Minutes later, a knock on the door released me from my daydream of what a goddess would look like. "Come in!"
The door opened, and to my surprise, it was Capitaneus Dakila, who would be bearing a warm gift in one hand.
"Hope we didn't make you wait too long?" Dakila grinning, the plate in his hand was looking more scrumptious as steam fogged.
"It's fine,I'm used to being starved." I responded with my predatory eyes fixed on the price.
"Well no more. I also heard from the Oracle that you have a big appetite, so do not be afraid to ask for more." He says whilst handing me the wooden plate with bread, grilled fish, and some sort of white gravy.
"The old hag said that?Well, of course she would think that. The only time she ever saw me eating was after training. Obviously, anyone would have an appetite then."
"Well you cannot blame her for saying that if that was the only time she saw you." I drew closer to the Capitaneus, indicating to him to come closer himself. "Does she eat?"
"Who does?"
"The Oracle, I never seen her eat before."
"Come to think about it, I have never seen her eat before either—but Lady Rosalind and Lord Justice eat all the time. Well, lord, Justice eats, lady Rosalind just drinks booze. A lot!"
"But lady Rosalind and lord Justice are semi-gods and have divine chi, and the Oracle's chi is different from theirs."
"Wait kid! You can sense the Oracle's chi?" Dakila exploded, forcing him to look around the crowd he startled in embarrassment.
"Yes I can. Is there a problem?"
"No, not at all. It's just that no normal person can sense her chi, not even a Capitaneus like me."
"Well me and Master Ryden always sense it."
"That is to be expected from Master Ryden, afterall he is the strongest warrior in the Creed."
"And the most painful of teachers."
"Tell me about it."
"Huh, you have trained with Master Ryden?"
"Who hasn't? every couple of times during the year, he appears at Fratres Domus and picks a fight with whoever he sees fit."
"Even a captain like you?"
"Especially captains, you are not considered a Capitaneus until you've survived your first match against Master Ryden." The Capitaneus grinned a bit. I saw him touch his left arm, reliving his inauguration. "Well kid I've taken up too much of your time, and some spies might see that this coach has the real Terragon."
"Of course, sir. I understand, and thank you." I bowed
"No kid, thank you."
"For what exactly?"
"Fighting for us as your mother hoped you would." He said as he turned his back to me.
"I'm not through." This halted the Capitaneus' leave. "I'm fighting for revenge for the woman I loved. Once I have that— do you know what is going to happen after Capitaneus?"
"Hopefully nothing bad, kid?" he responded. The air shivered around him, and I quickly took bites of my bread dipped in gravy. "But I also don't know myself. Didn't think to ask the Oracle of the future? It is her power, after all."
"It is, I had forgotten to ask her." I said audaciously.
"But you and I know what the future holds, lies; deceit; revenge and power! Sometimes, it's like I never left Metallum. You are all the same. The only difference between the Creed and my family is that you are pretending to be the heroes here." It had seemed I had struck a nerve with the Capitaneus, but I did so on purpose.
"What are you saying, Titen?" Calmly," the man asked as the air around him reverted back to normal.
He mentioned my name instead of a kid this time. Why does it feel so nice hearing my name from a stranger.
"Nothing you already don't know." I continued with my meal and focused my attention back at the mosaic. The door was closed again by the guards of my coach.
****
The hour passed, and the break had come to a halt. The journey was to continue, and this time, with new companions, I wonder who it will be? There is no need for me to wonder too much , my questions will be answered momentarily. Expectedly, the first person to open the coach door was shaking the entire mode of transportation with the force he used. It was Nguyĕn van Nam, if I heard him properly. He was tall and expectedly slim. He looked at my direction very angrily as if he didn't want the next watch over me. He stepped aside and looked to his right, but it seemed what he was looking for wasn't beside him anymore.
"Hong! I was opening the door for you to get in first. So why are you behind me?" The skinny man sighed.
"Isa said he was dangerous, so I didn't want to get in first."
"Wow, so you want your older brother to go first into the danger without so much warning me?"
Holding one finger in her mouth and looking like an airhead she hummed "Umm…"
"Nevermind."He took his steps into the coach, and then Hong followed suit. Upon closer inspection was the same height as me, but I could clearly see she was much older.
"What are you looking at?" The tall man seated opposite of me asked.
"Your beautiful sister." This response certainly threw not only Hong off whose cheeks were red with blood but also her stoic brother.
Nam looks at his sister. "Don't tell me you are now into little kids!"
"No!" Hong roared and quickly covered her mouth out of embarrassment for shouting, then she whispered "I am not."
"Then why are your cheeks blush red, I wonder what mother will say if you bring her this Terragon boy as a husband."
"Nam why are you getting the wrong idea? My cheeks are flushed because he just wasn't expecting that."
Silence quickly followed afterwards, I guess I'm the one who has to initiate with these two, or I could stare at the mosaic a little longer. The details fitted onto this piece still bewilders me. I ended up staring at the piece instead of communicating with my new companions.
"You like that mosaic, don't you?" Hong unexpectedly questioned me.
"Yes, goddess Fulga with her child. It is an interesting story of your affinities, flash, and lightning."
"Story? This is no mere story nor myth kid. This is the origin of our people." Nam proclaimed.
"Do you not believe in the gods?" Hong asked.
"I…" the convoy started moving. The shaking of the coach paused me. "I do not believe in beings that I have not seen with my own eyes."
"Care to explain our leaders or the Oracle then? The divinus are nothing short of gods themselves."
"That is why I do not believe in them, half versions of gods could be ill informed of their origins, the Oracle herself told me she is not a god, demi or semi but also she is far from being considered a mere mortal."
"Then what is she then?" Hong leaned forward, eyes wide open.
"This is my thesis, but maybe an ancient race of humans we lost a record of or the information has been kept far from us mere mortals."
Nam was displeased with my thesis and he should be, I'm trying to convince him that the faith he had been taught from the moment he could speak probably,could be nothing more than brainwashing and folklore.
"You have quite the wild mind Terragon, is this what your grandfather taught you?" *Hmph* "Of course, that is the kind of brainwashing a tyrant would use to make you undermine your enemy."
Hong, who was curious about my analogy of the Divinus and ancient species, seemed more and more perplexed by it. One hand on her chin and the other supporting her elbow, I could tell she didn't believe me but understood the possibility maybe.
"If you say that the Divinus are not gods but just people, why is it that Lady Rosalind and Lord Justice can not have offsprings?" Hong asked. "It can not be that both twins share infertility by chance."
"Hong do not be stupid. You know the answer to this. It's because the blood of the gods can not be diluted any further than a semi-god."
"Oh ah! What about the Arc clan care to explain them and uniqueness and animal-like features?" Hong directed another question to me.
The Arc clan is a noble warrior house unlike any other in Ignis , they possess tremendous power from an early age and have akin canine senses with super human anatomy.
"What about them?"
"Do you think they descend from gods? With all the crazy things they can do." She turned her head between me and her brother.
"I would not know, I was just asking what assurance can we have that gods and demi-gods existed other than the hearsay of old people that look younger than a fourteen year old." Hong and I burst into laughter as we were later joined by her brother through a cute giggle and whisper.
"Fourteen years old?"
"Yeah no offence to the Oracle, but it must be tough, looking adolescent for hundreds of years!" Hong proclaimed loudly "But it would be nice to look young for longer."
"Is that what all women think about!? Looking young." Nam sarcastically said.
The conversation with these two was pleasant, more pleasant than dancing around each other like Nimuel and Isa.
×××
Deep in the forest that Titen's convoy would soon approach and pass through waited an ambush to liberate Titen for the bounty placed on him by his family. Titen has no knowledge of said bounty, but it is common knowledge to all those who haven't been living in seclusion. The bandits had already set their plan into motion, as all of them were scattered on the tree tops and certain areas hidden underground camouflaged.
"They are drawing near." one of the bandits said to another who seemed to be the leader of this group. The leader gave the order for his men to be prepared. Upon receiving the order, the men could see touches and light in front of them.
"Five till contact." The scouter bandit who happened to be the sensorie of the group with the ability to detect the presence of anyone within a certain range.
The bandits upon hearing this, hearts racing, brows wet from perspiration and grins on the faces larger than life itself. The warriors began brandishing their weapons.
The scouter and the man leading this group have their own private conversation before the encounter.
"How will we know which one has the boy?" the bandit leader asked his companion
"Do you know Legatus Maya?"
"How could I not know the 'Bitch Tyrant', Don't tell me she is our contact?"
"No! She has a very personal distaste for Terragons from the rumours, I've heard that her short temper is literally her shortcoming."
"Why should some Legatus mean anything to me?"
"When I was scouting the Creed when they had made camp. The Capitaneus and Legatus were making rounds to each and every coach that seemed to be holding important individuals, trying very hard to hide the target and cause confusion. I tried to sense the chi signals of the centre coaches but other than the guards I could not sense the chi signals of the third person in each coach even after the escorts left the coaches."
"Do you know which one has the kid?" the bandit leader asked in an irritated tone forcing the scouter to perspire and clear his throat.
"Yes and no, as I was trying * throat clear* trying to say the Creed planned this well. Not only did they use powerful chi signals to mask the hidden chi's but they also have very talented chi compresses but also the coaches are lined with chillium making it impossible for anyone even a level 7 sensor such as myself to pinpoint the boy. Out of the three centre coaches with three people inside with two of them emanating two powerful chi signals and with the third person hiding there's. It is obvious that out those three one of them have the kid, which is quite obvious even for the Creed.``
"They want to be ambushed."
"Which means reinforcement is close by but I cannot sense any more chi signals which means that they are using powerful artefacts to hide their backup and we…."
"Don't or cannot know their positions, but even if they were using powerful artefacts we would still have seen them visually."
"Yes unless reinforcements are a distance away from the convoy and their objective is not to just rush straight to the convoy to assist in case of an attack."
"But to form a perimeter to close escape and with Legatus Maya to block anyone from flashporting out of the perimeter."
"Our employer just said to get the boy to the extraction point which is not that very far from us, and our extraction would be something he would worry about and it does not matter who gets left behind, the Creed would just arrest them. Afterall we are just low level bandits hehehe." The two laugh in low pitch. " Why did you accept this job boss? How can we trust this Spade guy to really get us out of here either way? Without flashport we are going to be cornered quickly. I don't want to go to the box even if the money is good."
"It's not like he was asking us, it was either do the job or we all would have died at that bar. You want to protest, you should have done that at the bar. It's too late now. Ohh wait you didn't before because you would have lost your head like that bunch we buried in the woods. Now set it up and focus on the mission at hand." The bandit leader said looking at the scouter with noticeably fear in his eyes that he couldn't help but share thanks to their encounter with the man called spade. "What about the front or rear, what can we expect?"
"Not good news the front holds the strongest chi signal and the rear is where the Legatus is stationed. They wouldn't pit the Capitaneus with the target because that would limit the manoeuvrability of their strongest warrior and the Legatus shouldn't be easily accessible to the enemy because of her ability. This flash Artemers on a convoy guard means that they intend to block exits very quickly and hit us hard. It's good we brought our own to match theirs but the rest of us have to handle the lighting Artemers and other affinitors quickly before the flash Tyrants outpace our guys."
"We attack the centre coaches out of the nine and we flashpoint him to the rendezvous which will still be in Legatus Maya's range. We can still use flashpoint within her range just as long as we don't go out of it."
"It would be pointless but it won't be that easy. Seven of the coaches are carrying powerful individuals, more like thirty to be exact. The rest carry some individuals I would assume ate help for the nobles in the Creed but ...."
"Thirty against our forty seems like a good play. I like my odds so long as I don't have to deal with Spade."
"You're right, the Capitaneus chi signal is nothing to that Spade guy, I'm liking my odds with the Creed more than him. If only my life was simpler." The scouter exhaled.
"Remember we only have a seven minute window after we start the attack to get the kid and make it to the rendezvous, not a second late." The bandit leader whispered to his companions in this predicament with him.
"We know the route, the guard rotation and that the one of three centre coaches hold our target if only we knew which had the kid." The leader sarcastic said looking his scouter straight in the eyes.
"I also don't know but if it is the coach that I think that it is then, the third centre coach, the one closest to Legatus Maya. We have to create distance from her and prevent her from making contact with the boy. Then we really will be fucked, there will be no teleporting then. Either way we are being baited."
"I hate being baited like this but.."
"That's why I'm not sure but seeing as the boy is closer to the reach of the Legatus rather than Capitaneus Dakila the Celeri. I'm putting my money on this gamble." The scouter focused his attention back at the convoy which was three minutes out.
"Which one for the last time?" The leader asked with his hand gripping tightly to his sword, the other bandits hidden with them in the trees tensing up themselves sensing the tension of pressure of the approaching mission on wheels which had entered the forest.
"The third one I'm sure of it, closest to Maya.'' The convoy carried on with its pace until it was right below the bandits hidden in the treetops covered by night and leaves without a reflective object to tip the unsuspecting or suspecting convoy.
"Attack!!" the bandit leader roared, forcing all his men to descend from the trees to begin the extraction mission of the Terragon boy.
×××
Several minutes before the convoy approached the forest ahead of it, hosting their ambushes. The lead man of the convoy sat upfront with the coachman
"How many do you sense Makisig?" Capitaneus Dakila asked the man next to him.
"Forty at least but small fry compared to your brave leader but there is one who will be a problem sir." The coachman responded. "So how do we move on from now?"
"Maintain course and pace, notify me when a new signature appears. Also notify the tailers to follow the plan, we will deal with them quickly and carry on with the journey. It is not something to worry about, it's not the Terragon's."
"How can you be sure sir?"
"The Terragons would not use small fry to retrieve the boy."
"Alright I'll send out synapses to the tailers."
The Capitaneus began singing, a signal to all on the convoy to prepare for an imminent attack. I of course was oblivious to the signal but when I took notice of Hong's reaction to the, might I say beautiful singing. The man is talented, if the Creed ever got boring for him, the life of a musician would fit like a glove. Our pace did not quicken or slow down indicating that this was a trap that the Flash Tyrants were comfortable with.
"Not my family." I mumbled under my breath.
"What?" Nam reacted.
"Nothing just impressed by your Capitaneus' singing."
That placed me at unease, it could be my grandfather's plan to make my escorts think that there was no danger or to wear them out by throwing waves of weaklings. Tiring them is a good and smart option to maximise the odds of the success of my retrieval, if an all out fight were to tire out or kill the majority of the party it would create an opportunity for the Venalicium to capitalise on.
The moonlight that penetrated the mosaic window dimmed until it disappeared indicating that we had entered the forest. The singing dimmed as well till there was silence and the creatures of the forest were all we could hear. One look at my companions indicated to me that their job wouldn't be to fight the enemy but to make sure I don't leave their sight or be taken. The silence in the coach was defining but saved by the forest and hustling and bustling of the coaches, which was cut short by the screaming of men who I assumed ascended from the tree tops. From silence to a full on battle in mere seconds, thunder filled the area presumably from flash Artemers using flashpoint to move at hyper speed to fight their attackers
"Aim for the coaches!" a masculine voice shouted.
Fire Art: flame thrower!" What followed after those words was explosions and extreme heat. I knew massive fire attacks were thrown at my coach and probably those in front of mine. My coach took the full brunt of the attack causing me, Hong and her brother to roll with the coas it tipped over to its right side. This did not sit well with Nam who was infuriated and began cladding the interior with his flash lighting and thunder reverberated my ears. He bursted out of the coach that sat on its side now, his exit snuffing out any fire that stuck to the coach. Hong, who happened to land on my chest when we were tipping over, quickly got to her feet using flashpoint. Embarrassment all over her face, the flustered look on her face shook her to the point where she began hiding her face. She couldn't look at me for a second then whispered something to herself and composed herself as she was standing on what was once our door now her standing ground.
"I thought you were not into kids?" I joked while holding the pectoral she had her head on.
"You know very well what happened!" She retorted. "And don't leave the coach or else!"
It was pretty obvious that the convoy was focused on the enemy in front of them that they didn't expect another to appear out of nowhere especially with Legatus controlling any flashporting in her domain. It is a unique ability belonging only to her, granting her fame in even Metallum's royal palace walls. One that she and her brother shared, it is also how I was kidnapped from the most secured island nation in the world.
This should have been a simple dealing with plus minus forty bandits but since the instantaneous appearance of thirty more bandits out of thin air that I didn't sense till we were in the trapped irritated the back of my head, and the descent of the treetop bandits made the situation complicated.
Whomever has the ability to move a large group of people or conceal, no I would have at least sense the residual of the concealing chi regardless of whatever level this convoy's sensorie is. I need to go outside and get a clear sense of whose chi did this so I could get a clear sense of which amongst my father's Venalicium did this.
Or maybe it could be the dead, no! I would sense if it were the dead fighting right now, I could never forget that tainted chi. I looked at Hong who also could tell that this was quite the predicament we were in. Luckily I didn't sense among our attackers the chi of someone I recognise, if I did then the situation would take a turn for the worse. This means that it might be the actions of the Terragon clan but bounty collectors either this benefits my grandfather's objectives.
"This is bad." Hong whispered under her breath even though the side taking casualties was that of our attackers it was obvious that Hong could feel that her side was using large amount of chi to fend of the enemy but if things carried on as is, prematurely losing steam would leave her and a few left to deal with a different wave at full strength and that's bad considering we still have a ways to go.
And the moment we were attacked the chi signals of those that were tailing us disappeared instantly, this person who can manipulate space would be a problem if they were in close contact with me. My time here with the Creed would be cut short and I highly doubt master Ryden is anywhere in sight, I cannot sense his chi anywhere near.
"Indeed, I have lost the chi signals of our tails."
"Wha! How did you…!?"
"Nevermind that, it seems that there isn't one party attacking us now or maybe this was the opposition's plan to instantly overwhelm us when we lowered our guard. Capitaneus Dakila sensorie could only sense the bandits did not know of the third party who somehow appeared out of thin air. "
"Was this your doing!?" Her expression was demonised.
"No! How could I, I have not communicated with someone from Metallum since four years ago. I might have an idea who it is though, but I need your permission to leave the coach and warn Capitaneus Dakila."
"Wha! My permission!"
"Yes, you are the only one who can prevent Legatus Maya from killing me the instant I set foot outside of the coach."
"Don't worry, the Flash Tyrants have the situation under control. A thousand bandits could never finish the stamina of my brethren in arms."
"For how long, it's not the bandits I'm worried about. It's the fact that we are doing exactly what the enemy wants us to do, by having our strongest member engaging in battle."
Outside my coach I could hear and sense the battle between the Flash Tyrants and the other group of people from our convoy against the bandits and those that appeared out of thin air. The arrival of those that appeared out of thin air was a disadvantage and how they did so ate at the back of my mind. Also the fact that when they appeared they attacked some members of the treetop bandits, are they not from the same party. Of course all bandits share the same object, Me! Was this a coincidence since both parties don't seem to be on friendly terms or someone's plan from the beginning. I don't believe in coincidences. This is definitely the plan of someone from the Terragon clan. No doubt, now my objective is to make sure that the Creed doesn't fall full heartedly into it. If they do, then I believe that the person with the teleportation ability will make contact with me very soon to kidnap me very soon, especially easily seeing as Hong wouldn't be that strong to fend him or her off. The chaos is the perfect opportunity to strike, I have to be next to someone stronger so they can fight this individual if they prove to be too much for me.
Yet it's still hard to believe someone can teleport so freely in Legatus Maya's flashdome there must be a limit and they might not have enough strength to steal me and fend off the Capitaneus, I have to get to him now before it's too late. Hopefully she can still tell if someone is about to warp into her domain that might distract her from going into a fit of rage and seizing the opportunity of killing me. This situation that has already gone from bad to worse will end up in the worst situation for me, captured again or dead at the hands of the 'Legatus Bitch'. The surprise on Hong's face as her brother abandoned his position leaving her to fend for herself and watch over me told me everything I needed to know. I need to get to the Capitaneus Dakila's side where it's safest for me if the mystery teleporter arrives.
Whoever planned this probably didn't account for the steps I would be taking but I might also still fall into their trap. I decided to take a look outside by lifting myself off my seat , getting a reaction from Hong but she held herself. The scene was what you would expect of a battle, chaotic and full of carnage but no casualties from our side. The Flash Tyrants and other personnel I was not introduced to were fighting off the gangs harmoniously, some formed a protective wall around my coach. Capitaneus Dakila was engaged in battle with three individuals who at best were at the same level as a Legatus, they had to be the bandit lead men in this fight. Everyone was too busy to even tip it back to position, and why would they in the midst of battle. That would expose them to enemy attack, Nam and other flash Artemers where the speedsters take on most of the enemy. I assume so because he was nowhere to be seen in the protective formation, Legatus Maya was though and it seemed she too was being protected. Of course she would see as her ability stopped a barrage of enemies from flashporting at this location. Everything seemed to be okay and that is what sickened me with worry, this was definitely the enemy's plan. Why else would they use lower class warriors other than to serve the overlooked but powerful purpose of pawns.
I lowered myself back to Hong position on our new standing ground, cracking the glass of the beautiful mosaic windows from my lowering. I drew in closer to her to lock eyes with the older woman but looked my age due to her short demenuer.
"What are you doing?" Hong muttered as she grabbed one of beautifully carved wooden short sticks, probably an extendable staff if conjoined with its counterpart that sat on the opposite side holster.
"Hong we have to help."
"No!" She roared, "Legatus Maya said to keep you inside the coach no matter what and either way reinforcements will be flashporting anytime soon unless Legatus feels we are overran."
"Maya will flashpoint them here?" what I feared, the mastermind wants to deplete Maya of her chi first before moving in. Which means…and what I feared happened. More bandit chi signals appeared out of thin air on the battlefield this time forty five more. That was just the first wave.
"More enemies!!"
"Where are they coming from!!"
"Aren't you blocking them Maya!!" an unfamiliar voice shouted.
"Shut up, this is not a flashport!!" Maya retorted to the unfamiliar voice
The shouts echoed confirming what I sensed.
You said Maya will flashpoint reinforcements here, then when should she have done that? Isn't it when there were more than two individuals who were at Legatus level.
"Shut up, my orders are to watch you at all times."
I reached out one hand to her "And you will but I need you to go trust me, we are playing right into the enemy's palm."