The Golden Oasis shimmered like a jewel in the heart of the Golden Desert, its crystal-clear lake fringed with lush greenery, a stark contrast to the endless dunes of gold that stretched beyond.
The air was humid, carrying the faint scent of water and blooming shrubs, a rare reprieve from the desert's dry bite. Coconut trees swayed gently, their fronds rustling in the warm breeze, while the distant cries of birds echoed across the sands.
This oasis was the only large water source in the Golden Desert and the sole traversable path through the Grand Canyon Margaret.
Other routes teemed with dangers far beyond a Rank 1 Magus's ability to survive chasms of wild magic, venomous swamps, and creatures that could rend steel. Yet, even the oasis was not safe, its beauty a deceptive veil over the peril that ruled its skies.
In the distance, Leylin spotted large, scarlet shapes rising and falling around the oasis, their wings cutting through the air with predatory grace.
The Kary Vultures, masters of this domain, patrolled their territory, their presence a grim warning.
Leylin signaled his party to halt, their Seated Lupin Wolves slowing atop a sand dune a safe distance from the oasis. The wolves' black fur gleamed under the blazing sun, their glassy eyes fixed ahead, their breaths steady despite the weight of their riders.
The party dismounted, their faces etched with weariness, the toll of their escape from the Golden Giant still heavy on their shoulders.
Leylin's voice cut through the stillness, sharp and commanding, "Knights, build a tent large enough for us all."
His Grand Knights—Greem, Dexter, Faisal, Freed, Fraser, and Mandal sprang into action, their movements practiced despite their fatigue.
"Yes, Master!" Greem called, his voice hoarse, as he drove stakes into the sand. Dexter's hands trembled slightly, his anemic pallor stark under the sun, but his voice was firm, "On it!"
The knights worked swiftly, unfolding heavy canvas, securing poles, and tying ropes, their armor clanking softly. Within moments, a sprawling black tent rose, its shadow pooling like ink on the dune, large enough to house the entire party and their gear. The air inside was cool, scented with the faint musk of the wolves and the tang of desert dust.
Lancey stepped forward, her burned skin glistening with sweat, her voice hesitant but tinged with concern, "Master, the Kary Vultures can fly. They'll spot our tent from the air. It would be bad if the King decided to attack us here."
Her eyes darted to the oasis, where the vultures' scarlet forms circled, their cries faint but ominous.
Leylin's lips curved into a faint smile, his voice calm, almost amused, "I appreciate your astute observation but I am well aware that Vulture can fly Lancy. I need you all to stay put and get some rest. I'll handle the vultures."
He raised both hands, his fingers tracing deliberate arcs toward the tent's shadow. The black shadow warped and swirled, as if a behemoth stirred within, its maw yawning wide. With a low hum, the shadow engulfed the tent, swallowing it whole.
"Darkness is the natural friend of concealment," Leylin said, his voice steady, a hint of satisfaction in his tone. The tent vanished, cloaked in an inky veil, invisible against the dune's silhouette.
"Take the wolves and stay inside," he commanded, his voice firm, brooking no argument.
Anna nodded silently, as she led the wolves into the hidden tent, their massive forms disappearing into the shadow.
The knights followed, their voices low murmurs of compliance, "Yes, Master," as they ducked inside, the canvas rustling faintly.
The Seated Lupin Wolves were vital for the journey ahead, their strength unmatched against lesser creatures in the oasis.
But against adult Kary Vultures, comparable to Level 3 Acolytes, they'd be torn apart in the vultures' kill zone.
The wolves, borrowed from the Broken Axe Pub, were a costly asset losing them would demand a fortune in magic crystals to compensate the handlers waiting on the canyon's other side.
Lancey lingered, her voice soft with worry, "Master, is it safe for you to go alone?"
Her eyes, shadowed by exhaustion, held a flicker of concern, her hands clasped tightly. She is well aware that her future and wellbeing is dependant on this person before her.
Leylin's smile widened slightly, his voice smooth, "I'll be fine, Lancey Evans. No need to fret over my safety."
His tone was almost mocking, but his use of her full name carried a weight, acknowledging her past.
During the journey, Leylin had probed Lancey's history, as he asked why she'd fled her home and braved the canyon's dangers.
Her story unraveled like a dark tapestry, her voice trembling with the pain of memory.
Lancey Evans, granddaughter of Liam Evans, bore a name steeped in infamy in the Dark Magi region. The Evans family, backed by the Raven Claw Academy, rose through the exploits of the "Evans Brothers"—Liam and Louis, twins born to a talented female Acolyte who clawed her way from obscurity to Rank 1 Magus.
Lancy's grandmother's tale was one of grit and tragedy. A Level 3 Acolyte from humble roots, she'd traded for Grine Water and a defensive spell, a rare feat of luck and cunning.
Advancing in her mid-30s, past her prime, she failed to break through, surviving but shattered.
After failure she ended up marrying a nobleman, she bore Liam and Louis, who inherited her magical talent, their mother proud as they joined Raven Claw Academy, a lesser institution in the Dark Magi region led by a Peak Rank 1 Magus.
The brothers in their many exploits stumbled upon an inheritance, a meditation technique that propelled them to Rank 1 Magi, founding the Evans family as academy backers.
But Liam, the elder of two brothers, hid half the inheritance, secretly growing stronger to reach Peak Rank 1 while Louis languished as a semi-converted elemental Magus.
After decades of toiling and anger harbored by Liam's betrayal, Louis allied with the academy's principal and concocted their conspiracy.
They ambushed Liam, who fought like a beast, killing all the assailants but Louis.
Louis, the sole survivor scavenged the bodies claiming of two Peak Rank 1, his brother and the principal. After a few years of consolidation, he advanced rapidly and seized control of the family and academy.
Lancey, Liam's granddaughter, was a prodigy, and family princess. Her talent and resources made her a threat to Louis, her granduncle.
To escape his schemes, she fled, abandoning her surname and becoming a fugitive, branded a criminal for defying a powerful Magus.
Inside the shadowed tent, the air was cool, the scent of canvas and wolf fur mingling. Lancey reached into a crevice near her chest, her fingers trembling as she produced a blue gem, its surface glinting faintly.
"This magic artifact acts as a spying eye," she said, her voice steady despite her fatigue, "capable of examining images within a ten-kilometer radius."
She dripped water from her pouch onto the gem, her voice soft with incantations, "Oculus Lumina." A beam of light blue light burst forth, warping into a mirror-like surface that hovered before them.
The mirror revealed the Golden Oasis, its lake sparkling, green shrubbery and coconut trees framing the water's edge.
Large red birds Kary Vultures swooped and landed, their cries sharp. The vision zoomed in, showing their true form: five-meter wingspans cloaked in scarlet feathers, talons gleaming with cold menace, pink bald patches on their heads grotesque, a tumor-like muscle bulging on their curved skulls.
Over a hundred vultures swarmed the oasis, their presence a daunting threat led by a Kary Vulture King, equivalent to a Rank 1 Magus.
"There are over a hundred?" Lancey's voice cracked, her eyes wide with alarm as she turned to Leylin. "That's too many!"
Her tone was pleading, urging him to reconsider.
Leylin studied the mirror, his expression thoughtful, his voice calm, "Enough."
Lancey panned the mirror toward the flock, revealing a gigantic tree with a hollow den. Within lurked a massive Kary Vulture, its aura potent.
As she tried to zoom closer, Leylin's hand shot out, stopping her, his voice firm, "You'll spook it. I can handle these creatures."
He raised his hand, as he summoned from his soul space. The air shimmered as his four summons materialized, the spectral Magi stone-skinned large bloke, two grey-misted silent ones and the black Horrall Snake, its scales gleaming, horn crackling.
Leylin's eyes glinted with anticipation, his voice a murmur, "A hundred Acolyte-level creatures and a Rank 1 leader… perfect for Soulbound Devourer."
The prospect of devouring their souls fueled his eagerness.