Chapter 18: The Blue Team

The Blue Team stepped through the teleportation gate after both ends confirmed their connection and readiness.

“Ugh, I hate the feeling of teleportation,” Quaver’s deep voice rumbled out. He was a big man even by the standards of magi humans standing at 283cm and built like a machine ready for war.

Octavia rolled her eyes at the big man as the guard captain of Ton came to report to her. The city lord would like to meet with them before they set out, but Octavia politely declined for her party before heading for the city gates faced in the direction of Comb. That did not stop her from gazing out in wonder at the vast cavern the city was constructed in. It always brought out the explorer in her whenever she came to the Catacombs. Giant mana crystals that functioned like the suns were placed in the ceiling. These crystals were laid out in a formation and was controlled by the city itself.

Ton was a true underground city with defensives to show for it. As Octavia and her team made it to the walls, she marveled at the runic pattern written out on the stones. This is what kept anyone from turning into an undead if they somehow manage to die in the city. It also held the magical barriers the cities of the west dukedom were famous for and with the ambient mana as well as the city cores these walls could hold themselves from any undead external threat. Comb was built in a similar pattern except it was at the beginning of the Land of the Dead. Octavia moved quicker wonderment fading as worry and stress appeared on her face. Her attention drawn elsewhere as she spotted her brother doing something he shouldn’t.

“Augustus get your ass here NOW,” Octavia said with annoyance as her brother spotted a pretty lady and immediately targeted her.

“Sister I was only stopping to ask directions.”

“This is a black priority mission can you not control yourself for once and act like a proper Romus? Do. Not. Make. Me. Tell. Mother.”

A chuckle came from Quaver, a deep rumble that sent the humans and magi humans stumbling out their way.

“Quaver, dear, talk some sense into your future brother-in-law,” Octavia’s eyes board into Quavers side as they moved quickly through the city.

“Augustus is a young blooming talent. You and I weren’t much different a few years ago. He’ll get it out of his system the same way we did,” Quavers eyes harden as he said this.

The Blue Team had been formed as a training group for one particular troublesome person. Not that they needed to hold his hand as Augustus was more than capable of taking care of himself in battle. Yet outside of battle Octavia’s brother had always been… special. It was Octavia’s responsibility as the next head of her household to keep her brother out of trouble and keep unexpected and unplanned children from happening.

Octavia didn’t care for her brother’s antics. It was her caring for the honor and prestige of the Romus family and she wouldn’t want a scandal to appear before she even took over as the next head of her house. The team quickly made it to the gate and pushed past the crowd only pausing to flash documentation as they by passed the guards to exit the city. Once out they immediately set off towards the city of Comb. Moving so fast it almost seemed like they were flying. As they moved various magical items and equipment began to appear on their body changing as they go.

Comb was around a day and half away from Ton at their top speed and if this was as serious as Corella implied then they needed to be at Comb as soon as possible.

…

Augustus raised his hand up and sent a signal back to his team who was right behind him. They ran almost nonstop only pausing once they were within an hour of the city to take a short break and check over their equipment. Along the way they had slayed many ghouls in the range of tier 3 and 4. Much more than what should be in this area which brought worry to the team members. It seemed the other undead had been pushed out as this many ghouls shouldn’t be concentrated in such an area.

Comb was special. It was the first city of the Catacombs and meant to teach young adventurers the purpose of EGER and how to descend the levels of the Catacombs. It was the first city most pilgrims arrived at if they chose to descend the ‘hard way’ as Octavia liked to put it.

Octavia thought it was a stupid to risk your life in such a manner but what people would do for their god went far beyond her understanding. Perishing the thoughts that bounced through her mind she focused on their current objective. They were pulling upon the cavity that housed the city and the party stopped in their tracks. They could feel it. Them.

Rank one creatures resided within the city. Their presences unmasked and open for all with the right auras to feel. Something most wouldn’t noticed until they also approached the rank. Those in the tiers however may feel an unease or terror depending on their sensitivity.

Augustus breath caught and he looked over at his sister.

“Octavia…,” Augustus turned to his sister in a panic. He did not sense one but 3 ranked beings in a city full of humans. How was this possible.

“Calm down although we haven’t ascended ourselves that does not mean we are out match. I can think of several ways tier 8s can take on a ranked without dying but that isn’t our mission objective,” Octavia’s voice was hoarse and red began to cloud her vision as she thought of the civilians trapped in the city. She took a deep breath calming her nerves.

With a sharp turn the three moved as one right when they sensed a presence appearing near them. Strong. There weren’t three ranked beings in the area but four.

“Alpha formation.”

Quaver immediately moved to the front, and it was as if the ground moved with him and the terrain, they were on reconstructed itself with rising mounds and walls to make it more suitable for defense and cover. As Octavia and Augustus moved to their positions a voice reached out to them just as Octavia was preparing to cast her first spell.

“Wait. My name is Shadow, and I am here on the same mission as you.”

That did not stop the team from preparing with Octavia still constructing the spell and holding onto it ready to be released at a moment’s notice.

The ranked being came out slowly from behind one of the hills constructed hood lowered and body in a relaxed state.

“Beautiful.”

Octavia shot her brother a withering look and was astonished at the drool falling from his lips. Mother would definitely be hearing about this. Returning her attention to the elf, Shadow, Octavia slowly walked forward but not past Quaver in case of an attack.

“My name is Octavia Romus what are you doing here, and who resides in the city of Comb.”

Octavia knew she was being slightly rude but an elf that could get so close to them without their notice was a dangerous individual and her roiling emotions at the situation burst out. Quaver put a hand on her shoulder in comfort and Octavia slowly settled down.

*

Shadow studied the group of humans that had appeared in her senses not to long ago. She had recently arrived in the cavity that house the city only to notice the major presences of ghouls and undead that should have long been cleared out by the city. The tracking stone for her charge pointed directly at the city of Comb and Shadow frowned as she sensed 3 rank one undead beings in the city.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t sneak in and recuse Aegis it was more on the lines of if this would be considered interfering to much with the trial. After all, the gods were watching, and Shadow could not have any idea how they would judge the test.

That was before the humans showed themselves. They were obviously an advance party checking the status of the fallen city and the city was fallen with the amount of undead roaming the lands. Shadow had no doubt. Shadow came to a decision. She wouldn’t rescue Aegis personally as Lady Keala specifically mentioned only if his life was truly endangering and with the arrival of the human Empires forces, she had no doubt that the problem Aegis had entangled himself into would be resolved. She was sure the boy had somehow gotten himself into trouble. He was just so curious. Not only to Shadow but in how she observed him observing everything from the fauna to the animals. Even the dirt. Every and any new thing he came across he had to get a basic understanding of.

Shadow removed her power that was evading the senses of the party before slowly walking as to not alarm them. Their reaction was instant.

“Alpha formation.”

Even from a distance it was not a problem for Shadow to hear what they said. Including their earlier conversation. The terrain changed and she calmly moved along the changes. Hills and walls sprang up blocking her path, but they did not stop her. Once she finally came within range of the party she paused. Letting them take her in.

“Wait, my name is Shadow, and I am here on the same mission as you.”

She felt the spell construct forming in the mage and spoke up before any hostile actions could be taken.

“Beautiful.”

Her eyes gave out a slight twitch in annoyance. Human men were all the same.

She watched as the mage of the group shoot the other human man covered in blue armor a withering look and she chuckled internally.

“My name is Octavia Romus what are you doing here and who resides in the city of Comb.”

After the woman, Octavia walked forward to stand next to the man that blended in with the stone she finally spoke.

“I’m sure you can feel the presence of three rank ones in your human city. My young charge happens to be residing in said city right now and I would like to see him rescued. Preferably unharmed as well.”

“Do you know anything of the situation inside?”

“No, but I suspect one of your human necromancers. In fact, I was going to proceed to scout the interior and verify the health of my charge whilst taking a peek at what the necromancer had in mind.”

Shadow watched as the human, Octavia, pondered on the information before sharing a look with the man next to her.

“If you can get into the city why not rescue your charge as well?”

“Pilgrimage.”

A look of understanding appeared on the humans faces and Shadow could see a hint of dismay in Octavia’s face.

‘Interesting.’

“If you don’t mind, could you report your findings in the city? Any and all information would be appreciated by ourselves and EGER. A reward can be provided as well.”

Shadow didn’t have a reason not to and nodded as any help she provided the humans would help Aegis out of his predicament.

As she turned to leave a voice spoke up and Shadow felt a pang of irritation well up inside of her.

“Fair maiden perhaps you need a guard? Not for protection but company.”

As Shadow contemplated her response. Octavia turns a released her spell in the direction of her brother.

“{Raijin’s Spear}.”

Radiance.

Shadow was surprised. Not at the spell itself but at how quickly the woman could produce an 8th tier spell without the need for a long chant. Raijin Spear fired off a giant concentrated lighting spear that looked more like a beam rather than a spear as the name implied. Shadow could tell the spell packed enough punch to even hurt her.

What happen next brought her an even bigger surprise. The flirtatious man, who had his eyes on Shadow turned and flickered if Shadow wasn’t rank one, she would have missed the movement entirely.

Fast.

No wonder they believed to have the ability to challenge a rank one. They had the capabilities to do so.

Shadow took this as her opportunity to leave quickly slipping into the shadows as she was certain the ranks ones in the city would have felt something. To much power was expelled for them to not have.