Chapter 21: Border ii

The first spell was rather basic, descriptive at best since there was no special formula or inscription common with other spells. It was the [Light] spell that Cerise struggled with. Every time she gathered her Mana and released it, nothing more than a wisp of red Mana emerged from her fingertip rather than the ball of light it was supposed to be.

“Still can’t do it? The Mana techniques in that book should work.”

Isbeth turned the pages back to one of the earlier pages, filled with the various methods to increase one’s control over their mana.

“Try working on your foundations for now, I gave up on it since I’m an Alchemist but you should be able to learn magic considering that you’re a Hal…”

Isbeth stopped for a moment after she realized she didn’t really know Cerise’s race. The claws Cerise had were unusual, not impossible for a Half-Elf to have since they receive a Mark of the Wyld at birth, but the lack of fur or scales on her hands says otherwise about it.

She could be a variant but that isn’t likely either. What other races have claws? Demons are out of the question as their bodies don’t possess blood. She could be a Beastkin but in that case she wouldn’t lack all the other traits. She could belong to an obscure race that Isbeth didn’t know about and that was likely the case. The bigger issue here is that the Mana techniques designed for the nine common races aren’t compatible with Cerise.

She would still be able to use spells if she tried hard enough but she’d have to perfectly control her Mana to perform them in the first place, and that’s not even accounting for her elemental affinity. Isbeth kept contemplating ways for Cerise to use magic, but her thoughts were interrupted by the very girl in front of her.

A flame appeared above her finger, not the usual orange or yellow flames but a cherry red one. The flame simply floated, the unearthly glow and cold it radiated was unlike any other flame magical or not. As the flame was held above her finger, she felt her hand become numb. It was small at first but kept growing as her numbness spread. Her blood went cold for a moment, her pulse stopping. Her heart had become still after the numbness reached it. The dim blood red orb in her chest began pulsing in the heart’s place. Restarting her pulse and allowing her to come back from the brink of death once more.

Innate Skill [Blood Flame] has been obtained

1/3 Requirements have been met for Advancement

Skill [Blood Bound] has increased in level (1)

‘Never use that flame again. More importantly, flee. They have locked onto your location as they have mine. I will not let my precious weapon die without accomplishing anything.’

The numbness faded after the voices spoke in her head. She felt something was wrong. The voice which was once harsh towards her warned her to run. The urgency apparent by the foreboding she felt. She glanced up. There was no rock or giant meteor there, but black clouds had gathered from the west. The thunderheads rumbling from high above.

“Roy! Look at this!”

Isbeth had spotted the clouds just after Cerise looked up. She called over Roy who was currently cleaning up Balgruth’s. The three Blacksmiths left the cover of the smithy and witnessed the sight above, Balgruth being the first to speak.

“That’s a bad omen if I ever seen one. You youngins better start moving, bring Turnel with you.”

“But father!”

“Hush child. I swore I will be by your mother’s grave. If I die then so be it. Now go. I fear the worst has yet to pass.”

Turnel stood on the fine line between staying with his father or following his wishes. Roy had already begun running, carrying Isbeth and Cerise in his arms, the steel ingots left behind stacked in the smithy. It was then that Turnel made his decision.

“Let us forge till the very end.”

“You finally sound like a true Blacksmith my boy.”

The father and son began working. Their hands firm and hearts calm. They worked on creating a masterpiece together which would become famous across the world, but that story would be for another time as the thunder and lightning fell around the border village.

A man of lightning emerged from a lightning bolt that landed in the center of the village. His black eyes swerved around analyzing the faces of the many Humans and occasional Halflings in the crowd. They began running for their lives, fleeing in all directions. A few armed men had approached, surrounding the lightning man with metal weapons and armor.

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“Foolish…”

Ishvalt’s orders prevented himself from harming those uninvolved. A light spark passed through the men as they fell over, their bodies unable to move. Ishvalt continued eastward towards where the mountains lay but before it made it far, a rumbling from below interrupted the elemental.

The earth cracked and splintered, a woman made of compressed soil and stone emerged from those cracks.

“Leave Lightning Elemental. The Earth King does not welcome the likes of you.”

“I… Am… Here… Under… The… Lightning… King’s… Command…”

“Lightning King or not, you cannot invade other King’s territories. Leave else we will make you.”

More earthen women appeared from the ground, their formation surrounding the Lightning Elemental. Ishvalt was a high Elemental but his power was diminished due to the lack of Lightning and use of a Vessel. In its true form, Ishvalt had the ability to contend with the most powerful Elementals but in the Physical Realm, it was only as powerful as one of these middle Elementals.

“The… Lightning… King… And… The… Fire… King… Will… Not… Forget… This…”

Ishvalt left as quickly as it had arrived. The blur of lightning ascended to the skies and left, leaving only the clouds left. The Earth Elementals fell back into the ground and left, their protection didn’t extend to saving the lives of the mortals that lived on their territory. Lightning struck, fires and smoke formed. Lives were lost and chaos ensued.

Ina ordered for a quick evacuation, saving those she could while watching the village she grew up in burn. She saw the Hero from earlier slipping through in a cloak but she didn’t care. She’d be foolish to let hundreds die just to get back at him.

“Quickly now! Call over anyone that knows Water magic! Guards! Find anyone trapped behind the flames and bring them out!”

Ina spotted the tall man carrying the Halfling and girl.

“You three, could you help us? We need all the help we can get.”

Roy ran past, his words were rude but reasonable to Ina.

“Can’t, bye!”

By coincidence or not, black lightning surged towards where Roy was but bounced off of an invisible screen. The walls were warded against any projectile attacks but as with all wards, there was a breaking point.

The black lightning returned again stronger and struck at the screen, shattering the ward and flying towards Roy only to be stopped by a wall made of earth. The two forces competed and the defenders won through the elemental advantage they hold. Ishvalt brimmed with fury at their interference but couldn’t do anything but stay in the clouds.

Roy ran far beyond Ishvalt’s range amongst the swarms of people unaware of what just happened and in his place stood a high Earth Elemental. Her gaze affixed on the clouds, or rather, on Ishvalt.

“Imprudent Elemental, directing your own lightning towards the sacred grounds of our King. Let it be known that you broke the primordial oath between the Kings. Sisters, behold to the day that marks the beginning of the Fall of Lightning.”

Ina and several other guards had watched this scene. The legendary elementals of the Balros Mountain had protected that man? Who was he? The elementals spoke but she couldn’t understand them, but there was one thing she knew, their words weren’t good.

The Elementals dispersed, the dirt and soil which made up their bodies falling into mounds on the ground. She could feel the rumbling deep within her bones as an entire mountain started changing in front of her eyes. The greatest mountain of Balros, whose height even doubled that of the more western Mount Phal stood on feet. Feet!

The mountain had become a golem somehow. Its hand moved to swat away at the clouds, even flattening the ground below due to the sheer pressure and colossal force. The following tidal wave of dirt completely extinguished all fires in the village, settling down only when reaching the warded wall that forms the checkpoint.

The mountain chased after the fleeing storm westward, leaving expressions of bewilderment on the faces of Ina and the rest of those fortunate enough to not die.

Ina fell to her knees, her tough exterior broken by her tears. The majority of the village had been burned and mostly submerged, but it could be rebuilt. The southern area was mostly undamaged but the northern end was flattened entirely. The once infertile land was now filled with rich dirt. Maybe it was a blessing or maybe it was a coincidence but she had gained a new skill in the following aftermath.

Maybe she could rebuild anew. She could hear the voices of the earth speaking to her, granting her mental strength and hope. The once sleeping Elementals emerged and offered her guidance.

The Maiden of Earth had been selected for this era, and will remain active until the greater stages of the Balros War. Stories would be told of Ina’s actions but that wouldn’t be mentioned until a far distant time in the future.

The Earth Elementals, and slowly afterwards, other Elementals appeared to the masses. They mainly formed contracts with the pure causing a rise in Elementalists across the world, and for those that are wicked of heart, they would end up becoming a vessel to be used. The Tower had a mess to take care of as these Elementalists grew in power, eventually branching off into another group, the Order of Elementals.

For the time being, a certain man was heavily panting a hundred leagues away. Roy had reached his limit for the day. His body ached from the excessive exertion caused from smithing and running in a single hour.

They were currently in a large plain which separated the Balros Mountain from the Helios Kingdom. Technically they were in the Helios Kingdom but only on the furthest outreaches of it. Roy leaned against a tree, winded and spent. Isbeth and Cerise were set down prior and were currently assessing the situation. They had left most of their bags behind in the border village, only having their clothes and whatever they personally held for the time being. The ingots which they had Roy painstakingly smelt were left behind as well alongside the other spoils they had acquired. Isbeth let out a long groan at the loss of their valuables before cheering herself up with other facts.

“We made it through the border easily I guess. Let’s rest a bit before moving on.”

Roy was still winded but had recovered enough breath to speak a few words.

“You mean I rest while you play with Cerise?”

“Exactly.”