THE tension was all over the left wing of the imperial palace, where the emperor’s chamber was located. The shield covering the area was such a huge help that even though a surge of magic clashed in there, the royalties had not yet noticed.
In the hall, Krecia had created the illusion that no one was there, despite Damien and the high mage having already been aggressive in putting down each other. However, she was not sure if the illusion would last long.
Taftani lived to his name as the strongest mage in Vatre, because despite Damien’s effort along with the other Knights of Terra, the vast difference in their powers was obvious.
“Do you really think you can defeat me? I am the high mage of Vatre! A mere lowly mage like you would never stand a chance!” Taftani unleashed his blue flame. Damien and his knights had dodged it, while Krecia countered it with her water magic.
“No matter how strong you are, we are enou
THE situation was worse than Jie had imagined. He did not hesitate to unleash his hellfire, and a few hundred soldiers were caught in it. The first wave seemed to be effective, but for the next attack, the thousands of armies summoned their fire shields to protect themselves from the raging hellfire.Damien ordered him to halt his aggression when the emperor appeared before them.“Don’t overdo yourself, Ethros. Let us handle your escape; the priority is Luominen,” Damien said. He was already sweating hard and barely catching his breath.“We are surrounded. Do you really expect me to just stand here?” Jie was losing patience. There was no way out, especially now that they were cornered like rats and had nowhere to go but surrender.Damien’s jaw flexed. He knew very well that if they kept resisting, no matter how strong their power, they’d end up dead. They wouldn’t stand a chance against the thousand soldiers, plus the emperor himself was there.“Calm down and surrender,” Damien said i
IN THE White Center District, Ryker grew impatient, waiting in the Silver Mansion, holding his binoculars. He could see the skirmish going around because the flying dragons hovering around seemed restless. When he saw a massive fire shield enveloping the imperial palace, he knew it was time to go.Clad in his assassin’s cloak, he exited one tunnel connected to the Silver Mansion. He ordered everyone via communication crystal to mobilize.“Be careful, I can sense the presence of the Candela from here,” Ryker said.“Yes, my lord!” everyone answered simultaneously.The Candela was the mother orb of fire that gave the empire its tremendous power. And with the mother orb’s presence on the battlefield, they were at a great disadvantage. Even though members of the Akatasuna Guild were a force to be reckoned with.Blood had started to spatter as everyone from the reinforcement unit moved like the wind witho
NACHT, the man in a dark-hooded robe, ensured the safe passage of Ethros carrying Nyssa to the watchtower. He took advantage of the turmoil around him for Ethros to exit unnoticed, even though most of the high-ranking officials were specifically targeting the siblings. “Run faster!” Nacht muttered as he kept checking Ethros’ progress. When the emperor unleashed the gigantic magic circle, he was agitated about the safety of the two. He silently prayed that, by now, Ethros had already crossed the portal and exited Asterig. They must be away from the city as much as possible to be safe. Nacht was relieved when the massive magic circle was gone and the emperor, along with the king and the high mage, left the battlefield. “Deputy Chief!” A voice called him. It was not long when the scarlet-cloaked man came bearing the same insignia of the Akatasuna Guild. “Ryker!” Nacht immediately recognized the man, despite wearing a mask covering half of his face. “Are they safe?” Ryker asked
AS Jie approached the highest part of the watch tower carrying Nyssa, he was not expecting to see the princess standing beside the portal as if she were guarding it.“I was right, you were after the Luominen. I shouldn’t have told you about the Orb of Oblivion.” Princess Tzeitel’s face was nothing like the meek look she had when he first met her.The princess appeared strong and cunning, not the usual damsel in distress. But how could she recognize him now, even though he was under the imitation charm during the empress’ banquet?“Let us in, I don’t want to fight with you,” Jie warned. He remained calm as much as possible because alerting the Helios outside the watchtower would only put him and Nyssa in a difficult situation again.The princess chuckled. “Just like the others, you think I am weak. Anyway, I know your secret, Ethros Aridame.”“My secret?”“Or shall I say... Jie Tan?” Her lips quivered, and she added, “A traveler from another world.”Jie’s eyes widened in shock. “How di
THE warm temperature inside the portal made Jie calm his raging mind. He loosened up, thinking that he had been led into a trap. He walked in a straight path for a few minutes, but he felt like he was doing it for a long time. “Nyssa, we’re near the end of this. We’ll be free,” he mumbled as his grip on the little girl’s body tightened. Jie hastened his pace, and he reached the end of the portal. He suddenly materialized in an unfamiliar, barren forest. The gigantic trees were dried, and the burning sandy soil penetrated through his leather boots. “Is this in Asterig?” he asked himself. Jie recalled the masked man who helped him, and he imagined that the type of forest that would greet him was a lush one. He gazed around, looking for a possible water source to quench his thirst. He lost a lot of energy since they infiltrated the watchtower, and even though he successfully entered the portal, their safety was not yet guaranteed. Jie alerted his senses when he heard the snappin
FIRTH, CAPITAL CITY OF HANUM THE council chamber was full, and all the newly appointed aristocrats to oversee Hanum were there, sitting around the oval crystal table. Several minor fire orbs were put in each corner to serve as heaters to counter the freezing temperature. Duke Balrius headed the emergency council meeting because of the news that the holder of the Luominen was abducted, and the empire lost it at the expense of so much damage on the night of the Bestowing. “We will fortify Firth, they’ll surely be in Hanum in search of the Great Healer since the high mage gave her a sleeping curse,” Duke Balrius said. He was a man in his late thirties, young-looking enough to be mistaken for a man in his twenties. He assumed the position of Chief Minister of Hanum after his father died before his appointment. “But these lowly elves keep resisting, Your Grace,” an elder said. His name was Strauss, the deputy chief minister. “I thought they wouldn’t dare to show themselves in the capita
THE person waiting for Jie and his companions at Mosville Wharf was the one he least expected. “Zimus?” Jie was taken aback. Why would the second-in-command of the Black Destroyers jeopardize their guild to help them?He looked at Bucca with a confused face, but the elf only nodded his head in confirmation.“Master Ethros,” Zimus lowered his head and added, “I’ve come to your aid to return the favor of helping our guild master.”“Are you sure?” Jie gazed at Bucca again, who lightly shook his shoulder. Zimus cleared his throat as he straightened his back. “I reached out to Master Bucca after learning he was looking for a ship; he’s been popular in Fernwick Province helping the sick. This is a small price to pay.”“Oh, I see. I’ll appreciate your help then.” Jie carefully held Nyssa, whom he carried on his back. “Come in, my crew is well informed about you.” Zimus was smiling as they guided them in the largest ship of the Black Destroyers.“Bucca, isn’t this too flashy?” Jie asked af
FOUR DAYS EARLIERKAFLE and Izora were stuck on Amaris Island after they separated their ways with Ethros and the rest of their companions. Although they successfully reached the island, it made it hard for them to cross Endellion because of Admiral Zion’s presence along with the hundred ships belonging to Vatre’s grand fleet. “I'm sorry for being in haste to go home, Izora. Now we're stuck here for a few weeks already,” Kafle said.“It's okay, father. At least we're getting nearer.”They were hiding in an inn in the busy city of Bardunn—the center of trade since Amaris was composed of several smaller, uninhabitable islands. Bardunn City was the largest and thriving, and it was open to all the citizens of the Learaf archipelago. Compared to the temperature in most of Vatre, Amaris was less humid because the rainfall was frequent during this solstice season. “I will meet the other members of the Knights of Terra. They've finally responded after contacting them for a while. Most of th