by Colin Daumen
Favian was still conflicted deep within, his emotions like a variety pack. He finally was able to calm down under Licht's guidance. Suddenly, the sky screamed.
Chapter 36 - Attack 3
Favian jumped on top of Licht and Dunkel, covering them both completely from the huge sandstorm that had approached them with his own body and that of his shadow. Fine particles of sand bombarded Favian, etching away at the flesh on his exposed arms and neck. The worst of the sandstorm didn't last too long, and finally, after about 5 minutes it ended.
Favian came out looking like he'd had some hive infection on his body, as the cuts were so numerous and close together that they looked similar to a rash. Blood was seeping from his skin, but the cuts were starting to scab already.
He got off Licht and Dunkel, and dusted himself off. Dunkel's eyes were now open again. He was still too weak to speak, but he was scanning his surroundings intently, looking at a spot in the sky.
"No no no, stay down there," Licht said as Dunkel tried to stand up. She instead propped him up against herself. Her hair was covered in sand, but it wasn't as bad as Favian's. His was a complete mess, and you couldn't see any purple beneath the coating that the sandstorm left on him.
Favian stared at Dunkel, and was able to see fear in his eyes. Dunkel kept motioning his eyes towards the sky, hoping that one of his companions would finally take notice of what was behind them already. If he could muster the strength to speak, he'd be screaming at them by now.
Following the movement of his companion, Favian turned around to look at the sky. High up in the air, flying, was a bald man, with a strange tattoo on his head. Somehow, the first thing Favian noticed about each and every one of the opponents was the unique aura emitted by the necklace they all wore. This immediately allowed him to know that another follower of Eris was here.
"I finally have caught your attention, vermin," Raziel said. He looked down at the three and spat on the floor. The previous sandstorm had caused the bodies of the followers that Favian killed to vanish.
"And you! Making yourself a thorn in our sides intentionally now, are you?" he asked as he stared at Favian. Favian could notice the rage apparent in this man's eyes from where he stood. The man was wearing a black robe, adorned with eye-catching jewels. Favian felt that this man was trying to flaunt his position in society.
'System, scan the hostile,' he thought.
[DING! Error, unable to retrieve a single stat from the hostile force. Proceed with extreme caution.]
Favian's face became unsightly. He'd never gotten a message from his system to proceed with extreme caution, so he thought it meant that the enemy was far too powerful for him to even comprehend.
By now it was already night time, and the blistering heat that defined the desert during the day was instead replaced by an arctic cold. Favian couldn't help but slightly shiver to keep himself warm. The moon had risen high up in the sky, illuminating the area in shimmering light.
"Who are you, and what do you want from us?" Favian asked. Favian knew that stalling for time wouldn't amount to much, so he at least wanted to just get as much information as possible. If he was going to die, he didn't want to die with unanswered questions.
The bald man stared at him with a wicked smile on his face. "You, my friend, have made yourself an enemy of Eris twice now. First, you stole from us, and now you obstructed our exploration for a great treasure. Do you know what that means? I'll make you watch as I rip the hearts out of your companions and eat them. After that, I will make sure to torture your miserable existence until the sands of time cease to exist. Don't worry, you won't die quickly. I have some pretty powerful healing magic in my repertoire," he spat, smirking as he said his last sentence.
"Fuck you!" Favian shouted, after which he ran at the man. He knew that there was nothing left to say. All he could do was to fight for his life.
Favian used the tactic of switching places constantly with his shadow, making sure his opponent couldn't get a clear read on his position. Favian then proceeded to cast Chaotic Pursuit, able to reach his enemy in the sky with his magic.
Dunkel and Licht were able to see the fight play out. Dark shadows mixed with purple energy were popping in and out of existence, with the clinging of metal against metal ringing out continuously. The scene looked quite beautiful, Licht thought, but the connotations of the battle left her scared. She knew that if Favian was to be defeated, her chance of survival was about nil.
...
"Time is of the essence. I've finally been able to dispel whatever it is that cloaked Favian's group, but the situation is dire. Two distress signals have been rung out by them. I need all of you to come to the teleportation hub now!" Headmaster Anansi shouted into his communication device.
The headmaster had been made aware that the area Favian's party had been sanctioned to had a massive surge of energy, and was quickly cloaked by a powerful spell, which in turn also blinded them towards how well their precious students fared in the beast range.
Anansi had spent a large amount of energy to dispel the cloaking spell, after which he was finally able to see what was happening on the battlefield. If he didn't get there soon with his reinforcements, then his students would surely die. His demeanor was calm on the outside, but inside he was flaring up in rage.
After less than a minute, 5 professors reached the teleportation hub within the assembly hall. These included Egast, Mildred and Aria. As soon as they reached the hub, Anansi cast his teleportation spell. A massive surge of energy enveloped the teachers, after which the room was left silent and empty, with nothing to suggest that high-level magic had been cast here.
...
Favian's attacks were completely nullified by his opponent. Every time Favian aimed at one of his vital areas, Raziel's mace would counter him. Favian huffed and puffed in exhaustion, whilst his opponent simply continued to levitate in the air, not a single breath rushed out.
"You are outclassed, boy. Now submit to me, and I might lessen your torture by a dozen years," he said. This man was the most pious follower of Eris, and therefore, he was the most enraged by the youth that stood fatigued facing him. The clan would have made leaps and bounds in the task of the revival of their goddess had he not interfered. Such insolence, in his mind, could not be forgiven.
'My mana is completely spent, system, help me out. Is there anything I can do?' he asked, desperate for a glimmer of hope. All he wanted was the tiniest of chances, something to hold on to.
[DING! Negative, the enemy's power level far exceeds that of the host.]
*Sigh* Favian's shoulders slumped as he admitted defeat. The fatigue took over, and he fell to the sand.
"Good, you just gave your friends a swift death, instead of what I had planned for them," Raziel said as he smiled devilishly.
"Now then, shall we get started," he continued. A warm light covered Favian. The bruises and cuts he'd received from the sandstorm were all but healed up. The joy in his revitalization was short-lived, as he suddenly felt a pain in his chest. His body became immobilized, even his eyelids were unable to move.
Raziel went to Favian and turned him in the direction of his friends, who were similarly unable to move, struggling to break through the spell. "Watch!" Raziel screamed as he forced Favian's eyelids open. "Now I want you to know this, your friends would still be alive if you'd never stolen from us."
Raziel slowly walked towards Licht, whilst he used magic to pull Favian from behind. The earth trembled with every step he took, creating sand clouds and miniature craters. Dust entered Favian's eyes, blinding him momentarily. Just then, the arcana in the surroundings spiked in concentration.
Everything happened so quickly, and Favian hadn't been able to process the events that occurred until it was completely over.
Raziel had become aware that a group of powerful beings had teleported into the area directly above him, so being the fanatic he was, he wanted to escape with Favian in hand, even if it meant that he had to eat a few spells that would regress
his cultivation level. He would risk everything to make sure he could at least escape with Favian.
What happened instead, was that somehow Dunkel was able to jump in front of Favian, right into the arms of Raziel. He was kidnapped instead of the target that was Favian.
Raziel threw his amulet to the ground and crushed it under his feet. A large red barrier surrounded him and Dunkel, with them separating from the material plane as a result.
Gone. Raziel was gone, along with Favian's best friend.
...
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