Chapter 97 - The Fire Mage (Part 1)
As we reached the end of the area, we encountered a barricade.
"Should I use magic to take it down?" I asked Sifu, already preparing my hand.
"Go ahead, if there's anything behind it, we'll handle it," he replied, assuming a combat stance.
I focused my mana into my hand and released a strong gust of wind, blowing the barricade away.
"No!" a desperate voice cried out. "Please! Mercy!"
Sifu and I exchanged glances, immediately on alert, and we moved into the room, which looked like it had been used as a dining area. I kept my sword pointed ahead, while Sifu was ready to strike, his palms raised, likely with his Aura activated.
"Please! Don't hurt me!" the voice pleaded again.
We approached cautiously and found a soldier sitting on the ground, visibly injured. I discreetly pointed a finger at him, ready to unleash a paralyzing bolt of lightning if he made any sudden moves.
"Speak!" Sifu commanded sternly.
"Please! I need help," the soldier begged, clutching his stomach where a nasty wound bled.
"Tell us everything, and we'll help you, but don't even think about deceiving us. You know the crime you committed on this land and the punishment that awaits. If you reveal your motives and the leader of the gang, you'll be spared from the death penalty," Sifu said firmly.
The soldier quickly nodded, fear evident on his face.
"Just get me out of here! Before she comes back," he said, his voice trembling.
"'She'?" I asked, confused.
The soldier looked at me, then at the door we had entered through.
He was probably trying to reconcile the sight of an 11-year-old holding a sword to his neck.
"What happened here?" Sifu continued the interrogation.
"She came out of nowhere! She did this to us; you have to get me out of here," he pleaded, his desperation clear.
"What do you mean 'she'?" I pressed.
"A woman appeared here. She arrived last night and did what you saw. She went on a rampage, killing everyone, burning them, mutilating them," he explained, his voice shaky.
"What does this woman look like?" Sifu asked.
"Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying! That woman isn't normal," the soldier answered, still trembling.
I exchanged a look with Sifu.
"Sounds like these guys were double-crossed," I murmured.
Sifu nodded in agreement.
"Why did you commit that crime? Who ordered the attack on the village's crops? We want to know everything about your gang," Sifu continued questioning.
"We were hired," the soldier revealed, his voice wavering.
"Hired?" I asked, surprised.
Someone hired these guys to do that? Why would anyone do that?
"Let me guess, it was through the 'underworld'? Some place where criminals and mercenaries organize?" Sifu asked, already anticipating the answer.
The man nodded.
"This person hired us and provided all this equipment. We were supposed to burn certain crops and then we'd get more money depending on how many fields we destroyed," he explained, his voice weak.
My mind started racing. Whoever was behind this wasn't just aiming to cause physical damage.
This was an attack on the very economy of the region.
As soon as the soldier mentioned the offer of money to destroy crops, I saw fury wash over Sifu. He grabbed the soldier by the neck, his expression severe.
"You're kidding me? You were going to make money by destroying the livelihoods of families? Do you have any idea how much that would hurt those people? I doubt you would have stopped at just that one village," Sifu's voice dripped with anger.
The soldier swallowed hard, visibly terrified, and Sifu pushed him away with a shove.
"Probably a corrupt noble," Sifu said, turning to me.
"A noble? Why would they do something like this?" I asked, confused.
"I don't know. It could be someone from outside the duchy or a dispute between local nobles. I'll have to check which baron has authority over those lands and see if he's had any conflicts with anyone," he replied, deep in thought.
I stepped back a bit, eyeing the injured soldier.
"What do we do?" I asked again, trying to understand our next move.
"He's a valuable source of information. We'll take him back safely and make sure he's really told us everything…" Sifu chuckled at the word 'make sure,' and I knew exactly what he meant.
I guess I'll be seeing the castle maids extracting information from this guy in the worst possible ways.
"We're going to tie you up and hand you over," Sifu told the soldier, who was now visibly panicking.
"Just get me out of here and treat me... I don't want to die," he pleaded, clutching his stomach wound.
Sifu approached him.
"What kind of mage are you?" he asked.
"I'm not a mage," the soldier replied, scared.
Sifu shot me a glance, and I stepped closer to the soldier, placing my hand over his wound.
"Damn it! I'm injured!" he yelled, but I cut him off.
"Shut up," I said, focusing. Without the warm sensation of mana flowing into a Gem, it was clear he wasn't a mage.
"He's really not a mage, so just tying him up will do," I confirmed.
"Can you walk?" Sifu asked.
The soldier shook his head, fear clearly written on his face.
Great... we'll have to carry him...
We had to help the injured soldier stand. Sifu supported him over his shoulders while I stayed behind them, ready to fire a lightning bolt if necessary. Though Sifu was incredibly skilled, I kept a close eye on the soldier's every movement, making sure we stripped him of any weapons he might have.
"Good thing there's that other horse. I'll take him to where we left ours. Can you catch up to us through the forest?" Sifu asked, as he finished tying up the soldier who was now lying on the ground.
"Of course," I replied confidently.
We were getting ready to head toward the horse when the sound of approaching hooves reached us.
'Clip-clop' — the sounds grew louder.
We turned to see two men on horseback speeding down the trail. They spotted us, clearly startled, and then exchanged a glance.
"Report! Quickly!" one of them shouted before they both turned and began to flee in panic.
"Nathan!" Sifu shouted, wasting no time.
I aimed my hands and unleashed a burst of air in their direction, knocking them off their horses.
"Mages! Damn mages!" one of them yelled as he scrambled to his feet. The other tried to make a run for the forest.
"We can't let them get away," Sifu ordered, already sprinting after one of them. Without hesitation, I chased after the other.
"And what about me, damn it!? I'm defenseless here!" the tied-up soldier yelled from the ground, but we completely ignored him.
"Try not to kill him!" Sifu shouted as he disappeared in the other direction.
I ran with everything I had, determined to catch the fleeing soldier before he could escape and warn the others.
"You too, old man," I muttered, pushing myself harder as I chased after the soldier. I cursed my short legs, realizing he was gaining distance. If he were a mage, he would have already launched an attack, but it seemed the only thing he had on his side was desperation.
The gap between us was widening, and frustration built up inside me. My 11-year-old legs just weren't up to the challenge.
"I'm going to have to use it," I murmured to myself.
I concentrated my mana, letting it flow through my entire body. Sparks began to dance across my skin, focusing mainly on my legs. Then, I summoned the Wind element, channeling it behind me, creating a force that pushed me forward.
"Thunder Impulse," I whispered as the spell activated.
My body shot forward with unexpected force, the world around me becoming a blur of colors and shapes as I closed the distance between me and the fleeing soldier in mere seconds. The trees flashed by in the blink of an eye, and soon I was almost upon him.
Feeling the ground nearly vanish beneath my feet, I pushed myself even faster, electricity surging around me like a lightning bolt ready to strike its target. I knew I had to capture him quickly, before he had any chance to escape and alert others.