Earlier that day, Gilbert woke up strapped to an operating table with various unrecognizable tools found nearby. He let out a pained groan as he overheard the conversation between Aerial and the doctor.
“Are you sure the sword is inside him?” The Doctor said, crossing his arms and looked very skeptical at the idea. Gilbert immediately pieced together that they were referring to the Sword at the Tree. He looked to the side and found the Stormtrooper looking at him with an amused look on his face.
‘Help come to those who ask, what do you say?’ He asked him with a concerned tone on his face.
‘I’m Good.’ Gilbert said trying to struggle against the bindings that held him down but unfortunately they were magic so it was unlikely that he'll be able to brute force his way out of this. Eventually Aerial walked towards him, taking off her mask revealing a look of guilt in her eyes.
“Can you give us a moment?” She told the doctor who nodded and walked away, she let out a sigh and placed her wand on the table and looked at Gilbert.
“Just so you know I don't like taking things from Bael, I love her and she's like a sister I never had.” Aerial said, scratching her wrists as she looked at him. “But I need to become an Arch-Mage before her.”
“Let me guess,” Gilbert said in a low voice. “You envy her for what she has achieved?”
“More or less yes,” She let out a sigh as she looked at the wand that the two of them bought together. “I loved her like she was a sister and yet I can’t help but envy her for all of what she achieved.”
“So you decided to play dirty and steal me away from her?” He asked sarcastically.
“Don’t play smart with me Servant,” She said, grabbing him by the collar and glared at him. “Do you think I enjoy doing this?”
“Yes?” Gilbert chuckled in a low voice, truth be told he found her pretty pathetic as she would have to resort to such underhanded methods in order to get the upper hand but he didn't want to say it in front of her face knowing full well she can kill him on the spot.
She let go of his collar and glared at him. “Don't mess with me Servant, I have a very short temper right now in light of recent events.”
“Look, is it really worth it for you to resort to these methods? Just hear me out? You really think she'll forgive you?” Gilbert said appealing to her familial love for Bael, if she does care for her as much as she says she does then maybe just maybe she can walk away from this.
“And before we proceed any further, where's the people that lived in Wyrmwood? You guys took some of them.” Gilbert added.
“In the dungeon where I plan to skin them the virgins alive and use them for Catalysts.” She said casually that it sort of threw him off. “That was the original plan until I–wait why am I even telling you this!”
She slammed her palm on the operating table and looked at Gilbert. “I told you before, don't mess with me with your Earthlandian Mind Games.”
“I'm genuinely not, I was literally just asking stuff.” Gilbert said as but then there was a commotion happening outside causing Aerial to peek out of the door with her wand and Mask on.
“You stay there.” She said and she left the room.
“Like I can move from my position.” Gilbert muttered.
“Mika!” Bael shouted as she saw the Aerial looming over Mika. She paused for a moment and saw that she was holding a 15-inch Blackwood Thunderbird Wand and without hesitation immediately cast a disarming spell but the Harbinger blocked it with a protection spell.
“I don't know what you're planning Aerial but Gilbert is mine.” Bael said with a determined look on her face and then cast yet another disarming spell but Aerial countered it with her own disarming spell causing the two wands to backfire causing both of their wands to come flying.
In the world of Urdheimr, there is an unwritten caste system for Mages based on their level of ability: There's the Untitled Mages, the lowest of the caste but their skills can also vary. The Titled Mages, Mages that have developed a title due to the nature of their research which was bestowed upon them by an Arch Mage. The Arch Mages, Mages that hold dominion over certain lands making them essentially the equivalent of a Noble. And finally, The High Mage, the strongest Mage and the closest thing Urdheimr has for a leader.
In a way the government system of Urdheimr is more like a Stratocracy where the strongest Mage rules them all.
And for the case of Aerial and Bael, the two of them were untitled and yet the two of them were skilled enough to earn their titles.
"For many years we always had these kinds of fights, but looking back we constantly held each other back due to our own personal feelings." Bael said looking at Mika who was petrified from a possible petrification spell from earlier.
"That's right, I was constantly holding back cause I was afraid of hurting you," Aerial said, taking off her mask and Harbinger coat which was part of her uniform as a Harbinger.
The two stared at each other for what seemed like and until finally the two of them charged at each other both of them reinforcing their fists with Prana as they both punched each other sending them both back, they used this opportunity to grab their wands.
Bael's first move was to cast a De-Petrification Spell unto Mika who quickly got up and vanished. Leaving Bael to deal with Aerial instead. but she didn't mind, it felt like old times truth be told.
Though it was clear that they weren't fighting for sport.
After Mika's disappearance and the reacquisition of the wands, Aerial summoned a Thunderbird which she can do once a day thanks to her 15-Inch Blackwood Thunderbird Wand. The Thunderbird had a golden plumage as bright as Lightning itself and with every flap of its wings a blast of wind would be released alongside the sound of a thunderclap.
Not knowing what other spells that she can use to counter a Summoned Thunderbird, Bael was forced to summon a Phoenix, it had orange and red plumage which was as bright as morning sun. And like Aerial and her Thunderbird, the Firebird that Bael summoned can be done once a day through the use of her 15-inch Ashwood Phoenix Wand.
The two birds stared at each other for a moment but then the Firebird tackled the Thunderbird causing the room to be enveloped by a combination of Fire and Lightning. The explosion ripped through the fortress leaving a gaping hole as a result.
[VESTIGE:SUNRISE]
Gilbert woke up to the sound of explosions happening above him, by then the explosion caused the bindings on his body to come loose allowing him to escape and run to find a way out of the room. As he was escaping he stumbled upon the uniforms of the Guards that were holding him captive and were working with Aerial to capture him and his people.
Using his disguise, he snuck his way down to the dungeon where the others are being held. As soon as he arrived at the dungeons he found his people who were bruised and beaten but some were unfortunate enough to have been killed.
“Everyone!” Gilbert said taking the helmet off to reveal himself from the already confused and honestly tired people that were captured. “I’m here to get you out of here.”
“Gilbert!” Melissa stood up and hugged him. “What’s going on?!”
“I’m sorry it seems she was after me and I ended up dragging everyone along with it.” Gilbert tried to explained to them. An explosion was heard from above causing everyone to look weary. He picked up a black Konda sword and looked at everyone present. “Now go, I’ll distract them.”
Melissa took a step back and then picked up a weapon dropped by a Guard that fled during the chaos of the fighting from above. And without hesitation led the remaining prisoners out of the Dungeon and as soon as they were gone Gilbert sprinted upwards to find Bael and hopefully help her in stopping Aerial.
But as soon as he got to the room where the two were fighting in earlier was heavily destroyed, the two were locked in what he can best describe as a duel between Mages as both of them were discharging beams of light from their wands.
“What on earth is–?”
“Stryken: Basic Offensive Spell.” Mika said materializing before Gilbert who was sitting on top of the rubble. “A spell that only registered mages can perform.”
“Then we have to stop them or else they might get killed,” Gilbert said as he pulled out the Konda and tried to intervene but Mika grabbed him by the arm.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
“You can’t you might get killed,” Mika said warning him.
“Alright I’ll stay out of my way,” Gilbert said as he lowered the sword but then started sprinting towards the two girls. “Is what I’d say but I’m a moron!”
One trait that Gilbert was told to be capable of was that he was always impulsive, a trait that an ordinary trooper like him would get killed. However he would usually survive any life threatening situation thanks to sheer luck, and so that is what he was betting on when he decided to get in between the two girls and the beam of war that they were having.
As soon as got close, he used the Konda Sword that he took to block the blast of Prana but the sword shattered and he was struck from behind as he was blasted both in the front and back by the two Mages.
Getting struck by a beam of Prana felt absolutely painful as he felt his body being burned from the inside out as he fell to the ground and passed out from the pain with the last thing he heard was the two girls calling out his name.
Gilbert woke up to find himself into the Moon once more with the Stormtrooper who was casually leaning on the sword as though it was a some kind of walking stick or a cane.
“Boy oh boy,” The Stormtrooper said standing up as he aimed the sword at him. “You sure are a reckless one.”
“Why am I here? I don’t remember accepting your deal.” Gilbert said as the Stormtrooper once more rested the sword on his lap.
“You’re right, you haven’t but thanks to your recklessness we may have no other choice but to have you take my offer.” He said taking off his helmet revealed a man in his 20s with pure black hair and bright blue eyes that was clearly peering into his soul.
Gilbert was about to question further but he felt the same burning sensation in his body returned but this time it intensified as he felt his body was slowly starting to burn away like dry paper being set aflame.
“What's happening to me?” Gilbert asked as he curled into a ball in agony.
“You're dying, the result of being blasted by a Strycken Spell.” The Stormtrooper knelt before him as Gilbert's breathing became labored. “I can save and heal you but this means you have to take my offer.”
“Please…” Gilbert said as a hole began to manifest on his chest and his skin was starting to turn ash gray from the disintegration. “Help me…”
The Stormtrooper felt pain in his chest, he knew that by lending Gilbert his power then he would no doubt accept the pact. But he wasn't heartless as to leave him to die like this, especially knowing he had such a great life ahead of him.
“I will, and I assure you,” The Stormtrooper pulled out the sword and laid him flat on the ground as he continued to disintegrate from the effects of the spell. “You will not be burdened by what I want you to achieve. Consider this a Favor from me to you.”
And then he plunged the sword into his chest, but instead of wounding him the sword was instead slowly faded as though his body, no, his soul was absorbing the sword.
“We need to heal him!” Bael shouted at everyone present who were watching it all unfold as Gilbert, who was heavily burned and was slowly disintegrating from the effects. But that's the thing with Stryken, once a killing blow is landed to a target their body will disintegrate into a pile of ashes. That is how powerful of a spell it is, that is why only licensed Mages can perform such a spell.
Aerial looked down in shame knowing she had just murdered someone valuable to Bael's research.
Mika clicked his tongue as he muttered ‘Mages’ and then left via the Borderlands all the while fighting off the urge to cry.
Melissa, who stayed alongside several other members of her group to help Gilbert, fell to her knees as she watched Gilbert die.
But then a golden orange light began to fill his chest, slowly knitting back the wounds that he had gained the two girls watched as his body was slowly recovering from the wounds even before the fighting from earlier all the while the Servant collar that he was wearing slipped down from his neck indicating that he was free from servitude regardless Bael consented or not.
Eventually Gilbert woke up and coughed out a cloud of dust that was stuck in his throat.
“Impossible,” Aerial said as Bael immediately went to hug Gilbert to his confusion. “You were just a dead man earlier.”
“I thought so too but the sword gave me a second chance.” Gilbert said as Bael sheepishly pulled away. He stood up and extended his hand as though trying to prepare for something, and then he slowly instinctively reached for his chest and pulled out the sword.
It was the same sword as before, a silver blade with a golden crossguard with a Blue handle, but weathered down and rusted indicating that it wasn't well maintained for the last few years. But regardless the sword shone brightly like the break of dawn.
Everyone, Prisoners, Guards, Mages, even Aerial and Bael, knelt before Gilbert who had conflicting feelings on the whole matter.
He was now a foot closer into the hole where the Sword had plotted, now it is up to him to choose if he was to fully accept the powers that he was meant to inherit or not.
And he had a feeling he would have to accept this sooner or later.
[VESTIGE:SUNRISE]
[Gilbertown]
[Wyrmwood Forest]
The event was later known as the Miracle at Dawngard, word spread of a young man who survived getting blasted by a Strycken Spell and was revived through the power of a mysterious sword. But at the time none of the people involved would be aware of such a thing.
Days have passed since the skirmish at Dawngard things have gotten fairly interesting for Gilbert.
“I still feel like I should have been punished severely for this,” Aerial said as she alongside several other Guards and Mages under her command were helping Bael and Gilbert in repairing the fences towards the town of Gilbertown all the while they were being watched by the townsfolk.
"You mean to tell me the Manual Labor without the use of magic doesn't count?" Bael asked as she carried a bag of tools for her to move around with.
"I mean I literally killed some of their people and enslaved the rest," Aerial pointed out, because it was their magic that more or less caused the destruction of the settlement they agreed to refrain from using magic until they finished repairing the town as atonement.
"It was Gilbert's suggestion that you pay through hard work, be thankful he didn't ask for anything else Mage." Melissa said leaning on a nearby pole while gripping her 7.62mm Rifle as though she was looking for a reason to shoot them with it. "Besides, had it been our way, we would have gladly have you shot through the firing line."
It was true, while Aerial and her continent of Harbingers surrendered to them as atonement for what they have done. Many of the townsfolk of Gilbertown were eager to shoot them on sight, whether it was old prejudices or the way they were treated because of their brief capture in the hands of Aerial and her Harbingers.
Things would have gotten out of hand had it not for Gilbert's intervention.
"Really loving the air of camaraderie you guys are showing," Gilbert said walking towards them, his shirt drenched with sweat causing Melissa to stare for a brief moment, Bael slightly glanced as well.
"Is having them work for us, even for a brief moment, necessary?" Melissa said with a disgusted look at the Mages that were working who were also glaring at Melissa.
"We left Earthland because of the War, by showing the same discrimination Earthland showed to Mages then we are no different from them." Gilbert said as he took a bottle of water and took a sip on it.
"Besides, we can be reasonable people right?" He added walking towards Bael who eagerly took it due to the heat of the midday sun.
"Fine but if they try anything that's on you." Melissa said in a low voice and walked away to check on other things. As soon as she was out of earshot, Gilbert sighed and turned to Aerial and Bael who were hard at work in reinforcing the fence.
"Sorry about Melissa, she's a little bit grief stricken after losing her parents to Mages." Gilbert apologized to them.
"This war has always found a way to leave scars on everyone," Bael said to them as she hopped off the fence and looked at Gilbert. "Have you lost someone during the war?"
"Bae-Bae." Aerial scolded her.
"No it's fine, come to think of it, we've known each other for a few days now and yet we barely got to know each other." Gilbert said, crossing his arms and looking around hoping no one can overhear him. "To answer your question, I lost everyone I knew when I entered the war."
"What do you mean?" Bael asked, Gilbert was about to speak up once more but then he heard someone call out to him asking for his help, this made him jog towards the general direction of the people towards them.
"Oh yeah," Aerial said, taking a sip of water, who then handed it to Bael. "He's hiding something."
[Vigilus]
[Border between Earthland and Urdheimr]
Within Vestige, there are numerous warzones where both Earthland and Urdheimr are desperately trying to gain dominance. Whether it is because of resources, strategic importance or simply because they don't want the other side to gain access to it. This often leads to grueling attrition warfare between the two Nations which demonstrates the sad reality that both sides are desperate to maintain dominance over it. Several locations, dubbed as Warzones by both sides, have become famous for being meat grinders for many recruits to earn their respective ranks regardless of their allegiance. Locations such as Krieg, Stalheim, Okano, and Vigilus have been the most infamous ones due to their high casualty rates.
A group of deserters drove through the canyon on their Military Truck as they rode through the Vigilus Warzone, it was dangerously quiet considering they spent the entire week being chased by Soldiers of Earthland who were all too eager to execute them for desertion.
They expected that a handful of Soldiers would appear any moment but that moment didn't come.
But as they were about to cross the border of Vigilus and into a different border they stumbled upon a lone soldier walking towards them. What made it stand out was the sight of a two handed mace that he is easily carrying with one hand without so much as to break a sweat.
The Derserters paled, they recognised that lone soldier, he was known as the Attack Dog of Earthland. His name was long lost as he now goes by one name.
Barbatos the Red Wolf.
They sped up hoping they could try to stop him using their truck, as surely the reports about him were nothing more than rumors right?
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an auto injector and stabbed it into his neck causing him to let out a howl of pain and then gripped his mace and upon waiting for the Truck to close in, slammed his mace onto the hood sending the truck flying causing it to tumble into the cliffside the crash causing it to erupt into an explosion killing everyone on board.
Barbatos took off helmet to reveal a 17-year-old young man with slicked back black hair and pale blue eyes as he reached into his pocket to pull out a communicator and contacted someone.
“Barbatos to Handler, Targets have been eliminated.” Barbatos said as he glanced down to see one of the survivors desperately crawl out despite being on fire.
“Your next objective is to head for Wyrmwood Forest, hunt down and kill the deserters that have resided there.” The Handler said Barbatos listened as he walked towards the Survivor and crushed their head with his mace.
“Understood.” Barbatos said, ending the call.