They set out in the middle of the night. As part of preparation, powerful defensive, hiding and healing spells were used on everyone. Even the captains, but they weren't given enchanted items, supposed to keep them safe and help kill or catch a criminal.
What surprised Dezen, was that if one of that items will be destroyed, he won't suffer any consequences.
As they explained to him, it's not his that it was destroyed, but the fault of the mage who actually destroyed it. Besides this, Church of Alen has enormous production of enchanted items, and they are just tools. Their destination is to help mages, until they can't.
Together, there were 40 of them, 3 captains, 2 mercenaries and 35 average church members.
They didn't travel by mounts or used typical movement spells, instead they were teleported close to plague mage hideout by space magic.
It was deep in the forest, trees here are far apart from each other, there is also sudden rise in the land, which resembles a cliff, with cave in it.
One of the captains, high men with black hair, stayed outside, while the other 2, both women with average height, one blond, one redhead, charged at the hideout entrance, casting spell.
Dezen and the rest were supposed to create a barrier around this place with enchanted items they were given, and it was what he did.
A giant gold barrier was slowly manifesting, while captains started fighting. Dezen couldn't see anything from this fight, because of the dust floating in the air.
After a few minutes, barrier stood steady, and he was waiting for the end.
Since he didn't have anything else to do, Dezen started looking sideways on the other mages.
After a few more minutes, something hit the barrier, right in front of Dezen.
He didn't notice when, but the figure appeared close to him, stopped only by thick, golden wall.
Dezen didn't know what it was, but surely it wasn't human.
Although the figure was humanoid, it had scales on the whole skin, and scales similar to them (scales), at the end of the fingers. It also has a thin, long tail, which fits his slim body. His ears are almost like human's, but eyes are yellow with vertical pupils.
The creature began furiously attacking barrier with bare hands.
Dezen believed in barrier's strength much more than in his own, but still used Green Barrier and Stone Skin, what was rather unnecessary, since he already had a powerful spell and enchanted item, protecting him.
Other mages didn't come to help him for 2 reasons. The first was that they were too weak, the second was that it could a tactic to weaken other parts of the barrier.
Luckily, after around 10 cracks appeared on the barrier, one of the captains came, grabbed the figure by its arm, and thrown towards centre of the battlefield.
Dezen was happy seeing it, and entirely focused on repairing the barrier.
Before, he couldn't do it, because the presence of that creature was too stressful.
After repairing the barrier, to fell more safe, he casted Cutting Fog. Now, after improvement, it could change its shape to limited extent.
It formed in something like a giant shield in front of him, with branches close to the ground, surrounding Dezen. The longer these branches were, they shorter the became, merging behind him.
To see that part of the barrier, which is right in front of him, he made a few small holes in it.
Shortly after the attack of unknown being, the battleground was filled with green fog, which was burned after touching the barrier.
Dezen watched it for a while, and then returned to looking at the direction of battle, waiting for its end.
Unexpectedly, the ground shook, and the barrier got shattered. Dust got pressed to the ground, by invisible force, so they could see captains, criminal and strange creature.
Captains were wounded, but it wasn't something serious. They looked at their enemies with hostile expression.
On the other hand, plague mage and unknown being looked weaker. Dezen couldn't see their injuries, but he noticed that parts of their bodies are withered. They were also breathing deeply.
Turned out, captains were preparing catching spells, which they cast at the same time. Thick, golden chains flew at their directions, two at the mage, one at the creature.
They both tried to flee in different directions.
Yellow being tried running towards Dezen, probably because he was the weakest of all mages there.
He prepared to block his attack, while other mages tried to come to him to help. However, it wasn't needed, because blond captain appeared before him, protecting Dezen.
Seeing it, he used an enchanted item with a catching spell, wanting to help.
A golden chain appeared, and caught the creature by his right leg. It wasn't as big as captain's, nor so strong, but still worked
Bering tried to destroy it, but blond captain used this chance to attack his chest, destroying a layer of scales, skin and muscles, making bones visible.
It couldn't stand the pain, nor ignore this wound, so it fell to the ground, covered the big hole at his chests with hands, used healing spells and screamed.
The female captain looked at it with despise, kicked it in the mouth, and then used spells to neutralize it.
When she ended, she turned to Dezen and said.
"Thank you."
She then started healing herself.
Dezen quickly responded.
"That's- That is my work, it is obvious I will help you. And I have to thank you for protecting me."
Dezen bowed as a sign of respect and gratitude.
He then added.
"However, I don't think I did much, I believe you would catch him without my help. What I achieved was possible thanks to his weakened state, which was created by you and other captains."
Captain smiled and was a little amused, seeing how tense Dezen is. She then lifted the strange being and placed it on her right shoulder.
- I wonder if they caught that idiot.
She turned in the direction of other captains, and saw that they caught plague mage, what made her smile wider.
They all then cleaned the battleground, from everything dangerous for the environment.
At this point, Dezen's assignment ended, so he was teleported back with most of the mages.
2 captains and 3 normal church mages remained there, to search what's left of the hideout.
After teleportation, criminal and yellow creature were taken to the cells. Dezen was curious how imprisoning by Church of Alen looks, so he asked one of the mages, he was on the mission with.
- Criminals are taken to cells, made with formations. There they can't use magic and their bodies are slowly being destroyed to some extent, so even if they got released by someone, they won't possess a threat. Cells are placed in many buildings and in different parts of them. Church doesn't want to make prison, because destroying it, damaging it, or some malfunction would release many criminals, what would be problematic.
- Thank you. And by the way, you know what was that yellow creature?
- It had to be a demon summoned by that mage. I don't know what race it is, nor rank.
- Demon? They can be summoned and serve mages?
- Yes, but there are limits, and prices. Also, I don't think it was his servant, I guess they were more like partners in crime. Could I ask you something?
- Yes.
- What was the magic you were using?
- Necromancy. I created this magic by myself, but it has a serious flaw, making learning and developing other magic harder.
Mage didn't know what to say, and he looked a little disappointed.
Dezen looked at him, without saying anything too.
After 15 seconds, they just went in different directions.
After receiving the payment, Dezen started thinking what he should do with that money. He can buy more knowledge, or magical resources for tests. He can also buy corpses of some stronger beings for researches.
Dezen also wondered if church will sell him some useful tools, if he will work for them more.
Then, some thought appeared in his mind.
"Necromancy is deeply connected with bodies, so maybe I should do some deep researches regarding them?"
Assuming that church has information and tools used to do such researches, he asked how much they cost.
Surprisingly, they don't have them, but are interested in developing in that aspect.
"So, if I make researches regarding function and structure of animals bodies, Church of Alen will want to buy it?"
Man, who was responsible for selling knowledge and items, wasn't entirely sure, but he answered.
"Yes. We will. However, I have never been responsible for a transaction like that, so I don't know how much you will be paid."
"And seriously, you don't have any knowledge, information or tools? Not even spells?"
"We surely have some spells which will be helpful, but I don't know how much helpful. And we don't have any tools, because researches like that has never been important for church."
Disappointed, Dezen bought said spells, asked a few more questions, and started wondering, from what he should start.