AO 5 Ch 5

I glanced over at Maribelle, who had already returned to her body. "Up for one more trip?" I asked, eager to understand what was happening above us. She nodded, and I threw her up, only for her to rebound a few seconds later. 

"So, what's happening?" Melida urged. 

"It was somewhat difficult to see with all the lightning everywhere," Maribelle said. "However, I believe I saw three elderly Trevis mages standing atop the ruined fort." 

Melida cursed, then cursed again, swearing up a storm. "Grandfather must have gotten Zuri's report. If they think the fort has been taken over by Garrish forces, they would do something like this. Bring in the heavy hitters, wipe everything out so that they can retake it. It's too important of a strategic location," Melida said, rubbing at her forehead. "There's no safe way to get out there right now. My grandfather and his wives are probably in a 'destroy first, ask questions later' mode right now." 

"Wives, plural?" I asked. 

"Yes, Ard, you aren't the only one with a harem. Usually, one of his wives stands as the central messaging figure for all of the Trevis officers. And then the other mage wife of his is a healer and a trainer for us when we are first joining. That way, grandfather can keep a good grip on the entire family by both being the central figure of authority, as well as controlling all communication and training. Just because those two aren't officially elder mages, I wouldn't look down on them," she warned. "The Trevis family has held back for years out of concern of spooking the Royal Family with our strength." 

"Oh," I said flatly. "I might have some news for you. The royal family and the faction consisting of the Trevis, Aldis, and Virel families are kind of butting heads. Showing strength might actually be something your grandfather would do right now." 

“I know that, Ard. I read the letters. The entire war front was eagerly anticipating the news of what happened to Carmilla. But I will hear your version when we have more time. For now, we need to get behind the fort and reinforce those three old geezers. Hopefully, we can let them know we are still alive and that we are here to help." 

The booming above continued. It seemed they were going with a completely scorched earth strategy on the entire fort and pass.

I tunneled us back, this time picking up the pace. The rock above us rumbled, threatening to come crashing down. I had seen powerful mages fight when my mother and Carmilla vied for the elder seat.

However, it seemed that even the more established elder mages were terrifyingly powerful. Three of them working together, tripply so.

The last thing I wanted was to spook them while they were throwing around this kind of power.

"He's so pissed," Melida said, staring up at the ceiling.

"Well, he probably thinks he lost you," I said, trying to reassure her.

"No, he's probably pissed he lost the fort," Melida replied.

Zuri pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. "He really doesn't like losing."

No wonder she was so worried about me collapsing it.

"What do you mean, Old Man Trevis? He's a sweetheart." I smiled as I kept working to move the dirt around us.

"Yes, and if anyone else called him Old Man Trevis, you do know they would be dead, right?"

"That seems a bit extreme. But you would be the expert. How many times have you beaten him in keeps and mages?" I asked.

"Grandfather? I don't think I've ever beat him. There’s a few times he's let me win as encouragement. You do realize that General Traves is one of the best players in the entire kingdom."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he wins every time."

"No, Ard, it does," Zuri reassured me.

"Well, that's just silly. Maybe when we're done with this, I'll have to play another game with him. You think a game board survived the fort?" I glanced at Melida, who glowered back at me.

"That's really not the problem right now." She replied.

"I'm just thinking ahead. I gotta think like ten steps ahead if I'm gonna stop the old man.

I could be worried about the army, the fort, or the three mages absolutely wreaking havoc above me, but somehow being concerned about keeps and mages instead was calming. I didn't really want to think about poking my head out only to be struck with a million bolts of lightning. Because up above, it was clear those mages were taking no prisoners.

"It'll be fine," Emlyn reassured me.

"Yeah, fine, we're just gonna walk into the eye of a storm where mages are hurling lightning bolts around. It’ll be perfectly fine. What could go wrong?" I sighed.

"Wait," I turned to look at Emlyn. "You're lightning-proof. We can send you up first."

"Uh-uh, uh-uh." Emlyn shook her head and backed away, her hands in the air. "I'm not going first.”

“You said everything's gonna be fine." I countered.

"I said everything's gonna be fine in an effort to make you feel better. There is no way that I'm going to be the first one up. I might be lightning-proof, but those bolts of lightning they're gonna be throwing down are pretty much going to be exploding on contact." She shook her head. "Maribelle could go." Emlyn gave an apologetic smile to the maid.

"If that is what you desire, Sir," Maribelle curtsied for me.

"You've died enough. We should give Emlyn a turn to die too. I mean, I can bring her back. I will just stuff her soul into any old body." I offered.

"Don't say it like that. And don't go stuffing my soul into random bodies. We talked about this." Emlyn crossed her eyes.

"Emlyn, I will protect you.” I told her firmly. "You're lightning-proof, and you were going to send Maribelle up. You can go up just the same."

Emlyn groaned. "Fine, I will go up first."

"Perfect.” I put back on a charming smile. “We'll all wait until you say everything is clear."

"I'm sure you'll wait patiently." She spoke slowly, glaring at me.

I just absorbed her glares with nothing but gleeful joy. It would be another to add to my collection. After all, I enjoyed teasing Emlyn far too much.

"Well then, I think this is our stop." I said, pausing the cell of earth and starting to create a hole up to the roof with a set of stone handles for Emlyn to use.

She grumbled under her breath and grabbed the first rung, hauling herself up through the tunnel.

As soon as I finished the hole all the way to the surface, the roar of thunder became clearer and resounded through the space we were all huddled inside. 

"On second thought, Ard, maybe you do want to go up first," Emlyn paused, hand on the rung. 

"Nope, I'm fairly certain you are destined to go first," I said with a bright smile. "After all, aren't you my anchor? Isn't there something about protecting me and..." 

She held up her hand. "You don't get to use Ard's oath and the anchor's oath whenever one is more convenient." 

"I'm pretty sure I can use anything I want. It's just a matter of when's the intelligent time to do so," I clarified. 

"Yes, because that makes it so much better, Ard," Emlyn said dryly. 

"It really does. Thanks for understanding," I shooed her up the chute.

She went with only a token grumble. And when she reached the surface, there was a resounding boom that sounded too far away to be a bolt of lightning striking her down. So, that was a win. 

"How is it up there?" I shouted. 

Her head reappeared in the slight opening. "Just lovely. They aren't looking back this far. It's safe to come up, I think." 

"You think?" I was looking for something a bit firmer.

"Well, it's not like I can guarantee anything," Emlyn shrugged. "Except that there's nothing in the immediate area." 

I squinted up at Emlyn and then shrugged. "Fine. Up we go," I said. 

"I will go first," Maribelle said lightly, not at all worried.

She rushed up as if it was just another day. I was a bit concerned she was getting a little too comfortable with dying.

As soon as I lifted my head out of the hole, the landscape flashed brightly as dozens of bolts of lightning smashed into the ground in the distance. The storm, summoned by the three mages, whipped and pulled at my clothes.

The early afternoon sky had turned dark with storm clouds as lightning tore through the air.

Emlyn steadied me with a hand on my shoulder. 

"How do we get their attention?" she shouted over the constant roar. 

The more pressing question was how we could get their attention without receiving a bolt of lightning to the face a moment later. I could barely make out the three figures standing in the sky, continuing to pelt the pass with lightning. Something was clearly resisting them. The occasional spike of earth shot towards them, only for one of them to play defense and wave it away. 

Watching Old Man Trevis gathering lightning high above, an idea struck me. Perhaps the best way to get his attention was to assist him when he needed it most. I placed a hand on Emlyn, using her to ground my excess earth magic. I opened my wolf sphere completely and began dumping lightning magic into the sky above. 

Flashes of lightning slammed down amid the fort, adding more crackling energy into the air. The old man quickly swept it up into his own spell. He didn't look around, but I could tell he was aware. He pulled at my lightning and I quickly relinquished control, allowing him to add it to his own magic. Now he knew he had an ally in the fight. Hopefully, he would hesitate before turning us into burnt crisps once he finally saw us. 

At this point, Melida had come up the ladder, with Brusset and Finley flanking her on either side. 

"What are you doing?" she asked, sensing the magic. 

"Oh, just pouring lamp oil on the fire," I said, glancing up at the storm that Old Man Trevis was wielding. My own magic was funneling in making it larger and larger.

Melida grimaced and added her own lightning, though hers surged from her fingertips up into the cloud above. At this point, the old man glanced over at our small group, only to ignore us and continue to focus on the massive spell he was generating in the air above.

High up amongst the clouds, lightning began to flash, swirling rapidly and creating a near unbroken ring of light. I felt the magic building in that cloud continue to suck at the lightning I was generating in the sky. At a certain point, it felt less like I was giving it magic and more that it was ripping it out of me. 

"You sure he's got this under control?" I said, turning to Melida, who looked to be having the same concern. She held onto her wrist, her face going pale as lightning exploded out of her fingertips, charging the giant ring in the sky. "Of course, if there's anyone who could do this, it's General Trevis. He’s not cutting off our magic." 

Melida must have been a beacon, though, because I saw movement in my peripheral, turning and seeing a group of mage-forged coming out of the woods to ambush us. 

"Emlyn," I said, urgency lacing my voice.

"Oh, I see him!' She had her sword out, and swinging it side to side, 'Don't worry, we've got you, Ard." 

"Remember, you aren't immortal if he dies," Emlyn said, glancing out of the side of her eye to Maribelle.

The maid gave her a scathing look. "He is my only priority.” Maribelle pulled two bluesteel knives out from under her dress. “I would warn you to not get in my way." 

Emlyn's eyebrows rose, and she took a step away from Maribelle, as the maid-slash-anchor practically stood on top of me, ready to defend me. Aurelia's bluesteel battle axe practically breathed fire as sparks began to jump out of the blade. She looked like she was ready for a fight. 

"How did they even get here?" I said. 

"I assume they escaped the fort when you collapsed the walls,” Finley said dryly. 'Even if you think you are clever, there is no way you got all of them, especially the anchors and mageforged. Some of them would have been able to react and escape the walls. Doubly so for anyone who is currently stationed on the walls." 

"So, they should be very limited in number," I said, trying to sound more confident. "Ladies, you know what to do.”

At that point, I tried to pull back my magic from the ring in the sky, only to struggle with regaining control.

"Ard?" Emlyn asked. 

"He can't pull back his magic.” I said aloud.

“I can't either. Whatever General Trevis is doing, we're locked into it until he finishes.” Melida nodded.

I had experienced doing magic together with Sienna, and there was certainly a measure of trust that had always gone along with it. We had worked together, however, in this instance I felt more like a slave to the spell that General Trevis was forming. I was being used for my raw power, and nothing else. 

"Zuri, Maribelle, protect Ard," Aurelia said, leaping forward. Her battle axe burst into fire as she slashed towards the group of mage-forged. They bounded away in every direction, only for Finley to sweep in from the right while Emlyn came from the left, pushing them all back towards Aurelia, who spun with her flaming axe.

Several attackers changed their minds and instead rushed me, only for Brusset to step forward, a shield of stone sending two of them flying. They all slipped to my side, taking a short sword in the shoulder before her daggers sawed off the neck of another. She kicked him off, spinning and catching the blade of an enemy anchor that had managed to slip close in this sudden battle. Zuri sliced his head off with her two short swords. Ard scoffed at the other anchor. 

"Focus.” Maribelle ordered Zuri in a tone that promised death if she did not.

Zuri didn't say anything, instead pressing her back to mine and holding the two curved short swords ready to protect that side of me, even if it was with her own body.

Stuck channeling magic into the massive spell, I could only watch as my anchors quickly slaughtered the mage-forged. Maribelle was using her body like a shield in front of me, while Zuri protected me from behind. 

Aurelia was clearly letting off some steam. Her burning battle axe nearly set fire to the surrounding forest, leaving behind corpses still smoldering where her axe had struck. 

"She's feisty, even for a Virel," Melida said, watching the same battle I was. "She's got a little extra spunk today." 

Her red hair danced behind her like a cape as she jumped from enemy to enemy. 

"Never got myself a Virel," Melida said, sounding slightly disappointed. 

"It's because you never tried hard enough," a woman's voice I didn't recognize spoke up. The woman was clearly a Virel, though her hair was growing gray and she had wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and lips. Otherwise, she looked like Virel's stock, even if she was half a head shorter than Aurelia. 

"Auntie," Melida spoke up suddenly. "I didn't know you were here, too." 

The woman glanced over at the battle that was just finishing up, hand on a sword, standing like a loaded cannon ready to explode at a moment's notice. 

"Who's this?" I asked. 

"Grandfather's anchor," Melida said, nodding at the woman.

"Your grandfather looks to have things handled. I came over here as soon as I saw someone was adding to his spell." The woman spoke.

"And if it wasn't me?" Melida asked, only to get a somewhat familiar feral smile from the Virel woman. 

Aurelia settled down, turning back from the smoldering corpses, only to spot the woman. 

"Auntie," she shouted with more excitement than Melida had shown. 

"Oh, look at the little cub." The older Virel softened and rubbed the top of Aurelia's head. "Not so little anymore." 

Aurelia bobbed happily with a giant smile on her face. The woman's eyes shifted to the battle axe in Aurelia's hand. As would be expected from a pair of Virels, they were suddenly both once again gushing over my courting gift to Aurelia. It was always a hit with her family.

The magic being drawn from me suddenly picked up pace, drawing my attention back to the spinning ring of lightning in the sky. It was beginning to wobble back and forth, growing unstable. I could feel the magic in it bubbling like a pot about to boil over. 

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning raced down and nearly struck General Trevis, who should have been controlling the power. 

"That's not good," Melida's observations were the same as my own. For once, I had decided to not speak it aloud.

"I don't think he has control of that anymore," I agreed, watching as the spinning ring began to elongate downwards, pulling the darkened sky and the clouds around it towards the ring as it stretched out into a whirling storm of lightning. Bolts were lashing out and striking anything within range. 

I reached out for the magic to see if I could help and felt not only General Trevis but another powerful mage trying to keep it stable. A beam of light erupted from the pass, shooting through the growing storm of electricity and nearly taking General Trevis out. The light stopped short of him, but I could still see his clothes catch fire. The beam had struck close.

And with that, the ring completely destabilized, lightning lashing out and striking the three mages in the sky.