ASH POV
The soldiers move me to the forest as I planned what I was going to do to escape. Eventually, I gave up but then, I had a feeling that we were being followed. I felt like a million people wanted to take my life but a thought came to me. What if they were the Silvan trying to help me?. Or what they were just patrol soldiers. I looked at the guards certain that they were feeling unease. Maybe they are sensing what I am sensing. Maybe they are having the feeling of being followed. If they were, that means the people following are not patrol officers. I calmed my nerves as I felt the wind. I heard movements. Just one. So the attacker is alone. By the way he is moving, it feels like he is a trained soldier. Eventually, the soldiers couldn't take it anymore because one of them took out his sword and yelled
"Who are you? Show yourself. I command it"
"Who are you to command me?" A voice replied. The voice sounded familiar. A mix of playfulness, arrogance, and ignorance. It feels like he is smiling.
"I am using the power of the king of Kadia" The soldier replied scared.
Then, the follower came out. He was wearing a mask that covered his face. I saw his eyes. It was like the color of storm. Looks familiar. He looked at me and said.
"Hello Ash. Long time no see"
"Regal" I said
"Yep" He said and attacked the soldiers.
Thirty second later, I was released from the ropes.
"I thought you died" I said
"Yeah. Thats a nice way to greet your friend"
I punched his hands playfully as we had done as kids a million times.
"Lets go rescue your girl" He said
I had almost forgotten about Nyxara.
"She is not my girl" I mumbled.
"Yeah Sure"
I took out my staff, anger on my face as we went out of the forest taking the guards horses.
"How did you know I was alive?" I asked
"Well, when I heard that my Kingdom was conquered by Zaroth, I planned to assassinate him and collect the kingdom from him. As I journeyed, I heard of soldiers who died by five mages and a mage that seemed to bend shadows. Well, that seemed weird. I mean why will five mage journey together just to kill soldiers. A powerful mage can manage that. So, I traced that to you. I mean you are the only one that can control all the elements. If you think only my father know that, you are wrong." He replied. Then he said in an angry voice
"Why didn't you tell me that you were alive. You could have sent me a raven. I was worried for you."
"I am sorry." I didn't say that I forgot.
We rode in silence for a while. I could tell Regal was still mad.
We rode in silence for a while. I could tell Regal was still mad. The wind whipped around us, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth, a stark contrast to the tension that hung heavy in the air. I glanced at Regal, his masked face impassive, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. He was a changed man, hardened by his experiences, yet beneath the surface, I could still see the boy I had grown up with.
"Regal," I began, breaking the silence, "I'm truly sorry. I should have reached out. But… things were chaotic. After Master Aginor…" I trailed off, the grief still a raw wound.
He turned to me, his eyes softening slightly.
"I understand, Ash. But you should have known I'd come. I always will."
His words, though simple, carried a weight of unspoken promises, of a bond forged in childhood and tested by time. I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. "Thank you."
The silence returned, but this time, it was less strained, more like a comfortable understanding. We rode on, the urgency of rescuing Nyxara driving us forward.
"So," I said, trying to lighten the mood, "how did you know where they were taking her?"
"Magnus is predictable," Regal replied, a hint of disdain in his voice.
"He always uses the old interrogation chambers near the south gate. They're abandoned, but still secure. It's a habit of his, clinging to the familiar, even when it's rotting."
"And how do we get past the guards?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the looming gate.
Regal smirked, a flash of his old mischievous self.
"That's where you come in, Ash. A little elemental distraction never hurt anyone. Besides, it's always fun to see them scramble."
I wondered how he knew a lot about Magnus.
We reached the outskirts of Alderbrook, the town shrouded in the pre-dawn darkness. The south gate loomed before us, a dark silhouette against the pale sky, guarded by a handful of Kadian soldiers. Their postures were rigid, their eyes scanning the shadows, but a flicker of boredom betrayed their vigilance. Regal led us to a hidden vantage point, a cluster of gnarled trees overlooking the gate, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.
"Alright," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the rustling leaves, "Here's the plan. I'll create a diversion, draw their attention to the east side. Something loud, something…explosive. You create a distraction near the gate, something flashy, something that'll make them forget about everything else. Make it a spectacle, Ash. They need to be blind to what happens here."
I nodded, my mind already racing with possibilities, the elements swirling within me, eager to be unleashed. "Got it."
Regal slipped into the shadows, his movements fluid and silent, like a phantom melting into the darkness. A moment later, a series of thunderous explosions echoed from the east side of the gate, followed by shouts and the clash of steel. The guards at the south gate tensed, their heads snapping towards the commotion, their hands gripping their weapons. A wave of panic washed over them, their eyes wide with alarm.
"|Now!!!!" Regal yelled
I stepped out of the shadows, my staff crackling with energy, the runes glowing with an ethereal light.
"Ventus Fulgur!" I yelled, unleashing a swirling vortex of wind and lightning. The storm erupted near the gate, a blinding tempest of crackling energy and howling wind. The air crackled with raw power, the ground trembling beneath the force of the storm. The guards scattered, their shouts lost in the roar of the wind and the crackle of electricity, their forms blurred by the swirling chaos.
I seized the opportunity, sprinting towards the gate, my staff leading the way, a beacon of elemental fury. The guards, disoriented and panicked, were no match for my elemental assault. I blasted them with gusts of wind, sending them stumbling, their cries swallowed by the storm. I froze them in place with icy shards, their bodies encased in shimmering ice, their expressions frozen in terror. And I sent them sprawling with bursts of earth, the ground erupting beneath their feet, sending them flying through the air.
I reached the interrogation chambers, a dark, foreboding structure nestled against the town wall, its stone walls stained with the shadows of the past. The door was locked, a heavy iron gate that seemed impenetrable. But a quick blast of fire, a searing inferno that melted the hinges like butter, allowed me to burst inside.
The room was dimly lit, the air thick with the smell of damp stone, stale air, and fear. Nyxara was bound to a chair, her wrists and ankles secured by thick ropes, her eyes flashing with defiance, her gaze fixed on Louise. His face was grim, his eyes narrowed, his posture rigid. He held a wicked looking knife, the blade reflecting the dim light.
"Ash!" Nyxara exclaimed, her voice filled with relief and a hint of surprise.
"Looks like the cavalry arrived," I said, a grin spreading across my face, though my heart pounded in my chest.
Louise turned, his eyes widening in surprise, a flicker of fear crossing his face. "You!"
Before he could react, I unleashed a torrent of water, a surging wave that sent him crashing against the wall, his body slamming against the stone with a sickening thud. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. I rushed to Nyxara, quickly cutting her bonds with a shard of ice, the ropes falling away like discarded snakes.
"Let's get out of here," I said, grabbing her hand, my fingers tightening around hers.
We burst out of the chamber, Regal joining us, his eyes scanning the area, his expression grim. "We need to move, now. They'll be on us soon. We don't have much time."
We fled into the maze of alleyways, the sounds of pursuit echoing behind us, the shouts of the guards growing louder with each passing moment. We needed to find a safe place, a place to regroup and plan our next move. The fight was far from over, and we were now fugitives in the heart of Kadia's territory. I looked back to see Magnus on a big black stallion. He was holding my master bag.
"Regal, I need to get my bag."
Regal nodded grimly but I could see a light of fun in his stormy eyes.
"Aqua Vortex!" I roared, the words ripped from my throat as a churning vortex of water erupted from my hand, surging towards Magnus and his soldiers. The water, a roiling mass of liquid fury, crashed against Magnus's hastily erected shield. He, in turn, conjured a shimmering barrier of wind, a whirlwind of invisible force that deflected my attack, sending the water vortex crashing back towards me.
"Ignis Vortex!" I countered, channeling the raw heat of the earth. The water, now a swirling cloud of superheated steam, billowed outwards, obscuring the battlefield. I moved my hand in a sweeping motion, drawing upon the subtle currents of sky magic, bending the steam to my will. The vapor danced and writhed, a ghostly apparition, as I manipulated its form with intricate gestures, weaving it into a dense, suffocating shroud. Then, with a forceful push, I unleashed the steam, sending it surging through the air, a searing wave of vapor.
Simultaneously, I summoned a vortex of wind, a howling tempest that tore through the steam, propelling it towards Magnus and his soldiers. Magnus, his face contorted in concentration, raised his hand, a swirling blend of dark and sky magic coalescing into a counter-vortex. The two forces collided, a chaotic clash of elements, the air crackling with raw power.
The warlords, sensing the shift in momentum, joined the fray. Their combined magical assault, a barrage of varied spells, pressed against my defenses, threatening to overwhelm me. The air thrummed with the energy of their combined might, a tangible pressure that pushed against my senses.
"Nyxara, help!" I yelled, the strain evident in my voice.
Nyxara, her eyes glowing with an eerie luminescence, unleashed a torrent of shadow magic. The darkness surged forward, a tangible force that intertwined with my elemental attacks, bolstering our defenses and pushing back against the warlords' onslaught. The combined power of our magic began to shift the balance, the tide of the battle turning in our favor.
"We need to end this," Regal declared, his voice filled with urgency.
I twisted my hands, channeling the raw power of fire. "Ignis Furia!" I bellowed, unleashing a cataclysmic explosion. A wave of searing flames erupted from my hand, a blazing inferno that expanded outwards, consuming everything in its path. Simultaneously, a shockwave of crashing wind spread outwards, amplifying the fiery blast, creating a devastating concussive force. The combined assault ripped through the battlefield, sending warlords flying, scattering Magnus's soldiers, and forcing him to retreat behind a hastily erected shield of dark energy. The air became thick with smoke and the acrid smell of burnt magic. The ground was scorched and cracked, a testament to the raw power unleashed. Regal brought out his sword. Tempest he named it as he began to attack the soldiers. I joined in.
"Ventus Fulgur" I yelled as lighting fell from the sky on a group of soldiers. I brought out my staff and began yelling blast of spells after the other on the warlords and soldiers.
"Globus Ventus" A voice yelled as I was knocked backwards to the ground. I felt blood at the back of my head. My head might have struck a rock or knife or something. A pool of blood was flowing around me. It was a blur. I saw a shape walking towards me. Magnus. I was dying. No. I wasn't. I am living. Before I was knocked unconscious, I saw my staff at the front of me. It was glowing brightly with all elements surrounding it. It was--. It was fighting the shape.
Then I died.