[Book II Chapter 121] ROSE: Fetching Wise
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“You’re certain Wise will be there?” Carol asked. “It’s in the middle of nowhere…” They were making their way deep into the Twisted Lands west of Messanic, and she remained anxious about wasting time.
“He left a message with directions to this village, so yes.” Rose answered.
“He’s dependable that way.” Dawn added.
“There’s a battle ahead.” Roxanne abruptly warned. “I’ll go check it out.” Before anyone could object, she disappeared.
“Shoot…” Rose muttered. She was glad her mentor was active again, but the immortal’s fatalistic determination to die fighting was a source of constant concern. “Let’s hurry and catch up.”
Passing through a knot of bedrock, they reached an open space where, below the snaking roots of a light bloom, the strands of broken earth were woven together into a bumpy landscape. A forest covered most of it, except for a small village on the far side. There were signs of destruction all over, with hundreds of fallen trees.
Rose spotted smoke rising from a clearing. “There.” She cried.
They found Roxanne standing next to an exhausted Wise. Besides them was an enormous smoldering corpse the size of building. By its shape, it was likely some form of dire bear.
“Good to see you again.” Rose said “What happened here?”
“A group of werewolves attacked and enraged a titan, leading it to this village. It’s a tactic they’ve adopted lately to keep me occupied.” Wise panted. “I distracted the beast until Roxanne came and finished it off.”
When living long enough, sometimes Enera’s magical fauna obtained strength rivaling immortals. Unlike entities born from the Ether, this achievement didn’t confer advanced intellect or the ability to take human form. To distinguish them from sovereigns, they were referred to as titans.
Wise got up and dusted himself off. “We should head to the village and let them know the threat is over.”
Once they’d reached the settlement, Wise sent out a wave of pale fairies. Carol took this opportunity to approach him. “We’d like your help finding a companion lost in the Dark Heritage dungeon.”
“Zentrias, right? I know.” Wise replied. “I’ll come with you, just give me a few minutes to rest. I haven’t fully recovered.”
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As Carol stepped away satisfied, Rose took her place. “So what have you been up to since we separated?”
“Mainly thwarting werewolf attacks, preventing small disasters, and generally hindering our enemies.” Wise revealed. “With all the attention on the demonic beast invasion, resources allocated to areas west of Messanic are lacking. I’ve been attempting to make up the difference.”
“Sounds like you’ve been living dangerously.” Dawn observed.
Wise shrugged. “I’ve become proficient at determining what I can handle and what I can’t. In cases where I glimpse something beyond me, such as Torak’s disciples assaulting airships, I send a warning the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“What have those guys been up to lately?” Rose asked. However, Wise didn’t appeared to have heard her. He’d gone stiff and was staring off into the distance. Finally, he grimaced.
“Listen carefully and don’t make any sudden moves.” He said calmly. “In about three minutes, the Laughing Man will arrive. His target is me.”
“Is that so?” Roxanne said quietly.
Don’t you dare think about it! Rose shot her mentor an angry glance before turning on Wise. “You only see this coming now?”
Her brother sent out another wave of fairies to alert the village. “A powerful foe acts like a barrier to my foresight. Only after defeating it can I see the events my victory would cause. The laughing man understands this principle and chose this moment to strike.”
“It’s my fault.” He added, wincing. “I knew you were coming so I took on that titan. This gave him the opening he needed. I should’ve guessed he hadn’t given up.”
“Hadn’t given up?” Dawn asked.
“Two weeks ago he tried hunting me down, but I evaded him.” Wise replied flatly. “Here he is.”
A handsome, blond-haired man dropped down two dozen feet from them. “Long time no see.” He said a pleasant voice. “You’re a hard person to get a hold of, Wise Skyfell.”
Her brother glared back silently. Right, I have to do it. “What do you want?” Rose demanded.
The Laughing Man’s eyes flickered lazily to her. “The book he is carrying. My instincts tell me its something I should get rid of sooner rather than later.” He smirked. “Besides, none of you eight has died yet. Isn’t it high time for a little tragedy?”
A golden orb appeared above the immortal’s outstretched hand, its surface undulating strangely. Rose frown, peering closer to make out what this was. Needles? Wise yanked her, Dawn and Carol to the side as Roxanne raised a barrier of crimson flame. There was an violent explosion.
By Idia… Excepting a narrow area directly behind her mentor, glistening golden needles were buried deep in every surface around them. Several screams of terror and pain rang out from the village. The laughing man smiled while listening. “This isn’t a pointless massacre.” He declared to no one in particular. “It’s collateral damage from pursuing a legitimate target.”
“Rose!” The Crimson flames flared from Roxanne’s staff. “Take your brother and flee.”
Dammit, I never imagine it’d be so soon. Rose turned to run but discovered Wise standing in a stupor. “Snap out of it, We need to go!” She yelled, grabbing his shoulder.
Wise didn’t react, letting himself be dragged. “What in the…” He mumbled. Then his eyes opened wide. “Oh god… This village is finished.”
“Do you honestly believe you can protect them from me?” The Laughing Man mocked, chuckling. With a wave of his arm, he sent out nine golden orbs. Rose watched with a sense of despair as they spread out overhead. It’s too late.