White Ravens: Advent of War

Kabanata 14 Ang Pagniniig

Sigil and Tatiana treaded deeper into the cave, and they soon reached a large open area. There was a set of stairs leading deeper underground. Surprisingly, there weren't many soldiers lying in wait. They hid themselves in the darkness of the cave, carefully making sure that their footsteps were as silent as possible.

Tatiana silently muttered a spell. As she whispered words into the wind, the soldiers stationed at the entrance of the tunnel gradually felt exhausted. And within moments, they fell asleep, oblivious that a spell had been cast upon them.

"Captain, why did we have to go through the trouble of looking for their underground entrance? We could've saved time by sealing the entrance of the cave instead," Tatiana remarked as they walked towards the stairs unimpeded.

"Judging by the layout of this cave, that entrance isn't their only exit. The best way to ensure that they wouldn't be able to use this tunnel anymore is to seal their main route. And causing a simple cave in isn't going to work either," Sigil replied as he put down his spear on the ground and swept his hand along the opening of the stairs.

He looked at Tatiana and asked, "Are you proficient in using earth magic?"

She chuckled as if she was insulted by the question. "I'm only second to that brute, Zeke."

"Good enough. Channel as much mana as you can in unison with mine, but make sure to conserve enough mana for the remainder of the battle," Sigil responded as he walked towards the left side of the stairs and placed both of his hands on the ground.

Tatiana went to the right side of the stairs and placed her hands on the ground as well. In unison, they focused their mana onto the earth, and gradually, the ground moved as if it were alive. The gritting sound of moving earth resonated through the walls of the cave, and within moments, the entrance to the stairs had been sealed.

Sigil and Tatiana exchanged glances and nodded at each other before they went back to the cave's entrance, readying themselves for what lay in wait outside.

At this time, Zeke was still locked in a stalemate with Kael. The young knight's aggressive swordsmanship was pushing Kael back, and his adept use of spells along with his battle prowess was enough to bring the Mad Dog to his knees.

Every time Zeke swung his broadsword against Kael, he would stomp his leg onto the ground, and a part of the earth would protrude upwards, sending Kael flying. But the veteran warrior's reflexes saved him from most fatal attacks.

Suddenly, Zeke lost his footing and was brought to his knees. It seemed that he had used too much of his mana. The earth dome he had formed minutes ago was now slowly breaking down, and Kael noticed that the young knight was exhausted.

"You've put up a valiant fight, Zeke! But you were no match for the Mad Dog!" Kael growled.

Zeke used his sword as a support to prop himself up, and readied himself for the attack that was about to come. Kael was heading towards him, dashing across the distance he had created between them.

"Sorry, captain, but I think this is the end of the line for me," Zeke thought to himself.

Just as Kael was about to drive his halberd down to Zeke's neck, he noticed a dagger speeding towards him. He quickly deflected the weapon and jumped backwards. "Who dares interrupt such an honorable duel between men?" Kael shouted.

Yelena emerged from nearby, strutting across the battlefield. Some Regalian soldiers tried to attack her, but they were no match for her swift reflexes and deadly strikes.

There must've been five soldiers jarring her path to save Zeke, but she made quick work of them. In each hand, she had three knives between her fingers. In one swift move, she threw all of them, and each knife fatally wounded the soldiers charging at her.

There was a line of blood running down her left cheek, and somehow, her angelic face became frightening. Here blank stare, and stern face was all the more daunting as she dashed across the battlefield. Shortly, she arrived at Zeke's side.

"Zeke, fall back. Go back to the wall and let Gust assist you. I can take it from here," she said to him.

Kael clicked his tongue multiple times and waved his hand in refusal. "That's not gonna happen, missy. This young man and I are in a duel. Frankly, your interruption has dishonored this fight!"

Yelena glared at the man and replied, "Honor? Such things do not exist in war, old man. I'd rather see my companion alive than to waste my time worrying about honor."

During this time, Zeke sprang to his feet, and pounded his fists together. "Yelena, stand back."

She could see the determination in his eyes when he glanced at her as he said those words. However, Sigil had told everyone that survival was the most important part of this mission. "I refuse," she said.

Zeke shoved her away, picked up his sword from the ground, and bolted forward. Kael noticed the fierceness in Zeke's eyes, and met him halfway. He brandished his halberd forward, and it clashed against Zeke's sword.

The clashing steels resonated throughout the battlefield, and they were soon locked in a battle of will. Both fighters attacked with everything they had, and neither appeared to back down until the other was slain.

Zeke swung his sword in a swift arc, and Kael reciprocated with the same attack pattern. They felt the strength of their strikes down to their bones, and it sent shivers down their spines. A faint smile appeared on their faces. It seemed as though they were enjoying this fight.

However, before the duel could continue, they were interrupted by the sound of a war horn.

"Captain Kael, we must fall back! Something has happened!" a nearby soldier shouted.

Kael clicked his tongue as he glanced at his subordinate, and then he looked at Zeke. He took a deep breath, and eased his stance. "It seems that we'll have to postpone the conclusion of our duel, young lion."

"Young lion?" Zeke thought to himself.

"I'll see you again, old man," he replied in an obviously exhausted voice. He almost fell to his knees when Kael walked away, but Yelena supported him by putting his arm around her shoulder.

The Regalian soldiers began to fall back into the forest when they all heard the sound of the war horn.

Seeing that their foes were retreating, the Mirean soldiers made no attempt to pursue, and celebrated what seemed to be a victory. Some of the soldiers cried, some roared, and some were so exhausted that they immediately dropped to their knees when the battle concluded.

Scores of corpses lay along the land outside Mirea, and the scent of burning grass amalgamated with the putrid odor of burning flesh and blood. Flies buzzed here and there, and vultures were circling the skies. Yelena and Zeke walked together across the death-ridden battlefield and into the gates of Mirea.

Some of the soldiers hailed thanked them for their timely arrival, and others hailed them as heroes. They were in awe of the young knights' prowess in battle, especially Zeke's. His inspiring presence on the battlefield reignited their courage to fight on, and his ferocity in battle raised their morale.

The nearby Mirean soldiers who heard Kael call Zeke "young lion" began to address Zeke in the same manner. While he and Yelena were walking through the gates, they praised the young lion as the hero of this battle.

Inside the town, Gust was assisting some of the wounded soldiers. When he saw Zeke and Yelena, he sprang to his feet and grinned at them. "So, you both survived, huh? That's a relief!" he bantered.

Meanwhile, Sigil and Tatiana had gotten out of the cave and had hidden themselves above the trees. There must've been hundreds of soldiers on their way to the cave. Their thunderous footsteps scared away the birds, bugs, and small animals that were in the area.

Sigil and Tatiana waited until there were no more soldiers within sight before they jumped down from the trees and went back to their steeds that they had hidden in a clearing. When they arrived there, Rune was already waiting for them, peacefully playing with a rabbit that he found nearby.

"What took you guys so long?" he remarked while stroking the white-haired rabbit. The small creature's adorable image was in stark contrast with Rune's rugged look. His black hair was disheveled, and his face was dirtied by ashes from the fire he ignited earlier.

He was smiling at them so innocently that it didn't seem like he had done something destructive in the past hour. He put the rabbit down, and propped himself up when Sigil and Tatiana approached him.

For a moment, Sigil thought he saw guilt in Rune's eyes. For now, he decided to cast that thought aside. "Maybe it was just my imagination," he said to himself.

"Rune," Tatiana called out. "Are you alright?"

Rune glanced at her, tilted his head, and stared at her as if she were an i***t. "What's gotten into you?"

Tatiana was livid when she saw how he was looking at her. "Screw you!"

Sigil placed his hand on Rune's shoulder. "Good work," he said as he locked eyes with him.

A smile appeared on Rune's lips when he heard his friend say that. "Thanks, Siege."