Elara Fors
"Spread out! Search carefully, leave no patch of forest unchecked!"
My voice cut through the night. Soldiers scattered at once, their boots thudding over roots and fallen leaves, lanterns swaying as they moved deeper into the dark.
I turned to Throvald, my heart thundering. "Take the skies."
He gave a single, heavy nod. He chanted the spell, his body lifted, until he was nothing but a shadow rising against the pale moonlight.
My eyes snapped to Silas. "You're with me."
"Yes, Lady Elara." He nodded and drew his blade in one fluid motion, and led the way through the forest.
Every step felt like lead, but it wasn't fatigue, it was guilt. Bitter, choking guilt.
This is my fault. If I hadn't been so harsh, if I hadn't pushed him so mercilessly, Sieg would never have run off alone. He only wanted me to listen. And I didn't. Now he's out there, swallowed by this cursed night. What will I do if I lose him too? How will I face Valka?
Then a sudden surge hit. A violent wave of mana crashed through me, rattling my senses, sending a piercing sting through my head. I stumbled against a tree, bark scraping my palm as I forced myself upright. Ahead of me, Silas fell to one knee, his breath ragged from the same pressure.
But through the storm of it, recognition struck. The mana was familiar... this signature…
My lips moved before my mind caught up. "Sieg!"
"Elara!"
Throvald's voice tore from above as he descended, his face pale with panic. He hovered in front of me, eyes wide, breath short. "A little northwest from here, there's a stream of mana flowing upwards. It's just like two years ago."
I nodded, my breath catching in my throat. "It has to be Sieg. Take me with you." Without hesitation, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. My eyes flicked to Silas. "Bring the soldiers to the eruption site."
"Yes, Lady Elara!" he barked, already forcing himself to his feet.
And then the ground fell away. Wind whipped past as Throvald and I soared, emerald light streaking the sky ahead. Mana shimmered, swirling upward like a beacon piercing heaven itself.
"There!"
The scene unfurled, and a chill bled through me. An armored beast stood in the forest, blade raised high, its presence suffocating even from this distance. Yet my gaze tore from it, fixed instead on the boy before it, my grandson.
Sieg stood firm, his small frame haloed in light. Hundreds of motes of concentrated mana orbited him, all funneling into his clenched fist. The glow intensified, burning from green into pure white. His hair, his skin, even his stance, it all shone, unearthly and divine. For an instant, he wasn't just a boy, he looked as though he had stepped out of Aethelhum's grace itself.
"Throvald! Faster!" I hissed, already weaving a spell, threads of incantation gathering at my fingertips.
We surged forward, but the beast struck first, its massive sword cleaving down.
A torrent of fire erupted, shaping into chains of flame that bound the blade mid-swing. And Sieg moved. He shot forward, fist crashing into the monster's face.
White light exploded, blinding, and endless.
When the brilliance ebbed, the forest stood scarred, silence draped heavy over the forest. The armored beast lay crumpled in the dirt and there, trembling but unbroken, stood Sieg.
We landed hard. My feet barely touched the ground before I called out, "Sieg!"
He tried to turn to me, his voice weak and ragged. "I... think I'll take a rest."
He swayed. I caught him before he could fall, my arms wrapping around him, pulling him close.
"Granny…" he murmured, eyes fluttering shut.
Tears blurred my vision as I pressed him against me, holding on as though I could anchor him here by will alone. My heart refused to let go.
Throvald fell to his knees beside us, arms wrapping around both of us. His frame shook, his voice breaking against my hair. "Sieg… thank Aethelhum… thank Aethelhum…"
And for the first time that night, I let my tears fall freely.
"Lord Fors." A weak, familiar voice dragged my gaze aside. Sir Ashar and Captain Tavian staggered toward us, their armors torn and painted in blood.
Throvald rose at once, his back straight and commanding even in the moonlit ruin. "Both of you should sit down. You're losing too much blood."
Captain Tavian shook his head, his lips pale but his eyes resolute. "Thank you for your concern, my lord, but we will survive. Is the young lord… all right?" His gaze shifted down to me, to the bundle in my arms.
I held Sieg a little closer, brushing damp hair from his face. "He fell asleep from exhaustion. Thank you, both of you, for putting your lives on the line for him." My voice quivered, because it was written on their bodies how fiercely they had fought.
"We were only doing our duty," Sir Ashar said quietly, a soldier's pride in his tone even as his knees threatened to give. "The young lord is our responsibility."
"He is… right." Captain Tavian's voice broke, and then he collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest as his breath rattled.
He has lost too much blood. If nothing was done, he would die. My fingers moved before thought, pulling open my pouch and retrieving three bottles of glowing red potion. "Here. Drink this."
"We can't—" "Just drink it." Tavian tried to protest, but I cut him off.
Throvald didn't argue. He took the bottles from me and pressed one into each of their hands with the firm authority that brooked no refusal.
"Give one to the woman on the ground there," I said, remembering the limp figure we had seen from above.
"I'll do it," Ashar murmured. He took the vial and limped toward her.
Then, a low growl stirred the air. My head snapped around.
The green-furred cub padded closer, Faux laying on his back.
This little one… it was because of him Sieg had been dragged into such peril. My frown deepened as the cub came nearer, unconcerned with the tension. He nosed at Sieg's hand gently, rubbing his face against it. I exhaled slowly, the frown on my face softening into a weary sigh.
"Lady Elara!" Silas came running with soldiers in tow.
He stopped short, his eyes catching first the battered ground, then the armored beast sprawled in its defeat.
"Silas," I said, steadying my tone, "have some soldiers escort the knights back and…" My gaze shifted to the fallen beast. "Check up on that thing."
He gave a brisk nod, barking orders before moving toward the beast with several men at his back.
"We should go back," Throvald said, lowering himself beside me, his voice carrying the weight of concern rather than suggestion.
I inclined my head. He gathered Sieg into his arms, holding him with the care of a man terrified to let go.
I rose, brushing dirt from my clothes, then turned to the cub whose eyes watched us with a wild, unblinking loyalty. "Follow us closely."
A low growl rumbled from his throat, not hostile, but.... acknowledging?
Throvald's voice carried across the field as he addressed the knights. "Will both of you be fine?"
"Yes, my lord. Thanks to Lady Fors' potion, I can already feel my wounds healing," Captain Tavian answered, bowing his head with restrained gratitude.
"Good to know." Throvald's smile was warm, he looks at me, and we turn to leave.
A scream tore through from behind. I watched as Silas and a few soldiers were sent flying past us, their bodies tossed aside like ragdolls.
"Silas!" Throvald's voice was a roar of disbelief.
"Unbelievable…"
The sound rooted me to the spot. A chill ran down my spine, like icy tendrils wrapping around my heart as I heard the voice. I could feel Throvald beside me stiffen in the same dread.
"To think I actually blacked out… and 'he' woke up."
Our heads turned slowly, almost against our will. The beast was rising. First sitting, then standing tall and towering, its armor shifting with a dreadful weight. Crimson eyes locked onto mine, and something primal screamed inside me. My feet shifted back without thought; fear had already seized my body.
"Elara! Run!"
Throvald shoved Sieg into my arms before summoning his axe with a flash of light from the ring on his finger. He lunged at the beast, but the monster caught the descending weapon easily, pinched between its clawed index finger and thumb, as though it were a toy.
"Hm." The beast tilted his head, unconcerned. His free hand rose, and from the trees, something whistled through the air. When it landed in his grasp, my breath caught. It was an axe, the same as Throvald's...
"That weapon—"
"Why do you have that!" Throvald's roar shook the forest. He ripped his own weapon free, swung with savage force, and the two axes clashed, sending sparks flying everywhere.
Thorvald's fury only grew. His fist drove into the beast's already cracked helm, but the beast didn't even flinch. With a roar, he seized the monster; one hand crushed its neck while the other gripped its thigh. Muscles bulged as he lifted and ran, driving the beast through tree after tree, splinters and bark exploding into the night.
"Lady Elara… you should run."
Silas' voice was ragged, his form staggering as he forced himself upright.
I looked at Sieg's sleeping face, then toward the devastation where my husband and the beast vanished. I knew what had to be done.
Carefully, I pressed Sieg into Silas' arms. "Take him back."
"But—"
"Please," I said, the word cutting firm and sharp. Leaving no room for arguement.
I turned, pulling my staff from my pouch. Without another word, I ran into the wreckage, toward my husband, and toward the fight that was already tearing the forest apart.
I pushed mana into my eyes, enhancing my sight. I could see Throvald moving into a clearing, slamming the beast with such force that the tremors reached me where I stood. He began to beat the creature relentlessly; each strike of his fist shook the earth, sending shockwaves that rattled through my bones and made every step forward heavier.
As I reached the clearing's edge, I saw him raise both of his arms high in the air. A spell, woven into spheres, glowed around his fists, burning with raw power. He brought them down with a roar, and the ground itself screamed in protest, splitting wide, cracks racing through the ground before the whole clearing collapsed inward.
The impact hurled me into the air. I landed hard, pain shooting through my side. "Ouch..." I muttered, rubbing the spot, wincing. Reckless fool. He should have gone a little easier, but with that… surely it was over.
I looked at the crater he had made, but I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"Throvald!!!"
He was suspended above the crater, impaled through both shoulders by writhing tendrils. The beast slowly pulled itself out of the crater.
I grabbed a couple of vials, flooding mana into the bottles until the potion flared alive. I hurled it at the tendrils, and as it shattered, blue crystalline liquid splashed and froze them solid.
"Throvald!"
He tore himself free with a growl, breaking the frozen bonds, and landed before me, summoning his axe. His broad shoulders were set protectively between me and the beast. "Elara, stay back."
The beast straightened, crimson eyes burning through the broken helm. I could feel a cold sweat running down my back. There wasn't a single scratch on him, even after all of Throvald's attacks. The only visible damage was on his helm, and that was from Sieg.
"Alchemist…"
The word slid from its mouth like a blade against stone. I couldn't stop my body from shaking. Does it know what an alchemist is? This creature is too dangerous. I can't see a victory in sight.
I clenched another vial in my fist, pouring mana into it. "Throvald, move!"
"Huh?"
I sprinted past him, hurling the vial straight at the creature. It burst against its chest, scattering the seeds within. In an instant, thick green vines erupted, lashing out, wrapping around its limbs, sinking into the earth.
I seized Throvald by the front of his shirt, tugging hard. "We need to run! Fly!" My voice shook with urgency.
"But Elara, that axe, we don't—"
"There's no point if we die!" I snapped, almost choking on the words.
"Leaving?" the beast said, and with a flex, the vines around him exploded, shattering and falling to the ground.
Just how? Those were Shacklevine Seeds… seven years I had saved them, my most precious failsafe. The more a target struggles, the tighter the vines become. If mana is used, the vines drink it, growing stronger, thicker, and more unbreakable and yet… shredded like paper.
This is... Hopeless.
Then, sharp whistles cut through the air. Arrows rained down, striking around the beast. Mana flared to life, lines sparking between each arrow until a barrier rose, a wall of pentagon-shaped panes encircling the beast. Chains erupted from the walls, latching onto its limbs, binding it in place.
"What?" The word slipped from me in disbelief. That was no ordinary spell. It was a Tier 4 Canticle Rank Spell.
"Lady Fors!"
We turned to see Captain Tavian, Sir Ashar, and the unconscious knight girl from before were hurrying toward us.
"Why didn't you run?" Throvald demanded his voice filled with a mixture of anger and relief.
"There's no way we could leave you to face it alone," Tavian answered, eyes locked on the beast.
Fools, truthfully, it would have been better if they had run. But now, with them here, we couldn't just leave them to deal with it alone. I looked at the girl holding the bow. "Did you use that spell?"
She nodded, her voice steady despite her pallor. "Yes, my lady. I am Aifa."
"Do you have a way to bring it down?" Throvald asked, tightening his grip on the axe. "I can't even scratch that armor."
"It's the same for us," sir Ashar replied quickly. "The only damage—"
A loud crack split the air. We all turned. Chains splintered and the barrier groaned. Fractures spread like spiderwebs across the glowing walls.
"Damn it," Throvald growled, bracing his stance. Ashar and Tavian raised their swords, and Aifa pulled back her bowstring, chanting. They looked ready, but to me, it felt absurd to keep fighting... but what other choice did we have? It hadn't seemed to be trying to kill us yet, as if it were testing the waters.
I bit down hard, grinding my teeth. There was no other choice.
"We should concentrate our attacks on a single point," I said, looking at the others.
"Single point?" Throvald looked at me, confusion on his face.
"The cracked face of his helm," Aifa muttered, her eyes already on the target.
"Right!" I said. "Give it everything you've got!"
All of them nodded in response, a silent understanding passing between us.
I yanked a vial from my belt, luminous green liquid swirling violently within. At that moment the chains shattered, the walls bursting apart in a thunderous crack.
Aifa loosed her shot, her arrow splitting into a dozen, each one striking into the beast's body in a storm of glowing shards.
"Throvald! On his face!" I hurled the vial, and my husband caught it in one swift motion before launching it forward with all his strength. The glass shattered against the helm, liquid splashing over it.
"Smokescreen!" I called out to Ashar, who already had the spell ready.
Ashar thrust his hands forward, and spheres of flame streaked across the clearing, exploding in violent bursts. Fire roared, smoke engulfed the beast, choking out the battlefield. For a heartbeat, nothing could be seen but fire and shadow, until the glow of the luminous green burned through the smoke like a beacon.
"There! All at once!"
Aifa's bow thrummed, releasing an arrow so dense with mana the air screamed as it cut through. I extended my staff, and a column of flame spiraled above my head before erupting into the spell, "Lance of the Crimson Pyre." Throvald thrust his hand forward, unleashing "Weightburst", a shockwave so heavy the ground violently caved. Tavian's sword gleamed as he released a concentrated tornado, its sharp winds spiraling toward the target. Ashar gathered the flames at his palms, then unleashed them in a beam of molten fury that tore through the smoke.
Every strike converged toward that single glowing mark, a desperate, brilliant star born of our combined hope. For a heartbeat, I thought, just maybe, it would be enough.
"Repulsion."
The single word was a flat, unfeeling dismissal. Our spells, our magic, our hope, all of it was shoved back with a force so absolute it felt like the world itself had turned against us. A violent pressure slammed into me, lifting my feet from the ground. I was no longer a person; I was a projectile, hurled through the air in a spin of chaos and pain before my vision went black.
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The world started to come back in fragments. My ribs hurt as I tried to move, still I forced myself up on one elbow instead. I could feel dirt clinging to my skin. I looked around; the clearing stretched wide and endless, far larger than it had been. The forest was gone from sight, swallowed by destruction.
Where is Throvald? If I survived, then surely he must have too. His body is sturdier than mine, unyielding. He has to be alive. He has to.
"Humans banding together to defeat a common threat…"
The voice rolls from above, deep and mocking. I lift my head up, and there he is, suspended in the night air. Crimson mana pours from his shoulders and feet, a terrible radiance that keeps him aloft.
"But in front of absolute power, all trickery is meaningless. You people of the Basiledra Empire should know this better than anyone."
I let out a bitter scoff. "Yeah. Right," I mutter under my breath.
It had been meaningless from the start. We should have run while we had the chance.
The crimson mana cascading from his shoulders split apart, spreading into wings of light that stretched across the sky, blotting out the sky. My strength left me, and I let myself fall back to the ground, staring upward.
So this was it. There was no point fighting anymore. At least Sieg survived. That was enough.
Sieg… I had always thought I'd live long enough to see my great-grandchildren. Looks like I was wrong.
Above, the stars flickered in cold silence. My blurred gaze caught a streak of silver cutting across the night. A falling star?
But then, impossibly, it turned.
"Huh?" The sound slipped from me before I could stop it.
"What?" the beast snarled, noticing it too. Crimson light flared in his hand, swelling into a cone-shaped blast that roared toward the intruding light.
The silver streak cuts through it without slowing, piercing it clean without resistance and slamming into the beast. His body is hurled from the sky, crashing into the ground with a sound that shakes the air.
The ground shudders. Dust plumes and a figure stands within the haze, silver glinting around her like starlight. I cannot sense her mana. That alone tells me who it is.
A chuckle broke from my throat, weak but certain. "Were you not supposed to come tomorrow?"
Her voice carried over the wreckage, bold and smug.
"What can I say? My shopping spree concluded sooner than expected."
Even from here, I could see the confident grin on her face. Warm relief washed through me.
"Give him hell, Valka."