The atmosphere of the great hall grew tense. The figure in front of them wore a full suit of Alberdan armor. It placed great emphasis on the torso, yet fit his large figure. In his right hand was a greataxe, forged from onyx steel, and permeated wisps of Aura. Its dual blades were tinged with blood, similar to his armor.

The figure never turned away from Primor. His mere presence was daunting, yet carried the aura of death. He shuffled his weapon from right to left and back, priming himself for what was to come.

"General Gryfor..." Primor's countenance was lifeless, his arms trembling in place.

"Of course." Gryfor straightened his stature, his eyes reveling in the sight of the frightened nobles.

"The treaty!" Primor was only able to utter those few words, hoping they had the effect as intended.

"To think a man capable of such feat had failed to understand the Alberdan rule of war..." Gryfor's voice reverberated throughout the hall, his figure moving closer to Primor.

Oscar and Signorus's faces became frigid. They back stepped towards Mona, intending to defend him at a moment's notice. Valence was staring at Gryfor, frozen in place from fear.

Primor readied his weapon. His body moved into a defensive stance. The greatblade defended his figure at a diagonal, his free hand charging Aura. Clearly Primor was activating an Art.

Gryfor smiled at the signs of resistance. It wouldn't be fun if they gave in. Only when everyone gave their all could he find pleasure in crushing his opponents. If they gave their all, he would ensure there were war captives.

If they all surrendered easily or tried to escape as a whole, there would be a massacre. He wouldn't fight on the front lines if this wasn't guaranteed.

"As I was saying..." Gryfor walked closer to Primor, his greataxe screeching along the flooring "the Alberdan rule of war is this..."

A devilish smile arced across his face.

"A weak ally is a liability. So remove them." His malevolent Aura eeped out in waves, sparking terror in the hearts of the masses. "The Leafwind Kingdom is not what it was in the days of old. Each generation is weaker than the last...and today, they are barely better than mortals. Why protect such a nation that can't provide anything in return?"

By now, the troops in the hallway had cleared the rubble from earlier. They swarmed into the hall, but kept their distance from Gryfor's Aura. Based on their actions, they clearly feared the Aura coming from their general. Who knew what would happen upon contact...

"Think of it this way," Gryfor grinned at the audience, "you are helping His majesty achieve his marvelous dream of unifying the Madrag continent in his vision. Your sacrifice will be the first step. You will die with that honor." Deep pride was flowing with his words.

Gryfor's grip on his weapon tightened, his stance changing to offense. He was about to began the attack on the defenseless masses. His Aura began charging into his weapon, provoking the weapon's edges to extend by six inches of deathly Aura.

"Valence...follow Oscar and Mona. And don't turn back." Primor's gaze turned to his grandson, his voice reduced to a whisper.

"Mark my words, Gryfor. The Aurum bloodline will forever hold a death grudge with the Alberdan Empire. I swear on it." Primor's words were heavy and frigid. A few among the Alberdan Army took a step back upon hearing those words.

Gryfor laughed manically. "Bloodlines have risen and fallen since before us. The Aurum bloodline shall be the same." His gaze turned towards his men. "Kill all the Aura manipulators! Take the rest captive."

Various Auras filled the air from both sides. The normal mortals nearby felt lightheaded, a few fainting at the scene. Mona himself felt drowsy, his balance only remaining thanks to Oscar's Aura nearby.

"Oscar, take them through the secret passage. Use the treasure. Then shoot the Aurum flare in the four directions. But remember, Mona and Valence take priority." Signorus's voice was grave, his Aura was channeling heavily into his sword. It flashed, and began to glow like the Moon in the hall. Several Alberdan soldiers took notice, and half a dozen came after him.

"Go!" Signorus yelled at Oscar, intercepting the soldiers whose unsheathed weapons glinted light. Signorus sent out a slash, pushing the first soldier into defense.

Oscar's Aura wrapped around Mona, and also Valence after locating them. His movements were quick and discreet, making his way among the various fighters to the secret passageway behind the throne. The door luckily did not emit light, allowing the trio to disappear.

His steps quick, Mona and Valence were carried through the damp tunnel, leaving the sounds of screams and clashing weapons behind.

"Oscar, what about Father?" Mona's remaining family was left back there. How could he not worry about him?

"Unless you're an high-tiered Ancestor, your welcome to die." Valence had managed to insult Mona even at this point.

"Mona, I was given the order to guide you two to safety. Sadly I lack the powers to go back and even help the City Lord. Even if I could, there is no guarantee I would be more than useless in a fight between such Aura fighters." Oscar was appealing to Mona's intelligence, hoping he understood the severity of the situation.

If only I was a... Mona was lost in his thoughts again. If he could somehow learn to manipulate Aura, perhaps he could one day return this debt tenfold. Alberdos...mark my words. If I live, your demise will be assured. His gaze sharpened towards the exit.

*****

Oscar's figure dashed out of the exit. Mona turned his gaze around, only to see the manor collapsing in on itself, a fire burning it thoroughly. Valence was no different, his composure affected by the thought of his role model, his grandfather dying.

"We have to keep moving." Oscar pleaded to the two, hoping to put distance between them and the manor. He knew that the Alberdan Army consisted of more than ground troops. It had archers, scouts, and who knew how many other groups their were.

If there were an assassin party that could conceal their presence...Oscar didn't want to think of that.

After one final glance, Mona turned back to the other two. Temporarily, he would ally with Valence. Knowledge could have value as well, and in that regard, Mona was skilled.

"Wait a minute while I activate this Creation." Oscar spoke after they reached a good distance. From here, the inferno engulfing the Aurum manor was barely visible. His hand went into his coat, pulling out a scroll.

Mona and Valence's pupils dilated at the sight of the scroll. They knew what it was, a sealed Creation. Infused with Aura in various shapes, the stored Aura could unleash an attack, form a defense, create objects, or much more. What was the best about scrolls were that Mortals could activate even Saint level scrolls before requiring Aura to be infused.

Clearly in front of them was a teleportation scroll at a Warrior rank. Although it had a one-time use, teleportation scrolls were exceedingly rare, let alone those at the Warrior rank. Given its capabilities, all three of them would be able to cover at least a distance of two miles.

Oscar carefully charged his Aura into the scroll, cutting the wait time until activation. Valence swept his Aura in his surroundings, doing his best to act as a sentinel. Mona looked into various directions, trying to determine their position in his memory of the landscape.

"Ooooooooh, Krag found treasure!" A cry rose into the air, its voice raspy yet chilling.

The trio gazed in the direction the outburst came from.

Around them, the sound of footsteps entered their ears from all directions.

Their countenances grew grim. They were not alone.