En and his group headed towards the stalls in the lively festive. To his left walks Amie and to his right a stiff and quiet guard Lilali. Amongst the lively crowds the group of three stood out and the masses make way quickly upon noticing them.
Lilali occasionally glances back and forth at the children with concern, she can also feel her head about to explode from the sheer pressure. She felt as if they'll disappear the moment she take her eyes off them for too long. Her guard was up trying to read any malicious pattern of mana in the environment every second.
En felt a shiver ran down his spine each time Lilali stared at them intensely.
Amie finds it funny that Lilali will treat them like toddlers who needed supervision and couldn't help but smile.
Soon-- the aroma of grilled meat and various foods from all sorts of varieties entice the three and they began to buy samples of every single one. Their unwavering money saved them the trouble of worrying about running out of food.
Lilali tried her best to ask them to restrain but she too was tempted to try the food.
The whole scene continues like this for a solid hour or two before it was time to head back home for dinner. And in this case it will be at the Filans' Manor. But, there is no rush in going home.
They decided to walk around the city a little bit more, enjoying the scenery, the animals and the vibrant surroundings that consists of the rambling chatters of the busy bodies, the roaring of tamed beasts and the noises of machineries. Everything was good. Everything was calm. Everything was what the phrase 'peace and prosperity' would entail.
It's all good. But such a thing was never supposed to last.
Explosions set up-
Raging flames shoot up from throughout city-
Waves of wind cut through the buildings and the people.
ㅤ
Heads flew around all the places. Headless bodies were sent flying throughout the houses. Crashing through the windows. Men were burned to cinders. Children blew away, their bodies torn apart revealing their intestines and their charred flesh and bones.
Women and children screamed and scurried in all sorts of directions, unsure of what to do in such situation. The city had enjoyed peace for a bit too long.
Parts of buildings flew mid air at high velocity from the impacts of the explosions crushing unlucky civilians- their heads squashed flat. Women hold their children by the hand and ran down the streets hoping to survive this scenario.
Alas~ rubbles spread out at random around all directions at fatal speed occasionally crashing against the fragile head of the children smashing it to pieces.
The frantic mothers would often run dragging their lifeless child around often feeling them stop - and when they turn around a heartbreaking visual engulfed their eyes.
Spilled out brain matters, twitching corpses and bare veins were covering large chunks of the city. All of this happened in the span of 2 minutes.
None of the lifeless bodies on the ground would've thought they'd go out this way. Their plans for the future ended abruptly in the span of mere minutes.
Amidst the chaos stood an army hoisting the flag of a foreign nation. The soldiers who initiated this bloodbathe stood without expression. In front of them stood a man with a tall, buff physique with long spiky white hair. His skin was wrinkled and his robe flutters as the wind blows against him amidst the fire and destruction.
That man was no doubt an army general of the nation of Jinuva. A neighbouring country of Cresvus, a nation was once famed for its underhanded tactics and disloyalty.
Cresvus had once taken Jinuva under its wing in its time of need sheltering it-
Jinuvus in kind repaid that kindness with this betrayal. The reason for this attack unidentified as of now.
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The deafening bugle calls ringed out at last. Mages and Soldiers of Cresvus Kingdom rushed towards the battlefield.
Mages were to cover the melee troops with their magic, intercepting offensive magics with their own and taking down opposing mages when they have affirm the positions.
Meanwhile, melee troops were to pave the way for the units to march forward towards the midst of the battle. Utilising their protective artefacts.
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While all of these was going on En and his group rushed back towards the Filans' Manor, the place which is most likely to be guarded and safe.
As they make their way back soldiers of Jinuva stood there, effectively forcing them to turn back but even that was no longer possible. They were completely surrounded.
En: [Lilali can you take on these guys all at once? I'll bring Amie back safely if you could do that.]
Obviously it's not possible for Lilali to do that but she can buy time. Yet--
Lilali: [This is but a piece of cake. Leave it to me.]
Amie: [Lilali I know that you're super strong but please there must be some other way. ]
En: [There is no other way we have no choice but to sacrifice her let's go.]
En grabbed Amie's hand and tries to forcefully drag her with him but she resisted to the very bitter end. A struggle that lasts barely a minute yet clearly displays Amie's will to try to be a good person to the very bitter end.
Amie:[ En there is a building right behind us we should hurry up and run inside there, all three of us.]
En: [Run inside and what? Ultimately sealing our fate?]
Amie: [I've got a plan just follow me.]
Amie and En made their way inside the house. Amie signalled to Lilali with a wave and she too followed suit in a hurry.
In the eyes of observers the three of them were like headless chickens running around pointlessly.
The house had a huge hole on the roof presumably from the sudden burst earlier. Amie lead the other two along with her to the upper floor and climbed her way up towards the flat and ruined rooftop.
To En this was a pointless and stupid effort to retaliate. Why didn't they just let go of Lilali and use that chance to escape? Such a thing occupied his mind in this moment.
But for Amie this was the right thing to do, her willingness to protect as much people as she could. Amie as per the tradition of the Hanzels had learned Barrier magic and specialised in it. This was the moment her quality as a noble was tested.
A wave of mana was distributed throughout the city effectively prohibiting the use of high level magic.
A faint and divine barrier engulfed the whole city of Sparle. Within this barrier all those who remained alive were supplied to the brim with mana effectively healing them.
Such an action might likely result in helping the enemy sides too as the target was not specified. But this action have more pros than cons. The invaders were primarily consisting of mages and barley melee fighters.
With the first magic sealing the use of magic the greatest advantage they had was stripped off of them. With just low level spells in their arsenal not much could be done. With each passing moment, Cresvus was gradually filled with melee soldiers such as the swordsmen and cavalries roaming the streets hacking away at the heads of the invaders killing them before they could have the chance to benefit from the large healing magic.
Surviving civilians gradually got better, enough to run to shelters at the very least.
The invaders who were after the group of three were too riddled with holes by the spears of cavalrymen.
Amie sighed in relief-she herself never expected things could go this well. It was a time of great importance for her growth. She did not deny it. Upon their first encounter with the enemy force on the way.
She was panicking, her head spinning around with the best possible course of action. And on a whim, she decides to follow one.
Now that things are getting better she calmed down and finally decide to explain everything to En properly.
En felt shame as there was no other solution that came to his mind. He was filled with regret, embarassment he was bright red. His ears, his face. And to add on top of that he was jealous.
Amie approached him with a smile and pat him on the shoulder with a smile-
Amie: [It's okay, don't be so embarassed I'm the older one here of course I'm way smarter]
Amie smugs, a huff came from her and her hands in her hips. A clear display of dominance and teasing.
En could almost feel like he's burning up from his ears to his cheeks. It's as if he was grilled in a fireplace.
-----------------
Crash Crack
A boulder came flying and smashed En's head. His skull crushed into a fine powder, his brain squished to a fine form and his blood flowing like water from his mouth. All in the span of 3 seconds.
The scene scared Amie, the brutality of that disturbed her stomache and couldn't help but vomit on the spot. Her legs shivering with fear, she could feel her pants warm and wet...
She pissed herself. She couldn't help it. En was disfigured in the span of seconds. He died.
Fear, anger, disgust all strongly tug at Amie's stomache and she kept vomiting each time she looked back up.
She tried to call out to Lilali for help but she was the first one gone. Lilali's fragmented body parts were sticked to the floor spilling out her heart, her kidneys which were bisected into many parts. Her stomache which happened to stick directly in her jaw.
Amie couldn't even vomit anymore. Tired, afraid, angry and disgusted she's on the verge of fainting with tears in her eyes. She forced herself to stay awake trying to ascertain the threat.
From the trees, the leaves began to rustle. From which came a gentle wind which blows at the soldiers below and in an instant. They were blown to pieces.
Amie observed the whole scene with terror. She could no longer stand, her knees gave up and she crouched down hoping that whatever is out there doesn't notice her.
The leaves rustle once more. A figure leaped unto the rooftop with his face covered with a mask. The figure wore a cloak. There was no doubt this person was the one with such terrifying power.
?: [You're one cute girl. What's your name?]
The figure spoke in an calm manner, their hands inside their pocket as they slowly approach Amie. Amie in return could only try her best to crawl away. A futile attempt.
?: [I'm not a bad person you don't have to be afraid of me okay?]
The figure states. Although not convincing in the slightest they try their best to appear friendly.
?: [Hey please stop that you're hurting my feelings. My name is Eskal. I am the Hero of Jinuva. And as my title entails I'm a hero]
Amie looked back with fear, she tried to speak but the words will not come out of her. She breaths frantically as she's trying to calm herself.
She couldn't understand this person. She's afraid of their true intentions. She is constantly on the edge feeling that death is just looming around. She feels as if nothing she do will help her. She could only cry softly with fear.
Finally Eskal ran out of patience and got a little bit more aggressive. Taking off the mask reveals a teenage boy with black hair, around 17 years old. His face bearing an annoyed expression. He grabbed Amie by the collar and stand her up.
Amie shivered with fear, her teeth chattering non-stop as she was treated with a slightly more aggressive force. Eskal let go of her and walked past her sitting on the edge of the rooftop admiring the view for a while.
Amie on the other hand tries to calm herself to talk her way out of the situation. After 5 whole minutes she finally regained a bit of her composure.
Amie: [The name is Amie Filan if you don't mind me asking what are you doing here Sir Eskal?]
Eskal looked back and stood up straight which started Amie then replied-
Eskal: [Cresvus is a thieving kingdom that has been leaching off Jinuva for decades. As a result, many districts in the kingdom have suffered from poverty. I am here to help save this Kingdom from the corrupted rulers]
Amie: [Cresvus? Thief? On Jinuva? QUIT BULLSHI--
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Eskal enact a light stomp and the building collapsed, crumbling down as it fell bringing Amie to fall head on towards her impending doom-
Eskal: [Accept the truth or die]
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