Amir's POV:
A moment later, Ki Bou left us and headed to its room to rest while Niala and Lusaka left the campfire sooner after our chatters and went to their bunkhouse to sleep as they couldn't endure the mosquito bites, Mill set out a self-made tent and rest there. Cleb was spacing out at the fire, sticking the twigs on it; playing with fire. It was silenced around, no one dared to utter.
"Kaya ba natin?"
Sudden utterance by Li as soon as he closed the book he was reading. I glanced at him and saw in his eyes worried.
"We can, and we will," I said, trying to ease up his anxiousness.
He curves his lip.
"It was fated for us, ... " Marcus uttered cold gaze at Li,
"...whether we like it or not," He added.
Li sighed, stood and fixed himself up, and prepared to leave.
"Well, ano pa ba...but, ..."
Gaze at us,
"I can't do the action, I'm scared ..."
I raise my brows in puzzlement. What does he mean?
"... I'm scared that I might not be able to do things that I was supposed to be as one of the Offsprings of Power, I'm scared to disappoint you all, ..."
He uttered with sadness in his voice.
"What if, I will put you all in danger during our mission? What if, I might be the reason that the dark entities might win over us? What if, I lose someone's life under my hand? I don't want to be a burden to this team..." he also added.
"Li, don't put yourself in thinking too much, focus on believing in yourself, believe that we can do this big responsibility that was fated to us since the moment we are born," I responded, to at least ease up himself and not overthink too much.
I stood up and patted his shoulder, he gazed at me and I grinned. Saw Li slowly arch his lip, no tension shown on his face now.
"Don't be scared, we're here! We're a team now!" Marcus added.
I turned at Marcus, and both shrugged their shoulders. I glance at Cleb, who's still spacing out. I pick a pebble and throw it at him which makes him startled a bit.
"You okay, Cleb?" I emitted,
He stared at me and nodded.
"Ayos!" He shortly answered.
"Let's have a duel," Marcus abruptly uttered.
I and Cleb glance at him, who's leaning back at the tree.
"What do you mean?" I said,
"Tomorrow, let's meet at the training ground. I'll wait for both of you," He said, then left us at the camp.
"Oh, kayong dalawa lang daw, wala na ako d'yan!" Li said, then followed Marcus leaving the camp.
Shortly, I also fled the camp and left Cleb there sitting alone, and Mill who was snoring before I left them.
...
"Where's Marcus?" I uttered, as soon as I arrived at the training ground. Cleb was already here who was tossing off his axes mid-air.
"Malay ko, kakarating ko lang," He uttered.
I sighed,
"Then, let's wait for him!" I said,
I sat on the corner, while Cleb kept on tossing his axe like it was some sort of a coin. I was looking around, the training ground was just a wide spacious land in the third division of this camp. Then suddenly, I heard footsteps. I looked around but I didn't see anyone who was walking since there were only two of us there. The footsteps stealthily forward us, I gaze at where it's coming from; it's around trees and covered by bushes. I glanced at Cleb and saw him keeping tossed.
"Cleb, do you hear that?" I mumbled Cleb heard me,
"Alam ko," He shortly uttered, unbothered.
"Maybe, that's him," I said, then stood up.
Then shortly after a while, a thrusting entity showed up from the bushes, it was fast, coming towards us, Cleb forcefully threw his axe towards it, welcoming a clashing impact of the axe and blade. Cleb waited for an expected attack from Marcus after he was able to defend himself with his sword to a forceful throwing axe. But then, unexpectedly, Marcus jumped over us, and it looked like he had springs on his leg, We were agape gazing at him above, and flew.
"What the freak was that?!" I said,
Then, he arched his sword, raised it above his head grasped it with both hands, forming an attack on us, Then I heard him uttering some words; it was magic.
Fire Magic: Invisible Flaming Blade
Then slash forward, vertically.
What should I do, his magic slash was invisible.
Do what we did.
What?!
Dodge and Counter.
Cleb faced the attack of Marcus' magic and I dodged it at the same time. Then a loud slashing sound was heard as soon as it touch the ground, it created a vertical line at the ground; a slit but not that deep, and a fire emitted from it. Cleb had minor abrasions yet he remained in its place and instead, arched a smirk on its lip. Marcus remains in the atmosphere for that long.
I was about to counter the attack when Cleb got to do it first. He raised his left arm and then after, pointed at Marcus above.
"Earth Magic - Rock Type: ..."
Type?
"... Magnetic Rock Axe!"
Then a sudden ground trembles, I saw from my peripheral that his throwing axe had pierced the tree, and started thrusting, like something was pulling him. I gazed at it, and then suddenly the axe pulled out of the tree and forcefully thrust toward the direction where Marcus was, Then, he noticed it and smoothly dodged it without moving any muscles. Then, slowly descended. Cleb then, pointed again at Marcus, while he was descending to the ground. The axe floating in the sky starts moving towards Marcus again, it looks magnetic. Marcus used another invisible flaming blade aiming to counter the axe. The impact of the invisible slash and the magnetic axe created a loud bang. It was a steady and undisturbed battle, not really a physical combat.
"Quite surprising you discovered a sub-magic type in a month, huh!" Marcus uttered, thrusting his blade on the ground. Then, put his arms over his chest.
Cleb boastfully shrugged off.
"Ako pa ba?! Hahaha!" He said, then laughs.
"So, shall we continue?" Marcus emitted.
Then, suddenly both of them hushed. Confronting each other, tension slowly raised. While here I am, standing, don't know what to do. Then, unquestioningly, grabbed their weapon and started swaying and charging each other. Exchanging counters, as Cleb was good at thrusting his body to attack the opponent and pulling back to dodge Marcus' attacks, who's got impeccable swordsmanship. Cleb pulled back, holding his axes while Marcus rested to its spot arching his sword in front in defense mode, both panting. Then, suddenly, Cleb tosses both of his axes above and utters magic.
"Earth Magic - Rock Type: Double Magnetic Rock Axe!"
He uttered in conviction. Now, that's a double axe compared to the magic that he did earlier. Spinning mid-air, he raised his arms above his head like he was surrendering, then gazed at Marcus with a smirking smile. Then directed his axes toward Marcus by pointing a finger at the opponent. The rapid spinning axes move onward Marcus, however, he can dodge by his quick reflexes and counter an attack to Cleb before it's too late for him to bounce back. He uttered.
"Fire Magic: Blaze Cut," Then a blazing fire came out of his sword as soon as he slashed.
Cleb did his turn as he commanded his axes onward the attack. It clashes. After that, they ran forward toward each other, preparing for close-man combat. Marcus keeps on swaying and slashing his sword in any direction with ease in handling it while Cleb keeps on smashing and slashing his axe trying to take scrapes on Marcus' flesh, but Marcus manages to slide through away the offense of Cleb, clanking sounds of weapons grinding each other creates sparks. I can't able to barge in on their tense and spontaneous battle.
"What should I do?" I whispered to myself, thinking about how to stop them.
"Guys, I think both of you should stop," I suggested, but they couldn't take notice of me because of the clanking weapon grinding each other and their uttering noise.
Cleb pulled back, panting heavily. As well as Marcus who almost lost his grip on the sword, because of sweating and heavy breathing. Yet, they didn't stop, again and again, countering each other.
Do it now, Prince Amir.
Should I? What if they got hurt?
No, the one we created would solely affect a demon, not them.
I can't do it,
You need to.
I tried to loosen up to ease the pressure on me and try to stop by using my light magic. I inhaled and slowly exhaled, doing it twice. I slowly raised my arm, in a downturn palm, and pointed my finger at them, uttering the magic I created.
"Light Magic: ... "
I can feel the power flowing through my veins up to my finger.
"... Way of Peaceful Light," I uttered.
Then a delicate, powerful light beam emitted out of my finger and struck them in the middle of their fight. It somehow hit on one of Cleb's axes, a reason to drop off the ground, and turned their gazes at me. I lowered my arm, then walked forward them. They were agape and frozen.
"Guys, this is too much, both of you should stop," I uttered, calming them down.
"What was that, Amir?" Marcus emitted, fixing himself and putting back his sword on the waist belt.
"Ang kalmado ng majikang 'yun!" Cleb emitted.
"Uh-huh! As it should, I created that magic, it is calm and harmless to us, but, deadly to the enemies... especially the demons." I responded.
They both looked at each other, seemingly pessimistic to me.
"What?" I arch my eyes gazing at them.
Cleb turned right at me with arms over his chest. Sighed.
"Kalabanin mo kaming dalawa," He said,
I was stunned, although it was supposed to be a three-way battle; I and Cleb against Marcus, yet, I wasn't able to join them. But battling the two of them who are good at close-combat mastery — would be a hard time for me.
"What? It's not fair! You're both good at combat..."
"Then, take Li with you! two on two battles," Marcus emitted.
"Still, not fair," I responded.
Li does not specialize in combatting, he's into healing and I expect that he will use his magic through a healing technique. Well, it would be beneficial for me to have Li at my side, but we're not good at fighting.
"Anong hindi? Patas na 'yon! Dalawa kami ni Marcus 'tas kayo ni Li. Magbilang ka kaya." Cleb said.
"No, it's not balanced, what if you and I are teamed up against Li and Marcus as the opponent?" I uttered a suggestion,
"Ayaw, gusto ko makalaban kita — He responded.
"Guys!"
We heard a scream and turned around to where it coming from, it was Mill who was dashing towards us, sweating and breathing heavily.
"Mill! What happened?" I uttered, as soon as he reached us, holding on his knees and catching up breath.
"Ano nangyari? Sige, huminga ka muna," Cleb emitted.
"You okay?" Marcus added.
He raised his hand, signaling us to wait. He's catching up breathing after he ran.
"Master Ki Bou, ..."
I alerted.
"Why? What's happening? Where's Master Ki Bou?" I emitted, bothered.
He tried to stand and faced us, while slowly getting back to himself.
"Master Ki Bou is calling you, he's waiting outside the camp... "
His eyes seem frightened.
"Come on!" Mill commanded, yelled, and started running back, we followed him behind, running after him.
"Mill, ano bang meron?!" Cleb uttered while running.
Mill didn't respond, unbothered.
"Mill, answer us! why do you look scared?" I said, almost tripping on something while running.
"You'll see! Let's hurry up, we're almost there!" He responded.
We rushed until we reached the exit of the camp, there, I saw Master Ki Bou near the cliff staring somewhere, his gaze was torn in one direction. I saw Lusaka and Li hugging each other seems emotional, Niala covering her mouth, horrified. As we reached them, I turned my gaze to the smog that caught my attention and made me halt from running. I can hear people screaming for help, hurt, and on their last breath, also, I hear a loud booming sound in the location where the smog is, that place...
is in great danger right now.
"Wait, that's Bhaltair!" Marcus said, seeming shocked at what he saw, and walked forward to Master Ki Bou.
The Bhaltair Village; the village of realms mighty warriors.
"Master Ki Bou — "
Then he turned at us, with solemnness on his aura.
"The time has come!..." utterly said, then gazed at me.
"I demand you to move now, they began attacking the realm and they took down first the village of our frontline armies..." He said in a commanding tone, then gazed at Cleb and Li.
"The Demon Children are here now, as a team..."
"I will give your first mission, proceed to Bhaltair, and take on to stop them. I will not hope too much that you will defeat them but somehow, at least, you need to stop them and force them to leave the village,"
It's just too early for us, we came unprepared for this but we have no choice. Ki Bou was right, he should not expect too much from us, since we were just able to unleash our mana in a short period.
He deeply sighed,
"Marcus, Li, Cleb, and Amir; as the leader of the squad. You need to protect the domain, right here, right now," He added. I just nodded at him.
"Use your senses, show no clemency, unleash your full potential, and don't come back here until you finish the fight. Now, go!" Master Ki Bou uttered in full command.
We nodded.
"But it will take days for us to reach Bhaltair!" Marcus uttered.
"Don't worry, I'll use my ether magic..."
He then raised his arm and uttered his magic,
"Ether Magic: Aether Portal Dimension,"
Then, a purple-colored portal suddenly emerged right in front of us.
"There, once you enter that portal it will take you to Bhaltair, ... "
"Hurry! The four of you! Lusaka, Mill, and Niala will stay here at the camp, they'll be safe here!" Ki Bou uttered, assured that the others would be safe here at the camp.
We nodded and slowly walked towards the portal.
"Wait!" He uttered.
"What?" I said.
"Their weakness is their brain, hit straight on their brain or cut their head off, they'll be dead, back down to the underworld, ... "
We nodded, the brain was their weakness.
"Also, the heart is their greatest emotional weakness..."
Emotional weakness?
"... remorse and self-pity,"
"Noted, Master Ki Bou," Li uttered.
Then, we started to walk forward to the portal going to Bhaltair.
"Be careful, come back alive!"
- END.