Chapter 20: Precautions [2]
A golden ring of Magic Energy levitates above Manho’s head with a quiet hum as he sits at the peak of Redville’s tallest mountain, the shade from the nearby trees protecting him from the setting sun in the distance. With his hands clasped loosely together, he rests them in his lap with legs crossed over one another.
A pile of books lay close to his side. Manho would often head to the library in the dead of night, grabbing books in order to research the world around him without revealing himself. Many of the books spoke about wars and other events that occurred since the Great War.
Technology has advanced in a way he could’ve never imagined, with multi-ton constructions of steel, capable of carrying cargo and people across the waters at speeds most Arcanians couldn’t fathom. The nations were split, with massive seas between them, yet they still maintain contact with each other through letters and telegrams. Warfare has advanced in more ways than one, moving away from armies battling in fields of grass and deserts of sand. They no longer use bladed weapons of forged steel, but rather fire at each other with cannons and other high power artillery.
According to the books, most Mages are often divided up into various factions rather than working as freelancers or lone wolves. The Grand Voyage was a name Manho recognized, but he was interested to see that the faction was reserved for only the most elite and experienced of Mages.
The golden halo above his head begins to flicker, his mind becoming slightly overwhelmed. The tiny world he once knew suddenly became sparse and grand. It was something he once envisioned, but he didn’t think it would become a reality this early.
Although frustrating, Manho didn’t mind the dramatic shift in the technology and atmosphere of the new world. If anything, he thought it was more exciting and interesting than ever before. New possibilities, new foes, new allies, countless opportunities, and the unpredictability of the unknown. It would’ve been boring if the world ended up being what he thought it would be. Everything would be predictable, nothing would be able to challenge him, but there were so many anomalies now.
He lets out a sigh of relief.
“Manho.”
His train of thought is suddenly interrupted by the soft and gentle voice of Elafi calling out to him. Manho opens his eyes, the golden halo above his head disappearing.
Elafi stands in front of him, her gaze subtle but still noticeable. Her lips quivered, as if she were afraid to say something else. Deer-like ears would stick out from the sides of her head slightly, the white fur blending in with her hair. Her ears would droop down as she immediately breaks eye contact with him.
Manho could tell she was afraid of him. Rather than stand, he remains seated and continues to look at her.
“Yes?” He said quietly, his tone warm. “How was your little adventure?”
“I walked around the rest of the caverns like you asked me to. I didn’t find much of anything, but I did find a big room with a large crystal in the middle of it.”
Manho’s eyes suddenly widen, and a subtle grin comes across his face. “A large crystal, you say? What else did you find in that room?”
“There were dead bodies stuffed in crates and barrels. I was feeling hungry so I ate some. The trail of barrels led me to a paper map. I snatched it from the nail with my teeth, but part of it was torn. I couldn’t find the missing part, but I still have the rest of the map.”
Elafi slowly reaches into the pocket of her coat, pulling out a rolled up slip of paper that she unveiled slowly. She handed it to Manho, leaving it wrinkled and uneven.
“A map..?” Manho gently takes the paper out of her hands, pressing it against his leg to try and smooth it out before examining it closely. Elafi watches as his eyes would light up with joy, his once subtle grin now becoming front and center.
“Oh my,” he mutters, “now this is a wonderful find!”
The map, while poorly drawn, was still readable. The part that was ripped seemed to be what contained the legends for the map, but the symbols were readable enough that Manho didn’t need them. Other parts of the map were labeled in old Arcanian, a language he was already well versed in.
“This is a map of the entire cave system, with some of our own rooms labeled. And that there…” He focuses his gaze on a symbol at the bottom right corner of the map, labeled ‘Aurem.’
“That’s the Aurem. We’ve been searching for it endlessly over the past few days, yet Reoh was hiding it right under our noses. I expected as much, but this means I can at least avoid scolding him for it. Unless there’s something else he’s hiding, I’ve gotten my use out of him.”
“There was also this girl, and her friends.”
Manho raises an eyebrow, initially confused but he quickly realizes who she was talking about. Their presence in the cave was surprising, especially since Manho thought they wouldn’t come back after their last encounter.
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“What about them?” Manho asked. “Did a battle ensue?”
“Yes. At first, I was taking on the three of them simultaneously, and my body was mostly overwhelmed with the instinct of that… thing. The creature. I was vicious, unrelenting, like I was trying to kill them. I knocked out one of them, and that’s when I started fighting the girl exclusively. She was strong. Not as strong as me, but she was still strong. No matter how many times I tried to hit her, I always missed. And she…”
Elafi slowly points towards the hole in her robe, directing Manho’s attention to the closed and scarred wound in her abdomen. His eyes briefly widened from curiosity, a little mesmerized.
“Maru did that to you? Her Magic must be quite destructive then, if it can deal lethal damage even though she’s only just awakened it.”
Manho knew she had potential, but he didn’t think her Magic would develop fast enough to deal damage like that.
Elafi puts her head down while pouting.
“No…” she mutters, her voice no louder than a whisper. She was overwhelmed with a gloomy feeling, as if she disappointed Manho.
“That’s alright,” Manho cheered, giving her gentle pats on her hair. “The reason why you kept ‘missing’ is because she was dodging your attacks. You may be stronger than her physically, but Maru has a bit more combat experience than you do. It might be time to give you some training lessons, especially since you’re able to maintain control of your body now.”
“I’m sorry, Sir Manho. I feel like I’ve failed you. I don’t even know what my powers are and I’ve already lost my first battle. I-”
“Failed me how? It’s your first battle of many to come. I may have warned you of its inevitability, but I never trained you to fight and yet you managed to hold your own against Redville’s warriors. Even if you don’t know how to use your innate abilities, that journey of self-discovery is something we all have to experience. I will help you on that journey.”
Elafi chokes a little. Her body was overwhelmed with an unfamiliar feeling, a sense of deep vulnerability that she couldn’t come to terms with. She felt weak, but also warm.
“Thank you, sir.”
“No need to call me sir. Just call me Manho.”
Behind Elafi, Manho could see a familiar silhouette leaning against a tree. Shoulders broad, an unwelcoming stare that anyone could spot from a mile away. Gon walks up behind Elafi, his brown coat and pants allowing him to blend in with the autumn leaves falling around them.
“Since when could she talk?” Gon asked, referring to Elafi. Every time he encountered her, she was more like a rabid animal than a human being. He vividly remembers how she acted when she was still in that cage – feral. She was acting differently now, shy and timid.
Elafi turns around, startled by Gon’s sudden appearance. Manho stands up, and Elafi rushes to stand behind him, trying to hide from Gon.
“Does he scare you?” Manho asked, looking over his shoulder at Elafi. She whimpers quietly, nodding her head.
“Don’t be scared of Gon. He may be big and strong, but those muscles back up his words and nothing else. He’s a dog that’s all bark and lacks the willpower to bite.”
Gon scoffs, clearly annoyed, but he doesn’t let it get to him.
“You never answered my question. When could she talk?”
“She always could, she’s Arcanian after all, she just needs to be in the right mindsight.”
“Her childlike mannerisms are only going to get in the way.”
“Get in the way? Elafi has been quite useful! Just look at what she found.” Manho holds the map up in front of him, pointing it towards Gon.
“An old, crusty map?” Gon asked rhetorically, raising an eyebrow.
“Not just any old, crusty map. It’s the map to the caverns we’ve been searching for the past few days. I thought the Aurem was a mere hunch, but now I’ve confirmed its existence. There’s an icon on the map here labeled ‘Aurem,’ and it’s not too far from where we’ve been digging.”
“We would’ve found it regardless over the coming days.”
“While you may be right, we can head straight to it now. This saves us a few days of searching, and it means we can finally get those Redville folk off of our back. Once I finally recover some of my power through the help of the Aurem, then we can leave this island and rendezvous with the rest of the Marastruck.”
Gon narrows his eyes.
“What about Reoh? Are we going to leave his sins unpunished? Had he decided to commit to the task given to him hundreds of years ago, then we likely would’ve been able to meet with the other Marastruck by now. Instead, due to his negligence, we’ve been stuck here for the past few weeks, wasting our time away on this lost island.”
“A roadblock of a few weeks is a small bump in the road when our journey is meant to last decades. Besides, I’ve been enjoying the scenery here. There is no need for any bloodshed, Gon. All we have to do is go straight to the Aurem, take a bit of time to extract what we can, and then take our leave. Redville has nothing else to offer.”
“I beg to differ.”
Manho rolls his eyes, crossing his arms and sighing heavily.
“Keep talking,” he said reluctantly.
“There’s something else he’s hiding beyond the Aurem, something else he’s been tending to. I refuse to believe that the only thing he’s been doing over the past few hundred years is taking care of his little village. His presence is rarely needed, and he’s had plenty of time to feed the flame during those years. If not with fresh resources, then he could’ve given the flame rotten crops and other scraps at the very least. If he will not tell us, then I will torture him until he does.”
“You’re just looking for an excuse to burn his corpse to a crisp, aren’t you? Do you think I like Reoh so much that I wouldn’t let you lay a finger on him? Do you think I care for that little chieftain that much?”
Manho begins to walk towards Gon, a golden aura appearing around his body as his eyes radiate a similar color. The dirt and stone beneath him would crack with every step, his tone becoming deeper and more stern.
“Reoh is nothing but a mere tool to me. I could care less about whether or not he wants to help me. I could care less about if he wants to tend to his village rather than helping me. The only purpose he has ever served for us is giving us a place to hide and lay low. Had he directly objected to our goals and attacked us, then maybe I’d side with you when it comes to making him pay for his sins, but the young fellow keeps to himself and minds his business. I’m sure he knows you want to destroy his village, and I’m sure he also knows that we already know where the Aurem is. He is giving us this downtime as an opportunity, a chance to get what we need and take our leave so that we can let his people be.”
Manho stops in front of Gon, gazing deep into his eyes.
“Take as many of our cultists as you want, but leave Elafi and I out of your little mess. If you choose to attack Reoh and his people, then so be it. If you find out that Reoh really is hiding something else, something more grandiose than an Aurem, then that’s wonderful! But I don’t think you will.”
Gon breaks eye contact once Manho finishes, his gaze shifting to the nearby trees and then up into the sky.
“One week. I will confront Reoh in one week, and he will grovel before me while begging for mercy. Then, he will confess for all of his sins.”
Manho gently closes his eyes, the golden aura fading and his eyes returning to their soft shade of brown.
“While you do that, I will be finishing what I came here for. Don’t come to me to ask for help in your terrorist attack.”
Manho looks over his shoulder and gestures for Elafi to follow him. The girl hurries over, gently grasping at his cloak as he walks past Gon, not bothering to look at him.
“Remember Gon, you will be Redville’s bane. Not me.”