Forgotten Conqueror

by Za1d3

  As he walked, he began muttering an incantation. Within seconds, a wall of mana washed over him, and he was standing in a dark tunnel with flickering lights coming from the other end. Walking forward, he entered a large open underground room. There were four other hooded figures standing side by side.

  He silently joined them.

  The five of them stood in silence as two more hooded figures joined them. After a while, an old man came through a door in the wall opposite their position. Their master had arrived.

  “Well? What news do you all bring me?” the old man’s tone was demanding as he approached them.

  His master, and one of the most powerful mage he has ever laid eyes upon. The old man was well beyond his prime, but within that old aged body lies some of the most destructive potentials ever known to the world.

  Without waiting, the hooded man stepped forward. “I bring bad news, master.”

  “… Speak.”

  A single word brought chills down his spine. “I have lost contact with one of my lieutenants, and also half of my agents in Ferrent.”

  “… You disappoint me, Zavon.” The old man spoke solemnly.

  “Forgive me master. I will accept any and all punishments.” Zavon replied, his head bowed low and unwilling to meet his master’s eyes.

  “Of course you will. I’ve warned you before. Do you know what would happened if Nylen and the Mystiks guild got their hands on your agents? Our operations in Darsus would be delayed by years.” the old man spoke calmly, but his voice was filled with a tension that wanted to kill. “What exactly happened?”

  “Apologies master, but we do not know. Half of our agents simply vanished from what the messengers told me. As of now, the remaining agents in Ferrent have gone into hiding.” Zavon attempted a calm reply.

  He was not about to disclose to the master that his men may have possibly been captured by someone of authority. The folly was his own, and occurred within his domain. He would be the one to take care of it. Not to mention, such failure could possibly cost him his life right here and now.

  Before coming here, he had already send another unit into Ferrent with the goal of finding their missing agents, and if possible, to eliminate the man behind the disappearance.

  “…” the master was silent.

  “I shall send anoth- GUAH!” an invisible hand grasped his throat tightly, cutting his sentence short.

  “You will do no such thing!” the old man roared. “You will send someone to retrieve all of your agents still within the walls of Ferrent, and we will reassess our plans concerning Darsus! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!” The old man exclaimed. There was no calm in his voice this time. Only anger.

  The invisible hand released his neck, and Zavon could breathe again. “Y-Yes master. *cough cough* as you will… *cough* …but what about the child?” he inquired, trying to change the topic.

  “If your agents have not already killed him, then it is now too late! We must reinforce our ranks and be ready for the worst case possible. If your men have been captured by either Nylen or the guild, we will surely have a hunt on our hands.” The old man glared at him. “And Zavon. Prepared to take your own life. If I get word that our operations are compromised, I will not be granting your failure a swift death.” The old man spoke coldly.

  All Zavon could do was bow and retreat back to standing beside the other six. It took all he had to not shiver at the old man’s words. Many people have fallen under the master’s ire, and none has ever been seen again. He was sure they had all perished painfully, and the master did not discriminate whether they were friend or foe.

  Zavon did not want to be another casualty without proving his worth. He stood silently and listened as the other sixgave their accounts. A few reported failure, but none on the level of his own. Half listening to the reports, Zavon was making plans on how to tackle his problems in Darsus. He was one of the youngest to rise to the position of master within Tal’hrus.

  His ambitions cannot possibly end here with this single mistake.

  ————————-

  An old man woke up from his reverie, sitting up straight in his bed.

  It was the middle of the night, and his acute senses had jerked him awake to an invisible force that dominated his academy. Someone was exerting an extremely high amount of mana while at the same time, trying to conceal whatever they were doing. It was unlike any he has ever felt before.

  Nylen shuddered in his bed.

  Whoever was doing this was extremely skilled, and the concealing of whatever magic they were performing was almost perfect. It was only due to his instinct and acute senses—carefully nurtured and cultivated over the decades—that he was able to even feel the traces of magic flowing through the air.

  Calming his mind, after carefully assessing the situation, he recognize who the imposing amount of mana belonged to at once. His nervous shaking stopped, and a grin spread across his face. He was not wrong in what he had called the child. The boy was truly an outlier.

  Nylen got out of bed and went to sit by the window, watching the moonlight dance as if welcoming the change in the air.

  ———————–

  “Report.” Zavon commanded through a ring. He was currently back in his quarters on Darsus. The meeting with his master was four days ago, and he was growing anxious to remedy his failures.

  “We have just passed through the town of Arsalt. It’ll be another 12 days before we reach Ferrent.” The one in charge of this new operation replied.

  Zavon could hear the sounds of hooves thundering through the ring.

  “Contact me immediately if anything comes up. Even if you are on the brink of death!” He commanded.

  “Yes master.”

  The new unit that he dispatched five days ago were currently on horseback, traveling towards Ferrent. The unit consisted of 11 of his most powerful, and most trusted agents. They will undoubtedly be able to deal with this new problem.

  He knew he was going against the master’s command, but he was sure that if he succeeded in fixing his problems and recruiting the boy, he would once again reclaim his glory.

  He did not rise to his position by playing it safe.

  As a new recruit in Tal’hrus, He had always taken risks, doing what others would not dare to do. He was brash and ambitious, but that was what got him to where he is today. He has never seen these demons of flesh that the old master was so cautious about, and until he witness their strength with his very eyes, there was no use in fearing the unknown.

  Even if he were to die, there was no way the organization would fall because of him. That was the beauty of Tal’hrus.

  Spread out across the seven continents, they worked in secrecy. No agent or master knew everything about their organization’s operations. The only exception was the old master himself. Even the name Zavon was not his real name, and that goes for all of the other six masters. The names were granted to them once they took the mantle of Master, and none of them knew the real identity or face of their colleagues underneath those hoods. The masters all worked in their own domains without communing with each other, only coming together for emergency discussions, or to give their reports to the old master.

  Even if invaders were to find their headquarters, the defense with the magic shard and magic seals within the dreaded white world could not be easily broken.

  Taking off a ring from his finger, he recited an incantation. After a while,

  “Yes, master?” a female voice came through.

  “Shale, gather your group and return to headquarters at once. I have a strange feeling we may be in for a surprise.” He commanded another of his lieutenant.

  “Yes master.” The voice complied, and Zavon killed the connection.

  Even with his mind at ease, and confidence in his subordinates, there was something nagging him… a hint of agitation.

  He did not fear what the old master feared: Nylen and the Mystiks guild within Ferrent could never touch him, and he was sure of it
. It was why he had sent agents to infiltrate Ferrent in the first place.

  All that stood in his way, was possibly the man who had spoken to him through the ring.

  Someone who had been able to subdue nine of his agents. From the sound of it, it did not sound like the man was with anyone else during their conversation. He did not know if the man was working alone, or if their operations in Ferrent had already been noticed by the authorities. He tried picturing the assailant’s face, but all that he could see was a man of status, possibly one of the nobles. The voice sounded like it belonged to a man quite close to his own age.

  He couldn’t rule out the Mystiks guild, but it was nearing a turn, and there has been no movements from what his agents outside of Ferrent have reported.

  “I am the echoes of those who had been slain by the metal of injustice. I am the shadows of men long silenced and hidden from the light. I am he who rides the black winds of carnage. I am death himself.” Zavon repeated the lines before the threat on his life.

  He has no idea what to make of it. A man proclaiming to be death… it was laughable. Yet, the words struck him into a cold chill when he first heard it. Then there was also the threat that he would eventually meet this man face to face. He could not just plainly dismiss such intimidations. The man even knew about the deeds of their organization from what he can tell of the riddle.

  Zavon got up and barged out of his room. It was time to assess their combat strength and prepare for the worst case scenarios as his master had warned. At least in this command, he would follow it without criticism.

  ———————–

  Deep within the earth, buried under countless layers of soil and sediment beneath a great lake, something stirred.

  Its master was calling, but it had been too weak to respond. Having slumbered peacefully for eons, its vast strength had already left it.

  Awaking for the first time ever since witnessing its master’s demise, the entity slowly tore open a gate to Lagus within itself. The raw mana of Lagus surged into its very being, and the entity hungrily devoured the life giving force, restoring its strength.

  After days of having its fill, it was time to return to its rightful place.

  A storm brew within the darkness of the earth. A razor wind cut through the solid rocks that had formed over numerous ages. The wind quickly pierced the earth and exploded through the depths of the lake, surging forth towards the surface. The wind accumulated strength as it stormed upwards, breaking the surface of the lake in a grand display worthy of one who governed a force of the world.

  A side of the lake gushed forth into the air as witnesses looked in shock and scrambled for cover. A tempest had emerged in the lake. The water erupted and rained down on the ground, pummeling those in its vicinity. Those who had been in the lake—fishing—were thrown into the air horrifically, before gently landing on the ground or in the water in what could only be considered an unknown phenomenon.

  Too busy fleeing or recovering from what was happening, those on the ground failed to notice a piece of brown rag emerging from the lake, taking off at unimaginable speed towards the eastern sky.

  Chapter 37 – The Calm

  “Please come in. He is home.”

  Kaidus heard his mother inviting someone into the house. A man and a boy he recognized came in. The man is a 3rd ward patrol, and the boy is a year older than Kaidus himself. They too lived in the Shorza district.

  The man carried the boy inside.

  “Good evening Mr. Trinis. Hi Tamner.” He greeted the two.

  “Kaidus…” The boy replied with his head hung low, and looked to be in pain.

  “Good evening…” The man greeted. His face, full of worry and distress. “I am very sorry to disturb you Kaidus.” Mr. Trinis added apologetically.

  “Do not worry about such details. My mother has already told me of your plight. Please, come and sit down.” he motioned for the two to join him in the living room. He had heard everything from Adalina this mid-afternoon after returning home.

  This is already the 5th time ever since he treated the man from Tal’hrus. People who had no other options were resorting to what they’ve heard, and were coming to him for healing.

  The 2nd time was a young woman who had witnessed the trial and had seen what he did to Naran’s scars. A large portion of her body was covered in burn scars from when she was a child, and begged for help to restore her body to a more visually appealing appearance, in the hopes of finding herself a husband.

  The 3rd was a toddler who had fallen from a carriage and broken her arm along with a shattered shoulder. The girl was barely alive when they brought her to him. He could still remember the young parent’s horrific cries, begging him nonstop.

  The 4th was a mother of three who fell unconscious while out shopping and hit her head against the paved roads, resulting in a coma. He had gone to their house to help treat the woman.

  Many people saw his abilities as a convenience, and numerous people came to him asking for healing. He refused most of them seeing that their injuries would not impact their daily lives, or that it will eventually heal over time without any problems. Many people became unhappy at his decisions, but they’ve lived their lives up to this point without someone constantly healing their every injury.

  And he was not so benevolent that he would treat every single person who came to him, begging him to heal their scratches.

  In Tamner’s case, it was an unfortunate accident.

  Some of the boys were playing in the roads of the Shorza district, and a runaway carriage hit two of them—the horse pulling the carriage had somehow gotten loose from its harness as the carriage was traveling through. The other boy got away with only scratches, but Tamner got his legs crushed against a wall.

  Choosing to not use the compensation money they received for an operation, the Trinis family had explained their situation to Adalina, and waited for him to return home. The accident happened three days ago, and even with professional treatment, the possibility that the boy would not walk again was extremely high.

  They were hoping that he could help them and was willing to relinquish the compensation money in exchange for their son’s health and livelihood.

  Kaidus placed a hand on the boy’s leg, and willed his mana to begin doing its work. Moments later, the older boy was up and walking about happily.

  The man came forward and handed him a small purse. “Please take this. It’s not much, but it is all we have.” The man offered without an ounce of hesitation.

  “No, Mr. Trinis. Please keep it. I did not help your son because of the promise of a reward.” Kaidus replied, unwilling to touch the small bag of money.

  “This is the money we were given as reparation for the accident. There is 1100 erns altogether, meant to be used for Tamner’s treatment. It would be foolish of me to hold onto these ill-gotten gains after you have treated him.” The man replied tearfully.

  “You all have suffered enough. Please use that money for your family.” Kaidus answered, unwilling to accept the offer.

  “Thank you young man… my family will forever remember your generosity.” The man bowed low in gratitude. Seeing this, Tamner came over to offer his thanks, imitating his father.

  “Sorry again honey…” Adalina apologized after the guests had left.

  “I’ve told you already mom. You have nothing to be sorry for.” He replied, refuting his mother’s apology. “If I can use this power to save a few lives, then it is worth it. You did not raise me to be a selfish man.” he gave his mother a wide smile, trying to ease her guilt.

  “Look at you, calling yourself a man.” Adalina giggled, picking him up into a hug.

  “…” his tongue had slipped with his choice of words, and he gave her an embarrassed hug back.

  Her nature was one of kindness, unwilling to look the other way in the face of misfortune. His mother who saw the world for its magnificence and beauty, choosing to help those in need rather than forsake them, and he
loved her for it.

  She knew that healing magic took a toll on him and exhausts him, yet she could not turn a blind eye to those who were in need of his abilities. That is why she apologizes.

  Setting him back down, “I’ll start on dinner. Can you go check on Anise for me?” She asked, giving him a warm and heartfelt smile.

  “Sure.” He replied, making his way towards the stairs.

  Kaidus quietly opened the door to his sister’s room, making sure not to wake her up. She had fallen asleep shortly after greeting his return, and was still napping peacefully in her bed.

  “Master…” Hasen’s raspy voice echoed in his head as he approached.

  “Anything happened while I was away?” He questioned the entity.

  “…No…”

  “Good. Keep watching over them.” he replied, glad that Hasen is being vigilant.

  “Yes… master…”

  “I called for your brothers.” he spoke up.

  He attempted to resummon his remaining familiars four nights ago, but have yet to receive any answers. The connections with them were almost nonexistent, and it took all of his mana to reach out to them through Lagus—wherever they were. He could not feel them within Lagus, meaning they were still out in the world somewhere. Even without answering his call, he knew that they were still alive.

  “At last… how… may I serve…?” Hasen excitedly inquired.

  “I am planning on leaving Ferrent for a duration of time. I do not know how long the journey will take, but you will stay here and protect my family in my absence. Eliminate any threat that would harm them.” Kaidus commanded.

  “By your will… Master…”

  ———————–

  “Kai! Wake up!” Anise was pounding his chest. It was the morning after his return home.

  “You’re getting stronger. That really hurts.” He grinned at his little sister, rubbing where she was hitting him. In the darkness of the room, he saw her shooting a devious grin back at him.

  This was his usual morning routine now. Taking their mother’s words of not letting him become lazy literally, Anise had taken it upon herself to wake up at or before the break of dawn to gloriously keep him from oversleeping. Instead of waking up early to do his morning meditations and exercises, he had moved it to after Anise had fallen asleep for the night.