Kavlar took a deep breath.

"KEeeh KeeEh KeeEh. SoOoon my LoooVe sooooN."

He looked at the crystal coffin with excitement on his face. Originally Kavlar had no plans to strike the city of Comb. Comb was the city of beginners. The city where solo or small just starting out adventurer parties would start off at during their descent into the Catacombs. It was within his luck that the city mainly had ghouls within the surrounding area and his necromantic expertise was exactly run that. So when the ghouls in the area increased it wasn't taken all too seriously.

That was a mistake on their part and Kavlar capitalized upon it. The Empire, the Dukedoms, the human race had grown lax. A thousand years of peace can do that to you. Kavlar was going to remind them what fear was. Kavlar was going to remind Duke Kan what fear was. He wanted the Dukedom to feel the same fear he felt as his life was bleeding away. He wanted chaos and he would have it.

In a brilliant stroke of madness, Kavlar decided to walk into the city. It wasn't hard to anyway, pay the guards a few coins and they will always look the other way. He had no clues on Aegeus Kan and figured if he made a big enough racket someone would investigate. Getting to know the next ruler of your territory when he's young and can be influenced? Plenty of opportunists would come looking. So Kavlar went to the town square and hollered (to the best of his ability). He had his wife's coffin in a box and continued to holler slowly drawing a crowd and catching attention. Everything was going according to plan. That is until he came. He called himself Mark Magus claiming to be some famous adventurer. He said Kavlar was just spewing lies for attention. Then he had the audacity to touch him. That was fine Kavlar would have continued upon his mission. It wasn't until Mark touched the box that kept the coffin of his wife that Kavlar lost it. He didn't mean too he honestly attempted to hold back but he saw the same type of men that did his wife in within Mark. He commanded and summons was out and causing havoc before he came back to himself. Half the city conquered and a high-level party captured. Apparently, he got hold of some little girl and the adventurers surrendered afterward. They put up the biggest fight causing his ghouls casualties by the hundreds. The party would be used for high-level ghouls and the rest? His stock had run low and Kavlar had half a city and the formations for a blood sacrifice half-completed already. Why not finish it?

Kavlar cackled to himself as he wrote the last runic inscriptions, 3 thousand souls were going to the Beyond soon.

"KeeEEh KeeEEeeh KEEeeeh," Kavlar laughed as a rumble was set off and the formation began its activation.

><>

'Shit. Shit. SHIT.' Shadow Bolt took off running barely concealing herself as she dashed through the cave system.

"Stop," Augustus's voice came from her left but she ignored him.

Taking off even faster she felt the sibling's presence behind her. They were slowly catching up. [Flash Step]

Shadow Bolt disappeared going much faster than she previously was. Then a rumbled happen shaking loose dirt and stone causing Shadow Bolt to come to a stop. The siblings took this opportunity to catch up to her.

"You must calm down. My team is moving in. We can stop the blood sacrifice but you cannot do anything rash. A few thousand lives are at stake," the sister of Augustus said.

"Calm? My young charge life is in serious danger and you want me to remain calm?"

"Charge? I thought he was your friend?"

"Does it matter now Augustus," Shadow Bolt said through gritted teeth.

"We can save him. Just calm down. You mustn't do anything rash. We'll have at least 20 minutes of time to break the formation and assassinate the necromancer but only if you don't go in blazing. Your attacking will likely put your young charges life in even more danger."

Shadow Bolt knew that she was right. She knew it but that didn't mean she wanted to listen. The resources promised to her clan, the system if gifted and utilized correctly. So much was at stake here. The Sun Elf clan was the one hit the hardest 40 years ago. With most of their high-ranking members dying out along with most of their community. The Sun Elves lived on the edge of the eleven territories as they worshiped the sun more than the forest and unless you lived in the middle of the elf territories where the leaves are condensed enough for entire cities to be built upon the rest of the forest was mainly covered by thick foliage. That in turn, cut off a main source of the Sun Elves power.

She had to save him. Sacrifices would have to be made.

"Aegeus Kan must not die."

The eyes of the brother and sister pair widen.

"No… it's impossible."

"The Duke deemed him worthy to set off on the Kans mission for every young scion. He's in the middle of the blood sacrifice right now."

"Shit."

A few tense moments passed and suddenly Augustus Prime began to laugh.

"We're definitely going to die if we don't save him."

"We've come to learn that the necromancer is a rank 6 with a history with the Kans. We need to move NOW. Augustus stay with her at least make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. Ace is working on the formation as we speak. I'll take Charles and head to the left side of the formation. The both of you search the right caves. Meet in the middle within 10 minutes and we finish off the necromancer. GO!"

Both parties took off without looking back. Shadow Bolt and Augustus to the right side of the cave systems. While his sister went left.

"Why in the gods' names, would the first son of the Duke be down in this hell hole."

"The Kan especially the next in line for the Dukedom are to go on a mission to show that they're capable to take the mantle. Not many know what that mission is and even know I still don't fully know. What I do know is that I've been assigned as his protector and right now I'm doing a horrible job at it. He was only there to get some experience in hostage situations as his protector I've also been assigned to make sure he doesn't have a cakewalk and to present challenges along the way. Recusing the hostages was to be a challenge while I took down the necromancer." Shadow Bolt ran Augustus for a quick explanation. She took out her crossbow and began to fire off into the distance.

"What are you firin-" Augustus started before they came upon the first ghoul corpse. More and more ghouls started to appear and Augustus's body flickered with lightning.

><>

A.K. finished equipping his leather armor. It had grown on and with him. The other mercenaries reequipped their armor as well and were preparing to move out. A.K. needed to talk to Mark or Jaecar someone in charge, he needed to know why their party was separated from the rest. This had been bothering him. A city was attacked and most of the captured persons were missing.

A.K. moved through the crowd searching for Jaecar or Mark when a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning around he saw a beaming Ryna moving next to his side.

"So what do you think," She said before doing a spin.

She was armored in leather like him with hers being a fiery red with black lines that looked like cracks running through it. The lower part of her armor formed into a short shirt and underneath it, she wore additional leather. Strapped to her back was a knight's shield with the coat of arms attached to it. For her main weapon, she had a long sword sheathed on her left.

"It suits you. Very dashing." That was A.K.'s honest opinion but from the girl's expression, it looks like he said the wrong words.

"I think it gives more a more fierce look. Any way you look like you're looking for something can I help?"

"I'm actually looking for your father or Mark. I want to know why you guys are here and not with the other civilians."

"Oh, that's easy," Ryna said smirking.

"It's because we're strong. The Champions of Rohan are minimum rank 3," Ryna said with a proud expression.

A.K. took a long look at her. Looking up and down before asking his question.

"You're rank 3?"

A.K. watched as the girl's expression soured.

"…Not yet," she whispered in a small voice.

"But I'm one of the youngest rank 2s around the Empi-" before Ryna could finish a rumble happened in the cave system.

A.K. grabbed the stumbling girl preventing her from falling to the ground. The rumbling continued for a bit and dirt and stone came loose. A.K. looked at Ryna and she at him.

"I'll take you to my father," Ryna said before running off with A.K. on her heels.

They found Jaecar arguing with Mark and a few others outside of where their weapons and armors were being kept.

"We need to leave NOW," Jaecar said.

He was equipped in light metal armor from head to toe. The armor was black with runic patterns drawn within it and he carried a giant all-black greatsword equipped to his back.

"You felt that rumble there's a chance the cave system in this area could be collapsing. We need to try and save whoever we can before leaving." Mark argued back.

"We're adventures, how can we turn our back on the people. Most of those people are commoners just like us or low rank adventurers. How can you turn your back on them."

"I ain't here to argue with ya Mark. We're leaving an that's final."

Ca'tain he right ya knoe. We're adventurers not some pussy footin guardsman. We're more en strong nough to halp."

"I didn't join the Champions to be a coward."

"SILENCE."

"YERR WANT TO KNOW WHY WE LEAVING? THAT THERE A BLOOD SACRIFICE."

"CANT YERR FEEL THE TINGLING IN DA AIR? CANT YERR SENSE DA DREAD?"

"He's right."

Surprised the crowd that was forming and arguing turned to the owner of that voice.

A.K. held himself tall. He was no hero, and he wasn't delusional enough to think he could right and kill an opponent much stronger than him.

"He's right," A.K. spoke up again.

He could see some of the adventures giving him weird looks and Mark was staring daggers in his direction.

"Weren't you the one who wanted to save them in the first place? Change of heart?" Mark asked while moving his way through the crowd.

"I was. I was the one who suggested it in the first place."

"However, I'm no hero and I'm no fool. A blood sacrifice is beyond me, beyond you. Beyond the Champions pay grade."

Mark finally made it to him and threw a punch. A.K. was surprised. He hadn't expected Mark to act out in such a way. The man also had light armor the color of silver equipped. His gauntlets were slightly spiked as well. A.K. caught the hand. The spikes digging into his flesh but stopping the rank 3 without retreating himself.

"Enough." Jaecar stepped up and restrained Mark before he could do anything else.

"Do yerr understand what a blood sacrifice is Mark? No? Than lemme explain. A blood sacrifice at least one of this scale would, have a rank 6 if not 7 necromancer behind it. It takes da life force and drains it from yerr body. Not even ash remains. An team of rank 5-6 is needed to kill it. An less an it won't go through. An more an we'd all be dead. Da strongest one here is me. A new rank 5. Da necromancer would have at least several rank 5 ghouls with him if not higher."

"What can we do?" Jaecar asked no longer talking to Mark but looking around at all the other Champions. Stopping to look at each one until they looked away or nodded in agreement. The last on his gaze was A.K. and he nodded at the boy.

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"BeAauutiFUull. Very."

A.K. felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand upland the group all turned to look down the corridor.