Chapter 13. Rune Of Feather
* * *
…
The black mist enveloped the entire platform, spreading further, encroaching upon the citizens by the gates and the nobility who had initially been calmly enjoying the spectacle under their shade, taken aback by this unexpected display.
From within the mist, something emerged. Landed on the ground, it brought with it a portion of the lingering haze that cloaked its form.
"What that lunatic has locked himself with, damn it, I can't retrieve the knife…" it muttered angrily under his breath.
The black mist slowly dissipated from the figure shrouded in it, foreseeably unveiled to be Mayor Lucca, who was ensconced in a delicate, transparent membrane, shielding him from the effect of the mist.
Yet, upon closer inspection, one could see that his exposed left hand was turning a deep purple, the discoloration rapidly spreading toward his neck, only to be halted by something writhing beneath his skin.
The black mist continued to spread, engulfing more and more of the area around it.
It drew closer to the residents of Mirthwater, who were in a state of panic, shoving one another in their desperate attempts to escape.
Though they didn't fully understand the nature of the threat that had gotten closer, their instincts told them it was perilous.
Chaos erupted. People pushed against each other, and several fell to the ground, trampled by the frantic crowd.
A few of those who had once stood at the very front, clapping and cursing at the death rows when they were shot to death, unfortunately, became examples of what could happen if one did not flee in time.
At the side of the nobility, one of the nobles who at first slept with his mouth slightly ajar, relaxedly leaning back on his chair, head tilted upward, opened his eyes wide when he sensed the danger.
He had dark red mid-length hair that unraveled and fell loosely, covering over half of his face; a beard completed his handsome, middle-aged man appearance.
His name was Ranec.
With a rigid look, he rose from his seat.
A trace of saliva lingered on the side of his face.
He took a few steps toward the very front of the noble assembly. The nobles behind him had their brows furrowed; some were already gripped by panic, though they remained seated despite the tension.
As the threat of impending doom drew nearer, the red-haired Ranec extended his hand, palm facing the swirling black mist. A layer of transparent light manifested, spreading outward to envelop the entire platform where the noble group sat.
Noticing that his magic successfully blocked this somewhat familiar mist, he frowned and commanded, "Bring the mayor here. He is still of use to us."
Out of nowhere, a voice from nowhere responded to his command, "… Your wish is my command…"
Moments later, a disturbance rippled through a section of the luminous membrane, as if someone had just passed through it to venture into the ever-growing black mist.
It wasn't long until two figures gradually got closer, eventually stumbled back inside the light shield.
The figures revealed to be the mayor, with his purple arm still not healed. His face was pale, twisted in pain.
The one who brought him there by the shoulder was a man with black attire. A black metallic mask covered his whole face. On the mask, there were intricate lines of gold creating an elaborate pattern.
Other than the color that was different from the Praetorian Guard, it also sported a different pattern. The mask was a sign of a Chimera's Guard member from Chimera's Tail Society.
"Where did this mist come from?" the nobleman asked with skepticism, his piercing gaze fixed on Mayor Lucca, who barely managed to stay conscious.
The nobleman cast a fleeting glance at his subordinate, a silent command passing between them. Understanding his intent, the man in black raised his hand, palm facing forward.
A golden orb materialized above it, shimmering faintly, only to crack and shatter into countless fragments like broken glass.
{Silence}
An invisible domain manifested around them; no sound could escape.
As the mayor struggled to prop himself up, he eventually could only manage to kneel. With shivering, pale lips, he spoke, "Sir, danger! I believe what we're searching for is inside him. It seems to be reacting to our knife and amplifying the magic within it."
"… What???" Ranec exclaimed, taken aback by the unexpected revelation.
He turned to face the swirling black mist that was creeping against the protective light membrane surrounding them. Closing his eyes for a moment, he opened them wide, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"No mistakes—the black mist has consumed the magic. We need to leave immediately!"
While he spoke, cracks appeared in the light membrane that had been shielding them, ominously spreading across its surface.
The Chimera's Guard dispelled his magic, and Ranec turned to address the other nobles, who were now in a state of panic as they also noticed the cracks forming in the magical barrier.
While they may not have possessed the same mastery of magic that the man had demonstrated earlier, they were certainly not foolish enough to ignore the signs of this obvious danger.
"I apologize, dear Sirs and Madam, but we must evacuate at once!" he declared politely, bowing slightly.
"Ah, what's happening, Sir Ranec? Is this mist dangerous?" asked one of the nobles, who had been observing the black mist since its initial appearance.
He was the only one who hadn't fallen asleep during the irregular execution, which had unfolded without any announcement or formal setting, unlike the usual proceedings at The Central.
He was also the first to stand when the black mist began to emerge, until it reached their location.
"Very much so, Sir Calence. I deduce from its magical properties that we cannot, yet, contain it. The more we resist and attempt to shield ourselves, the longer the mist will linger. It will become increasingly dangerous by then," Sir Ranec replied pensively.
"I see. You truly are remarkable, Sir Ranec. To draw such a conclusion in mere minutes is truly impressive," Sir Calence acknowledged with a smile.
"Indeed, that's right. As expected from someone born of Valderas. Such magnificent sir…"
"Absolutely. Handsome and charming. A capable warrior, too! What lady could resist her desire upon meeting you, Sir Ranec?"
"What an impressive man!"
"…"
"…"
The other nobles chimed in from the sidelines, creating a chorus of flattery directed at Sir Ranec.
"Thank you very much, all of you, sirs and madams. However, I hope you won't take offense when I remind you that the shield won't last long. We must depart at once," he said, maintaining an amiable and charming smile.
* * *
At the top of the building.
Took a device that was given by Ferr, Sir Giles activated and commanded something through it. "Everyone, change of plan. We cancel it till we get more intel on their movements. Leave the area now!!! We assemble back at the base…"
After handing the device back, Sir Giles looked down at the residents of Mirthwater City, who were fleeing from the encroaching mist.
Many were shoved to the ground, some trampled to death, while others managed to scramble back to their feet. Nevertheless, countless casualties were still swallowed by the thickening black mist, which was gradually taking on a smoke-like form.
"Sir Giles, what are you doing?" Ran shouted as she reached the door, turning back to see him still in place. When he didn't respond, she called out again, "Sir, we need to leave now! Hurry!" El and Gill remained by her side, their eyes fixed on Sir Giles's back.
Turning around, Sir Giles waved his hand for them to go. "No, you three go back first—Ran, Gill, and little El. I need to help with the evacuation."
"Sir, they're the upper-side residents. Why would you help them?" Gill gloomily replied.
After thinking about it for a couple of seconds, Sir Giles approached the trio.
He stood before them and gently tapped each of their heads one by one.
'What the??? Why am I even involved in this? I don't even know you, sir…' El thought to himself, though he didn't resist the head taps.
With a warm smile, Sir Giles said, "To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself. But… a life is a life after all. If it can be saved, why not? Now go! Take them with you!" he urged his two subordinates who nodded to his order.
"Yes, sir…"
"Understood…"
Ran grasped the side of Sir Giles's shield, stopping him. "Come back safe, like you always do, alright?" Her expression conveyed a clear message: No compromises, with a forbidding intensity.
"Don't worry, I'm strong. Nothing will happen…" he assured her.
As the others hurried down the stairs, Sir Giles's smile faded. He walked to the edge of the building and jumped down, intending to land at the boundary between the black mist and the fleeing residents.
In midair, with a small, casual flick of his finger, he untied the ropes holding the shield on his back, grasping it with his left hand. With his right hand, he spun the ropes around his fist till it coiled to cover his wrist.
A glowing golden orb appeared beside him, shattering just before he touched the ground.
{Feather}
His body instantly defied gravity, his mass reduced to that of a feather for a brief moment.
Sir Giles landed gracefully on the ground, barely creating any sound.
Assessing the unknown threat in front of him, he immediately raised his shield high and thrust it down into the paved floor, facing the encroaching black mist. A round green gemstone affixed above the handle began to emit a faint, ominous glow, with a white haze swirling mysteriously within it.
And from the shield as the center, a transparent light, similar to the one used by Sir Ranec and Mayor Lucca to shroud themselves, manifested, spreading wide, creating an enormous barrier between the mist and the fleeing residents.
This magnificent display of magic was invisible to ordinary eyes, so those who witnessed Sir Giles descending from the sky saw a spectacular scene as he not only landed fine, but he also drove the massive shield into the ground, causing cracks to form.
Concurrently, the black mist was abruptly halted by something unseen.
The sight left them stupefied, causing them to stop running and rub their eyes in disbelief, unsure if they were dreaming. As the realization eventually set in, their jaws dropped in astonishment.
* * *
On the other side, the earlier group that had been running down the stairs, joined by others from the underside who were also evacuating the building. It was fortunate that this structure had Rune Magic carved in many locations, so when the mist advanced to reach them, it was halted by an invisible barrier.
They continued running until they reached the building where they had previously gathered.
Except for El and Ran, the others were breathing heavily from the continuous running, causing El to awkwardly stand in place under the gaze of those who looked at him up and down weirdly.
Remembering something, El called out to Ran. "Oh yeah, Ran. I have something to tell you…"
With a skeptical stare, Ran replied, "What is it? You don't want to say anything weird at this time again, right?"
In a panic from the observant eyes of others, especially Gill, who was glaring at him, El said, "No, no. This time it's important. I swear…"
"Hmmmm, okay… what is it?"
"Ummmmm, can I whisper it directly in your ear? This is secret and extremely important… after all…" He fidgeted under Ran's plain look, managing only a stiff smile.
After locking eyes for a moment, Ran finally responded, "Fine. I was actually wondering what kind of life you had before. Don't tell me you had no parents at all to teach you anything."
"Actually, yes. I had no parents. Maybe I had them once, but who knows why they left me as a baby…"
Ran's words caught in her throat, almost making her choke on them.
"Well, I'm sorry then. Actually, many people from the underside also have no parents. But we have each other as a family. So, if you want to know what it feels like to have a family, you can come with us, live in our base, or just visit us occasionally. That's fine too…" Ran said, a devious smile hanging on her lips.
El, deriving from Ran's genuine happiness in offering that invitation, smiled back at her. His smile was that of an innocent boy. "Really? Thank you, then. I'll visit for sure…"
All who heard their conversation were speechless, genuinely feeling bad for El, who seemed to be tricked without even knowing it, yet accepted the offer happily. This sentiment did not apply to Gill, who frowned at their exchange.
"Why would you invite outsiders to our base? Are you mad? Who is he, anyway? Isn't he from the upper side? I don't understand why you are so interested in him just because you saw him once in the restaurant. Do you like h—" Gill swiftly zipped his mouth shut as he noticed Ran glaring at him menacingly.
"Continue it more, and let's see how I'll beat you up more thoroughly next time we spar… Anyway, what is it that you wanted to tell me about?" Ran turned her attention back to El, who was in a daze, struggling to understand why her emotions felt so hard to grasp and often vague.
He couldn't quite comprehend what she was feeling, as her emotions frequently mixed or changed, leaving him unsure.
And this was a first for him.
…