The early morning light filtered through the dense canopy, casting long shadows on the ground as Rifi, Kaelin, and their teams split up and began their missions.

Tessa and Bren:

Tessa and Bren were seasoned Legionaries, who already worked together on many missions. Both showed great promise and were very well regarded by the City Lord.

Tessa was what could be called as an 'irregular' mage, wielding the shadow element. Bren was much more normal in that regard but still exceptional since he was one of the rare mages wielding two elements, earth and water.

When combining their powers together it was almost impossible to find them. With earth and water mana coating them, Bren made their mana signatures almost undistingushable from the nature around them. Complimented by the shadow mana from Tessa, as long as there were nearby things casting shadows they were almost impossible to spot.

They needed to take breaks from time to time, as to not drain too much mana, but this didnt impeed them too much. They still succesfully reached the clan Nithra that was granted the control of the mana vein, in just 3 hours.

The signs of battle were obvious: charred trees, scorched earth, and the faint smell of blood still lingered in the air. The clan’s fortifications bore the scars of a recent skirmish.

But the situation looked good, they didnt sense any enemies nearby, and the fortifications of clan Nithra looked strong albeit the damage that could be seen, no doubt from recent attacks.

"There was a battle here recently," Tessa said and pointed at the Legionaries patroling the fortifications " Nithra clan sigils on them, they must have held their ground."

Bren just nodded.

The two stealth mages moved closer, edging along the perimeter until they found a vantage point where they could listen in on the conversation. The leader of the Clan, a middle-aged woman with sharp features and silver streaks in her dark hair, was speaking to her officers.

“We need more information,” she said, her voice stern but controlled. “We’ve heard nothing from the western encampment for days, and we can’t sit here waiting in the dark of what is happening.”

One of her officers nodded. “We’ll send a team to the western front, see if we can establish contact. The Legion must know more.”

Tessa exchanged a look with Bren, and without a word, they slipped out of the shadows and into view. The Clan's guards immediately drew their weapons, but Tessa raised a hand in a calming gesture.

“We’re Legionaries from the western encampment,” she said, her voice steady. “We’ve been sent to gather information on the status of your clan.”

The Clan leader, her eyes narrowing in suspicion, approached cautiously. "Legionaries sent from the western encampment?"

Tessa gave a curt nod. “The situation at the western encampment is dire. The enemy has broken through parts of the border and pinned our forces. Some clans to the south have already fallen.”

The leader’s face darkened with the weight of the news. “We’ve held off a few attacks ourselves, but we’re blind to the broader situation. We were preparing to send a team to get more information.”

Bren stepped forward, his voice steady. “Hold off on sending anyone. We’ll carry your report back. For now, you need to strengthen your defenses—your clan may be the next target.”

The leader’s sharp gaze softened, and she nodded. “Very well. We’ll fortify our position, but if you see anything that points to an imminent attack, send word immediately.”

Tessa gave a respectful nod. “What kind of attack have you faced so far?”"

“Nothing major—just beasts,” the leader replied, her expression tight with frustration. “But there’s something strange about them. The mana around them is... corrupted. Their behaviour is unlike anything I experienced so far from beasts.”

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Bren exchanged a knowing look with Tessa. “The enemy is controlling the beasts. It’s part of their strategy to keep us pinned down while their mercenaries make deeper incursions into our territory.”

Tessa nodded. “If the mercenaries haven’t appeared here yet, that’s a good sign. It means the enemy is likely focusing southward. But don’t lower your guard. This mana vein is one of the larger ones—they’ll come for it eventually.”

The clan leader straightened. “Then we’ll be ready.They can expect some ass whooping if they dare to show here.”

Tessa’s lips twitched in approval. “Hold out a little longer. Two battlemages have joined the western legion, and we’ve informed the City Lord. Reinforcements are on the way.”

The leader with wide eyes "Oh 2 battlemages are here, well im confident that that alone might buy the west legion the time for the reinforcements to arrive. Thank you for the information. If something happens we will inform you."

Tessa and Bren offered their thanks before slipping back into the shadows, making their way toward the western encampment. Their mission here was complete, but their minds were focused on what was to come.

Kaelin and Voren:

Kaelin and Voren had an entirely different situation waiting for them. The terrain was more open, with rolling hills leading to the fortified compound where the Fabia Clan, a loyal subsidiary to the City Lord, stood guard over their mana vein.

The compound appeared unscathed. The fortifications were well-maintained, and the soldiers patrolling the walls moved with practiced vigilance. Everything looked normal on the surface, but both Kaelin and Voren felt that there was something more there.

“It looks quiet,” Voren said, his voice barely audible as he crouched beside Kaelin. "The clans mages are very relaxed, yet I have a bad feeling."

Kaelin nodded. "Agreed. There’s no sign of battle here, but that doesn’t mean the enemy isn’t here."

Voren, known for his sharp mana senses, closed his eyes and spread his senses, focusing on every single bit of mana that was moving near him, searching for any disturbances in the mana. His eyes snapped open a moment later. "There," he said, pointing to a rocky outcropping overlooking the compound. "There’s someone in that direction, actively impacting the natural mana, spying on the clan probably."

Kaelins eyes narrowed, "How many? Their ranks?"

“Hard to tell without risking detection,” Voren replied, his voice tense. “But from the way the mana is spread, they’re likely lower-ranked as its not proficiently controled. Blue or Green cores at most.”

Kaelin grinned, fire mana flickering just beneath his skin. “Then they’re no match for us.”

Moving in tandem, Voren and Kaelin approached the outcropping. Voren’s stealth magic enveloped them, allowing them to move unnoticed to the enemy mana senses, they still had to be carefull not to be seen. When they were close enough, Kaelin spotted the enemy—a group of five mercenaries crouched in the shadows, their eyes fixed on the compound.

Without hesitation, Voren struck first, taking out the nearest mercenary with a precise, silent blow. The others barely had time to react before Kaelin’s sword, blazing with fire mana, sliced through the air. The heat from his blade was so intense that it seared the air itself, leaving a glowing trail in its wake. Two mercenaries fell in quick succession, their bodies charred beyond recognition.

The remaining mercenaries tried to flee, but Kaelin’s fire mana surged forward, creating a wall of flame that cut off their escape. In mere moments, the fight was over.

“We need to question these bastards,” Kaelin said, motioning to the two mercenaries they had managed to take alive.

Voren, his sharp eyes scanning the area for any more threats, nodded. "We’ll take them back to the clans compound for interrogation. They might have information on the enemy’s movements."

Kaelin sheathed his sword, his gaze hard. "Whatever they know, make them spit it out."

Rifi and Cale:

Rifi and Cale reached their destination—the mana vein controlled by the Aemiliania Clan—only to find the clan in the midst of a battle. The clan was engaged in a fierce fight against the enemy’s forward forces.

Rifi scanned the battlefield, his eyes narrowed. "Luck is on our side. We are on time."

Cale, his brow furrowed in confusion, replied, “But this isn’t their full force, is it?”

Rifi’s expression darkened. “No. This is just the vanguard. They’re weakening the Aemiliania Clan, keeping them pinned down until the enemy’s main force gets here. It's likely the enemy hasn’t finished draining the last mana vein yet or is currently moving here. It takes time to extract that much power from the mana veins it seems."

Cale’s eyes widened in realization. “We need to warn the others.”

Rifi nodded grimly. “Head back to the western encampment and inform Commander Edran. Tell him to send every available reinforcement. If they can approach undetected, we might be able to trap the enemy in a pincer movement.”

Cale saluted sharply. “Understood.”

Just as Cale turned to leave, Rifi added, “And if the others don’t need immediate assistance, tell Kaelin to get here as soon as possible. I might need his strength before our legionaries arrive.”

With a final nod, Cale hurried off to deliver the message, leaving Rifi alone, his presence hidden both from the enemy and the friendly legionaries defending the fortifications. It was crucial that he remained hidden—for now, the enemy couldn’t know that the battlemages had discovered their plans. Not until it was too late to stop the counterattack.

A storm was brewing, and Rifi was determined to ensure it broke with a decisive strike against their foes.