Chapter 45

  Blood in the Streets

  At long last the endless sea of grass stretched out around them. The Ranear Plains seemed endless to Michael, a brand new adventure. Michael raised his arms and let out a bellow, "Wooooo!"

  Yan laughed, "What's come over you?"

  "Excitement." Michael declared. "A brand new day in a brand new place."

  "It's rather refreshing isn't it?" Hyato said, "A horizon of grass instead of mountains."

  "Don't be off guard, the grasses can still hide deadly foes." Sebastian said.

  "And hunting wont be as easy." Yan said. "Large game is too much work to process, and small game is harder to find out here."

  "How are we doing on food anyways?" Sebastian asked.

  "We should resupply. We are running low." Yan said.

  "I guess we have to head into a town." Sebastian said.

  Michael lifted a hand, "I'd rather not."

  "Well, we don't all have to head in." Sebastian amended. "Yan and I can head in and get the supplies we need."

  "What if more bounty hunters show up? Or Rex?" Wolf asked.

  "Or Mien?" Michael said.

  Sebastian sighed and rubbed his chin. "We need a plan, clearly." The party stopped their journey to think. “Perhaps we all enter town near the outskirts to find a place to restock.”

  “I don’t think I like that idea.” Wolf said, “If possible, I’d prefer to stay out of town entirely.”

  “I could go get the supplies.” Hyato said.

  “Not the best idea,” Sebastian said, “If you forget what you are doing then it could cause problems. Do you have some way to predict when you will shift in time?”

  “No.” Hyato said, “So I guess I will stay out with the others.”

  “What if I go in alone?” Yan suggested, “I’m sneaky and fast, and if something happens you can send for me.”

  “How will we find you if we send for you?” Sebastian asked. “And we won’t know the layout of the town either.”

  “So what do you propose we do?” Yan asked.

  Sebastian did not have a response, thinking. Michael sighed and said, “It doesn’t matter until we find a town. Let’s keep going for now and figure it out then.”

  “I prefer to plan ahead.” Sebastian said, “Not everyone can react in real time you know.”

  “Then plan while we walk.” Michael said, “It would be worse to be caught out here unawares.” Michael began walking, and the others followed him moments later. Sebastian and Yan discussed ideas as the group walked along the road eastwards.

  The grassy landscape that stretched out before the party seemed endless and serene. The quiet peace of travel was broken by the occasional sudden combat when Zori would appear, but their combat with Zori had been so frequent that Michael no longer tracked the battles. Instead, as his fellows discussed how best to proceed, Michael practiced the principles of the techniques that Hyato had shown him. Small warps here and there in lieu of taking steps. Michael found that he could move using warping just about as well as walking.

  Michael also worked on examining his sword. The multi-faceted surface of the blade was indeed crystal, yet as straight and sharp as any other sword he had seen. The blade was thicker than metal swords, however, and this difference might be why it was so durable. “Maybe I should try out another sword.” Michael mused.

  “It can’t hurt.” Wolf said, “And I told you before. I think you would do well using two.”

  “You think so? I guess I could try.” Michael said.

  “So what are you up to?” Wolf asked, striding along with Michael at the back of the group.

  “I am trying to get more familiar with my sword.” Michael explained, “Hyato taught me a technique to summon it, if I can picture it well enough.”

  “Oh, that’s useful.” Wolf said. “I can probably do the same for my swords.”

  “Don’t you just Elemake your weaponry?” Michael asked, “And I’ve never seen you use a sword.”

  Wolf stretched his arms up behind his head, relaxing as he walked. “Alternative focus weapon training.” Wolf said.

  “Oh yeah, you did mention that.” Michael examined his sword, the Oronbyr, again. “I want to try.”

  “Yeah, it’s good training, I’ve really learned alot.” Wolf said, “When I use my swords again I’ll be way better.”

  “No, not that.” Michael said. He set Oronbyr on the ground and moved a few yards away from it. Then he faced away and held out his hand. Just as Hyato had shown him, Michael pictured the sword in his hand, then drew on the energy in his body. Violet energy surrounded his hand and began to spill out unchecked. The energy poured out and faded, ebbing away and causing strain on Michael. Sweat formed on Michael’s brow and neck, but Michael forced the fatigue aside and emitted more energy. Then, with a powerful force of effort, Michael’s energy coalesced in his hands and became the Oronbyr!

  Michael panted and looked back, noting the absence of the sword he placed on the ground. His sword was in his hand. He took a swig of his waterskin to ease the weariness of the technique. “Impressive.” Wolf said, patting Michael on the back.

  “Arm Return will not require so much effort.” Hyato said, “If you improve your focus. Visualize your sword more when you try next time.”

  “Okay.” Michael said, nodding. He caught up to the others so they didn’t have to wait for him any longer.

  “A town, at long last.” Sebastian said, pointing ahead. A village could be seen in the distance, just faint shapes of the buildings, as the party was still a fair distance away. The day had progressed into the late afternoon, and the suns were getting ever closer to the horizon.

  “We have enough gil for supplies?” Hyato asked.

  “We do.” Sebastian said, “Yan’s father bequeathed us with a fair amount when we left the Aeronemar Village.”

  “Okay.” Hyato said, then added, “Let me know if you want me to do any contests.”

  Sebastian chuckled, “That’s right, you did some in Nita. I’ll be sure to let you know.”

  “You like contests then, Hyato?” Wolf asked.

  Hyato nodded, a serious look on his face, “I do.”

  “How about we have a race?” Wolf said, “We’ll race to the first building down the road.” Wolf pointed ahead. The town was drawing nearer, but it was still a mile or so away. Hyato appraised the road.

  “Sure.” Hyato said, after a short deliberation. He drew a line in the road with his sword, cutting into the cobbled stone. “Here is our starting line.” Wolf grinned and stepped up next to Hyato behind the line, poised and ready to run. Hyato crouched and placed his hands on the ground, down in a lunging pose.

  “Ready?” Sebastian asked, standing off the side with Michael and Yan. Both Hyato and Wolf nodded. “Start!”

  Hyato kicked off the ground and started sprinting down the road, and Wolf moved at a fast run just a little behind him. Yan and Sebastian watched the two race off with amused expressions. Michael’s eyes carried past them.

  “There are no walls in that city, why is that?” Michael asked.

  “Not everywhere employs walls.” Sebastian said, “Cryston, as a nation, has an abundance of Crystal Mines, and so they use crystals frequently in their city structures. Most towns in Cryston use large Crystals to form a kind of barrier around the city, offering protections and detections alike.”

  “I didn’t know you could use crystals like that.” Yan said. She and the others resumed walking along the road, following the dust trail of the others towards town. “I thought you use Mana for spells.”

  “There are actually four sources of magic, four ways to cast spells. Mana is just one of them.” Sebastian said, “And Crystals are another.”

  Yan nodded. “And the other two?”

  “Resonance, and Runes.” Sebastian said, “Though I do not know exactly how to use spells using anything but Mana. Modern Magic only requires the use of Mana, and because of it there are fewer people that study or use the other sources.”

  “Isn’t Modern Magic a creation of Mystia, the King of Cryston?” Michael asked.

  “Well, yes.” Sebastian said, “And your point?”

  “Why do they use Crystals if they could use some kind of Modern Magic barrier?” Michael asked.

  “Just because he made something does not mean he is restricted to it.” Sebastian said, “The history books say that before Mystia invented Modern Magic, he was a Caller.”

  "Caller. That's what that bandit woman Vy called herself." Michael said.

  "And now she's the Revenant." Yan said.

  "Indeed." Sebastian said, "Anyways, I hope that answers your question."

  Michael nodded, then something occurred to him. "If crystals are a source of magic..." He drew his sword, Oronbyr, "Can I use this to cast spells?"

  Sebastian rubbed his chin. "That's a good question. But I'm afraid I don't know the answer. I'll see if I can pick up a book on Crystals in town." Michael nodded and focused on moving ahead with the others. Heading into town wouldn’t be something Michael planned on doing. Avoiding people seemed like a better idea to him.

  Ahead on the road Michael noticed Hyato’s red coat and Wolf’s black one as they were heading back. “Looks like the race is finished.” Yan said.

  “I wonder who won.” Sebastian said.

  “Wait...” Yan frowned, narrowing her eyes. “Something is wrong.”

  As Hyato and Wolf drew nearer, the worry could be seen on their faces. Hyato arrived first and fell to one knee, panting. “What happened?” Michael asked. Hyato looked up to speak, but was unable to form words.

  Wolf arrived and took in a breath. “Something... something is going on.” He said. “There were no people around, but...” He gulped down some more air.

  “Signs of struggle.” Hyato finished.

  “We need to hurry.” Michael said, taking off towards the town.

  “What are we going to do?” Sebastian called out, but Michael was already sprinting. Sebastian sighed and started following, as did Yan. Hyato dragged himself up and started making his way back, alongside Wolf.

  As Michael arrived at the first buildings, an odor of metal tingled at his nose. There were gashes in the cobbled road, and the smell of blood. Michael looked down the road, where more buildings started making up streets. There was no one to be seen.

  “This doesn’t bode well.” Yan said as she arrived.

  A sound echoed from within town, too faint to hear. Both Michael and Yan’s ears twitched. “Let’s go.” Michael said. Yan nodded and moved with him towards the center of town. The air was thick with a haze, humidity making Michael’s skin crawl. Or was that something else?

  Sebastian caught up to the others after a moment, grabbing Michael by the shoulder. “Do you really think this wise?”

  “What? We need to figure out what happened.” Michael said, pulling his arm free from Sebastian’s grip.

  “Do we really? We should just leave, skip this place and head for our destination.” Sebastian said.

  “The people of this city could be in danger.” Michael said, stopping to look at Sebastian. “If I can save a few of them, I will.”

  “Why? What do you owe this town?” Sebastian asked, trying to keep his voice down. “Everyone could already be dead.”

  “And they could be alive too.” Michael countered. Wolf and Hyato had caught up as the argument continued. Even at the outskirts of town, the place felt uneasy.

  Sebastian shook his head. “This is too clearly a trap of some kind. Zori or something.”

  “It’s not Zori.” Michael said. “There would be more bloodshed, don’t you think?” Michael looked at the gash marks in the road. “Someone rounded up the people here.”

  “I’m with Michael.” Hyato said.

  “Me too!” Yan agreed.

  “Of course you are.” Sebastian said with an exasperated sigh. “Fine. But we shouldn’t head in without taking caution.”

  “We’ll be careful.” Michael said, heading towards the center of town.

  “Walking down the middle of the road isn’t being careful!” Sebastian said. “Let’s just... head in through the alleyways.” Michael shrugged and continued, veering off towards one side.

  Yan caught up and looked ahead. “I think that’s a good idea, Michael.” She said.

  “Yeah, I agree.” Michael said, “Find a good alleyway for me?” Yan nodded and moved ahead of the others. Michael focused on being silent, erasing all sound from his footfalls.

  The party moved forward into town, slinking along an alleyway picked out by Yan. Their continued forward progress showed more signs of struggles, and not a person in sight. There weren’t even animals, stray or otherwise, to be found in the area. A growing sense of tension began to creep along with the party, glued to their backs.

  Wind swept wide oak leaves past the party, a dancing flurry of pale green. Alongside the leaves was a sharp metallic scent that bestowed a sense of foreboding. Through the streets, the party picked out the sight of a massive oak tree in town center. The boughs of the tree stretched over some near structures, dangling crystal coated nodule growths over the town.

  Yan moved ahead in silence, inspecting the way forward. She motioned for the others to join her as they neared town center. Michael and the others peered around the corner, and still there were no people to be seen. The party moved another street closer, then froze at the sight before them.

  Blood covered the street. Roads, walls, wagons, stalls, and everything in sight splattered with crimson stains. The stench was familiar, but muted. A tingle of metal, yet distant as if half cleaned. Sebastian recoiled, but Michael clenched his fist.

  “The Revenant.” Michael said, drawing his sword. Hyato drew his as well, but Yan placed a hand on Michael’s shoulder.

  “We shouldn’t be hasty.” Sebastian said.

  “If there is a chance I can save one person, then it doesn’t matter.” Michael charged forth towards the center of town. Hyato and Wolf closed in at his sides, joining him.

  Piled high in town center beneath the oak tree was a pile of corpses. Michael looked on in horror and fury, as a chilling laugh rang out from atop it. “It took you long enough, Michael.” Vero’s raspy voice croaked.

  “How dare you.” Michael said, then he stamped one foot and roared, “HOW DARE YOU! VERO!” Energy coarse through the air with his fury.

  “My my...” Vero drawled, “Whatever could you mean?”

  “These people, you killed them!” Michael readied his sword, glaring up at Vero. Wolf summoned weapons, and Hyato drew his own sword.

  “Did I?” Vero said, “No, you are mistaken.” His face ever hidden, Vero pointed down. Michael looked to see Vy standing halfway down the pile, coated in blood and eyes half lidded. “What you seek is this avatar of destruction, is it not?”

  Vy, possessed by the Revenant, took a few steps forward and slid down the mass of bodies. Michael felt sick to his stomach, so much needless carnage. He glared, and spoke in a soft tone. “Hyato, Wolf. Take care of the Revenant. I will handle Vero.”

  “You got it.” Wolf said, readying his weapons.

  Hyato nodded. “Okay.”

  Michael took off at a dead sprint, moving towards Vy with extreme speed. Wolf and Hyato almost stumbled to keep pace. The bloody hands of the delirious bandit Caller formed claws as she rushed in to meet their charge.

  “Now!” Michael said, striking the ground before him and leaping into the air. A burst of dark energy carried him aloft, launching him into the sky and knocking over the possessed foe in one motion. Vero’s downward gaze of contempt became a look of shock as he tilted up to see Michael above him. For just a moment, Vero’s hood fell back, revealing a mask beneath the hood. “Die, Vero!”

  Michael lashed out with a wave of energy, slashing through the air. Then he recovered to stand upon a careful balance of energy emitted from the Oronbyr, keeping himself aloft as he watched his attack streak towards Vero.

  Purple metal blurred between Michael and Vero, and the attack Michael launched was swept aside. “Not good enough.” Velicio said, appearing with a scepter in hands.

  “Now now, Velicio.” Vero said, his shock replaced by smarm. “Leave it. I shall deal with Michael.”

  The armored giant turned to face Vero. For a moment of silence, Vero’s arrogant poise wavered only just. “Very well, Brother.” Velicio said, and Vero regained his stance. “I shall strike down the interlopers.”

  Michael grated his teeth as Velicio dropped to the ground towards Wolf and Hyato, but Vero dropped off the pile on the other side of the square. Michael glanced for his friends, then made for his quarry.

  “This ends now, Vero.” Michael said, dropping to the ground and taking a battle stance. “Your scheme has gone on long enough!”

  “Oh-ho really?” Vero said, lifted a few feet into the air with his magic. “Everything has only just begun, Michael.” He took in a long breath, and the air around him seemed to shimmer for a moment. “And you have made... a fatal mistake.”

  “What’s that?” Michael asked, eyes darting around him for a moment. The area seemed clear of any survivors. That was not a good thing.

  “You should never,” Vero said, hands glowing with malevolent mana, “Let a Sorcerer gather their power!” Black lightning coursed from Vero’s hands along the ground, spreading wild arcing sparks all around. Stray leaves and hanging branches burst into flame as Vero’s spell ignited them. The Sorcerer shifted backwards in the same motion, gaining distance from his sword wielding counterpart.

  “Don’t assume range gives you an advantage.” Michael said, spreading his presence out around him. The flames that burned all flickered in tandem, then gathered above Michael like a small star. Michael swung his sword and released a surge, and the gathered fire, as a twin assault on Vero.

  The floating caster thrust his hands forth into a conjured sphere of shadowy mana. His hands moved with precision and speed, then he cast a spell. A great wall of stone erupted from the ground, blocking Michael’s attack. Vero stood atop it and let out a manic laugh. “You cannot gain advantage over me. I am a Sorcerer! Mine is a magic that reigns supreme! Any spell I desire, I need only weave in moments.”

  “Good for you.” Michael vanished with his jump tech and slammed against the stone wall, striking his sword into it. Dark energy erupted from the wall and launched Vero skyward as Michael used Dark Blade. The white haired warrior spent the next moments avoiding the debris and landing on the ground.

  “Your feeble efforts are in vain,” Vero gloated, “Launching a foe that can fly is a meaningless attack.” The sorcerer remained aloft as if riding a faint breeze. He seemed content to remain out of Michael’s reach, too far to attack, while not being aggressive.

  Michael glanced over at the other battle, worried for Yan and the others. From the sounds of it, a fierce battle was going on.

  Velicio slammed into the ground with a wave of concussive energy, sending Hyato and Wolf back several yards. The armored enemy stood up from within a small crater, having made quite the entrance. “I’ve been wanting to fight you.” Wolf said, brandishing his weapons at Velicio’s imposing visage.

  “Be careful with your wishes,” Velicio said, voice an echo from within their full plate helmet. “They may come true.” Velicio twirled the scepter into a battle stance. Wolf grinned, jagged amber energy burning to life as his Phanokai blood stirred for battle.

  “I shall focus on the Revenant.” Hyato said, heading for the possessed bandit.

  “Thanks.” Wolf said. He rolled his shoulders, then charged at Velicio! Wolf slashed with his conjured weapons, emitting amber flames and aiming for a direct strike.

  Velicio caught the blow without avoiding, allowing Wolf’s conjured weapons to strike against platemail. “Did you think you could pierce my armor?” Velicio asked.

  “No harm in trying!” Wolf struck again, and again, no regard for defence as he began to unleash ceaseless attacks. Several blows to purple platemail showed naught for damage. Velicio slammed the end of the scepter into Wolf, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him back.

  Velicio returned to a poised stance, then spoke, “Do you really think-” A blast of lightning struck Velicio into silence.

  “Talk is cheap!” Wolf said, conjuring more lightning and rushing in for a continued assault.

  Huge swathes of arcing flame and burning bolts gathered behind Wolf as he leapt into the air. Heart racing in his eardrums, Wolf gathered the elements into his hands and reshaped them. His conjured weapons transformed, each becoming a sword of ridiculous size that glowed in ephemeral force. Hands and arms blistering from the strain of his power, Wolf let out a bellow of sheer jubilant bloodlust and swung his swords.

  Two towering swords of crackling amber plasma sundered the air as if in slow motion, slamming into the armored Velicio with a cacophonous explosion of Wolf’s power. The sheer force of power brought the din of battle to a dead silence, then Wolf’s elemental weapons faded into the air.

  Wolf dropped to the ground, his sleeves burned back to his shoulders. Angry red blisters coated his arms in helical patterns, causing him to wince in pain. He tensed his muscles and chuckled, "I'm the champion." He said.

  "And that's your best?" The words made Wolf freeze, and the silhouette of full plate approached from the settling dust. "Champion." Velicio said.

  The Champion lifted his arms to conjure weapons, but Velicio's sabaton struck before he could. Wolf was launched back from the kick, rolling and landing on his back. Velicio stretched, starting to get warmed up.

  Hyato struck through the Revenant, cleaving it in half. The body of the former bandit Caller, Vy, split apart. Then it faded in a shower of sparks.

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  "Tch." Hyato clicked his tongue in frustration. "Another illusion." His eyes darted around the streets, and he spotted the Revenant again. Hyato raced towards it without hesitation.

  "Stop, Hyato!" The swordsman gave pause and looked to the voice. Sebastian crouched in an alleyway.

  "Where have you been?" Hyato asked.

  "Setting things up. Don't chase the Revenant, they're all illusions." Sebastian said.

  "How can you know that?" Hyato said, "One of them could be true."

  "I doubt it. This is clearly an ambush. Besides, it would be better to deal with Vero first. Go back and aid Michael." Sebastian said.

  “Well,” Hyato glanced over at the Revenant, was she just standing there? “Yeah, okay. I can go to Michael.” He sheathed his sword and turned to go back to town square. “You have a plan?”

  “Yes.” Sebastian said, “So far. I will rejoin soon.”

  Hyato nodded, then started running back. All this running around and not getting anything done, the swordsman frowned.

  He ran, the familiar haze of flame and battle clouding the sky above. Hyato needed to get back to the others and help Michael. If he didn't... What would happen if he didn't? They were strong enough, right? Still Hyato could be of some use.

  Couldn't he?

  Hyato slowed to a walk, trying to figure out where he was. He glanced at his wrist, but there was nothing there. What town is this? He was missing something, had he been here before?

  He must have slipped through time again. “Well, I need to find out what’s going on.” Hyato said to himself. He took three steps, then saw someone roll along the ground and land hard.

  Wolf got to his feet and shook his head. “That smarts.” He complained, clutching his chest with one hand.

  “Wolf.” Hyato said, moving to his side. “What’s the situation?”

  “What’s the...Oh.” Wolf said, then pointed ahead. “I wasn’t able to beat that armored dude.”

  Hyato arched an eyebrow and looked ahead. The tall imposing purple armor of Velicio stared back, “Velicio? I see. So what are you going to do?” Hyato asked.

  “I think it’s time I stopped playing around.” Wolf took a few strides closer to his armored opponent, who continued to stretch in a relaxed manner. “I think my training has come to an end.” Wolf drew out a container from his bag, one of the few things he had bothered to lug around everywhere.

  A simple wooden box, a few feet long and one wide, was wrapped in a deep blue cloak. Wolf undid a clasp and unfurled the cloak, draping it over his shoulder to open the latch on the box. Inside were two sheathed weapons, each with a guardless hilt. Wolf placed the sheathes against his back, clipping them into small loops to secure them. Then, with practiced ease, he drew his weapons.

  Two swords, each only two and a half feet long, with an unusual heft to their width. The swords were half again as wide as a typical blade, and the weapons were thicker as well. Solid chunks of metal with a silvery edge. Wolf swung them a few times, as if dancing with an old flame. Velicio watched the display and nodded, speaking in that echoed voice from within the helmet. “You’ve been undergoing Alternative Focus.” Velicio noted.

  “Right in one.” Wolf said, widening his stance and holding one sword over his head and the other low to the ground, both points aimed at Velicio. “I didn’t expect many people to know about it.”

  Velicio changed stance as well, angling the scepter’s tip towards the ground while keeping only one side turned towards Wolf. “Let’s see if it paid off.” Velicio rushed forth first, using a sweeping attack towards Wolf’s feet. Wolf pivoted out of the way and swung his swords, bearing one down and the other up like a clamping jaw. The attack struck Velicio’s armor and dug into the metal.

  The armored opponent did not falter, instead pushing in for a shoulder bash to force Wolf back a few steps. Wolf recovered and moved in for another attack, only to be parried by Velicio’s sceptre and left gauntlet. “Wide Swords, huh.” Velicio commented, “An unusual choice.”

  “I’m surprised you know about them,” Wolf said, maintaining his assault, “Not many do.”

  “Seems a step down from lightning swords the size of a tree.” Velicio said. Neither warrior ended their attacks and counters as they spoke. Each looked for openings and tested the other’s guard with attacks while employing parries and evading to avoid taking direct hits.

  Velicio side stepped one of Wolf’s clamping attacks, then Wolf let out a burst of flame from his feet and spun to dodge past. As he moved lightning arced out and struck Velicio several times, “I’m just getting started.” Wolf said, surrounding his swords with blazing amber elements.

  Wolf swung his elemaker wreathed swords at Velicio, only for the flames and lightning to wither away. From one arm Velicio was emitting a powerful deep purple energy that swirled from the armored arm. The energy bloomed into a dome around Velicio’s hand, a shield that disrupted the force of Wolf’s elemental attack.

  The Phanokai grimaced and withdrew several paces, avoiding a thrust from the sceptre, “So, that’s how you blocked my attack.” Wolf said.

  “It could be.” Velicio vanished from Wolf’s sight in a blur of motion. Wolf flinched and looked around, then saw the heavy armor above, crashing towards him with the sceptre as a focal point. Wolf tried to move, but tripped over his own feet and fell back. Velicio’s attack was bearing down!

  A dome of metal appeared for a moment above Wolf, like a flicker of light. The meteoric strike was deflected, forcing Velicio to crash land several yards off course. Wolf shook his head, then realized what had happened.

  Hyato stood above him, sword drawn and red energy misting off of his fingers and blade. He had somehow deflected the blow with a perfect slash, and in the meantime had dropped his red coat. His white clothing stood out against the gloomy haze of battle. Hyato looked down at Wolf, “You should get up. I’m only here for a moment longer.” He said.

  “What?” Wolf asked, incredulous. “Where are you going?”

  “Not what I mean.” Hyato reached down and hauled Wolf to his feet by his collar. “Keep stalling Velicio, then find Sebastian.” Hyato’s eyes held a glint of determination that Wolf had never seen before. Then he blinked, and his posture changed. “Huh?” Hyato let go of Wolf’s shirt, “Sorry.”

  His eyes seemed distant, confused. Then he adopted his usual stoicism. “Any chance you can tell me what’s going on?” Hyato asked.

  “Well...” Wolf started. He balked and pulled Hyato out of the way of a rushing thrust by Velicio. “Talk later!” Wolf said, moving in to attack the armored foe while there was a chance. It was parried, of course, but Wolf continued his assault. For now, he would have to trust in Hyato’s words. Wolf switched to a defensive tactic, ready to stall out the armored assailant.

  Michael gathered the flames and lashed out at Vero, launching a heavy surge slash alongside the elemental attack. Vero brought up a barrier to disperse the attack. “Your repetition will not defeat me.” Vero said, boredom in his raspy voice.

  “Then maybe you should stop stalling!” Michael said, gathering up more of the fires that were started by Vero’s continued sorceries. He wanted to prevent this town from burning if he could, even if everyone was already killed.

  “Stalling? Why would you think-”

  “You aren’t even trying to hit me.” Michael said, slashing again. “Either you’re testing me, or waiting for something. I’ll figure out which.” Michael remained earthbound whilst Vero continued to loom above in the air. The sorcerer had not dropped his guard, yet.

  “You have such a narrow purview,” Vero mocked, “Do not claim to read my intentions, whelp.” He cast out another trio of lazy sorceries that rent apart flagstone and flesh alike, setting fire to patches of grass and stray corpses. Michael gathered flames before they spread.

  “Oh you think so?” Michael asked, building up a mass of fire above him, “Don’t underestimate me, Vero. I know what you’re planning to do at the Shards of the Sky.”

  Vero flinched, “W-what! How do you know-” Michael cut him off with a wave of flame, which Vero blocked using another magical barrier. The obscuring flames were replaced by harsh black winds that smashed through Vero’s barrier and slammed into him with tearing force.

  Vero wheezed in pain and confusion, recovering his aerial maneuverability and focusing down at Michael. However, the white haired warrior was no longer there. “Think fast!” Michael said from above, before unleashing another barrage of Dark Wind. The follow up attack struck Vero to the ground, howling like a breeze from the abyss.

  The Sorcerer sputtered and groaned as he slammed into the ground, lifting himself with magic only to slam back down. Vero let out an enraged cry and cast a burst of mana around himself, disrupting Michael’s attack and managing to rise. “How. Dare!” Vero protested.

  Dark Wind was unleashed a third time, but Vero created a barrier of stone above him. The winds crashed in all directions, sending debris flying. Michael landed and readied an attack for when Vero showed himself.

  A sudden burst of crackling energy and lightning crossed between Michael and the stone barrier. The armored warrior, Velicio, pursued a fleet-footed Champion. Wolf appeared wielding swords and surrounded by a shell of floating flames, dodging back from Velicio's onslaught. The heavy armored warrior unleashed waves of energy, surges, alongside a complex series of precise thrusts and sweeps with that sceptre.

  As the other battle continued, Vero chose that moment to move out of hiding and into the air again. Michael lost his chance at a clear shot. "Foolishness." Vero drawled. "You cannot compare to the power of a Sorcerer."

  The air around Vero began to shimmer and warp with mana. What kind of spell could cause that much disruption? Michael jumped towards Vero, determined to interrupt him.

  An explosion enveloped Vero, Michael let out a surge to avoid barreling into it. Vero shrieked in shock and fell to the ground, followed by an abrupt motion by Velicio. Michael dropped to the ground next to Wolf as Velicio moved to protect Vero. “You do that?” Wolf asked.

  “No, it wasn’t me.” Michael said, glancing around. Velicio knelt by Vero, staying on guard. Hyato stood nearby behind Wolf, sword drawn and looking lost.

  A tap on Michael’s shoulder drew his gaze to a smiling Yan. Michael chuckled, “Good job Yan,” he said.

  Yan continued to grin, taking a battle stance at Michael's right side. "So, what do we do about these two?" Vero shoved Velicio away and tried to stand, but didn't make it up.

  "I don't know." Michael said, "Where did the Revenant go?" He looked at Hyato, who shook his head.

  "I think we should finish them off." Wolf said, readying his weapons. Velicio took a defensive stance, in front of Vero. Wolf narrowed his eyes, ready to strike, which made Michael pause.

  “I don’t want to kill them.” Michael said.

  “What? Why not?” Wolf asked, balking. His gaze never wavered from Velicio.

  “Why should we? I don’t see any reason to kill, that seems...” Michael frowned, searching for the word. A few danced around in his head, “Wrong, I guess. Evil, maybe.”

  “But look at what they’ve done!” Wolf said, heat rising in his voice, “Look at all this, this... carnage!” Wolf half screamed, arms spread to indicate the town around him. Corpses littering the street and piled in a mass, blood staining the ground in thick streams, the stench of death and waste and foul burnt flesh searing his nose. Michael looked around at everything, his head swimming with a feverish haze.

  This was atrocious. Terrible. An unforgivable act. Why? Why had this happened? It had happened before in Liniva, and now here too? Michael’s eyes fixated on Vero, who crouched down; still as a Kuldo. Did he do this? Was it Velicio? The Revenant? Did it matter?

  “You’re right.” Michael said, eyes red for a moment. “What they’ve done here.” Michael drew his sword, fist clenched around it in an iron grip. “It’s unforgivable.” He raised his weapon, hatred burning in his soul.

  Several things happened all at once. Velicio moved to intercept, and Wolf made to counter that defense. Yan lifted her arms to Michael’s shoulders, trying to calm him down. Michael gathered forth a mass of energy around his sword, preparing to strike.

  And a black ball of ebony metal crashed into Michael at full speed.

  Michael bounced on the ground and tumbled to his feet, lifting his head long enough to see a blade falling towards it. Michael dodged to the left and avoided the attack, ears ringing from the sudden shock of being tackled. He brought his sword up to catch another strike, parrying it away as his hearing returned. “...you bastard!” Was the end of a sentence Michael missed.

  “What?” Michael said, trying to regain his focus.

  “Don’t play dumb!” Rex roared, righteous fury in his tone as he lashed out again. “You’ll pay for this!” Michael had to focus on dodging Rex’s attack, his arms still shook from their last clash. He took part of a moment to take stock of the battle around him.

  Rex’s bounty hunters had arrived, and the battle started going three ways. Evan shot at Vero, who lunged at Yan, while the latter moved to intercept a spell from Fara. Wolf was rushing towards Rex, but Velicio was right behind him. Hyato had vanished in the ensuing chaos.

  “I’ll kill you for this!” Rex yelled, betraying his sneak attack enough for Michael to avoid it. Michael slammed his fist into Rex’s armor and unleashed a powerful surge, enough to knock the man back a few steps. Rex blinked as confusion overtook his fury, “How did you get so much stronger?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Michael said, brandishing his sword and falling into a rooted combat stance. He brushed some hair out of his eyes, matting it back behind his ear.

  “You weren’t this strong the other day...” Rex said, taking his sword in two hands. “I’ll need to cut you down quick and end your reign of terror.”

  Michael frowned, “For the last time...” He started.

  “Fuck off!” Wolf slammed into Rex, barreling him to the ground. They rolled once before conflicting surge attacks blasted them apart. They both landed, only for Velicio to arrive with a sweeping sceptre strike. Michael ducked his head and slipped away from the brawl, rushing back towards Yan.

  The brown haired Ninja girl had retreated from the other battle as Hyato stepped in to defend from Evan’s attacks. Fara had gone missing this time, Michael noticed. Yan locked eyes with Michael for a moment and ran towards him, “Hey, we should get out of here!” She said.

  “You’re bleeding.” Michael noticed a cut on her lip and bruise on her cheek. He reached up to wipe the blood away.

  “Now’s not the time, let’s go.” Yan said, taking Michael’s hand, “We need to find Sebastian.” Michael nodded and turned to scan around for the man.

  “You aren’t getting away, Kunoichi Bitch!” Vero’s rasping voice snarled as he lunged from the shadows. He swiped with an ethereal claw around his hand, cutting into Yan’s neck. Yan cried out in pain, slashing at Vero in desperate defence. Her attack missed as Vero’s claws dug into her throat.

  Michael rushed in and slammed his fist into Vero’s chest with all his might, but the Sorcerer predicted his fury. A mass of stored mana on Vero’s chest erupted, blasting a powerful wave of tectonic energy at Michael. He was launched back by the force of earth as Vero’s trap spell triggered. Vero laughed.

  A green double appeared at Yan’s side, then blinked out of existence as Yan swapped places with it. Having escaped the manic magical murderer’s grip, Yan balled her hand into a fist and struck at Vero with one knuckle lifted. Yan’s knuckleduster found its mark, hitting Vero square in the crotch. The sorcerer’s laughter devolved into ceaseless babble, then choked clicking.

  As Vero gasped for breath, Yan slipped away from him and into the shadows. She spotted Michael, sprawled in pain at the base of the massive tree. He had slammed back first into the torso sized crystal near it’s trunk.

  Yan knelt at Michael’s side, “Are you okay?”

  Michael coughed, then nodded, still laying against the crystal totem. “I’ll live. We need to get out of here.” He wheezed.

  “You aren’t going anywhere!” Rex said, slamming one foot into the ground to announce his presence. He stalked towards Michael and Yan with his greatsword dragging on the ground behind him. Michael groaned, trying to sit up, but the crystal shifted and he fell back.

  “Do not interfere, marauder.” Velicio said, closing in towards both Rex and Michael. “This fight is not yours.”

  “I cannot believe you are protecting them.” Rex said, spitting blood to one side. “Who the hell are you?”

  “You are not worthy of an answer.” Velicio said. The armor Velicio wore seemed a bit worn out, but the warrior had not lost any poise. Yan crouched at Michael’s side, tense and ready to move.

  “I? I am not worthy?!” Rex sputtered, “I am the most worthy. I am Rex! I’ve trained with Dark Knight, I’ve slain a Dragon! I’ve slain Demons and Vampires! I’ve trained at MAW, the greatest academy of battle!” Rex slammed his sword into the ground, his stone face growing redder with anger, “They should call me Rex Fury! I am worthy of any battle!”

  Velicio shifted stance, the sceptre’s shaft tucked under one arm with the tip pointed towards Rex’s feet. “You cannot defeat me, student of Myrrh. You are no Myrrhmidon, and no Champion. No match, Kuldo.”

  Rage burned in Rex’s eyes and he took a step towards Velicio. Just one step. Then Evan and Fara arrived at his side, each placing a restraining hand on his pauldrons. Rex looked at them both, then nodded and looked towards Michael. “Whatever.” Rex said, “You aren’t the bounty, purple knight.” Michael’s ear twitched and he glanced back for a moment as Rex approached. “Pay attention, scum.” Michael locked eyes to Rex, “I’m going to end your massacre here, empty eyed monster. Any last words?

  Michael cleared his throat, shaking his head, “Actually.” He said, “I do have some words.” Yan took a step back as Rex, Fara, and Evan all approached. Velicio waited off to the side, action or inaction both suspicious.

  “Well? Spit them out.” Rex said.

  “Of course.” Michael said, nudging the tip of Oronbyr into the ground at his feet. “Dark Blade!”

  Energy erupted from the ground beneath Rex’s crew and Velicio. Fara and Evan were forced back, but the two armored warriors avoided the brunt of the blow. Rex began to laugh. “What’s so funny?” asked a genial voice from the base of the tree.

  Standing in a relaxed pose in his brilliant pink shirt, Sebastian leaned against the tree with a smirk. Rex frowned and glanced around. “Nothing that tricky, Rexy poo.” Sebastian said. “Watch for rain.” Rex looked up as Sebastian cast his spell.

  The ground erupted again as a geyser of magical water shot up below Rex and Velicio. Both enemies were taken off guard and pushed away by the tidal force and were knocked away. Sebastian let out a breath and dropped his bravado. “We should flee while we still can.” He said.

  “I agree.” Yan said, grabbing Michael under one arm.

  “Yeah, but we need to go without being pursued.” Michael said, standing with the others’ help. The crystal he had been leaning against cracked and fell over, letting out a tingle of fading energy.

  “Great.” Sebastian said, “And now the city has no barrier. We’re screwed if we don’t get out of here.” Michael and Yan waited for Sebastian to elaborate. “Zori will smell all this blood and swarm the place, and once they start eating people it will become a hive.”

  Yan cursed, kicking a pebble. Michael shrugged, “We have bigger problems. That spell wont stop Rex and Velicio for very long. And we need to get Wolf and Hyato too, wherever they ended up.” He said.

  “Got any ideas?” Sebastian asked.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be the Tactician?” Yan said.

  Sebastian nodded, frowning. “I guess I need to be.” Yan blinked, frowning. Sebastian seemed a bit too serious.

  Michael leaned down and picked up the huge crystal. He could feel the sheer weight of mystic energy in the thing. It’s smooth blue surface was almost humming with force. “Can’t you cast spells using Crystals?” He asked.

  “Yes...” Sebastian said, “But I don’t know how.”

  Michael pressed the broken wardstone into Sebastian’s arms. The middle aged Evari stumbled with the weight of it. “Figure it out.” Michael said. “A way out of this mess, if you could.” Michael stepped towards the battle, Wolf and Hyato appeared to be fighting some new force and the bounty hunters again.

  “That’s a tall order!” Sebastian said.

  “I trust you.” Michael said, brandishing his sword. “Get to it. Yan?”

  “Coming.” Yan said, leaving an energy clone behind with Sebastian as she joined Michael.

  Vero rose into the air above the battleground and called out with a magically amplified voice. “It’s time you learned the hard way why you do not mess with me.” He said. The various combatants looked up at the blustering sorcerer, but did not seem impressed.

  An arrow smacked against a translucent ward a foot from Vero’s chest. Evan frowned as his attack had no effect. “And who the hell are you?!” Rex yelled.

  “I...” Vero bellowed, “Am Vero. Unrivaled Sorcerer, and your doom.” Ten red stars of energy formed near Vero, “And I tire of this game. Fall before the fallen.” Vero’s spell shot to the ground. Rex and Wolf both raised their arms to block, but the spells missed them. Each lodged itself into a corpse on the ground.

  Then the bodies of the slaughtered began to stand up. “Yximayl preserve us...” Fara said, “He’s a Necromancer.”

  The undead rose, a few at a time, then more stood up. Their eyes boiled from their sockets, leaving behind red pinpoints of glowing malice. For a moment the battle fell into silent tension. Then, the zombies attacked.

  Wolf opened with a wide blast of flame, covering the oncoming forces in an amber inferno. The blaze engulfed the enemy, but they proceeded through the fires undamaged. Wolf grunted and moved in to begin chopping them apart with his swords.

  The undead townsfolk were persistent, clutching to Wolf despite being sundered. They dug into Wolf with teeth and claws, breaking open skin and setting Wolf alight with his own blood fire. He slashed on without stopping, cutting the zombies down and singing them with his blood. His frustrated demeanor started to shift towards amusement.

  The battle was not going so well for Fara. She retreated back from the oncoming monstrosities, only to be cut off in her escape by yet more of them as the Sorcerer’s spell continued to propagate. A zombie lunged at her with arms outstretched; Fara let out a small shriek and cowered down.

  When she felt nothing dig into her, Fara peeked out. Standing nearby was the tall stoic Valon swordsman wearing the white spandex and red mantle. Sword drawn, the nearby zombies had been cut down. “Be more careful.” He said.

  “Why are you helping me?” Fara asked, avoiding looking at the undead. The man looked at her for a long moment, a stoic expression masking his thoughts. Then he shrugged, and turned to find more foes. Fara tilted her head for a moment, then continued off to safety.

  The battle was raging when Michael and Yan arrived to join it. Michael looked at the new enemies with a bewildered expression. “What kind of Zori are these?”

  “They aren’t Zori.” Yan said, cutting down one of the numerous undead.

  “Then what are they?” Michael asked, slashing one before it latched onto him.

  “Zombies. They’re like, golems made from dead bodies.” Yan said.

  “What’s a golem?”

  “Ugh.” Yan leapt up and burst a wave of energy around her in a wide arc, felling several of the zombies at once with a cone of spiraling emerald force. “Think of them as... Arkwardens, made by Vero.”

  “Oh, got it.” Michael said. He slammed his shoulder into a zombie to move past them, then unleashed an Arkpulse to stun the swarm that gathered around him. Yan swept in and finished them off.

  After taking out a few more groups, Yan grinned. “I think we can take care of these ourselves.” Michael smirked, ready to continue, then he frowned and rolled forth, lifting and taking Yan with him as he dodged.

  An impact exploded where Yan had been as the two recovered. “Tch, missed.” Complained Vero as he deigned to hover closer to the two of them. “You have bigger problems to deal with.” Yan threw a kunai at Vero, but a barrier blocked it. “Please,” Vero drawled, “I can drag this fight well into the night.”

  “I don’t think so.” Michael said, “I’ll end you right here and now, and be done with all this!”

  “Oh you will?” Vero asked, “And leave the Revenant unchecked and loose in the world?”

  “After I cut you down, I’ll hunt it down too.” Michael said. He took a moment to check around, and spotted both Wolf and Hyato. How could he tell them to regroup?

  “Don’t you want to know why I am doing this?” Vero asked.

  “Doesn’t matter.” Michael said, “If I stop you, this ends.” Michael slashed at Vero, cutting into the barrier without breaking it. Vero laughed. Michael’s free hand twitched as he conjured an element just out of sight.

  “You aren’t even the least bit curious? How very boorish you are.” Vero said. He spread his arms and shook his head. “To think my enemy is this dull.”

  “If you say so.” Michael said, “I already know that the Revenant is Mexizu’s Soul.”

  Vero froze, as did Yan. The Sorcerer was still, save for the shimmering barrier surrounding him. “Worked that out, did you? Perhaps I spoke too soon.” Vero said.

  Michael rolled one shoulder. Had the others noticed? “Maybe so.”

  “And yet, can you fathom what I intend to do with it?” Vero asked. “Any... guess?”

  A pensive frown fell on Michael’s face as he considered that. “I... don’t know what you can do with a Soul.” He admitted.

  “The Soul is the very core of dreams. Ambition, drive, desires, are all fueled and driven by a person’s Soul!” Vero said, arms spread wide as he lifted into the air. As he spoke, the air around him seemed to glow, “My hopes and dreams are held within my Soul, and the stronger they are the brighter it burns. For ones like ourselves, our Souls can only bring us to the peaks... of mediocrity.”

  As Vero spoke, Michael continued to create light behind him, glancing back to see if Hyato or Wolf saw his signal. He glanced at Yan and pointed towards the tree with an arched eyebrow. She blinked, then nodded.

  “My Lord, Mexizu, however.” Vero continued, looking down at Michael, “His is a Soul that burns for the greatest of dreams. The greatest of goals. I have read his texts in my father’s sanctum. I have seen the truth of his desires. The Broken Times, the Dark War, conquering the world. They were merely stepping stones to the majesty of his magnificence.”

  “Woah...” Michael said, “Like... what?”

  “The secrets that this world has to offer.” Vero said, “The Holy Land of Idia. The Conflux of Aedis. Four Point Temple. Mysteries unsolved and often unspoken the world round.” Vero’s voice rose, booming out over the town, “He wished to uncover the lost histories of ages long past. The civilization of Skye. The Farlanders. The Original Fiends. He would seek it all, and had plans for everything. Even the End Gate.”

  “The End Gate...” Yan murmured, a note of awe in her voice.

  “Can you imagine it?! A Soul that burns with such drive? The willpower to seek these things, things that the world regards as myth or legend? And not just to seek them, but to uncover, to achieve these impossible feats.” Vero took in a breath, then spoke with rising volume, “My Lord’s Soul is the most powerful in Iagorothi. He was the strongest, smartest, greatest being to have ever lived!” Vero’s arms stretched to the sky as he finished his speech. The battle had died down in the wake of his words, a soliloquy to all but himself.

  Hyato and Wolf had approached, and so too had Rex, Evan, and Velicio, all listening to Vero as he let linger the silence. Michael took a few steps to the side, while his party fell into place alongside him. “That was very... dramatic.” Michael said, cutting apart the silence and drawing everyone’s attention to him. “I’m not going to pretend I know what those things are, after all I was born just the other week.”

  Rex and Evan shared a confused look, Michael continued to speak. “But, I do know something, Vero.” Michael said. The Sorcerer leveled a withering gaze on the white haired ‘outlaw,’ “Something even you don’t know.”

  “And what, pray tell, could you possibly be referring to?” Vero asked. Michael took another few steps and came to a stop, Yan and the others behind him. Evan started to line up a shot, but Velicio stepped into the MAW sniper’s way.

  “I know how to destroy a Soul.” Michael said, “And I will start with Mexizu’s Soul. The Revenant.”

  “I think you’ll find that to be a tall order.” Vero said, “Because you aren’t going to leave this town in one piece.”

  “You think so.” Michael said, “But, I’m expecting rain.” Michael snapped his sword in front of him and unleashed Dark Wind as his foes looked up. Vero brought forth a shield of mana to deflect the attack, shaking his head in disappointment.

  “Looks like my queue.” Sebastian said, stepping amongst the party. In his hands the massive crystal wardstone was glowing like solid flames, then melted away into the air. An enormous blue circle of light appeared on the ground underneath Vero, Velicio, Rex, Evan, and the remaining pile of corpses. Within the glowing circle were dozens or runes in an intricate pattern, connected by smaller circles and triangles. Then, the ground erupted with a cracking fury that drowned out all other sound with that of rushing water.

  A torrential shaft of water slammed into the air from the center of town, pulling those inside into its current. The tree in the center of town was wrenched into the flow as well, pulled into a vortex of conjured water that tore it from its roots and shattered what remained of the town center's flagstones.

  “Let’s go!” Sebastian said, “That spell does more to the environment than it does people, move move move!” The others snapped out of their silent reverence of the geyser and followed Sebastian and Yan as they led the way out of the town. They rushed south out of town center and through a narrow street all the way to the edge of town. There they turned to the east and sprinted for their lives.

  Yan led the party into a thicket of the woods and had them all hide within the hollow of a few trees. Hyato panted and started to ask, “What-”

  “Shh!” Yan hushed him, threatening him with a knife. Hyato and the others went silent and listened. After their hearts stopped racing in their eardrums, the sound of creatures and snorts started to reach their ears. Sebastian drew out a word in the dirt, ‘Zori’ and indicated it.

  Though they could not see them, they heard the continuous march of Zori rushing towards town for several long minutes. A pillar of glowing blue water could be seen erupting from the center of town even still. Once the clamor had died down, Yan waited for another minute, then waved for everyone to move out.

  It was getting rather late, though it was hard to tell with so much cloud cover. “Let’s put as much distance from town as we can.” Yan said, leading the group.

  “Good idea...” Sebastian said, dragging himself along. Michael helped him stay steady and kept them going.

  “That spell certainly lasted a long time.” Michael noted.

  “Crystal casting...” Sebastian said, “It’s incredible. Never felt anything...” He yawned, “Quite like it.”

  “C’mon buddy, let’s keep going.” Michael said, suppressing his own yawn.

  Hyato and Wolf marched with weary gaits. “What do you suppose, all that stuff was?” Wolf asked. “The Conflux of whatever, and all that?”

  “I don’t know.” Hyato said. “Old mysteries?”

  “Myths.” Sebastian said, “Tales that adventurers tell to encourage travels. And historical enigmas; might be some truth to them.”

  “The End Gate, everyone has heard of.” Yan said, “Right? Oldest story there is.”

  “It’s quite prevalent.” Sebastian agreed. “Even if there’s no evidence.”

  “We can discuss that all later.” Michael said, “Conserve your energy. If we encounter any Zori, I can take care of them.” He took in a deep breath and steadied himself.

  “You alright?” Yan asked.

  “I just want to sleep.” Michael answered. “To rest.”

  “Soon.” Yan said, “We’ll find a good spot to camp after a few miles.” Michael nodded, and the party forced a march away from the ruins of the town. They had been too late to save anyone, and unable to end the madness. It would be different next time, it had to be.

  The pillar of water lasted an hour before it died away. Dozens of Zori, drawn in by the scent of blood looking for a feast, were foolish enough to be swept away by the spell. In the end, the zombies Vero created and the corpses the Revenant had left were all washed away like dying Zori, shredded by the torrent.

  Of course, it had been no difficulty to escape the spell for Vero. He had cast a simple protection from water on himself and Velicio and moved themselves to a hill north of town. Even the bounty hunters had managed to escape the carnage. Velicio reported that the three of them met up and avoided the Zori in the northeast.

  “Shall I dispose of them?” Velicio asked. Vero removed his mask and stared at the horizon, unmoving. “Vero?” Velicio asked.

  “Heheheheh,” A chuckle rumbled in Vero’s throat, a slow giggle that grew into laughter. “Heh heh heh heh,” He laughed, hunched over and smiled from sheer amusement. His laughter rang out louder and louder as he lifted his head to let out a sharp cackle. “Gah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaa!”

  Velicio staggered back as Vero cackled until he ran out of breath and began to cough. Velicio moved to make sure he was alright, only to be slapped away again as Vero recovered. “Everything.” Vero said, “Is going flawlessly.”

  “It is?” Velicio asked, looking down at town, then at the body of the bandit caller that continued to snooze in enchanted slumber. “How do you mean?”

  “You shall see soon, very soon.” Vero said, “Rest for now. We have a great deal of work to be about, and little time to do it in.” Velicio nodded and retired to a private space. Vero chuckled in amusement as he conjured imagery of the recent battles. Reviewing what occurred using his memory and magic, Vero plotted deep into the night.