An ice explosion blasting hard the entire room, destroying every wall and every object surrounding Gerrard and Herga. Ieza, Naruwa and Shaeri get swiped by the impact of that explosion radius, directly to the wall. Ieza quickly recovers as he noticed the surrounding room became wreck open. And he gazes at his father trying hard to freezes Herga, as an attempt to restraint his movement.
Not for long, more hooded soldiers coming shortly afterward. They chanting fireball magic and dispell magic in attempt to frees Herga while simultaneously destroy the remaining wrecks and ice remnants to clear the path. Gerrard himself tries hard to hold the line.
The ice enveloping Herga slowly cracks open, just enough for him to be able to force himself out from restraint. He immediately shoulder charge Gerrard and successfully knocking him backward, causing him to knock the wall, almost makes him unconscious. Herga quickly swing his axe but his attacks parried immediately by the ice walls casted by Gerrard.
"You know it is easier for both of us if you just surrendered a while ago. But I'm the man who loves challenge! Let's see what you got, old dog"
He imbued his axes with fire aura and goes full frenzy, breaking the defenses of Gerrard's ice shields. Gerrard's white eyes shine brighter as it keeps recasting the ice shields. The chaotic fight ensues.
Meanwhile Ieza stares on Shaeri half body, as the other half is trapped under the rubble. He tries to lift the small boulder but no avail. Shaeri groaning hard as she is bearing the immense pain of her legs.
Despite the immense pain she is enduring, she insists that Ieza and Naruwa continue escape without her, prioritizing their survival over her comfort and health. Ieza did not listen. He continues to get rid some of the rocks and boulders.
Just then Naruwa is coming to Ieza's position, helping him roll the rocks and boulder away. Bits by bits, they managed to rescue Shaeri and lift her hands on their shoulders as they walk away from the fighting scene.
"Master...Ieza, Master...Naruwa. Argh. Drop me...here"
"We need to get you to somewhere safe, my father can hold themselves. He's High Wizard, right, Ieza?"
"No... Herga is...Ugh!"
They dropped to the ground. Ieza and Naruwa panting so hard.
"Master, listen...to me, ungh...Herga is ranked among the Supreme Wizard. He is the toughest enemy to deal even with all of us here...Not to mention those supportive squad behind him as well...You guys...have to run, please! I will help Gerrard." replies Shaeri with insurmountable pain on her legs. She takes out her dagger.
Ieza, mixed with conflicting feeling, reluctantly nodded and grab Naruwa's hand.However, Naruwa refuses to go along with his brother.
"Shaeri, we...no. I will protect you!"
"You can't! You must run, or...ugh. Our sacrifices will become nothing..."
Shaeri seems almost fainted, she is losing too much blood. Naruwa, still unable to comprehend her words, try to knock some sense onto her.
"Don't tell me to run! I said I will help..."
As Naruwa speaks, A fist being thrown directly to Naruwa's forehead. He goes unconscious afterward. Ieza directly gazes toward the attacker. It was his mother, Hesse. Before he realized something, she chants the water bubble spell to envelopes both Ieza and Naruwa. The bubble is highly resistant against physical and ranged attacks.
"Such naive boy. Ieza, hold tight"
She's about to throw them away while suddenly multiple arrow rushes toward her. The bubble floated through a giant hole on the wall before eventually rolled somewhere on the forest.
She tries her best to dodge, but still taking a hit from the arrow, quickly she chants waves of water to repel those arrows. Suddenly a boulder sighted flying toward her back. Despite her best reflexes, she is unable to slow down the incoming boulder, causing her to take damage. A man with black hood and black dress appears.
"By the order of the King, Horgan family will be eradicated for the possession of stolen forbidden magic!"
Hesse, while tending her injury with her healing magic, notice the voice from that man under black hood. She is already soaked with blood.
"So, it was your plan, Olford. Heh, why I'm not surprised."
"What difference does it make, Hesse Horgan? Every proof and eyewitnesses believing that you are guilty of stealing the forbidden magic scroll. We can't let you live I'm afraid. Stay still and I'll make this painless death for you and your entire family."
"What are you talking...about..."
Hesse slowly began to lose her consciousness, unable to see clearly in front of her. Clearly those arrows are coated with poison. She tries her best effort to stay awake. The soldiers are apphroaching with their spear pointed directly toward her, ready to strike at the moment notice.
She smiled, as she were ready to accept her death.
"Farewell, my love. And my sons..."
A thundering sound of boulders echoing.
---
Gerrard, in the midst of battle. He's about to losing stamina. Yet he is remaining determined to take down his opponent in front of him.
He realizes fighting him head on right now is not the best solution. Against Herga with superior physique and stamina, it is clear as day that Herga is far superior in terms of attacking and defending.
Gerrard chants the longest spell called Blizzard. A rain of ice pouring down, injuring and freezing Herga's troops and those supportive mages behind him. Herga spins his axes to shield himself from those blizzards. Each ice blocks he destroyed; it creates a mist upon destruction. So much he destroys, so much mist thickening, near sighting Herga's vision.
"Where are you, you damn dog! You should die for your lies and sins you own!"
In a sudden, appears a lot of black shadowy figure, resembled as Gerrard.
Herga yells with sadistic expression, as he is holding his axes firmly. "Oh I love this! Bring it on!"
A barrage of blizzard falling down. Herga barely manages to dodge those attacks, still some of those hitting Herga's right leg until frozen.
Herga chants his signature spell. The spell that made him being called a Silver Eagle. His axes blazes purple flame instead original red flame, then he slams both of his axes, allowing him to flight for a short time.
"This is truly the end of you, Gerrard Horgan!"
He pulls his axes until it seemingly touches his back, then he throws the axes, following the giant explosion shortly after, dispersing entire mist altogether. He uses his special perceptive eyes to pinpoint the target and dives directly to what he seems a real target.
A sound of impaling flesh can be heard.
The mist and ashes dispersed bit by bit.
Sighted two figures stabbing each other
Herga successfully punch through Gerrard chest. At the same time, he takes serious impale damage from his right shoulder toward his liver. It was from the soldier spears stacking each other added with ice magic. All the time he was creating himself afterimage and putting those weapons together, while distracting Herga in the mist back then.
"You cheeky bas...tard, old dog"
Herga falls to the ground facing down. Gerrard coughing blood, he notices the hole on his chest. He knows that he is about to be finished here by the rest of the soldiers.
He sees the image of his sons, playing swords around.
"I'm sorry...my sons. Wish I was a better father for you."
That was his last word, before finally fell to the ground. Following the rattles of ice breaking, freeing all the soldiers.
A man in hood, Olford, walks near Gerrard corpse, draws his sword and pointing it upward.
"Attention, all the soldiers of Akgardia! We still need to find those twins and their maid. We cannot lose them. One of them must be carrying the forbidden magic spell as we speak. Find them, do not come back empty handed! Remember they are still the national threats! We must defend the nation with our lives!"
All soldier yells on the same tone, same sentence "Yes, Sir!"
---
Several moments later. Ieza wakes up, He keeps hearing clashes of explosion and the sound of crashing matters.
He notices that he and Naruwa were inside of the bubble, as for now it is gone. He quickly recollecting all that was happened. He holds his hair with both hands, not believing the life quickly turned upside down right now. He clenches his fist, punches the ground until his hand bleeding. He yells and cries, echoing in the silent night.
"Why, just why...Mother...Father...Shaeri" He cries in agony.
Naruwa suddenly wakes up shortly after hearing his cries. He rushes to grab Ieza's torn collar. His eyes gazes through Ieza's retina then he yells in front of his face.
"Where is Shaeri? Where is she?"
"She's...I don't know. Everything just happens at sudden. But our parents..."
"Screw the parents, Ieza! I only care about her. Not those arrogant parents. Do you understand?"
Ieza snapped with what his brother said, then with his fist, he uppercuts Naruwa face. He reaches Naruwa and grabbed his collar, ready to strike his fist toward his face, when Naruwa suddenly opens up the magic scroll.
"I will use this, Ieza. I will"
He chants the spells, but before he finished the chanting, Ieza grab the spell scroll. Naruwa notices this and he tries to hold the scroll until it almost teared into 2 pieces. Suddenly a guard yelling toward them.
"We found them! Hey, you! Surrender or die!"
They're panicked, but Ieza switfly cast wind spell to knocks him down. Followed by other 2 guards coming. Naruwa cast fireball spells to deter them away. Although incomplete but the spell does the job very well.
Suddenly magic barrier appears in shape of crystal dome, it leaves the top part open, but still enveloping only those duo Horgans, rendering their stamina to the lowest point which leave themselves nothing but tireness.
Olford sighted jump from where the troops came to the sky, standing atop of the open area of his magic barrier, readying his boulder to be thrown inside. They are scared, as the hope began to lost in the next strike.
"Naruwa, let's set aside our differences, let's use that scroll this time."
"You know brother, I still really hate you to the core. But let's do this anyway."
They chanted the spell together. The boulder immediately thrown directly to those kids.
All of the sudden every object slowed down. But still in motion regardless.
"Brother, it's still not quite effective. Let's chant the spell again." Ieza persuades Naruwa again. But this time he disagreeing with him. Thinking they already done that.
"No, brother. Who knows about this magic anyway, we just read first section of words on this scroll."
"Then give that to me! I'll do it!" Ieza yells as he tries to snatch the scroll away from him. But Naruwa holding the scroll firmly as if he does not let that go. The boulder slowly but surely reaches near the top of their heads. Until the scroll finally teared into 2 pieces.
Suddenly a purple light explodes, gushing the waves to the surrounding.
Their eyes shaking, overwhelmed by what is happening right now.
Everything around them stopped completely. Every sky they sees, turned to gray color and slowly cracks like a broken glass.
Something bizarre happened to those two.
One of their eyes turned bright luminescent blue with some small - barely noticeable roman numbers. It's like the Goddess forcefully replaces their eye into mini world of time and space.
They feel like their brains keep shaking and ringing like a combination of church bells and the telephone. They're holding their head firmly, writhes in despair and agony, as if their heads going to fly at any time.
In the midst of those agonizing moments happening on Ieza and Naruwa. Everything moved backwards, like rewinding to the past moments. They moved rather increasingly fast with certain period of time.
The barrier dropped down. Olford jumping backwards to the ground. The troops running backwards. The wall of their mansion was cracked open - now closes itself. Light flashes. The guest room that was exploded, returned back to normal. Herga and troops walking backward, stopped for brief moment in front of the door while knocking. They walking backwards faster than before. Night become day. The sun rises from west and set to east multiple times, even faster. The clock tower in the city rotates counterclockwise. The people, the caravans, horses, everything just moving very fast but backwards.
On all of bizarre things happening. Ieza and Naruwa already lose consciousness. They don't get to see this kind of thing.
A white woman figure shines bright, as if you only see her silhouette, landed just near from those kids laying down unconscious.
"Poor child, tampering with something only us Goddesses can wield. You know, I was about to let you disintegrate into the space matter. But the higher entity destined different fate for you. All the best of your journey, my child." She said that as she is holding her gigantic right wing and disappears right away, left only sprinkles of gold dust behind.
---
"Naruwa..."
"Wake up, my child"
"..."
"I've been waiting for you..."
A gentle voice can be heard.
Naruwa wakes up, and find himself in the deep, crystal blue water.
"Am I... die?" He mumbles himself.
A motherly figure with white gown, sighted diving.
She slowly approaches him while extend her right hand.
Naruwa, with empty expression, gazes on her.
"Who...are you?"
He tries to extend his right hand. But something else is holding it.
Sighted many black hands tries to drown him even further.
Naruwa panicked, he's struggling, but he feels something weird, as if he doesn't have energy to just move one finger.
He resisting even harder. Everything is just feels suffocating him at this moment.
"No!"
He wakes up gasping, with sweat around his face. Slowly but surely, he regained his breathing control back to normal.
He finds himself sit onto wooden bed with thin layer of leather. He sees all the walls are made from logs. He gazes on himself wearing white shirt and brown half trousers.
He hears the lowing of cows. He rotates his neck, looking out the window.
"Where am I, exactly? I don't remember living here..."
A sudden little girl voice can be heard.
"Hey, you're awake!"
A little girl called him from the door, walking inside while carrying bucket of water and a folded towel. She puts those on the table.
"Where am I?"
"You're in my grandpa's farm. Lovely, isn't it?"
"I'm not supposed to be here. I need to go back."
He tries to leave the bed and gets dizzy in a sudden.
"Hey, you're not in good condition to walk, yet. Let me help!"
She lifted his hands, carries it on her shoulder. He is shocked, as he feels her shoulder is like hardened flesh.
"Don't worry! I'm used to carry woods and grains. I helped my grandpa's farm after all!" She said that while maintaining happy face.
She helps Naruwa sit on the bed.
"Do you know where you live? We found you bruised when we are looking for firewood."
"I must...go back. To Akgardia..."
"Are you sure? That be like...3 days with horse. We don't have a horse sadly. Besides what were you doing lonely in the middle of the forest?"
"Lonely? I was with my brother last night. My house was raided last night by Akgardian authorities."
"I see. Sorry to hear that. But really you were alone when we found you."
Naruwa frowned to himself, thinking there must be a mistake
"Or it could be...Ieza..."
Naruwa sighed while hold his left eye with his left hand.
Suddenly they hear a door being opened.
An old man comes inside the room wearing brown hat, brown leather jacket and black half trousers.
"I see you are woken up, my apologies. My granddaughter must be bothering you, doesn't she?"
"Grandpa! You're back!" Replies the little girl happily "And no I did not disturb him. I was about to tend his wound."
Grandpa smiled, and gazes back at Naruwa.
"You've been injured pretty badly. Glad we found you. Otherwise, the bear in the forest gets you first. My name is Aiden and the little girl beside you is Rika. What's your name, young gentleman?" He removes his hat and place it near his chest, as a sign of introduction gesture.
"My name is Naruwa, I'm adopted son from Horgan family."
Aiden shocked while dropped his hat.
Rika, saw her grandpa acting like that, asked.
"What happen, grandpa?
"Did he say, Horgan family?"
"Yeah, he did!"
Aiden gazes on his granddaughter while waving his hand up and down. Rika comes to him. He whispered something on Rika's ear.
"Something wrong with Horgan family, pops?"
"The thing is...." He gulped, then continues the talking. "The Horgan you've mentioned. What's your parents' name?"
"My father's name is Gerrard Horgan and my mother's name is Hesse Horgan"
"Wow, he really married someone? Such young age to get married."
Naruwa shocked. As he cannot believe with what Aiden just said.
Naruwa elaborates to them what is his parents look like.
"I don't remember they're that young, at least my father has black hair with beard. My mother, not sure if you call that young, but she's kind of stay young thanks to her magic abilities. Their age is similar, somewhere in forty-five years old."
Rika interrupts. She has something to say.
"What do you mean forty-five years old?"
"What? You don't believe me?" Naruwa feels upset about her question.
"I only saw Gerrard Horgan you've spoke of. I saw him last time visiting a church near our place here. They said he was here to attending the meeting with Enkarsia officials."
"How do you know so much, my child?" Aiden replies.
"Because I was playing near the church, grandpa. And he seems as young as this man. Except he doesn't have beard."
Naruwa shocked. His eyes gazes through the door for a brief moment.
"No way!"
He rushes himself getting out of bed. He is running barefoot toward the door, then toward the front door of their house. He is surprised.
He gazes on everything, the street, the people, looked old fashioned without any sight of magic device or even magic traces left behind. Just every traditional tool and labor efforts. Nobody uses magic surrounding him.
Aiden fast walking to the doorstep. He's calling his name.
"Young man, where are you going?"
"To find him! My apologies but I need to hurry!"
He casts wind magic on his feet. He runs fast and gets himself rolled down, and tries to back himself up again. The people surrounding him were astonished, as if they weren't seeing a man running fast as lightning before.
He finally reached the church mentioned by Rika. To his surprise, what Rika told him was true.
He gazes on his father on young age. He is wearing the same clothes as Naruwa wore back in the mansion days
Naruwa confused as if he should call him father or not. When he was about to follow him, someone pulling his left hand, causing him to staggered. as Gerrard walks inside to the church.
It was Rika who pulled him.
"Are you sure he is your father?" Rika asked.
Naruwa gazes on Rika, and drop himself to his knees. He is holding his hair, as he is feeling stressed out.
"My father is not that young...There's no way that's him."
"Yes! That is Gerrard Horgan. That is him you spoke of. He is well known across entire countries."
Suddenly his left eye throbbing. The pain excruciating from his head. He falls down to the ground and become unconscious.
Rika yelled for help to surrounding. Her voice is echoed on Naruwa's ear. He is collecting his remaining strength to talk.
"What...is...happening..."
Chapter 3 - End