The holidays were going very well at the Hecatrix country house, everyone was enjoying the location, the nature, the fresh air. Otrera sunbathing in the pool with his brother-in-law; Helena and Hecuba were drinking, Daedalus and Astarte were making out inside the house, the young people were already scattered, Gale and Artemisia were going to the stables to saddle the horses for a ride and Apollodro had gone with Nathan to the lake, he was already thoughtful for days, everything was really calm, apart from the fact that in moments everything turns to chaos, a terrorist attack breaks out there in several outbreaks, a series of stroikan mages and Kora'q terrorists wearing tactical clothes and masks, there were at least three hundred in the In total, ten had gone after each of the two groups of young people.
In the region of the house the adults had to deal with 380 terrorists, among them, very high level mages, Astarte and Daedalus went out to battle. Everyone wore casual clothes, almost beach clothes, many there might not be Royal Guardsmen, but they were war veterans, they chose the wrong family to attack.
– There goes my vacation! – Said Otrera in a bikini with her beach robe tied around her waist and leaving for combat, just by attacking her, she knocked twenty-five to the ground.
– Baby, you better go inside. – Hecuba said, she made the sky close and launch a thunderstorm on the terrorists.
– Calm down, love, I know how to get around even in dry one-on-one. – Laughed Tristan who went to the melee with the terrorists avoiding their magic techniques, he was a master in the stroikan combat style, those guys were almost amateurs for him.
– Hecuba, the children! – Remembered Helena launching a series of lava shots and trying to roast terrorists with her heat magic.
– Come on sis, we'll hold them here! – Said Daedalus who protected the house with a dome of rock that emerged from the ground and then launched water torpedoes against the terrorists, followed by a classic combo of wind and fire, he was a master of the four basic elements.
– They went in two groups, master you better go, I can take care of medical support if you need it here! – Astarte said that she had her fists covered by an energy glove with thorns, she knocked down opponent after opponent.
– Right… I'm going to the lake… Hecuba, you're going to the stables. – Otrera said he left after the young people.
So the mages went and the rest were dealing with the remaining 200 terrorists, and they weren't common, they seemed to be an elite group sent out. Tristan would deal with a smaller quota of terrorists, he could still know how to fight, but he was without his powers, but he did damage, he took two daggers from the ground, he thought it was strange for a terrorist to have those daggers, he took them to fight, they were silver daggers of a special steel, wavy blade and handle resembling a snake with its mouth facing the exit of the blade, his movement was impressive stabbing the mages who tried to hit him with ice spells and even sharp weapons.
– Traitor to the nation! You're going to die along with your whore wife's family. – Said one of the terrorists who launches an explosion of ice fractals.
– You can curse me with everything, traitor, deserter, but don't talk about my wife, you bastard! - Tristan said that he was moving around, dodging the shots and sticking the daggers in the mage's eyes and following the fight cutting calves and necks, he was still an elite ex-military agent, with or without magic, even mages with powers should be careful with him, but it was clear that those special blades greatly aided his performance.
Astarte proved to be an extremely agile and strong fighter, her movement was fatal and very destructive, she could change her style of combat a lot, she fought with her fingers together as if her hands were blades bathed in energy, she was hitting blows that shattered her targets. During the combat, he approached Daedalus who was fighting many elemental projectiles.
Astarte and Daedalus were fighting in pairs in perfect synchrony. The medical mage punched the ground using her reinforcement magic, she was not as strong physically as her master, but she was as strong as Edward in terms of physical strength without the reinforcement and with him rivaling Alister, she punched the ground sending a lot of the mages to the top and Daedalus launched a series of shots by the four elements into the sky, passing through them. Two mages seemed to stand out and went over the two, a Kora'q with explosive skills hits an explosion on Daedalus and a pyrokinetic mage hits a combustion of flames on Astarte, they were very powerful, enemies for Royal Guard captains or even more.
– The Hecatrix male whore, it will be a pleasure to blow your face. – Kora'q said he was going on top of Daedalus.
– I'll get the doctor, I'll tear her to pieces. – Said the pyrokinetic.
– You can try! – Said Astarte who launched a shock wave hitting her hands dragging the pyrokinetic.
– I'll handle the explosive. – Daedalus said protecting himself with a wall of earth and launching water pumps with high turnover.
Kora'q managed to pass Daedalus' defenses and filled him with beatings and small explosions, he was hanging him trying to suffocate him, but Daedalus was smart managing to slam his opponent, pulling him by the collar and preparing the attack.
– I'm not a warrior mage, but I know some tricks… Four Seasons Dragons. – Conjured Daedalus who was actually very powerful, he just didn't go to the Royal Guard because he didn't want to, his spell conjured four projectile dragons of each of the four elements hitting the opponent with everything and killing him, Daedalus however was hurt.
Astarte was hit and sunk to the ground with a fist of explosive flames to the abdomen, it was too powerful a punch to take without the uniform, but she gathered the strength to pull the mage and headbutt him far away.
– Chose the wrong mage to face... Supreme Regenerative Skill: Super Mitosis. – Conjured Astarte, his wounds seemed to heal almost progressively at a considerable rate, several light green lines stretched across his body crossing at various points, including his face, in the forehead region they had a crown at the level of the skin made of same energy and in the center of the forehead a simple star photon, it looked like a slightly weaker and simpler version of the marks that Otrera got when using this archetype, this spell was also another variation of the Otrera spell, there were eight techniques within the Supreme archetype Regenerative Skill.
Astarte's skills were impressive in battle, her wounds didn't heal to Otrera's level yet, but she was on her way to reaching her level in medical techniques, not that she dared compare herself to the legendary mages, she landed a punch that decapitated the terrorist. Astarte went to see Daedalus, he had suffered very serious injuries and was seriously injured by the explosions.
– I'll fix this, baby... Supreme Regenerative Skill: Ultimate Heavenly Palm. – Conjured Astarte, this spell was an advanced version of the most basic medical spell that was the Healing Palm, this technique used by Astarte regenerated with much more power and efficiency, rebuilding tissues and stopping bleeding.
– Thank you, angel, I'm feeling much better... You're really her student. – Daedalus smiled.
– The best. – Astarte smiled, giving Daedalus a kiss.
Helena was looking after a large contingent of terrorists and was not in a good mood.
– You chose the wrong day to piss me off, I was on vacation with my family, lucky you that my son is an architect and will rebuild everything I destroy, you're fucked... Furious Lava Ocean: Scorpio's Tails Dance. – Conjured Helena who created a lava puddle around the terrorists and from the lava puddle came out scorpion tails with lava and a rock stinger attacking the invaders, she was an Ex-Grand Master, should not be underestimated, still complemented with shots of lava and controlling the heat to make an acidic atmosphere of heat around them, she would have no pity, those with ice magic could barely conjured their spells in that heat. – Next to me, Otrera is an angel. –
The mages were killing off their attackers and almost everyone had those same daggers that Tristan found in the ground, Astarte healed Tristan who had been injured, they were a very dangerous quartet, a former stroiko spy, a captain of the Royal Guard trained by a legendary mage, a retired Ex-Grand Mistress and a veteran war architect/engineer, not to mention that they were all directly or collaterally members of the Hecatrix clan, two by blood and two aggregates.
***
Gale and Artemisia were trying to defend themselves against the ten terrorists, but they didn't have much of a chance they were on totally different levels. The mage Hecatrix tried to take down the enemies with one of her comets of flame and thunder, but was easily repelled, Gale also was not so lucky with her speed and supersonic scream having been slapped in the face that took her to the ground.
– Get them, there are only two 16-year-old mages, you are trained big guys. – Said the mage Kora'q who looked like the leader of the group.
– I won't surrender that easy... Thunder Flaming Impact! – Conjured Artemisia, on the right side she emanated thunder, on the left side emanated fire, she advanced with wit hitting several impacts with electrical and flame damage. But she was quickly stopped and violently thrown to the ground.
– ARTÊ… Endless Hits. – Conjured Gale, Gale's speed intensified even more she hit a series of blows, punches and kicks at high speed throwing one of the terrorists from one side to the other and arriving in time to intercept him in time to make another blow and so on. continued until she was hit in the leg, breaking it.
– Take them now! – Said the leader of the group and two mages were carrying the young women.
***
Apollodro and Nathan were cornered, but that didn't give up, Nathan tried to use his darkness, but the assassins were very skilled, Apollodro tried to use his ice magic and water blades along with his powerful punches, but the terrorists were too skillful and masters of ice magic.
– Seriously, two kids are giving you guys work. – Laughed a woman who appeared to be the leader of the group in full mask that released a wave of deadly ice stalactites.
Apollodro was quick to use a hot water spell to melt the thorns. Apollodro was pretty sure the terrorists were after the prince.
– You're not taking the prince… Piercing Arrow Strike. – Conjured Apollodro, the spell conjured a shower of water piercing projectiles and to ally his attack he even coated his hands with flow of water and electricity
The Hecatrix spell ended up not hurting opponents much and was neutralized, even hitting some good cuts with the electrified water blades in his hands.
– The boy is brave, if you can see that he is Tristan's son. – The woman who pulled the mage by the face laughed, analyzing him.
– Let him go, you bastard… Hallowed Shadow Mirror. – Conjured Nathan who summoned shadow mirrors from which spirits that were trying to suck the enemy mages came out.
– Cute, but not enough. – laughed another mage who seemed to be a dark master, snapped her fingers and destroyed the mirrors.
Nathan was about to be hit, but soon the other group arrives bringing Gale and Artemisia, who immediately realize that Gale has a broken leg.
– Gale! – Nathan cried, taking Gale almost unconscious in his arms.
– I'll take care of her, you distract them. – Apollodro said, who punched the ground, crushing part of it and forcing the terrorists to back off a little, giving space. – You two just need to buy me some time, try to keep them away. –
– Right! – Said Nathan and Artemisia.
Nate and Artê then created a dome of flames and strong darkness driven by the wind and with an outer layer of thunder and thorns trying to slow down the terrorists, while Apollodro was trying to heal Gale's leg, he had already become exceptional in physiological bone healing.
– Polo, I'm fine, you, go help the others. – Gale said, she was getting up, but she wasn't good to fight directly in that moment, she would help with celestial energy shots.
– Right! – Polo said, he activates his physical reinforcement mode and the water knives in his hands.
Nathan, Artemisia and Apollodro fought together trying to eliminate one at a time, Nathan used a dark spell that limited the terrorists' vision and the three attacked one of them with their combined blows only managing to knock him out. Artemisia went with her firestorm shots, Nathan with his tentacles and spears of darkness, Apollodro went with his strength and cutting skill with the blades of water. Unfortunately the trick was nullified after the seventh down, and that was why they were the weakest seven of the twenty. The mage who seemed to be the boss of everyone there was going to hit Apollodro in the back, but he was saved by Nathan who took him in his arms and took him away.
– T-Thank you! – Apollodro said, he felt comforted in Nathan's arms, he could have died if it wasn't for him, then he realized that Nathan was bleeding with something going through his belly, it was one of the giant ice thorns that were for him.
– Do not worry. – Nathan said, enduring the pain.
When they landed on the ground Apollodro took the thorn of ice and saw that the damage was fatal, Nathan had vital organs pierced, if Polo didn't act soon he would die.
– Why did you do that? Medical Skill: Healing Transfer. – Conjured Apollodro in fear of losing Nathan, it was a relatively complex spell, he temporarily shared his regenerative healing factor, and for that he passively activated his technique Supreme Regenerative Skill: Advanced Mitosis, it was risky, but it was his only hope to save him who had saved his life.
The situation of the young people was desperate, but luckily for them, Otrera and Hecuba had arrived there together, had seen all the effort and courage of the young mages, but they were safe now.
– Touch my kids again and you will meet hell! – Shouted Hecuba who used her cataclysm magic to provoke a gale and a violent frost that killed half the mages at once.
– Sister has everything undercontrol... I'll take care of the rest. – Otrera said that with her agility she was defeating those who were left, leaving only the leaders.
– Kids! Are you okay? – Said Hecuba desperately hugging her children, she was so worried about them that she couldn't hold back her tears.
– Calm down mom, we're fine. – Artemisia said that she was breathless.
– You two will be detained for inquiries. – Otrera said, she stuck her hand in the face of the two leading mages and left them bandaged and paralyzed like mummies and then sent them from there to the cells of the Royal Guard tower.
Gale and Nathan joined, Otrera saw the hole in the prince's shirt, but his back was intact, she sensed medical magic from far.
– Regenerative ability transfer spell? – Supposed the master mage.
– Yeah! – Admitted Apollodro.
– Very good work Polo, very good work... All of you, all of you, my congratulations, have proven that you are worthy of the Belladona Academy, even in adversity you didn't abandon yourselves and continued to fight, congratulations, we'd better go home. – Said Otrera proud of their proactivity in working as a team.
– Thank you/Thank you very much. – Said the four young people exhausted.
***
In the house, the swimming pool and some buildings had been destroyed, Daedalus had undo the rock dome, the house was fine, despite some damage to the balconies and the entrance hall, they were all gathered in front of the house.
– Unforgettable holidays. – Ironized Gale.
– Unforgettable holidays. – Repeated the other young people.
– Were they after me? It was my fault? – Nathan said feeling guilty.
– We don't know Nate, but let's find out, the target could be me, Hecuba, Mom, there are several options. – Otrera said, she did not wanted the prince to feel guilty, attacking nobles, especially heirs were relatively common.
– After that it's best to go home early, these three and a half weeks of vacation were very good. – Daedalus said.
– Children, go upstairs and pack your bags, let's leave today. – Hecuba said that he went along to pack the bags.
– Come on, I'm going too, I'll pack yours too Astarte. – Daedalus said.
– Thanks! – Thanked the medical mage with a kiss on the Hecatrix.
– "O", you'll want to see this. – Tristan said showing the various daggers he collected from the fallen terrorists. – Recognize? –
– It can't be… Only those who use these daggers are… – Otrera said, she feared the possibilities.
– I was surprised, I can tell you from experience, nobody in Stroika has one of these, they are exclusive, only one group in the world uses them. – Tristan said.
– Yes... I'll have to talk to the queen, can you gather all the daggers for me? Please? – Asked Otrera.
– Of course! – Tristan said he went to collect the others.
– Is everything okay, master? – Asked Astarte.
– Yeah, I just came up with a few possibilities that I wouldn't want to think about. – Said Otrera scared and a little furious.
– Let's go back home, there we'll reinforce the protective barriers, and we'll leave the princes in the palace. – Helena said, she was in disbelief that someone attacked the Hecatrix' cottage, the place was protected by a spell that made it invisible to everyone outside the Hecatrix and whoever they allowed to see the place, crossing this barrier demanded a lot of power.
– Apparently these vacations were not going to end without emotion, I'll have a word with the queen. - Said Otrera.
The situation was tense and worrisome, the mages were arranging things to leave for Belladona, the attack had been unusual, intense, raised many questions and exposed to the young people the dangers that awaited them. And the daggers fanned Otrera's suspicions even more.