"I told you what happened when we fought, and you're just letting him go?" Staring at the escaping rebels, Yamor inquired.
"Black magic isn't magic that can be tamed. Just give it time, and he will be corrupted, bringing unimaginable damage to the rebels and stopping their advance for the next couple of years." Prince Kabujr stared down at Vlad and the company while explaining to his son about the dangers of black magic. "But before that happens, they will be in for a treat. One they would never see coming."
..
Reaching the outskirts of the city, the group kept moving, not stopping until they were far from Frageor.
As they caught their breath and tended to their wounds, Aidynr approached Vlad.
"I heard your vote was the deciding factor that prompted you all to come back for me," he said, gratitude evident in his eyes. "Thank you."
Vlad nodded, the weight of their decision still heavy on his shoulders. "We can only make a difference if we stick together."
The group set up a makeshift camp, finally allowing themselves a moment of rest. They had survived another harrowing adventure–one that had almost cost them a dear friend.
..
The camp buzzed with activity as Vlad, Aidynr, and their company returned from their perilous mission. The fires of Frageor had left them battered and exhausted, but they were alive, and they had succeeded in their tasks.
"I guessed with your attitude, you must have scared death away, seeing as you're alive and unharmed." Walking up to Aidynr's team, Zayxehr looked at Vlad.
"Yet I can't seem to scare you away." Responding to Zayxehr, Vlad smiled.
She might not have the best attitude, but at least her presence signified that he was safely back to the camp and away from the dangers of the Forsaken Land and the City of Frageor.
"You should be glad I can manage your attitude." Turning toward the rest of the group, she informed them, "The leaders are waiting for you all."
Acknowledging Zayxehr's words, they gathered in the central tent, where the leaders of the Forsaken Land's rebels awaited their reports.
Aidynr stepped forward first, detailing his mission with concise, practiced precision. "The artifact is kept in a safehouse underneath the palace of Prince Kabujr, and safeguarded by at least ten viscount-level sorcerers and three earl-level sorcerers."
"That's a lot of manpower," one of the leaders, a man with brown hair cut short, complained with a frown.
"An artifact that can increase the rate of drawing a runic symbol of a marquess-level spell? I wouldn't be surprised if the Prince guarded it himself." Sitting in the middle of the leaders, a woman who appeared no older than thirty commented.
Coming up next, Leilatr gave the details of her mission, explaining the whereabouts of the hidden passages contained in the City of Frageor.
After each member sent to Frageor had explained the details of their task, it finally came to Vlad's turn.
Giving his observations, he said, "The guards have a pattern of patrolling in groups of ten, and they usually patrol a particular street twice in an hour. Those manning the city gate are usually not concerned about those entering the city. It's either they're just carefree, or they're careless about who or what gets into the city.
After the initial chaos a few of us carried out in order to escape, the guards became alert. Their response time was swift, and their patrols became more frequent. When carrying out further missions, it would be reasonable to expect tighter security."
The leaders nodded, absorbing the information.
Hayteyr, one of the key figures in the rebellion, smiled at Vlad. "You did well, Vlad. We needed that information. You've proven yourself."
The central leader nodded at Hayteyr's words as she addressed the rebels in the tent. "Let's welcome Vlad as the newest member of our family."
The rebels applauded, congratulating Vlad for becoming one of them.
..
As the meeting came to an end, Zayxehr introduced Vlad to the unique system the rebels used to manage their resources and rewards.
"We operate on a system of contribution points," she explained. "These points are our currency. You earn them by completing missions, performing tasks for others who have points, or winning gambling matches. Contribution points are not easily earned, so take caution in spending them."
"I understand." Vlad nodded, grasping the gravity of the system.
With their next mission still some time away, he decided to use his spare time to get accustomed to his new life as a wizard.
"How would you like to spar with me?" Happy to do so with Zayxehr, he requested a spar.
"Are you asking me out on a date?" Trying to make Vlad nervous and uncomfortable, Zayxehr smiled.
"Reywfl!" Summoning a rose flower with his incantation, he brought it to his nose. "If that's what you want."
Receiving the rose, Zayxehr brought it to her nose with a smile on her face. "I will indulge in your little game, Vlad. I hope you don't disappoint."
Both arrived at the combat ground of the Resistance. They stood ten feet apart, ready and prepared to begin.
"Zayxehr is about to face off against the new blood. This will be fun to watch."
The presence of Zayxehr and Vlad in the combat ground drew a large number of spectators, all interested to see the extent of Vlad's magic.
"I'm beginning to feel bad for you, Vlad. Losing under the spectating eyes of this many people can create a lot of damaging rumors." Zayxehr caressed the cover of her grimoire as she looked at Vlad.
"That's supposed to be my line, Zayxehr." Done with his words, he chanted the incantation to invoke a wind slide.
Responding to Vlad's wind slide with one of her own, the pages of Zayxehr's grimoire fluttered as she slid her thumb across the page containing the wind slide runic symbol.
Preparing the wind slide magic to better dodge attacks and move around freely, both Vlad and Zayxehr channeled their magic from their sources–one from within his mind, the other from within her grimoire.
"Aren't you going to attack?" With the pages of her grimoire fluttering, Zayxehr asked.
"Ladies first." Clearly hearing several incantations streaming into his ears, Vlad couldn't wait to chant them all.
Sliding her thumb across the page of her grimoire, Zayxehr summoned a mass of flame that rose from beneath Vlad's legs.
Riding away from the eye of the flame, words fled from Vlad's mouth as wind blades tore through the flames surrounding him, opening a path.
With words still being spoken, he invoked several wind blades hurtling rapidly toward Zayxehr.
Unfazed by the wind blades racing at her, Zayxehr enclosed herself in a ball of water, stopping the wind blades from intruding into her inner sphere.
Suffering from the aftereffects of the clash between the wind blades and the water ball, the ground around Zayxehr was ravaged by cuts and slashes, hinting at the dangers a single wind blade could do to a body.
Tasking her mind, she retained the defensive magic while the pages of her grimoire turned toward an offensive runic symbol.
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