The cart rolled past the gates. The guards gave sleepy salutes to Trenton as he rode on. The rescued kin followed behind him. The most wounded ones were in the cart wrapped in blankets. He tried to not jostle them but the road quality was poor. It was a hopeless endeavor. Yet, he tried mostly to take his mind off Asami. What were they going to do now? Soon Ulvandia would be found. He grimaced. That would cause one hell of a storm. The Azure Magebane could close mana pools… He shivered. The council and elves treated her like some type of exotic beast. They’ve been searching, but haven’t commit a lot of resources to it. That might change. She attacked an elf ambassador crippling her magic. That led to his own situation. Would they find out that he abandoned her? That didn’t even include he now was assisting the Magebane. He couldn’t go back. What should he do now?
Five hours passed and he still had no answer as the mana forest came into sight. On a hill nearby he saw two cloaked figures. As soon as the wagon stopped Asami lowered her cloak. She charged him as he dismounted. She leaped, throwing herself into his arms. He held her tight as the Magebane stepped close as the kin gathered. His worries over the future disappeared. Asami was alright. That's what was important. He held her tight.
“I give this speech every time I rescue kin and I will give it now. You are free. Free to go your own way. If you do you will receive all the help we can give. Or…” The Magebane paused looking at each of them including him. “You can join me. I can’t promise you safety, but I can promise you power. Enough power to defend yourselves from any that would seek to enslave you. You don’t have to fight. You can support our new village. There are plenty of jobs to be had. I’m sorry to force this, but you all must decide now. Who wishes to leave?”
Trenton looked at Asami who clutched at him imploringly.
“Trenton right?” The Magebane said coming closer. Her sight lingered on his missing hand.
“I heard that this elf volunteered himself to protect Asami! Can any of you attest to that?”
“I can!” Came a shout from one the kin.
“We spent hours together with that sick bitch!” Another call came.
More shouts came of support for him. Trenton looked back at the kin. He did what he could for them. He didn’t really think they’d noticed.
“Very well,” the Magebane said. “Trenton the offer extends to you as well but I will need information you have in exchange along with a mana oath. When we get to Azure’s Rest the council there will decide on the details of your oath. Is that acceptable?”
“It is,” Trenton said.
“Very well. Let’s begin. Asami come here. This won’t hurt.”
Trenton let Asami go who strode confidently over to the Azure Magebane. He couldn’t help feeling nervous. That tripled in effect when a crimson light appeared on the tip of the Magebane’s finger. Less than a minute later his nervousness was instantly forgotten. He could feel it, mana. Asami’s mana. Her pool had awaken! How was this possible? Asami stumbled back to him in a daze as the next kin came forth.
“That was… amazing,” Asami said as she collapsed into his arms. Trenton didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. What just happened was supposed to be impossible. Another surge of mana made Trenton looked up as another kin stumbled away with an awaken pool. The conclusion was obvious. The Azure Magebane could awaken mana pools.
Trenton laughed. He laughed long and hard as the kin gave him funny looks. The council, no all of them back in Deepmere, had no fucking clue what they were up against.
Lord Tarwin had no fucking clue what this emergency meeting was about. Perhaps the mist was spreading faster than anticipated. As the other members gathered he noted that Ulvandia’s seat was absent, again. The elf was probably in the middle of something he rather have no knowledge of.
“Members of the council I’m afraid there was an incident last night. The Azura Magebane struck inside Deepmere,” Kelfina said once they all sat.
Lord Tarwin suppressed the headache that happened whenever that bitch was mentioned. Over the last year she had been a constant thorn in Deepmere’s side. An attack inside Deepmere itself was more worrisome. That was unusual for the Magebane. Her targets were usually any mages with kin slaves traveling the roads. She would take the kin and what she’d been calling ‘tax’ but leave the mages alive. Unless they attacked, then the remains they found were telling enough to know whom was responsible.
“What did that kin do now?” Archmage Denayd said tiredly. Despite all their attempts, they had learned nothing about her this past year. Nor had they come even close to her capture.
“She broke into Ulvandia’s manse last night,” Kelfina said.
Well shit, Lord Tarwin thought.
“Ah,” Lord Arthos said. “I presume she took the kin and killed the elves?”
“Mostly,” Kelfina said. “She took all the kin. All the elves died, except Ulvandia.”
Tarwin turned toward the empty seat as did all the others reflexively.
“Is she being treated for her injuries?” Grand Magus Arwin asked. “I'd like to interview her on what happened.”
“I did so already,” Kelfina said. “It was… difficult to get anything coherent out of her. What’s clear is that she has suffered from a mental breakdown.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Tarwin rose one eyebrow. That was surprising considering the woman’s tastes.
“The breakdown was the result of her mana pool being forcible closed by the Magebane,” Kelfina said darkly.
Lord Tarwin sat back, shocked at the declaration. How could that be? Mana pools didn’t just close. They just didn't. It was ridiculous. If such a thing was possible…
“HOW!?” Shouted Grand Magus Arwin standing up.
“I don’t know,” Kelfina said. “But I need something to tell Lord Mistveil and the council of elders. This will upset them greatly. I need answers or better yet, the Magebane’s head.”
“I swear on my mana pool,” Trenton said as he finished repeating the oath the kin recited to him. He was in the underground home of Azure’s Rest. No wonder the mages couldn’t find where the kin were hiding. It was insane. They were in the one place they shouldn’t be able to go.
“I think that covers it,” A female rat-kin named Fatania said.
“Thank you for accepting me,” Trenton said with a bow. “I do have some news for you. Although I’m unsure if it'll do anything besides be a burden.”
“We have enough of those,” A white cat-kin said poking her daughter.
“Mom!” Azura said. Trenton shook his head. To think the fearsome Azure Magebane was picked on by her mother was just surreal.
“Well two days ago the council planned to send 2000 kin to Fortunia to fight the mists. It seemed to me they expected no survivors.”
“What!?” Azura shouted.
“When?” Fatania asked with a grimace.
“Two weeks,” Trenton replied.
“We have to stop them!” Azura shouted.
“Calm down,” Coralline said place a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go start training the new group? We'll gather everyone for a meeting in a few hours and try to come up with some ideas. This is an army Azura. Not some band of merchants. We need a plan.”
“Fine,” Azura said with a huff. “Come on newbie.” She gestured toward him.
Him, a newbie? He’d been alive for nearly a hundred years. His knowledge of magic was grand even among the elves. What could this child teach him?
“Do it again,” Azura told him. Trenton snarled as he gasped for air. Kin were sitting around the sparring ring they were on. Azura told him she wanted a practical demonstration of the difference between a cultivator and a mage for the trainees. He wasn’t sure what a cultivator was but he suspected she was using him to blow off steam.
“GREATER FORCEBOLT!” He unleashed the spell at Azura. Normally he’d never do such a spell to a sparring partner if they didn’t have a strong barrier up. Normal was anything but what he experienced here. The Magebane slapped the spell away into the forest where it blew apart a distant tree.
“Mages have range but once you reach liquid ki stage you can deflect their magic by strengthening the ki in your limbs,” Azura said lecturing as he collapsed, his mana exhausted. He couldn’t even recover as Azura was passively consuming all the mana in the area.
“Some of you could fight a weak mage and win. For now it’s best to avoid that if at all possible. Wait until you reach the liquid stage. The difference in power is astounding. Trenton why don’t you take a walk to recover your mana. When you’re recovered you’ll begin training with the rest.”
Trenton could only nod as Asami rushed up to him. She grabbed his arm escorting him away as the Azure Magebane lectured on.
“You were amazing,” Asami said.
“Ha! I was a bug,” Trenton said. “All my most powerful spells couldn’t even make her take a step back.”
“Well she’s the Azure Magebane,” Asami said with a shrug. “What did you expect?”
Trenton look down at his missing hand. What had he expected?
“I don’t know. I thought it would be some long lost magical technique. From what she was saying it’s just another way to use mana. I don’t understand this ki is either. I’ve been using mana for my entire life. To find out there is something more is… frustrating.”
“Don’t worry,” Asami said pressing her lips to his. His worries fell away as their tongues intertwined. She pulled away. “I’ll be right there learning with you.”
That did make him feel better. The mana pouring into him now also helped to alleviate his headache. They did a short course around the village before returning.
“All set?” Azura asked.
“Yup!” Asami said cheerfully.
“Great! Time to fold laundry!”
“Huh?” Trenton asked.
“This is quite hard,” Asami said as she sat next to Trenton. The elf couldn’t agree more. Hard was putting it gently. It was damn near impossible. He’d never directly tried to control mana before. That’s what spells were for. Now to be told he couldn’t cast spells every again… He spent decades building up his spell repository. Suddenly he felt Asami shift next to him.
“I did it!” Asami cheered.
“Great job,” Azura said walking by. “Keep doing that over and over. That is the basics of cultivation.”
“Is this really helpful?” Trenton asked. “Spells are easier and can do so much more.”
“Your spells didn’t do a lot against me,” Azura countered.
“Well… You have some strange power. I don’t see how this helps.”
Azura sighed and gave him a look. She held up a finger a crimson glow at the tip.
“Open your mouth,” Azura said.
Trenton hesitated. “Why?”
“Just do it.”
Slowly Trenton opened his mouth. He nearly pulled back as her finger neared. She gently touched his tongue. His world exploded. Power! Unbelievable power sunk into him. And for the first time, he could truly see. The oceans of power coming from the Azure Magebane both left him in utter awe and hopelessness. How could such an overwhelming power exist and no one be aware of it? Gently that power took control of his mana. Instinctively he began fighting off the force with no effect.
“Don’t fight,” Azura said. “Follow what I do.”
Trenton pulled back his instincts. It was hard. It was like someone touching your eye and you had to keep your lids from closing. It was unnatural. Still he complied following along as his mana was folded. She led him through the process several times. Once he got the hang of it the solid ki, as Azura called it, began retreating. The sun had come down for a visit now he only had embers left to work with. She smiled at him.
“One day that can be yours too,” Azura said as she went to help another as Trenton began to fold.
The council of Azure’s Rest went over plan after plan. The ridiculous was speculated as was the mundane. They got nowhere. No matter how they tried no one could come up with a workable strategy to take the kin to safety. They couldn’t house them here. There wasn’t enough space or resources for them all.
“What if we don’t rescue them?” Azura asked.
“I thought you of all people would insist on helping them,” Fatania said surprised.
“The idiotic mages need them to fight. What if I fought instead?” Azura asked.
“What!” Coralline shouted in alarm.
“Well I’ve been wondering what all the bother is with this mist anyways. From what we’re told the kin go in and never come out. I’m curious,” Azura said with a shrug.
“The mist could be at our tunnel one day as well,” Alenina said. “One should knows the tricks of the wolf before its at your den.”
Fatania leaned forward. “So you’re suggesting that you take the place of the kin army?”
“Yes. On the condition that the kin in the army are freed,” Azura clarified.
“Do you really trust the mages to keep their word?” Coralline asked.
“Gods below no!” Azura said. “I fully expect the fuckers to betray me. But I figured if we know that, we could do the same to them.”
Fatania drummed her fingers on the round table. She looked up to the earthen ceiling above as she thought. “This could work…”