Abelard frowned as he gazed at nothing in particular. Something had drawn his attention. He could feel two robust auras heading his way. "Great. It's like an elimination match." He grumbled as he summoned the armor he had just put away. He was cloaked in the black combat suit in next to no time. The auras were approaching quickly. Clearly the newcomers had set out immediately one of their men died. In this case it was the woman who kicked the bucket first. However there were only two people coming. Abelard assumed that this was the last batch. After all, they couldn't keep sending people to their deaths.
"Let's get this over with before Mane gets here" Abelard stretched in the combat suit as he prepared for battle. The incoming auras were stronger than the auras of those he had just killed. He didn't need his impressive brain to tell him that those coming were definitely stronger. He wouldn't be able to deal with them simply. It was going to be a tough match. At least now that he had fought with the combat suit he had a gauge of how much he could do.
"I have a few minutes before they get here. It should be enough to install a few mines" Abe cautiously roamed the battlefield and expertly installed some earth mines. Earth mines were artefacts that were formed by using the earth elements. It was something Abe had been working on for some time now. He got the idea after their last training match with Mane. Mane expertly installed fireballs in the earth and got lucky when one of the twins stepped into it. Abe developed the idea then.
What if he could compress earth fragments into a unit? What if this unit was highly unstable and needed only a minimal amount of pressure to set off? It was a daunting task, but it was plausible. It only needed excellent control of earth. Abelard wasn't at Mane's level, mainly because he lacked the vast reserves of edict Mane had access to; however, he was able to pull it off after a few trials. God knows how many times he hurt himself experimenting with the idea.
He choose a few areas to place the earth mines. Now that he was a scholar, he would be able to avoid most of the mines – most; not all. It was enough though. With his good memory as long as he was cautious enough, he would be fine. Once he was done, he retreated to the centre of the room to wait for his opponents. He choose the centre because he didn't know where they would breach the earth dome from. The previous party was careless, but since Abe had taken care of two separate groups, he doubted that the incoming group would possess the same weakness. Unlike before, Abe summoned his hammer, and he was going to use it. Now that he knew that it could be recalled and summoned at will, even mid-battle, he had no qualms using it. He may only know the basics, but with enough trickery he should be fine.
"You said Abe asked you to get me" Mane asked incredulously? For as long as he knew Abe, the prince had only once asked for a favor. 'If anything ever happens to me, promise me that you would protect my sister'. That was the only favor Abe had asked for in all the years Mane knew him.
Captain Zakai nodded his head. Once he arrived at the inn, he easily spotted Mane and his friends who were having a meal. Luckily for him, Mane recognized the older man and invited him over before the man could even approach them. Once he got there, he told Mane that Abe was in trouble, but the blond-haired boy didn't seem to be in a hurry to help. He was keener on finishing his meal than rushing to the prince's aid.
Captain Zakai didn't understand the dynamics of their relationship. The reason for his confusion was simple. The twins who were next to Mane looked unconcerned as well. They drooled as they stuffed the good looking pastries into their mouths. Selina and Frederick weren't here. They had something else to take care of.
"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation" Captain Zakai attempted to persuade the young boys. One of the two surviving soldiers was losing his patience. Although his prince wasn't the innocent young boy they thought he was, he was still their prince. They didn't want anything to happen to him. He didn't know why the prince had asked for this boy, but he surely had his reasons. Maybe the boy knew someone powerful enough to deal with the threats they were currently facing. Besides, they were in enemy territory! How could they be so calm when they weren't at home?
"Listen here kid. We don't have time. The prince asked for your help. As a citizen of the Western Empire it is your duty to serve your prince. Stop dillydallying and do the right thing!" the angry warrior spat out before Captain Zakai could even stop him. The older man's face turned pale when he remembered who it was that sat before them.
"Oh? First and foremost, the twins are the sons of a high noble of the Northern Empire. They aren't your citizens. Secondly, I live in the Western Empire, but I do not owe it anything. If I decided to leave your empire, your emperor himself would try to persuade me to stay" Abe nonchalantly stated as he stuffed his mouth with more treats. He told Indra that he was going to learn how to control the god in him, but it was easier said than done. The arrogance of his bloodline reared its head after sensing the condensation in the soldier's tone.
"Listen here boy. Do you need me to discipline you in your parents' stead? How dare you insult the Emperor!" Once again Captain Zakai failed to stop the overzealous young soldier who couldn't stand having his emperor defamed. He was a member of the Royal Guard! It was a position of power and respect all across the empire. He was used to getting his way, so he was angry when a little boy disrespected his Emperor.
"You will discipline me in my parents' stead? You – a mere mortal?" Mane coldly asked as his intimidating presence spread speedily throughout the eatery. Because Mane didn't want any disturbance he had booked the entire floor of the establishment. So the only people here were the twins, himself, and Captain Zakai's entourage. The pride of his bloodline wasn't going to stand by as a 'mere mortal' insulted him. Even Mane didn't realize that he was slowly changing.
The soldier felt his knees give way as he fell to the floor. Captain Zakai as well as the other soldier was spared Mane's anger because of his relation to Abe. If not he would be groveling on the floor as well.
"Wait! Please he are sorry! Abe treats him like family! Could you spare him for his sake?" Captain Zakai frantically screamed.
"Why didn't you say so" Mane tilted his head as he asked as though puzzled by the current situation. The suffocating aura disappeared quickly, and the soldier was able to breathe again. When he looked at Mane, the earlier arrogance was gone. All that was left in its place was fear. He couldn't help but think to himself that the boy was a monster. He now understood why Abe asked for him, and why he didn't care about the emperor's opinion.
"Actually I know more than you do" Mane finally spoke after stuffing the third cupcake into his mouth. "For Abe to ask for help means that the war has already started, just like we thought it would. But he is my friend. He is mighty strong. No one can handle Abe when he gets serious. He is a Silver Wolf after all!" Mane stated with pride. He smiled at the twins who were looking at him worriedly. They could feel that he had changed, and their looks of worry reminded Mane that he had to keep himself in check. His smile was to reassure them that he was fine.
"I'm sorry about my behavior earlier. I always lose my cool when someone insults my parents" Captain Zakai and the soldier were surprised to hear Mane apologize. The soldier himself was about to apologize. After all, he had offended a powerhouse. But Mane's apology left him relieved and flattered.
"It's fine. I was in the wrong." He laughed nervously as he accepted the boy's apology.
Mane nodded with a smile and said, "Join us. We'd finish quicker if you eat with us. And the earlier we finish, the earlier we leave to get Abe."
"You are finally here. I thought you would never come" Abe smiled at the two men who were picking themselves up from the ground. It was unfortunate for them that they stepped into a mine immediately they entered the dome. However, apart from the earlier shock they were mostly unharmed. Abe didn't rush to attack because he realized that they were vastly stronger than the previous group. He needed to be very cautious. He pushed down his anxiety and readied himself.
"Glow: Earth's Darling Boy"