“The Civilization Stone is the mark of civility, a return to normalcy, yet that depends on the grace of its ruler. A Tyrant could easily make your life a living hell.”

~Scholar Jun

No one moved, no one talked, few even dared to breathe.

The horde of beasts had been broken and defeated. No more spawned from the dark shadows surrounding Bainbridge, and the lingering mutated fauna were put down.

Yet no one moved a muscle.

A squirming sea of screaming souls hung over their heads like the bloody sword of Damocles, foreshadowing their fates. All of which rested upon the shoulders of one person.

8 of the strongest arcanists in the town set a perimeter around a typhoon of black wind that held the sea of death aloft in the air, surrounding it and the person at the center of it. They were all powerful in their own right, but even they balked at the thought of penetrating those gales of death, or confronting the massive cloud of dead, screaming monsters.

Sergeant Major Jebediah Francis stood closest to the raging storm, ready to sacrifice his life to stop the disaster from sweeping over the town. Private First Class Gatewood was right beside as the second strongest arcanist and only challenger within their battalion, holding his greatsword at the ready.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, soldier?!” Mayor John yelled from a safe distance afar.

Jebediah didn’t even dignify the little man with a response. He activated both of his magic circles, the loamy brown rings that were bestowed upon him since the world went to hell.

Several figures flashed in front of him, preventing Jebediah from plunging into the storm. A woman in pristine white robes trailed by two followers that concealed their faces in their hoods blocked his way. “The Mayor is right, Sergeant Major. Losing you would be a pointless sacrifice.”

Jebediah scoffed, glancing at the small man hiding behind his elites, who looked embarrassed to be even a part of such a faction. “So now what? You’re taking orders from him now too?”

She shook her head. “I only serve the will of the Lord. This is just simple mathematics; what would happen to your people if you go in there just to die?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Jebediah gritted his teeth. “So, what do you suggest we do?”

“Wait.” She turned to face the potential disaster right along with Jebediah; her retinue close on her heels. “My god tells me this will all be over soon.”

Jebediah sighed at the cryptic message, but he complied, ordering his soldiers to hang back, but stay on high alert. Just in case.

Although they didn’t have to wait more than five minutes to see a change in the shadow storm, the time spent was incredibly nerve-wracking and stifling. The town had no choice, but to stewardly watch the hurricane of death writhe in ever-present suffering.

That was until a beam of crimson light similar to the divine avatar that descended earlier shot from the eye of the storm, cutting the phenomenon in half before it was harmlessly dispersed into a shower of multi-colored shards that rained over the town. The scene was reminiscent of that first day—when shards fell from the sky like snow.

Jebediah’s eyes widened once he recognized the person who was at the center of this near disaster.

Devin was in the center of that beam of light, held aloft in the air several feet in the air. The power was so immense and destructive that the very atmosphere crackled with energy when it came in contact with the crimson beam, yet the boy almost looked comfortable in the stream of red energy.

As abruptly as it came, the crimson beam of light disappeared, dropping the boy in the dirt.

“Alright. get him, boys!” The mayor’s voice resounded from behind Jebediah’s back, and before he noticed, the three arcanists on the mayor’s side zipped past him and seized the unconscious boy on the ground.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Jebediah yelled, resummoning his magic circles around his fist.

They paused under his fiery glare. ‘We’re just following orders. Big man says we got to take him in for questioning.”

A flick of his wrist sent his magic circle towards the civilian arcanists, encompassing all three of them before he activated Gravitas. A surge of enhanced gravity pressed them into the bloody dirt. “This is. Martial. Law. Y’all don’t have the power to make decisions. You do what we allow you!” Jebediah growled, overcome with anger.

“Is this really what you want to do, Sergeant Major?” The mayor’s annoying voice daringly rang out once more. “Martial law is for those with the power to keep that authority, and I think you’re running a little low on numbers.”

Jebediah seethed, but still took a look around. The civilian supers outnumbered his super soldiers by a good factor. Even if Jebediah gave most of the crowd the benefit of the doubt, it was too hard to differentiate between the loyalties of the civilians. Marta was even sorrowfully shaking her head, indicating she wouldn’t help in this situation.

His brown rings around the four arcanists disappeared. The old man exhaled forcefully, pushing the air through the gaps of his gritting teeth. “Fine, take him. But there will be a fair hearing.”

Jebediah watched them take Devin away, cursing at his powerlessness. “Gatewood, I need you to see where they are taking him.”

“On it, Sergeant Major.”

World Announcement!

Congrats! You have successfully defended your town, now reap the benefits!

—Regional Leaderboard unlocked

—Region given access to civilization subsystems

—Bonuses given for contributions

—Civilization Stone materialization (335:45:12)

If I can’t fight an all-out war, then it's time to start fighting in the dark. Jebediah thought as he watched the counter tick down by the second.