Headmaster Bowen Taurus's POV.
"Continue the search. Everyone is to be recovered from the rubble. Alive or dead," I ordered.
"Yes, My Lord," the knight said with a bow.
I continued to control a handful of Golems. Wind Golems slither through the debris and mark the bodies or those still alive, and Earth Golems assist in the removal of rubble. Time was of the essence in rescue operations, and every minute mattered.
Looking out at the destruction was soul-crushing. So much had been lost in a matter of minutes. And we were digging out more bodies than survivors—countless dead. If only we had been more prepared. Only if we had known more than we did could we have avoided this tragedy.
Our enemies are far more evil and dangerous than we could have ever imagined.
I wasn't foolish enough to believe this was all a coincidence. It was far too coordinated to be something so simple as bad luck. But to control monsters? And the undead from a dungeon? What power could even grant a person or nation the ability to do such a thing?
Just how far behind were we? Not a single one of our agents managed to sniff out anything. We were being toyed with. There was no question about it. The only question was…
Why now?
A few months ago, Luminar could have been considered to be at its strongest. All of our greatest warriors were in peak condition. We had an army that could not be looked down upon and a well-fed and happy population. Sure, we had our fair share of issues, but every nation did too.
If they were to attack us thirty years ago, even twenty years ago, we would have been at a loss. Even Arotal showed just recently how much strength they possessed, with a single Exarch defeating His Majesty. We would have been annihilated…so why wait for so long to strike?
It can't be some sick game to them; that was completely nonsensical. And if The Holy Kingdom planned on expanding from Amoth to Illyrcium…why not start with a weaker nation to get a foothold? Why not dominate their neighbors beforehand? They undoubtedly had the power to subjugate the fractured Mists. Even The Dunes or the United Tribes wouldn't be able to withstand an invasion.
What is their end goal? I can't figure it out…I'm missing essential information…a piece to the puzzle.
"My Lord! Over here, a survivor!" someone yelled.
"Understood, clear the way. I will handle it," I yelled back.
I moved to the area I was called to and used a pair of Earth Golems to move the shattered house. It had sunken into the ground and collapsed. It was hard to believe that someone was alive in that mess.
After a few minutes of moving and pulling, the lone survivor was pulled out by a group of civilians. A young boy, only alive because his father had shielded him with his own life.
The only cruel thought I could come up with was that at least it wasn't my son in that hole. I hated that feeling, considering I was lucky enough to be spared from the Dragon's attack.
I spent my entire youth fighting to end war and build a new life—a life of peace and harmony for everyone in this kingdom—a place my family could call home and live and die in happiness. And now that peace was once again being trampled on.
These bastards will pay. I will see to it.
"Headmaster?" a familiar voice called to me.
I turned around, and a faint sense of relief washed over me. "Varnir…it's good to see you are alive."
"Yes, Headmaster. You as well," Varnir said.
"Have you come to help? We could always use more hands," I asked.
"About that…I think you'll have your help. And you've been summoned," Varnir explained.
Mmm?
"And I take it this Dwarf is the help? But you seem…rather familiar," I asked.
Next to Varnir was a Dwarf that was relatively short, even for their standards. And he looked relatively young at that. But I could sense that he was quite strong, and judging by the staff he wielded, he was definitely a mage. But for some reason, I believed that I had seen him before…I just couldn't remember where.
"My company will assist in the recovering and rescuing of the civilians until your return. I am Vice-Captain of the second company, Yurfel Opalblade. It's a pleasure to meet the Headmaster in person," Yurfel said.
Ah, that name.
"You are the son of Edmas. You graduated a few years back, correct? I apologize for not recognizing you sooner," I said.
"There's nothing to be worried about, Headmaster. It's an honor to be remembered at all, as we had never met before," Yurfel said with a short bow.
How wondrous. It's always good to see a graduate doing well. Let alone reaching the rank of Vice-Captain of the famed second company known for their magic. At least there is still some good in this darkness.
"We're good over here, My Lord! The area is clear!" someone shouted.
"Great," I answered. I turned to Varnir, who was waiting quietly, and said, "I'm afraid all summons will have to wait. If it isn't of the utmost importance then I would prefer to stay here. I'm sure—"
"I apologize, Headmaster. But it is urgent. Kaladin has summoned you," Varnir explained.
Kaladin? Summoning me? What could he possibly be doing that for? That's not like him…
"I understand. What did he say?" I asked, moving my Earth Golems to be disabled safely.
"I was told everything would be explained once you arrived. But that you should prepare for cold winds ahead…" Varnir said with a shrug.
What?
—
I walked down the hallways to the back of the castle. The place was eerily quiet, with no regular soldiers of the duke present. It was even devoid of servants; only Praetorian Guards remained to stand and watch silently.
Has the entire area been locked down? And for Captain Fairchild to escort me personally…things must be more severe than I expected.
"Captain Fairchild, what exactly is going on here?" I asked, hoping for an answer.
"I'm afraid even I don't know. Not even Their Highnesses were given an explanation. So, whatever plan is being developed, only those summoned by Kaladin will have an explanation," he explained.
"Such secrets…wait…don't tell me?" I said.
"I've suspected the same. Kaladin may believe there is a spy amongst us. Or perhaps it's just for security's sake. Even so, all three siblings gave their blessings for Kaladin to continue," Captain Fairchild told me.
Another spy amongst us? At this rate, another traitor wouldn't surprise me. If Mason Fields could be a plant decades in the making, then everyone should be a suspect—even me.
"This is the door and where I depart. Good luck, Master Taurus, in whatever you may do," Captain Fairchild said.
I gave the captain a few moments to leave and knocked on the door. I was expecting to wait a moment, but after the first knock, the door swung open, and a young High Elf blocked my way. I couldn't help but blink in confusion.
"Your Highness? Are you also part of this…gathering?" I asked.
Prince Leopold nodded a few times. The poor boy looked incredibly tired, clearly drained of mana and in much need of rest. Then again, most of us were. Even I was beginning to feel the need for rest after fighting at the front gates for so long.
"I am. I must ask if you are willing to join us. Your abilities will be much appreciated, Lord Taurus," Prince Leopold asked me.
"Could I inquire about the details?" I asked in return.
"No. It is simply a matter of whether or not you are in or out. We will set out in an hour with or without you. It is Kaladin's directive. I hope you understand," Prince Leopold explained.
"I see…if it's time-sensitive, then Kaladin must know something most don't…" I pondered aloud.
"It is less about knowing and more about preventing. If Kaladin is correct, this is a far more significant matter than we could have imagined. But that's all I can say on the matter. Will you join us?" Prince Leopold asked again.
So Kaladin might even suspect me but still chose me? Well…I've never had a reason to distrust him.
"I'll join. If Kaladin says it's serious, then it must be no laughing matter," I said.
"You are wise to trust that man. Ah…and of course, if you plan to change your mind and not go, know our insurance is rather good this time around," Prince Leopold said with a smile.
I chuckled and walked into the room. "I imag—"
What? It's…that Dragon…and the other three…are asleep?
"Prepare yourself for cold weather and winds. We'll be traveling quickly in the sky. And I'm sure you are surprised, but everyone is in dire need of rest, myself included. I just happened to be in the least need of it," Prince Leopold explained.
"I see…and flying in the sky? Does that mean…" I trailed off, looking at the young Dark Elf boy.
I mean, his ears and skin tone looked like those of a dark elf, but the similarities stopped there. It was clear he was the same Dragon, I say, before the battle and the one who helped defeat the undead Dragon.
"Yes, this most esteemed Dragon will be assisting us. Although it will still take a few days, it beats weeks, even months, if we travel normally," Prince Leopold said.
"Then what are we doing exactly?" I asked.
"We are going east into the sea to hunt for unwanted guests."
—
Exarch Gerimia Foster's POV.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
"Damn bird…" I groaned, rolling off my bed.
I waited a moment to see if the rocking of the ship would get worse, but it seemed the seas were calm tonight. I sighed as I went to the cage at the window that brought in a fresh sea breeze. I undid the latch and untied the note strapped to the monster's leg. It had a high-priority marking, which meant it needed to be addressed now.
I unfurled the small note and read it. It was just a few short sentences, but my eyes widened as I had to re-read them twice.
"Impossible…the attack failed? And far earlier than anticipated…" I mumbled in disbelief.
Sigh…he is not going to be pleased.
I rolled my shoulders, donned my cloak, and headed up the deck. When he saw me, the captain gave me a worried look, but I ignored it.
"Give those creatures the order and drift us a little closer to the lead ship. I don't want to jump any further than necessary," I ordered with a yawn.
"As you wish, Your Holiness," the captain answered.
The captain barked his orders, and the massive ship began to shift to the right. It was an impossible feat for an ordinary ship to turn so quickly, but that only mattered if those fishy bastards weren't present.
Once the other deck was closer, I guided mana into my legs and leapt. I could have done it earlier, but…I just didn't want to go that far. I soared through the air and landed on the deck with barely a thud. The night crew looked over at me in surprise but quickly turned away; perhaps they had gotten used to it by then.
It was probably a good idea to be a little more urgent with steps, but what was the point of rushing? It's not like me going full speed to deliver the note would somehow change anything. It was better to take my time before seeing that creep.
The less time I spent in his presence, the better.
I gave it a firm knock once I reached the large door in the crew quarters and called out, "It's Foster. You awake?"
"Come in," the voice on the other side answered.
"I doubt you are here to chat, so it must be important that you are here instead of sleeping," Grand Inquisitor Marks said coldly.
What, would it kill the guy not to be so disturbing? Even the way he talks makes my skin crawl in disgust.
I tossed the note onto the desk, and those chilly green eyes looked up at me slowly. He gave the paper a light swat with his hand and read it. I watched a surprising scene as his thick brows furrowed in a rare show of emotion.
"…Why did the messenger go to your roost?" he asked in his usual monotone voice.
What? How the heck am I supposed to know what the monster was thinking?
I shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe I was closer," I answered half-heartedly.
Or maybe the monster hates your guts and got creeped out by you.
"Is this information accurate?" I asked.
Grand Inquisitor Marks narrowed his cold, creepy gaze and said, "It's from a black seal informant. There is no doubting its validity."
"Then what will we do? We are still a month out from landfall. Perhaps we could cut down some time if we pushed the creatures harder. Either way, we should have had at least two more weeks of leeway," I asked.
"There will be no change in plans. These events only happened a few days ago. According to the information, the devastation was severe enough. They are at a weak point and severely out of position. It wouldn't change anything even if they caught wind and maneuvered troops now," he said firmly.
Mmm, maybe. But I have a bad feeling about all this. Sure, almost everything went according to plan.
But there have been too many variables rearing their heads recently….too many… unforeseen events.
I have no idea why the High Exarch put this bastard in charge of anything. He should have stayed in the shadows where he belonged.
"Alright, alright, current course it is. I'm going back to bed," I said with a yawn.
I left the creep to his silent brooding and made it halfway on the deck before stopping. I looked up and around in the dark sky but saw nothing. The ocean was quiet other than the chatter of the night watch and the boat moving across the waves.
"Was it just my imagination? I thought I sensed something…" I grumbled while scratching my neck.
I was in the middle of gathering my mana for a leap when I instantly reached into my Spatial Ring and retrieved my shield.
"CREW TO YOUR STATIONS! SOUND THE ALARMS!" I roared.
"HOLY SHIELD!"
I made it just in time before the spell made an impact. It was so quick, and the sheer power rocked the boat and sea, but my barrier stood firm. I looked out at sea, and in an instant, something had blown through three ships, sending an explosion of water and wood into the air, completely annihilating everything. The bells rang, signaling an attack, but it was too late.
This magic…impossible! How did they get here?! And where are they?!
Various spells rained down on the ships. Enormous glaciers of ice crashed onto decks and sank straight through to the ocean. Spears of crimson blood peppered the masses and crashed through ships, and the screams of sailors echoed in the night as ships were engulfed in flames. Even a raging thunderstorm appeared and swallowed more in the process.
The attacks were coming from the sky, but I couldn't see where from, and by the time my barrier reached the closest ships at my maximum range, the damage had already been done. Over a dozen ships had already been hit in a matter of seconds before the attacks stopped as abruptly as they started. All I could do was defend what was in my sphere of power; those outside, I could do nothing without the sacrifice and chanting of the devotees.
I watched the sky as it suddenly went ablaze with golden light. A beam, no, an arrow soared into the night sky high into the air. I was only able to see it because of my keen sight, but for a moment, the light, when it exploded, illuminated a large, winged figure above the clouds. By the time more arrows were launched, they were gone.
I turned around and saw Grand Inquisitor Marks staring up at the night sky with a clenched jaw. I hopped onto the railings, still maintaining my shield, and observed the damage.
Another unexpected variable…
"The damage?" Grand Inquisitor Marks asked with a hint of anger.
"The ships with our troops were mostly unharmed, but…it's like they knew where to aim. They hit all of our supplies. Only the supply ship closest to us is unscathed," I said.
The Grand Inquisitor silently watched the burning and sinking ships with a cold gaze.
How did that Elf do this? Did he know? Or did he make a guess and get lucky? And why would a Dragon assist them…which bastard was it? Either way…
"We will need to alter our plan," I said.
"It seems that way…then we will go with an alternative. I'll seek guidance," Grand Inquisitor Marks spat.
"It was your prophecies that got us in this place. Good men died today because of your plans," I said.
The Grand Inquisitor glared at me and released his bloodlust. It was disgusting, cold, and cruel, but I wouldn't back down.
"Do you doubt God?" he said coldly.
No, I doubt you.
"Your plans are showing cracks, Grand Inquisitor. What will fail next, I wonder?" I growled.
"All I do is God's will. Know your place, Exarch," he said as he glared at me.
"You may be the leader of this force, but you do not control me and the others. Failure of this caliber lies on your shoulders. I won't stand for it a second time," I said.
"You dare challenge my conviction…do I take this as heresy?" The Grand Inquisitor said, unsheathing his wicked curved blade.
Heresy? What a joke.
"God is watching all of us, Grand Inquisitor. You can only fail so many times in his name before retribution comes your way."