Chapter 22 -The Battle- Part 2
Each of the tents had at least two guards in the entrance day and night, stopping suspicious people from entering them and causing harm to the patient. Nevertheless Alter’s tent wasn’t an exception either, having two warriors guarding your tent isn’t very pleasant. Knowing that they could just walk in and murder you for having them outside twenty-four hours standing and not on the battlefield or something.
His luck didn’t seem like it was out, in fact it was the opposite, the two warrior-like guards had a nice sense of humor and were educated unlike someone, I thought, looking at the black colored haired girl sitting beside the patient's bed. Looking like a sleeping baby, I thought of teasing him later.
The browned eyed girl stood faster than a soldier sleeping in war and being caught by the commander, “Oh, sorry for being here first. It appeared that everyone went to sleep and I wanted to know how he was doing.” She seemed a little more relaxed than in the dungeon, the question here is what is her name?
Chuzeoth then walked in after the two of us. Showing his usual confused expression when he first saw her. “Young one, who exactly are you?” Said the general, not beating around the bush but being blunt and straightforward. Everyone in the room was curious as the old dragon, except for Alter, he appeared to be in a deep sleep.
The red horn-girl replied, “I am Sunan, Susan Griffin… a-,” Susan hesitated to finish her last words until she was cut off. “She’s from the demon race. If you couldn’t tell from her red horns.”
Getting caught off guard, everyone in the room present turned to the source. The expected dark-black curly hair wasn’t there, instead we were met with the long whitish-silver straight hair. His brown-honey colored eyes were replaced with dark red-crimson colored eyes, a smile that reached his eyes appeared.
“What is wrong with you guys?” Alter questioned, moving his gaze to each one of us, one by one.
His words struck my spine resulting in giving me icy chills. None of us answered, the crimson eyes then settled on Susan. His pupils moved centimeter by centimeter almost like he was studying her characteristics from top to bottom. Closing his eyes he faced his covered feet before letting out a sigh, a deep sigh.
The ones standing sat down, not one meter away from Alter’s bed. From our perspective, Alter seemed to be collecting his thoughts. He would sometimes close his eyes so hard that he would grit his teeth.
About a minute or two had passed, he once again opened his eyes. Looking at Susan–who was in the opposite from Pearl–asked a particular question, yet it was mysterious.
I witnessed how her brown eyes locked with Alter’s red eyes, Susan’s body jolted to such a view.
“You look just like your mother, but with some traits from your father.”
The demon-girl eyes watered and tears came rolling down her cheek, sobs then kicked in. I take back everything that I thought about her when we first saw her in the dungeon, this scene was enough to change my judgment about her.
The black-haired Susan cried in Alter’s chest as he embraced her, telling her that it was ‘okay to let it out’. Hours and hours went by as Susan cried, the only thing we could’ve done was to watch. The feeling of not being of use, the uselessness that I have become.
I pushed these thoughts to the side and told myself that I wasn’t good with things like these, it's better to leave things like these to other people who are actually good with it.
Dawn came, the ray of sunlights passed through the curtain that acted as an entrance to the tent. “It’s already morning huh?” Alter stated, letting Susan go, giving her the chance to get herself together. The way Susan changed her mood really scared me, she was just sad a couple of seconds ago, now she was just as emotionless as she was when we saw her.
The eyes of the white-haired boy lit up, a translucent barrier came out his body and enveloped the tent. I was curious of what he had done, and so did my face betray me letting Alter and the rest know that I was interested in what he did.
I let out a cough, an embarrassed one. Pearl and Susan let out a chuckle while Chuzeoth shaked his head along with Alter.
“Well if you’re that interested in what I just did, I’ll tell you. A couple of years ago I learned a few tricks from the continent of Afreon and of course they are useful when you put your mind into it,” Alter explained, flicking his fingers as elemental affinities came out. “Where I’m getting at is that I’ve put up a barrier that allows no one from the outside–no matter how strong they are–not being able to hear any single words being said. After all, the conversation we are about to have is important to everyone here, that includes Susan and the eleven races.”
Important enough for him to involve the eleven races? Just how important is this ‘conversation’? I asked myself as I looked at everyone's faces and expressions.
I tried to not make connections or assumptions, however, the more I tried not to, the more thoughts came to my mind. One of many things was a war between the eleven races. Is he trying to wage war against the eleven races?
Let’s hear what he has to say before we overthink what is going to happen.
“Young master, are you thinking about waging war against all races?” was what Chuzeoth said with a hint of concern. Immediately, Alter denied it without hesitation, but such words couldn’t be a form of relief.
The pressure of being in these situations were enough for people not with a strong mentality to go insane or quit mid-travel. I sometimes even question myself, how have we survived this long without being killed or injured for life.
“I’m not the one trying to wage war against them and to be honest I don’t think I know who would either, nonetheless, we have to stop them from doing so.” Alter uttered, as all of us present nodded to his words that sounded like orders from a general to a rookie.
The ancient walker faced Susan once again, “Susan I know it’s hard for you to understand the importance of a situation. I wouldn’t blame you if you left right now back to your father.”
Seeing how Alter had said this, Susan gripped her hands which were on her lap. Silence was up for a moment until the horned-girl spoke, “Alter, I don’t know what type of history you have with my parents but my father sent me here to help you and that’s what I intend to do.” Her confidence in her voice grew as she spoke. Her brown eyes brightened showing no regret of her decision.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The silvery-haired boy released a chuckle, a stifled smile. His eyes looked unfocused and yet he had a happy face. “You know, I made a promise to your mother before. ‘She has always been curious about anything new or old to her, so please take care of her if she ever joins you in your journey .’ Those words are from your mother to me before she met her end.”
Alter’s pale hands reached hers.
“I know it must have been hard for you to not grow up with her. But I promise you that you will see your father die from old age.” Alter confidently said, “so trust me and my family. I will make sure this long war of hatred ends.”
Juliette Riley
Train… get stronger… catch up to them…
I thought as I swung the wooden spear against the passing wind. Trying various combinations of attacks and defenses hoping to get my body ready for the mana core.
The words that Aidryss had told me before had still been engraved into my mind. The prideful dragon had come to one of my training sessions after his patrol over the horizon.
“You truly are desperate for a mana core.” His voice of disappointment made it clear, “I sometimes wonder why the young master brought you. I mean I understand why he brought Luna… but you? You don’t seem to understand how mana works, hell you’re not even close.”
Annoyed by his comments, I kept swinging harder and faster, imagining that I was battling him. The days of stored fatigue had come to me that exact moment, slowing down my attacks.
Aidryss had noticed this, allowing him to continue his awful thought comments to me. The more he spoke the more my patience was coming to an abrupt end.
Grabbing the wooden spear from the middle and putting it in position to throw it using the force of what felt like mana, the wooden spear grazed the side of the general’s cheek.
I had enough people yapping about what I can do and what not. If Alter was here it would be different…
“So you finally had the guts to strike me. It seems that you are taking the steps necessary for your growth.” I lifted my head to Aidryss, trying to figure out what he was trying to do. Where he was getting at for yelling at me at first and then condemning me for having guts.
Whatever he was planning I couldn’t tell, so I pushed the thoughts on the other end of my mind.
Before the dragon left, he said a couple of words that were stuck with me and probably will be until the end.
“Remember one thing, Alter or not, you will always have to find a way to get stronger than you ever were. You always rely upon the young master and never realize your own potential and worth.” He half-turned his face to me, showing his dark black eyes. “So show me that you, that young master, didn't bring you by mistake.”
***
Being in the castle is sometimes not fun, so to kill the boredom I either would go to the training ground or spend my time with Hannah researching about my mana or core.
I have been doing that for the past month and a half. That’s how long Alter and the others have been gone since they left for Inox.
Luna would come and go, seeing her would be a miracle. However, her job to patrol the farthest of the horizons has made her stay there unless something important happens.
Hannah sometimes tells me that Alter and the rest would be okay so that I can stop worrying about them and focus on my mana core.
I’ve spent hours of days trying to form the core, many of those hours I’ve found myself lost or in failure.
Nevertheless, today was different, today I felt a jolt of mana in my body. I ran through the hallways until I got to my room, closing the door and sitting on the floor. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my core, I focused on the mana in the air to help me build the core.
I imagined the particles of mana bind and combine with my core.
Hours and hours have passed. I couldn’t tell if I was getting far but I knew I progressed something, my mind told me and so did my gut.
Excitement ran through my mind and body.
Calm yourself Juliette! You need to focus, your worth is on the line. Show them, show Alter that you are not useless in this world.
As I searched deep down into my core I had noticed that I was half way through, just a little more, I told myself as my eyes started to pry open. Erasing all of the focus I had built up.
I was irritated at the fact that I was so close to getting past half way of the core. I had to distract myself from exploding, that’s when a particular idea popped in my head.
If I remember correctly there was a device where it could help me accumulate more mana, making it suitable for my current situation. Running many simulations in my mind for when I tried to steal the dragonic-device.
Oddly enough, a huge ruckus was being caused outside the castle. Alarming all the people that resided in the castle to come out into the gates of the castle. It is now or never, I told myself, I had to brace myself for what was coming if I did get caught but it is all the better for everyone.
Walking down the halls towards Hannah’s lab the only thing to be heard were my footsteps aside from the silence being accompanied by my own thoughts of the past, present, and future. That were soon put aside when the destination was right in front of me. Seeing as the old dark wooden door was closed and no light reflected from the bottom meant only one thing. Hannah was gone and so were her subordinates.
I opened the door and slowly confirmed it once again, no one was here. Afterwards I started searching the lab that was larger than my or any royal’s room. Unexpectedly a tremor that felt like an earthquake shook the ground and shelves, dropping potions and other devices. Dammit. I had to find the device and hurry outside because whatever that shockwave was not a good sign.
Looking into the pile of scrap junk yard in a box, the familiar feeling went through my hands. I instantly pulled it out, feeling more hopeful I decided to turn it on, attaching it to my chest over my sternum.
In that moment, I felt the power, I felt the mana in the atmosphere enter my body. Cursing through my veins until it reached my sternum…my mana core was being formed. This was a completely new feeling of power, it was intoxicating. I could get hooked on this type of power. Closing my eyes I searched for my mana core, giving in to the feeling of the mana in me and the atmosphere.
I opened wide to the discovery I just found. A mana core was formed by this device–and device that was created by the dragon race. This should be able to help many people from Afreon, this could ease the burden that Alter is carrying right now. I took off the device after determining that the device did in fact form me a mana core that was capable of being on par with a dragon’s mana core.
I stored the dragon device into my dimensional storage before heading out the castle. The sound of the running footsteps echoed through the halls as I tried to find the exit to the castle. Upon finding what seemed to be the main exit of the castle, I noticed a red highlight over it the giant doors that were colored silver and gold, something similar to the reflection of a…
My heart raced faster and faster as I began to think about the possibility of this situation even happening. I jolted to such a scene I witnessed, the crackling of the fire, the screams for help from the people. The once beautiful buildings that I admired were covered in flames with innocent people inside.
I instinctively use my water attribute to put the fire out, using the mana in my newly formed core. But something was wrong, the fire wasn’t being put out, instead it was being fueled by it. The fire I tried to put off was soon fierce enough to burn down a handful of buildings.
The cry of the people died down, no longer to be heard. Without a mana core, I was able to sense their aura even if they didn’t have the attribute of using mana, nonetheless, the auras inside the building were no longer there. I raised the aptitude in my spell while releasing two other spells at the same time. Yet it didn’t do anything, the more I tried, the more it got worse.
The words that Aidryss had said to me before appeared in my mind. I truly question whether Alter had brought me because he felt pity towards me, when he could’ve only taken Luna with him and left me on Afreon. Alone.