Castle that wishes to fly

12. The Essence of Blood Mages

The furious scream gave way to bitter moans, piercing the ears of those nearby, akin to an instrument wielded by a skillful torturer. Fortune intervened, allowing the warrior to survive a direct strike from the adult needle, though his blank gaze spoke otherwise.A single swing of the blade not only claimed his arm but also snuffed out his life's purpose.

Discovering a vial of dark glass nestled in the folds of the injured one's clothing, the Archmage generously sprinkled its contents onto the open wound. The ascending wind dispersed a pungent herbal scent, intertwined with the metallic aroma of blood.

The man gritted his teeth harder, his eyes locked onto his 'savior.' Anger choked him from within. In this moment, facing his own loss proved far more daunting.

The other warriors avoided their comrade, showing a level of diligence in aiding the wounded that surpassed necessity. They could consider themselves lucky. For hunters, it's better to succumb to the venom of a creature than lose the ability to wield weapons—a fate no hunter deems more contemptible.

"I won't deny you a duel," declared the Judge. That was his final gift.

The black gaze shifted skyward. The Judge's expression revealed no emotions. Who would dare to understand his thoughts? It seemed the sky had its own ideas.

The first drops fell on the stone pavement and on people too preoccupied to notice the rain. The weather in Azur changed rapidly, much like everything else.

Suri trembled, a pervasive chill seizing her to the bone. Icy drops, cascading onto her, delivered stinging blows to nerves wound to their limit. A bitter smile twisted on the girl's lips. Suri pressed her hands to her face, shutting herself off from the outside world.

"How foolish! Ready to beg this man just to reach the Labyrinth. And all for the sake of dying before even stepping a foot beyond the gates?" Mocking herself hurt, but it was a necessary punishment.

"Oh, are you really about to cry?" the Archmage scoffed. The woman rose to her feet, wiping blood from her hands onto her own tunic. Black locks unraveled from under her turban, falling in disarray over her thin shoulders. Though her lips paled even more than before, revealing profound fatigue, her back remained unbowed.

"After all, the Labyrinth harbors much more intriguing creatures. And I know far more than what you can discover alone."

The Archmage's words appeared to snap Suri out of a trance. She pulled her hands away, opening vivid blue eyes, devoid of any hint of tears.

"Now you're interested," the woman smirked. "A gaze worthy of my apprentice."

The Archmage wasn't the only one currently preoccupied with thoughts of Suri. The traces of battle saturated the entire square, and the blood mage seemed out of place in this chaos. Unlike the others, her appearance remained impeccably neat. The Judge couldn't comprehend what drove this helpless girl—so delicate that, if he pushed, she'd break in an instant—to confront a monster so decisively. What was the source of her courage?

***

Death eluded the square. The monstrous creature, even in its madness, could hardly claim the lives of experienced hunters at the peak of their abilities. Nevertheless, the consequences proved to be significant. What could mere mortals of flesh and blood oppose to a monster that knew neither pain nor weariness? Consumed by an insatiable thirst, the beast existed solely to devour its prey—an ideal predator of the Labyrinth.

The creature was in a sorry state after a brief encounter with the Judge, yet its appearance couldn't deceive the Paladin Ingwild. Given the monster's resilience, the core was unlikely to have suffered. The only thing deciding the fate of the entire castle now rested on the life and death of this beast.