had no escape from the impending strike.
With a sickening crunch, the beast's head burst open like an overripe fruit under the immense force of Everard's hammer. The creature's lifeless body crashed back into the pit, blood and gore splattering across the surrounding earth.
"Lord Everard!" Tristan said from above, his voice filled with both awe and concern for his commander. "Are you all right?"
"Of course," Everard said as he shaked off the remnants of the beast's skull from his hammer. "Have someone get this carcass out of the pit. We need to get back to the city before nightfall."
Climbing out of the pit with a heavy thud, Everard surveyed his fellow knights. "Did anyone sustain injuries?" he asked Tristan, a trainee knight under him.
"Nothing serious," Tristan said, already prepared with his answers. "Just some minor scrapes and bruises. The mages are a bit tired from keeping the beast disoriented."
"Good. Let's be quick about this then. Drinks are on me tonight." Everard clapped his hands, urging his knights into action mixed with the cheers of others. In no time, they had hauled the enormous beast onto a nearby carriage.
As the sky started to become dark, the small company made their way towards the city, its stone walls illuminated by the soft glow of lanterns. Upon reaching the gates, excited murmurs from the gathered crowd greeted them, eager to glimpse the slain monster.
“Thank the Lord he finally defeated the beast.”
“Step aside, I want to see too.”
“Why is there such an enormous beast near the city?”
“Mom, what’s inside that huge cloth?”
"Tristan, uncover the beast and give them a show," Everard said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“My god, did our lord kill this beast?”
“Are you doubting our lord?”
“No, I-“ Gasps and exclamations rippled through the crowd as the cloth revealed the sight of the ferocious creature.
“Have the mages freeze the body.” Upon arriving at the city hall, Everard said to Tristan, “ I don’t want it to spoil before processing.”
“As you wish, my Lord.”
He then entered his residence, where his trusted head butler, Orlaith, awaited him.
"Welcome back, Sir Everard," Orlaith said with a respectful bow. "I trust your hunt was successful?"
"Indeed, it was," Everard said, his laughter booming through the hall. "The merchants should be safe on their routes for some time now."
"That’s a relief!," Orlaith said. "Your bath will be ready shortly, and I will ensure prompt processing of the beast and send the notices to merchants, informing them about the date for the auction date."
"Beforehand, make sure to take care of the hunting party tonight. Provide them with nice food, plenty of alcohol, and a small bonus for their efforts."
"Of course, sir Everard. I'll handle it right away," Orlaith assured as he left to attend to his duties.
Everard, now out of his heavy armour, sighed with exhaustion as he approached the room where his wife, Elowen, lay reading a book. Her flowing white hair cascaded like moonlight around her, and her deep violet eyes sparkled with warmth along with a big belle.
"Elowen, how was your day?" Everard said with a tired smile, leaning against the doorframe.
"Better, now that you're back," she replied, setting the book aside and patting the space next to her on the bed. "Looks like the hunt was a success."
"Quite successful," he said, joining her on the bed. "The merchants should be safe for a while now."
He then furrowed his brow, noticing her awake state. "Why are you still up? I'll have to remind the maids to make sure you rest properly."
"Stop overreacting, dear. It's not as if you're the one carrying our child." Elowen rolled her eyes and playfully swatted him with her book.
Everard rubbed his head and a sheepish chuckle escaped from him. "I suppose that's true... but I can't help but worry about you."
"Shouldn't you be resting too?" Elowen asked, her concern evident in her voice.
"Of course," he said, stretching his left hand out beside her. "But then how can I talk about the hunt?"
He was going to start but before they could continue their conversation, a gentle knock sounded on the door.“Enter.”
The door opened, revealing Orlaith with an apologetic expression and said. "Sir Everard, someone has come to see you,"
"Must be the merchants," Everard said, not prepared to rise from the bed. "Tell them to come back tomorrow."
"It’s not the merchants, sir. It's someone from the alliance."
"Did you check their credentials?" Everard asked, his brow furrowed hearing the words.
"Indeed, I did and they insisted on meeting with you, but they didn't say why."
“You should go and see.” Elowen urged her husband “It must be important if they came all this way at this hour.”
“Okay.” Everard said with a reluctant look and followed Orlaith out of the room.
On the first floor, which houses all government related offices, in the meeting room, two men and one woman sat waiting for the city lord. Upon Everard's arrival, they stood and greeted him with the usual code of alliance.
"I am not afraid of darkness ahead."
Everard responded in kind, and said, "For the Stars guide my path. I am Everard Blackthorn, the current Lord of Faeleaf.”
“My name is Caius, the other male is Orion, an adept knight and the girl is called Lysandra, an adept mage.” Said the older looking male with a gravel voice. Everard glanced at him, and found his head shaved as well as grey eyes. The other male had silver eyes and chiselled features and midnight hair. And finally, the lady with ebony hair intricately braided, a sharp steel-grey gaze, and a regal bearing. She looked around 30s, just like Orion.
“It’s my pleasure to meet you all. Please have a seat, my people will bring some snacks soon.”
“I appreciated the hospitality, but I am afraid I have to decline. We don’t have much time on our hands.”
Everard heard Caius’ words and looked at the badge on his chest, with three blue stars, representing an official mage and took back his words. A small city lord like him can’t afford to offend an official mage even counting his adept knight strength, which is also below a level.
“Then, If I might ask, what's the reason for Sir Caius’ urgent visit?” Instead of answering him, Caius brought out the letter and handed it to Everard.
“Star Light Order…” Everard muttered under his breath as he looked at the radian light coming from the seal and the hand holding the letter became stiff, just like his body. He opened the letter and sure enough, it was what he thought.
It’s not his fault for reacting like this, after all that’s the Star Light Order, an Order the alliance issues when humans face extreme threats. With this Order, Caius now has complete authority over all the manpower that comes under his command, and refusing to comply is not an option for anyone who values their life. Clearing his throat, his voice became deep and tinged with respect as he said.
“Sir Caius, the entire city and our manpower stand ready to heed the Order, but I must ask if there is something we don’t know regarding its sudden issuance?”
Caius met Everard’s gaze and said with his gravelly firm voice.“Fear not, Everard. There is no war or calamity before us.”
“Then why did the alliance issue such an extreme Order?” Everard asked with a frown.
“Truth be told, I am not sure either,” as he said, Caius’ said with a bland face. “This Order came as suddenly to me as it did to you. Our current directive is to search for any traces of an experiment.”
“Experiment?”
“Indeed. A human experiment. But no one has provided us with specific locations to search, so they issued a blanket order instead.”
Everard’s stiff posture relaxed ever a little, though questions still swirled in his mind. “Is there any information about this experiment? Its purpose?”
Caius shook his head, disappointment coloured his tone. “None. They left us to our own devices.”
“Then where are we to begin with no intel?” Everard said with hidden frustration. ‘Isn’t it like looking for the needle in a hay, but without knowing what the needle even looks like?’
“Since they issued such an order, you should know who is the one ordering us, right?” Caius interrupted his thoughts.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“ The Great Elder-”
“See, I think all our questions can rest now. So first,” He cut Everard’s words and raised his hand, “gather every trainee knight, mage, and those involved in managing the city.”
“Can it wait until morning? The hunting party has just returned and is exhausted,”
“No, rest can come later.” He looked at Everard with an intensity that brooked no argument. “I know this place is little away from big cities but you know what will happen with delaying such things, right? While I have not received specific information on where to search, they relayed one command to me. In simple words, to avoid any uncertainty.”
“Which is?”
“Don’t come back until you find something. That’s the Order I received.”
Everard’s mind raced as he grasped the complexity of the situation. He decided not to ask anything, not only because Caius didn’t seem to know much but also for his own safety as well. After all, he doesn't aspire to be made an example of. With renewed urgency, he called for his butler, Orlaith, who was waiting outside.
“Orlaith, quick, go gather all the trainee knights, mages, and other officials in front of the mansion. We have an urgent matter to address.”
In just half an hour, everyone assembled at the front of the mansion. The moon hung far high in the sky as midnight approached, casting a silver glow on the scene below. The scent of alcohol clung to many of the hunting party members, their annoyed expressions betrayed only by the slightest tightening of their brows. But the annoyance dissipated when they learned that representatives from the Alliance had arrived, along with an official mage.
From the shadows of the mansion, four figures emerged. Caius strode forward, mage robes adorned with three blue stars on his chest. Lysandra followed, two blue stars gracing her robes, and Orion trailed behind with his knight armour, also bearing two blue stars. Everard walked beside Caius, his armour gleamed under the moonlight, which too had 2 blue stars.
“Everyone!” Everard said towards the gathered crowd in a clear voice, “We feel honoured to have Sir Caius, Sir Orion, and Lady Lysandra from the Alliance joining us. They bring with them important matters that require our immediate attention.”
“I understand that many of you feel annoyed, having been called here in the middle of the night.” Caius stepped forth and addressed the gathered trainee knights and mages. Some murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, but they remained attentive. “However, I will not waste your time with useless words, just know that I am Caius, beside me are Lysandra and Orion. And starting now, the Star Light Order is in effect in the city of Faeleaf, and from now on, I will be overseeing operations.”
A wave of shock swept over the onlookers, and the smell of alcohol seemed to fade as they sobered up. Whispers spread like wildfire, as confusion set in – no one knew what had transpired to invoke the Star Light Order.
“Is there a big war coming?” Tristan asked Caius with a respectful tone, voicing the question on everyone’s mind.
“Nothing like that. We’ll be going on another hunt.” Caius shook his head. Relief washed over the crowd.
“Has the Alliance spotted a new wild beast in the forest?”
Caius’ voice took on a serious tone as he addressed the trainee knights and mages once more, silencing the whispers among them. “There is no new beast,” he stated firmly, “but perhaps a rat.” With a wave of his hand, red badges flew from his space pocket towards the gathered crowd, who scrambled to catch them. Each of you now holds an artefact,” Caius said as his eyes scanned the attentive faces before him. “Starting this very moment, you are to search every corner of Faeleaf for any trace of our elusive ‘rat.’ Every house, inn, shop, and even the toilets – leave nothing unexamined.”
“Entire city?” Tristan said with uncertainty etched across his face.
“Indeed, the complete city.” Caius said. “Take these badges with you. We'll receive information if they emit a red light. Your task is simply to return. Everyone got one? Good, now go and start the search.”
“Now? Sir, our intrusion will annoy many citizens at this hour. And then there is this ‘rat’ you just mentioned.” Tristan asked. “ Who is this ‘rat’?”
“If they feel irritated, so be it,” Caius dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. “Just do your job – the Alliance will take care of the rest. You are allowed to use force if they resist. As for your second question, he’s someone doing human experiments whether the rat is human or not itself doesn’t matter, that’s all you need to know. Follow your orders and don’t ask questions you’re not told. Lysandra, you also follow them.”
As the trainee knights and mages dispersed into the night, Caius turned to the butler, Orlaith and the people behind him. “Are you the ones overseeing this city’s paperwork?”
“Yes, sir, we are in charge of all administrative duties.” Orlaith executed a respectful bow.
“Very well. Go get me the records from the previous five years involving people going missing, transactions of someone buying beasts, etc., focus especially on the persons who are still missing. Bring them to the office as soon as possible.”
Orlaith nodded and led his team away, leaving Caius, Orion and Everard standing alone. “You both come with me.” Caius said, as he made his way back to the office. Everard follows a step behind him, unable to shake the thoughts that his simple evening turned into such a mess.
“Can you handle the paperwork?” Orion said while walking beside him. A unique smile on his face. “Sir Caius is known to be a workaholic, you know.”
Everard tried to contain a groan, wondering if they expected him to do paperwork at this time. Just then, a bottle sailed through the air, landing at Everard’s chest. He bent his head to inspect it, and noticed the faint green liquid inside. Orion’s voice reached his ears, accompanied by a sly smile. “It’ll help clear your mind, in case you get sleepy.”
***
Three days had passed since their search began, and the strain was visible in every line of Everard’s face. Deep dark circles framed his emerald eyes as he handed over the documents to Caius, the parchment rustling in his armoured grip.
“Another lead, I hope?” Caius said, scanning the records with furrowed brows. The search of the town was uneventful. Caius felt relieved that there’s nothing suspicious in the town, no missing person or traces of any experiment but that’s also the reason he felt a headache, since now their search needs to be expanded.
“Perhaps,” Everard said, exhaustion clear in his tone. Besides Lysandra and Orion were also there, both looked weary from the endless hours of investigation and leaned in to examine the documents. “These records show transactions involving alchemy and beast bodies over the years. The problem is that each time it was a different person, making it difficult to pinpoint a single suspect.”
“Interesting.” Lysandra’s gaze flickered across the pages, her mind analysing each piece of information. “I have my doubts about the guild these individuals belong to. Their route and choice of supplies seem odd.”
“Is there a town beyond the West Forest?” Caius said as his piercing eyes bored into Everard.
“Meshy Woods,” Everard said as he rubbed his temples. “But it’s an eight-day journey by carriage. The Dumpy Forest guild claimed they needed to take the beasts and supplies there.”
“Is the route secure?” Caius pressed.
“Mostly,” Everard said as he tried to remember the details, “but one should always take precautions.”
Orion frowned, his silver eyes narrowed “That’s not enough to fully implicate the guild. Perhaps they’re merely fulfilling orders for some special customers in Meshy Woods. What supplies do they buy? Is there any record?”
“Orlaith might know. He handles the dealings with the guilds.”
“Call him outside,” Caius said as he stood up. “Let’s see if our suspicions hold any merit.”
Soon, the group found themselves outside the mansion, the crisp air serving as a brief reprieve from the stuffy office. At the gates, Orlaith awaited them, his posture impeccable as ever, with Everard by his side. The old butler bowed to Caius and the others before speaking.
“Sir Everard informed me of your inquiries,” Orlaith said as soon as he saw Caius. “I can confirm that Dumpy Forest guild didn’t purchase supplies for a journey of a week or more.”
“The journey to Meshy Woods takes at least a week,” Lysandra narrowed her eyebrows as she asked, “Why did you not suspect anything earlier?”
“Each time the guild came, it was only one person. He claimed to be a trainee mage, and his worn clothes suggested his guild might be struggling financially. I didn’t think it was necessary to ask further.”
“Who is this man?” Caius asked.
“Every time, it was someone different. But recently, a man named Riko has been coming.”
Orion’s silver eyes flashed with scepticism, “A guild short on funds wouldn’t have so many trainee mages. You guys didn’t check their id’s?”
“It was lacking in our sight.” As the butler bowed, Everard tried to explain to them instead. “ Not many people come to such remote areas and due to recent peaceful times, I tried to do away with messy paperworks, to make it easy to do business here.”
“Which gate does he usually leave from?” Caius said, not interested in going further into this topic, it’s not a secret many small towns do such things to promote business and Alliance also looks the other way on such things as long as the amount is not large enough..
“The south,” Orlaith said without hesitation.
“Very well. Keep an eye on the town. Everard, you’re with us.” Caius motioned for Lysandra and Orion to follow.
“Shall I prepare the rides?” Everard asked, already walking alongside them.
Caius shook his head. “We’ll be faster without them.” He turned to Orlaith. “Did Riko buy potions to keep the beast’s bodies fresh or bring his own?”
Orlaith paused, thinking back. “He bought some initially, but later resisted my offers.”
“How many bottles?”
“Three.”
“Did that match the interval of his purchases?” Caius continued.
Orlaith hesitated before nodding. “Riko didn’t buy anything for two trips after the initial purchase.”
“Did you apply the potion here or not?”
“He resisted my offer.” At this point others understood why Caius asked in such details. Without the potions to keep the meat from decaying, Riko couldn’t hope to take the meat far away from here. Casting spells will not be effective as dead things decay at a rapid rate and thus the spell needs continuous casting.
“Then the base should be around 10 km from the south gate,” Caius concluded, his scarred face set doggedly. “Given the size of the beasts and the time between transactions. Let’s go with this and see if it hits.”
“Should I gather the knights and mages?” Everard asked.
“No,” Caius said. “The opponent is likely an adept mage or a group. Bringing others will only risk their lives unnecessarily. If an official mage is there, then the casualties will be even higher. We will need to check the actual situation first before deciding on our next action.”
***
Half an hour later, the figures of Caius, Everard, Orion and Lysandra sped through the dusty roads between the trees with swooshing sounds, their feet floating above the ground. They jerked to a sudden halt, and Caius grounded their feet.
“Sir, did you find something?” Everard said, his voice filled with anticipation.
“Look here,” Caius murmured, uttering an incantation. The trees he had been examining began to shimmer with a subtle glow.
“An accelerated growth magic is cast on these trees,” Lysandra said as she scrutinised the scene.“These trees look about three months old, consistent with our reports of Riko’s last transaction.”
Caius nodded, his scarred brow furrowing. “Riko must have passed through here and entered the forest. The magic was most likely him trying to hide his tracks. Since he didn’t fly outright with the beasts, his strength should be that of an adept mage.”
“The feeble attempts at wiping mana traces after casting spells suggest he’s a rogue mage.”Orion added his observation, his gaze sharp and analytical.
Each member of the group drew a breath of relief as they realised their enemy wasn’t beyond their capabilities. A rogue adept mage is way easier to deal with than a group or even an official mage.
“Let’s continue with our search. His hideout should not be far from here.” Orion said.
“Let’s blend in then,” Caius said as he muttered a spell and their figures disappeared. Even the sound vanished.
Beneath the spell of invisibility, Caius led his team of four through the dense forest, their every movement silent and swift. The trail of remnant magic left by Riko guided them forward like a beacon in the night. Everard Blackthorn’s deep emerald eyes scanned their surroundings, his red hair flowing behind him as he moved.
“Riko’s hideout should be near,” Everard’s enhanced senses allowed him to catch the strange smell in the air. “There’s a scent of Warding Powder in the air. It’s used to keep beasts away.”
Caius frowned, his scarred head reflecting the seriousness of the situation. He slowed their pace, allowing the team to move with caution. Ten minutes later, they arrived at what appeared to be a remote area of the forest. No beasts roamed the area. Everard and Orion picked up only the twittering of birds and chirping of insects with their keen senses.
Lysandra focused her gaze and deepened her frown, but she held back from unleashing any spells. Instead, she concentrated on sensing something with her mana.
“Have we arrived?” asked Orion, a hint of concern in his voice.
“We have,” Caius’ tone was grave. “But it isn’t as simple as we initially thought.”
He noticed the confusion on his companions’ faces and pointed at a tree far to their right. Something had made a clear cut on a small patch of grass from one side, an unnatural act that a beast can’t do. “It most likely happened during the placement of magical shields,”.
“Does that mean there’s a magical field surrounding Riko’s hideout?” Lysandra looked at the air in front of them, but failed to find anything.
“How did someone with a rogue background know how to arrange one?” Orion raised his eyebrows as the question troubled him.
“Riko may have acquired it from somewhere,” Lysandra offered as a possibility.
Caius nodded in agreement and pulled out a small blue orb. He compelled the orb to emanate a faint light. It lit up the silent air before them. A red circle formed on the orb’s surface, causing Caius’s expression to turn even graver. “Circles of Life,” he muttered.
At the mention of that name, the expressions of the others shifted to extreme seriousness and concern. Circles of Life is a name well known by everyone on Terralea. An organisation made of drug traffickers, murderers, terrorists and even cultists. One just needs to name an illegal organisation and chances are, they are a member of Circle of Life. Though no overt threat to Alliance’s rule, it makes every other house have headaches just listening to their name.
Everard shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to suppress the unease settling in his stomach. “Perhaps we should call for reinforcements,” he said while the deep emerald eyes scanned their surroundings with caution.
“Or fall back for now.” His voice was firm, yet it quivered with uncertainty.
“It may not be the Circles at all. Riko might just be a customer. Buying a small-scale magic shield isn’t that difficult, and it could explain why he wears those worn-torn robes.” Orion, however, shook his head in disagreement and said.
“It’s a possibility, as you said this might explain Riko’s worn torn robes.” Lysandra nodded in agreement, her gaze searched for the traces of the magical shield.
Caius considered their input, he moved his fingers which looked like they were toying with the blue orb but in fact seeking answers within its depths. Soon, he nodded in agreement with Orion and Lysandra. “This magic shield does look like a low-level product that Circles of Life sells. I haven’t found any evidence of human disappearances near Faeleaf, but I can’t return empty-handed.” He then put the orb back, and went deep in thought.
A determined glint appeared in Caius’s eyes. “We’re going to capture Riko.”
“Sir, I must object— “ Everard said, but Caius cut him off.
“Listen, every clue we have indicates that there might be just one or two rogue mages with adept mage strength at most. As long as we remain cautious, this should be a straightforward task.” Caius directed his gaze to each of his companions. “Everard, you will act as our only knight, given your focus on strength. Orion, since you specialise in speed and manoeuvring, hide using an artefact and wait for the opportunity to strike. Lysandra, you will assist in supporting and disrupting the enemy’s spell-casting. I’ll be the dominant force. Any objections?”
“Sir, what if the enemies try to escape rather than fight?” Orion said.
“Don’t worry about that, my spell will take care of it,” Caius said as his eyes gleamed with assurance.
“How are we going to attack?” Everard’s emerald eyes flickered between his companions.
“We’ll destroy their hideout, and as the enemies appear, we’ll strike with an element of surprise.”
“Sir, should we capture them alive?” Lysandra inquired, her gaze calculating.
“Capture them alive if possible, but based on the risk involved, you are allowed to execute them. Any more questions?”
“No Sir,”
Everyone nodded in understanding, Caius handed a ring to Orion, who slipped it onto his finger and his figure vanished without a trace. Next, he presented a blue badge to Everard. “This can save you from three direct strikes by an Official mage.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Everard replied, hesitating as he glanced at Lysandra who offered a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry, we already have one.”
“Spread out and prepare yourselves, remember since Riko bought so many beasts it’s probably because he used them for his blood magic or some ceremony. Stay clear from his spells until I tell you otherwise.” Caius finished giving orders and then began chanting his spell. Within a minute, a massive azure sphere formed above his head, its energy pulsating like a beating heart. With a final incantation, he shot it towards the invisible magical shield in front of them.
As the sphere struck the shield, a cacophony of shattering glass echoed throughout the forest. Undeterred, the azure sphere continued its destructive path, obliterating trees in its wake before slamming into a location near the lake 50 metres ahead.
A deafening explosion rocked the lake as a rock-built house appeared for a moment, only to crumble under the force of the impact. From the wreckage, a black shadow emerged, clad in a red tattered robe that concealed his face. The figure looked around in shock, every direction surrounded by bright blue flames, even the water of the lake was aflame, yet the plants remained unharmed. But he didn’t dare to go near as his instinct screamed to stay away from the flames. Suddenly, heavy pressure descended upon his body, and a booming voice echoed through the air.
“Rogue mage, the forces of the Alliance have surrounded you,” Caius’s voice rang out, releasing a heavy pressure that descended on the red-robed figure from all sides. “Surrender, and we promise not to mistreat you.”
The mage, shrouded in his tattered red robes, jerked at the sound of Caius’s booming voice. He looked for the source as a voice came from everywhere but no one to be seen besides the blue raging flames, but he knew hesitation would be his undoing. With a swift motion, he pulled out a ruby stone from within his robes and hurled it into the sky. The stone erupted with a blinding flash, distorting space in his far left for a moment before everything returned to normal. But that’s all he needed to know as he pulled out a black staff from his space pouch.
“Careful, this guy has an anchor,” Caius warned, his voice like a whip cracking through the air.
The rogue mage ignored Caius’s final ultimatum for surrender. He gripped his long staff tight and pointed at the place where the space just distorted and unleashed a bolt of negative energy from the tip. The bolt shredded the air like a violent purple flare, thrashing wild toward its target. As it passed through the air, the spell struck the trees engulfed in blue flames, causing them to wither in the wake of its entropic ripples as it decayed everything it touched.
“Dammit!” Everard said with a growl under his breath as he looked at the place they were standing just a moment ago. If not for the Caius who shifted them under the cover of invisibility, they would be the ones to be decayed instead of trees. He gripped his hammer tighter. “This guy isn’t going down easily.”
As if responding to their thoughts, the rogue mage they called Riko conjured a screaming vortex of whirring metal shards around him, threatening to expand outward and tear them apart.
Caius responded by conjuring a brilliant sphere of arcane energy, which he sent hurtling toward the vortex. It collided with the vortex in a thunderous explosion, dismantling the vortex and scattering its chaotic essence. Riko, however, had achieved what he wanted, as Caius, Lysandra, and Everard were now revealed before him.
“Get ready!” Caius’s stare fixed on Riko, who staggered from the explosion's impact.
With a snarl, Riko raised his staff once more, creating a sphere of inverted gravity that lifted rocks upward and moulded them into boulders. With a flick of his wrist, he sent them hurtling toward the trio with brutal force.
“Let me take care of this,” Behind Everard, a faint illusion of a beast materialised as his muscles inside the black armour bulged with power, he swung his heavy hammer with expert precision, shattering the incoming projectiles before they could reach Caius and Lysandra.
Lysandra’s rings crackled with energy as she unleashed a torrent of blue-white lightning, the sparks dancing around her hand before flying toward Riko at breakneck speed. The rogue mage, panic seizing his movements, formed a gory barrier of blood around himself, congealing into a crimson bulwark that strained to withstand the onslaught.
That’s not the end as air crackled with tension as Riko’s staff thrummed, from behind him, inky tendrils surging forth like snakes writhing and coiling towards the group. Caius’s bracelet emitted a golden light that struck the black tendrils, forcing them to retreat with a hiss as they emitted plumes of acrid smoke. A grim smile played on Caius’ lips as he formed a cluster of razor-sharp crystal shards before him.
“Stand your ground!” Caius said before he launched the crystals at Riko, who attempted to dodge but found his movements sluggish under Lysandra’s spell. The shards found their mark, colliding with the crimson barrier around him and sending violent ripples across its surface. Blood trickled from the corner of Riko’s mouth as he snarled in frustration.
Everard watched, wide-eyed, as Riko raised his staff once more, firing a caustic yellow ooze toward him. He tried to dodge but failed and as the ooze connected with his armour, the metal began to decay before his fearful eyes.
“Damn you!” Everard yelled, but Riko unleashed another torrent of the corrosive ooze, only for it to be met by a wall of air conjured by Caius. The air shimmered as the ooze collided with it, dissipating without harm.
“Stay close to me.” Caius’s bracelet lit up again as he released a kaleidoscopic beam of energy, a maelstrom of chaotic effects consisting of– lightning arcs, erupting flames, acid rains, and crystallised ice cones.Wild, untamed magic bombarded the rogue mage, the sheer intensity of the assault dissipating the tendrils and thinning the crimson shield to the point where it seemed it might have shattered with another strike.
Lysandra’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as her ring brightened again, fiery red embers dancing between her fingers. With a flick of her wrist, she launched the projectiles at Riko, their searing intensity too much for the weakened barrier. It shattered like glass, and Riko screamed in agony as his tattered red robes ignited.
Caius was about to cast a binding spell on Riko when the rogue mage roared out a chilling proclamation: “The stars will fall!” His eyes turned crimson, and blood-red symbols manifested on his skin.
Caius’s face paled with panic as he screamed, “Stay away! This guy is a cultist!” Caius chanted the strongest spell he knew, conjuring an icy blue wall to protect them from whatever horror Riko had unleashed. “Orion come here, Quick!” Beside Everard and Lysandra, Orion appeared behind the barrier, his eyes too etched with concern.
“Sir Caius, that thing…”
“A projection of a twisted spirit. Brace yourselves,” Caius warned, no longer speaking to him, instead he concentrated all his attention on the writhing body of Riko.
The runes pulsed with an eerie red light, and Riko’s body dried up almost instantly and no longer moved. Above his being formed by the runes with a large heinous mouth and swirling tongue coupled with twisted red tendrils all over the body. Ignoring the dead Riko, the twisted spirit roared angrily towards the others behind the ice wall. The roar behaved more like a spell as cracks appeared on the ice wall.
“No, you don’t.” Seeing the spirit coming towards them, Caius’ bracelet let out the strongest light as the blue flames surrounding the battlefield formed a vortex around the twisted spirit before completely closing in on him.The twisted spirit released another roar, this time infused with pain as its body burned under the blue flame.
Relief washed over others seeing the flames effective against the twisted spirit, but that was short-lived as the spirit released red lights from all over his body which pushed the blue flames back and his tentacles lashed into the air as to grab something and before the shocked eyes of Caius and the rest, the spirit launched itself high into the air. Seeing the spirit choosing to flee rather than fighting back, Caius crammed more mana into the blue flames to increase their intensity but the barrier protected the spirit until it left the area covered by the flames. Everard glimpsed the direction it headed and roared in panic.
“Sir Caius, that thing is moving towards Faeleaf!”.
“What!?”