After riding on wolf's back for the whole day, the first stars of the night shone on Talj and Aklas when they finally reached the outskirts of the city of Kaelnah, known to be the home of The Dali's Academy. The city's entrance was just beyond the Magnum River, its massive gate standing in front of a stone bridge that connected it to the Daiko Hills.
The bridge perched over the river that sank partly below the ground's level. The water continued its course in the same direction before turning left after a kilometer, skimming the east skirts of Kaelnah. It then continued its path towards the mountains where its waters originated from.
The city's structure was impressive, the obsidian walls that guarded it carefully carved as it sat atop of the other end of the river, at the threshold of three geographical regions.
South of the city was the South Daiko Hills, whereas northwest of it were the North Daiko Hills -No one knew why they share the same name when both regions have completely different features and natural biodiversities- and lastly northwest of it were the Shogre Swamps.
The gate was crowned with a beautiful golden structure that represented two thin swords crossed together under a large banner that wore The Dali's sigil.
Talj eyed the walls of the city with an anxious nostalgia. Kalneah was the place where he gave fame to the name The Hammer, the place where he woke up every day haunted by the memory of The Spear's fall, the first home he tried to adopt after that faithful night. It was the start of his life as a craftsman and as an official Adventurer and the roots of his decision to bury his old torments in the past and turn face towards a new start for him.
In short, it was the threshold between the life he had tried to leave behind and the one he was trying to construct from scratch. And now, he had to cross that threshold again, for their destination was situated northward, and the fastest way to cross that distance was to pass through Kaelnah.
The young blacksmith found it ironically poetic that his path led him back here. He had used Kaelnah as a way to purge his old life as a Spear member to become a humble blacksmith who wishes nothing but to live a simple life surrounded by goodness and loved ones, and now he had to go through the same city as he abandoned his new life to rekindle with his old one.
Snapping out of his trance, Talj turned towards his companions. Aklas was meticulously squinting at the city's facade, scanning it as if he could see through it -And knowing the hunter's nature, Talj wouldn't be surprised if he had a spell that allowed him to perform such a feat. Nyr stood atop Aklas's shoulders, his glowing cyan eyes staring intently at the gate.
"What's the plan?" Talj asked.
"Let us see…" Aklas brought his thoughts into words. "Our destination is more on the east, therefore ditching the city and cutting directly through the swamps seems to be the fastest route. However, that's out of the question and we both know why."
Talj nodded. Whether at The Sheath, Kalneah or even Enyo, the stories told around bonfires about Shogre were diverse, except for one dim tale: The deeper you delve into that area, the more numerous and powerful the monsters get. Every adventurer who dared to venture in the most central areas of those swamps never returned. Some claimed that it was because in its heart, Shogre housed a terrible beast that could best even the strongest mages, others simply blamed the increase of monster activity the deeper one explored that place. The blacksmith concluded:
"So our best course of action would be to continue following the river's course for a moment before arching around the northern periphery of the swamps."
"Exactly." Aklas answered. "However the river is hugging Kaelnah and is constantly monitored in these areas. I believe it's best if we found a way to cross the city instead, as it not only would allow us to hide from The Dali's prying eyes but we'd also still tail The Magnum River. If we manage to get through Kaelnah and reach its northern gate, we'd have a clear path towards The Crying Mountain."
"That would convene us indeed." Nyr commented. "However, this strategy poses a tricky riddle: How does one navigate a long haul of a city when every inhabitant and guards wish to put you to the sword?"
Talk brought his curled index to his chin, trying to find an answer. Kaelnah was indeed a huge town, one that would take about a day's worth of walking to be fully spanned. Getting around the swamps from the south was not an option either as it would take way too long.
"The sewers." The hunter said at last.
"What about the sewers?" Talj inquired.
"We can pass through the city's sewers." Aklas suggested, his eyes still drawn towards the gates. "Their canals are drawn directly from The Magnum River and they transport the city's wastes directly unto the Shogre Swamps."
Talj thought about his brother's suggestion. It was true that Kaelnah's sewers offered many solutions to their problem. It'd give them a clear path through the city while also staying hidden.
"That's gonna be one stinky day we'll spend if we go with that plan." The blacksmith commented.
"Aww, is my little brother scared of getting dirty?"
"How do you even know that much about Kaelnah?" Talj asked. "I thought you had spent most of your time on the western side of Ylbunish before hearing of my whereabouts."
"I suppose having plenty of free time gives you plenty of opportunities to learn about the world you live in." Aklas replied with a shrug.
"I see." Talj dreamily replied, his thoughts still on the matter of crossing the city. "Nyr, what do you think?"
"I believe that Aklas's strategy is thorough, but it presents a fatal flaw: Should we cross the city's sewers, we'd lose our bearings. We've no chart of those tunnels, and having no eyes on the sky to guide our steps. We may get lost or even stumble across what we'd confuse with an exit only to end up right in the middle of The Dali Academy."
"It's still a better plan than walking in broad daylight right in the middle of the town." Aklas answered.
"There is another solution." Talj said, drawing curious eyes to his direction. "I know Kaelnah well enough to be conversant with its hiding spots and less crowded alleys. I believe I can secure us a safe way through the city. If you follow my lead, we may be able to cut directly through Kaelnah completely unnoticed."
"Your idea presents too many risks." Aklas said. "One mistake and we're doomed. This isn't Rolmea, Talj. If we barely managed to escape The Dali's headquarters, then keep in mind that Kaelnah is at least three times as big, and that security has tightened after the commotion we caused."
"Getting caught is hardly an issue." Talj rebuked. "I know many friends who I still visit in Kaelnah. I'm sure they can give us shelter to hide in until we lose The Dali… If we ever get the opportunity to hide that is."
Aklas shook his head in disapproval.
"Those friends of yours may have known you in the past," He said sharply, "but remember that you are now declared as a dangerous criminal. They may not even see you as a friend anymore and can easily sell us to The Dali. That is without even mentioning that Ylbunish has come to a point where it can't recognize friend from foe. Who knows if the people you speak of are actually worthy of trust."
"I'd rather hold on to trust than dive into unknown territory." Talj replied, crossing his arms. "Going through the sewers presents a high risk of getting lost. And as you said, The Dali has become more meticulous with security. We may stumble upon guards on patrols even in the sewers, in which case we'll be both lost and hunted down."
"It's still a safer solution than exposing ourselves in the streets and relying on the speculative reliance that people will aid us." Aklas dismounted from his wolf. "I do not mean to diminish your friends, Talj, but the matter is too delicate."
"You don't know those people-" The white haired blacksmith tried to refute but Aklas cut him:
"You're right, I don't know them, and that's exactly why I say we can't risk putting our trust in them. If they believe The Dali instead of us, we're dead. If they value safety over friendship, we're dead. If they make a mistake themselves that gives us away, we're dead."
"Alright you two." Nyr interrupted. "Both ideas have their share of gambles and payoffs. I shall go find some bearings. In the meantime, you two hide somewhere and agree on a route to take."
"Hold on, Nyr." Aklas called out the Night Eagle before he could fly off. "Sending you on your own has now become hazardous too. It seems that rumors affiliated with a small eagle wearing dark blue feathers have grown in number. Your presence may attract attention."
"Have no fear, young lad." Nyr answered. "Us Night Eagles can easily conceal our presence… But I believe your worry is not unfounded; after all, even Dali Generals have become wary of me. To avoid any nuisances, how about you cast your invisibility spell on me?"
Aklas obliged the eagle's demand. He shrouded the small creature with his magic before letting it fly upwards.
"I thought your invisibility spell required its targets to stay still." Talj pointed out, tilting his head in curiosity.
"Normally." Aklas replied. "However, Nyr is an exception. It took me a while to grasp how, and frankly speaking I still don't fully understand it, but Night Eagles have the property to… resonate with a spell if its caster allows it."
"Resonate?" Talj repeated the word.
"It's difficult to explain. But much like when you harmonized your magic with mine to 'share' a spell, I have the ability to merge my magical abilities with Nyr. However, unlike normal humans, when you perform that ability with a Night Eagles they may go beyond a simple fusion of magical power and go as far as bypassing a spell's condition, track its energy from caster to target and many other curious feats."
Interesting. Talj thought to himself. When I was a child, Nyr had told me that he could naturally tune in with the mystical powers that course through this world, but I never thought he could go as far as overriding a spell's characteristics to his convenience.
"Well then, let's get out of the main road before a patrol jumps on us." Aklas suggested, marking the end of their discussion.
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
The sky was now fully veiled with stars. As the moon shone dimly at Kaelnah's entrance, the two brothers were hiding right below the bridge that watched over the water, sitting in the slim riverbank, their back on the stone wall that held the bridge. Occasionally, they'd hear footsteps and galloping sounds rumble from above them, but nothing eventful bothered their rest.
Talj gave Aklas furtive glances, noticing the sleepiness build up on his green eyes. Even if the invisibility's spell effects clad Nyr, the young hunter was the one fueling it, and thus keeping it active for too long was taking a toll on his body.
To keep his companion's mind distracted, Talj asked:
"Apart from sticking a spell to the birdie, is there any other ability I should be aware of? It would help us coordinate our actions better if the group knew each others' abilities."
"Hmm…" Aklas thought for a few seconds before replying. "So far, I specialize in two branches of magic: Enhancement and Conjuring. Apart from basic strengthening and arrow summoning, I've three spells for each."
"The arrow that knocks people out and the one that blows up." Talj recalled Aklas's attack when they were both fleeing from Rolmea.
"Exactly." The hunter replied with a nod. "Those are my two first Conjuring spells, Stagger and Impulse. My third one is called Sentinel. It's not suited for combat, but it's still a useful ability. Once I shoot my arrow, I can hear every noise surrounding it on a designated radius. The only drawback is that my senses can get overwhelmed as I have to simultaneously listen to what the arrow picks up on and whatever noise my actual ears heed."
"Can't you split your focus? As in, choose whether to listen to what the arrow hears or what you hear… If that makes sense." Suggested Talj, to which Aklas shook his head:
"No. It's one of the spell's conditions."
"I see."
The difference between a simple spell and a complex is that an advanced spell may demand conditions from its caster to be activated, such as a time limit or a hindering setback.
With very few exceptions like some of my powers. Talj thought.
In rare instances, some mages are able to exert great magical feats without restraining themselves with conditions, but in return, the mage must consume a huge amount of power and have years of training behind them before mustering such skills.
"How about your Enhancive spells?" The blacksmith demanded. "You've already shown me Scrying Mind and Accomplice's Cloak, your invisibility spell, so I must inquire, what's the third?"
"I don't have a name for it yet." Aklas admitted. "I only developed it recently."
"Oh? What does it do?" Talj inquired, a curious expression complimenting his smile.
"Hehe, I'll let it be a surprise." The green eyed hunter answered with a playful glint. "Big brothers must have secrets to appear strong and mysterious to their siblings."
Talj rolled his eyes before retorquing:
"The only secret you seem to have is how don't enemies detect you with your stench."
"You're one to speak." Aklas replied in a laugh. "You're not exactly pristine clean either, brother."
Aklas was right. Talj's black and blue long coat had multiple stains and slight tears on it. On his back, the once bright red sigil of the candle holder representing Xara Higgar's trademark was now brown with dirt. The drawback of his months worth of traveling showed.
It sure has been a while since I departed from Enyo. Talj realized. The memory of Queen Lin, Kinfol and Salzeka in Naydas's house felt like it was a lifetime ago.
"How about you, Talj?" Aklas's words swayed away Talj's thoughts. "What abilities do you have that I don't know of yet?"
Talj explained briefly all his lightning abilities to Aklas who listened attentively before moving on to his other specialties:
"You've already seen Cyclones Parade in Rolmea, but it's not my only wind spell. I also have a spell that allows me to focus a vast quantity of winds in one area before sending it in a powerful thrust, creating a shockwave that can harm enemies but also clear a path in case of an obstacle. Its name is Cloud Breaker."
"Interesting." Aklas commented. "It sounds linear but the deeper you think of it the more versatile you realize this ability can be. By controlling the force and range of the spell, it may simply sway obstructions of your path or deliver deadly blows to your foes."
"Yes. Although I haven't fully experimented its capabilities yet. Moving on, I can also control frost and ice to some extent, but I've only started to train in that field recently so I've no spells to show for it. Also, I've tried my hand on Conjuring Magic a while ago but it proved to be a tad bit difficult, so I gave up." Talj added with an embarrassing smile before being reassured by Aklas:
"Still, you've mastered both Summoning and Elemental magic in many ways people would deem greatly difficult. It seems that the years we've spent apart didn't impede you. If anything, you've actually continued your training in your own way despite the harshness of the life you've gone through. Many would have crumbled in face of the ill fate that awaited you."
"Thanks for reminding me my life sucks… I think." Talj said with a mockingly sarcastic tone.
"Even when I'm proud of you you manage to complain." Aklas said after a slightly dramatic sigh.
Talj chuckled before saying sincerely:
"Thanks. You're not half-bad either… For a homeless guy." He added with a smirk.
"This homeless guy mastered Conjuring Magic when you couldn't, so mind your manners."
"Hey, it's not my fault! Kinfol's explanation was too confusing and no scroll I've read made any sense!"
Aklas had a small laugh before instructing his brother:
"Here, let me show you. Close your eyes and stick out your palm."
Talj hearkened. His brother's words reached out to him in the darkness behind his eyelids:
"For a moment, I want you to feel your own self. Cut yourself from the world and direct your attention inward. Feel your bloodstream, listen to your heartbeat… Let the life brought by every breath rejuvenate you. Become one with your thoughts and body."
Talj, deep in focus, frowned. He could sense his heartbeat and breathing, but he still couldn't bring out his magic in the form of an arrow like Aklas. Was he supposed to think of something specific? Or was he in a too uncomfortable position?
"You're too tense." His brother nearly startled him. "I didn't say focus too hard. This isn't Summoning Magic where you have to shape a very detailed summon, or Elemental Magic where you have to connect with the world around you. This is conjuration, it must come from within your soul. You don't have to understand it, you only have to connect with it, and so connect with yourself."
Talj took a deep breath. Slowly, he felt himself loosen up, the usual clashing of thoughts his brain would experience quieted. Steadily, he started feeling himself as a whole. Body, soul and mind as one entity in the darkness. He didn't understand that entity, but he didn't need to, he simply knew who it was: Talj Horsh.
Suddenly, a spark appeared in the darkness. He couldn't see it, but he sensed it. Talj knew that spark very well, it was his magic. The magic he'd borrow power from to release his spells, the magic that stored his inner realm for him. This time, he didn't use it as fuel. No, instead he… borrowed a small fraction of that spark, and slowly tried to manifest it out of his body without catalyzing it through a spell.
Instinctively, Talj knew that he had to give it a shape. He went for a sphere, the most basic of options. Guided by sheer insight, Talj let the light channel from himself through his arm and gently let it out from his palm.
Talj opened his eyes, but was disappointed to see it empty.
"You did it." Aklas said, a proud smile on his lips. "When you opened your eyes it vanished, but you've done it. Congratulations."
"Why did it vanish?" Talj inquired.
"When you give your conjured object a physical form, you must keep your concentration sharp and focus on holding its mold in that form." Aklas answered.
"So first step is to give up focus and second step is to… Focus harder? Are you sure that makes sense?"
"When you're talking about something called magic, I don't think making sense matters anymore."
"Fair point."
"Let's repeat it." Aklas suggested. "If you give it a few more tries I think you-"
The hunter suddenly interrupted himself, a concerned frown suddenly tracing his eyebrows. He suddenly got up and looked upward, as if seeing a vision that Talj couldn't perceive.
"Remembering something embarrassing or what?" He asked.
"The invisibility spell I put on Nyr." Aklas gave him a grave expression. "It's been removed."
"Nyr forsook the spell? He can do that too?" Talj asked.
"No, I mean that it's been forcefully removed. Someone destroyed the spell."
Talj's eyes widened, the realization sinking in. Without skipping a beat, he asked:
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I felt an outside presence shatter the spell's effects."
Talj shot to his feet. The situation was critical. If someone managed to undo Aklas's veil, then there's a high chance something ill has happened to Nyr.
"Where did he disappear?" The blacksmith asked.
"I don't know! I can't sense the spell's location." Aklas replied.
"We have to go save him." Talj urged.
"I'm aware of that!" Aklas exclaimed. "But if we dive in without a plan we're good as dead!"
"So what should we do!?"
"Let's stay hidden for now, and gather our options-"
"The more we wait the higher the chance that they do something to him! Let's go scout for his whereabouts at least! I told you I know Kaelnah well enough to allow us to stay hidden! If we infiltrate the city discreetly maybe we'll hear-"
"Barging in is too dangerous!" Aklas countered. "Have some patience, Talj! We cannot determine if Nyr was indeed apprehended, and if he was we have no clue if the culprits are The Dali or The Darkness! Maybe both! Not to mention the city is way too immense for us to simply search around aimlessly. At least let us linger for a few moments and see if Nyr ever comes back. If not, we'd have at least found a plan!'
But in the moment, Talj had steeled his resolve. He summoned the winds and carried both himself and his brother in a circular motion, picking them from below the bridge to above it. As they stood on the stone structure, the white haired man kept his eyes driven the open gates of Kaelnah, Aklas gave Talj an incredulous look. However, he was surprised to see that the blacksmith had a dark expression on his face, one that combined both determination and animosity.
"I'm done hiding." He said coldly.
Aklas opened his mouth to protest, but refrained himself and nodded.
"Then let's go get him." He replied.
In his experience, patience and logic have been his allies. However, when a situation presented a hindrance that could not be avoided no matter what, he learned to plan according to that hindrance, as planning against it would only burn away his energy for free. If Talj wished to take actions and improvise as he goes, then so be it.
"The magic source came from over there!" A voice reached them from beyond the gates.
A group of four guards, two wearing The Dali sigils one and other wearing the Akhdar kingdom's uniform, appeared from the side at the threshold of Kaelnah. Without even blinking in surprise, the two brothers summoned their weapons.
Aklas shot his Stagger arrow at the newcomers but one of The Dali soldiers joined his palm and a light blue sphere surrounded the group. When the arrow reached the sphere it bounced over it before disappearing in a spark.
Talj threw his spear after imbuing it with magic. The impact on the protection spell was so powerful that a violent burst shook the bridge. When the magic shield burst apart, the two Akhdar guards fell on their knees but their Dali comrades stood their ground. Before Talj's spear reached the ground, it suddenly motioned to life and flew back to his owner's hand.
"Go sound the alarm!" The Dali guards informed the others, unsheathing their swords. "Inform our captain that we found the dangerous criminals! We'll hold them in place!"
As hurried footsteps carried half their enemies away, Talj turned towards his brother with a confident smile.
"Remember how we escaped Rolmea?" He asked.
"You read my mind." Aklas replied.
Taking the hunter's arm, the two of them harmonized their magic again before the blacksmith activated Ghost Burst. In less than a second, the both became one with lightning and dashed powerfully forward right between their opponents and into Kaelnah.
"What the-" Despite the attack avoiding them, the force of the motion was enough to push down The Dali soldiers violently.
When the spell's effects wore off, Talj and Aklas took a right turn and ran away from the scene. The entrance of Kaelnah hosted a large market where stalls and customers busied themselves all day, and so, many curious eyes turned to the direction of the commotion. Suddenly, the sound of trumpets echoed throughout the city.
Here goes the alarm.
As they ran, Talj could perceive some of the words muttered by the civilians who parted from their way in a fearful haste.
"It's them! The two criminals that The Dali are looking for!"
"The ones who escaped Rolmea?"
"Yes! The descriptions match! I heard they were so dangerous that they authorized lethal force on them!"
As Aklas followed Talj, they exited the market into a short alley, right at the entrance of a residential area.
"Stop right there!"
Three other Dali guards blocked their path, their captain was armed with a magical staff and the two others with swords and shields. Meanwhile, the two who they had escaped from caught up to them and appeared behind them.
They were trapped.
Back to back, Aklas and Talj faced their opponents with ready expressions.
"If I die, please build a giant statue in my honor." Talj said.
"Focus!" The hunter simply replied before shooting another Stagger arrow aimed at the trio. The captain raised his staff and, to the hunter's surprise, the arrow changed trajectory and went to plant itself onto the wall before imploding way too far from the guards for its effects to reach them.
Talj raised his spear and, in a swift motion, a lightning bolt darted from it and snaked towards the two others. The shield caster repeated the motion he had performed on the bridge, but Talj had anticipated how much force was needed to break his spell. The barrier barely foiled around them when it abruptly collapsed, leaving the guard who summoned it momentarily staggered.
The other one however didn't lose his composure. A golden aura spread around him and swept his arms in the air with inhumane speed. Suddenly, a golden cord wrapped around Talj's right arm and his spear.He tried to break free but the guard's grip was firm.
I can't cast spells… This guard seems to be professional at subduing targets. He thought.
"Hey, Aklas." Talj mused. "Don't these guys seem more powerful than the bunch we fought at Rolmea."
"I assume they are now authorized to use extreme measures, whereas in Rolmea they were under order to simply seize you while also underestimating our capabilities given their number and our young age."
"I see… Then I suppose it would be a great crime to dishonor their efforts and not step up our game too, right?"
Aklas allowed himself to chuckle at the theatrical question. With a slight nod, the two brothers stepped into action.
Aklas suddenly shot another projectile above the trio. The guards, too surprised to see the archer miss his shot so badly, reacted a second too late. The captain raised his staff to intercept the projectile but before he could do anything the dart exploded right above their head.
The blast disrupted both Aklas and The Dali's footing, but he did not falter. He strided forward, kicked one of the guards on the face and jumped in a pirouette over the head of the group.
The two other guards forced themselves on their feet and turned to face him.
"You fight well." The captain said. "No wonder General Salzeka praised you both before warning us of the danger you pose. It is a shame our battle must unfold in such dire circumstances."
"Aye." Aklas replied, warily eyeing the reinforcements that seemed to approach. "May I add a few words before continuing our fight?"
"Do so." The captain nodded.
"Never turn your back on your opponent."
In that moment, a powerful gush of wind streamed on them from the back, shattering the group on the ground. Talj, who had knocked out his opponents, summoned Cloud Breaker, finishing the rest of the guards.
Talj joined with his brother and glanced at the group that was almost on them.
"Talk about being famous." He said, recalling Aklas's sarcastic comment at the bandit's camp.
"Where to, from here?" The hunter asked.
"I know a place not far from here where we can hide, we just have to lose them." Talj suggested.
"Are you sure it's safe?" Aklas asked.
"The market has run out of better options, brother."
Aklas nodded before saying:
"Lead the way."
Once more, Talj used Ghost Burst on himself and Aklas and escaped through a narrow alley…. Where two other guards waited for them.
The first one, a woman with an axe dashed at Talj who parried her strike with his weapon's staff. The blacksmith squatted down and performed a circular sweep of his feet. The guard jumped back to avoid the blow and sent a fireball at him. Talj rolled to dodge it and sent a frost spell at the feet of the other guard who, too distracted by his fight with Aklas to notice, cursed in surprise before getting knocked out in a strike from the hunter's bow.
Another fireball got shot at Talj who countered it with his spear. His opponent was suddenly on him and kicked him in the guts, stunning him momentarily.
"The Dali will not let your wicked plans prevail!" She exclaimed in a triumphal tone.
Talj rubbed his belly and winced.
"And they said to go easy on ladies." He mumbled before throwing his weapon at her.
The guard skillfully caught the weapon midair before proudly glaring at Talj.
"Is this all your strength amounts to?" She taunted.
Talj ignored her and simply snapped his fingers, unleashing Binding Light. The thunderbolts escaped from the spear and spread around the guard's body, stupefying her.
Talj then quickly turned behind him. Many other Dali soldiers were closing in on them. He unleashed Cyclone's Parade and drew a large wall of ice to buy them time.
"That won't hold them for long." He told Aklas.
Suddenly, a purple rope appeared above Aklas. The two looked up and found three Dali guards flying above them, one of them pulling the rope.
"I got one!" He said.
"No you don't!"
Talj jumped onward and reached for his brother's arm. He tried to keep him anchored to the ground but to no avail.
"It's okay, Talj!" Aklas assured him. "I'll find my way out, so you better do the same!"
Talj, however, stubbornly held on to his brother.
"I lost you once already, I am not losing you again!" He exclaimed, furiously.
"Come on brother, now is not the time to be stubborn. More guards are coming, so you'll have to let go eventually." Aklas gave him a small smile. "Go find your shelter, I'll join you later. I promise."
Talj looked into his brother's green and reassuring eyes and finally nodded before loosening his grip on his brother's arms.
"Better stay alive until I find you, jackass!" He screamed to the hunter before dashing away.
Talj ran forward into another alley and jumped over a small wall. He was just one street away from his destination, but before he could reach it two other guards blocked his path.
"My, my. What do we have here?" The first one said. "Her Majesty will be pleased when we hand her The Spear boy."
Members of The Darkness. Talj thought to himself. They're wearing Dali uniforms, so they must be spies.
The presence of troops from The Darkness gave him an opportunity to finally let loose. Being his sworn enemies, this was a fight where he was not allowed to feel merciful.
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
In the Kaelnah's Dali headquarters, Officer Lisa stood atop a central platform, in a room as busy as chaotic. Guards and workers dashed left and right, reports and documents raced to be read and seen to. The presence of the two criminals in Kaelnah caused such a movement of panic and fear that the entire city was sending them demands.
And them moving around with such haste is not helping either.
Lisa was surrounded with magical scrolls and Scrying Communication Mirrors, receiving multiple messages from all across the town.
"... the white haired one caused a cyclone in the south district…"
"... the one with the bow escaped east…"
"... captain Tof's team is nowhere to be found…"
Any normal human would collapse under the pressure of such an immense amount of information being filtered in their brain, but not Lisa. Although young, she's spent harsh years as a Dali Officer that shaped her strength, and has gone through a vigorous training under General Salzeka himself. She was ready for critical situations that required twice as much attention as she could provide.
"Call off your men. All of them." A voice startled her from behind, although she didn't flinch.
Looking back, her eyes widened at the sight of her general, sword sheathed in hand. His brown beard carried an amused smile, as if he found a jest in the situation that Lisa failed to perceive.
"General Salzeka, I promise you there's no need for someone of your stature to get involved. The Dali can easily handle this matter."
"No they cannot." He replied. "I trained you, kid, so I know how strong you are. This ain't the kind of fight you or your teams are ready for."
Lisa squinted her eyes. Obviously, the General knew something she didn't, but it wasn't her place to question orders.
"Yes, General Salzeka."