Levian waited outside the window for Diana, heart racing in fear.
He had to give her time to change, but the entire time, he wondered whether she would change her mind and alert the rest of the estate about what she had told him.
Luckily, only five minutes later, she emerged from the window dressed in a black dress and a black pouch tied over her shoulder.
Rather than fear, she seemed to be wearing a look of excitement on her face.
If the circumstances weren't so dire, then Levian might share the same expression.
The pair hurried back through the estate and towards where the horses had been left. There, they found Cassius, who despite his battered appearance, flashed the Lady a smile.
"Greetings Lady Diana, I am Levian's servant, Cassius. I'm sure he's spoken a lot about me." He spoke in a playful tone.
Diana chuckled. "Yes, he's said you were best friends." She continued with the joke.
Levian climbed onto his stallion and pulled Diana up with him. As they were mounted, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed herself up against him.
It made his sealed wound ache, but he didn't complain.
"I hope you've both said your goodbyes," Cassius said as he started to push his horse into motion. "Because you won't be able to return for a long time."
Levian rode his horse after Cassius, and the three rode off into the darkness, heading east towards no man's land.
Diana didn't even look back at the estate she was leaving behind. Her eyes simply lay on the road ahead, and her mind was set on future thoughts.
---
The trio rode in silence for what felt like hours.
They passed noble estates and villages, making sure to steer clear of them lest they be spotted, and make a known trail for themselves.
Instead, they took strange paths through sets of trees, and atop hills that were out of sight.
Hours passed, and as they neared the edge of the human empire, Cassius started to slow his horse down and fell in line with Levian.
He had been leading the journey, due to an unspoken agreement they had come to.
The young elf looked off into the distance. For once, his face carried a look of worry.
"I never expected to return under these circumstances, which makes things difficult." The elf said quietly. "As you know, we can't just charge through no man's land and hope to make it out alive."
Levian nodded his head unfortunately. He knew what the elf meant. Even now, they could hear distant war cries.
No Man's Land was the border between the human half of the country and the elven half.
Bases were scattered across either side, constantly replenished with valiant awakened forces. They engaged in combat with each other at every hour of the day, stuck in an eternal conflict.
Sometimes, the humans would push forward and capture an enemy base, only to have the same happen to them later by the elves.
Levian cursed to himself under his breath.
"So how are we meant to get through such a place? The humans will notice our movements and try to stop us, and the elves will think of us as enemies and do the same."
Cassius scratched his smooth chin in thought. Then, his eyes seemed to spark as he came to a recognition.
"No Man's Land is a battlefield, we all know that well. However, across the field, there are locations where battle is much easier... avoided."
Even Diana perked up at that as she chimed in. "And where would that be?"
She knew that since she wasn't awakened, no man's land would be even more dangerous for her. Their only hope was to pass through whilst facing as few enemies as possible.
Cassius explained.
"To the south, there is a place called the Ashen Crossing, it's where I was stationed before being captured as a servant of war. It's a bridge that stretches over a ravine; however, both sides have avoided sending a large number of people across, in fear of the bridge collapsing."
Cassius stared off into the south. "That is where we should cross. I have allies on the other side, so when they spot me, they should help us pass."
Levian and Diana both nodded their heads at that. It sounded like the safest plan to cross a battlefield.
However, Levian also sensed that something was bothering the young elf. "Is there something else we need to know about The Ashen Crossing?"
A bead of sweat fell down the elf's forehead.
"Well... have you ever heard of a human named Onitsuka?"
"Of course," Levian responded. "He's the Warden of Necromancy in the human empire, appointed by King Rose himself."
Diana nodded her head. Even she had heard of him. "Doesn't he teach at the Imperial Academy of Arcane Arts?"
Cassius shook his head. "He used to, until he was made a war commander. Now, he fights in no man's land for the humans, hoping to turn the tide on battle."
Levian felt chills running through his body. He knew what was coming next.
"Onitsuka is currently stationed at The Ashen Crossing. There is a high chance that we'll have to pass him."
Diana physically shivered against Levian's body, whilst Cassius' eyes glared at him.
From the elf's look, it was clear that he was leaving the decision up to him.
It wasn't a hard one for Levian to make.
Onitsuka was a necromancer who had most likely surpassed platinum ranking. He was easily one of the strongest mages in the human empire.
However, that didn't mean that other monsters didn't lurk in no man's land.
No matter where they chose to go, they would come up against trouble.
Cassius believed that the Ashen Crossing was their best bet, so he decided to put his faith in it.
"The Ashen Crossing it is then."
The trio nodded resolutely before their horses were kicked into motion once again, heading south.
Levian's life force was slowly replenishing after having his wounds healed by Cassius.
His fists clenched around the reins.
If I have to fight again, then I'm ready...
He glanced back at Diana. Her red curly hair blew in the wind, giving him a glimpse of her soft face and bright blue eyes.
Then, he looked at his servant, Cassius, whose hair had been cut, and face beaten, yet still wore a smile.
I'll do whatever I can to keep them safe...
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