As they retrieve their items and destroy their initial campsite, Shizuru Ryu and Neviah Kingsley take another look at their map, estimating their arrival at the Usor town of Wirgnej. With the definite information that the robed individuals who took Mirano are Usor Sorcerers, it is their only possible destination in locating the Unknown Child.
In their journey together, Shizuru asks Neviah if he is adept at dashing through the forested, hilly terrain. Finding the statement mildly insulting but inevitable, (given his lanky and seemingly weak build) Neviah sighs and begins running ahead of Shizuru, darting on the well-trodden wagon path leading to town. Taken aback by the Usor's response, Shizuru gives chase; with him and Neviah exchanging a few anecdotes as the general tension between the two of them gradually subsides.
"Do you think the Usors will be suspicious of our inquiries upon entry to Wirgnej's guild?" Shizuru asks, leaping over a fallen trunk.
"They might, if we ask the wrong questions. Though, with my status as a Sorcerer, they will not have any doubt of my intentions within the premises." Neviah replies with a smile, skipping over large rocks.
Shizuru purses his lips. "I might have guessed that much, but, you're with a Digma... and with the recent climate amongst Academic Ro--!" He almost misses the low branch and ducks just as he passed by it.
Neviah slows down his pace as he watches Shizuru stumble. He sighs in relief as the Digma passes by him, unscathed. "I understand that there has been a country-wide persecution of the Rogues and while most guilds are merely archives of knowledge... they will most likely do no harm to a person, unless" Neviah catches up with Shizuru, meeting his ember eyes with a dubious stare. "they're hiding something."
Meeting the Usor's gaze has only muddled Shizuru's perception of the whole ordeal. What does a Usor town look like anyway? What if his affiliation with Pan is revealed so soon? Will he still have another opportunity to search for him if that happens? and Mirano...
At the thought of Mirano, the Unknown Child's words last night seem to return to Shizuru, his statements about trusting Neviah, the reassurance of success... it seems to put his heart at ease and he no longer feels the burden of fatigue as they continue to rush past the clump of trees.
Maybe the recollection has put Shizuru's mind too much at ease, for, despite Neviah's warnings of a lower ground, Shizuru does not stop in his sprint and ends up missing his step, landing face first on a mud puddle with a splash.
"What were you thinking, not stopping when I told you to stop!" Neviah shrieks, rolling his cloak around his neck to keep it clean as he extends an arm to haul Shizuru back up.
The Digma sputters and wipes his face, barely catching Neviah's hand and standing, his attire and knapsack dirtied by the ordeal.
Neviah sighs, placing his hands on his hips as he stares at the poor Shizuru. "This will be a problem. Let us stay in an inn and get you cleaned before heading to the guild."
"You have to be joking! This should not be a hindrance to our endeavor!" Shizuru swings his knapsack to his shoulder, small blobs of mud ride the air and threaten to land on Neviah's sleeves, which the Usor promptly dodges by sidestepping to the left. "Pay this no mind! We have to rescue Mirano as soon as possible!" Shizuru adds as he begins walking, leaving imperfect mud footprints on the grass.
Unsure, Neviah follows him from a good distance, careful not to get any dirt on his clothes. He continues to convince the Digma until they exit the woods and can see the entrance to town from atop a small hill. Shizuru did not listen to any of Neviah's persuasion, but in the last minute before they enter town, Neviah pulls Shizuru back to the shadows of the nearby bushes and relays his idea.
"No way! I shall assist you in rescuing Mirano!" Shizuru grits his teeth, visibly against Neviah's proposition.
"Shizuru, please." Neviah's tone exudes something beyond a plea. "You have heard my prophecy earlier, right?"
Shizuru nods. "But, Nevia--!"
"My clairvoyance has shown me a horrendous outcome for the wielder of Flaskalf." Images of the prophecy flashes before Neviah as he stares at Shizuru. He blinks and stares away, towards the town. "I do not wish for that to be your Fate." he inhales sharply and looks back at Shizuru, frowning. "Please. Stay in the inn and let me infiltrate the guild alone!"
Perhaps it was because he was cut off mid-sentence that causes the familiar twinge of frustration creeping in his left temple... or maybe it was Neviah's persistence for him to stand in the sidelines once more. Whichever the reason, the disappointment in Shizuru's face is evident. His journey in search of Pan was nothing short of conveniences: Mirano finding the journal and the key, Neviah successfully retrieving the stolen journal... in these instances, Shizuru recalls his lack of action and seemingly, the efforts of his companions has struck him with a feeling of uselessness once more. Despite the hollow sensation, he is reminded, just as he looks on to the unnecessarily decorated carriages exiting the Usor town (they carry people instead of goods after all, which is the direct opposite of what Shizuru has been accustomed to) of Wirgnej, that the place and the situation he is supposed to jump into is one that is most unfamiliar to him. Once again, Shizuru arrives at a conflict: Should he ignore the warnings in an attempt to compensate for his lack of action? But in doing so, he'll be going against the code of warrior he and the Digmas have lived by for so long.
In the midst of his thinking, Mirano's words echo once more as Shizuru's gaze drops down to his sullied clothes and his skin has become more aware of the sticky feeling of the grime on his limbs. With a disgusted groan, Shizuru admits defeat and asks Neviah details of his proposed plan of action.
Though the Usor's success arrives in a rather lackluster showmance of approval, Neviah is nevertheless moved with Shizuru's acceptance that his eyes begin watering as they walk towards town. As a Usor-dominated inter-tribal town, Wirgnej's few establishments feature smooth stone and grand architecture, with places offering multiple services under one roof. Call it convenient for Shizuru and Neviah's cause for the only Inn at town is just beside the academic guild. The room Shizuru has secured on the second floor of the Inn has a window view of the guild's outstretched balcony and the Digma has spared it a quick glance before he disappears in the personal washroom, mentally praying to Halli that Neviah will be successful in infiltrating the place.
Now, the waiting game ensues.
Strangely, Shizuru has taken his time to get himself clean. While he finds it fortunate that he is able to contemplate under the shower undisturbed, it is also unlikely for him to stay in the washroom for too long. Maybe he has taken a good while to scrub his clothes clean of mud. Besides, the Inn has not provided any toiletries, much to his disappointment. The thought has made Shizuru to harrumph. Upon getting over his initial irritation over the stain on his clothes, the Digma soon finds himself mulling over the occurrences of the day upon exiting the shower.
At one point or another, Shizuru has gotten used to doing everything alone; especially on solving any problems he encounter. Much of it does not end as well as Shizuru wishes it to, but still, he is quite satisfied to have taken matters in his own hands, so this current setup cripples Shizuru to the point of whining. He scrubs his damp dark waves, thinking of what he should do afterwards. He does not wish to wait; he wishes to help! But Neviah says his waiting will be his way of helping...
"Ahh! Muddling over it is of no use!" he exclaims, stomping his feet as he buttons up his fresh orange shirt. "What should I do?"
Shizuru struggles with dressing up as the question persists in his head. As soon as he slips on his leather shoes, the Digma plops on the bed, wriggling in uneasiness as he attempts to find an answer. Turning his head to the side where the wall is, Shizuru inhales sharply in an attempt to collect his sanity. What does he want to do as of the moment? Rescue Mirano, of course. Why? Well, the answer is pretty obvious. Aside from being the key person in retrieving Pan's relics, his overall naivety about CANDEMARO and mysterious abilities may hold something relevant in unlocking the country's past.
Seemingly unsatisfied with his own reply, Shizuru puffs his cheeks. Sitting up, as if continuing his thoughts, he looks out of the window, towards the guild: "He was my companion, too."
As if his own words have revitalized his morale, Shizuru hops out of bed, snatches his still wet clothes, stuffs it carelessly in his knapsack, and slings it over his shoulders as he jumps out of the window and over the nearest ledge of the guild's balcony, his mind is so focused on his sneaky disobedience of Neviah's plans that he was unable to notice the ongoing carnage on the streets below.
-----
It will be a surprise to know that Usors are lenient to their fellow tribesmen. Though they have earned the ire of the Encantos and Digmas as unfair merchants and vile strategists, they do not mirror this kind of behavior to their fellow Usors, mainly because they are equally wary of their fellowmen's abilities. Despite being aware that he has reflected this unsavory behavior to gain employment, Neviah Kingsley nevertheless dislikes this attitude that has defined the majority of Usor population. While he had thrived within a world of people who thinks similarly, his recent involvement in the efforts of the Usor academic world has made him realize that many of his employers attempt to hide away a lot of events from the public's eyes.
Neviah mentally whoops upon gaining entry inside Wirgnej's guild, appropriately named "Viridian Point", on the urgent excuse to have his Charm recharged. Upon showing the radiating chipped moonstone on his ebony choker, the Usor Sorcerer by the guild's gate seems to take pity on him and he immediately invites Neviah inside. As he follows the Sorcerer on the stone grounds leading to the building's entrance, Neviah wonders if Mirano's abduction has something to do with the guild's illicit activities, if any. He wouldn't put it past the realm of possibility. After all, his former companion was involved in one.
As they arrive in the shadows of the establishment's lone tower in the east, Neviah hits the Sorcerer on the nape, immediately knocking them out. Now free, Neviah stealthily dashes to the entrance, looking around carefully before pushing forward, the heels of his leather shoes thumping silently across the wide carpeted hallways. The dimness of the early evening seeps from the large glass windows lining the western part of the hallways and Neviah takes notice of this as he climbs the stairs up to the third floor after confirming that Mirano is not in the second floor. Neviah is not too worried when the lights in the building weren't lit yet, as he realizes that many Usors find it difficult to tend to establishments as large as this guild. Perhaps they too are having trouble running around to light the lamps in time for the night. As he arrives on the top of the stairs, however, Neviah is greeted by the recently risen full moon on the large open windows and the realization sinks in Neviah's mind. The moon hangs low on its throne tonight and the night has already been occurring for a good while. Why is the guild still so quiet at this point?
Heart racing, the images of his prophecy earlier flashes before his eyes: a dimly illuminated space; A chipped stone wall, Flaskalf's ornate hilt... a shrill cry of pain.
The nearby tapping of glass surprises Neviah that he lets out a squeak. Looking to its origins, he finds Shizuru by the balcony behind the glass, the large window highlighting the Digma's small stature. Perplexed at his arrival, Neviah hastily unlocks the window's latch and whispers with the most exclamation: "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"I cannot bear to leave the rescuing to you alone!" Shizuru replies in an equally hushed, but intense voice. "Plus, what are you doing sneaking in the empty hallway all alone?!"
The mention of the unusual darkness puts Neviah in even more unease. "I-I don't know! This is the most unusual case! Guilds should be well-lit by sundown!"
"Why haven't you used your..." Shizuru frowns as he makes circling motions in the air with his palms. "...ball of light, or illuminated the area?" Shizuru asks as he hops down on the carpeted hall.
With gritted teeth, Neviah answers, "Do you seriously wish to be spotted? We broke in, remember? If anybody spots us---"
The silence that followed seems to strike Neviah with a sharp sting of realization. Looking in the hallway, he ponders about his own words. Shizuru has caught up with the notion as soon as he arrived in the place and he follows Neviah as he makes his way towards the nearest decorated door.
Neviah gulps as he settles a shaky hand on the door knob. Seeing his anxiety, Shizuru taps Neviah's shoulder twice, gently pushes him away from the door, then, with Flaskalf on his hand, violently swings his arm towards the door, the colossal opaque blade manifesting just in time to break the wooden door in half, leaving Neviah dumbfounded and stuttering in complaint.
With the rubble settling, it has been evident to the two that the room behind the door is completely empty. From the furniture's arrangement, Neviah recognized it as an important office, so its solitude is most mysterious. They tried unlocking (in a more orderly manner) a few more rooms on the floor and all of it was empty. Neviah begins backtracking to his entrance to the guild. It was relatively quiet and he met no more than a few sorcerers on his way, including the gatekeeper. So where were they?
"Do you think... have they predicted our arrival here?" Neviah asks as they stare at the last empty room Shizuru had opened.
As if answering him indirectly, the crackling of firewood sounded outside in the courtyard below. Neviah and Shizuru immediately duck and stealthily make their way down to the second floor, peering from the decorative pillars by the balcony to watch what seems to be a ritual to unravel.
Cloaked individuals similar to the ones Neviah had seen earlier in the morning march in the area, carrying lit torches and forming a large circle while softly mumbling something too quiet for Neviah and Shizuru to understand. Based on the torches, Shizuru counts twenty Sorcerers present.
A couple more cloaked individuals join the others in the courtyard and they carry an unconscious person too familiar for Shizuru and Neviah. Upon Mirano's appearance, Shizuru's heart almost leaps to his throat and he attempts to rush towards the area, but Neviah drapes his arm over the Digma's chest, preventing him from doing so. With a shake of the Usor's head, Shizuru remains in his place and they continue to watch.
With the pale green glow of a Usor spell activating, a large wooden totem appears in the middle of the circle. Its form seems to loosely resemble an image of the Usor Visionary, Hera Gama, in their regal priestly robes. Its eyes emanate the same faint green glow. Even with the stillness of the totem, Shizuru finds himself unable to keep still, despite Neviah's warnings.
"The time is upon us, brothers!" One of the Sorcerers loudly declared.
Neviah and Shizuru freeze.
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"At the strike of the signal of the Blessed Herald, this foreign sacrifice will ensure the success of Project CONDE!" the Sorcerer takes out a sharp blade and the mumbling soon becomes prominent.
Neviah gasps at the recognition of the Chant. He turns to Shizuru to warn him of the danger of the Aeger, but the Digma has already disappeared, leaping from the edges of the balcony, Flaskalf in hand, hollering to strike one of the cloaked persons nearest to their location.
For a while, the Chant is disrupted, much to Neviah's relief, and he dashes through the staircases to join Shizuru in battle.
The group of Usor Sorcerers are visibly surprised to find a Digma within the confines of their guild and before they had the time to begin casting their offensive spells, Shizuru charged at them with his immense blade, knocking out two at a time. Someone from the group recognizes the golden ornate hilt and powerfully hollers, "Pan's relic! He's wielding the Rogue's relic!"
With a click of his tongue, Shizuru kicks the Sorcerer in the gut. "Hell right I am!" he declares, taking out an Elixir from his pocket and placing it in the hollow opening by Flaskalf's hilt. In a blink of an eye, the evening breeze seems to collect in place of the blade and a powerful gust blows as soon as Shizuru strikes the totem, propelling a few more sorcerers to the far side of the courtyard and ultimately extinguishing their torches.
Those who were able to stand up immediately cast their Illumi, filling the area with several blinding glows, which momentarily startles Shizuru. In his confusion, somebody is able to tackle him on the ground from behind, knocking off Flaskalf in his hand.
"No!" Shizuru grunts, desperately reaching out for Flaskalf as the remaining Sorcerers gather around him.
He painstakingly looks up to them, their triumphant faces hovering before him. One of the Sorcerers picks up the ornate hilt and mockingly laughs: "What a bold move! You got us, Digma!"
"To think that we were almost defeated by a bearer of Pan's relic!" another one adds with visible disgust. He kicks Shizuru square in the face. "You'll bring us shame, boy!"
Several kicks and insults came hitting Shizuru and he curled to a ball, draping his arms over his head as he grunts in pain. How come these Usors are so affected by Pan's creations? As Shizuru begins to sputter blood, he notices the gasps and complaints around him as the attacks stop coming. When he looks up, he sees a blurry image of a different glow, almost whitish, creating a small bubble of protection around him.
----
There is nothing more terrifying to Neviah than the fulfillment of his prophecies. While his clairvoyance was too unstable to show a definite flow of events, his guesses seem to be most accurate every time. Shizuru's presence within Viridian Point has already been too risky, given that its stone walls are eerily similar to the ones Neviah had seen. The collective attack of the guild's Sorcerers towards the Digma seem to indicate that the fulfillment of the prophecy is close. Neviah is aware, though-- he had experienced numerous clairvoyance throughout his young life and he had witnessed the majority of it-- that Fate, whatever interjection man does, will claim what is due... He knows this and yet, with tears in his eyes, he calls upon a spell of protection to envelope a small radius around Shizuru.
The remaining Sorcerers' attention now lands on Neviah. His unexpected appearance has perplexed his fellow tribesmen and harsh inquiries fill the air. Some of the Sorcerers who had barely recuperated ready their Circles and Chant to bring him down. Based on the distinct Chanting, Neviah has pinpointed the impending attack and his heart beats faster at its arrival.
Seeing his anxiety must have given the largest among the Sorcerers much delight. This person, cloaked like his fellow Usors, but stands out due to his large, heavy set build, is confident in their success and snatches Flaskalf from the other Sorcerer, crouches down at Shizuru, and points the end of the ornate hilt towards the Digma.
"You know, you have a chance of retribution if you stop your Protection of this pesky Rogue." he calls to Neviah with a smug grin.
Neviah flinches at the statement but he does not reply. His glare bore holes at the large Sorcerer.
The Sorcerer ignores his intense stare and taps the glow protecting Shizuru with Flaskalf's tip. "But if you refuse, both of you will still die nevertheless."
As if reacting to Neviah's uncertainty, the circle of protection around Shizuru flickers. The Sorcerers exchange smirks. The threat is working.
Shizuru attempts to sit up, coughing. "N-Neviah..! Don't..."
Inhaling sharply, Neviah spares the other Sorcerers a snarky glare. All fell silent in their momentary teasing. He turns his head back to the Sorcerer near Shizuru. "What unfair proposition." he replies with a clear voice.
In Shizuru's blurred view, due to his wounds and the protection around him, he finds it ironic that Neviah is still able to respond with determination, despite tears rolling down his cheeks.
"As if a traitor has the freedom of choice." The Sorcerer snickers, tapping the glow once more.
Neviah huffs defiantly, placing his free hand on his waist. "Which would you rather let live, though? A Rogue or a traitor? It's easy for me to run away, but..." His statement seemed to make Shizuru flinch. Still, Neviah continues, this time, smiling. "If word escape Wirgnej that you have let a traitor go..."
The Sorcerer's expression changes. "What are you trying to say?"
"Was it more shameful? CANDEMARO has yet to learn the truth of the vileness of Project Conde!" Neviah has little to no knowledge of what Project CONDE is about. He has only heard the Sorcerers announce it earlier, but the mention of it has visibly shaken the other Sorcerers. Interesting, Neviah thought to himself. "If you let him live, your underground persecution of Digma Rogues can still continue... but if a traitor like me... Oh, the word---"
"Shut up!" the Sorcerer interrupts harshly. Glancing to the Sorcerers, he swipes his arms in a signal for them to set down their Circles. Looking back at Neviah, he painfully replies: "What do you propose?"
"Let me heal him so he may go. Then you can have your way with me." The solidarity in his mind when he uttered those words seems so foreign to Neviah. What was he thinking? He was the one who has said that his prophecies were absolute. Besides, talking to fellow Usors... in any way he looks at his proposal, all of it is a mere, futile way of buying time. Sharing the name of the tribe, it is highly possible that these heathens are going to bite him in the back... so why bother?
Shizuru's concerned and confused stare at him seems to ask the same question as the Sorcerer gives a nod of approval to Neviah Kingsley. Approaching the Digma warily, Neviah kept his sobs from escaping his lips, instead, gazing at Shizuru with a sheepish smile as he crouches beside him to dissipate the Protection spell.
Shizuru, on the other hand, finds the farce quite convincing, but his knowledge of Usor betrayal and manipulation suggests that both of them will not be able to escape this situation alive. He had accepted the fact as Neviah casts his healing spell to him, but despite their impending doom, his thoughts knock heavily on his mind: How do these Usors recognize Pan's relics... and why are they so fixated in hunting down Rogues like him?
The glow of healing spell begins to fade and Shizuru gasps at its finality, glancing at Neviah who simply grins at him as he helps him sit up. Shizuru finds it annoying that Neviah is able to flash him the most endearing and peaceful expression, considering that the next few occurrences will not be the most pleasant.
The thundering laugh of the Sorcerer interrupts the moment and while the two were quickly reminded of their upcoming demise, they shoot glares at the Usor Sorcerers as they--not to Neviah and Shizuru's surprise--declare the unfulfillment of their end on the deal.
"Why should we let one live when we can end the both of you here?!" the large Sorcerer announces as the other Sorcerers begin chanting their spells. Glancing at Flaskalf on his heavily calloused hand, the Sorcerer mutters, "How prettier this relic will be if we return this to Pan smeared with the blood of its wielder."
Shizuru's jaw tightens. Neviah digs his fingers on the stone as the large Sorcerer swings the hilt towards Shizuru.
Frowning, the Digma is prepared to receive the attack head on. While he will be unable to be reunited with Pan, the idea of returning Flaskalf with his blood may not be a bad idea, too. He has accepted the initial futility of locating the Rogue in his desperation that time, but, despite fixing his ember eyes on Flaskalf's tip, the impact never came. Instead, Shizuru watches as a big ball of still, ebony darkness hit the large Sorcerer square in the face, propelling him to the wall. In one helpless shriek, Shizuru and Neviah turn to watch as the darkness consume the poor Sorcerer messily until only a pool of blood marks where he remains.
Staring at the gruesome scene was too much for Neviah to take. Much like his initial reaction to realizing the death of his fellow Sorcerer earlier in the day, he turns to his side and violently throws up amidst his hysterical sobbing. With the heat of battle behind them generating a tumultuous wave of noise, Shizuru's senses are bombarded to the point that he is unable to find the appropriate reaction to the sight in front of him. Flaskalf, the golden ornate hilt, sits beside where the large Sorcerer was consumed, surprisingly free from any stain of blood. His shaking eyes focus on it and as much as he mentally screams for his body to snatch it back, his body, equally trembling, finds it difficult to do so. The Digma is so focused on his predicament that he fails to immediately recognize the shadows of another Usor Sorcerer charging towards him and Neviah.
"Blades, Jyu! My blades!"
As if awakening him from a trance, Shizuru quickly snatches his knapsack and throws it past the attacking Sorcerer.
---
Mirano did not know how he had gotten to this situation and its development is certainly outside of his desires. In the return of his consciousness, he finds his limbs tightly bound by rope behind him and he was unable to speak due to a gag in his mouth. Nevertheless, the clear sense of his surroundings has given him the idea that it was nighttime, and the only sources of light in his location were from the strange glowing wooden pole across him. He has recalled seeing this strange green glow before his consciousness was terminated earlier and the thought of Neviah Kingsley awakened his senses. Is he safe?
A sharp sting ran across his forehead. The void within him was in a frenzy the moment he regained awareness of his surroundings: a wooden pole with the same green glow, hooded figures, an incoherent, unified mumbling that was interrupted by a few sounds of what seemed to be a scuffle... What is happening?! The disappearance of the bountiful glow has piqued Mirano's attention and as he stretched his senses across the Darkness, he found Shizuru sprawled on the ground, beaten by the other Usors. Should he reveal himself now? But he's tied up... what good will it be to do so?!
In his thinking, the void in his mind sputtered and violently flickered, making him groan. At the same time, Neviah appeared, making Mirano gasp. He is relieved to see him safe, but why are they here? No time to muddle over it, as Neviah, in his attempt to protect Shizuru, was basically cornered by the Usor Sorcerers. Mirano's desire to step in now fueled his mind and he wiggled his limbs in an attempt to at least loosen the ropes. When Mirano was able to move his hand, he gasped in realization that his blades are not in his belt. Gritting his teeth, he attempted to manifest the placid darkness in his palms, but his wrists are still tightly bound. His desperation must have made him move erratically as Shizuru is about to get hit by the Sorcerers. He has to hurry! He had sensed it... the consequent desire of the large Sorcerer to harm both of his cherished companions. Groaning as he forced himself on a quick jump, Mirano twisted his tied up body as he filled his right palm with the largest ball of darkness he can muster, and rode the momentum of his turn, releasing the attack straight to the Sorcerer. Thanks to the force of his attack, the ropes binding his wrists break as it comes into contact with the darkness, and Mirano is able to shake the remaining ones away as he falls down on the ground.
As the shrill cry of the large Sorcerer dissipated to the evening air, those present to witness his fate, Mirano included, were too perplexed to speak. Mirano had only used this ability once and it was directed to a weapon. He had not realized the extent of this power until the remaining Sorcerers began releasing their spells towards him. Did that attack... kill him?
Desperate not to bring the same fate to his enemies, Mirano dodges the next attacks from the other Sorcerers, riding the remaining Darkness to swiftly evade it, but the Sorcerers' attacks only conjure more light sources from their glowing gemstones and Circles, intensifying Mirano's annoyance as it affects his speed. Hoping to fight them off but unwilling to conjure another ball of darkness, Mirano screams towards Shizuru, asking for his blades. Despite his voice clawing out of his throat, his yells seem not to reach Shizuru and as the Sorcerers' attacks begins to close in to him, Mirano begrudgingly releases a couple more balls of Darkness to the Sorcerers, obliterating almost half of the remaining ones and littering the courtyard with more spots of blood. At the last minute of fighting the Usor Sorcerers, Mirano fails to sense that one of the Sorcerers had gotten too close to Shizuru and Neviah. Running towards their direction, Mirano yells at the top of his lungs,
"Blades, Jyu! My blades!"
In the split second they are able to see each other, Mirano is able to catch his Shizuru's knapsack, which the Digma had thrown past the Usor Sorcerer's shoulder. In one swift motion, Mirano digs in the bag and takes one of his blades out, the subsequent action leaving him with a few cuts. His bloodshot eyes now focus on the Sorcerer who initially jumped to Shizuru and Neviah, defeat and terror filled his expression as Mirano lunges on him, driving him to the ground near where the large Sorcerer has met his fate, and pinning his robe with his blade.
Immensely shaking and crying, the Usor begs for his life as Mirano stoops panting over him. There was no sign of contempt in Mirano's eyes, for he is aware that the other Usors has met a more terrible fate. Mirano looks over his shoulder, viewing the slaughter he had left amidst the faint orange glow behind the guild's walls. Even without the light, everything was clear to Mirano, as his affinity with the country's Darkness has gifted him with clear senses even during the nighttime. Biting his lower lip, Mirano wishes that he lacked this ability, for the scene he had witnessed was too vile for him. He soon catches Neviah's muffled sobs and Mirano is reminded of his companions. As the Usor continues to whimper under him, Mirano stands up, retrieving Flaskalf from the ground and walking towards Shizuru and Neviah.
"Are you alright, Jyu?" Mirano asks as he crouches beside the Digma, offering the weapon.
Shizuru simply nods, taking Flaskalf with his free hand.
"Can you stand?" Mirano asks once more, his attention is towards Neviah.
Shizuru nods once more, and he offers one of Neviah's limp arms for Mirano so they can carry him. Upon trying to stand, however, it is evident in his shaking knees that the sight and smell of death around them is too much to handle. The Digma falls back to the ground, visibly shaken.
The sight of the Digma trembling and curling to a small ball continues to bother Mirano as he tries to carry the unconscious Neviah on his back. Looking around the place, the guilt of greatly harming these individuals catches up with Mirano, and he finds his eyes watering. He has no particular knowledge that the powers of the Darkness can cause this much damage.
"Jyu, I..."
Mirano was unable to finish his sentence because Shizuru had picked himself up from the ground and looked at the mess in the area.
"They were going to harm you." Shizuru begins, his face tensing up in an attempt to look tough. "It's going to be them or us..."
Mirano looks at the Digma with a frown, worried that he might have earned his ire for the horrible act, despite the statement. Clenching his jaw, Mirano reconsiders the sentiment as he walks to the exit, Shizuru following just close behind.
As they near the exit, it has been evident that the growing heat is unnatural. Squinting to the night sky, Shizuru finally notices the unnatural orange glow painting the heavens. Tuning in to his surroundings, he is able to recognize the crackling of wood. Just as he wishes to break the news to Mirano, a strange chime sounded thrice. They look around in confusion, searching for the chime's origins.
Thinking it's coming from outside of the guild, Shizuru wields Flaskalf in his hand and slices the metal gate in half; the large flames of the great fire consuming the rest of Wirgnej greets their eyes. Shizuru was equally perplexed at the situation, recalling his short moments in the Inn and its employees. For a while, he thought about their safety, but the faint images of corpses hanging out of the doorways and windows of the nearby establishments had extinguished any of the Digma's remaining hope.
In the cracking of the burning wood, someone seems to exit from the wild flames. Mirano is unable to accurately sense them, but the void in his mind has grown even more erratic at the recognition of the stranger. Shizuru gasps at their emergence from the fire as they lack any signs of scalds or burns, and their soft, almost nonchalant gestures, seems to suggest that they are not so innocent.
The stranger is approaching their direction, and it was only after a while that they showed any sign of reaction, as if they had taken a while to recognize Shizuru and Mirano. In the flames of the fire behind them, the stranger's appearance becomes as clear as day to both Mirano and Shizuru: a lanky posture highlighted by a loose, flowing white robe, long silvery hair that glistens in the light of the fire, with long fringes that hover across thick heavy-rimmed glasses. One can mistake them for an angel.
"Oh? Someone is still alive? What a pain..." the stranger remarks in an amused tone.
Gritting his teeth, Shizuru wields Flaskalf. "What did you do to the residents of Wirgnej?!"
His hard pronunciation of the Usor town's name has amused the stranger even more, and they chuckle. "Weapon down, Digma." they begin to walk towards the two. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to know."
Mirano tightly tugs on the hem of Shizuru's shirt, shaking his head to him.
But Shizuru is determined to land a blow on the stranger. It is evident by now that he is the one responsible for this tragedy. He defiantly charges towards the stranger and the void in Mirano's head goes berserk, causing Mirano a severe headache. With a powerful groan, Mirano reaches for Shizuru, grabbing him by his right arm, and pulling him backwards. As he does, he offers his right palm towards the stranger, which he has filled with a ball of darkness. His attack has caused Mirano to drop Neviah on the ground, next to Shizuru, who has also tumbled down by the momentum.
It was a relief for Mirano to have taken the attack, for he has witnessed the stranger to mimic his movements and release a similar ball of Darkness on his hand, one that they released the exact same moment as Mirano did. The energy of both attacks collide violently, then cancel out each other in a large explosion, causing Mirano and the stranger to fly away. As Mirano clamors to stand up, the shock in his face mirrors that of the stranger at the recognition of another individual capable of replicating their own attack.
"Mirano! Now's the chance!" Shizuru's yell rings in Mirano's ears and he immediately turns around to find the Digma carrying the mildly conscious Neviah on his back.
Fueled by shock and adrenaline, Mirano swipes Shizuru's knapsack from the ground and the two dashes back in the shadows of the woods and disappear into the night.
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To Be Continued...