Fiona's eyes turned misty. Not because she was about to die in nature's cauldron or was experiencing some undesirable pain. Or even because she felt guilty about leaving her friends behind and ran the fastest she ever had in her life. No–the cause of her distress was the beating of wings that rivaled even thunder; a noise that had her bones rattling like a spasming skeleton.
"Well, that didn't take long for your fear of bugs to resurface," quipped Reo as he caught up.
Grant joined the two with a nonchalant face. "Reo, I believe now isn't the time to bring up her… dishonesty."
A legion of dragonflies was chasing Blue Dawn from the rear. Their bulbous eyes were red with anger as they rubbed their scythe-like appendages. The color drained from her face as the monstrous creatures quickened their pace.
Currently, they were traversing a path bordered by expansive ponds. Up ahead lay a short bridge that led to another section of Toad Hollow, and directly below it flowed a channel that interconnected the two ponds. A lot of the land had scattered puddles of water and overgrown foliage that needed trimming. Additionally, there were a handful of run-down shacks and residences that remained unfinished. They were now mostly homes to the beasts that claimed Toad Hollow.
When Fiona approached the bridge, kicking up wet dirt and water, she stopped in front of the construct and turned. "I can't do this anymore! Screw saving up mana for later: Inferno Wave!"
More fiery flames spewed forth from the sorcerer, rapidly approaching the bug army. Nonetheless, instead of engulfing a substantial quantity as it did before, the attack struck only a few. Most of the beasts swerved away just in time. A few charred husks plopped onto the ground, twitching as the wave of dragonflies flew forward with renewed rage.
Reo snickered. "Got any more glorious plans up your sleeve?"
Undeterred by his patronizing tone, she cast his words aside like leaves in the wind and charged across the bridge with determined strides. The aged wooden boards beneath their feet creaked and groaned, hinting at the strain of bearing the weight of three individuals, yet they held steadfast. Once safely across, they continued their frenzied run, the urgency pressing upon them.
Fatigue was closing in on her with every passing moment. Her breaths grew louder, each inhalation a desperate gasp for oxygen. Fiona drew in more air than usual, her body protesting as it gradually slowed. Desperation etched across her features, she cast anxious glances about, fervently searching for a glimmer of hope that they might emerge from this ordeal unscathed.
Alas, there was only a lot of water, abandoned structures, and more beasts that were thankfully preoccupied with their own things.
We can't keep running forever! Think Fiona, think! How can we escape this situation? Grant and Reo can't do much against airborne enemies because of their flight and speed. Sure, they're augmentation sorcerers and can take a beating, but I'd rather every member sustain little to no injuries. A dragonfly 'scythes' is nothing to laugh at, and there are a lot of them, to boot.
In the midst of her contemplations, they traversed through a narrow passage flanked by twin cliffs with a massive stone serving as a natural arch. Her surroundings darkened while they were underneath, and before long, sunshine returned. When she looked back at the airborne beasts, she noticed that a lot of them were still following in their footsteps. The others decided to reach them from above by flying past the boulder. An idea came to mind when she glanced at the ones below.
"Grant, Reo, deal with the dragonflies above the archway and protect me in the process! An idea just popped into my head!"
Without a word, they both nodded in unison and faced the oncoming creatures. The ones that split were lesser in quantity, maybe around fourteen. Since they opted for the longer route, they were slacking in distance compared to the other group. She had to work fast if the plan was going to work.
While Reo and Grant were a respectful distance away, holding their ground valiantly, Fiona pointed the tip of her staff right at the archway. Locking her gaze at the buzzing beasts, she shouted the words: "Flame Breath!"
A plethora of mana conjoined into one point, and a torrent of flames spilled forth from Fiona. The spell soared past Grant and Reo, heading for the narrow crevice between the two cliffs. The moment the rowdy dragonflies were within a foot of dispersing, the ruinous magic ravaged their formation.
A cacophony of enraged buzzing and crackling clashed in a chaotic crescendo as Fiona's formidable spell met its abrupt end. The aftermath hung heavy with the acrid scent of scorched earth, where black smoke and billowing steam mingled with the already humid atmosphere. Unfortunate blades of grass, caught in the spell's indiscriminate path, had been reduced to charred obsidian remnants, their verdant life extinguished in an instant.
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In the wake of her fiery assault, the ground was marred with the grim remnants of the dragonfly swarm, their jade-green forms now rendered unrecognizable. Fiona couldn't rest for a mere moment as the next wave of dragonflies attacked the group. The first few had their eyes set on Grant, who held his shield near neck level.
One dragonfly propelled itself forward and made a swift incision on the shield, resulting in a minor blemish. With the beast now in proximity, Grant wasted no time in attacking. He brought up his sword and sliced downward as swiftly as he could. Before the beast could fly away, he managed to cut off one of its wings. It wobbled in mid-air, unsure of how to proceed. Just as it was about to make a decision, the man swiftly cut upwards, effectively severing its body in two.
At that same moment, the remaining ones had already flanked him. Simultaneously, they darted forward and raised their scythes. Though he couldn't protect himself by using the shield, Grant merely scoffed at them. Only two were able to graze his armor while the final attacker aimed for his neck, which he anticipated.
What should've been blood seeping from his neck or even a wound was a pale glow that disappeared when the beast retreated. In one fell swoop, Grant readjusted his grip and slashed in a wide arc, effectively severing the leftover enemies. They all plummeted to the ground, twitching until they were still.
As for Reo, the guy had already finished killing his own group. A display of severed appendages and other body parts littered the floor. Once he confirmed everything was dead, he nodded and sheathed his daggers.
"I… think that's all of them," Fiona said, inspecting the carnage. She shivered as she stepped over the disgusting bugs. The next time she accepted a contract and there was a possibility of insects, she was rubbing Moonlit Oil all over her.
Regrettably, Fiona had to blabber on. Upon raising her head and glancing far to the right, she came to the tardy realization that their altercation had generated a substantial commotion. The crackling flames, shouting, and incessant buzzing, the nearby beasts were curious of the noise and had arrived to see what was going on.
Their interest transformed from restlessness to wrath upon the bloodshed. Poison-sac toads and the carnivorous plants all surged forward like a tidal wave. At that point, Fiona was ready to call it quits.
She rushed over to Grant and stored his shield in her ring. "Grant, do me a favor and carry me on your back. Your and Reo's augmentation should make it possible for you to outrun them, as they are slower than the dragonflies. After that, we'll take the path to the entrance of the Wasteful Wetland and investigate further. Getting there quickly is our top priority, and as Augmentation Sorcerers, that should be easy. If you want to disagree with my plan, then you're free to stay behind."
Grant just nodded and crouched down, allowing Fiona to climb on. With all the beasts he had slain, some blood splatter got on his armor. The sight of the blood splatter on his armor made her grimace, but she didn't let it bother her. She coiled her arms around his neck, letting her legs hang from his hips. Once she was positioned, Grant had already launched himself forward.
Her almond hair sprawled out all around her, sometimes peppering her face as the man increased his pace. The beasts that were following them were rapidly falling behind to the point where they were no longer seen.
Augmentation Sorcerers really are something else, she thought. It was a known fact that Augmentation Sorcerers were among the strongest in terms of physical strength and speed, and it was all thanks to their close connection with mana.
Using the energy allowed them to gain the strength to move boulders, run as fast as a horse, and have the stamina of a camel. Naturally, owing to their intimate connection with mana, they possessed capabilities beyond mere physical fortification.
Still, being an Elemental Sorcerer is way better than augmentation.
In no time at all, Blue Dawn had already lost their pursuers. Reo had advanced and was at the forefront, leading them toward the Wasteful Wetlands. Up ahead, the path led to an incline toward the rugged cliffs that dominated the place; at the end would be Hillbury, a hamlet of luscious farmland.
She could already see a tall structure that served as a landmark for the place, a windmill that was dormant at the moment. Also was another bridge–but way sturdier and longer than the previous ones–suspended over a river connected to a roaring waterfall.
To the right, however, was a clearing that the three took to reach their destination. Already, the landscape widened and transformed. The familiar visage of naked trees and scattered rocks and boulders greeted them with the addition of a stench of rotten eggs and mustiness. However, what was unfamiliar to her was an ominous energy lingering in the oppressive atmosphere. It was faint but still noticeable.
"Grant, Reo, do you feel that?" she asked as they slowed down. Leading up to the place was another rickety bridge, a common occurrence in these parts.
Reo looked around. "If I didn't know any better, I would think that I was getting annoyed by all the fighting and running, but it’s just needless anger. This energy I’m feeling… is it corruption?”
"Fiona, your sensitivity to mana is better than ours. What do you see?" Grant asked.
Following his words, Fiona squinted as far as she could within the Wasteful Wetlands. By honing her concentration on detecting mana, she observed a mesmerizing exhibition of white particles emanating from the zone. However, when she increased her focus, she quickly noticed a stream of black among the white. That stream was coming directly from the center of the Wasteful Wetlands.
"Corrupted mana," she announced.
Her friends' eyes twitched, following her line of sight. They too understood what that meant if corrupted mana was this potent enough to be felt on the outskirts. It would explain why the beasts nearby were going crazy and attacking the citizens. However, for the tainted mana to endure openly for such a prolonged period, can only imply one possibility.
"I think we've done enough investigating. We need to head back to the Explorer Guild and tell Selena of our findings immediately. I thought about heading to Hillbury and asking them questions, but that would waste time."
Grant frowned. “I share the same opinion as you. Assuming the situation to be as we believe, time is of the essence. Someone is deliberately discharging corrupted mana into the air, aiming to irritate the creatures.”
"We can talk more about it later along the way. Right now, we need to find a carriage and head to Valis. I'm afraid this is the work of an artifact."