Talj eyed his opponents attentively, keeping his fighting stance firm. The bladed edge of his spear was menacingly pointing at them. The two men only snarled, unimpressed.
"Look at him, Kelp, I think the kid's angry." Said the one on his left.
"I can see that!" The other scoffed. "Brats learn a few cheap tricks and think of themselves as warriors! I don't get what threat Her Majesty sees in him, but if it can help us get-"
The Darkness spy could not finish his sentence. Talj had activated Ghost Burst and was on him in less than a second. The blacksmith dismissed his spell before making contact with his opponent, and once his body regained tangibility he thrust his weapon towards his enemy's neck.
The spy took a swift step back, barely avoiding the strike. But Talj didn't give up, using the latent energy of his previous spell and his momentum, he exaggerated the thrusting motion of his weapon and poured mystical energy into it, manifesting it in the form of a powerful lightning bolt that found its target in a blinding flash, leaving the spy on the ground, his skin partly roasted in a charcoal color from the immense heat of the strike.
"Kelp!" The other called out.
The very few civilians that were present near the scene fled the street in panicked screams.
"Sorry about that." Talj's expression was dark and brimmed with animosity. "But your friend let his guard completely open there."
The other guard unsheathed two daggers, a savage rage leaked from his eyes.
"I'm going to gut you open and feed your insides my crows!" He said before lunging at Talj.
Talj took a single sufficient second to think. If he didn't hurry another wave of guards would soon join them, but leaving these two alive was completely out of the question.
"Bolt, finish the other one before he wakes up." He commanded.
A cyan puddle of smoke formed behind him before taking the shape of his summon. The wolf leaped off towards the unconscious guard who was still too dizzy to realize the danger that befell him.
Talj allowed himself to smile, he could now focus on his opponent a bit more at ease. He parried the spy's strike with his blade and replicated through a circular motion from left to right. His opponent took a stride back, raised his right dagger and slashed it towards Talj.
That's too far to reach me. The blacksmith thought to himself, but he wasn't dupe. He felt the magical power that coursed through his foe's weapon. A dark semi-circular ray following the dagger's motion shot from the blade and darted at him rapidly. Talj stepped to the side, avoiding the spell by inches. However, when the attack passed by him it suddenly exploded in a purple smoke, leaving Talj temporarily disoriented.
To Talj's surprise, his body started to feel heavy, and upon glaring at his opponent, a part of him found the idea of harming the spy repulsive, as if a small part of him didn't wish to harm his enemy.
The feeling died almost instantly. Talj squinted his eyes.
A spell that overrides the target's will and replaces it with his own. That's indeed Dark Magic at play. However a spell like that must need the target to have a weaker mental resolve and must consume a good amount of power.
As if confirming his thought, Talj realized that the guard he was fighting was starting to sweat and pant.
"You got a strong mind, brat, I'll give you that." The spy smirked. "But you're not winning this one, if this is all you can do."
"Big talk for someone who can barely stand." The blacksmith retaliated.
Footsteps echoed from across the street. Another group of guards approached from the other end of the street. Talj called off his summon to avoid having it suffer unnecessary harm.
"Starting to realize you're not cut for this?" His opponent taunted.
Talj smirked in return. He activated Ghost Burst again, but this time he didn't reach for a specific area. Instead, Talj unleashed his spell in an immensely quick succession of dashes. He felt his body glow in a cyan light, merging and becoming one with his spell. He felt himself swiftly lose tangibility and change into a pure bolt of energy. He zigzagged in four long but instantaneous strides, moving around his opponent in rapid flashes of lightning.
"What the fu-"
Overwhelmed by the vertiginous speed and randomness of Talj's movements, the guard failed to follow them. Disoriented, he didn't notice the blacksmith's presence behind him, and stumbled on his feet. Talj didn't hesitate. He ruthlessly plunged his spear in his opponent's neck and pierced his throat before pulling the blade out. He heard the vertebrae crack and shatter apart, whereas the guard's airway ruptured, splashing blood out of the wound in a sickening squirt.
The spy's eyes widened in surprise before immediately going limp collapsing on the floor, his severed spine could no longer fuel his muscles and keep him standing. Without sparing him even a glance, Talj turned away from the corpse and fled the scene. Taking calculated turns to lose his assailers, he clad himself in lightning to hasten his pace until he finally found himself in front of his targeted location: A wooden home situated in a faubourg where houses were chaotically dispersed.
This is going to be quite the messy reunion. Talk sighed before concealing his magic signature.
He looked left and right, making sure no one was seeing him.
Is it just me or did it get too quiet all of a sudden? He thought, realizing that guards were no longer on his tail.
Without lingering to find out if he actually lost them, Talj took the doorknob with his hand. He knew his friend had a habit of leaving it unlocked if he was inside his home. Swiftly, the blacksmith spun the knob and made his way into the modest house before closing the door behind him.
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
Targhyr never loved change. A word that promised a shift where normality would be different, forcing adaptation if one wished not to be overrun by the world's course. He wasn't without sense, however. As an ex-Dali Sergeant, he knew the importance of change in the grand scheme of things. Evolution was compulsory for humanity's preservation. The successes of the future must be built on the mistakes of the past.
Ideologies will uncover their own flaws, knowledge will expand, marking the obligation of adopting new standards, switching opinions from the old and faulty to a future that's less crippled. Just like babies who had to burn their fingertips painfully before finally understanding that fire can be harmful.
However, even if he acknowledged that permanence was a necessary aspect of life, what Targhyr despised about change is the commotion that accompanied its path. When normality shifted, it would always cause chaos, and it has always been his duty to contain that chaos.
There would always be those who were scared of the unknown and would refuse novelty, sticking to their old ways stubbornly. There would need to be supervision as destruction and rebuilding went through. There would also be those who'd use the new tide as a way to stir the ship as they wish while everyone is distracted. And it goes without mentioning that getting used to a new order would take time and patience, two resources that not everyone thrived upon…
In short, change was a pain in the arse to deal with. And the more extreme that change was, the more violent the wave that would sweep them to rearrange their lives would be.
And now, Targhyr realized that Ylbunish went through the greatest change it has undergone ever since The Collapse. He had no way to prove it, but he could feel it as clearly as he could see the blue sky.
He may be a retired sergeant, but he still had close ties with The Dali. In the past months, he sensed as if there was a great panic within the military guild that watched over the continent. Urgency and anxiety filled almost every conversation he had with his old colleagues.
Furthermore, an unease anchored in his chest as of late. Hushed whispers and shady people filled the streets with more frequency than before. Every time he went out for a walk, he'd find himself furrowing eyebrows at citizens who appeared suspicious to him. But yet again, he couldn't quite grasp why he felt that way towards seemingly honest people. Maybe the sudden rise of the crime rate in Kaelnah played on his mind.
And just when he started to believe that maybe his sickness and old age simply started to make him paranoid, another surprise presented itself: A bit more than a week ago, the white haired child he had let into his house years ago before seeing him go live in the archipelago of Enyo was proclaimed as a highly dangerous criminal wanted dead or alive.
Targhyr was shocked. He never expected to hear Talj's name being uttered by his General's mouth, let alone in these circumstances. According to Salzeka's claims, Talj belonged in the treacherous order of The Spear and he was set on finishing what his guild had started: Cause a war that would bring the end of the entire continent. He even escaped the custody of all The Dali Generals, which made him highly dangerous.
Targhyr always felt that the child hid things from him. Every orphan had secrets if they survived in the streets on their own. But even now, he couldn't believe the General's description. That little kid who tried his best to maintain a broken smile, who had such an innocent spark when he repaired his weapons and who would find joy in performing his duty as an Adventurer could never be a madman that spread misery for the sake of his entertainment.
And even years after his departure, he would take a boat once a year to visit Targhyr out of compassion and gratitude. This wasn't the behavior of the psychopath that Salzeka had described.
Nonetheless, the greatest surprise of all was seeing that same child, now grown, in his living room, standing up. Face broken, eyes glimmering with a broken hope and clothes that looked like his he had just gone through a forest of thorns.
Targhyr looked at his uninvited guest for a long minute before sighing to himself.
"Hello, Sir Targhyr." Talj said, a hint of apprehension in his voice.
"Talj, my boy, you've put yourself in one fancy mess." The old man said before coughing violently.
Targhyr sat down on his armchair and gestured to the blacksmith to take the opposite sofa.
The living room was not very spacious, for the old sergeant preferred his housing to be simple. Two chairs, a table, a sofa and a chimney. That's all he needed to accommodate himself.
Talj sat down on the sofa, his face reflecting worry and fatigue. He tried to keep his breathing steady, but Targhyr could see him fighting panic.
What in the world have you gone through, kid?
"Let me guess." The ex-sergeant said, his expression stern. "The alarm outside is because of you, right? And you need a place to hide, so you came here."
"You seem quite calm about hosting a criminal." His guest replied.
"I've been unfazed by worse. Besides, what will panic do to me? I'm not as strong as I used to be so running or fighting won't serve much."
The blacksmith looked down, defeated.
"I'm… really sorry that we meet in this situation, Sir Targhyr." Talj started. "I didn't have anywhere else to go, I don't mean to put you in danger by hiding here-"
"Spare me the worried monologue, kid. They've been on my arse for days now, so I doubt your presence changes much. Besides, this sickness is gonna be the death of me soon." He added in a violent set of coughs.
"I…" Talj opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
"However, I'll still need an explanation of what's going on.' Targhyr demanded.
"I wish I could tell you, but it's a long story… And the more you know the less helpful it would be for all of us, believe me."
"Kid." Targhyr's voice was strict, but not threatening. "I don't know what bullshit you've put yourself in, but people died simply 'cause they knew you. I am ready to believe that everything that's been said about you was bollocks, but you can't tell me to blindly tag along with-"
"People died..?" Talj's face went white as a sheet.
"Yes." Targhyr squinted his eyes. "And by the looks of it, you didn't expect that."
"No, of course not! How!?"
"You tell me, kid."
"Sir Targhyr, please! Believe me when I say that I never planned, nor expected, anyone to die because of my actions!"
Seeing the incredulous look on his friend's face, Targhyr sighed again. The veteran guard told the blacksmith about Salzeka's announcement, about how he accused Talj of conspiring against the safety of The Five Lands.
"I didn't buy half his words, obviously." Targhyr went on. "Something felt off about his tone, like he was reciting some text he memorized. But then, out of nowhere, Salzeka said that, out of precaution, they had to lock up all the fellas that knew you."
"What!?" Talj's eyes opened wide.
"Yes. His words were as such: 'As we don't know whether Talj Horsh had accomplices with whom he had shared his plans, The Dali will investigate every connection that he had. Every family, friend and lover shall be apprehended and questioned as precautionary measures for the sake of our continent's peace.'"
"Oh no…" Talj said, already anticipating the following words.
"Aye, you guessed it." Targhyr coughed once more. "Your buddy from the Adventurer's Guild- I believe his name was Loyd- got killed. As I said, they've been on my arse for a few days but being a sick old man and their old superiors, they spared me the brutality of prison out of respect, but I can't say your friend was as lucky."
Talj stayed silent, his eyes looking down again.
"When they came for him, he resisted." The old man continued. "Saying it was complete nonsense, that he had nothing to do with whatever you were accused of. He tried to fend the guards who tried to take him in. I don't know the details of how it happened , kid but…"
Talj nodded, indicating he understood.
Targhyr went silent, letting his friend quietly take in the news and mourn. He knew that Talj and Loyd weren't as close as they used to be in the past, but that didn't diminish the pain of loss. The grey haired sergeant looked through the small open window.
It sure is calm outside.
When the alarm occurred, patrols and guards rolled on the streets. But now, no Dali uniform passed by the area.
If they gave up the chase they should have resounded the alarm, to indicate to people they can go out of their homes now.
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
Talj was boiling from the inside. Piecing Targhyr's words with what he knew, there was no doubt that The Darkness was behind his friend's death.
The way he told the announcement's contents doesn't even sound like how Salzeka would speak!
He remembered Loyd. A boastful, optimistic and slightly clumsy adventurer. He recalled all the times his friendly laughter filled their expeditions in The Daiko Hills. When they fought together against isolated monsters to train their abilities together. And now, Loyd would never spark the world with his laughter again.
It was clear to Talj now: His foes were trying to fight him through the people that were close to him.
How about Xara? Is she safe? She must be… Queen Lin herself promised that she'd do everything to protect her… Yes… She has to be safe. My little starlight has always been resourceful, she always found a way out of tricky situations with a confident smile… I'm confident that she's safe and that Link kept her word.
Talj wasn't sure if it was hope or reason that spoke, but he frankly didn't care. He suddenly bolted on his feet, surprising Targhyr. He didn't sense any magical energy around him and no patrol seemed to have gotten close to Targhyr's house now. Hiding any longer would not suit him.
Talj closed his fist in rage. The Darkness has taken his friend from him, and there was no telling what other harm they would do to him, and to the rest of Ylbunish. The more he waited, the more damage they'd deal.
Thunderous energy snaked around his body. Zaps cracked from his skin, barely contained by Talj's will. He turned towards the front door, ready to face the outside world again. Targhyr got up from his seat as rapidly as his age allowed it and called him out:
"Ah, you're going already? Well, you still haven't told me exactly what's going on but judging by your face… I believe I can't hold you here any longer."
"I have to go, sir." Talj answered. "I'm sorry I can't give you a more thorough explanation but if I don't go now then the world as we know it will soon be gone."
Targhyr nodded.
"No big deal, ey?" He joked in a cough. "Go, kid. Do what you gotta do."
The blacksmith opened the front door, and stepped outside.
"Alas, the returnee is out of the house." A voice echoed on his left.
Talj looked at the sound's direction in surprise and was bewildered to find Nyr, completely safe and sound, standing in front of a crate.
"Nyr!?" Talj choked on the name.
"In the feathers." The Night Eagle replied, bowing his head.
"I thought something happened to you!"
"Aye, it did. But I shall tell you on the way. Fetch your brother, we must flee this city at once."
"A Night Eagle…?" Targhyr appeared on the door's frame. "I thought they were only legends."
"Legends carry enough lies to make you forget the truth within them." The bird quipped.
"Uhm… Nyr this is Targhyr, Targhyr this is my mentor, Nyr." Talj felt awkward presenting them.
Targhyr nodded his head.
"Well these sure are curious times we live in." He commented.
"Talj, where is Aklas?" Nyr asked.
"We got separated in the turmoil… I'll also tell you later. Now we have to go find him."
"With how big this city is, our best hope would be that he leaks enough magic for us to locate him." Nyr said.
Suddenly, a booming sound resounded throughout the entirety of Kaelnah, accompanied by a sudden flash. The trio gazed at the horizon to find red smoke filling the sky. Another sound, but this time they could see the source clearly: A giant explosion illuminated in the night sky, resonating vibrantly in the city.
Talj recognized the crimson light of Aklas's Trigger spell. That could only mean that the spectacle they were witnessing was an indication of his location.
"Or that works too, I believe." Nyr said.
"Sir Targhyr, please take care of yourself." Talj bid goodbye to his friend.
"Will do, kid. Don't get in too much trouble yourself."
"Let's go Talj. Luckily for us, your brother isn't far off from where we are."
Without further ado, Talj followed Nyr's course towards the source of the explosions.
𖤓─────✧✦✧─────𖤓
Aklas crashed on the ground painfully. He had managed to ditch the guard that scooped him from his brother and fell on his shoulder in a nearby street. Despite hardening himself with magic, the impact still hurt a lot.
Let's hope it's not broken or dislocated. He thought to himself, rubbing it.
He got on his feet and ran out of the street rapidly. He took random turns, not checking if anyone was following him. The young hunter jumped over crates, slid under carts and strided forward… Until he found himself in front of a large garden where a dozen guards awaited.
You've got to be kidding me!
The circular area offered no coverage. The magnificent fountain that adorned its central part seemed to look at him with a scoff.
"Halt there!" A Dali soldier called him.
Aklas summoned his bow again and equipped an arrow. His opponents adopted a fighting stance. As he got ready for another fight, the archer noticed something amiss.
The central guard -From his uniform he seemed to be high ranked- paused in his motions and looked furiously at the sky.
Aklas squinted, realizing that there was a magical energy surging from him. However, he couldn't sense any spells coming out of his enemy.
"Are you sure?" The guard abruptly spoke up. "But one of them is right in front of us… Orders from the General..? Okay I understand… Thank you…"
A telepathic spell. Aklas realized.
"At ease everyone." The guard said. "We're all to return to The Academy. Orders from the General."
He spared Aklas a glance before sheathing his sword. The other guards looked at each other with unsure glances. However, seeing their captain turn around and leave convinced them to put their blades back on their scabbards and follow him.
They're giving up!? Aklas couldn't feel rejoiced at the news despite seeing The Dali leave him be. They wouldn't just let a criminal rampant in the street, so why were they ordered to abandon the battle?
The hunter dismissed his arrow but didn't put the bow away. His senses were on high alert, ready to call out a trap before it could catch him.
Or so he thought.
"Finally, they've left us alone." A voice reached him from behind.
Aklas swiftly turned on his feet to meet the newcomer, but he suddenly felt his legs part from the ground. The world spun around him, making him feel nauseous. A suffocating pain suddenly crashed through his back, stealing his breath away.
Blood spurted out of his mouth, its metallic taste filling his tongue. This time he felt his ribs crack. He tried to get back up but he was still too dizzy to find his equilibrium. As he fell on his stomach again, Aklas was astonished to see that he was near the fountain, its structure now filled with cracks where water leaked from.
What the heck was that!?
He felt as if an invisible wave ruthlessly pushed him all the way from where he was standing and rammed him into the edifice.
"Well that's quite the disappointment." The same voice spoke again.
Aklas suddenly felt it. The presence of a strong Dark Mage. He looked up and found a short man with a long face, his eyes glowed in a deep purple color. He had a short trimmed mustache and messy hair, both black. He wore simple farmer clothes, which Aklas suspected was because this man used to blend in with the population.
Behind the man, however, stood a much more impressive creature. It looked like a lion at first glance but it was as huge as half an elephant, and its fur was blue. A menacing set of teeth, accentuated by two overly large canines, glared at Aklas. The hunter dug through his memory and found a name to it: Saber Lion. His mother used to tell him about various monsters from all across The Five Lands, which allowed him to recognize it. The Dark Man went on with an irritated arrogant tone:
"When high lore Kroll gave me this task, I felt insulted by the banality of it. To think he'd waste someone of my caliber on something so trivial. But now that I see how pathetic my target actually is, I am more convinced that this is nothing but a joke."
Aklas finally struggled himself on his feet, raising up his bow that he miraculously managed to clutch to when he had been swept across the park.
The saber lion growled and took a step towards him but the mage turned towards it, arm raised up to indicate submission.
"Easy there, Hugo." He said. "Apparently we can't kill this one yet."
Seizing the opportunity of his enemy turning his back on him, Aklas shot a Trigger arrow. To his horror, the mage raised his hand and caught the arrow in the air, as if his limb was animated by a consciousness of its own. The arrow dissolved in the Dark Mage's palm before he gazed at Aklas again.
"You call this a spell?" He taunted.
Without losing his defiance, the archer shot another spell at his opponent. This time, a thin sword appeared in his opponent's hand and, with one swift motion of the blade, destroyed the spell that came for him.
Aklas cursed internally. He was a hunter, not a fighter. He wasn't fit for an open combat like this. Furthermore, not only has his body sustained a great amount of damage from lack of sleep and his recent battles in Kaelnah, but he was also starting to feel himself burn at the last of his magical resources.
He had spent more than an hour fueling the invisibility spell for Nyr before being thrown in a dangerous manhunt without taking the time to recuperate. His head started to hurt and his eyes felt heavy. His body was starting to hurt itself to muster the last bits of strength that he demanded.
And from what Aklas could see, this Dark Mage wasn't one of the usual troops The Darkness sent through its portals. This was an elite soldier, which confirmed that fighting would only lead to his death -Or defeat considering his foe mentioned not being able to kill him.
Which leaves only one option: Buy for time.
Aklas conjured two Trigger arrows again, to which his opponent gave him an exasperated look.
"Again!?" He exclaimed with a triggered voice. "I blocked your spell twice now, so pray tell, what makes you think that repeating the same action on loop will bring different results?
"Third time's the charm." Aklas replied before shooting his first arrow in the sky. When the explosion echoed, he felt like vomiting. The pain in his shoulder and ribs pulsated intensely.
He didn't give in yet. Gritting his teeth, Aklas shot the second arrow in the sky. When the spell triggered, his headache exploded even more violently. He felt like passing out, but he shut down those feelings away. When pain was too strong, he had taught himself to focus on the bare minimum needed to survive whichever situation he was: Breathing and keeping his eyes on the enemy.
The Dark Mage looked up in the sky, unimpressed. He arched an eyebrow before shaking his head in a disapproving sigh, like a man watching children ruin his crops while playing but that was too tired to scorn them.
"Well if you're done with your circus, I'll just-" He started before getting interrupted by the hunter:
"What did you do with Nyr?"
"The Night Eagle?" The mage shrugged nonchalantly. "I caught him and prepared to lock him up. But that chicken was way too clever, I'll give him that. To think he played me like a moron… Oh doesn't matter!"
The Dark Mage took a few steps towards Aklas.
"If you're done playing tricks, I think it's time I wrap up this stupid mission and actually move on to the important matter."
As the dark haired man approached Aklas, the young hunter suddenly raised his eyebrow before letting one a singly humorless laugh. Slowly, it was followed by a chuckle. And in a matter of seconds, Aklas started laughing wholeheartedly.
The mage gave him a suspicious look and stopped in his tracks.
"Out of all the reactions I expected, this wasn't on my list." He said. "Did you fall on your head?"
Aklas continued laughing, which only irritated the Dark Mage even more.
"Great. Out of all the people I could have caught, Kroll asked me to deliver him a retar-"
"I have to say, you're one unlucky fella." Alklas suddenly said.
"What-"
"I never saw him this furious before. And judging by the amount of energy he's leaking, I don't think he's gonna hold back this time."
The mage suddenly looked to the side, finally catching up. A third presence could be felt apart from them, and it was approaching really fast while emanating an ominously gigantic amount of magical power.
"Hey jackass." Aklas grinned. "You got a name?"
The Dark Mage furrowed his eyebrows for a few seconds, but he answered:
"Klaus."
"Better give it your all, Klaus."
Aklas's grin grew wider before his eyes closed. The hunter's limpid body fell on the ground, still conscious but too weak to move.
Thunder erupted. Grey clouds gathered above the buildings, hiding the stars and moons. The city didn't plunge into darkness for long however. A flash of lightning sparked the sky, followed by another, and another… Slowly, the clouds became the stage of an orchestra of lightning and thunder. Detonation after detonation, bolt after bolt… The clouds lit up and vibrated as pure light coursed through them in mighty roars.
The wind joined the cacophony. It started as a gentle breeze before slowly gaining pace and swirling around the park, carrying small blades of grass and dirt and whispering its cold lifeless melody. The temperature seemed to drop ever so slightly, but it was enough to make Klaus's spine shiver uneasily.
Hugo, the Saber Lion, suddenly looked up to his left and growled fiercely, his teeth bare.
Klaus, barely hearing his hisses over the wind's tune, followed his gaze, but saw nothing but the clouds, illuminated by the dance of the lightning bolts that snaked through them.
Aklas smiled.
So this is the power of someone who trained directly under Shaja… You didn't stop improving little brother.
Another flash of light illuminated the sky, but this time, it drew a silhouette that seemed to float in the sky, towering over Kaelnah with a firm and dark expression. He did not scream nor strike directly, but he didn't have to. His presence alone was enough to testify the pressure of his strength.
Klaus squinted, trying to get a better look at the newcomer. Despite his arrogant airs, he was not without reason. He could feel the magical energy course around him, and its source was the young man that floated far above his head, eyeing him with a stern and ominous look.
He wore a long coat that swayed in the wind. His hands in his pocket in an unbothered fashion, as if he was unfazed by the menacing weather that gathered around Kaelnah. His eyes, now glowing blue, gazed at Klaus in a menacing calm.
The newcomer suddenly flashed, and lightning struck the park. When Klaus and Aklas's visions came to them, he was no longer in the sky, but standing in front of them, with the same threatening and nonchalant posture.
"Oh look who finally showed up!" Klaus exclaimed. "Talj Horsh, am I right? Thank you for coming to me directly, it spares me the annoying task of fishing you up. Now then, before you futilely attempt to fight me, I must tell you-"
"Shut up." The blacksmith's voice was cold.
Talj summoned his spear, a fear inducing calm in his action, contrasting with the sparks of lightning that seeped from his body.
"Arm yourself." He simply said before lunging at his opponent.