Chapter 108 - Sacrificial Sheep
Shuttling into the tall and confusing ravine was a large group of 24 men and women. Their garments were simple to look at, besides the two obvious figures in the middle of the group that radiated either nobility or strength. In this case, the definite answer was strength.
"Rafe! I thought we would just be killing some kids!"
A man with brown hair and brown eyes covered in a myriad of gray and brown colors halted his steps. "Do not move any closer. Graywood told me these beasts would not kill us, but only help us. Lorsen, I believe they are above us, so will you fly around the cavern and find them, or stand here like a useless sheep?"
"Why didn't they send another Judge instead of me? This is bullshit how I have to step away from my job to kill some random kid... A Judge is more powerful than me!" Lorsen responded.
"Considering we haven't heard anything from Harold, he must be dead. Even a lightning affinity couldn't kill this monstrosity they created." Rafe said while pushing his way through the crowd. In his right hand was a brown wooden staff with no ornamental centerpiece that stomped against the cold and rugged stone floor. Just a normal wooden staff that curved slightly into the shape of a question mark. Although, it is one that has been passed down from earth judge to earth judge as a testament to one's strength. Some say it is just a useless piece of wood, while others say splintering it is impossible.
The wind made way for a bright green air mage – one with enough time in the final stage to the point his arms were keeping him from a fall into the unknown.
"Woah!" Lorsen had to blindly dodge a bone spike that erected and curved through the canopies of stone pillars based on pure instinct and the feel of the wind coalescing near his body. "I thought you said these beasts wouldn't hurt us!!" Yelled Lorsen as he paused in the hair.
"I just saw that! I am also confused, but keep moving and find them!!" Rafe was troubled by this display, and even more troubled by the fact the leader of this pact was the one to display its crude ability.
Inside the mind of Lorsen, worry was flowing through the floodgates. This whole situation had made zero sense to him, with the only reason he accepted being related to him advancing to the cyan core stage. A secret was needed, and Lorsen knew that secret was a technique.
Throughout every crevasse, in between stone pillars leaning against each other, and on top of the horizontal stone bridges was not a single soul. That was until he had gone high enough up. "FOUND ONE!"
Whoosh!
A torrent of spiraling wind was shot forward towards the small figure dressed in all black clothes. However, just when he had thought he made contact, his spell traveled straight through the body only to reveal nothing after the fact. "What the fu–"
Bam!
Lorsen was taken by surprise – an expertly planned distraction – by a small but tough fist to his side. Multiple ribs shattered on impact alongside being catapulted into the side of the ravine. Many shouts were heard from below exclaiming their need to know the details, but the mind of Lorsen was in shambles from not just the rib-breaking punch, but also the shock and instantaneous surprise that sent a jolt through his spine.
"Who-oo are you?" Lorsen stuttered while his vision stabilized. In the air, he saw a dirty child with a familiar face shape. One that he had told himself to remember forever. Wearing simple black pants and a shirt that had been soiled by water and debris was Elijah with his lifeless eyes, or rather, eyes that were not flavor enhanced by an elemental affinity.
"Yo-you! Elijah Veran!! Why are you the one meant to die?!" Even though Lorsen had hatred pointed directly into Elijah's soul, he knew deep down it was not his fault. Over the past two months of reminiscing in his memories, he had grown closer than ever to his family – albeit his son had died as a catalyst. Also, during this time he had realized the boy he hated so much was not so bad. A water mage that made it to the finals! How impressive...
"Lorsen Creveron. You need not know of what you got yourself entangled with. Even if you are a changed man, you cannot escape your fate as everyone is after my head." Elijah began talking in a manner unbefitting of a child, and fitting of someone of power. "However, I will give you one chance to run right now. If you take it, I will not give your family another dreadful night..."
"Kid, I have never had a chance to say that I forgive you. So I will say it now... You were not the reason for Aslan's death." The wind was flapping Lorsen black and gray noble attire in the wind.
"Hahaha, haha. I do not deserve an apology as I am guilty. I chose not to save Aslan, Harry, or even Emelia. Everyone else made it out alive from pure luck..."
"What?!"
Elijah had no idea how the emotions had drastically changed in Lorsen's heart even from his surprising words of honesty. Even though that truth wasn't the full truth, it was a large portion of the truth – something undeniable.
"You bastard son!! How did the Weltor's not see this inside of you from the moment they allowed you into their home?!!"
No words were spoken after their exchange. Contrary to both of their new commitments to kill each other, the fight did not happen as the mixed-stone walls began shuddering rapidly. Many of the stone pillars or bridges that stretched from one side to the other were crumbled while falling to the pillars underneath. A chain reaction of events began to occur as the entire underground ravine began to be filled with dust and debris that floated in the air like interstellar particles.
Before all of the destruction could occur, Elijah gave away his position and flew to rescue Niko and Abel who were calmly waiting for their savior.
There was not a single place to go within the midst of a confirmed earth mage. From the beginning, earth mages had been his bane. And now that Elijah was literally floating inside his inescapable domain, he feared as to what would occur. On the bright side, all of the bone walkers were decimated with nowhere to go.
"ELIJAH! We have to kill him here! A small space would only make a powerful earth mage more powerful! Abel said while clenching his abs.
"I agree, but don't expect me to contribute to the fight... I'm still a red core mage."
"Niko, if you throw your explosions and fire beams consistently while I battle them head on, they won't be able to block everything. Just make sure you don't hit me." Elijah explained while creating a scenario in his head.
"And what about me? Do you think you are going to do this all by yourself?!"
"That is exactly what I will do, but I want you to support me from behind by creating shields of water in random places as I move forward.... Also, be ready to heal my hands after every strike. Even a little will help."
Everyone had agreed on the plan as there was no choice. Elijah was already forced to dodge a few spells consisting of wind blades and stone spikes that shot at him at different speeds. Especially the violently spinning stone spikes that were few of many.
"It looks like we are in for a massacre, boys!" Rafe, the earth mage who did not bother to reveal his identity to a kid, raised his hand for the start of the battle. Although, he did slightly hesitate due to the lone wolf child calmly walking forward. What bugged him was the colorless eyes. Not being able to know one's affinity was daunting since the council members had told him there was still something inside his soul. Something the scientist had missed.
Contrary to the 24 mages slowly walking forward with different elemental spells interwoven within their palms, the first strike was a deadly beam of condensed fire that burned through the hand of someone who held a stone shield – a shield void of mana.
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Next, Elijah's body began to slightly glow, and when his body lunged forward by defying the laws of gravity, a thick stone pillar with small spikes protruding from the front had been created as a defense.
Boom!