Lekstrovia, far east of the old continent, a country that bordered Stroika, was a snowy country, Kristen and Teresa had been sent on a combat mission to look after what appeared to be a terrorist camp, even though it was another country's territory. , that's because they were following a trail that could lead to M. Stroika. Along with them were two fixed squads, the Maurice squad and the Angel squad.
Maurice Novel, 38, captain of the Royal Guard, his eyes were brown, his hair short and golden brown, his skin was brown. Puppet mage.
Amber Target, 20, a Royal Guard neophyte, her eyes were green, her hair blond and long, her skin white; Weapons specialist mage. The neophyte uniform was a simpler and only waist-length version of the captains vest.
Lorenzo McLaren, 19, a neophyte from the Royal Guard, his eyes were light brown, his hair was thick and black, his skin was white; he was an expert trap mage.
Joseph Kertz, 19, a neophyte from the Royal Guard, his eyes were brown, his hair was shaved and black, his skin was black; he was a mage specializing in sensorial and location magic.
Angel Luceros, 27 years old, captain of the Royal Guard, her eyes were brown, her black hair and curly medium, her skin black. mage expert in light magic.
William Gallard, 20 years old, a Neophyte from the Royal Guard, his eyes were bicolor, the right blue and the left green, his hair white, full, youthful, his skin white; he was a celestial mage, great-nephew of the Queen, he was Baron of Cornerwall.
Elizah Shell, 20, a Royal Guard neophyte, her eyes were turquoise blue, her hair was thick, black and wavy, her skin white; she was a medical mage.
Roy Shapes, 20 years old, a Royal Guard neophyte, his eyes were green, his hair blond and full, his skin white; Roy was a transsexual mage, a mage specializing in morph magic.
This group was heading to a town in the interior of Lekstrovia that seemed to be dominated by a terrorist cell and according to information from other missions, had the finger of M. Stroika there. There would probably be 2-3 thousand enemies around. The group had gathered above a tall building in the city, they could get a tactical view of the city, Roy was using a "chameleon" spell to camouflage his presence there.
– How are we going to proceed? – Kristen asked activating her point in the ear, Edward was following the central mission along with Otrera.
– According to our information, those Vidar and Veronica are in the main building, there are about three thousand guerrillas, the city is overrun, there are only these reactionaries in the city, invade and take them both, they can take us to Helloise. – informed Edward by Score.
– Right… Guys, here's what we're going to do… Maurice's team, who specializes in weapons and traps, will plant traps around town to catch as many as they can in them, they can kill. – Kristen said.
– And you from Angel's team, you go into the fight when we go after the generals, you are a team focused on support and stealth skills, if we need to retreat it will be easier… You already have your orders, wait for the signal and then start attacking. – Teresa said.
– Yes, master mages! – Said the two teams that spread out.
The trap team started to set weapons, traps, contact grenades and everything that was trap and the other team is positioned prepared to attack the guerrillas who were in the city trying to keep them away from the building so that they don't help the generals, in twenty minutes everything was ready, Teresa gave the signal and the Angel team started the attack, soon several traps were activated and the Maurice team took action. Now that things started for the master mages they jumped out from where they were breaking windows and everything and into the room where Vidar and Veronica were, both were wearing a light efficient black paramilitary outfit with the symbol of the Stroiko Empire [1] in gold in the center.
– Is home invasion now part of Celestia's practices? – Mocked Vidar.
– You invaded the village before. – Kristen replied.
– I get the plant user, you get the ice head. – Teresa said with her personality centered.
– Be my guest! – Karen laughed, who didn't wait any longer and went against life.
***
Kristen began exchanging physical blows with Vidar, she was proving not only an excellent fighter but also a mage in the rank of a master mage. The exchange of blows was fierce, Vidar tried to launch a series of ice projectiles to try to pierce the opponent, but she moved more agilely and hit a series of energy shots of destruction that threw the stroiko to the edge of where she was came in.
– Since the city is empty, now I can loosen up... Scorpio: Blazing Lava Needle Rain! – Conjured Kristen who conjured an incessant vertical and horizontal shower of lava needles and energy against Vidar and sent him nearly 1 km away stopping on the other side of town.
Kristen was excited and showed very agile not taking long to reach the place of the fall, but there she was met by projectiles of ice bears, but destroyed them easily, she realized that there were about thirty more enemy mages to help Vidar, but she would go fix it real quick.
– Melting Core: Burning Ashes. – Conjured Kristen, her special technique conjured magical seals and they expelled waves of lava that were spreading across the floor.
She ended up killing the thirty mages melted, but Vidar proved to be an impressive mage.
– Don't forget we're in a snowy field, darling… Frozen Spikes Valley. – Conjured Vidar touching the ground, the ice froze everything, even the lava, and from the icy surface randomly grew large, powerful, piercing thorns of ice.
Kristen with her agility dodged, but even so was hit by two thorns in the side of the grazing rib, nothing that would stop her. The two continued to fight, it was even a professional fight, Kristen was able to fight and at the same time conjure lava shots against Vidar and emanate energy of destruction in the form of claws in his hand and use them to attack him, she landed some blows. Vidar fought using a lot of acrobatics and between one jump and another he could summon ice spikes to hit his opponent, it was an intense fight.
– You're very good, but that won't save you, by stroika! – Vidar says, then stirs up a shower of ice spears from the bottom up, and from the top down.
– I'm just warming up, baby! – laughed Kristen who projected a lava shield around her that melted the ice thorns, then advanced with her fury to the battle, she was really a tireless warrior.
– Why do you serve Celestia? – Said Vidar.
– Because is my nation, and because we have to defend peace in the world! – Shouted Kristen.
– Protect? Do you mean, tame? You provide the wallow of this world in the case, we are going to put order in this little shame that Celestia provoked. – Said Vidar, he conjured thorns of aerial ice.
– Who is really trying to tame the world? – Laughed Kristen who hits a combo of 25 kicks, punches and knees emanating magic of destruction in the fists and feet, in the end left Vidar stuck in a wall, but he soon leaves and fights back.
– It's different, you pretend it's a free world and manipulate everything, the stroikan empire wants to reshape this lost world. – Vidar said, trying to hit the enemy with an ice ax.
– Paranoid stroikos! – Kristen says, she takes Vidar by the collar and beats him up and then throws him away, throwing him against an abandoned house.
The fight continued fierce, Vidar was powerful, but he wasn't at that moment as powerful as Scorpio's mage, but he managed to give her a tough time, especially in a frozen environment, even so she showed the advantage.
***
Veronica and Teresa started to fight, they were very agile and cunning to a frightening degree. Veronica gave a kick that dragged Teresa into the air and then conjured a leafy root that rose from the ground to the floor they were on and whips Teresa out taking the fight to the streets.
– You are good. – Teresa admitted.
– You do not know how much! – Veronica said that she made acid-spitting plants bloom.
Teresa protects herself from the acid hail by using her earth magic to erect a cocoon. Some of the city's mages came to the aid of the stroika mage.
– Oh, but don't go. – Teresa said, closing her fist and a series of thorns emerged from the ground impaling the mages.
– That's what the celestians do, they kill indiscriminately those who are not their own... Those male and female mages had families, fathers, mothers, children, brothers. – Said Veronica irritated that moves forward with more acidic plants in sync with their attacks.
– Said the woman who is helping a genocidal mage and an ally of terrorist groups. – Teresa laughed, who advanced using her Rolling Roots spell, roots emerged from the ground causing an earthquake, then two quick and sharp roots with a thorn rotated in a helix around Veronica, launching her in the air.
– These are points of view... Celestia became an empire, the center of the civilized world, but at the cost of blood, destruction and exploitation... Don't forget that it was Celestia who decreed World War VI, a war of almost 20 years, many deaths. – Veronica said falling from the air, but steady, conjuring acid-spitting flowers that fired balls of acid in gel.
– That's because the stroikan empire was trying to impose a madness, was using a forbidden occult magic and almost destroyed the world... Absorbent Cocoon. – Conjured Teresa who took advantage of Veronica who was falling and trapped her in a light pink plant of two meters that would digest Veronica.
– This is just one version of the story… Melting Garden. – Conjured Veronica, breaking out of the cocoon and making nearly 50 small plants sprout in strategic locations that spit acid bristles.
Teresa proved to be skillful, advancing, dodging the shots and hitting a kick in the opponent's ribs with her hands on the ground, sending her away and still throwing a stone spear to pierce her, hitting only the ribs. The fight was really deadly, Veronica manages to throw a whip made of vine that hooked onto Teresa's ankle, pulled her hard and kicked her, but in return the master mage had launched a series of explosions of nature's energy.
– This fight is interesting, but we'd better move things forward soon, not that I'll miss it... Capricornus: Avenger Nature! – Conjured Teresa, it was a very powerful blow, it caused an eruption of the power of the nature of seals on the ground, in the air, on the side, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, from all possible angles, one shot triggers the next in a succession of shots that culminate with a pillar of nature's energy in its glory.
Veronica was still able to fight, things were getting pretty lively, until Vidar landed brutally after being thrown with an explosive punch from Kristen, the fights crisscrossed, but things were about to get a lot worse, Madame Stroika herself appeared, it seems she was going to meet her generals and came across that scene, quickly conjured her battle outfit, curiously M. Stroika's battle outfit looked like a black version with red edges of Celestia's master mages outfit, but with the tail resembling a tactical military overcoat with the front of the waist down exposed, it was a very practical outfit.
– Well, well, what do I have here? Master mages, it will be interesting to see how strong these new master mages are. – Helloise laughed with indifference, accent and authority. – Vidar, Veronica, get out of here with anyone you can save, I'll deal with these two. –
– Of course ma'am! – Said Vidar and Veronica, they were leaving.
– Do you think you can face the two of us, Stroika? – Laughed Kristen.
– I love your sense of confidence. – Laughed Madame Stroika.
The fight had started between Capricornus and Scorpio's mages against Madame Stroika. Kristen was with all fury already releasing energy shots of destruction and a series of blows; Teresa goes with everything and together a trail of explosions of nature's energy in profusion. M. Stroika proved to be very skillful hitting all spells and blows and even returning with a series of brutal movements throwing them to the ground and when they bounced in the air two ice dragons emerged from the frozen ground and took them to the top after they buried the mages in the ground.
– I was expecting more than two mages. – Laughter M. Stroika who also mastered the magic of making rain metal figureheads with demonic faces that fell to the ground trying to crush the mages who were giving a way of escapes.
The scowls had handles and so M. Stroika demonstrated even more power, she used wind magic to create wind tentacles that stirred the scowls into the air in a violent storm of heavy and powerful metal scowls, not even Teresa and Kristen could avoid being hit.
– I'll fix those scowls and your face too... Creation Shore. – Conjured Kristen who used one of 15 divine techniques, with a punch to the ground she unleashed a wave of energy with incalculable power, all buildings in the entire city had been devastated with the blow, the scowls melted with the energy, but M. Stroika was intact.
– A warm breeze. – Mocked Madame Stroika.
– How is it possible that she has not even trembled with a divine technique... Terraformation: Prime + Capricornus: Great Flora. – Conjured Teresa who demonstrated an impressive skill level using a divine technique and a master mage-level spell consecutively, the first unleashed a very powerful wave of creation that returned life and fertility to the soil, even a verdant nature grew amidst all that ice, and the second spell set off a veritable revolution of nature, plants of all kinds began to spew acid, burning dust, poison dust, paralyzing dust, roots and killer rose bushes and eruptions of nature's energy from the ground, that The blow was worthy of a mage with huge powers, but M. Stroika only took a few wounds and was not slow to recover and is stable.
– A divine technique followed by a field technique from nature, it's been years since I've seen a nature mage capable of doing such a feat so simply, but they're not on my level, disappear... Stroika Draconian Devastation. – Conjured Madame Stroika without even making an effort, twin ice-frozen dragons emerged from the ground and grab the mages with their ice fangs and take them high, but these dragons were not like the others, metal blades came out of nowhere of the dragons, one throws the mage who was holding the other and they were cut by the blades being dragged along the entire length of the dragons that were 10 meters each and were finally curled by them being hit by the blades and in midair the dragons exploded sending them to the ground violently leaving a crater of destruction. Thrown on the ground, even with their uniform, they were mortally wounded, piercing damage, cut, burn, explosion and whatever else was in that blow, they had never faced such advanced projectiles, not even in war, they had only heard stories they thought exaggerated.
– Did you see the difference in power? I'm the most powerful mage the stroikan empire has ever produced... These master mages today aren't that tough... I think I'll be doing Otrera a favor by ridding her of subordinates like that. – laughed M. Stroika who was about to finish killing the mages.
When Helloise was about to kill them, a sudden surprise appeared.
– I'll kill you, you bitch! – Edward yelled who had teleported himself with a magic seal from Belladona to that location, when he saw that M. Stroika was on the place, he couldn't hold back even at Otrera's request, he was there with all the fury and has already reached a swoop full of flaming punches that sent Helloise yards away crashing into a rock and destroying it.
– Looks like someone is not happy to see me. – laughed M. Stroika. – Now I'm going to have some fun.
– You won't escape, you'll pay for everything your bitch... Raging Flaming Tempest! – Conjured Edward that from his own body created a storm of lightning and very powerful flames that intensified and became even more intense, it was one of his main techniques, and he was using the technique at full power, down to the ground where he stepped melted.
Kristen and Teresa were very injured, but were rescued by the teams Maurice and Angel, Elizah was already treating the injuries, but they were too deep. Edward's blow was very strong and he with his agility hit so many blows on Helloise that he made her for a few moments stay on the ground spitting blood.
– I understand, apparently you really became more powerful than Astaroth, but don't think you'll win by being a little more powerful, I'm still much more experienced. – Laughed M. Stroika that even on the ground was dangerous, she demonstrated why she was considered the greatest asset of the stroiko empire, she had ice, metal, earth, fire, lava and wind magic, she had conjured several dragon projectiles of all these elements, and she was already on its feet.
The projectiles hit Edward and then the metal ones caught in the wrists, ankles and neck of the legendary mage immobilizing him, Helloise went with everything giving a series of punches of lava and ice to discount the blows she received.
– Do not think it will be enough you bitch, what you did is unforgivable. – Edward shouted who burst from his prison, grabbed the mage by the neck, hanging her, and preparing an explosive impact threw her on the ground by the neck with everything opening another crater inside the crater that had already been made.
– Astaroth has quite a successor, you really surpassed him, he was the most powerful male mage in the world, but I'm shitting about it, I was his rival, I'm so powerful and even a little more powerful than he. – Said M. Stroika who pulled Edward and gave him a headbutt that threw him about two meters in the air and then she launched against him one of the turbo-ice dragons that he used against Teresa and Kristen.
Edward would not be defeated by that, he blew up the dragon and was radiated with the energy of lava, fire and wind, he wanted blood, he was furious.
– Come on, "Glory of Astaroth" show me that you hasn't softened in those years stopped... Final Pandemonium Of The Herald Of Destruction. – Conjured Madame Stroika laughing, she provoked a real pandemonium in the form of a gale full of almost demonic projectiles of fire, lava, metal, ice and pure rock, as well as 2x2 meters scowls solid and hard as diamond. The blow was so powerful that it made all the blows used by Capricornus and Scorpio seem like a beginner's thing, the floor of the city's debris rose up, the mages who were out of battle isolated themselves in a magical dome, yet it needed all the mages there to maintain stability.
Edward was thrown to the ground angrily, but he didn't stay on the ground that long.
– Now it's my turn... Leo: Furious Bombing Of The Jungle King. – Conjured Edward with hate in his voice, he was on all fours like a flaming lion, stormy and lightning, he moved almost like a flash, then hit real kicks, knees and stomps, each one imbued with stormy magic. flames causing explosions and slash damage, he wanted to kill M. Stroika, he was one of the few mages able to face her alone.
The blow was powerful, but still not enough to kill Helloise, she ends up pulling the blow away and gaining distance.
– The legendary warrior mages of Celestia are apparently still at their peak, let's resolve this in another opportunity dear, you are indeed the man who surpassed the greatest of male mages, I wonder what it must be like to face Otrera. – Laughed Madame Stroika, who threw a smoke screen and left.
– Come back here, you bitch! – Edward shouted that let out a trail of flames that left everyone scared.
That was the power of one of the most powerful mages on the planet, the greatest among men, his power could destroy even nations. So soon Edward went to meet the other mages, they prepared the teleportation magic seal and returned to the Royal Guard tower.
***
The medical wing of the Royal Guard Tower, a clean, white, multi-bed design place, Kristen and Teresa were being treated by Otrera in person who was wearing a medical coat, with her were the other two legendary mages, Otrera was using her magic of healing, the wounds had been closed, and the damages healed, all that was left was the weariness of the whole fight, the two defeated mages were still incredulous at the difference in power, and Teresa even more irritated at having to have been saved by Edward and treated by Otrera, she didn't accept it.
– I swear I want to grab that bitch's neck and break it. – Kristen said leaning back in bed sitting.
– I wouldn't count on it so soon... That woman is a monster in battle, Astaroth had a lot of trouble facing her. – Commented Otrera.
– She really has power that I had never witnessed, such a powerful mage. – The Scorpio mage nodded.
- I cannot believe that I had to be saved by Edward ... much less that I needed your help. – Teresa said, looking upset and looking at Otrera.
– Someone's still bitten, I just don't punch, because you're already in shit, now rest and recover. – Said Otrera already stressed out of this parrot and left.
So Teresa and Kristen stayed in the medical ward recovering, but Morrigan had something stuck in her throat that she would come up with later.
***
Teresa was on the mend, dressed in civilian clothes, leather pants and a soft green grass blouse, she was drinking on the top floor balcony of the Royal Guard tower. Morrigan appeared there, wearing an elegant jumpsuit with a deep black neckline and a star background, she wanted to talk to Teresa.
– Morrigan? What do you want here? – Teresa said sharply.
– May you tell us why so much bitterness with us, Edward saved your skin and Otrera prevented you from dying, and even so you're still thick with us, honestly I think it's like wanting to die, because you know that Otrera is stressed, you felt the power of Helloise in your skin, and Otrera is even more powerful, she slaps you and you fly out of that tower and stop in the middle of the sea, I haven't said from which planet on this solar system. – Morrigan said short and thick.
– I knew you would ask that… It's easy when you have favors, isn't it? Even though we are pretty much the same age I was only elected Capricornus Master Mage six years ago, you've been master mages for 14 years, there was yet another Capricornus Master before I took over, a Gallard who also died shortly after the war... Is it easy to get promoted when you're a student of the Grand Master, contacts, and especially when you fuck the Grand Master, or do you think I don't know they were lovers? I was captain at 23 years old, but you guys, I was more experienced, and Capricornus was open at the time too, but was I chosen? No, but the Grand Master's students did, all at once. – Teresa said that she had seen a bottle of whiskey, taking a long gulp.
Morrigan just waited for Teresa to finish talking and drinking before slapping her in the face and knocking her to the ground.
– Let's make things clear here... Astaroth and Otrera loved each other, second, that at no time influenced our election to the office, third, you should know that the zodiac chooses who is suitable for the office, you were not suitable in the time, but six years ago you became fit, so accept that. – Morrigan said, who was still holding. – Fourth, you are a bloody Hailway, you are also a noble family, the most powerful family in nature magic of Celestia. –
– I think I deserved this slap, but it doesn't change that there's still a lot of favoritism in this shit... If you're noble you're promoted to captain faster, and don't tell me there's never been a master mage who was put there for political convenience? I struggled a lot without having powerful people behind me, denying my family's favors, and everything I gained was on my own, and I can't believe I had to be saved by two mages who always took them under the wing of the powerful. –Teresa complained getting up.
– I agree with you, political conspiracies, nobles getting the best promotions, hierarchical corruption, always protecting and privileging your own, this has weakened Celestia over the years, congratulations on having abdicated that... True meritocracy is the mark of a strong nation, those with true skill being elevated to the highest posts, and not for political expediency, I agree. – Morrigan laughed with some irony and acidity.
– If you agree, why are you defending them? You always had everything for granted. – Teresa said resentfully.
- I agreed that the problem exists, and it was much worse for sure, eighty years ago so, it was unthinkable for a master mage who was not somehow of the nobility... The problem still exists, but things get much better... And none of the three of us got where we were by collusion, each of us gave our lives, gave our blood for Celestia, we grated, trained, and Astaroth thought we were qualified and we really were... Otrera didn't become Libra's master mage because she was a student and girlfriend of the Grand Master, or because she was a Hecatrix, or daughter of Helena who was also a Grand Master, but because she worked like no one else and proved to be the strongest mage, you could be more experienced, but we were in a war, and she would beat the shit out of you if she wanted to and still can, and she saved more lives than anyone else... The Tempests were a more diluted and distant branch of the Gallard, a noble and titled family, but Eddy never took advantage of it, he always gave his best, he fought until he couldn't to get more, and it was because he was so good and hardworking that you're alive now, that's why he surpassed the man who trained us... And as for me you couldn't be more wrong, I came from nowhere, I came from the street, I'm an orphan, I turned around on the street alone, to have something to eat, what to wear, to protect myself, until I met "O" and Eddy when I was twelve years old, they were always kind to me, I ended up living of favor with Eddy, and then I went to BA, I went through all kinds of prejudice, at that time yes, do you remember? 1999, many snobby, nose-up students, until I overthrew them all, stood out, became a student of the Grand Master, became a legendary mage and a master mage, I can count on my fingers in centuries of history the number of masters mages who weren't nobles, I'm sure I'm the only orphan, who grew up without money, titles, parents or a home, and I've come to where I've come... The system is flawed, but it allows for improvement, so come next Once you dare judge someone, get to know that person's past before you open your mouth to talk shit. – Morrigan said, even shed a tear remembering the past.
– I… I swear I had no idea about this story, I'm sorry. – Teresa said that she had even been embarrassed after so harassing the legendary mages.
– You owe Edward and Otrera an apology, for me I would have let you die to M. Stroika the way you behave. - Morrigan said he was not kidding.
Teresa froze at this.
– You were very inelegant, but in the end we are a group, the twelve master mages of Celestia, you let your rancor interfere with your judgment and even offended those who saved your life, an ungrateful one like you should have been left to die, but since you're back, let it serve as a lesson to learn to be more humble, it's not because you've had a complicated life story that no one else has, and that's justification for thinking you deserve more than anyone else. – Morrigan said that he turned his back and left Teresa alone to reflect.
Teresa was feeling humiliated, she was alone now crying for everything she had said, done and how she had acted, driven by rancor, not recognizing the sacrifice and the effort of others to judge to be more deserving than the others. The role of the master mages was precisely to unite and be a united front to strengthen the nation and she let the ego dominate her judgment.
***
Kristen was just finishing getting ready to leave the medical ward but was intercepted by Edward.
– Edward, do you need something? – Kristen said she was wearing a tight red dress with a "Y" cut on the bust.
– Talk to you, in two days there is a mission in Graekus, region of Attikus, I need cover, the mission can be very dangerous. – Edward said with a smile.
– I? I was almost killed by Madame Stroika, I didn't honor my title. – Kristen said sadly.
– Are you kidding me? Kristen you are amazing, very powerful, reminds me a lot of Mrs. Helena, Otrera's mother... You went down pretty good on Vidar, and you've been fulfilling SS ranking missions alone with ease, faced enemies that I would face... You it's not weak, it just came up against a more powerful enemy, and that particularly is even stronger than I remembered... That's life, facing opponents like that and surviving, we've become stronger, I trust you , and I want you on the mission, you are a colleague of the highest caliber, and you still have a lot to strengthen. – Edward smiled.
– Eddy, this is very important, especially coming from you. –Kristen said hugging the legendary mage.
– I'm counting on you! – Said Edward who was soon leaving.
***
Mission day in Graekus, this was a tactical quest of SSX importance, a quest class so special that only master mages are allowed in them, they were in the courtyard on the floor of the master mages, Otrera, Edward, Teresa, Kristen and Morrigan all in proper uniform .
– Before we go on a mission, I wanted to apologize, to you Otrera and to you Edward, sorry for being so rebellious all this time, sorry for my arrogance, I let my resentment affect my judgment and this was not the behavior of a master mage, I beg your pardon. – Teresa said sincerely, she had spent the last two days thinking about it.
– It's okay, water under the bridge. - Said Otrera with a smile.
– It's all right, it was just the heat of the moment, it was a stressful mission, but this one we'll pay back M. Stroika. - Edward laughed.
- You three go, and retrieve the artifact, if possible bring as many generals as you can for questioning. – Morrigan said she was happy that Teresa had weighed her priorities.
– Understood! - Said the three.
***
Mountain region of Attikus in Graekus country, one of the oldest countries in the world, with the most advanced culture and from which the most popular global religion derived from the "pantheonate" and its twelve major gods. Edward, Teresa and Kristen were hidden among the trees in a high place, just below there was a clearing with what appeared to be a small temple, Madame Stroika's men seemed to protect the place, they noticed that there was a van leaving with something of value kept in a well-sealed box, protecting the temple, there were ten mages, and they weren't just any mages, they had similar levels to Vidar and Veronica, among them there was one that stood out.
C'reist, 43 years old, of Ferchoir origin, his eyes were blue, his hair neatly trimmed and black, his white skin lightly tanned, he looked like a closet so big, a fire mage, he seemed to be the leader of that group and certainly it was of the same level or even stronger than Vidar.
– I'll go after the car to find out what you're smuggling, you two give these lieutenants the ropes, keep your eyes open, they have levels similar to those two from Lekstrovia, good luck girls. – Said Edward who moves with agility going to follow the car.
– Let's go there friend? – Kristen said excitedly.
– Let's go! – Teresa said.
And the fight started Teresa was already controlling the trees to attack the enemy mages, she was able to fight using various physical blows together with magical techniques. Kristen was already going all out with her destruction magic, she was blowing everything up. There might only be ten, but those ten mages could face an army of 10,000 ordinary mages alone, and two master mages were dealing with them easily, they deserved to be at the top of the elite.
– Friend, I'll kill them, go get the C'reist. – Teresa said that she builds a murderous rose garden in the countryside.
– I'm going. – Kristen said that she took a leap and already arrived giving C'reist a series of claw blows and then a blast of pure lava that he barely escaped.
– Let's see if you're a good girl. – Said the opponent who launched a bombardment of flames along with an enhanced punch, he was stronger than Vidar.
Kristen dodged, nimbly elbowed him that broke his arm and brought down the attacks.
– Scorpio: Blazing Lava Needle Rain! – Conjured Kristen who conjured an incessant vertical and horizontal shower of lava needles and energy against the mage Ferchoir.
Kristen didn't let up and kept hitting and hitting the mage, others tried to help, but Kristen just slit their throats with her lava needles, she also fired energy needles of destruction, they were much more powerful, but she reserved them for combat more decisive, she beat the mage so much, beat him so much, that how he hadn't died was a miracle.
– Done? – Kristen laughed, who had the mage surrendered and all his companions dead without mercy.
Kristen went after Teresa who had impaled all the henchmen with her plants and before long Edward arrived with an object in his hands, it was an obsidian crystal with a ritual base.
– You guys did an excellent job, let's go? – Edward said in a good mood.
– Of course! – Kristen said she was taking C'reist as a prisoner for interrogation.
***
The three master mages returned to the Royal Guard tower, it was a highly dangerous mission, but the sent mages were highly dangerous, showing why they are called Celestia's elite, Otrera was impressed with their efficiency.
– I'm really pleased, these ten guys you guys killed were a group that back in the war killed half the top Ferchoir elite of the war front in Stroiko camp, they did a good job. – Praised Otrera smoking. – As for C'reist, you can take Kristen, he's all yours for questioning, and as my friend Morrigan always says, "We need him alive, not whole or comfortable". –
– And Mor, is there more to what they were after, is there a way to find out what it's for? – Edward said handing the object to his friend.
– Of course. – Morrigan said picking up the object that had held her fascination, that was a very old mystical object.
– And Teresa, good job. – Said Otrera.
– Thank you so much, Grand Mistress. – Thanked the most humble Capricornus mage.
Edward went after Kristen who was about to leave.
– Kristen, I told you, it was just a bad mission that day… You're amazing. – Edward said with a smile and gave his companion a hug.
– Thanks Eddy... Now I have to interrogate this big guy here. –Kristen said with an almost manic look.
– All right! – Edward laughed a little embarrassed, when it came to interrogation, Kristen was an expert and was very scary.
So things got right, tense situations, half-truths and private truths clash, lessons about humility learned, lessons about learning from failures and not just looking at the negative side of things, even being at the top of the elite, there was a lot to they still needed to learn, after all, knowledge is never enough. Each one has its own story and that doesn't make you better or worse than anyone else, our choices decide our future, and sometimes we need to be kinder to us.
[1] This symbol is a crossed sword and ice stake with a crown in the background.