Blood in the Deser

by Sophia Schmidt

  She had provided them authentic uniforms and IDs, otherwise going past the checkpoints would have been impossible.

  Magic seals and documents couldn't be counterfeited, and to have access to such tools they had to pay their contact enough gold to allow her to leave the country and live the rest of her life in luxury.

  It was a sum that outshined even Lith's reward, but they didn't care, since it came straight from their contractor's pockets. The mandatory use of the masks had made their work easier, allowing them to move unnoticed until they had found Lith's tent.

  The talons were unaware of his plague doctor persona, they couldn't care less about the Griffon Kingdom's crisis. This time they hadn't come only for Lith's life, but also for information.

  Killing him was just the icing on the cake, erasing the failure that now stained their name. It was a desperate move, because once Lith returned to the academy, they would never get a chance to approach him.

  Inside his academy, a Headmaster had godlike powers, even if they managed to infiltrate, they would immediately be discovered and killed by a snap of Linjos' fingers, activating one of the countless arrays that enveloped the castle.

  The academy's forest was a no-go too. A squad had gone exploring it, and only one man had returned, babbling about a monster Scorpicore that had slaughtered the whole unit with a click of its tongue, releasing a barrage of light blades that turned them into shreds, ignoring all their defences.

  The survivor reported that the creature had spared him intentionally, to bring back a message.

  "I'm sick and tired of humans hunting for cubs. The next time someone messes with my turf, I'll come looking for you." Then, it bit both of his arms off before Warping him back into their allegedly secret base.

  Alas, the mating season had come, turning the Lord of the forest into an angry murdering machine, having cubs of its own.

  The talons hadn't taken the threat lightly. Sure, an offensive light spell was something out of the legends, no one in his right mind would believe it. Yet the limbless man had traversed hundreds of miles, bypassing the hideout's protections.

  If the Scorpicore knew their location and could come and go freely, the light spell was the least of their worries.

  The next option had been capturing Lith's parents, but they were guarded by two units of the Queen's corps, every single step they took was protected by arrays. There were more men stationed there than the surviving members of the talons, and they had the field advantage and months of preparation.

  As absurd it sounded, the quarantine zone was their only viable option, with a very tight time window. Soon the disappearance of their contact would get noticed, and all her work would be subjected to scrutiny, blowing their cover.

  "About two weeks ago, you were supposed to die during an ambush on your way here, yet you survived. Who saved you? What happened to your detail and your aggressors?"

  The knife was pressed against Lith's throat, but it only managed to shave his few facial hairs. The skin was harder than leather, yet elastic. The woman needed to use the tip to spill some blood and make her point.

  "Damn, this array is more dangerous than we thought. It can also make non military weapons lose their edge. ¨C It was the only explanation she could think of, so she informed her teammates of the discovery through their hand signs secret code.

  Lith saw the other two switching their heavily enchanted knives and short swords for less powerful ones of the same kind. Both their actions and their questions made no sense to him.

  In that moment, though, he was more than happy to indulge their curiosity and stall for time.

  "These guys are persistent. Just killing them would be useless, others may come. I need to find out who they are and what they want." ¨C

  Despite Small World wasn't capable of blocking spirit magic, the arrays were still able to slow down its effects. Unlike elemental magic, pure mana had no effect per se. It could be used as a form of telekinesis, but it required for the mana to reach and envelop its target.

  Small World made the invisible mana flowing out of Lith's body spread like a fog, instead that like a river. Hence Lith's needed some time to wrap them up and take full control of the situation.

  In such close space, with the weapons already close to his vitals, even his speed wasn't of much help.

  "The men and women of the Queen's corps saved me. They fought bravely until the end, despite the cowardly trap laid by the assailants." The mask covering his face prevented the talons to see his grin spread, as the spirit magic did the same.

  "The Queen's corps?" The woman holding the knife was about to spit in disgust.

  "We kill those losers regularly! It's impossible for six stooges to defeat more than half of the talon corps. Quit lying, kid. Tell us the truth, and I'll grant you a peaceful death."

  "First of all, that's my line. Second, more than half you say? This means that once the three of you are dead, this so called talons corps is extinct."

  Lith's sudden spunk enraged the three mercenaries, mostly because he was right. They had never stopped cursing the day they had accepted Archmage Lukart mission. Between those killed in the failed ambush and the ones butchered by the Scorpicore, only a handful remained.

  They needed the money to cut their losses and rebuild from scratch. As long their success rate was flawless, no matter the price they asked, people would pay, just like Lukart did.

  "You'd better not waste my time, kid. Otherwise¡"

  "Otherwise what?" Lith scoffed, moving away from the knife.

  The thee reacted instantly, or better, they tried. The mana around them was so thick and strong it was like moving through molten steel.

  With a flick of the wrist, Lith ripped the masks off their faces with spirit magic, destroying them immediately with a burst of dark energy.

  "Even if you manage to escape, I'm afraid you'll die because of the plague." Lith's voice was stone cold.

  "Now tell me how many of you are left and who sent you." He unsheathed his knife, pointing it to the eye of the nearest talon.

  "Believe me, compared to the plague, I'm merciful."

  Everything was going according to Lith's plan, yet Solus felt restless.

  "This is the first time since we entered the Small World that he is using so much mana. Necromancy was fine, since dark magic is not blocked. I hope this artifact doesn't have any more surprises in store for us.

  Otherwise the situation could turn volatile in the blink of an eye." ¨C

  The talons refused to speak, so Lith started cutting their faces, only to heal them and start over again. The mercenaries felt cornered, not only they couldn't react but not even scream.

  If any noise came out of the tent, their death would be assured, but until they kept silent, there was still a hope to escape from the deadly trap. Luck shined on them thanks to their tenacity.

  The use of spirit magic was normally perceived by Small World like a fluctuation of energy, a harmless magical peak. Its prolonged use on such scale, though, was interpreted by the system like an anomaly, hence it provided to remove it.

  Through her mana sense, Solus saw myriad of runes flowing into the tent, suppressing the magical restraints so fast that she barely managed to warn Lith of the impending danger.

  But it was too late. As soon as the woman was free, she swept Lith with a kick, grabbing the knife at her feet, all in a single fluid movement.

  Lith was taken by surprise, losing the knife trying to adjust the fall without offering his back. He was completely disarmed when the talon struck towards his left eye, aiming to pierce his brain.

  Chapter 163 A New Power

  Cursing his bad luck, Lith attempted to block with his left forearm. The knife passed from side to side, giving him the feeling a hot iron was branding his inner flesh. Lith wasn't new to pain, he needed just to grit his teeth to bear it.

  His right fist struck fast as a snake, but thanks to her superior training and rich battle experience, the talon managed
to dodge it in the nick of time. Lith's knuckles still managed to graze her chin, the impact made her feel dizzy, forcing her to switch from a dodge to a roll.

  The talon's view was blurry from the near hit, without that last second adjustment she would have collapsed on the floor, incapable of standing. Lith jumped back on his feet to finish her, but the other two were already on him, aiming for his vitals.

  "Damn, with no magic nor weapons, I can only block with my body. Solus, help me withstand the pain in case I lose some fingers."

  "Not on my watch!" She mind yelled. ¨C

  Lith wasn't the only one that had been training to explore the limits of his new body. Ever since their almost clash with the Scorpicore, she had made several experiments about her shape-shifting abilities.

  After being in the Small World for so long, she was able to overcome some of its restraints, if she put enough effort to it. Her ring form expanded covering Lith's right hand, forming a stone gauntlet.

  This new form was silver in colour, with runes of power glowing all over its surface. She had no idea how to synch again her mana core with Lith's, but at least she could offer him some protection.

  Lith was surprised as much as his two assailants, but none of them hesitated, keeping their emotions in check. The gloved hand supported by air and fire fusion, deflected all the strikes that could kill or incapacitate him, while Lith tanked the others with earth fusion.

  Between his natural toughness and the magical hardening effect, the wounds he sustained were shallow enough to ignore them. They would only bleed a bit before starting to heal without him even needing to cast a spell.

  There was a creepy sensation in the pith of the talons' stomach, telling them they were facing the thing that had killed their comrades. Every one of Lith's blocks would make their blades vibrate like they had clashed with a charging bull.

  Their hands were getting number with each strike, making increasingly harder to keep the grip on their weapons.

  "What the f*ck is he? Magical items are supposed to not work, what in the gods' name is that gauntlet? How can a kid be so strong and fast? His movements are all over the place, but he manages to keep up with us. If only we could use our tattoos¡"

  The talons' tattoos were another one of Coirn Hatorne masterpieces. Despite not being a true mage, she had found a way to inject her potions directly in the client's skin, making it possible to activate them with a thought thanks to the imprinting process.

  With Hatorne gone, they would be conservative in using them, since there was no way to replenish the tattoos. But in the face of death, they would have gladly spent them all.

  Actually, their situation wasn't as desperate as it seemed.

  "Careful! Do not use fusion magic for too long, otherwise Small World could detect and block it too. Only use short bursts."

  "Thanks for the advice. It's easier said than done, though. These guys are good, even with my enhanced reflexes I'm no match for three of them in such an enclosed space. What about you? Can Small World shut you down?"

  "It can try." She sneered. "I'm already following my own advice, boosting my defence only a moment before the impact." ¨C

  Being the first time Solus used such a trick, Lith was amazed by her ability in micro managing her abilities. She wasn't as good as she made herself look, though. The gauntlet form was a desperation move by itself, made even harder by the Small World's dampening effect.

  Every time Solus missed the right timing, the Damascus blades would carve her thin form, if not even chipping away small pieces of stones. For her it was like being slashed and stabbed, but she held on bravely.

  "I'm just a piece of rock. I can heal from everything." ¨C She thought in a hidden corner of her mind.

  Lith too kept getting hit, but he would return each attack with double the violence. Two of the three talons were women, without their equipment and magic, they were like children compared to Lith's physical prowess.

  The man of the group wasn't in a much better position. Despite Lith being unarmed, during every clash with his opponent, the talon would gain new bruises and cracked bones. The only reason they were still standing was because of their elite training and teamwork.

  Lith was just an amateur, yet he had all the advantages. Small World wouldn't affect his abnormal body, fusion magic could substitute for potions and Solus was an excellent shield.

  The stalemate would have lasted long, if not for a talon's lucky shot. The man short sword hit Lith's right hand heavily. His two teammates had flanked Lith, forcing him to take the strike head on.

  Lith managed to deviate the women's weapons at the last second by using quick elbow strikes, not leaving enough time to dodge or deflect the incoming attack. The blade managed to crack the gauntlet, making Solus yelp in pain.

  It took a breath's time for him to strengthen their connection becoming finally aware of all her suffering, how battered she was. A seething hatred exploded within Lith, focusing his thoughts like a laser, erasing everything but the urge to kill.

  Spirit magic surged, overcoming Small World pressure enough to allow Lith to push his opponents away and trigger the Death Call spell. Darkness magic condensed in the form of tentacles, before starting to mutate.

  In his frenzy, Lith wasn't just merging his mana with the world's dark energies, but also those born from the abyss he kept in his mind and soul. Under the mask, his eyes glowed with a yellow light, like torches, the pupils reduced to vertical slits.

  Solus felt the darkness spreading through Lith's body, flooding her with power. The stone pieces scattered around the tent reunited with the main body, fusing back into place like the damage had never happened.

  The tentacles turned into a black fog, destroying everything on its path.

  ***

  "What do you mean, Captain?" Queen Sylpha asked.

  Kilian told them in the details the events leading up to Garith Senti's death.

  The Royals were unimpressed.

  "That's nothing new. We already knew that Lith from Lutia has no qualms killing. That idiot had it coming." King Meron snorted.

  "That's your great discovery?"

  "Yes, it is!" Kilian was baffled by their blindness.

  "Sure, great mages and soldiers intimidating an enemy with just their aura is a common occurrence. But here we aren't talking about an expert, but about a kid, and a healer at that.

  Yet he managed to scare the leader of the mercenary guild enough to make him kneel. The pressure his mana exerted made me and the soldiers take several steps back without even realizing it.

  There was no greenhorn in that tent, yet we acted as such. Also, I could swear that the temperature dropped by several degrees."

  Those presents were already sceptical about Kilian's words. After the last phrase, they started doubting his sanity. Varegrave couldn't believe his old friend coming up with such a childish excuse. His failure wasn't so big, after all.

  Kilian could see the doubt in their eyes, but he didn't let it discourage him.

  "Think about it. How come he is the only survivor of the ambush that took the lives of a whole unit of the Queen's corps? How come he is single-handedly solving the plague? How can he strike fear in battle hardened veterans?"

  His words struck a nerve. There were still too many questions left unanswered.

  "I am almost certain that he is hiding his real skills. I believe that he is capable of much more than just healing. No one can release a killing intent like that without talent and lots of practice.

  I suggest we change his evaluation from A to S, but only in the royal records."

  The idea that Lith was a talent on par with Manohar or Hatorne, with enough patience to keep his act for so long since so young was too disturbing to dismiss it without further inquiry.

  "If Kilian is right, then maybe he really is an Awakened one." The Queen used their telepathic link to share her worries with her husband.

  "Agreed. We must ask Lady Tyris to make haste, she's the only one
that can discover the truth." ¨C

  ***

  Meanwhile their conversation went on, an alien force started to seep in the world energy, creating ripples that reverberated through the entire continent, that only beings attuned with the world could perceive.

  Tyris the griffon, right under the throne room, Leegaain the dragon, from the north, and Salaark the phoenix, from the south, they all turned their heads in the direction where the encampment was settled.

  Rarely something capable of piquing their curiosity happened, and distance was no obstacle when they wished to speak to each other.

  "It's not an Awakened, nor someone attempting to become a lich." Tyris pondered.

  "And definitely it's not an Abomination turning into an Eldritch, nor a Monster evolving into a Guardian. I've never seen something like that before." Salaark added.

  Leegaain was left with nothing to add but the obvious.

  "That leaves us with a question: what the heck is that then?"

  Chapter 164 Interludium 5

  No one would have ever believed Milea Genys, if she told how before becoming the Gorgons Empire's Magic Empress, she was just a second rate magician of humble origins.

  What set Milea apart from her fellow students, was that despite she hadn't been deemed worthy of being accepted into one of the big academies, she had never stopped believing in in the infinite potential magic held.

  Ever since she was a child, she had read the stories of the Magi of the Empire until she knew them by heart.

  "Many of them have an unclear past, were considered trash for most of their lives, until they have found their path to greatness. Whatever they discovered, I can find it too. Talent is not just innate, you have to develop it. There must be a way to break through my limits!" ¨C

  So, Milea decided to follow their lead instead of accepting a menial job, like the other graduates from the minor academy, the Red Basilisk, she attended. Milea didn't visit the hometowns of the Magi, nor she travelled through the places recorded in their biographies.