Fate and Crimson Arc 2
Arc 2 The Cursed Storm
Chapter 14
The weather was nice so far and the current state of things was stable since all the monsters that appeared in this forest road were only D and E rank and not to mention having someone like Albert in the party was... Well a little bit too much but Albert made sure to let the kids have the monsters and wild animals that appeared so they can gain experience and further improve their battle techniques and magic abilities especially Alex who was still a little bit lacking but today he was training with Albert in mana control, because... well he needed it and if his mana were to explode, Rachel was there to heal him.
But all in all it's been a while since the party left the village of Markini and Alex has been improving on controlling his mana but he was not there yet as his mana kept exploding when he tried to hold it in place or shape it into a sphere.
Albert: it's like you can actually do it but when you're about to fully shape it, it explodes.
Alex: this is way harder than I thought!
Albert: seriously if you were learn how to control your aura, you would do amazing things considering your large mana pool.
Alex: large mana pool? But I run out of mana quick though.
Albert: yes I thought the same thing but Rachel says otherwise, I'm guessing it has something to do with your berserk mode.
Alex: yeah but I don't remember anything when I was like that.
Albert: are you sure you don't, not even a little?
Alex: sorry it's completely blank.
Albert: (sigh) don't worry it's totally cool.
Alex: but I gotta ask. Why are we going to Lotus city?
Albert: because it's the best place to start looking for answers.
Alex: answers?
Albert: yeah the was something strange I noticed about that elf.
Alex: you mean the guy who was with Rox? What was his name again?... The mayor said he's name was drog.. Oh Drogo Ducher!
Albert: yes him, I've been acquainted with the Ducher family before and they are located at Lotus city at the north.
Alex: please don't tell me it's an elven city.
Albert: it is.
Alex: ughh
Albert: why? You racist?
Alex: it's not like that it's just that elves don't get along with dark elves and since I'm a southern... And have dark skin.
Albert: nah I'm pretty sure it'll be fine since you're not a dark elf.
Alex: I hope so.
While Alex and Albert were having this conversation Sion and Rachel were back at the camp where Albert and Sion are and have brought a bunch of deer and orc meat they hunted.
Albert: yo! You guys are finally back and I see that the poor creatures didn't stand a chance.
Sion: I told her it was too much but she didn't listen.
Rachel: the monsters orcs were right there I just couldn't leave without knocking a few!
Sion: you call this knocking? You completely slaughtered them!
Rachel: hey orcs are known to kidnap and rape humans for breeding soo i—
Sion: did it for justice?
Rachel: (puffed up cheeks)
Sion: (sigh) seriously?
Rachel: (turns to Albert) Albert! He's bullying me!
Albert: you're way stronger than him, you can just smash him.
Sion: hey!?
Albert: anyways that's enough playing around Alex's trying to concentrate (pointing at Alex who was practicing his mana control)
Rachel: it's nice to see that he's dedicated.
Sion: yeah maybe if he had mana control back then, then he wouldn't have lost the succession battle.
Albert: yeah and considering his mana pool, he can learn powerful abilities if he fully controls his mana, hehe I can't wait!
While Albert and the crew were helping Alex with his training, things were turning at the southern continent and as the Ember estate was enjoying it's peace? Lynn found himself staring at the ceiling of his office after he just finished his paper work and Roly his first wife just visited him.
Roly: hello dear husband.
Lynn: what do you want? (annoyed)
Roly: is that how you're suppose to speak to your wife?
Lynn: if you have no business with me just leave I'm quite busy.
Roly: you call staring at the ceiling being busy?
Lynn: I'll ask again, what do you want?
Roly: nothing really just came here to tell you that our son has achieved another great feet. He successfully defeated an orc king, something your son with that barbarian woman of yours could not do.
Lynn: (fire flickers in his fingers but calms down) is that all?
Roly: what do you mean is that all? Do you know that taking down a an Orc king is no easy feet! Especially for someone his age!
Lynn: Ryan from the Star branch can take down three Orc kings at the same time and still defeat a dragon after and he's only one year older than our son.
Roly: that's not fair he's special.
Lynn: according to you and the elders our son should be special too is he not?
Roly: tsk... It still doesn't change the fact that the throne officialy belongs to him now... and oh elder Kayi wanted to see you about something so... See you later!
Roly closed the door to Lynn's office and then left. After she left Lynn went to visit Elder Kayi in his house. In the mean time a group of young clan members were gathered at a secret hideout in the Ember estate and it looked like they were having a meeting of some sorts.
Dolan: so where's Ryan? Isn't he a little bit late for a meeting he called.
Eliot: I'm pretty sure he'll be here soon.
Dorg: (while kissing Shona in the middle of the conversation) he can take his time.
Shona: mhmm yeah...
Loxy: seriously stop that you two!
Eliot: we're already used to it. Precise they'll stop once Ryan arrives.
Dolan: he's here.
Dorg: aghh just when I was about to make her climax.
Shona: we'll continue later darling.
After the small exchange they had Ryan entered the room and stood at platform which was surrounded by the parallel seats the others were sitting at. Normally there were twenty of them but now there were seventeen present.
Ryan: where are the others?
Dorg: they are in punishment training since they failed the orcs slaying task we were given.
Loxy: that's so not fair!
Ryan: (sigh) another reason why I hate the current Ember system.
Shona: yeah we need to bring down this bitch!
Ryan: I wish so too but with our current strength we don't even stand 1% chance of doing anything.
Dolan: which is why we need to find a way to put Alex on the throne.
Solen: but how are we going to do that? Didn't he already lose?
Ryan: he can still inherit the throne if he were to prove himself more powerful than Ronald and challenge him again.
Eliot: how are you so sure that Alex can win if he fights again?
Ryan: because I believe the match was rigged.
Everyone: RIGGED!!!
Solen: how? But if Ryan says so it must be true!
Dorg: no way! how?
Shona: you need to give us some answers!
Ryan: I don't know how either but at the match I noticed that his fire was wavering and his mana always spiraled out of control and considering his the direct bloodline of Gante Kamo, that should not be possible! No direct descendants has ever shown that before! I believe the top brass did something to him.
Solen: okay I get that but why?
Dorg: isn't it obvious?
Shona: he's mother is a barbarian and the elders clearly don't want someone with barbarian blood to claim the throne.
Ryan: yes it's like that and I feel like something bad is about to happen cuz the elders have been acting strange lately.
Loxy: does that mean it's finally time for operation Star Escape!
Ryan: yes I believe we have no choice now.
Dorg: finally!
Shona: it's about time!
Ryan: but you guys... (worried)
Eliot: don't worry about us.
Dolen: I'm pretty sure mister Lynn won't give us a heavy punishment.
Solen: yeah let's do this thing tonight whoo!
Everyone: YEAH!
Ryan: okay be ready at 9PM
And so the rebellious group within the Ember clan was planning something that even the elders couldn't see coming. At the northern continent a group skilled fighters wearing black clothes all over with a yellow symbol of a spider on their chests were slaughtering a village of rabbit type beast-folk and burning everything down and slowly destroying the crystal stone at the center.
Chief: you fools! If you destroy the stone there will no longer be anything left to stop the cursed storm!
Anos: oh don't worry old man, cuz were planning to stop the storm ourselves!
Chief: how is a mortal going to stop the cursed storm!?
Anos: we have our ways for now just die!
Chief: you won't get away with this!
Anos: (evil laugh) we're the sun spiders we can stop any storm and make the sunshine again!
In the midst of all this chaos, one rabbit girl was able to escape and ranoff to the forest to seal the whole region with the magic stone she was given as a last resort to stop the storm but she didn't know she was about to come across a weirdly unbalanced party along the way.
Chapter 14 end!