Felix's pov
I was on my knees gasping for air, even though Kalen had sent the poisonous gasses flying the effect they had on me still showed, I circulated my mana in a desperate attempt relieve the pain but it was to no avail, I looked to my sides to see that Lucas Desmond and Jesse had faired only a little better despite their considerably tougher bodies so I swallowed my pride pulled out a high dual potion and chugged it, my throat felt raw as the liquid streamed down it but that feeling quickly disappeared due to the potions effects and soon I was well enough to see our opponents rescuer,
'Kalen'
I found myself whispering for the person in front of us actually looked like him, although he was well over a hundred he didn't look it as a result of becoming a blade master and Arcanum user but the mana flowing with his body served as evidence, the resemblance between him and my best friend was shocking the same straight black hair and piercing blue eyes and flawless white skin, he sported a five o clock shadow and maintained an impression of a respectable but still attractive looking man in his early forties, basically he looked how you would expect Kalen to look in a few years although strange to say, less handsome, he paid me and the others little heed but his eyes never left Kalen as he desended likewise Kalen never took his eyes off him, if he was shocked about his opponent blocking his attack he hid it well even to me who had known him for years, the man looked at his empty hand where a burn was located and flexed his fingers as if testing their use a mild reaction considering what he just blocked before speaking
"You, you're good"
"thanks"
said Kalen,
"but I find it difficult to accept praise from someone who tried kill me"
"oh please that was simply a test"
"and who exactly gave you the right to test me"
although his voice was soft the anger in them was palpable
"pfttt, even though you haven't been a Don for long you already sound like one"
Kalen had reached the man by now, standing face to face and with vemon in his voice he said
"answer the question old man"
the man placed his hand on Kalen's shoulder before saying
"my answer is this"
and with that they both disappeared.
'What, what happened'
I found myself saying, I didn't sense anything no mana fluctuations no spacial distortions they just disappeared, gone like they were never even here, some rustling shocked me out of my reveier, our opponent had taken a potion and recovered he was currently stretching to see how his body felt at the moment and when he seemed satisfied he snapped his fingers and his attire morphed into light green battle clothes, his mask disappearing allowing us to see his face clearly an honest and unassuming face dotted with freckles and topped with a light green hair that curled his expression showed that he seemed pleased with himself, rather than a harbinger of death that his previous actions had lead me to see him as, he looked more like an honest but dorky gentleman who didn't have a threatening bone in his body
"god that guy hits like a mountain"
he said, before once more using transfiguration on our surroundings restoring it to its former brilliance
"Aah, I truly felt bad having to smash up our surrounding like this but I couldn't afford to be environmentally conscious considering who I was facing, the third Don of Trident, He's definitely stronger than Raine Blossom, no wonder Langris was so cocky"
A frightening pressure was in the air around us, it was obvious as to who it was coming from but I couldn't let that stop me from asking
'who are you and what do you want'
he looked at me with his eyebrow raised, I was already thinking he would kill me for my impertinence before he simply smiled, a smile that weirded me out because of how innocent it looked as if the person wearing it couldn't causually sink a continent
"there's no need to worry"
even his voice was disarming
"Jurad wouldn't hurt a kinsman, especially when he hasn't seen one in years, the truth is he just wants to talk and I won't hurt you either"
at that both Desmond and Jesse fell to their knees in relief, Lucas remained standing but I could tell that years of tension had suddenly left his sword hand as he stopped clenching it but I was not convinced so I asked albeit with a cautious demeanor
'sir I assume youre a Don from Aegis's'
"Indeed my name is Leon, Leon Crackwell"
"Phantom beast"
said Lucas in shock, the Don's of Aegis weren't well known but even I who didn't pay attention to these matters knew the name of the man who possessed one of the most unique Arcanum's to ever exist, his epithet (or nickname given to people with considerable power and influence in the world) was one not taken lightly
'Lord of the the Phantom beast I am but a humble God class mage in service of Don Kalen but before he was a Don he was my best friend and brother from another mother and I still consider him so thats why I have to warn you, both I and Don Kalen believe we are all being manipulated we were currently on our way to the Kingdom of Rowain to ascertain our theory when you stopped us, even though Kalen knows this he won't take kindly to being stopped on his way there I'm afraid both of our Companion's will undoubtedly end up fighting, I beg of you to warn you're companion and let us settle our quarells afterwords'
"No"
'...., excuse me sir I didn't get that'
"I said no"
"but, why"
I knew I was already pushing it but I couldn't help myself
"because it doesn't matter"
'sir, what do you mean'
"it means what it sounds like, I'll be honest with you, we were sent to kill him and his entire party"
'but, why'
I asked in confusion
"why, we're currently at war"
'if I may ask, war with whom sir'
by now it was a struggle to keep my face placid
"war with you, war with Trident"
he said pulling out a letter from his clothes
"and its all because of this"
I grasped at the letter as it came flying towards me, as I breezed through the contents my face became more and more warped in shock
'Kalen doesn't know about this, he has nothing to do with this'
"no one says he does, in fact they aren't going to talk about this at all"
"talk about what"
Lucas asked tentatively so I passed the letter around, my thoughts had calmed down before surging up again as I asked
'if you're here then that must mean....'
"yes the other Dons are on their way to Trident as we speak"
'to do what'
"what does it matter"
he asked his voice laced with irritation
"you're going to destroy it"
cried Jesse in shock and why wouldn't she be, Cities haven't gone to war with each other in over 200 years but the wars foughtback then couldn't have claimed that their reasons were very good, this was just the way Don's were insults like these could not be forgiven,
"the causualties that would come from this would be unimaginable"
said Jesse
'Don Jurad won't tell Kalen of this will he'
I asked
"I'm getting really tired of your questions"
I looked to the man, his disarming smile no longer present, a heavy air surrounded him as if saying watch your next move before it is your last but I still said the words
'I have to go tell him'
his aura exploded as he said the words
"you won't be telling anyone anything"
but instead of shaking I took a deep breath before saying
'Lucas, Desmond, Jesse both I and Kalen truly thank you for your assistance but I suggest you leave before this situation explodes'
"..."
"..."
"..."
we waited in silence for a bit before Lucas broke it for us
"what nonsense are you spouting, the man I've sworn loyalty to needs me and your telling me to run"
"none of us truly want to be here but none of us want to run either"
said Jesse
"besides we have friends and family in that city, if we want to save it then this is the only option"
Desmond said while readying his axes, Don Leon was visibly upset by now
"you bloody ants dare try me"
he then reached for his weapon and we reached for ours but he stopped halfway, silently counting down from 5
"phew, almost lost my cool there"
he said his anger seemingly dissipating but we were still on guard
"you know what, let's play a game"
he said as he closed his and spoke
"Ari, Ventus, Dollegeron, Delvi"
and as he spoke those words the air changed as 4 being emerged, 1 of fire, 1 of air, 1 of earth and 1 of water
"if you can defeat them I'll let you go"
I recognised who he was referring to, these were spirits, beings made of pure elemental mana that lived in a separate dimension and could only be called forth by a spiritualist a person who used his own mana as a medium in order to connect our world and the spirit world, these were no ordinary spirits they were high ranking ones and the 4 four of them together could likely match a Don
"so who wants first pick"
said lucas, even though he spoke in a joking tone I could tell he was afraid Jesse and Desmond were in similar states of mind after all unless a spirit was heavily damaged it would only return to the spirit world when it's summoners mana ran out, I looked to the summoner, even though I was a god class mage his mana reserves were definitely several times mine and spirits could use the mana of their summoner to heal themselves, in actuality our situation didn't improve in the slightest in fact it got worse, Don Leon probably just didn't want to have to take our lives himself due to how degrading it would be
'I guess I'll have to use it'
I said, I closed my eyes and reached deep into my consciousness and there I saw it
'come dream staff'
and in my hand it appeared it looked like two coiling snakes made of gold and ivory swirling around each other loosely but at the top of the constuct instead of the snake heads like one would expect there were two stumps and floating above them was a light blue diamond shaped jewel
"a soul weapon"
said Don Leon and he was right, this was my soul weapon, a weapon bonded to me and me alone capable of increasing my magical capabilities as well as providing a few functions and increasing my combat capabilities, extremely rare and beyond value this one had taken me great pains to aquire
'we may not be able to beat you but that doesn't mean we can let you do as you please'
his shocked expression at seeing my weapon had disappeared replaced with a indifference
"this is the last time I'll tell you this, stand down or flee"
to flee or not to flee, I guess that's the question
'we choose option 3, we fight'
and at that we all attacked