While I leaned, weeping against my gun, trying to calm and unclutter my thoughts dwelling in my head. It wasn't long before I heard the crack of thunder and fireballs being thrown while I was sitting there which caused me to look up and over to where the sounds were coming from... Over the hills.
This led me to think and then stand up, wandering over the hills and then finding myself on top of a hill and then laying down on a bundle of dead leaves. I then used my old binoculars I now keep on my belt, unbuckling them and then pulling them out to see what seems to be a female orc mage agent in her uniform fighting what seemed to be the current duchess of the area, a young human female that was about my age from what I assumed.
I then made my way closer to the second-highest hill that was on the range of many and then pulled out my rifle and peeking through the iron sights and then putting in a few thunder shot rounds that were swift and did minimal damage.
While the fight rage on, I took a moment to look down the sights as they knocked the duchess down to an immense bolt of frost that cracked off the shield, the force of the bolt leading to the duchess being on her rear.
With the fall of the duchess came my chance as the female orc agent walked up to the duchess, clearly wanting to finish the job before then I began gently squeezing the trigger, feeling it push back against my forceful pull and then I led on the orc. Bang! The blue flash and the electrical bolts came out the muzzle and me seeing a body drop into the cold snow.
I put a fresh round in and then cycled the bolt forward, switching the safety on and then running over to the scene and checking on the duchess who looked at the body of the agent and then growled at me "How DARE you! I could handle myself! I would've killed her easy!"
"She knocked you on your arse, Duchess. Besides, why are you fighting with magic near a cliff edge anyway, that shot could've sent you off the edge if you moved enough..."
"Shut up, will you... I know it could have knocked me on my rear and off a cliff! I'm not stupid!"
"Alright, well I saved you from getting a first-class ticket to the afterlife..."
"I am a capable warrior mage and the Duchess of Lindesvardt County!"
"Duchess I know-"
"You do not know at all, you damned rogue! I would rather have died from that horrid orcess!" She growled while glaring at me.
I bowed, and then sarcastically said "As you wish, your grace..." I left with a wry smile on to see her infuriated expression soften slowly when she just caught my pained eyes as I walked away and back to my camp to see if anyone was up.
Eventually, snowfall set in as the clouds got blew in from a rough breeze. Another blizzard that would cover the landscape, my footprints being filled in if the duchess wanted to pursue me with her guards over my intervention via a good kill on an agent.
Eventually, I got back to camp with everybody packing up and getting ready to head to our next destination which was where the mage's college was just before this blizzard got severe. We hopped in the truck rapidly and switched on the snowplough to sit in the truck's front as we drove out and onto a road.
"Where's the next city we are going to?" I asked while getting in the front with Ari in the driving seat.
Harry then said "According to this map and the word of Irene, the Mage's college is in Gindarve. The oldest City in Elderen or Elderia."
Irene then asks "Where did you head off to when we were packing up camp and getting our climbing stuff together?"
I replied quietly "Nowhere in particular, just went to clear my mind at the top of a hill after another nightmare."
"Fair enough, lad, we're always here if you need to speak about them," Harry said, putting a warm hand on the shoulder, while Harry was warming with us, we were wary of him still, wondering what path he will lead on our journey.
Then I reached to switch on the heater and then lean back in my seat, pulling my coat from my back and then using it as a blanket for my upper body as Ari switched on the radio to a simple talk show back home. The warmth and the ambience driving me to better sleep and a better dream.
Hours pass as I slept through the road trip to the new city we have to go to in order to find this new tomb that contained this sacred armour eventually I got woken up by Ari since we were close to the city we needed to head to. It was a massive, walled city, the ancient orbs glowing as they held an invisible shield over the various skyscrapers and then the massive spire in the middle, shooting the beam into the sky, constantly casting moonlight or sunlight on it.
That was the Mage's College, it was undeniable, the sky splitting beam being one of the more permanent features as that was a small amount of Aeryhn's power that remained while she was learning her magical skills. The beam made when she tried to make a spell for searchlight but instead, that Searchlight turned into a heaven dividing beacon.