It’s been half an hour already and the cave has become quite crowded. Selica can count at least 100 heads inside the cave. A good chunk of the mages have taken upon themselves to help at the cave digging section while others decided to keep watch at front and guide other mages from coming in. Selica notices there’s a sizable number of new arrivals who are still doing nothing but resting by the fire. ”Let them be,” Deringer says when Selica asks what to do with those who are just resting. “This whole ordeal is traumatic enough as it is, forcing them to work more might just break their proverbial backs.”

Indeed, one look at some of these mages will tell you the distraught and horror they’ve just been through. Blood-covered face and vibrant clothes torn to shreds, for a moment Selica forgot that these were mages but rather refugees of some war-torn country.

“Please let me help!” Mirna extends her hands to some of the mages who are still injured.

One extends their hand, full of cuts and bruises. Blood and grime covers the young maiden’s face, but her facial features are darkened further by large gashes. Selica can even deduce that she might be missing an eye.

“Oh dear,” Mirna places both of her hands on the lady’s face. Immediately her face restructured itself back to its former glory, revealing a delicate and pristine face afterwards. “There mam. How is it?” The lady slowly touches her face, focusing first on her right eye and then the rest of her features. “My eye! I can see again!” She’s beautiful, Selica thought. Exceedingly so. Like a princess or a goddess in a story book. To think someone like her has just gone through this hellish ordeal sickens Selica to the pits of her stomach.

“Tsk.” Beside Selica is Hog, who has just recently returned with Mariane from their mission, scowling at the site of Mirna helping another wounded individual. When they returned back to the cave they immediately reported that Revo stayed behind due to the eerie situation things are heading. “She shouldn’t be healing them. She didn’t come here to heal people.” He mutters under his voice as he watches Mirna continue healing others.

“TROUBLE!” Footsteps from outside the cave accompany a familiar voice. Gallian is back, Selica thought. She immediately runs towards the entrance and meets her friend. When she exits the cave she sees a familiar red haired girl flanked by two other people: a raven haired boy, and a silver haired...orc?

“SEL! BIG TROUBLE!” Gallian is soaking wet as she rushes straight towards the cave. Did she remove her shield? Selica ponders as she meets her friend halfway.

“Woah, girl. Take it easy.” She stops Gallian from running, and places her hand over Gallian’s chest to try to feel her mana: they’re being disrupted by the rain. “Why did you remove your shield?”

“I had to. So I don’t get spotted.” Gallians says. She nudges the two people beside her. “We’re safe now here.” The raven haired boy is the first to comment on the situation. “No time to dilly dally. The Silencers are circling us as we speak.” His clothes carry the same level of regality as Tavian, but at a lesser intensity. More muted hues are found in his garments underneath the dirt and grime covering them. The orc woman-or is it a girl? Selica has not met enough orcs to determine otherwise- swiftly replies. “If sir Shellon’s words are true, then there’s a capable man inside the cave. Please, lead us to him. We have a message to relay.” Her diction caught Selica off-guard. She speaks more like an elf than an orc.

“Um, yes of course.” Selica guides the group inside the cave and is met by Deringer and the rest of the protection group. ”Frizzy haired old man carrying a silver revolver.” The raven haired boy notes on Deringer’s details. “Perfect. Good Deringer sir. Greetings! My name is Khampir and the orc here is Lady Tatsu. We come bearing ill tidings to your-our operation.” He immediately corrects himself by the end. “When sir Shellon rescued us, we noticed a few Silencers tailing them, But instead of engaging they simply watched and observed our numbers, and after a few moments they left us.” ”When we finally decided to return here, we saw the same Silencers tailing us behind. That’s when sir Shellon and Mallasc decided to stay behind and distract the two.” Tatsu continues their report. Everyone in the cave seems to have tuned in to this grave news. “Sir Buck and Jonsir have also stayed in the open to better grasp the situation. But one thing is clear, the Silencers are waiting, they know about this cave and they’re just waiting for us all to come here before they strike.” Tatsu ends her report in silence. Grim news befalls the cave as murmurs quickly spread like wildfire.

“This is suicide!” One of the mages by the hearth stands up. “Staying here will only lead to our deaths! Long before we could dig through this damn cave!” He points at the back of the cave that has still no end in sight. The diggers have made significant progress with the added help from the newcomers, but it seems like there is still some distance away from the proverbial finish line. They even double checked it with some of the mages who can cast detection magic through solid rock. ”We are very close!” One of the digger mages answers back, “Around 10 more minutes before we reach the chamber!” It’s really unfortunate, Selica thinks, that despite all the talented mages present here, it seems like none of them have a specialty towards earth manipulation that is better than Gregor. ”That’s 10 minutes of us sitting around like idiots while the Silencers prepare to murder us.” Another mage argues back. The entire cave is turning into a tempestuous turmoil, even greater than the torrential trouble outside.

“Enough of these delusions!” An older mage, probably older than Deringer if that was even possible, stands up amongst the disgruntled people within the cave. His body is covered with a dark murky cape decorated with regal sigils of shields with an embossed T in the center, “I am Lord Aesir, Fifth Member of the Tamageres Council of Mages, and I plea to those who still have a sense of sanity left in them to come with me and leave this death trap.”

Tamageres? Fifth? Selica recalls Dimas’ position as being the fourth member of the same council. So there are more of them here, she thinks. Selica looks around and sees recognition from the other mages regarding Lord Aesir’s position. ”Are you going to stop them?” Selica swings back to Deringer who has been silent throughout the uproar. Even after the report from Khampir and Tatsu, Deringer has decided to keep his mouth shut and allow the situation to get worse like this.

“Will you? Sir Deringer?” Aesir walks closer to Deringer, towering over the captain with his regal presence. Selica can hear a mighty thud of a cane underneath his cape in every step he makes.

“Of course not, sir.” Deringer bows and steps aside. “However, we will stay here and continue our operation.” He adds.

“Of course, we will not go against your plan, as you have not gone against ours.” Aesir bows a bit, showing a brief display of reverence towards Deringer. “Thank you for healing us, we owe you our gratitude. But now we must depart.” He raises his mighty cane and a crowd behind him starts following him. “Come mages, I will protect you from the rain, we shall find our victory elsewhere.” As Aesir slowly moves out of the cave a large “Psy Shield” starts to cover him and every other mages following him outside. Sir Aesir left the cave with half the total of mages inside. The cave feels spacious now, with all the empty air that Aesir’s group have left. Selica also realizes that most of the people that left them were from the “do nothing” group that were loitering around the fire. After Aesir’s group left, Deringer turned back around towards the back of the cave, “So, we still have 10 minutes, huh? Those fools will buys some time.” Deringer speaks as he touches the wall with his own wrinkled hand.

“What? What are you talking about?” Aren’t we the fools for staying here? Selica thinks. “Are we not the fools for staying behind?” Selica still feels guilty for dragging them all here. She knew her “Roar” will change the landscape of this conflict, but she didn’t know it would end up like this. ”They’ve made their choice, and we’ve made ours.” Deringer looks back at Selica with a pair of cold calculating eyes. “Actually Aesir just did us a favor. Thanks to his pompous decision, we would have taken the full brunt of what the Silencer has been cooking right now.” Deringer places his hand underneath his chin. “Being out in the open like that makes them an easier target for them to be struck first.”

“Selica.” Gallian speaks up behind Selica, her eyes clearly showing concern over what’s going through her friend’s mind. “I-I know what you must be thinking, but we can’t feel guilty over other people’s actions. Especially those who followed him.” Selica sighs, “I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Gallian seems to have noticed her wavering again. Selica did promise her that they'll enter the city together.

“Everything we do right now is a risk,” Deringer intervenes in the girls’ conversation. “Shellon and the rest of my squad are out there making the same risk as well, that’s why we can’t second guess ourselves and push on with the task at hand.” Deringer starts grabbing one of the rocks and begins the digging once more. “Those of you who can, grab a rock and start digging. We may have a few minutes of grace period before the Silencers head for us next.” Deringer begins the excavation once more.

“We’ll help!” Selica, along with Ashlin and Gallian immediately went straight to the back of the cave and started digging. Everyone who was left in the cave has also started digging. Only leaving Despi as the watchman of the cave.

Aesir feels pride for commanding such a large group of mages under his belt once again. Back in the Council, he would be ridiculed for his fifth position by the other council members. ”Oh Dimas. If you could only see me now.” But not Dimas. Aesir recalls Dimas has always been private, kept things to himself. That’s why he respects him compared to the other old farts wasting their time inside the council. So when he was invited by Magecraft City’s representatives to join this test, it was only by sheer luck that Aesir was able to hear about it.

Hearing the grander prospects of power hidden within the city’s newest district is too much to pass by for Aesir.

“My lord,” One of the feebly young mages speaks up beside him, his scrawny form makes him look like a toothpick, Aesir thought. “How are we going to pass the test now?” His voice is trembling from fear and the weather. Though his “Psy Shield” is potent from keeping these people magically able, they are still wet from the heavy rain itself.

“We will climb up the hill, as per what the host intended.” He answers with a kind confidence a mage of his age could only deliver.

But honestly Aesir doesn’t really care about these people. Spending the meager amount of mana for him to shield them from the rain’s effects is nothing compared to the amount of bodies he’s gained when the Silencer comes for them.

“Was it really wise to leave the cave sir?” Another mage asks. This time it was an older lady who’s makeup had been washed away and shows nothing but her horrid face.

“Of course. It’s a cave, my lady. A death trap in the most literal sense.” Aesir has already predicted this outcome. He only allowed himself to enter the cave previously because he’s heard that there was a healer among the mages inside it. Though his scrapes were minor, what truly healed him was the hearth the young cleric created. It was so potent it rejuvenated his mana back to its fullest.

But now that they’ve fulfilled their purpose, he couldn't care less of what might happen to those fools he left behind.

“THUD” A large metallic rod pierces through the young boy on Aesir's side. Aesir looks back and sees a large iron spear lodged in the boy’s chest. ”M-my lord!” The young mage tries to raise his hand, but eventually dies.

“S-Silencers?!?” The old lady stammers as she watches the boy die? “I-I thought they will not harm us?” ”Go! Fan out! Don’t let them see you out in the open!” Aesir waves his hand as he also starts running towards the buildings.

The old man’s head is racing. Why are they attacking us instead of the fools inside the cave? Do they think we are easier prey compared to them?

“Phase!” Aesir runs through the makeshift buildings, phasing through them using his magic. He is a master of deception and guile, being able to phase through these buildings is nothing but a parlor trick for him. At this point he has already let go of the “Psy Shield“ of the other mages and is focusing on himself. ”THUD THUD” Another pair of spears nearly hit Aesir as he passes through between the house. How are they chasing me? Aesir thought. He’s been through two to three blocks already, are they focusing on him?.

Then he stops, a grin starts to spread from his old, wrinkled face. ”Of course they will hunt for me, I’m the greatest threat they have right now.” Aesir for the first time stands tall and proud out in the open. Immediately two to three Silencers reach and aim at him from above the buildings. ”Fools, do you think your paltry spears can harm me?” Aesir taunts the Silencers staring at him.

The Silencers responded accordingly: they threw two spears at him, both whisking through his coat, revealing an empty husk of where his body should be.

“Fools! Do you think-!” ”Shlick!” Suddenly a sharp blade pierces him in the chest, quickly finishing Aesir’s grandiose speech. He stares at the blade and sees a finely crafted rapier, so pristine compared to the rugged blades the Silencers have been using till now.

“What?” The old man tries to look back to see who has stabbed him, and sees a pure white turban dry from the torrential rain accessorized by a golden blade . ”White I-Iron-!” An actual Silencer here? During the test? Aesir thought only the new recruits were allowed to join in this test. What’s going on?

“Apologies. But things have to end soon.” The Silencer pulls the rapier out. The wound is subtle, barely any blood splattered out, but for a mage like Aesir it’s lethal enough. Aesir tries to grasp the wound, but he can feel its effect is spreading, frying his mana from the inside. ”Mana Burn.” With one phrase, Aesir suddenly screams, clawing at his own skin as the mana within burns him inside out.

“It burns! Make it stop!” Aesir howls in unbearable pain, but eventually the burning sensation finally reaches his brain and kills him. Once Aesir perishes, his body slowly molds, reverting his body back from an old geezer of a man to a young adult boy.