CHAPTER 67 - PERFECT OPPORTUNITY
I entered the portal, again, everything around me changed and I got the same weird feeling. My hands and legs felt like they were floating around, my consciousness was diverging from my serious thoughts.
Before I knew it, I tried to set foot in front of me–which was feeling impossible–and finally landed on solid ground.
I managed to pull my body with only the force of my legs that touched solid ground. When I managed to do so, the world around me got dimmer in color and Epheotus that was in full sun on top was now different in comparison to Alacrya dark night.
Before I could get my eyes adjusted, Aldir walked next to me. Nothing was said in the first moments, he was waiting for my vision to adjust before speaking and when it did, he said, "We are in Alacrya. We will not spend time here unnecessarily and shall head to Agrona Vritra's base."
Unnaturally, I looked at my surroundings and found everything very much different from anything at Dicathen, Epheotus, or my past world. This place was unique on its own.
Even from the top of a remote mountain, I could feel the mana surging from a specific place, a palace deep into a mountain not far from us.
"I'm guessing that you guys know where Agrona Vritra is right?" I questioned, already trying to remember things from the novel.
I got no answer and instead only followed his gaze that jumped from warrior to warrior.
"Asuras, follow me to our battle." Aldir's voice was a little more toned down like he had hatred in him but only a glimpse was being let out.
My eyes narrowed, solely on the mountain around us. This felt different, like the atmosphere here was dull and heavy. I activated my phase once more, not fully but only a little for me to notice the motes of mana floating around. They didn't dance like they would when I would enter this form or at least when I would use some of this will-phase power. Now they stood still, watching like they had eyes, looking down on us like we were some sort of toys waiting for the owner to play with us.
That's when it hit me.
"Aldir! Call the asuran warriors back–"
Before I could finish my sentence, the mana fluctuations jolted fast. I didn't notice the handful of mana running away from me and the asurans around me.
As the mana fled, a giant course of red and purple filled the sky above us, especially above me alone.
In that moment, I felt the world turn around me, like it was giving its back to me when I was hanging by a thread. I tried to activate my phase fully but as I tapped into it, the magic spell had already landed next to me causing the destruction of the terrain I stood on.
I felt the burn and effects that the magic spell repulsed against anything around it.
My body flew against my will becoming a rag doll, hitting the ground hard enough to dislocate my right arm from impact. I let out a growl of pain that reflected from my arm and the explosion's shrapnel.
I didn't know what happened next, my eyes were open but no sound came through my ears. Perhaps I had blown an ear drum or something else but I knew I couldn't hear anything. Aldir's figure appeared next to me but his third was narrowing itself to me.
Then Aldir's face turned to the sky where the attackers were.
I tried to make sense of their conversation but my eardrums were damaged from the explosion.
I, once again, tried to heal my ears and my wounds but I had forgotten that healing magic doesn't work on me.
I had to toughen it up if I wanted to know what they were saying or to just see who in reality were these attackers.
My hand moved, it was my left arm that pushed all the force of my body onto it. I tried to move my right arm but it had no feelings of following my orders, or at least I had thought.
Before I knew it, my dislocated arm was alright. Almost like it wasn't.
My thoughts were quickly dismissed upon sensing more and more of the mana growing intensely.
"I say we just kill them here and now, well that is what the High Sovereign sent us for, right?" A woman's voice said almost like she had been doing this for so long she got bored of it.
"The word 'Kill' is too big for children like you three." Aldir spoke, his annoyance getting the better of him.
The asuran's attention was no longer directed to me but rather those on top of us, hoovering like some flys. The completion of my vision was deteriorating to what normal was, just before I used this ability. This Will Phase.
Something deep down, perhaps something in the back of my mind, with echoes and screams, it said: 'Use this power and understand it, because time is your biggest enemy.'
I only looked at my hand.
All while the message played in repeat, over and over again until I turned to Aldir.
"Aldir can you make–" I was cut off by one of the other asuran worriers as they jumped into action without a word or order.
No words were exchanged between asuras, only glimmers and glances of the fast paced battle.
Without a word, Aldir began to use his Skill, Mirage Walk to get ahead of the rest. I kept my pace, using [Ghost Walk] to the best of my abilities. That was until we had arrived at the castle.
"We are here." Aldir said, his eyes narrowing into the castle's building structure like he wanted to break it all down. I don't blame him, it looked horrible and the only solution to this was breaking it down.
Before I entered, I kept in check everything I had. Mana reservations, elemental affinities, and my weapons in case of anything. Also I had provided myself with healing crystals from some emitter in Xyrus City.
After seeing everything correctly, I looked around for the 'allies' I had come with only to be met with no one ever being close to me.
They have already infiltrated the castle in search of Agrona.
Though it seemed bad, I was quite relieved it happened now and not later down the road.
The activation of my spell began. The surroundings changed from clear to foggy in an instant. This was going to help search every single corner this castle has.
Along with searching for a certain person, I also planned on searching for the Aether device that Agrona was hiding somewhere in these walls. Perhaps that Aether device would be able to tell me the true meaning of my ability or Beasts Will.
With that, hope once more arrived at my mind but soon it began to question itself.
What if I find it? Wouldn't it not listen to me because I am not Agrona? Perhaps there is another way for me to get an answer out of it, like using Aether or something else. I don't know what to do. I feel like I am stuck in a hole that I alone dug for myself.
My feet became unsteady as I continued to think of the infinite possibilities that could happen the moment things go south or well for me. Yet, something deep down told me otherwise, that I wasn't going to do well in my quest.
I don't know how long it's been but I've been searching this whole castle like a madman and there is no sign of either the Aether machine or the person I am searching for.
What's more, the whole building started to shake not that long ago either. There was a battle going on, perhaps the Asuran warriors with the Scythes.
In between those lines in my mind, a single pictured image appeared in my mind. The picture brought forth a great immense anger deep inside me which hadn't been touched in a long time.
Through gritted teeth I was able to mutter a single name, "Cadell."
"Cadell? That's a strange name to hear from an Asura." A deep and dark voice spoke. Strangely enough, I didn't feel any fear or shock that I had been discovered, and even if I did, if it isn't Agrona's right hand I would be pretty confident to hold my own.
Faintly but I looked around my arm, from shoulder to the back of my hand. Especially with this power that I've unlocked.
I turned my face to where the voice came from.
Large steps were getting echoed as it got closer. A giant silhouette appeared from the single light there was behind in the hallway.
"But for Cadell to leave his name in an Asura's mouth he must have done something impressive. However, I can do better than him so come on and struggle to your last breath."
[Void Wind]
A giant war hammer, jagged, black, appeared out of thin air and into his hands.
I knew personally who this was, and thankfully this was the best chance I had at trying my abilities against a Scythe.
AYA GREPHIN POV:
I stood before the Lances, all six of them and witnessed their decisions and matters in a single small room here in the floating castle.
Alea just stood there, absent minded. She was clearly thinking about the human boy, Luke Hodges.
Oh, of course I should stop referring to him as a human and just call him by his name, after all he was with us since he was four years old. Alea and I trained him to fight, those were the orders given by the former elf king, Virion Eralith.
The human boy– Luke Hodges, showed much attempt to learn combat training more than Alea or I ever did for this role. He seemed to be in a hurry to learn the basics of combat and magical abilities, almost like he was running out of time.
Perhaps something was coming, a battle or a war, most likely a danger that is going to harm us or even kill us.
Yet that is the reason why we Lances are the strongest mages in the whole continent of Dicathen. The Lances are meant to protect the people of Dicathen, no matter the cost.
"Alea, Bairon has found un-Dicathen material deep in a dungeon. We need your sensory skills to find out where it's headed towards or at least its owner."
Mica was next to speak, her feeble little body was similar to that of a young girl and yet she was the older one out of us women in this room. "Well, Mica thinks that Alea needs Mica's help for that, right?"
Alea, Varay, and I took a quick look at each other before we even spoke our minds towards this topic.
"Ahh, look Mica, it is in no disrespect towards you or your ability as a Lance. But I figured that Alea should be the one who is suitable for this job." Olfred Warend spoke his mind on this topic on behalf of us. "Then again, you have a mission with me in Darv and we can't essentially join this mission while we have other orders."
Mica's face had turned from joy to a saddened state, reflecting on the purpose which she herself laid out.
The human lance, Varay, was next to speak. "It doesn't matter, Mica and Olfred are about to start their own given mission back at Darv, more specifically, Burim City.. Bairon and I will have other matters to attend to in Etistin City. Alea will be sent to the location where the unknown fabric was found, there we will either find a way to get the ball moving or get it to roll back."
My voice left my mouth without my permission, everyone was taken back. Even Varay's normal and filtered facial expression changed slightly before it went back to normal.
"What about me, Lance Varay?"