"It's time for you to get back to your company," Kefira said, unwillingly. They had stood together in the center of the battalion under the watchful eye of Serilla, just talking about random things and enjoying each other's company. Reivyn had sensed a short pulse of Mana come from Kefira's communication device, and the both of them understood that to mean that Kayzor was about to engage Aeriella. "Alright," Reivyn bent forward and gave Kefira a parting kiss. "Since we'll be coordinating with your brother's army, this battle shouldn't be too long, and we'll see each other again soon." "Mhm. When it's over, hand your duties off to one of your lieutenants and then join me in your 'official' capacity." "Will do," Reivyn gave a little wave as he turned to head back to his men. Gauis had returned to his band of volunteers a while ago, but Rayha was still hanging out just on the edge of being polite. She bounced with enthusiasm, waiting for Reivyn and Kefira to finally separate, and much to Reivyn's amusement, she immediately ran to Kefira, lunging into hug the other girl. Reivyn didn't wait to see what they talked about, and he continued on his way. After walking for just a minute or so, he perceived Rayha running up to him through his Divine Sense, and he took a deft step to the side as she tried to do the same thing to him as she had Kefira. She was quite dexterous, though, so she didn't fall to the ground. She quickly regained her balance and turned on Reivyn as he kept walking. "Hey! I thought you were going to wait for me," she crossed her arms and huffed. "Why?" Reivyn just kept walking. "Because we're friends?" "Eh, you can see me back at the company." "Rude," Rayha stamped her foot. "Hey, I was there to see Fira. You just tagged along." "Hmph," Rayha cocked her hip and ran her hand up the back of her hair before flipping it. Reivyn frowned as the movement tugged at his awareness, but Rayha quickly bounced up to him breaking his line of thought. "So this is it, huh? After this battle, all of this will be over," Rayha said. "What makes you say that? They're still here, and the civilians are still unaccounted for," Reivyn retorted. "But isn't this the culmination of what they're doing? If they release the captives after this, is there a reason to continue fighting?" "That depends on what they do with the Spider Matriarch. We can't let them use her to go on a rampage throughout the kingdom. But it's not up to me to decide. The Prince of Wispan will probably decide the course of action to take. They did attack several cities, killing the defenders and kidnapping the people. I'm not sure the king and nobles of Drallo will just let that slide." "You think they'll try to annihilate the invaders?" "I don't know. They'll definitely want to hold those responsible accountable, though." "What are your plans after this is all over?" Rayha turned the conversation to a new topic. "Are you going to follow Fira back to Wispan?" "Probably," Reivyn answered. "I don't know what her plans are after this, but I'm sure her family is going to want her to return after participating in a war." "Maybe. If she was out on a journey to gain Life Experience, as long as she had already done a lot of the things she had wanted to prior to this war, then she would most likely go home. If she had just started her journey, she could probably get away with just updating her brother." "That makes sense. It's not like she's completely out of communication with her family, but I don't know how long she's been out or what other adventures she's had. Traveling to an underground village way out in the middle of a huge desert and then participating in a war are pretty big events when it comes to Life Experience. Not many people can say they've done either of those things, much less both in quick succession." "She's a Caster, so she might have some specific things related to her Path she might want to accomplish, too." "Her Path? You mean the direction she wants to go with her future Classes?" "Yeah. I'm following the Path of a Blade Dancer. It might sound like a Combat Class Path, and it kind of is, as I'm sure you've seen, but it's not entirely. It's kind of like a Bard who can improve their companion's abilities and negatively affect enemies through their Mana-infused music, but it also synergizes with Bards and other support-type Classes." "Bards, huh? I've only ever experienced a Blessing from a Paladin before, but I've seen how you affect those around you when you're in combat. I don't know if Fira needs to do anything related to her Path or not, but I would guess that leading a Mage Corps in battle would do good things for it." "Yeah, sounds like she'll most likely head home after this. Maybe I should tag along with you?" Reivyn stopped and gave her a quizzical look. "What are you talking about? What about your family and friends here? Why would you tag along with us?" He asked. "I'm not from here. I just happened to be around the area and got caught up in this. I don't have any family or friends nearby, so it doesn't matter to me if I follow along." "Oh, well I can sympathize with that. My family is way far away, too, and it will take a long time to get everything sorted out regarding that. I can't make any decisions about traveling companions, though. You'd probably have to convince Fira's brother." "Hmm..." The two finished their short journey back to Reivyn's company in silence. Reivyn didn't really have anything else to say, and Rayha was lost in thought. A surge in Mana caught Reivyn's attention, and he looked into the distance to see where it had come from. Powerful fluctuations of Mana and bright lights exploded into view at the location where Reivyn had seen Aeriella retreat to earlier. It was still a long distance away, so he couldn't see any particulars, but the amount of Mana being wielded was considerably more than had been used when he and Kefira had had their duel with the enemy commander. The sounds of explosions from the Spells and Skills being used reached their ears several seconds after they saw them. The distance was far enough that there was a significant delay. "Everyone, stand at the ready!" Reivyn called out. "The commander of the reinforcements is engaging the enemy commander. We don't know what the fallout is going to be, but their main force still has some time before they'll arrive. We'll be coordinating with their force, but we don't know if there will be a change in the current combat situation. Be prepared to fight the enemy or the spiders, either way." The line of soldiers, all up and down the battalion, quit their relaxed resting and resumed their ready stance in formation. They still just stood in place, waiting for any changes, but they would be able to react instantly. The spiders coming out of the deep cave were still pouring forth, but Reivyn was hoping it would end soon. He would much rather fight against people than man-eating giant spiders. The Runic Ball in the center of the entire mess was still slowly shrinking, but the rate at which it reduced was accelerating slowly over time. It was already only two-thirds the original size, and the shaking and pulses caused by the struggle of the Spider Matriarch had almost completely ceased. Maybe because it doesn't have to put as much effort into thwarting the escape attempts of the spider, it can focus more on doing what its actual purpose is. From the context of what's going on, it seems like they're trying to enslave the monster, but what they do with it after is the real cause for concern. I'm just hoping that this is the only reason they're here, and they're not going to use the spider to somehow connect with the Abyss bridge. I'm pretty sure that gateway has been demolished, but we can't be sure without confirmation. Reivyn and the rest of the battalion continued to watch for changes, and the fight between Kayzor and Aeriella intensified as it dragged on. Reivyn frowned as it seemed the power of the attacks was slowly growing beyond what he would expect to Sense from so far away. It was getting louder and more noticeable, and several of the more experienced soldiers were beginning to fidget a bit. "I think they're headed this way," Reivyn called out. "Get ready to retreat in an orderly fashion if we have to." It wasn't long before his speculation was confirmed, as he spotted the figure of Aeriella, her pink plume on her helmet streaming behind her, coming into view running away from a man decked out in shining armor. There were Mages and other guards attempting to interfere with the man chasing her, but Kayzor, as Reivyn assumed the man to be, wasn't alone, either. The troops that focused on speed that had accompanied Kayzor in his sprint into the desolate sands were likewise intercepting the efforts of Aeriella's protectors. The soldiers on either side were creating an intricate dance as they ran after the two commanders while dashing in to attack and jumping back to avoid. Spells and Skills were flung about from each group. It was an amazing display of combat capabilities, though Reivyn was a little confused that Aeriella was doing nothing but running for her life and using her Skills and Spells to avoid any attacks from Kayzor. She had shown much better offensive abilities when he and Kefira had fought her, but she wasn't showing any of those abilities at this time. I know she expended a lot of Mana, and possibly Stamina, in constructing the Runic Ball, but she had been linked with a lot of other Mages. It shouldn't have reduced her to the state of not being able to fight back unless Kayzor is just that much more powerful. Reivyn knew that Kefira's siblings, the ones not slated to take over ruling, were all very high Level with Rare and Epic Classes, but he didn't know the specifics. He knew that her older siblings weren't that much older than she was, with the oldest one being only 12 years older, and Kayzor had been identified as Kefira's 3rd brother. If I had to guess, from what I've been told and what I'm seeing here, I would say he's high Tier 4, possibly low Tier 5 but conserving his energy in case of interference from the enemy army. The invaders, those not specifically assigned to protecting Aeriella, completely ignored the goings on behind them, and they focused entirely on continuing to keep the horde of spiders from breaking through. It was like the life or death of their commander made no difference to them. Reivyn wasn't too surprised by such an attitude, though, as he could imagine that Aeriella had commanded them to not waver in their fight against the spiders. As Deathsworn soldiers to her, it was anathema not to obey her direct orders. The fight between the two sides continued to move across the battlefield, behind the line of soldiers defending against the spiders. The distance away from Reivyn's battalion was still very far, and Aeriella wasn't able to focus on sprinting in a straight line, so it would still be some time before they would get close to the battalion if they moved away from the back line of the soldiers, that is. Reivyn and the others watched the pursuit unfold as they also maintained their vigilance in the fight with the spiders. It wouldn't be a good idea to get so engrossed in watching the high-Level spectacle that they got ambushed in plain sight from the front. The Runic Ball continued to condense, and the rate continued to increase. Reivyn frowned as Aeriella adjusted her trajectory and started making her way toward him and the battalion. There was less chance of the shockwaves and aftereffects of the Spells and Skills doing damage to her soldiers from moving away, but Reivyn couldn't think of a reason why she would make such a decision. Does she think she can plead with me or Kefira to surrender? Reivyn thought. That was the only idea that he could come up with. To him, it would make more sense to head off in a direction that nobody was occupying, much less an enemy force. The Mages and personal guards assigned to protect Aeriella were very competent soldiers, but they weren't a match for Kayzor's men. Kayzor had shown up with about a hundred speed-based Classers, and they had started off severely outnumbered, but they had only lost a couple of their numbers while inflicting significant casualties on Aeriella's guards. Aeriella made great efforts in running towards the battalion, for whatever reason, but there was eventually a tipping point in the struggle. The protectors were no longer able to keep up with the interference caused by Kayzor's elite troops, and they were unable to slow him down any longer. He sprinted ahead of the others and quickly pounced on the fleeing Aeriella. Aeriella's Skills and tricks at avoidance seemed to have been completely used up, and she was forced to turn and finally engage properly with Kayzor. With his high Perception Stat, Reivyn could see everything clearly. Kayzor was dressed similarly to how Reivyn would expect an imperial prince to be. His armor was incredibly shiny, and he could perceive no dings, dents, or scuffs, though he might be able to spot some if he got closer. As it was, he projected a very heroic image from this distance. He had a white cape billowing behind him, and his helmet contained a full face mask similar to Aeriella's. Reivyn had seen his face in the projection, though, so he knew what he looked like underneath it. I'm sure mom would say he's 'passable' as a potential brother-in-law for me, Reivyn chuckled to himself. Aeriella was on the back foot the entire time, and Reivyn's frown deepened as she failed to perform at the prior level he had seen of her. Kayzor's sword flashed like lightning, and Aeriella had a hard time parrying the swings and thrusts. Kayzor suddenly dashed forward and slammed his shoulder into her after he had baited her into getting a bit off balance, and her helmet got knocked clean off her head. Reivyn watched as the helmet, the pink plume fluttering in the wind from where it was attached at the top, went sailing into the air, and then he turned his focus on the girl that had been knocked to the ground. Kayzor walked up, sword out, and pointed at her throat, as she attempted to scramble back, her sword lost in the sand. This was the first time Reivyn had gotten a look at her beneath the helmet, but he still couldn't see her face. Long blonde hair cascaded down from where it had once been balled up underneath her helmet in a way that Reivyn could only assume had been quite uncomfortable. Reivyn couldn't see Kayzor's lips moving, and he couldn't hear anything because it was so far away, but he assumed he was saying something to the girl on the ground before him. He apparently didn't get the answer he was looking for, as he suddenly lunged forward and pierced his sword through her throat. He quickly pulled his sword back out, and a fountain of blood followed. The girl turned over, facing the battalion, and stretched her hand out, as if pleading for something. Reivyn felt a little bad at the demise of the enemy commander, as she hadn't come off as exactly hostile. She had just seemed like someone with a different worldview but wasn't inherently evil. There were no other feelings, though, aside from the slight pang of pity at the loss. Suddenly, Mana matching the color and signature of the Runic Spell launched from the girl's outstretched hand as she bled out in the sand. The Mana zipped across the open space at lightning-quick speed, and Reivyn watched as it seemed to hurtle straight toward him. It didn't come straight at him, though, and he turned to follow its trajectory as it smashed into Rayha, standing a short distance away from him. He watched, stunned, as the ball of magic didn't do any harm, but instead entered Rayha's body. Everyone else, likewise, turned to watch the scene unfold, and her body began to shift subtly. She slowly grew a couple of inches taller, reaching Reivyn's chin, and her hair turned a shade of pink that matched the plume from the helmet worn by the girl Reivyn had assumed had been Aeriella. Rayha's facial features remained mostly the same, but they became slightly more symmetrical. She shifted into a more beautiful girl. Before, she had been what Reivyn would consider cute, but now she had a different air about her. One of more maturity and authority. She stood tall and straight, her chin lifted high as the Runic Magic settled within her chest. Likewise, the Runic Ball surrounding the Spider Matriarch reached a crescendo in condensing and suddenly seemed to wink out of existence, but Reivyn could still feel the immense power of it in the distance. Reivyn Sensed it moving, and a shining, golden ball screamed across the open air to arrive right in front of Aeriella. Aeriella held her hands out, and the ball plopped down in them. The shining winked out, and in its place was a transparent orb with a tiny spider about the size of his hand nestled within. Aeriella lifted her hand and brushed her hair back, exposing a "6" tattooed on the side of her neck. She turned and faced Reivyn with a smile. "Well, Reivyn, it has been very interesting getting to know you and sister Fira over these past weeks," she said. "I'll miss our time together, but I got what I came for, now. I'll keep in touch. Oh, and the civilians we captured are all fine. They're a day away to the east in a little camp we made for them." Suddenly, immense pressure came from behind Aeriella, and everyone, including Kayzor in the distance, was forced to the ground. Reivyn struggled against it, but he, too, was forced to take a knee. Aeriella blew him a kiss, and a little ball of Mana followed it along to smack Reivyn right in the side of his face. He felt the kiss that she blew as if she had planted her lips directly on him, and something else seemed to settle in his mind, but he was unable to pinpoint it after just a moment. A portal opened behind Aeriella, and a dignified man stepped out. He swept the surroundings with his gaze, and everywhere he looked, people broke out into a cold sweat. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His hair was starting to go gray, and he had a neat, trimmed beard and mustache. His eyes had a fierce light to them, and Reivyn felt his entire body go cold when they settled on him. "Master!" Aeriella shouted before jumping forward to hug him in the same manner she did with Reivyn and Kefira. The man stood completely still, his gaze still focused on Reivyn. "Is this the one?" A voice deeper than Reivyn would have expected coming from the man. "Uh-huh. Isn't he cute?" Aeriella wiggled her fingers at Reivyn. "Do you want me to bring him?" "Not yet, he has things to do." "Very well. Come along." The man turned and stepped back through the portal. Aeriella followed behind, but she turned her head one last time. "Bye, Reivyn!" She cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted loudly toward the center of the Battalion. "Bye Sister Fira! I'll see you, soon!" Then she stepped through the portal and was gone. The portal winked out of existence, and the pressure holding everyone to the ground disappeared with it. Reivyn Sensed other, just as powerful Mana fluctuations from the direction of the enemy army, and after he gained his feet, he saw that twelve other massive portals had sprung up behind the soldiers fighting the spiders. The soldiers slowly, but methodically made their way through the portals in an orderly manner, never ceasing their fight against the spiders. Twelve heavily armored soldiers stepped forward from each portal, though, and took over the defense of the retreat of the armies. Kayzor staggered to his feet, and he started to make his way toward the battalion, slowly at first, but he gradually picked up speed as he recovered. The soldiers he had brought along followed behind him. Reivyn regained his feet, and he watched as the enemy army slowly disappeared through the portals, leaving the battlefield. "Everyone get up and get ready!" Reivyn yelled at the top of his lungs with Commanding Shout. "Prepare for battle!" Some of the soldiers looked at him in confusion as their bodies obeyed the order, but everyone regained their feet and stance in formation. The enemy army might have retreated from the field, but the horde of spiders was still spilling out of the hole in the ground.