"Insolent fools, every one of you!" Ilkama screamed. "You knew he would go to the inn. Yet, you still failed so spectacularly. What incompetent imbeciles you are. Hold out the arm you used to attack him," he ordered. The ten kneeling guards silently raised an arm. Walking up to them, Ilkama slashed at the same collar bone. Each guard cried in pain, holding their arm as it became numb. Guards behind Ilkama emotionlessly watched.
"Let this be a reminder of your failures. Because of you, I have a Mienard out there somewhere, plotting to overthrow me again!" the ruler sighed, walking back to his throne. Leaning against it, he shook his head. "Surely, they seek to find the artifact. That is the only reason they would have escaped to the temple that day." Ilkama removed a cushion from his throne and revealed a pattern engraved on a slab similar to the one Devon had copied. "Where it leads, I know not. Under my command, the greatest minds in the kingdom could not interpret this. But those... troublesome individuals managed to decipher it. We must bring them back before they can threaten me."
Ilkama paced across the elevated platform, considering what his next course of action could be. Though he knew the Bronze Foxes were devoted to bringing him down, a small part of him wished they had fled the kingdom entirely, leaving it to his rule. Next, he considered the possibility they knew the artifact's location, implying one had a mind greater than anyone else in Kevras. Ilkama knew he could not leave the kingdom out of paranoia of people trapping the castle during his leave.
"Guards!" Ilkama's voice boomed throughout the stronghold. Soldiers began running frantically to their rows, with others pouring in from around the castle. The pattering sound of his subordinates was like music to his ears. However, it only worsened his headache from the Bronze Foxes ordeal. Ilkama rubbed his temples in hopes of solving the problem but was disappointed when it did not.
Within a matter of minutes, the guards Eli had not taken out stood in front of Ilkama. Despite the number of guards available, Eli had managed to defeat many of them on his way to escaping the castle; fewer than half remained. Stunned, Ilkama commented, "Eli took out this many? A rather dire situation... Eli has proven himself to be strong enough to handle at least ten of you at once, and his allies would likely be capable of the same," he rubbed his chin, weighing his options.
On one hand, Ilkama considered sending the guards to the kingdom's entrance. Confident that he could handle any opposition that threatened his rule, Ilkama believed it could be worth the risk. It would allow the guards to overpower the Bronze Foxes. However, it would also mean losing their position for longer. In addition, if they were to fall before returning, he would lose the artifact too.
On the other hand, he could potentially send the guards to find Eli and his friends on a scouting mission. They could not have traveled far, and the guards would not be able to ruin such a mission, right? Ilkama sighed, having his answer.
"Eli and his friends must be found. We cannot wait for them to return. If we do, they will have the advantage and be much stronger than they are now. And if they fall before coming back, we lose the artifact forever. I want you all to spread out beyond the kingdom's walls and search for the Bronze Foxes, but do not engage. Return to report your findings by the time Vysol next graces us with a sunrise. Do not disappoint me again. You are dismissed," Ilkama ordered. The guards quickly shuffled out to the castle's secret back entrance, leaving Ilkama alone to his thoughts.
* * *
As the Bronze Foxes ran through the open fields, Eli had begun lagging behind, with Sarah barely ahead of him. Meanwhile, Devon was farther ahead, holding his notebook while trying to read where in the Craglands they had to go. Sarah, tired of the sprint, asked, "Devon, how much farther do we have?" Devon was unresponsive, so she called out to him again. "De—"
Before she could finish saying his name, Devon quickly answered, "I do not know. The Craglands is far from Kevras! All I know so far is the artifact's general location! But we have been running for a long time. We will likely see the mountains soon."
Eli, who had been ignoring the ongoing conversation, focused on keeping up but found himself at a breaking point. "Can we please rest?" he asked. Devon's eyes shot back, noticing Eli almost keeling over.
"Are you okay?" Devon asked, slowing down and causing everyone to slow as well.
"I do not understand. I took Ilkama's healing elixir. Why am I still so tired?"
"The health potions heal only your physical wounds and restore your strength. They do nothing for your mental and emotional states," Sarah explained. "You are likely too stressed. I think she should rest."
"But he is stressed about Ilkama. If we rest now, that emotion will only grow, for he may find us. We should keep moving forward, at a walking pace if we must."
"No! We must rest. Eli should not be forced to torture his body," Sarah insisted. Eli winced: the mention of torture planting an image in his head of a cut and chained Curtis.
"Please, do not say that word," Eli whispered, blinking to hold back his tears.
"My apologies, Eli," Sarah said, realizing what she had said. "Sit and cross your legs," Sarah followed her own advice. Eli silently followed while the other guild members stood and watched. "I will teach you a technique my grandfather shared with me when I was young. Close your eyes."
"I do not see how this will help."
"Please, just trust me."
"Fine, I will humor you," Eli said, closing his eyes and planting his hands in his lap. "What do I do?"
Eli could hear Albert chuckling from behind Sarah, followed by a quiet, "Was that what I looked like the first time she taught me this?"
"Yes, now be quiet," Charles answered.
"Breathe in through your nose," Sarah ordered. Eli did. "One, two, three, four. Now hold your breath. One, two, three, four. Finally, breathe out through your mouth," Eli let out a soft huff of air. "One, two, three, four. Now, do this three more times."
"But that did not—"
"Ah, ah, ah. Just do it," Sarah said. She placed her hands on his. "Please. Focus on your breathing and my counting. Let all other thoughts fade."
Eli sighed and immersed himself in the experience. The moment he breathed in, she began the count. On the third breath in, Eli felt lost in his surroundings. A pleasant breeze rustled through the blades of grass which grazed his legs. The sweet and gentle aroma of azure blossoms flooded his nose. And when he held his breath, time felt like it froze. The four seconds she counted felt like a minute as his mind basked in the vast nothingness. Finally, when he breathed out, he felt like he was in the clouds. The tranquility of his meditation almost made the others join too.
Once the final breath concluded, Sarah's soothing voice whispered, "Open your eyes." Eli did not wish to open his eyes. He felt too safe in the moment. However, Sarah gently squeezed his hand, helping him feel more comfortable. He opened his eyes, somewhat free of worry. "How do you feel?"
"A little better," he sighed. "Though, I still do not know that I am ready to keep moving. I am sorry for slowing you down."
"They would have had to slow down for me soon. You are not slowing us down, I promise," Sarah insisted. She turned to face the others. "Perhaps we should take a small break to eat?" Charles shrugged, indifferent to the idea. Albert and Devon nodded in agreement. The martial artist—noticing the majority were hungry—rushed to open his satchel and took out containers of dried fruits, nuts, and other assorted snacks. The group quickly began scarfing down the food.
An hour passed while the guild members enjoyed their meal. Charles—facing the direction they came from—noticed figures in the distance. "Who... Who could that be?" he muttered. Squinting, he could barely make out the familiar emblem on their armor. "Guards!" he exclaimed. Everyone's heads spun to face Ilkama's men. Charles counted three guards. "How did they find us so quickly?"
"Perhaps they are scouts?" Eli asked. "Ilkama would send a few guards to scout the area outside the kingdom every day. For what, I do not know."
"They are here to kill us," Albert retorted, standing up and bracing himself for battle. The group watched the guards for what they would do next.
"If they are supposed to be attacking us, why turn around?" Devon asked, his mouth full of food. It was true; they showed no interest in dismantling the guild.
"They must be going back to report to Ilkama!" Eli explained, rushing towards them. However, his full stomach slowed him down.
"Tch, I will do it myself!" Albert said, sprinting past Eli. Though he was faster than Eli, his stomach held him back too.
"Albert, I have an idea, but I need you to trust me," Eli extended an arm, hoping to earn back Albert's trust. The martial artist looked at Sarah who smiled and nodded, then back at Eli, sighing and accepting his offer. "I want you to run at them. And when I tell you to, I want you to jump."
"Jump?"
"Just trust me. Go!" Eli exclaimed. Albert did not hesitate to start sprinting. Eli unsheathed his sword and chained Bursor before and after Profecti, aiming at Albert. A continuous gust protruded from the blade as Eli called out, "Now!" Albert's reaction was quick, jumping just before the burst of air hit him from behind. With the massive boost in speed, Albert practically flew at the guards, holding out his fist for a punch.
"Too fast!" Albert called, the wind forcing him to close his eyes. However, his friends were too far away to hear him by then. Rather than only punching the guards at such a high speed, Albert slammed into one, causing all the guards to collapse. Albert tried to gather his bearings, his head spinning from the flight. Shaking it off, he dizzily got off the guards, throwing up beside them. Once he recovered, Albert noticed the guards twitching, ready to awaken and attack. At that moment, he jumped on top of the pile and began repeatedly slamming his fists into their noses.
The Bronze Foxes rushed towards Albert to read the situation, but Sarah quickly noticed his building rage. "Albert, stop!" she pleaded, sprinting faster and almost falling over in the process. When Sarah finally reached the man, she caught his hand before he could strike the guards again. "Albert," she said calmly, placing her hand against his cheek. "They are still innocent. Please, do not forget that."
Albert turned to face her, rage still in his eyes. Eli nearly ran to push Sarah out of the way, but Charles held him back, shaking his head. Eli would stand and watch. Though Albert seemed crazy to Eli, Sarah was unphased. She placed her other hand on Albert's cheek, gently caressing it while humming a quiet, simple tune. Mesmerized, Charles swayed to the rhythm. Sarah pulled Albert's head down gently, pressing her forehead against his as she began moving too. Albert closed his eyes slowly, breathing deeply as he counted.
A minute passed, then two. As he opened his eyes, all he could say was, "thank you." He pulled her in for a hug, which she gladly accepted. When they let go, everyone's gaze shifted to the unconscious guards. "What do we do about them?" Devon asked.
"Did you ever find out how Ilkama locked your memories?" Albert asked facetiously. "We could use that right about now." Eli glared at Albert, unappreciative. Tension filled the air. "Sorry..."
"If we do not stop them, they will return to Ilkama and report on our whereabouts," Charles reasoned. "For that reason alone, we cannot let them go back."
"But we cannot kill them. These are innocent people who are trapped under Ilkama's spell. It is not their fault," Sarah insisted.
"And if we do not kill them, they will pose a threat to us during the next revolution. They will try and kill us then," Albert added.
Eli snapped his fingers. He asked, "Sarah, regarding the potion you destroyed, do you have the reverse: a potion to free someone's mind?" asked Eli.
Sarah shook her head with a saddened expression. "No, that was too difficult. Besides, if I found one, I would have given it to you immediately," she twiddled her fingers, hoping to think of some alternative. "Perhaps there is a glyph to aid us?"
Eli took out the stack of papers he had hid in his armor and began sifting through them, listing their names aloud. He recognized all of them, unable to find anything helpful. The swordsman let out a disappointed "no."
"Well, they are too heavy to carry," Devon explained. "There are only five of us. If we wish to do something, it must be here."
"Where would we take them anyway? This area is entirely flat," Albert replied. "I wish I could control my rage better. Maybe if we had it, moving them would be easier." Sarah rubbed Albert's back. The group stood in silence, each looking to one another for answers.
Charles' eyes could not sit still. Quickly looking at everyone, he came to a solution. Snapping his fingers, he asked, "Perhaps Sarah has a summon capable of carrying the guards and us into the Craglands? We may be able to disorient them out there while we search for the fire temple from above. We will retrieve them once we defeat Ilkama."
Sarah stood in silence, shocked. Why she had not considered that option was a mystery. Playing with her vials, Sarah looked for a possible solution. When she came across a brown vial, her eyes lit up. "A gryos!" she cheered, unlatching the potion and handing it to Albert. Anticipating the size of the creature, Albert threw the vial a safe distance away. Impacting the ground, the vial puffed a thick, brown smoke.
Rising from it sat a brown-feathered creature with a light-grey-feathered head. Significantly larger than the sopala, Eli could not help but gasp at its magnificent size, claiming, "this creature could fit thirty people on its back!" The beast stretched out its wings and pedaled its front legs in the air as though it was stretching. When it let out a sharp cry, everyone but Albert had to cover their ears. The gryos looked at the man who summoned him. "Gryos, we need your help! The Craglands is far away, and those who lay unconscious threaten our safety. Please, carry us there!"
The creature nodded slowly before approaching the group. Laying down on its stomach and spreading its wings, the guild members had a way onto its back. Slowly, the group picked up the guards and carried them onto the gryos. Watching the humans, the gryos rolled its eyes, knowing that it could travel faster if everyone were awake. The creature braced itself for the jump before leaping off the ground and into the skies above.