ã€ŠTale of Ryan the Demonbaneã€‹


 Travel Part 1

    Ryan fastened the tie around his pouch and put an old brown cloak on, from his father¡¯s adventurous times. It was through painstaking efforts and years of training to be accepted into one of the Hero Academies for an orphan with no background.

    His suffering showed in the form of well-toned muscles, tan skin and calloused hands. The trusty blade he had been gifted by a blacksmith lay on the left side of his belt in its sheath and the pouch in the other.

    After a quick check up of his belongings, he finally exited the shack that was his home for the past three years. An empty feeling appeared in his chest and Ryan couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was shabby, but it was through his own meticulous efforts that the building had come to be.

    Sawing all those logs and planks, connecting it with rope and his adventure to find a stove. All the memories he had in this house flashed before his eyes and he waved at the shabby building. It could be said that it was his child, after all.

    The town of Deadrum wasn¡¯t small by any means and that would mean it had access to many trade caravans travelling to the bigger cities or some of the academies. From the words of Uncle Izzie, the kind blacksmith that helped Ryan immensely during his first year, a trade caravan travelling to Amberpeak would arrive in an hour or so outside the bazaar.

    They were looking for able guards to protect them from monsters during the travel and Uncle Izzie had recommended Ryan to the owner, so it was a ride that would pay him for doing what he would have done either way.

    As it was too good a chance to pass up, he took it.

    The bazaar was a street bustling with people and noise, it made Ryan dizzy. He preferred the shopping district more, as there wasn¡¯t as much traffic and far cheaper. However, his goal today wasn¡¯t to go shopping, and so he took the turn left instead of right and circled it to arrive at the back, the place where the merchant would be waiting.

    There were several wagons arranged in a line, some packed to the brim with stock and people sitting in some of them. The mid noon sun was harsh around these parts and Ryan wished he could take shelter from it.

    A man was standing on the front of a cart and shouted in a voice louder than any other he had heard, touching his throat with his index finger.

    ¡°Hiring guards to defend the caravan! I repeat, hiring guards to defend the caravan!¡± The man said repetitively, stopping once in a while to take a breath or two.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Ryan said as he raised his hand.

    The man descended the platform and beckoned for him to come.

    ¡°Ok, here¡¯s the deal. We¡¯ll be travelling through Lostfair, Ragewell, Ironhall, Amberpeak and Westcoast. You¡¯ll be paid 5 silver a stop, how¡¯s it sound?¡± The man asked as he eyed Ryan, noticing his sword and worn out cloak, mistaking him for an adventurer from the looks of it.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Ryan nodded his head and pointed at a caravan, ¡°Can I take a sit in one of those?¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you want, but don¡¯t touch the merchandise. Boss can get real angry sometimes.¡± The man said as he took up his previous position to recruit more.

    Ryan chuckled, wondering how much money these merchants could have to pay such a high price and hire this many people. Just he alone would get 2 gold from protecting it. This truly was the best chance he had at getting to Amberpeak within a month.

    As soon as he entered a caravan, he realized they weren¡¯t faring as well as he thought they were. It felt like he was starting to be cooked up in a steaming pot, with 5 others sitting inside with him. But being steamed was better than being scorched. Or so he thought and decided to remain inside.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He took a seat at the far corner at the side of the cart, as it was vacant as the passengers tried to get a taste of wind from the opening at the back. To their relief, the carts started moving and the small opening that served as a talk-through between the travelers and the whoever was driving the caravan.

    The occasional loud hisses of the lizards kept Ryan from dozing off, saving him from the migraine that would surely follow as well. As much as he tried, his eyelids closed and started soundly snoring away, completely ignoring the bumpy road along with most of his companions.

    The caravan moved through the plains and the lizards¡¯ pace sped up as they caught sight of the woods, resulting in Ryan bumping his head into the hard wood that made up the ceiling. A surprised yelp resounds from his mouth, and he sighs in relief as no others were awake.

    A gentle breeze chased away his sleepiness and the alluring smell of plantlife did the same to his nose. With nothing interesting to do, his eyes landed on the man in the front of the cart. He seemed to be as bored as him, but in a lot better environment as there was a roof overhead and the air would flow towards him.

    The elderly man with a balding head had let go of the reins and just took a comfortable position to sit in, as the lizards were already trained to go in a straight line, led by the first in line. It made Ryan curious, how the two lizards would simply stare at the caravan before them without getting bored or straying away too far, and follow it while the one holding the reins was too bored to even sit straight.

    ¡°Hey, old man.¡± Ryan said with a calm voice.

    The recipient turned his head towards the talk through and noticed the brown haired youth.

    ¡°Mind if I join you over there?¡±

    ¡°Come on up.¡± He said with a smile, happy that he found a chat partner to chase away the monotony.

    Ryan complied and jumped off the cart. Overtaking it wasn¡¯t a hard feat by any means as he simply jogged up to the old man¡¯s seat and jumped up.

    The bench was big enough to fit 4 or so people, leaving him more than enough room to take a seat.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Vade, been working here for years.¡± The old man said as he turned to look at Ryan, as if asking him to introduce himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ryan.¡± Said Ryan awkwardly, not finding anything else to say.

    ¡°Well, Ryan, huh? So where ya going?¡± Asked Vade.

    ¡°Amberpeak.¡± Answered Ryan as he felt the breeze on his face.

    ¡°For school?¡± Vade asked with a strange expression.

    ¡°Yeah. Was accepted to Lunestier. How did you end up here?¡± Ryan asked as he looked to the side, noticing the surprising beauty of the forest.

    ¡°Food¡¯s not gonna find its way over to our plate, will it? This was merely the best paying easiest job for a klutz like me. And my sword ain¡¯t gonna be antique anytime soon.¡± Vade said, pointing at the sword lying next to him.

    Ryan sighed. The old man had experience, and had learned to place his sword in the most unassuming place. He now made a mental note to himself to check for weapons in the close proximity of a possible enemy.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like travelling without any action like this for a long time? Can it be mentally tiring?¡± Ryan asked. It was indeed a young man¡¯s characteristic to get bored easily.

    ¡°Oh, trust me, you won¡¯t get to rest.¡± Said Vade with an uncharacteristically maniac grin. ¡°They¡¯ll keep coming.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for that. Just a warrior going senile.¡± He then explained and the friendly smile returned.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ryan said, slightly unnerved by his words.

    ¡°So you are already a student at Lunestier?¡± Vade asked.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t being accepted mean becoming a student?¡± Ryan asked in surprise.

    ¡°Good grief, that¡¯s why so many people drop out. For that very reason. They are most unlikely to be ready without prior knowledge. That¡¯s why I always hated Lunestier¡¯s ethics about noble and common.¡± Vade shouted, not unlike a drunk. ¡°You¡¯ll have to pass the entrance exam to become a student there. A simple duel against the instructors would do most of the time, but some years they¡¯d hold latent talent testing and some years they¡¯d make the children fight among themselves. That¡¯s just ridiculous, just to start studying there.¡±

    ¡°You know so much about the school, were you a student there?¡± Ryan asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d never attend Lunestier even if it was my only choice. It¡¯s rotten to the core. Ej Har is far better than it.¡± Vade said with a disgusted look.

    ¡°So you are a hero then. No wonder you¡¯d be a warrior.¡± Ryan said with stars in his eyes as he looked up at the older man.

    ¡°Wait. I¡¯m an alumni of Ej Har.¡± Vade looked at the boy with wide eyes.

    ¡°So what? It¡¯s a Hero Academy, isn¡¯t it? That means you¡¯re a hero.¡± Ryan said with a wide smile.

    ¡°Good grief. I wish others shared the same view as you.? Vade sighed as he looked to the side. ¡°Grab your sword. Goblins are coming.¡±

 Travel Part 2

    After the warning, Ryan put his hands on the hilt of his sword and perked his ears up for any unusual sounds. The autumn leaves crackled under the feet of the lizards and the wheels of the caravan. Several other sounds came from the forest and Ryan unsheathed his steel falchion and jumped off the cart as they came to a halt after Vade¡¯s shout.

    A giant murky green creature stood out from among the trees, a head or two taller than them. Smaller, creatures of lighter shades of green were scattered at his feet and charged towards the caravans with no care to their well being, numbering in the high twenties.

    The other passengers in the back jumped off their caravan and stopped at the edge of the road, not wanting to leave their safe zone. The squeaks and squeals of the goblins grew louder as they hastily scaled the distance between them.

    A large man with a flail in hand swung it towards the giant ogre, whose ugliness was only rivaled by its fat. The damage was nearly non-existent as it swung its giant club at the striking man. A ball of water to the stomach knocked down the ogre, smashing through several trees in the process.

    ¡®That was magic.¡¯ thought Ryan, but he had no time to admire it. A goblin swung a chipped sword at Ryan, quickly sidestepped and countered by a slash to the neck. Another one threw a rock at him and it caught him in the shoulder.

    The goblin laughed disgustingly as a spear pierced through its skull from behind, ending its miserable and irritating life. Ryan saw that the goblins were too fragile to be a challenge to the fighters onboard and were being taken out one after another.

    He couldn¡¯t falter after just taking out one and run into the battlefield. Another goblin appeared out of nowhere and swung a hammer at Ryan¡¯s head, but he jumped above it and kicked the attacker down mid-air, stabbing his sword through its head.

    The skull and flesh were far too soft to even damage his blade by even a little. He then beheaded two others that had been planning to attack an archer¡¯s undefended back. The three goblins left started running after seeing its ogre comrade being drowned alive in a bubble of water.

    The man that had been shouting earlier that day smirked smugly as he looked down at the fallen ogre from his spot at the top of one of the caravans. He was a mage.

    At the command of the mage, everyone started boarding their ride and the line started moving as normal. Vade was replaced by a younger man and Ryan then took his rightful place inside.

    ¡°What was that¡­ giant ugly thing?¡± Asked an attractive silver-haired girl with a frown.

    ¡°It¡¯s called an ogre, little lady.¡± Said a long-haired man holding a spear. ¡°Are you perhaps a noble?¡±

    ¡°H-How did you know?!¡± She asked with wide eyes.

    ¡°I saw your style resemble dueling a little more than it should for anyone else.¡± The spearman answered with a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe him. He just read your expression.¡± A larger man, the one that had swung the flail said with a sigh.

    ¡°For god¡¯s sake, can you stop ruining my pick up tactics?¡± The spearman shouted.

    ¡°A playboy like you doesn¡¯t deserve a noble.¡± The larger man said with a sigh.

    ¡°Oh, so does a barbarian like you?!¡± The spearman countered.

    ¡°I never claimed to.¡± Said the bigger man. Just from the interaction alone, Ryan concluded that the spearman was indeed the barbarian and the bigger didn¡¯t mean dumber.

    The spearman shut down and an awkward silence reigned. Within moments, Ryan dozed off.

    ***

    The merchant caravans were a delicacy in the world of bandits, and a lesser guarded one even more so. Most would swear allegiance to a kingdom and part with at least a quarter of their profit. However, the caravan of Elisa Riversong was an anomaly. Although no kingdom defended it from the clutches of rogues, it was said to boast tremendously strong guards.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Their only weakness would be the lack of manpower and the fact that the owner valued quality over quantity. Elisa giggled as she sipped her tea, careful not to spill any on her revealed skin. She knew this weakness all too well after the last time she was robbed.

    Luckily, the gang was led by a honorable man that refused to take hostages or prisoners. She wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to travel with such a small crew of four again. The pay for the bodyguards was far more than enough, so they wouldn¡¯t think of running away instead of holding up the enemy¡¯s strays from reaching her.

    It was times like these that she cursed herself for not learning any martial arts or spells, fancying a normal school for nobles and merchants. But having money meant power in the cities. As long as she wasn¡¯t too stingy and invested in her safety, she would be fine.

    As the caravan travelled through the Evergreen forest, she was quite surprised that an ogre would appear. But that was nothing for her trusty bodyguard Marcus.

    ¡°Hey, wanna make a bet?¡± Elisa asked with a smirk.

    ¡°On what?¡± Marcus questioned with a curious glance, a cup of coffee in hand.

    ¡°If bandits will attack our caravan this time, with the flag standing tall and all.¡± She said.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll bet on they will.¡± Marcus answered with a condescending smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they won¡¯t. How does 20 gold sound?¡± Elisa chuckled.

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Marcus asked with a chuckle of his own.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    ***

    Ryan awakened from his slumber by afternoon, when the caravan abruptly stopped. The noisy bunch got off and he too followed, not too long after the noble girl appeared outside as well. All the carts seemed to be aligned in a circular shape and the three personnel, including the mage, were setting up camp.

    The sun wouldn¡¯t set in another one or two hours, but being prepared never hurt. Ryan noticed that they had arrived in the plains, and the evening wind had defeated the scorching heat of midday. The lizards were released into the fields. As herbivores, they wouldn¡¯t hurt humans.

    Ryan wondered why they let them go, even if the lizards could escape. Then it would be a blunder and waste a great deal of his time. He produced his canteen from his pouch and gulped a few times. The several coins in his pouch clanged as he placed the leather bottle back in its rightful place.

    ¡°Hey, you guys. Help out over there!¡± Shouted a caramel skinned woman in her twenties, wearing surprisingly revealing clothes. The only covered places were her privates and the upper part of her chest.

    Ryan started collecting firewood with Vade and the others for the evening meal. Relief washed over him as he learned they¡¯d be fed and get water for free. Those were his biggest worries, and with this they were sated.

    They walked over to the river, with willows covering the banks, and harvested the wood from there. Ryan ended up carrying the two big bags of wood while the others carried boulders filled with water.

    He didn¡¯t complain as he was the one with the lightest load¡­ except the mage who didn¡¯t carry anything. From the short conversation between the employers, Ryan learned the mage was called Marcus, the other younger man who took up Vade¡¯s job after the attack was called George and the boss was called Elisa.

    The ingredients and the cookware had been prepared before they got to camp and started the fire. Watching the flames swirl below the pot in the darkness soothed Ryan as he awaited his dinner. His rations would last longer than he thought it would, he thought to himself with a smile.

    The stew was boiled for several dozen minutes before being served, complete with a vegetable garnish at its side. As Ryan took his first sip, his eyes opened wide at the taste. This dish alone had a large amount of spices, too expensive for common folk, let alone an orphan. The amount of salt was just enough, not the almost complete lack of it Ryan was used to.

    Chatter filled the campfire as everyone started talking to their companions. The spearman had the giant to keep him company, and the employers were mostly inside people except when they were bored or had to talk to the employees.

    Then his eyes started searching for the noble. She was the same age as him and was missing. After a few moments, his gaze landed on the caravans. The said girl was sitting above one of them, staring up at the stars.

    Ryan decided to join her in her lonely hours and walked up to the caravan. Jumping above it was no challenge to the athletic boy as he scaled it easily as he climbed with one hand behind his back. He would much rather train while going through everyday activities than make time for it.

    ¡°What you doing here?¡± Ryan asked as he took a seat next to her.

    ¡°Looking at the stars.¡± The girl said as her hair fluttered in the wind, shining up to its color. ¡°The only thing that is same everywhere.¡±

    ¡°I see. They never change, but we can¡¯t even see the difference anyways. A lot like the royal families and kings.¡± Ryan said with a sigh.

    ¡°You have a good sense of humor.¡± She said with a chuckle as she turned to look at Ryan.

    ¡°May I ask your name?¡± She said.

    ¡°Ryan, yours?¡± Ryan asked back.

    ¡°Valerie. Valerie Bluewood.¡± She said as she lied down quite comfortably on the wooden roof, but Ryan decided to continue the conversation in his sitting position.

    ¡°Where might the young noble be going?¡± Ryan asked, using his best impression of a noble, receiving a giggle from the girl.

    ¡°To Lunestier.¡± Valerie said.

    ¡°What a coincidence. Me too.¡± Ryan said as he turned his head towards the girl, finding her surprisingly attractive. He suppressed his primal urges and turned away, looking up at the stars.

    Ryan remembered what his parents said about the deceased going up to live on with the stars and wondered if his parents were looking at him from above.

    ¡°Your son will definitely become a legendary hero.¡± Said Ryan to the stars, as a mere whisper to reassure himself from losing sight of his goal.

 Travel Part 3

    The village of Lostfair was merely a gathering for bandits and scum of the earth. As such, the caravan of Elisa Riversong made only a brief stop as a sign of goodwill before moving ahead. There wasn¡¯t anyone who would be willing to waste money on unnecessary accessories in the town. But there sure were many who would waste a few men.

    One such gang tailed the said caravan with a power of thirty men, desperate to get a few spare gold from a rich merchant. Without needing to fear the retribution of a full military might of a nation, they would tail them until they were desolated.

    Edward, the leader of the gang, deeply sighed. It wouldn¡¯t do. There were more than twenty escorted caravans of nobles, each with a fighting force of their own, travelling not even a kilometer between them. If their location was compromised, then they would easily fall victim to the combined force of the nobles and the army.

    The only chance was when they reached the forest fork road in the evening. Then a smile plastered on his face. They would definitely stop for the night to rest if their lizards were injured. That would be their chance.

    ¡°Change directions! The shortest path to the Victim Forest!¡± Edward shouted as his force of thirty men all turned slightly left, the speed of their lizards increasing a tad bit. Even if there were three heroes on board, the power of sleep wasn¡¯t to be underestimated.

    Assassination would be the best way to accomplish their goals, and far more advantageous than simply clashing head on with heroes with a mage at their back. Edward¡¯s smile evolved into a grin as he realized he and his men would be set for life after this one raid. She was said to be quite rich, after all.

    ***

    The sun squatted down as Elisa cursed her misfortune under her breath. One of the front lizards got its legs stuck in something and broken. The only lizard would most likely slow their pace down, and she had to get there today for an auction.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we abandon the last cart?¡± A young adventurer asked as he peeked his head through the door.

    Her eyes opened wide as she realized the simplest way of conserving time.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea...¡± She nodded her head. ¡°What was your name again?¡±

    ¡°Ryan.¡± The boy said simply. From his blunt introduction, she could see that he was a commoner. Not that it was a hindrance, that just meant less whining and more working.

    ¡°Thanks Ryan.¡± She said as she jumped out of her cart.

    ¡°Vade, George, move the packages from the last cart to the front. Marcus, use one of your elementals to move the caravan out of the road!¡± She commanded as she walked over to the last cart where the guards were.

    ¡°Sorry if it inconveniences you, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d have to travel in the front seats for the rest of the ride.¡± Elisa said as she looked over them. They seemed to be capable and not as arrogant as some she had seen before. That brought her relief. At the very least, there was no one to whine.

    The transparent giant humanoid that Elisa was all too familiar with pulled the cart out of the road and into the forest where many plundered carts lied. The auction was important for her and she wouldn¡¯t mind buying another cart at Ragewell.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    And so it continued. Only two hours of travel were left as dusk set and Elisa ordered her underlings to hasten the pace.

    ¡®Before midnight.¡¯ She prayed with her eyes closed. Ragewell was a place with too many nobles to count and she would have to sell some of her better wares there, lest the journey become a waste.

    That is, until their caravans ran straight through a bandits¡¯ waiting spot.

    ***

    ¡°The examination is a team fight?¡± Ryan asked surprised as he looked at Valerie. Talking with her came in handy after all.

    ¡°That is right. Teams of four will fight the examiners and have to defeat them. It is by far the easiest exam in its two hundred years of history.¡± Valerie assured. But the conversation was cut short with a war cry from the front. The carts stopped on cue and the sound of numerous blades being drawn sounded out.

    Ryan rushed to join the battle, drawing his sword mid-run and dove straight in. His speed couldn¡¯t hope to match the old hero and his companion from the back cart as they had arrived on the scene when he had only scaled half the distance.

    Vade¡¯s claymore cleaved off the hand of a bandit holding a spear as George beheaded a sword user with his war axe, blood spraying like a hose from the wounds and staining their worn clothes.

    Ryan had killed some monsters, but fighting other humans was difficult. A bandit had rushed up to him, realizing he was an easy prey. Ryan raised his blade to defend himself, but the more skilled fighter had already pulled back his lance and was in the process of thrusting again.

    A blade pierced the thrust of the said bandit as he fell lifeless, Ryan watching in shock. He would have definitely died if not for his benefactor. However, he knew the battlefield wasn¡¯t the place for thanksgiving.

    ¡°Ryan, there¡¯s no need to show mercy to these vermin.¡± A female voice sounded out from before him as Ryan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Standing before him was Valerie, brandishing her rapier.

    He breathed out the air stuck in his lungs and closed his eyes, repeating the mantra his father had taught him while hunting. ¡°They¡¯re just monsters. They¡¯re just monsters. They¡¯re just monsters.¡±

    With renewed resolve, Ryan rushed to the frontlines to help his comrades. The adventurer duo had turned their backs to each other and spun around not unlike an elven glaive through enemy ranks.

    Another bandit holding a mace jumped at Ryan, but he wouldn¡¯t simply stand still and watch as they attacked him. He wouldn¡¯t relent. He disappeared from the vision of the bandit as the aggressor felt the cold hands of death embracing him, falling down.

    Ryan pulled out his blade from the man¡¯s throat. The thick neck of the fatty refused to be severed clean off. He let the blood flow off his sword as his gaze landed on his next target. An archer nocking arrow after another at the main fighters, greatly hindering their movement.

    Her guards of course never left her side and protected her from a water ball launched at them with a shield, although at the price of breaking their formation for a few seconds. That was all the time Ryan needed to slip in and let his blade do the work for him.

    The surprised shieldmen let go of their heavy defenses and unsheathed their weapons to fight off the perpetrator, but he was no longer there. Ryan had run past them and into the forest. An arrow had grazed his shoulder, most likely poisoned. His left arm flailed at his side as he held firmly onto it.

    He could feel his body becoming more fatigued by the moment. With the last bits of his power, Ryan slowly staggered to the caravans and collapsed below one, only a hand sticking out.

    On the other side of the battlefield, Edward¡¯s mouth generated endless amounts of profanity as he sent his men one after another to their deaths. That was the only way, lest the retired heroes come and destroy the base.

    The trap had only managed to injure one lizard, as he had seen soon after the caravans arrived at their waiting post. Merchants were a greedy bunch, not even sparing a single coin for something as trivial as a night out in the woods. However, Lady Luck seemed to have a distaste for his gang as they had travelled just fine after leaving a cart behind, not hindered in the least by his plans.

    ¡°Brain, we¡¯re leaving. Forget about the engaged and evacuate everyone else. We failed, and paid a hefty price.¡± The second in command nodded to his master¡¯s order as five, the guards of the archers and the mage came back at the retreat order.

    Most of the lizards were left behind, as to not slow themselves down. And thus, The Grey Badger gang of bandits wouldn¡¯t be in action for a long while.

 Travel Part 4

    Blood dripped from Ryan¡¯s blades as he looked at his parents¡¯ corpses, the house burning around him. A terrified boy peeked into the house to see a man drenched in blood, and he ran. He ran away as fast as his tiny feet could carry.

    Ryan watched his parents come back to life as he experienced their murder several times, his body not moving as his own. He was merely a puppet to higher forces. His arms shook as he raised his blade, and he trembled as he brought it down.

    The moment he regained the ability to move his body Ryan stepped back, horrified at his actions and fell down, tripping on thin air. A shadow appeared before Ryan, in the shape of a human. A tattoo of a dragon over his back glowed a menacing red as he watched it murder his parents as well.

    It turned back, only its yellow toothy grin visible on his silhouette.

    ¡°We are the same.¡± It said as it stabbed its sword at Ryan, letting him wake up from the horrible nightmare. He was gasping for breath and seemed to be hungrier than usual. While opening his pouch and throwing a piece of jerky into his mouth, he realized he had a little pain on his shoulder.

    He had been injured before, but not quite cut by anything except a kitchen knife. Looking at the bandages, they didn¡¯t seem to be stained. Strange, he thought to himself as he looked around.

    Ryan seemed to be in some kind of room, lying on the wooden floor. The complete lack of windows and the occasional bump made it clear that this was some kind of cart. Probably the inside of the boss¡¯s room. With a yawn, he stood up and peeked out the door.

    Seeing as it was the front caravan, he jumped down, deciding to search for his companions. Not letting him down, Valerie sitting on the second caravan and the duo on the front. He hopped up to the bench and took a seat at her side.

    From the position of the sun, Ryan concluded it was about midday and from the mountainous terrain, that they are already past Ragewell. With a curious look, Ryan asked her.

    ¡°What happened yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Well, you took care of the archer and the rest of the fight was a piece of cake. Luckily the enemy mage was a fire element.¡± She said with a smile.

    ¡°No, I mean why did I suddenly fall asleep?¡± He asked again.

    ¡°Oh, you were hit by an arrow with paralysis toxin.¡± Valerie answered knowingly.

    ¡°I thought paralysis wasn¡¯t supposed to make someone sleepy.¡± Ryan mumbled under his breath, but shrugged it off. Probably a double toxin. It evaded the ears of the girl as he stared at the snowy mountain tips in the far distance.

    He took a sip from his canteen and emptied it, drinking whatever little was left.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna get a refill.¡± Ryan said as he jumped down and entered the third wagon, where George and Vade were chatting merrily. The first barrel was nearly empty, but the other one was still full.

    ¡®These lizards do drink a lot.¡¯ Ryan thought to himself with a curious expression.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    He filled his bottle with the water from the emptying bottle and and took a lump of bread. That¡¯d be his share of the dinner he had the misfortune of missing.

    Then he took up his previous position at Valerie¡¯s side and filled his stomach, washing the bread in with water when it got stuck on his throat. Elisa sitting on the roof of the first caravan, which Ryan had completely missed after his awakening, threw a strange look at him before looking away. Most likely contemplating if she should shout at him for eating the provisions, but refrained. He hadn¡¯t wasted her money on dinner yesterday, after all. Bread was cheaper than meat.

    Time seemed to flow faster than ever as Ryan took in the beauty of nature and the fresh air out in the mountains. The ever shifting gallery filled his vision, giving him a somewhat satisfying feeling. He could understand why nobles had landscape portraits in their home, and desired more realistic ones.

    Night soon set, leaving them no choice but to take a rest. The company deemed the plains a worthy place for camping, and so they did. Any trouble would be seen from far away, letting them rest in peace. Aside from the one who would keep watch.

    The caravans were arranged in a way similar to the position they had two days back, just one caravan short. And the lizards were freed from their daylong job of manual labor. The first watch would be Ryan, as he had slept until high noon.

    The excess firewood from the time the water was restocked was still there, most likely saved for this occasion. Ryan doubted they hadn¡¯t travelled this path before. Today¡¯s dinner was a stew as well, but he didn¡¯t mind in the least. Anything with that amount of spice was good.

    The stew was probably the best food he had in years, he realized as he finished his first plate, giving his plate to the one distributing the food: Marcus.

    Wrinkles filled his face, and his movements looked to lag behind.

    ¡°You should get a wife when you¡¯re still young.¡± Vade chimed in with a laugh.

    ¡°I¡¯m only twenty this year, just so you know.¡± He countered.

    ¡°When you¡¯re a mage, age doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡± Vade asked with a raised brow.

    ¡°I know that more than you!¡± Marcus shouted, receiving a snort.

    Ryan just shrugged it off as one could always die from an experiment. The delicious stew entered his mouth, filling his stomach to the brim after three servings. Slowly, but surely, they fell asleep all except Ryan.

    The fire danced on, evading the firewood the watcher added occasionally. The glass surface of the watch reflected the imagery in deformed ways as Ryan watched it. The shift would last until the short hand reached two. He looked at it with stars in his eyes, noticing the hands move by the second. Truly a masterpiece of the human mind.

    It was somewhat frightening, the human mind, that is. It could somehow create a device that could tell the time, requiring no mana, chi or anything for that matter. Just simply turning a knob was required for it to keep working. With a laugh, Ryan returned it to his pocket. One more hour to go.

    The view of the landscape was disrupted by the darkness, only the moon keeping the land lit by a gentle blue light. He took a deep breath and sighed. It was ten years since the last great threat: Third Coming of the Dark Lord, leaving a great part of Esterio Empire barren, a great joy for the denizens of the Ruo Empire. The constant wars stopped and humans only had to deal with monsters and bandits nowadays. But the question was, did this world need any more heroes?

    The heavy feeling in Ryan¡¯s chest still bothered him, the weight of a human¡¯s life. Was it really worth it to become strong if he ended up killing other humans?

    The fact that the fight was a self-defense didn¡¯t help either. That only made him even guiltier. He didn¡¯t want to become someone who kills without batting an eye like those bandits.

    A howl sounded out from the mountains, the howl of a wolf. Ryan¡¯s gaze turned to look at the direction of the sound, failing to see anything out of the ordinary. He concluded it was simply a call to their kind, remembering the time his father told him mountain wolves would communicate with their howls from a long distance and prepare for an ambush.

    The realization hit Ryan hard, but he contemplated if he should wake up the others or keep an eye out for the wolves. Their black fur wouldn¡¯t easily give them out if they were to appear, the perfect camouflage for nightly attacks.

    His more logical side gave in and he decided to wait, vainly hoping it wasn¡¯t them that the wolves were targeting.

 Travel Part 5

    The silhouettes of no less than fifteen mountain wolves appeared as Ryan cursed his foolishness and shouted out. The fact that he hadn¡¯t wanted to disturb their rest turned for the worse. Their brown fur served as camouflage, evading Ryan¡¯s eyes until they were mere meters away from the caravans.

    The startled fighters scrambled to their feet, awakened from their rest. A wolf jumped up at Ryan, its giant body easily reaching the roof with a single leap, a paw travelling towards his face. Dodging to the side, Ryan swung his falchion at the beast, knocking it off. Its durable fur made piercing harder, turning sharp weapons into nothing more than lighter hammers.

    The enraged beast, jumped back up at Ryan, followed by another from the other side. In a pitch, he jumped down the roof and into the resting place. Most of their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, cautiously staring at the wolves slowly surrounding them.

    When Vade took a step, so did two wolves. When Marcus raised his hand, three wolves growled at him. The deadlock ended with the howl of a larger wolf, the beasts started pouncing at them.

    Ryan hurriedly ducked under the leap of one and appeared behind, hitting an incoming wolf with a spinning slash. The first blood went to Valerie, as her rapier thrust through the skull of one, ending its life. The first casualty was on the aggressive side, encouraging the others to try to take them down.

    Ryan had no time to experience the fight as the wolf he had hit earlier slowly neared him, followed by two others who would launch pincer attacks in mere seconds. He raised his sword, holding it with both hands, the tip tilted downwards.

    As expected, the pincer attack came. Ryan smirked. The front wolf attacked with a bite. He thrust his sword into its mouth, piercing its tongue and so much more in the process.

    Then he left his sword in the mouth of the beast, barely evading the attacks at his sides with a scratch on his ribs, giving his shirt a second tear.

    Putting his hand on the wound and examining it, the injury looked shallow. Without the falchion hindering his movement, he could now move safely. Rather throw away his weapon than go together with it. He could just take it out later.

    The one with the sword in mouth whimpered as it fell on its knees, blood oozing out from the wound. A vengeful packmate launched an attack from his back. However, Ryan only felt a drop of blood reach his neck, realizing how close he was to death.

    A hole had been pierced through the wolf¡¯s hide, a hole in its stomach. With hateful eyes, it threw a glare at its opponent before turning away. Valerie sighed exasperatedly as she said calmly. ¡°Do you even have any battle experience?¡±

    ¡°Only against boars.¡± Ryan said as he pulled his blade back.

    The wolves seemed to be withdrawing, the larger wolf barely able to run, staggering with three feet. Ryan looked at George shouting happily and the large adventurer¡­ mourning?

    He also looked to be worse for wear, several scratches across spanning across his body. Following his line of sight, Ryan¡¯s eyes fell on the horribly mangled body of none other than the spearman.

    The large man dropped to his knee, grabbing a handful of dirt and releasing it upon the face of his fallen comrade.

    ¡°You were a good man, Elliot.¡± He said with a shaking voice, not letting his tears stream out of his eyes. The man looked at Vade, who nodded in response before walking into one of the caravans.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Ryan asked with a curious glance at Valerie.

    ¡°Vade or George just injured the Alpha. They won¡¯t be coming back anytime soon, or until another Alpha is chosen.¡± She explained. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to know something as simple as this?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I live in the plains, okay? The wolves there don¡¯t come out to attack travelers and stick to the cattle.¡± Ryan complained as he climbed up a cart, followed by Valerie.

    ¡°I mean¡­ Sorry.¡± Valerie said as she walked away.

    ***

    The steel gates of Ironhall are the only places permitting entry to the military base protected by a forty meter wall. The location of the nation¡¯s barracks and the city closest to the Eastern border. The peace after the last great threat lasted for a long time, the houses and the streets in better condition than ever.

    Heavy dark clouds covered the sky, giving the city the impression of a battlefield, much like it was a decade ago. Ryan looked around, met by children playing in the streets without worry and the streets bustling with people.

    ¡°There are several military academies here, the families would move in to live with their children in some cases.¡± Valerie explained to Ryan.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the army supposed to train soldiers?¡± He asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. But the generals and tacticians study in the academies.¡± She clarified as she looked at the streets.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Amberpeak is a hard place to live without a large amount of money or the backing of an academy. The distance is only a few hours on horseback, so why not stay in Ironhall for a while?¡± Valerie asked as she stood up, the caravan moving at a snail¡¯s pace, supporting her footing.

    ¡°What? Then you really saved me there.¡± Ryan said as he too stood up, jumping off his seat.

    Ryan walked up to the first caravan and knocked on the door, answered by the ¡°Come in¡± of Elisa inside, followed by Valerie.

    ¡°You want to drop off?¡± Elisa asked with a sigh.

    ¡°Yes, both of us actually.¡± Valerie said with a bow of her head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we were going to recruit for Elliot either way.¡± Elisa answered as she brought out two pouches. She calmly counted the coins inside and fastened it before giving them to the two.

    Ryan counted it after getting off, as per his custom: one gold and five silver. With his own savings, it was a gold and ten silver, equal to two gold.

    A smile appeared on Ryan¡¯s face as he put it into his pouch, more than enough to fit it. With no means to navigate other than asking others or following Valerie, he chose the latter.

    They took a left, right and another left before walking in a straight line. Ryan noticed the condition of the buildings worsening by each step as they walked into what appeared to be ruins of a war.

    The streets grew desolate as Ryan contemplated his choice of following the girl before him. She turned around and stared right at his eyes. ¡°You take the lead.¡±

    What did he even expect? Nobles are said to be only social within their rings of influence, not even bothering to talk with the commoners. It was outrageous to think that a noble girl who was never in the city would know it, and ask others for directions to boot.

    Ryan gestured her to follow with his hand and took the lead, walking back to the bustling street. As much as he hated to admit it, Ryan wasn¡¯t the most social person in the world, but living alone would be impossible without connections. So he had adapted to talking with strangers and getting on their good side.

    After asking a hearty old lady about the closest place to spend a few days, he found out there were two inns around the central part of the city called ¡®Dragon¡¯s Tooth¡¯ and ¡®Lively Beaver¡¯.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the first.¡± Offered Valerie. Ryan only chuckled in response and found the latter tavern, the other one across the street. Valerie helplessly followed her more street smart companion.

    The inside was shabby, small, and the opposite of where she wanted to spend the night. It reeked of alcohol and tobacco, overtaking the smell of food. The biggest problem was it was too crowded.

    ¡°Wow, what a nice place.¡± Ryan exclaimed as Valerie tried to counter, stopped by a quick glare by him.

    ¡°Is that Backlemore Dew I see? This was the right choice after all.¡± Ryan said pointing to a bottle of beer, looking at Valerie. She could only nod in response. Surely he knew what he was doing.

    ¡°How much for a night with a meal?¡± Walking up to the counter he asked with a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯d be 3 copper, with a discount on the meal.¡± The fattish barwoman said with a smile of her own. ¡°It¡¯d be 2 if you two want to share a room.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯d feel guilty if I did.¡± Ryan answered.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry. It¡¯s cramped and we make profit enough.¡± She said.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to take up the offer.¡± Ryan said as he placed three silver on the table. ¡°It¡¯s for two weeks.¡±

    The woman nodded her head happily and placed a key on the table. The rooms were on the second floor, so they took the stairs.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you demand change?¡± Valerie asked with a surprised expression.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon.¡± Ryan said as he opened the door.

    ¡°That¡¯s just plain stupid. You wasted precious money!¡± She shouted as she entered the room. Two beds were placed at two sides of the tiny room, a small table between them and an indoor toilet.

    ¡°As I said, you¡¯ll see.¡±

 Ironhall City Part 1

    A knock on the door awakened Valerie and she lazily put on her cloak as she opened the door. A young girl, close to her own age, stood there holding a tray.

    ¡°Umm¡­ it¡¯s your breakfast, madam.¡± She said shyly as she handed it over to Valerie.

    Already awakened, she proceeded by dressing up formally. Breakfast consisted of two large bowls of thick stew and a large piece of bread as garnish, a brownish liquid as a drink that Valerie recognized as beer. Not any worse than the caravan¡¯s food, she thought to herself.

    She gulped it down while sitting on her bed. She smiled, it was a nice change from the strong flavors.

    The bread seemed to be in pristine condition as well, and she almost regretted scolding Ryan the day before. His father always had drilled into her that she mustn¡¯t waste money. After a long thought, she decided to take a sip of the ale. It tasted a lot like barley mixed with honey and she gulped it down in one go. She raised her eyebrows, not feeling the burning sensation in her throat.

    The loud groan of Ryan startled the girl drinking ale for the first time, her head turning to his direction in an instant. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t be waking up for a while. This was as good a time as any as she unsheathed her rapier, practicing her thrusts. The edges of her sword remained unchipped, and the sword was in pristine condition. She admired the masterpiece made from the particularly hard to melt Evermetal as she unsheathed it.

    Her short exercise had made her sweat a lot more than she thought it would. She had stopped caring for hygiene the day after she had left her hometown and manor. Without access to showers, which she doubted anywhere other than a noble¡¯s mansion had, baths were the only way. As she was on the road all the time, she hadn¡¯t had any time to bathe as well.

    All in all, her body reeked, surprised at the lack of reaction from those around herself. Leaving the room wasn¡¯t an option. She doubted she could find the tavern again without asking commoners, which Valerie despised. A noble girl shouldn¡¯t look unknowledgeable to those below her.

    She checked her pouch, and realized it was close to empty. Only 5 pieces of gold remained, but she would try to save them as much as she could. Valerie opened the window, fanning her upper body with her hand.

    Valerie smiled as she looked at Ryan¡¯s sleeping form. She always thought commoners were a rude bunch, the archetype broken by the adventurers¡¯ and Ryan¡¯s attitudes towards her. His emerald eyes stared back at Valerie as her face quickly flushed red and she turned away.

    ¡°Wow, it isn¡¯t everyday I wake up with a beautiful girl smiling at me.¡± Ryan noted with a smile of his own.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s just a¡­noble gesture of friendliness.¡± Valerie said while looking away.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°I should know that then.¡± Ryan nodded his head and stared at the tray with sets of bowls and cups.

    He took his share from the table and started gulping it down greedily. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he finished his meal, dressing up afterwards. ¡°Let¡¯s go explore.¡±

    Valerie nodded in response. There wasn¡¯t much else to do either way. After a quick trip to the restroom, they left their room. Ryan locked it after himself, checking it after.

    A loud quarrel could be heard from the floor below, a man¡¯s loud voice hanging in the air. Upon further descending the stairs, he saw a man with a pot belly and a bald head shouting at the owner.

    ¡°¡­ We paid for the food! What is the meaning of this.¡± The man shouted.

    ¡°But you were late. This is what you get for oversleeping.¡± The owner countered with a nasty glare.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap! This is a sham, I tell you! This is a sham!¡± The constant shouting of the man irritated the ears of the boy, forcing him to leave the tavern. The shouts persisted until the duo walked a district away.

    As they turned a corner, walking into a secluded alley, Valerie asked. ¡°Was that why you tipped the woman?¡±

    ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Ryan said with a calm voice as he walked down to a dead end.

    ¡°Well, you paid three extra copper instead of demanding it.¡± She said.

    Ryan snickered as he turned back to the girl. ¡°That isn¡¯t it. The fact that I said out loud that I preferred their inn to Dragon¡¯s Tooth made her give me a discount. And then by trying to refuse it, I fooled her even more. Complimenting the choice of ale only served to heighten it. The room service was because of that. The tip was actually the least important, letting us get a room with an inside restroom, which mattered smallest, or did it not?¡±

    Valerie stood in her place with an absent expression on her face, staring at the ground.

    ¡°How?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, I just learned how the human mind works.¡± Ryan said, turning to the dead end. He stared at it with such intensity that even a bear would move from his path. However, the wall wasn¡¯t alive at all.

    ¡°More importantly, I want to know how you were so bad at navigation that you led us into some kind of ghost town, bypassing this wall without walking through it.¡± Ryan said as he put his hand through the wall, his arm harmlessly passing through as the wall rippled not unlike a puddle.

    He gestured for her with his hand as he walked in. The scenery changed to that of the ruins they had walked through the day before, Valerie¡¯s eyes widening as she looked around. There were indeed the charred ruins of wooden houses and badly damaged stone buildings, some smoke rising in the distance.

    ¡°How?¡± She asked again.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ryan asked as he turned around to look at the girl.

    ¡°How did I walk through a wall without realizing it?¡± Valerie clarified as she pulled a stray hair aside.

    ¡°Our best guess is that this illusion was placed after our arrival, or it has certain intervals that it turns transparent. And if you¡¯re wondering how I found the place, that was just memorization.¡± Ryan explained as he dragged his finger on the ground.

    Valerie looked at him with curious eyes, and walked towards him.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t any dust.¡± Ryan said as he stood up.

    ¡°And?¡± She asked, tilting her head.

    ¡°There is no dust in these ruins. It¡¯s as if it was only¡­ Oh no. We should get out.¡± Ryan said as he gestured for Valerie to follow him.

    ¡°What do you even mean?¡± Sighed Valerie as Ryan walked back through the wall.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s go back to the inn.¡± Ryan said as he looked at the sky.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even understand what you¡¯re talking about anymore.¡± She complained while running after the brown haired boy.

 Ironhall City Part 2

    The gentle breeze of an Autumn evening washed over the town of Ironhill as Alex looked out his window and unto the scorched land. What met his eye was merely another part of the city in pristine shape.

    He sighed exasperatedly as his eyes landed on the yellowed papers of the old report.

    Battle of Ironhall, August 15<sup>th</sup>, 534<sup>th</sup> year of the New Calendar.

    It was simply terrifying how one mage willing to offer his life could do. And that was one of the reasons why War King Az dedicated his life to establishing the famed Uzuza Academy, training mage hunters to not only fight, but defeat mages specifically.

    A knock on the door halted Alex¡¯s thought process as he answered as any honorable army official should.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    His eyebrows rose as he saw one of his commanders coming in. It was a woman roughly in her twenties, a rising talent.

    ¡°Report.¡± Alex said as he straightened up, fixing his appearance. It was never wrong to impress newcomers.

    ¡°Sir, the guards have spotted two teenagers leaving the area of the scorched district.¡± She said while raising her head from her kneeling position.

    ¡°And the problem is?¡± Alex¡¯s eyebrows rose higher, a questioning expression on his face.

    ¡°We should subjugate them as per the rules, sir.¡± Sonia said.

    ¡°They might have stumbled into it accidentally.¡± Alex countered.

    ¡°We cannot push aside the possibility of them having sinister motives.¡± Sonia said, biting her lips.

    ¡°That is true, but mobilizing our forces in the middle of the city, in times of peace might cause some unnecessary¡­ worries, if you will.¡± Alex said as he gazed at the girl with emotionless eyes, contrary to the smile on his face.

    ¡°Understood.¡± She nodded her head.

    ¡°You¡¯re excused.¡± Alex said as he turned his chair to the wall and moved it to the windows. The best thing about being a general was the chair, after all.

    He sighed.

    ¡°Damn brats.¡±

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m still wondering how your navigation skills were that bad.¡± Ryan said as he greedily devoured the steak in front of him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know even a tiny bit about this city.¡± Valerie said as she turned to glare at her companion.

    ¡°We wasted two days.¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°I only wasted one.¡± She said as she pointed her pork at Ryan. ¡°You wasted another one.¡±

    The rumbling of their stomachs ended the conversation, the pair finishing their breakfast in mere moments. A knock on the door disrupted the peaceful silence. Ryan lazily got up and shambled towards the door.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± He asked.

    A male voice came from the others side. ¡°You are under arrest for trespassing on private territory. Open the door at once or we will have to use force.¡±

    Ryan¡¯s mouth turned downwards into a frown as he opened it, met with armed guards numbering three, wearing a silver armor with a lion¡¯s insignia. They were troops directly under the service of a general of the Ruo Empire.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I think you have mistaken me for someone else, good sir.¡± Ryan said with a smile.

    ¡°I ask that you let go of your weapon, or we will have to use force.¡± The officer said as he eyed the boy¡¯s hand firmly placed on his sword handle, placing his hand on his own.

    With a snort, he let go. Valerie had disappeared from sight as Ryan pointed towards the room.

    ¡°As you can see, I am travelling alone. And brown hairs can¡¯t be said to be rare.¡± Ryan explained as he moved to the side, letting the officers enter.

    The trio opened the door to the restroom, followed by looking below the beds and a bow of their heads.

    ¡°We apologize for disrupting your rest, sir.¡± One of them said as they promptly left the room.

    He closed the door after them, pulling it to check. Ryan looked over his shoulder and gestured with his hand. A man dressed in an elegant robe appeared standing on the bed, along with Valerie.

    Ryan turned towards the man, suspiciously eying him.

    ¡°Forgive me if I have delayed my introductions. I am called Joseph, serving directly under the command of General Alex, mayor of Ironhall.¡± He said with a bow.

    ¡°It is not that I doubt your identity, but the problem is why you have helped us. They seem to have been sent by your master.¡± Ryan said as he took a seat on his bed, releasing the breath he had held for a long time.

    ¡°If I may, they were not indeed sent by the orders from the general, but one of his commanders called Sonya. She sadly plays a little too much by the books. All I ask of you is to assist us in finding the hole you two initially walked through. Simple, isn¡¯t it?¡± Joseph said with a reassuring smile on his face, descending to the ground soundlessly. ¡°That is my Magnum Opus, if you will, and I will not let it have any flaws.¡±

    ¡°Magnum Opus?¡± Ryan tilted his head, the concept of the word nonexistent in his dictionary.

    ¡°It is a masterpiece.¡± Valerie clarified as Ryan nodded his head.

    ¡°So that means we are free of charge as we have accidentally stumbled into an illusion.¡± Ryan said, tapping his chin. ¡°However, I don¡¯t think your creation has any flaws.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Joseph asked with a confused face.

    ¡°Simply said, I tracked it back by the path we took the day before. I don¡¯t think, how do you say it¡­ I don¡¯t think the wall disappeared without anyone disrupting it.¡± Ryan explained as he chugged down his share of ale.

    ¡°That is indeed true. If the wall was still there earlier this day, then there surely must be some outside interference. I will be sure to look it up later. That aside, it is in your best interests to meet the general to explain the incident, lest you be dragged into a fool¡¯s fight for justice.¡± Joseph said with a goodbye sign as his form faded into nothingness.

    Ryan closed his eyes, perking his ears up. After a few moments, he opened it again, seeing the curtains move unnaturally for a second before it closed again. The might of a mage was truly terrifying, to even hide the sound of his footsteps.

    He lit the candle with a match he had on himself and placed it on the table. The dull yellow light created disfigured shapes behind the boy, reminding him of the time he was scared of imaginary monsters. Ryan chuckled as he remembered when he thought there were actually monsters hiding under his bed.

    The soft bed against his back was a nice change from the mat he always slept on, giving him a comfortable feeling. With a glance at the sleeping girl, he blew out the candle after covering her body with her blanket.

    Turning towards the door, he thought to himself.

    ¡®It¡¯s gonna be a very long night.¡¯

    ***

    Sonya sat on her less than comfortable wooden chair as she went through the profiles of everyone that came into the city. Silver hair was rare if anything, and there was nearly no way to conceal one. There seem to be no mention of a strong adventurer or even a wealthy merchant, making her wonder the origin of the girl.

    The boy was a fly on the wall. There was a mind boggling amount of brown haired teenagers, let alone adults. The gentle light of mana lit her table as she desperately tried to shape it. Useless.

    She could always see it from a young age, but she could never quite manipulate them much like her entire family did. Shunned by them, she had chosen to become a knight so strong and make her brother eat his words. Soon she had realized there was a limit to what a human could do with just muscle alone and settled for a high enough position after graduation. She had never thought the place would be so corrupt as to let these children go.

    With a frown, she looked it over again. There were no sightings of a silver haired girl except that which was asking for an inn. The Lively Beaver didn¡¯t have her, and she let out a sigh. Messing with Dragon¡¯s Tooth was always annoying. But she had to do it. To protect the justice and peace in the city.

    She rung the bell while organizing the papers, preparing to give it back to the officials in charge of it. Soon after, a knock on the door came, disrupting her.

    ¡°Enter.¡± Sonya ordered as she put on her cloak and gloves. After a small thought, she decided to take her sword with her. ¡®

    What can go wrong will go wrong.¡¯ Sonya thought to herself as she ordered the servant to deliver the papers to Captain Adams. She would much rather let her servants handle the melancholic old bastard than talk to him herself.

    She would get her answer, even if it meant using force.

 Ironhall City Part 3

    The streets of Ironhall were more infested with the homeless than Ryan had initially thought, countless denizens lying on the ground, covering themselves with their ragged clothes and whatever they could plunder from the garbage. Oil lamps could be seen occasionally, lighting up the cobblestone path.

    The gentle glow of the moon more than made up for the lack of it, placing it in the background. He looked around cautiously. There had been homeless people back at Deadrum, and he had his fair share of clashes with them. He avoided isolated alleys and those with a dead end as he navigated through the confusing cityscape, desperate to reach the border guards.

    If there was any chance of him finding the general, he had to ask around. Asking the border guards was probably the best chance he had at it, and so he took that course of action. The area around the gate was mostly desolate except for the few gambling guards, slacking off on duty.

    He walked up to the table lit by the glow of a candle, cards littering on the board. The lack of any weaponry on them reassured Ryan to a degree. There were some arrogant soldiers, after all.

    ¡°May I ask where the office of General Alex is?¡± He walked up to them, trying his best to imitate a noble.

    An older guard, with a scar across his face turned to look at him. It was a large man and Ryan noted he was foolish to think a weapon could protect him from a veteran. The man pointed at a stone building in the center of the city, standing out from the rest.

    ¡°The office is there, but I¡¯d bet on him roaming the streets at this very hour.¡± He said as he turned back to look at his cards. They seemed to be gambling small money, from the lack of chips on the board.

    ¡°Thanks for the information.¡± Ryan bowed his head and turned away to follow the directions. Checking was never wrong, and he never once thought to drop this habit of his.

    The stone building at the center of the city most likely served as a training ground for new recruits, Ryan thought to himself as he hastened his pace. His breath turned to steam, surprising for an Autumn night in the Ruo Empire. This was the closest city to Esterio Empire, after all.

    The clouds in the sky weren¡¯t as kind to let the moonlight through, plunging the city to darkness. With nothing but the dull yellow glow to navigate him through the darkness, Ryan¡¯s pace slowed down.

    His ears perked up and he kept his left hand on his hilt rather casually. The cloak served to hide his weapon under its cover. The gentle breeze on Ryan¡¯s face refreshed him, letting him go on at the late hour. It wasn¡¯t a long time ago he had roamed the streets as well. With a shrug, he turned away from the unpleasant memories.

    The uniform clay houses passed on and on, the only measure of distance the tall silhouette of the building. Thankfully the road seemed to curve at the direction of the building, letting him find his way through the darkness.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the cloud washed away with the assistance of the wind, revealing the surroundings for the first time in a while. Ryan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he eyed the several men standing before him, led by a woman. If his eyes served right, they seemed to be the guards. Most likely a patrol team, Ryan thought to himself as he kept on walking.

    The eyes of the guards seemed to be locked on him. He chuckled to himself. It was just his imagination. It was only when one had punched him in the gut he had realized they were indeed looking at him.

    ***

    The first rays of light entered through the gap in the curtains, made by the blowing wind. The heavy blanket served its purpose of keeping the user away from the cold as Valerie found her head covered up by the object. With a yawn, she sat up on the bed, looking around the room. The plate on the table indicated that someone had already brought in the breakfast.

    Ryan¡¯s bed remained empty. Valerie put it to Ryan being in the restroom and proceeded by finishing her breakfast. His share of breakfast remained untouched, and Valerie started to worry that he had fallen into the waste hole.

    ¡°Ryan!¡± She said, checking if he was here, followed by several other calls for his name. An uncertain expression appeared on her face as she slowly opened the door to the restroom, finding it empty.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Her eyes widened in shock as she pushed the door. It slowly creaked open. He had left sometime after letting the waitress in. But the fact that the door remained open caught her attention. He wasn¡¯t the type to leave it unlocked.

    She looked at the table and found the key on it. Her best guess was that he had been kidnapped and she had been left alone for an unknown reason. The first course of action that came into Valerie¡¯s mind was: heading to the general¡¯s office to let him free her companion.

    She hated how she was so dependent in others to live. She closed her eyes and opened it after a few seconds.

    ¡®I can talk. I can talk.¡¯ She thought to herself as she grabbed the key and dressed up, combing her hair as quickly as she could, resulting in a shabby look. That¡¯s what she needed. She quickly grabbed her rapier and placed it at her belt, leaving the room. Valerie descended the stairs, noticing the surprising lack of customers. The owner seemed to be absent too.

    Surprising.

    She moved on, exiting the tavern. And again, even as early as this, some pedestrians would be visible. The desolated surroundings gave Valerie an eerie feeling. This couldn¡¯t be good.

    ¡°Did I oversleep through a battle warning? That can¡¯t be. I¡¯m a light sleeper.¡± She mumbled to herself while looking around for even the slightest sign of life. The first thought was reaching the castle in the middle of the city.

    Contrary to her desperate search, she couldn¡¯t even see a bird or stray animal. Her pace accelerated, soon reaching a full on sprint. Within minutes, she started panting as she stopped before the gigantic building.

    She wasn¡¯t used to prolonged exercises such as this.

    She caught a movement out the corner of her eye, at a window on the highest floor. Valerie carefully eyed the window, making sure it wasn¡¯t merely a curtain fluttering in the wind. It had no cover.

    The girl hastily entered through the unguarded gate, filled with nothing but silence. It was when she had finally entered that she realized it was another city inside Ironhall, several houses, most likely dorms for the trainees, stood inside. Dozens of training dummies were lined up in what appeared to be a training field, giving her false hope.

    Any living being other than herself would do. She didn¡¯t want to be alone.

    She walked around, trying to find the stairway leading to the highest floor. It wasn¡¯t long before she found it in the most expected of places that had evaded her sight for the past few minutes. Valerie let out a deep sigh as she climbed up the wooden ladders leading up to the castle¡¯s perimeters.

    Her arms flailed from the activity, as she finally reached the top. The sound of speaking could be heard, a rather loud woman speaking.

    ¡°¡­what do you mean they aren¡¯t here?!¡± She shouted, followed by a few weak whimpers. Valerie noticed a flash come out of the window. Her logical side confirmed that the speaker was a mage, pondering with the secret files or the like.

    Thankfully the tower was built in such a way that one could pass to the other side by walking on a narrow path. She took up hiding there, awaiting those inside to come out. If her plain didn¡¯t fail horribly, then she could possibly live.

    Slowly, but surely, they left the tower. Valerie muffled her breath, using her hand as covers. She slowly moved back, making sure she wasn¡¯t making any noise. Unfortunately, a stray stone caught up below her shoe, making a small noise.

    She knew she had no hope in fighting mages that could walk on the air. Valerie was always one to read books, and she knew from that that these people were dangerous. Nearly no one had that much mana to casually use it.

    The figure without a hood turned her head instantly, her shoulder-height hair blocking her view. As it settled down, only nothingness met her vision. The blonde haired woman gestured one of her followers to check the noise. Hopefully no strong mage would be here. She wasted two lives to get here, after all.

    The red robed figure, the face covered in a hood, confidently walked to the narrow path. The figure walked through the narrow pathway, getting to the other side with no trouble. The moment the cultist turned to look for someone, their vision turned into blackness.

    Valerie looked at her benefactors, a man and a woman, the latter wearing rather revealing clothes with sharp red and blue colors. Their magic seemed to be strong, easily erasing the other mage.

    She opened her mouth to thank them, but her vision was filled with darkness as well.

    Upon regaining her vision, she could see that the surrounding had changed to a luxurious room of sorts, filled with dozens of expensive furniture and masterpieces of art hanging on the wall. The green haired man had taken a seat before her, the woman standing behind.

    ¡°First up, I would like to ask how you were there.¡± The man said, staring at her eyes, leaving her no room for lies. Not that she needed to.

    ¡°When I woke up, I was all alone.¡± Valerie answered without faltering.

    He turned around, looking at the woman, several streaks of red running through her hair.

    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s not lying.¡±

    ¡°Who concludes an interrogation with a single question!¡± The woman shouted with a commanding voice as the man seemed to shrink down.

    ¡°But she¡¯s not lying.¡± The man explained with a reassuring smile, seeming to enrage the woman even more.

    ¡°She has silver hair, for Anir¡¯s sake. She¡¯s clearly a spy from Rasut.¡± The woman said, shaking her head.

    The man¡¯s face turned serious once more, staring right at the girl¡¯s eye.

    ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Valerie Bluewood.¡± She answered with a more relaxed expression, seeing as they wouldn¡¯t harm her if her answer was correct.

    ¡°Bluewood? Never heard of it. Is she lying?¡± The woman asked, tapping her chin.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem so. Or she might have been brainwashed to believe it.¡± The man answered as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°But what I¡¯m sure of is that she has no connection with this incident.¡±

    The man flicked his wrist as Valerie¡¯s consciousness faded.

 Ironhall City Part 4

    Ryan¡¯s eyes opened to a cell, the stench of urine and human waste clear in the air. The smaller than optimal room¡¯s steel bars looked worn out, as if it would fall at the smallest touch. Its survival of the constant tugging seemed to prove it wrong if anything else. His eyes turned to look around, only finding an abandoned building, barely in one piece. Ryan could bet this building would fall over him and crush him to smithereens in a day or two.

    He concluded that he was kidnapped and brought in an abandoned dungeon for questioning. At least that¡¯s what he hoped. It would surely help if they were government officials than some criminal organization. The putrid smell of smoke reached his nostrils, alerting him to the scenario. He couldn¡¯t have slept through a war, however likely that it might be.

    The red light coming through the walls could only make him hope it the light of dawn, and not something much more sinister. Ryan¡¯s eyes narrowed as he thought of a way to break out. The building was old, but the bars were as fresh as new, at least in durability.

    His mouth opened wide as he nodded to himself. Unfortunately, his weapon had been confiscated, leaving him with nothing but his own body. Ryan turned back towards the wooden wall and charged at it with his shoulder in front. The surprising durability surprised the boy, but the dangerous shaking caused by his actions only seemed to strengthen his resolve.

    Without much trouble except an aching shoulder, he managed to get out. The all too familiar sight of the place where time flowed differently appeared before his eyes, surprising him greatly. He could have been left in this place a day ago to say the least. That meant all his chances of getting accepted into the academy turned to smoke and disappeared from right before his nose.

    That wouldn¡¯t do.

    He thought of a way to quickly exit the place, but the cry of a child shook him out of his thought process. Could there be a child abandoned in this forsaken place? He hoped not, but decided to see for himself. Upon nearing the location, he realized it wasn¡¯t just a child, but many adults being navigated by guards.

    It almost looked like evacuating from a warzone.

    The line continued on until the gate of the city, where they had suspiciously stopped. Smoke blotted out the sun. The sky seemed to be frozen in one moment, not the smoke nor clouds moving at all, the sun seemingly stuck in an eternal dusk position.

    Ryan noticed several panicking citizens and realized he too was panicking a little. He didn¡¯t even feel the transition process, after all. It truly might be a war.

    ¡°He¡¯s there!¡± A man shouted from behind, forcing him to turn around. Several guards were sprinting towards his direction, spears in hand. With a scowl, Ryan quickly entered into a building. Most of the doors were open and not even in one piece.

    He climbed up to the second floor, using the porch to get himself on the roof.

    ¡°Shit.¡± He cursed as he started running through the roofs to the gate. These guards weren¡¯t moving by the orders of the general, so he might find sanctuary over there.

    A quick glance to the back revealed three of the guards having climbed onto it. The flat roofs didn¡¯t serve as any form of distraction, some triangles letting the more athletic boy get a headstart.

    The surprised look from those below evaded Ryan¡¯s observation as his sight was on the road or on his pursuers. Then he surprisingly jumped onto another porch, entering the house. This one was more well kept than the others, some doors still working. In a vain attempt to slow the guards down, he started closing the doors after himself. As he exited the building, he could see that the guards had continued their movement, not chasing him.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    With his escape route blocked, his scowl turned into a grimace. Not to mention these guards were now climbing down three buildings in front of him. Ryan¡¯s ears perked up as he instantly jumped forward, avoiding the swing of a dagger clearly aimed at his shoulder.

    He couldn¡¯t see the woman well enough the day before, but she felt¡­ odd. Like the one from the day before. As if she was glowing.

    The twin daggers in her hands swung relentlessly, giving him no time to rest. A faint smile appeared on Ryan¡¯s face before disappearing without a trace.

    ¡°Is this your justice? Attacking someone innocent in the middle of the day?¡± He asked as he raised his hands, turning his back to the citizens.

    ¡°If you want to arrest me, do so. But can you do it? Before your citizens? With an unjustified reason as an excuse?!¡± Ryan shouted as he walked backwards, the citizens parting to let him through.

    ¡°You have guts, saying that after causing this incident!¡± Sonya shouted as she twirled her daggers around, some of the citizens blocking Ryan¡¯s only escape.

    ¡°I think he will have to be judged by the officials, Miss Sonya.¡± A man said calmly from the top of a building, jumping down in front of the crazy woman. ¡°As per the orders of the general, I will have to fight you if you refuse to.¡±

    The man cracked his knuckles covered in gauntlets.

    The woman seemed odd, but this man just felt wrong. Everything about him. From the way he talked to the way he moved. Even so, Ryan couldn¡¯t quite place his finger on it.

    ¡°Anyone obstructing the path of the suspect will be deemed a rebel.¡± He said while walking towards Sonya, cracking his necks.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± She shouted while dropping her weapons. The man nodded, gesturing for Ryan to follow him. It seemed his instinct was right, as the man continued walking towards the gate.

    The crazy woman seemed to follow them, but from a safe enough distance to give him a peace of mind. It was just absurd to go through so much trouble from a single suspicion.

    Getting out of the city was supposedly a great plan, but the line had stopped advancing and several troubled looking people stood there, most likely high-ranking officials from their armors.

    ¡°...Shit. This thing isn¡¯t budging.¡± Cursed a large man, staring at his dangerous looking blade in his hand. No human would survive a slash from that monstrosity. He shouted while repeatedly trying to cut through an invisible barrier.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we use the mage.¡± The man who leaded Ryan to the gate said, looking around.

    ¡°It¡¯s not use, it¡¯s ask. And I can¡¯t find Joseph or Mavis no matter how much I search and call for them.¡± The man said turning around, his gaze landing on Ryan.

    ¡°You must be the trespasser. I¡¯m the general in charge of Ironhall, Alex. I¡¯d like to apologize for the idiocy of Sonya over there. She¡¯s a little too hotheaded when it comes to things like this.¡± Alex said with a bow, turning to look at the barrier begrudgingly, as if it was his lifelong rival.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing actually. What I¡¯d like to know is what happened.¡± Ryan asked as he shook his head.

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Alex nodded his head while pointing to the city. ¡°Suddenly a bright red light emanated from nowhere and the ground shook vigorously, and we found ourselves in this ruined version of the city.¡± He pointed to the outside of the gate. ¡°We can¡¯t get out or do anything for that matter.¡±

    Ryan nodded his head. It didn¡¯t add up. They couldn¡¯t have travelled through time and appeared here, and the fact they couldn¡¯t get out only proved it. The city couldn¡¯t have actually been damaged. The only logical reason was¡­ swapped.

    ¡°I might know what to do.¡± Ryan said as he gestured for them to follow, running into the city. ¡°If I am right, time flows differently here. We must hurry.

    As luck would have it, it was the very gate they had entered through, giving him a general direction of the entrance to the scorched land. In other words, where he had tracked back.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Alex asked as he easily kept up with Ryan¡¯s sprint pace, in a rather jogging manner. The same was true for the other man that had saved him.

    ¡°To the hole.¡± Ryan answered between breaths. Talking while exercising wasn¡¯t his thing, after all.

    Alex nodded, followed by the benefactor.

    Ryan stopped before the wall, in the alley with a dead end. He checked the surroundings to find anything that would signal this was a the right place, from the surprising lack of landmarks.

    Alex broke the silence, noting something that Ryan would have never thought of, or even know.

    ¡°This building over here. It shouldn¡¯t have existed at the time.¡± He said pointing to one of the buildings making up the alleyway.

    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± Ryan said as he crashed into the wall, finding nothing but air on the other side as he fell through. A smil

 Ironhall City Part 5

    Ryan looked at the several figures, taking a stroll in mid air like it was the most natural thing to do. Alex nudged at him, holding his index finger over his mouth. The other man looked at the sky, with the deadpan eyes and straight face that had become his trademarks.

    He wasn¡¯t always a dead man, but he couldn¡¯t remember a time he hadn¡¯t been suffering. Abusive parents, being an orphan, army training, abusive superior and finally he was free. Yet, the odd uncomfortable feeling in his chest never went away.

    Zane looked at the mages in the sky, as a frown appeared on his face. One of the few emotions he could display without trouble. Damn mages. These were clearly hostiles, that meant he could kill them.

    As the mages passed, some distance between them, Alex said.

    ¡°They are dark mages, very dangerous. Don¡¯t engage with them.¡±

    Ryan nodded with a serious face.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to capture them.¡± Alex said, throwing a key and a smoke launcher to him. ¡°You go check my room. The files are under the rug, if they are there, then you should fire a green and red if there isn¡¯t. Dispose of it immediately after checking.¡±

    Then he proceeded by running through the street, using the buildings as a cover. Zane could only shake his head at his futile attempts to hide. Everyone knew that mages could sense the surroundings without actually looking.

    Thus, the two higher ups decided that they would chase the mages away, completely forgetting about the existence of Sonya, left alone with Ryan.

    ¡°Hey, brat. This way.¡± Sonya said as she turned, walking towards the direction of the castle. Ryan followed. She couldn¡¯t attack him now that he was seen by the general, or so he thought and followed her trails.

    The eerie silence reigning supreme in the once bustling city greatly unsettled the boy. It was just like a¡­ ghost town. Everything was in perfect condition, but no one was here to inhabit them. A loud sound of an explosion from behind them greatly hastened Ryan¡¯s pace, Sonya keeping the same distance despite the rise in speed.

    ¡®Is she moving faster too?¡¯ Ryan asked himself. The lack of weapon on his belt in a foreign land felt dangerous to him, but he still had his legs if the need arose. Ryan would use the secret move of the family that his father taught him.

    It was only when another blast came from a little closer this time, did Ryan notice she had started sprinting, leaving him at the back. But he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone when it came to running away. And so, the one-sided racing game begun.

    Throwing a look at the back, Ryan noticed several figures floating in the air, creating giant fireballs which split in two pieces due to some unseen force. The explosions had been caused by some misdirected ones hitting too close to home for his liking.

    And so, within a small time frame, they had appeared before the castle. It was truly the home field of the crazy woman as she never stopped to take a breather and ran straight in, Ryan forced himself beyond his limit to catch up to Sonya, but mostly take shelter from the constant explosions.

    An explosion from his side sent him flying into a wall, hitting his shoulder, injuring it in the process. The pain was hellish to say the least, most likely a fractured bone.

    Ignoring the pain, he looked to the side to see where Sonya had been running to had¡­ been destroyed. Completely and utterly destroyed, the stones making up the wall had rained upon the other side, damaging the buildings within greatly in the process.

    The lack of Sonya¡¯s corpse greatly unsettled Ryan, but he shrugged it off as the woman being blown away a bit too far as she was standing in the middle. One thing was for sure, he didn¡¯t want to be hit by this.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Well shit, I don¡¯t know where the office is.¡± Ryan cursed as he looked up at the tower slowly collapsing down at him.

    ¡°Oh crap.¡± He cursed as he got back on his feet, proven surprisingly hard by the fact one of his arms was mostly dysfunctional. Ryan realized he had never really used his left hand to stand up, losing a few seconds.

    That¡¯s when he realized it was falling to the other side. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth as he looked at the fallen tower, some stray rocks hitting him on the body. The pain was minimal, at least compared to his shoulder, though he could bet he had a few bruises here and there.

    Ryan looked at the fallen tower, an idea entering his mind. This might be where the offices are. The fact there were four towers, of which two had fallen didn¡¯t help either. He had to search every one of them to find it.

    ¡®Higher positions means higher floors, right?¡¯ Ryan asked himself, nearing the fallen tower. It had fallen so that the door had ended up facing down. Nobles fancied windows as Ryan knew so well. He had heard too many of them mumble on and on about his house being a nuisance in their backyard, but he didn¡¯t care. Except he had a fond understanding of their love for windows. Circling the structure, he then realized the only place where it could be: the top.

    Climbing the three meter tall monstrosity wasn¡¯t something Ryan looked forward to.  He actually despised the idea, but he had to do it. There was no one else who would.

    The arduous task of climbing it without any equipment, with one hand to boot, gave him a headache. He wouldn¡¯t have minded if it was his right hand, but it just happened to be the left one he was left with.

    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± He mumbled to himself as he grabbed a loose stone, falling on his butt, cursing profusely. Having hit his tailbone, he cursed his own unluckiness. Ryan looked around to find something he could use, his eyes falling on the countless scattered rocks as a grin appeared on his face.

    Who said he should climb it?

    ***

    Alex pointed his sword at the heretics before him. They were cultists, using some impossible kind of magic by sacrificing their lives. He knew they couldn¡¯t be reasoned with, let alone captured, but it was in the knight¡¯s code to do so.

    ¡°You are under arrest for using illegal magic. Come along peacefully, or we will have to use force.¡± Alex said. He never bothered with a fighting stance. That would just be an unnecessary crutch, especially in an aerial battle he was engaged in currently.

    ¡°Oh, I would think your mage friends already said hello.¡± Said a high-pitched voice, most likely that of a woman.

    ¡°It was you who launched an attack first!¡± Said Alex, raising his voice. Covering up for an Imperial mage was never a bad idea. Never. And from her tone, he knew they were most likely just those mages rather than another group. Those words held so much spite.

    ¡°I was merely getting the innocent bystanders out of the way. I don¡¯t see how that is wrong.¡± The woman said, producing a wand in her hand and pointing it at Alex. The hood had a strange effect of obscuring the face, not giving him a chance to read her facial expression.

    Alex could only clench his fists tighter and bite his lip. It was true, yet it was wrong. A duel was the way these matters should be concluded. This was certainly a war. And no one wanted a war with mages, they knew it more than anyone.

    ¡°Is the hero of justice now doubting his beliefs? Ridiculous.¡± Said the woman, a giant ball no smaller than a grown man appeared before the wand in an instant. Alex¡¯s brow sweated as he noticed that it wasn¡¯t fire.

    ¡°Why would a church attack the city?¡± Alex asked, charging his blade with Aether. The gentle blue color gave him a peace of mind, gave him hope he could defeat this voiceless caster.

    ¡°Phantom Range!¡± He shouted, slicing the air. The ball of light split in two, exploding. He loved these when priests had his back and hated these when the opposing side had it. These explosions were the real deal.

    The power of the explosions sent him flying away, only to return a few seconds later. The range of his weapon wasn¡¯t far, but he could only imagine what would happen if the priest before him turned her attention to the city.

    The answer was: absolute ruin.

    He frantically looked behind, to notice the fool known as Zane actually punching away the balls. That would cause too much collateral damage. Then again, a gauntlet couldn¡¯t cut and dodging would prove the same. Alex sighed.

    He would have to cut loose to defeat them as well as much as he hated to admit it.

    ¡°Hurricane Devil!¡± He shouted. He wasn¡¯t obliged to, but still liked to watch the face of the opponent change at his perfect naming sense. This time around, the enemy¡¯s face was covered by a layer of shadow though.

    Several beads of water formed on Alex¡¯s face, the wind around him swirling violently. Every little thing about the technique could be seen from Zane¡¯s face from the startling power to the fact that it couldn¡¯t signify anything good.

 Notice

    Writing this series just doesn''t feel right. As if I''m writing the story of another person. I keep getting this artificial feeling from it. As if I''m not the author.

    So I will have to drop this series and write another one. Writing about a fly on the wall is far harder than I expected.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Dropped

    The continuation of this story just doesn''t come into my head anymore. Sorry to all those who were reading this.