《Brave Soul》16. The Chase 1
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Light soar and pierce through the sky and the clouds encircle the light. A pillar of light appears and engulfed the entire city. The pillar of light stays for about few minutes and begins to fade from the base and disappear when it reached the apex of the light.
The pillar of light brought the city into ruins. The stone buildings are now gone. The entire city was decimated and looks like a thousand year old empire that was forgotten.
If I use a pain scale that would be 8/10, my left upper extremity really hurts that I shed tears because of it. I slowly got up by using my unaffected arm then tried to stand up. I wobble a bit then I was stunned of what I see in my surrounding. Since the ‘SANTUARY’ is limited, the dome that I created is just 3 meters in diameter. Including Greta who is still alive and tried to get up only 50 people survive. 15 of them are children under 12 years old.
“Mom! Little boy cried while holding the left forearm of her mother. He was shaking while hugging the forearm. His eyes filled with sorrows, fear and confusion. I walked towards the boy’s direction and realized that some of the people who turned into dust because of the Bishop’s spell were just one meter from the edge of my ‘SANCTUARY’
I reached the kid’s location and he looks at me with eyes of hopelessness and said “ My mother......he....sniff....”. I patted his head and said nothing while the kid continue to cry then he continued to speak while his voice is shaking and cracking and said,” My mom....she threw me towards the dome that you place.....and the last time I saw was her smile....sniff...then the light stole her away from me...and this... ,” while looking at the forearm, the forearm turned into ashes. “ Mom....mom..mo....Nooooo! why!? Don’t leave me!” the child pushed me slowly and grabs the ashes on the floor and continuously cries.
I just watched him held the ashes. I don’t know why God did or whoever it is..... place me in this planet, in this era. What the hell am I doing in here in the very first place anyway! Does my power even have a significant use!? What is my purpose in this planet!?
I continue to swipe my gaze to several people, then all of the sudden a faint light is emitting on the ground. The people begin to panic. So, I use the SANCTUARY again and the survivor ran towards the dome.
“What is that light? Greta said while biting her lower lip because of the pain.
“ I don’t know but I got bad feeling about that light,” I said calmly then Greta focused her attention on the ground.
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The light begins to shine brightly and after few seconds it disappears. I told Greta and the others that I will step outside the dome first, before Greta can refute I already manage to step out. I touched the ground and release my light spiritual sense and I sense nothing. It seems that the light is already vanished. I watch towards the people inside the dome and told them that it is safe to step out.
Greta twitch her lips while staring on the ground and said,” This is bad....”
“Bad? In what way,” I asked.
“This soil....” she kneel down and grab a handful of soil and said, “ This soil....you can’t cultivate any plants in here..” then she sigh.
“Tell everyone to check the north, south, west area, I will check the east area.
I went to the eastern area. The eastern gate was already gone. When I step out from the supposed eastern entrance, the shiny black soil reached at least 1-2 kilometres from the eastern gate. I touched the soil using both of my palm and release the wood energy. It seems that the ground repel my wood energy. Just as Greta said earlier, the entire place is doom. No plants, no food then.......death.
Greta and the others check the area and after a several minutes when return to the area where the dome I placed.
“How was the other place!? I calmly asked.
“It’s bad, it seems that the remnants of Bishop’s spell reached at least kilometres from the gates,” Greta sighs.
“Same in the eastern gate,” I said calmly.
While we are absorb in our thought, thousands black birds, it resembles a crow but twice the size and the colour of their wings is red while their trunk is black, flew towards the west area.
“THIS IS BAD!” Greta gasps. The people around me tremble in fear.
“Greta...explained it to me what is that bird represent for?” my voice is already rising.
Greta took a deep breath and said, “Those birds that flew earlier are known as the crown birds. They represent chaos; the last time that time happened according to the history was way back 1000 years when the church brought down the regime in the Serama Kingdom. The kingdom’s lowest army is composed of rank 1-3 with the help of the church’s white soldiers they will be at least 200 soldiers per cluster. You should know by now the church and the kingdom works hand in hand.”
The colour of the sky is orange to bright red. I don’t believe in bad omen but hearing Greta’s information plus the effect of the environment makes you believe that an approaching reaper is coming to our head.
“Greta kindly informs everyone that we will follow to wherever the crowns lead us,” I said it then kneel down and used my light and water energy sense but the sand just repels my energy. I used my wood energy again, although the soil repels it but the wood residual energy stays for couple of minutes before it disappear. I supply wood energy using my palm for a several minutes when all of the sudden Greta forcibly grab my hands and pull it up. I was shook my head and looked at her and she said in a worry voice, “ Your nose and your ears are bleeding.” I touched the parts of what she said and I can feel some liquid and when I saw it, I took a deep breath and told her. “Let us go now.”
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Greta informed the survivors to grab anything that is useful during our travel but the several of the survivors told Greta that all of their belongings or even food also dissipates because of the Bishop’s spell.
“Everyone, I know that you guys are weary, tired and confuse but we have to go now, earlier when I used my spell, I could feel the vibration from the ground and the woods essence several kilometres from this place is greatly disturbed. If I am not mistaken the church and the main kingdom is already sending a military investigator to investigate what happened to this place. If we will not go now, all you might die. Remember, the people who survive the wrath of the Bishop’s spell will equivalent to heretics.” I said calmly.
“You sure about this!?,” Greta whispered.
I whispered and said, “Yes, before you forcibly remove my arms, I could feel the vibration on the ground. It seems that they are using a huge mounts to come here. It seems to be slow though. If I am not mistaken they will arrived here in 4 hours but there are 2 people who I think is using 2 fast mounts. It seems the two people are scouts.” Greta nodded and ordered everyone to march towards the direction of the crowns.
Adults are divided into two groups. Half of them will be at front and the other will be at the rear side, while the children were in between. I position myself at least 3 meters from the last adult on the rear side while Greta is at the front doing some writing and attached on the bird’s feet know'a messenger dove, twice as big a earth's dove, and release the bird. She looked at me and said, “For the Duke, He will be next to be interrogated after this. Just giving him a head up”
The timer were already tweeting in low pitch for about 7x, we’ve been walking for about 7 hours nonstop. Since the sky is still bright, I told them to continue to walk for the next hour then we will rest.
-------- 4 hours later in the city ruined by the Bishops spell.
White armoured man shouted, “Check for any survivors then kill them on spot!”
The soldiers shouted yes in unison and did their job. A man in white robe approached the white armoured man and said,” I can’t believe that the Bishop just release the “SOUL PURIFICATION” in this kind of place!”
The white armoured man glared towards the white robe guy and said, “I don’t care about that piece of shit! What I cared about is how we are going to explain to his Majesty and his Eminence about what happened today. The light that was caused by your stupid beloved Bishop can be seen several miles away from here!”
White Robe man glare towards the white armoured man and said, “ just do your job, if there are any survivors spare no one!” Then he walks out and enters the brown carriage.
A guy wearing an off white leather clothing approached the white armoured guy and said, “ Greeting! Captain!,” He formed a fist on his right hands and place it on his chest, specifically in the sterna area then he bow.
White armoured guy sat down on one of the broken pillars of the house then nod and said, “Continue.” “Captain, it seems like there are no survivors but I feel like there are trace of wood energy around, “ the white leather man said calmly then took a deep breath and said,” If I am not mistaken they went towards where the crowns go, do you need me to pursue them?”
The captain look towards the sky, then he sigh and said, “Don’t do it too dangerous. There are several beasts that are active during night which are far more dangerous than the beast during rays of light still active. Let those beast deal with them. We will go back and report to His Majesty and Eminence.
The white robe man came out from the carriage and approached the captain and said, “We will talk to the Duke, I think he is in that mansion.”
“Are you going to question the Duke inside?, then the captain laugh.
“Hmp! I am not that stupid! I just want to talk to that person, maybe we can pin this event to him! Tell your soldiers to wait outside her mansion. Now GO!," thwe white robe man shouted.
--------------- Duchess De Garda’s mansion
“We finally arrive!” Keen enthusiastically said it.
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