Blood in the Deser

by Sophia Schmidt

  Letting her live was too big of a risk, blocking her hands and mouth wouldn't stop her from using first magic, nor he had any idea what kind of artifact she could use against him if given the chance.

  By clenching his fist, Lith lifted Beruit in the air before crushing her head.

  After checking there was no enemy still alive, Lith gave out a victory laughter.

  "I can't believe I'm still alive! It's the first time I had to gamble so much. These guys' strength and teamwork was insane. Who the heck where they?"

  "I don't know, and I don't care!" Solus was brimming with joy.

  "The only important thing is that you are well and all in one piece. Well almost."

  "What do you mean with 'almost'?"

  "Your hair." ¨C

  Lith's hand ran over his head, discovering that he was almost bald. With Invigoration, he assessed that his hair had almost been burned down to the root.

  "How did I get them back the last time?"

  "Manohar." Solus said, like it explained it all." ¨C

  Looking at himself, Lith discovered that most of his uniform was gone. Between the cuts and the burns, he was as good as naked. After a quick change in farmer's clothes, he realized he had another problem.

  "Solus, do you have any idea where we are?"

  "No. What about you?"

  "Well, I know that moss grows on the north side of the trees."

  "Yeah, too bad this is a grassland." She sneered.

  "And I was being sarcastic! Without a landmark, maps are useless. We could be anywhere between the academy and Kandria."

  "Yeah, I think we should¡ run for our life!" ¨C

  Lith didn't knew what Solus had noticed, but didn't stop for asking. He moved as fast as he could, casting a flight spell to get the higher ground.

  The corpses of the Talons exploded, leaving nothing behind.

  "My loot!" Lith screamed.

  "As soon as you killed that woman, I noticed something had changed in the mana surrounding their equipment.

  At first, I thought it was some kind of protection that was being depowered by the user's death, but then I noticed that instead of decreasing, the energy was actually overloading. They sure were a careful lot."

  "Who cares about that? All this work for nothing!"

  "Did you just dare to call your life 'nothing'?" Solus sounded really angry.

  "Yes¡ I mean, no. Damn, where the heck are we?" Lith decided to change topic. ¨C

  After thinking a bit about their predicament, they decided the first thing to do was to get away from the fighting scene. Lith would have a hard time to justify how a team of six experts had died, while a simple student had survived.

  The simplest explanation was to say he had no idea what had happened to the corps after they had helped him escape from unknown assailants. The self-destruction mechanism had undoubtedly hurt his pockets, but at least helped covering what had really happened.

  In a battle involving the corps, the fact that so many of the dead bodies had broken necks and exploded heads, instead of weapon marks, would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

  "If you think about it, it's a blessing in disguise." Solus pointed out. "If the equipment remained along with the bodies and you looted it, there was no possible way to justify how a naked unit could fight on par with the corps." ¨C

  Lith didn't reply, but only because he understood she was trying to cheer him up.

  It would have been quite easy for him to make the best equipped members of the Talons disappear and stage a more balanced clash.

  After flying for a while in the direction he supposed was south-southeast, getting even more lost, Lith landed near a group of trees. There, he took out his uniform, hoping for its self-repair magic to make it less tattered.

  At that point, all he had to do was waiting for someone to notice he had disappeared. First, he ate a lot of food from his reserve, to made up for the body mass lost after healing such extensive wounds, then Lith spent the following hours using Accumulation.

  While refining his mana core, Lith reflected on the battle, analysing all he had discovered about tier five magic, searching for a way to reproduced it, but most importantly how to defend from it.

  Chapter 140 Paranoia

  Tier five magic was much stronger than he had anticipated, making all the other spells he had learned so far look like parlour tricks. From what Lith had understood, tier five was capable of borrowing a huge amount of world energy.

  No matter how strong a mana core was, just conjuring once those purple flames should have left the mage exhausted, yet the sorceress seemed perfectly fine. To be able to cast such spell twice in a short amount of time, meant that the burden on her body was limited.

  "We have to learn a way to do the same. Otherwise the next time it happens, if our opponent is a little stronger or luckier, we'll be done for." ¨C

  After a couple hours, he had yet to find a solution, but his communication amulet finally activated. It wasn't like a phone; it didn't ring or buzz. When there was an incoming call, the user would experience a pull to his consciousness, like when you suddenly remember something important.

  It was a feeling strong enough to wake someone up from the deepest slumber. Lith didn't answer immediately, he wanted to give the impression of having been unconscious.

  "Lith, thanks the gods you are all right!" As predicted, it was Linjos.

  "I've tried reaching captain Velagros, but to no avail. What happened to you? Why you have yet to reach Kandria?"

  "Headmaster?" Lith replied squinting his eyes, acting confused, like he had just woken up.

  "Good gods, Lith! What happened to your uniform?" Before answering, he had changed back, to make his story more believable.

  "I¡" Lith took a long pause, like he was trying to remember.

  "Oh gods! The captain and his soldiers are in danger, they need help! You must hurry!" He seemed to be panicking, stuttering at every word, his face going pale thanks to a little spell.

  "Calm down, son. Take a deep breath." Lith did as instructed, and after a while, he was able to tell Linjos what had happened.

  In his version of the story, instead of using Warp Steps, the enemies had emerged from underground. The last thing Lith remembered, was being hit by some purple flames before losing consciousness.

  "Purple flames?" Linjos was shocked.

  "I know very few spells capable of generating such destructive force. That would explain a lot. The captain must have used something to save you, but the damage sustained was too much and you have blacked out.

  Then, he has brought you to safety before going back to the fight."

  Lith gasped, nodding at the Headmaster's words. When playing the "I don't know" card, it was always better let the other party to fill the blanks. The less details he gave, the smaller the chances of contradicting himself.

  "Are you alone right now?"

  Lith looked left and right at his surroundings before answering.

  "Yes. And I have no idea where I am. The only thing I know for sure is that this isn't the same place where we got attacked. What do I do now?"

  "You can't stay there, it's too dangerous. At this point, is safe to assume that captain Velagros is either dead or incapacitated. If he is dead, it means that the attackers could still be looking for you."

  After pondering for a moment, Linjos spoke again.

  "Follow the setting Sun toward west, unless the captain Warped you really far, you will find the river Delilin. Following the river, you are bound to find some settlement. Don't say you are going to Kandria. Despite the information blackout, everyone in the region knows something is wrong with it.

  You would raise suspicions. Ask for directions, but for the city of Pabia. It's outside the quarantine zone, but close to Kandria and well connected with the main trading routes. Road signs will help you reach your real destination.

  Notify me as soon as you arrive."

  Lith nodded, then he hung up the call before taki
ng flight.

  "We already knew of the river from the maps. Linjos' plan is identical to our own, except we would have directly asked for Kandria. Why did you ask for his help?"

  Solus' question made Lith sigh, she was still too na?ve.

  "Because I'm supposed to be a twelve year old, shocked by an ambush from which I barely survived. I need to appear vulnerable and confused, not like a cold blooded machine." ¨C

  Lith followed Linjos' instructions, easily finding the Delilin river first, and a farm later. Thanks to a stroke of luck, while looking for Pabia, he arrived on the main road.

  After that, reaching the outskirts of Kandria was just a matter of minutes. Thanks to Life Vision, Lith was able to see the otherwise invisible energy lines in the space in front of him, stretching beyond the barricades and roadblocks that were still far away.

  "It's similar to the array used by those assassins to trap the corps' squad, but much more powerful and complicated" Solus observed.

  "I suspect that it can do much more than just block air and dimensional magic. I've never seen anything like this before, but based on what we read from the file and your memories from Earth, I'd say it's safe to assume that it can block communications too."

  "It would make sense." Lith agreed, while his mind was spinning. ¨C

  If Solus was right, and he would have bet good money on it, he was about to throw himself into the wolf's maws. There were countless things that could go wrong once he was isolated from the outside world.

  His paranoia required at least a dozen of contingency plans for a situation like that, but he actually had only one. Lith informed Linjos of his arrival, making sure to leave a record of his position.

  Traitors weren't the only ones he had to watch out for, there were also the relatives and friends of all those he had crossed during his time in the White Griffon. Lith knew that for many of them, he was a stain on their pride and reputation.

  Normally, no one would dare to touch a prized student, but a quarantine zone was a place were laws and common sense held little value. Those who considered commoners like pebbles, would inevitably be tempted to cause "accidents".

  Being without a detail, further complicated the situation. There was no one that he knew or that he could trust, and being the sole survivor was bound to raise suspicions. It didn't matter if they were genuine or a matter of opportunity, someone could try to pin their deaths to him.

  "I'll inform the supervisor and the Queen of your arrival. Get close to the perimeter, but do not attempt to enter on your own. The soldiers have strict orders, the plague has put everyone's nerves on edge. Use your uniform as proof of identity. I'll call you later."

  "Linjos is a good man, after all. Calling the Queen means he has his fair share of doubts too, and is trying to avoid unnecessary troubles." ¨C

  Even from that distance, Lith could see how heavily guarded the zone was. There was a ten meters (33 feet) high wall, that circled the area as far as the eye could see. Life Vision showed him that many soldiers and a few mages were hidden behind it.

  Lith flew forward at full speed, pretending to not know what was going to happen. As soon as he entered the array, his spell disappeared, making him fall to the ground. Lith had tried to soften the landing, but even low tier earth magic seemed to be blocked.

  The impact left him breathless, and before he could stand up, someone pushed him back to the ground, binding his hands, while several blades grazed his neck puncturing even his unnaturally hard skin. Small droplets of blood started to flow towards his head.

  "Man, I hate being always right." -

  Chapter 141 Suspicions

  "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Said a raspy voice coming from behind Lith's back.

  "I'm Lith from Lutia, coming from the White Griffon academy on Her Majesty's service." Lith appeared to be calm, but he was actually seething with anger. He had expected for someone to come and identify him, not to be treated like a criminal.

  "Really?" The voice sneered. "Then why are you dressed like a farmer? Since when the White Griffon has stooped so low that they can't even afford uniforms anymore?"

  For a moment, Lith was tempted to break the ropes with brute strength, and then pull their guts through their mouths.

  "Stay calm, you idiot. This isn't your village or the academy. In the outside world you are a nobody, and you will be treated as such." ¨C

  "My uniform got heavily damaged." He replied calmly. "What's left of it is on my shoulder. Headmaster Linjos should have already contacted your supervisor."

  Someone searched him, while another hand picked the rag that was his uniform. Being on his finger, Solus could see one of the three robed magicians cast a spell. It made Lith and the uniform emit a light glow at the same time.

  The mages looked at each other, nodding, before letting Lith stand up.

  "Amazing. It seems there is a way to make apparent the link between a magic object and the one it is imprinted with." ¨C

  Lith didn't share her enthusiasm, he was more interested in looking at his captors.

  There were five soldiers and three mages. They were all of different heights and builds, but were dressed almost in the same way. They were all clearly part of a military unit.

  They all wore leather boots, grey linen pants and shirt, leather gloves and what resembled a plague doctor mask, making their faces unrecognizable. The only differences between them was that the mages wore a robe, while the soldiers had weapons and a thin metal breastplate.

  "Sorry, sir." Said one of the soldiers, his voice distorted by the mask.

  "But this is not enough proof of identity. No one gets in or out of the quarantine zone without the proper clearance."

  One of the mages took out a communication amulet, from which emerged the small hologram of a handsome man in his late thirties. He had thick blonde hair and beard, with the stern look typical of someone being used to complete obedience.

  "Why did you leave your post, sergeant?"

  "We had a perimeter breach, sir. We are currently dealing with it."

  "It". The way they had pronounced that word, not referring at him like a person but as a thing, sounded ominous to Lith's ears.

  "Is it perhaps a tall kid, dressed like a farmer, with a bald head and a tattered White Griffon uniform?"

  If the sergeant was surprised by the accurate description, he didn't let it show.

  "Exactly, sir."

  "Bring him to me."

  Lith used that short exchange to use Invigoration on the ropes binding his hands. They had no enchantment whatsoever, and that let him sigh with relief. If necessity arose, he could easily free himself.

  One of the mages took out gloves and a plague mask from under his robe, making Lith wear them. The beak like mask had two small holes, from which the air would enter at every breath, making a hissing sound.

  Lith had the impression of having lost his sense of smell. The air didn't carry any scent anymore, except for that of some kind of disinfectant.

  "This thing must be some sort of gas mask." He thought.

  "The situation must be much worse than I expected, if even this far from Kandria no one dares to move without it." -

  The soldiers positioned themselves so that two walked in front of Lith, two behind, together with the mages, and one alongside him, keeping the ropes in check.

  Once they got past the checkpoint, Lith could see a military encampment the size of a small city stationed behind the wall. It was comprised by several tents divided in two blocks. One block had only circular shaped tents of various height and size, but none bigger than a house.

  The other block was situated farther inside. It was heavily guarded as the wall itself, and it was comprised only by large rectangular shaped tents. The smallest one was at least one hundred square meters big.

  Each tent of the encampment had small flags near its entrance, probably to indicate its purpose. Lith was led to one of the small circular tents, about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) high with a
diameter of 5 metres (16.5 feet), marked with triangular golden flags.

  The space inside was perfectly lit, thanks to glowing gems masterfully placed on the ceiling.

  The floor was entirely covered by a thick carpet, that muffled their footstep. Seated behind a hardwood desk, there was the man Lith had previously seen in the hologram.

  To his right, there was a man, around 1.9 meters (6'3") high, with shoulder length pitch black hair, and ice blue eyes. He wore a corps uniform identical to the one Velagros used. Lith deduced he had to be a captain too.

  The soldiers left him in the middle of the tent, without freeing his hands, and then left. The moment the curtain closed between them, the rattling sound their weapons produced at every step, disappeared. The tent was clearly sound proof.

  "Damn. What the heck is happening? I'm supposed to be an esteemed guest, not a prisoner." ¨C Lith was getting more nervous with every second, but he could only grin and bear it.

  "May I know what I did to deserve such treatment?" He asked walking towards the two men.

  "Silence! I ask the questions here." The blonde man stood up, slamming his fist on the desk. Lith felt a powerful air current, pressing on him from above, trying to make him kneel.

  Lith bent a little under the force of the spell, but refused to submit. His rebelliousness angered his captor even more. The man waved his hand, and Lith felt like an invisible punch had just struck his jaw, making him fall on the ground.

  The corps' captain stiffened up, but said nothing.

  "Now tell me what happened to Velagros and his men." The blonde man's eyes were reduced to fiery slits.

  Lith stood up, before repeating to him the same story he had told Linjos. How they had departed from the White Griffon, get ambushed by unknown assailants, until he was struck by the purple flames and had lost consciousness.

  Lith was forced to repeat his story, again and again, but he never contradicted himself.