It would be easier to count the number of people alive than dead. The biggest explosion was in the center of the city, which usually is the trading center. But the explosion was just too big. The crater in the center seared down at least 20 meters of soil.

Only the corners of the city survived, which usually are slums. There are many people buried under the crumbled building. There is a small amount of citizens who are just walking around the city in total silence.

Doing what people usually do in this situations.

A hand is sticking from under on of the rubbles of shop, that should have looked quite expensive based on the quality of the crumbled walls and few items lying around. The hand is covered with gold rings and thick bracelets.

A girl in her teens is trying to get them off but fails, as bodies of dead are quite rigid, and unclenching a hand takes much more strength than one would expect. As if tired of it, the girl takes a broken sword lying near another dead body on the ground and starts hacking the hand off, with much more strength than her thin and malnourished body should have.

After series of wild and random hacks she see me from her peripheral vision. She stops and stares into my eyes, after a fraction of second of hesitation she returns to her previous action and doubles the speed of hacking. The hand separates from the buried body with with wet, crunching sound. She picks up the hand and runs aways with her arms clutching the hand to her chest.

[Is there anything you want to say? Nope?]

Eslan, the leader of party, and his team finally catches up to me, while his team mates walk slowly in silence, petrified in horror at the state of the city.

Many heard about destruction of cities and horrors of war but when you see it for the first with your own eyes all the told stories start to look ridiculous in comparison to the reality, a watered down fairy tale.

There are many pretty words that can be said, but they are useless waste of energy. Lip service, nothing more.

“We need to gather as much food as we can.” I say turning around to the party. ”The scavengers will collect everything of value too soon. This city is dead, we need to continue our travel.”

[This is a point where someone righteous would have started arguing about what is right and what is wrong, or that we should help people. But their own life is always more important.]

Most of the party nods in response.

“How can you say so?! We need to help the people!” says Olana

[Oh. Here we go.]

Some ignore her, some look at her in confusion, few even look away evading direct eye contact. By the command of the part leader, Eslan, they go around preparing or gathering anything useful.

The elf and ogre take the horse, with the body of their friend on it, and walk away in silence, more likely to bury their friend somewhere. The whole city is graveyard, but even so, people will always try to bury the ones they care about somewhere nice. Is it for the spirit of dead or for themselves? Hard to answer.

Olana looks at the party going on their task in disgust, after which she turn to me with shocked look and with the usual expression as if she is expecting something of me.

As soon as everyone is outside of radius in which they could hear us she growls “Aren’t you going to help the people in the city? There are many who need our help. What kind of blood brother are you?”

“Do not place your ideals on others, child.” I responded.

Olana scowls at me and continues to stare in silence. Is this part of her character, or does she really believe that staring at people will make them change their opinion?

A child in body of adult huh. Sometimes kids must be taught a lesson.

“You know what? You are right. We should help everyone. There are thousands of people buried who may still be alive. We should dug them all out and bury the dead.”

Her scowl morphs into suspicious and uncertain look.

“There will also be many who need food, clothes and security. So we should start hunting and helping people. But there is too much to do, so we need to start immediately. We might need to delay our travel but it won’t be a problem.”

With expression of realizing she looks blankly in my direction.

“It may take weeks or even months, but that is okay, we were never in a hurry. But we must do even more, lets donate all our savings and help every single person in this city. No, that is not enough, we must help everyone and rebuild the city from zero.”

She breaks the eye contact and looks away.

“Whats wrong? Why are you standing? Shouldn’t we help them? They need our help, look around they are all begging for it. Start digging, hunting and helping.”

“Stop.” she mutters under her breath.

“What are you standing for lets go, lets help everyone. They all need our help.”

“Stop, I got it.” she says a bit louder.

“NO, YOU DIDN’T FUCKING GET IT! LOOK AT ME! You never wanted to help them, you only wanted to satisfy your ego, ‘Oh, I saved the people, I helped them, look how good I am’. That is not help.”

She tries to shrink down, making her look small as if a child being punished.

“Your life is your own and you can do with it whatever you like, but ...”

I stop, this is too much.

[Was that speech addressed to her, or ourself?]

…

Many people from the outside of the city started coming inside, trying to loot whatever was let of the city, but we were already traveling away from the city.

The first night after disaster is unforgettable, the shock fades away with cold realization of actual events, as if drug wears off. That feeling of sudden clarity is hard to describe but many have felt it before.

As no one would be able to rest, so we decided to travel as far as we can from the city as we can, and make a camp. Thankfully the days got longer and even during the evening hours there was enough sun light to see the path. We actually found a road. The scarce and dried vegetation that started appearing around the road told us that we are walking in the right direction.

When there was less than an hour of sun light left we finally stopped and made a camp. As the terrain was no longer just sand and rock the earth held the warmth from the day and it wasn’t as cold as last few nights.

No one wanted to talk, as subject would return to the events in the city, and therefore the evening was spent in absolute silence, which helped a lot as there are many predators around. Hunger and desperation can drive animals to attack even groups as big as ours.

All big cities have a special barrier that holds the animals and monsters away. It is usually located in the center of the city, not because it was placed there, but rather that the city grows around its circular dome protection. And as soon as it falls all predators will rush into the city, as if hypnotized.

Samolesh will have a bad night today, barrier is down and whatever guards were left alive would not be able to protect the city. If they even would. And the smell of blood will only make things worse.

Samolesh is no more. There are cities around, but they are in opposite direction of where we are going. Therefore we decided to travel directly to Mozzarel.

Rest is for the dead.

…

The terrain changed to more mountain-like, with much higher hills, and much bigger slopes. Finally trees appeared, not the big and pretty ones, but seeing even these bald things is quite a relief. The Dead Desert is called ‘dead’ for a reason, and seeing life had quite an uplifting effect.

There were few attacks from local bandits and predators, but their choices and decisions were quickly proven incorrect and wrong. Thankfully they had a bit of food and water, dead don’t need them, so we took it upon ourselves to carry that ‘heavy’ burden.

At some point of attacks or travel the party leader, Eslan, started asking my opinion on his decisions and plans. I am not sure what contributed to that, the sudden quite behavior of Olana or my actions during the attacks. Another sword broke during the fight, and as always I had to use whatever I had left, my hands. Sword is clean and fast, with bare hands you get much more gore and blood. My body has regained a bit of strength, not as much as it had before, but still much better to my dried state in the north. I took a new sword from the dead bandit, but it would not survive for long.

Still, maybe the ogre and elf told Eslan something, but by their behavior it is not likely. They didn’t get better after making an ‘official’ funeral for their friend. They themselves look half dead.

Scars don’t disappear, they just start hurting less with time.

And when enough scars pile up upon your body, you change. Some would say in a good way, some wouldn’t.

…

The party stands in horror and awe looking at a well known place in the continent, but it’s meaning holding much more value now, when the continent is in this state.

Two black charred skeletons stuck in block of ice with huge swords plunged into each other. According to legends, both belonging to same race, same clan, but fighting for different sides. A reminder of how pitiful we are in comparison to ancients of divine era. It could be just a harsh reminder of past if the skeletons weren’t about three hundred meters in height. And the block of ice has been here for about a thousand of years, still standing, still affecting the weather of the whole region. Thankfully this place is surrounded my mountains and the influence of the ancient spell is contaminated.

It is a reminder who fought in the world divine war, and what kind of spells creatures of divine era used. We are nothing but ants, and if a continental war broke out, would we be able to stand together like ancients against the horrors from other continents?

Seeing it for first time changes people, you suddenly don’t seem as important, as mighty, as powerful as before.

But we must continue walking.

…

Mozzarel is big, not just ‘a big city’, but actually BIG.

The city was one of not many cities created by ancients, and represents the scale of construction ancients could create. By legends it should have been a massive 2 kilometers high citadel, which consisted of about 3000 castles, with four tall towers and central gold castle for the emperor.

But the ancient war and time changed a lot, only two towers are still standing, with one barely holding together. The whole city is quite asymmetrical, which by legends was caused by a huge gravitational spell. People have been trying to rebuild the city for a long time, but the methods of constructing structures so solid and tall are lost. Even now, many buildings are falling apart, and the only thing people are able to do is to hide the damage done to the structure with simple decoration and fluff, nothing more.

But even in this damaged state the citadel is parting the sky, with its tips invisible over the clouds. The size is humongous not more only by height but also by scale, and with 25 kilometers in radius it looks more as a city of gods.

Still, this mega city is only able to exist because of infrastructure that was left by ancients, a huge water and canalization system, constant stream of goods and products from all directions, and a underground gardens. If even one of the chains is broken, the city will fall, and people are trying to do their best to ensure that it would not happen.

As we get closer to the city, the two hundred meter tall wall around it makes sure that no one forgets their insignificance before the it. These walls were not build, but created. There are no bricks. The earth was moved and compressed after which it was enchanted, or at least I think so, other alternatives are just too unrealistic. Sadly the most ‘unrealistic’ case is usually the truth.

We are about a half kilometer from the city walls and the main gates, but even from here you can see the huge number of people and caravans gathered before the gate.

There was a time long ago when people could simply walk into each of the cities on the continent, with no need to have documents with themselves, or have to go through security checking. It was a kind of a badge of pride that the security was on such level that people could feel safe whenever they go.

But times change.

My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden flash of light coming from behind. Turning around I find Olana casting a strange channeling spell into air which travels higher than the walls. The spell morphs into several geometric figures while shining in all colors of rainbow.

I stop the horse while looking at her. That was a signal, but for what? Is this a trap?

No she is still near us, she is not the type that would risk her life to…

[Didn’t she nearly die trying to find you? Is that not risking her life?]

She looks back at me in total confusion, as if the thing she did was the most natural thing in the world.

Suddenly a really similar signal appears from within the city. A few seconds after that I can see at least 50 wind wizards coming in our direction.

“What did you do?” said Eslan with really pale face while his hand reaching for the sword on his hip.

Confusion and fear is colored across all faces of the party.

“Said that I arrived.” she replies totally innocent as if that is the most logical thing to do.

If this is a trap, even if I try to do something now, I won’t be able to outrun them, and hiding in the city is not possible, it is still too far, the only option is to wait.

[Wait for what?]

As soon as the wizards arrive, while hovering in air, I curse my luck. Every single one of them has an enchanted crossbow, and they surrounded us on a distance at which I will be dead a second after I move.

Without missing a single second a person with extremely rare enchantments on his green clothes and long dark black hair steps forward and lands in front of Olana.

“Welcome back princess. We have been anxious over your sudden departure.” He says with slight bow. Looking through everyone inside the circle he continues ”I fails to see your personal bodyguards your highness.”

She looks away in silence.

Princess… God damn it.

[Oh. It starts making more sense now. Doesn’t it?]

Suspicion flashes through his face but for a fraction of a second. “You will meet your parents immediately. Your friends, will be take care of.” he stated quickly.

“Yes Captain!” replied the wind wizards instantly, preparing to take action.

The next instant Eslan steps forward and takes out a scroll with red insignia on it. “Heir of Tusan royal family request… um begs, for an audience with His Royal Highness King Yenovaus.” he announces with a loud and strained voice.

Looking at the party leader, the Captain replied with a smile. “Of course.” He turned around and made a strange swirling gesture with two fingers.

As if by a queue a strong wind started howling around us. We were slowly lifted and taken all together with horses in the direction of the city. The four-legged warmblooded creatures greatly disliked the travel, but their whines were ignored, they are not the only ones dissatisfied with current state of things. It felt as if we are prisoners and are being let to judge or executioner.

As we are flying with great speed towards the center the city, everything under us moves quite fast. Houses and buildings, markets and fields, and a lot of people. But still, the citadel structure in the distance did not look as if it is getting any closer.

With each minute the number of people and size of buildings grew in magnitude, it took only several minutes and we already got so deep into city that the city walls lost it grandness. A thick line on horizon.

After few more minutes we crossed a second wall with the same height as the original, and landed near a fort behind them. The place was obviously a military complex with big number of soldiers and horses training and learning military maneuvers.

The moment the feet of horses touched the floor many of them tried to throw off their riders, it took several unsuccessful attempts but the creatures still didn’t want to calm down, after which we decided to get off them as quickly as we can.

As we walk a few step aways from the horses, voice of the captain reminding that we have much more problems.

“From here on I would kindly ask you to leave your horses, belongings and weapons with my subordinates.”

In the center of military fort this does not feel as a request at all.

We are thoroughly checked and searched. The one unlucky guy whose task was to search through my belongings made disgusted face throughout the whole process. He even refused to look through my satchel and just held it with his big and index finger as a piece of trash.

In the end all the collected stuff was gathered a put on a separate cart.

We started walking through the fort as more and more guards in armor appeared and joined our procession. As we traveled through the fort we finally came to some kind of fortified mansion.

A new person in grey robes listened to Eslan, and with a smile invited everyone to proceed further with him.

“He is with me” interjected Olana, when guards wanted to ‘escort’ me together with the party leaving to other room.

“He will be washed and dressed, and will accompany you later.” said the captain to his subordinates while looking at me with suspicion.

“No, he will come with me to father.”

As they are drilling each other with that gaze of silence that I had experienced during the short interaction with her. It looks like it is local ‘thing’.

If she is princess, her father, more likely, is king. Which is really bad thing for me, meeting with a ‘ruler’ is never good experience. And I am not sure how to evade it. Will my opinion even matter right now? The best thing would be to run, but the guards here are professionals, standing at perfect distance to retaliate at whatever can come from me.

[Isn’t this the thing that you wanted? Competency. Pity that the real professionals are always against you.]

“He will not enter into the throne room with his … appearance.”

I still look like a hobo, some random rags in place of proper clothes, long unkempt hair, bristle that should have been shaved long time ago.

There is no point of painting a house which will be demolished.

“I believe this is the place where we part … Princess”

Turning to me with a fierce glare she growls at me “You promised me, and you will fulfill that promise.”

Turning back to captain she declared “He will come with me.” with cold and commanding voice.

After few seconds of staring which she usually did with me the captain bends.

“As you wish, princess”

Shit.

We move through many corridors, with more and more guards appearing with each passed door, while the corridors became wider and higher each time.

Many tried to hide it, but their face of confusion about the presence of walking rag was hard to hide. It is not everyday that you see a hobo walk to throne room.

We finally reach a doors which are at least 70 meters high and 15 meters wide. As everything in this place, structures tend to be colossal, the thematic goals of this place obvious.

After about a dozen seconds of waiting, doors open and a person announces.

“Her royal highness princess Olana Se Madoro and her companion.”

As we enter the only thing that comes to mind, is again the word “Colossal”. The room is at least a kilometer width and 400 meters high, with hundreds of columns around 10 meters in diameter reaching the ceiling.

Colossal.

We start walking forward I feel a sudden change in the air. Something I felt many times.

Anti-magical area.

They appear in different form, sometimes it is an magical orb with limited radius of application, sometimes it is an enchanted room. In most cases the anti-magical area were used as a ‘meeting place’ for ambassadors or important people.

Anti-magical areas do not suck out ambient mana or internal mana but rather constantly send random amount of different mana around. Causing an area of chaotic movement of mana, in which casting a spell is near impossible. People described it as “trying to stand on water”.

This is one of the ancient technologies which people still try to replicate, but fail in all possible cases, and all currently existing ones are the ones that survived from ancient era.

But presence of one in a throne room… This is extremely rare.

If everyone is affected by it how can they defend themselves? The answer is found quickly. All the enforcers and mages are standing at a specific distance from main path to throne, behind the columns.

Area of effect? No.

I notice that the floor that I am standing on has slightly different tone. They tried their best to hide it, to make it in the same style, color and tone, but it is hard to replicate the effect of time.

Enchanted floor, well this is something new…

As we continue to walk I finally look at the throne that is elevated at least 50 meters from the ground, with long staircase leading to it. And if someone would want to look at the person on the throne he will have to bend his neck.

[Looking up at the gods or looking down at the ants?]

Both.

There are also several people standing on each side of throne.

We come to stop at a specific distance from the throne, but right in the center room, more likely the area of maximum effect.

One wrong move and hundred of enchanted arrows and spells will pierce us but in fraction of a second.

Not us, me.

I think in this moment we should bow, hitting our temples on the marble floor to show ‘respect’.

"Father I found-"

But before Olana could finish, a quick series of footsteps come from the right as a woman, in beautiful long green dress with encrusted gems, came and clutched Olana in a hug.

About a meter away from the woman stood several really dangerous guards in green platemail, the metal was unknown to me, and the number of enchantments on each of them is staggering. Equipment of just one of them would me enough to support a mid-sized city for a year.

Few seconds of silence are followed by echoes of wet and muffled sobs throughout the room. “I am sorry mom, but I had to ...” whispers Olana.

After about a dozen seconds of sobbing Olana continues "Mom, now we can find her. I-" All guards are looking at the pair, except one, which I finally notice.

His concentrated gaze and furrowed brows visible through the open faced helmet, remind me of someone, but I just can’t place it. Red hair is not that rare, but...

His image ripples as I feel something titanically heavy, burning hot and at the same time freezing cold crash into my left shoulder and stop when it reaches the bottom of my left lung. His image ripples again, and for a fraction of a second I saw a person with a great sword burrowed deep into my torso, which after another ripple instantly returned to the same image of a guard standing, but with impassive stone face.

Not even realizing it, I swing my right hand as a claw with deep inhuman bellow, into empty area which somehow connects with something. After another ripple around the guard a sudden explosion of red appears before me.

Before I can register or understand what happened, I see an image of hundreds of enchanted arrows being fired in my direction and sound of something crash into area around me. Meter long arrows are all around me, many are embedded into the stone floor, some of them go through me before that. My body is shredded and I feel as if I entered world of pain.

Darkness clouded my eyesight and some kind of buzzing in my ears is all I can sense except pain.

I send internal mana around the body to evaluate the state I am in.

Damage is big, just too damn big.

The is nearly no organ left undamaged. I am not sure even how the arrows missed my head or heart and not killed me instantly.

[Enough whining. Start moving. Don't you dare die right now. Don't even dream of rest yet!]

I can't die now, not yet, not like this. I send all the mana available to not heal but rather to make the body move as fast as I can. I am still in battle.

Shit always happened in the worst possible situation. Why wouldn't it happen when I am surrounded by the most skilled enemies possible.

With force I open my eyes, but the image is still blurred, ears are no better, shouts and screams tell me that the situation is still critical. I am not even sure how I can still hear and see.

As my hearing slowly restores I hear a quite familiar voice. “No!!!” screams Olana behind the guards with raised shields and her mother along her.

“He is already dead, step aside princess.” says a new voice, which is quite deep.

“No! He is a Blood Brother, I brought him to-” shouted Olana.

I somehow turn my neck, with perforated wound from arrow, into the direction of new voice and see at least 3 meters tall giant with grey skin wearing blueish plate mail armor and helmet with horns in his hand.

“It doesn’t matter, he-” stops the new voice as soon as he sees me looking in his direction.

Horror instantly visible on his face as he unsheathes his giant sword and points it at me. Several guards reload their crossbows and point them at me too.

After few attempts I realize that I am nailed to floor. I need to take action, but my muscles won't move. Just mana is not enough, I need oxygen, and with destroyed lung it is a quite hard task.

WHAT THE FUCK did my left lung do to deserve being constantly crushed? To gather air I need time and that is something I am always low on.

I hear many fast footsteps as more guards arrive, their metal boots clanging against the marble floor.

Shit.

“Wow, a zombie.” says one of several youths in fully grey hakama standing near the next batch of guards.

What the fuck is Qing young sword students doing here? I thought-

[Forget! Survive first.]

I return to healing and thinking about the possible ways to get out of current situation.

A person, in blue kimono with white flowers painted on it walks slowly to front of the group and bows in the direction of the throne while holding his right hand to his heart.

“Sensei, is he really a zombie? Here, on Sazalar continent?” says another youth to the person who looks like blade master. He finally turns in my direction and looks at me in silence.

“Sensei, is it true that if you rip out zombies heart, it will continue to move?” Says first youth while looking at his teacher.

The person in blue kimono narrows his gaze for few seconds and than his eyes shoot open. He puts his left palm over his right fist and slightly bows in my direction. The same instant all his students fell silent.

“It has been quite a while my friend.” says the man. “I never expected to meet you here.”

“Wh-” starts the giant, but is interrupted by another voice.

“Do you know this thing Narotetsu?” sounded the cold and commanding voice in full volume, coming from the direction of the throne.

“Yes your highness. He is … an old friend.” replied the man.

After few seconds of silence the king continued.

“And why did your friend attack my wifes guard? Even more, in my throne room.”

The man looks at something on floor in front of me. When I turn my still perforated neck and look in the same direction I find the rippling guard lying in a pool of his blood, with his skull cracked open as an egg.

The continues to looks at the body with narrowed eyes for few seconds.

“Nakai.”

“Yes, Sensei!”

“Bring me the arm-guard of the guard.”

“Yes, Sensei!”

One of the youths walks to the body, while stealing few glances at me. After few unsuccessful tries the youth finally takes off the corpse arm-guard, but as soon as he does that several stones fall out of it. The youths picks them all up and brings to the man.

Eyes of giant guard open wide as soon as he sees the stones.

The man takes the arm-guard in his right hand and looks at it for several seconds, while he plays with stones in his left hand in total silence.

“I am waiting Narotetsu.” says the voice with apparent dissatisfaction.

“This, your highness, is a quite rare illusionist tool, a really sophisticated one to boot.”

“What does being illusionist have to do with it?" interjects a new voice from the left side of the throne in red coat. "And you didn’t answer the question of his highness.”

“As I wanted to say, before you interrupted me counselor, this tool is really rare, I would even go as far to say that there are only few on continent, and only several people know how to use it. And judging by the quality of item and skills required to use it, the only person who could be the personal attendant of her royal highness could be a Lanas.” finished the man in kimono while looking at the counselor.

“We have a peace treaty with Sarshi Caliphate. And I see no reason that we can’t hire someone from Lanas family. But you still have not answered the question swordsman, and our patience is running low.” growled the man in red coat.

“Well you see, my friend has quite a history with Lanas family. To be frank that is understatement. They have such a deep ... discontent with each other, to such level that they nearly erased each other from the face of earth. And as I assume, that was Keroni Lanas, the youngest of this generation. And by the still plunged sword in my friends chest I assume the young Lanas tried to get revenge using one of his illusions in the middle of throne room. He tried, but as you see, he failed.”

After few seconds of silence the counselor continued.

“Does your friend have a name, or should we refer to him as ‘your friend’.”

“I am not sure if it would be right for me to say it here, but we can continue the discussion in private after you help him, it doesn’t look like he has much left.”

“Speak.” growled an angry voice coming from the throne.

“As you wish your highness. He has several names, and not the best ones. But I believe the one he is mostly known is ‘Inquisitor’”

An utter silence fell upon the throne room.

One of the guards with crossbow directly in front of me started visible shaking, and fraction of a second after that the crossbow in his hand fired, but my hand already moved by instinct and with palm I swat it away as if a fly. The arrow crashed into one of the columns behind me with loud clang.

Now I remember, he was one of the blade masters that took part in the purge in Qing, the talkative one with blue mask.