Chapter 4: Time’s a Ticking

Screams can be heard, the cages banged with futile resistance. Ben’s eyes stirred within the dark, trying to get a hold of the situation but found that the darkness still held him tight, the bars were no longer there. He felt his legs getting up and tried to head over towards the sound but there was no distance gained even with him sprinting. There was nothing being accomplished other than the sounds getting progressively worse and worse. He stood within the dark room, dejected from the situation and looked around. The blood curdling screams rang within his ears and suddenly everything stopped. Only to have a single sentence heard within the darkness. “Run… you are not special, you cannot do anything… you shall only perish within the dark.”

Ben’s eyes shook away the images and saw the cell bars standing still. He looked to his left and found Asada still sleeping wonderfully within the pile of dirty rags. He stood up from his place and immediately got down on his knees, he felt sweat all over his body. He looked around frantically, and saw that one of the cells was empty. All the other cells were missing one or two people.

(Something is happening and I don’t know what…)

~~~~

Later, when Asada and Ben reached the tunnel end and started digging, he peered at Asada and started to speak only to be stopped by Asada.

Asada: “Shh, no words about what happened last night, all you need to know. Is that all those people who disappeared will never come back again.”

(Never come back again…. since we were all summoned for one purpose then I suppose the people are beginning to make their move. Then I’ll have to prepare myself.)

“Asada, any chance you can teach me some of your aura spells? or Chants?”

Asada simply looked at Ben and snickered at him, Ben only returned the snicker with a confused face.

Asada: “Haaaa… hahaha…. Ben you’re too much. Learning the aura chants is no simple matter, it’ll take years before you even gain the ability to learn spells. Certainly your eyes can help you trace them but they’re not exactly teachers themselves. Also I sense nothing special from you.”

(Then… how did you learn spells, yourself?)

Ben looked around him and saw no one close by, as if noticing what Ben was thinking, Asada interrupted his thoughts.

Asada: “Don’t bother asking others, also they don’t come near me since I’ve murdered before.”

Asada: “But if you really do want to learn, I stole a part of the aura stone. Concentrate placing your aura within this stone and you’ll eventually get it, even if the aura stone flickered on and off after you placed your hands on it.”

“Eventually get it…. didn’t you say it’ll take years?”

Asada: “Yes, for the chants for really basic things then it’ll take a year or so still.”

“Basics as in?”

Asada: “Just recklessly pouring aura everywhere and attempting to use some sort of magical ability.”

“...what”

Asada shrugged and gave a thumbs up

(Isn’t that kind of saying rush into the battlefield and hope to get across it without getting shot up.)

Ben decided to look at the black lights that formed above him once he thought about it. He grabbed a stone and the pickaxe and shoved it within the black lights without anyone noticing.

~~~~~

Within the cell, after everyone fell asleep, Ben pulled out the aura stone he had within his pocket and started placing aura magic within it. The aura stone flickered on and off, he tried again and the same results occurred.

(Wait, aren’t the aura stones kind of like batteries? Since they are made to hold aura within them…. wonder if that concept works as well… however why is it that when I place aura within this it just disappears? Dismantle? I guess)

Ben grabbed the pickaxe from the darkness and aimed it at the aura stone. He gave a quick glance at the guard from the door who was, as usual fast asleep.

(It’s that same fat guard that comes by every few days, I’m guessing they go by shifts and this fat guard simply sleeps like there’s no time to waste.)

Ben immediately struck the aura stone, the stone shattered upon impact and after a short second after, the stone pieces imploded leaving blue marks upon the ground, Ben saw red and green lights and a tinge of brown light floating from the broken shards.

He grabbed the brown light, but it effortlessly slipped through his grasps.

(I don’t know how to control these lights… but for some reason I can control the black lights that float above me, at this rate I’ll slowly die within these cells.)

Ben continued to watch the lights float, but they slowly floated towards the black lights, slowly being absorbed within it.

(..... absorption? Do black light simply absorb the other colors?)

He placed his hand within the black light, and grabbed a hold of something and retrieved it. It was the pocket knife that Dannie gave him, this time the handles have a fire and green outline while the blade slowly turned darker.

(Don’t tell me, my friend bought a special pocket knife out of strange coincidence.)

Ben looked around the pocket knife more carefully, flipping the knife around for any added effects. He stared at his knife and looked towards the cell bars, giving a quick slice. The bars made a clicking noise against the metal, he saw that the edge of the bar was stained black and slight embers burned slightly on the side.

(So… it’s Dannie’s knife that was absorbing the auras….)

Ben looked at the blade once again and the designs of a gray outline and the colors were still there.

(I guess I’ll spend everyday working on this… one bar should be enough for me to slip through along with Asada.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Another place~

The vast plains, known for it’s beautiful flower field, was now in ruins. Colored with blood and the bodies of humans laid everywhere, mere villagers, knights, and adventurers. Flames flared upon the trees, turning the field into an ash field. There were two armies facing towards each other, one of the flags held proudly was the Kingdom of Lanners, a lion with a sword’s symbol was illustrated upon the flag. While the other side had their flags up with the shield being it’s background and two swords entwined in front of it, the Kingdom of Vincol.

“Flame mages unleash destruction upon our enemies!”

“”“May the wrath of the god grant us their flame to destroy our enemy, and erase their wills from this world. >> Flame’s Wrath << “””

“”“>>>May the spirit of the wind guide lend my friends the power to run freely without the chains of bonds to this world’s restraint,>> Rein Free <<<”””

The flame mages’ flew towards the sky and lifted their hands in front of them, to spew out flames that quickly latched themselves upon the blood stained ground and scorched the surroundings. The flames stopped in front of a single soldier standing alone with dead bodies around him.

The soldier was wearing a red robe that flickered within the wind behind him. He looked at the mages with rage. His sword flickered a light upon the mages. The swordsman yelled and swung his sword in mid air and shot blades of wind.

“>>Activate Hatred’s Protection<<” Wind blades were formed beside the swordsman.

The mage’s flame shields quickly dispersed after the wind blades collided with it, the soldier with the red cape suddenly flew towards them and stabbed through the flames with piercing blades, blood spattered around the mages who looked towards the soldier. The soldier used the dying mage’s body as a foothold and quickly beheaded the other mages with swift motion. They gave short cries and attempts to create magic but none of them were able to do so. The five mages immediately fell from the air alongside the soldier who landed on the ground gracefully, his blade covered in the blood of his enemies. The soldier looked up at the general who was silently staring at the dying troops from a hilltop. The soldier yelled at the General with rage.

Lanyard: “General Ardap, why must you attack us? The Kingdom of Lanners should have nothing they want from the Kingdom of Vincol, we were also on a peace treaty weren’t we…. are you so cowardly to use this dirty trick to attack us from out of nowhere? Killing the innocent bystanders and destroying the very image of peace and love itself?”

Ardap: “Hmph, General Lanyard I have no business to speak with dead people such as you…”

General Ardap simply raised his hands towards Lanyard and crushed his hands, immediately multiple soldiers on horses rode passed Ardap and charged down the hill. Lanyard looked at the general in hatred as he looked around the plains, seeing his soldiers slowly being overwhelmed and the villages that used to be there, already burnt to the grounds. There were some villagers sliced down from where they stood, given no chance to move as the soldiers moved passed them.

Lanyard: “These people were innocent, and yet you killed them all…”

Horsemens climbed down the hill and started to surround Lanyard, some held bows while others held their swords, the bows were let loose and the horsemen that held swords charged in. Lanyard simply stood at his position closing his eyes. As the arrows came close, his eyes opened and let loose a vortex of wind around his surrounding. His hands threw the sword upwards letting a small beam of light glow from it.

“>>Summoning Magic, may my soldiers that have died upon the battlefield be given another chance to thrive within this land to avenge their slain loved ones and protect the livings.<<”

Lanyard caught his sword and sent the vortex of wind towards the back, causing the horses to fall alongside with their riders. He jumped towards the horsemen in front of him with his sword in hand. While, in the back the dead bodies that laid there suddenly rose up and took their swords.

>>> the masses of dead roared with their gurgling voices with their ruined muscles yet undying eyes.

The horses drew back in fear, causing some of the soldiers on the horses to fall down, where they were quickly killed off by the dead.

Ardap: “The Kingdom of Lanners demands the land of Vincol. It’s time for a change in this world.”

Lanyard quietly backed away as he stared at Ardap with eyes of contempt. He eventually broke in a full sprint back towards the battle. General Ardap simply smiled at the battlefield, the flames within his eyes glowed as his hands turned inflamed and aimed it towards the masses of enemy soldiers..

Ardap: “I send forth a power to be reckoned with, this host knows not of mercy but of death itself. Let my destruction rein free upon these pitiful souls who dare stand against us. >Soul Hunter’s Flame<”

Flames shaped of reapers formed in front of him, facing towards him as if snickering with delight. The reapers eventually split off into four different fireballs to different locations, General Ardap’s eyes smiled gleefully as he saw the fireballs hit upon the masses of troops. The troops screamed in pain as the blue flames engulfed them, slowly tearing them apart piece by piece. The flame cleared away, and a reaper formed by flames appeared within the explosion. It swiftly ran forth and killed everyone that still tried to hang onto dear life. Bodies strewn across the battlefield, flames flared, screams voiced the deaths, and the general’s eyes glimmered.