The blast from the impact had sent shockwaves rippling through the area. A nearby tractor and harvester were completely destroyed, their metal bodies crumpled like tin cans. The wheat fields were flattened, turned to dust by the sheer force of the collision. The heat from the water had set the surrounding crops on fire, and the steam from the aftermath created a thick fog that blanketed the area. The farmhouse, which had been caught in the blast radius, was ablaze, its walls caving in and its roof collapsing. The power of a Mystic spell, much less a supercharged one, was truly something to behold.
"It's a good thing this Manhawk person blocked that spell for us," Robert's relieved voice filled Poison's mind.
Manhawk's gaze was fixed on the Plant wizard. "The Black Fraggers only sent a single Khaos agent to capture you two?" He said, his voice laced with derision. "That's quite the insult, considering your potential. It seems they don't understand your value." He looked at the two elementals, his gaze penetrating. "What a foolish mistake on their part."
"Do you really think I came alone?" the Plant wizard asked, a sly smirk spreading across his face.
"They're four, behind that tractor," Manhawk stated, his voice smooth and confident. "Alright, boys. Time to come out of hiding." He stroked his goatee as he surveyed the field. In the distance, from behind a tractor, four figures emerged. They were men, wearing dark red robes, their faces obscured by the gloom, but their bodies giving off a faint glow of magic energy. They had the aura of 5th rank Mystic wizards.
The Plant wizard's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know they were..?"
"Using a Presence concealing potion might fool some inexperienced Common wizards, but you didn't expect to see me, did you?" Manhawk's voice was calm and assured, his hands clasped behind his back as he spoke. He carried himself with an air of authority, his green robe adorned with a golden badge with strange runes that marked him as a chairman in the Magic Council. His gaze was piercing, his words deliberate and measured. It was clear that he was not someone to be trifled with.
"You may be a Legendary wizard, but let's see how long you'll last against five Mystic wizards," one of the wizards spoke, his voice dripping with arrogance. The other four nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on Manhawk with a challenge. They were clearly underestimating him, believing that their combined power would be enough to overwhelm him.
-BUT-
Without warning, a massive fireball streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of blue flames in its wake. It was larger than any meteor Robert had ever seen or heard about, its diameter rivaling that of a public swimming pool. The heat it gave off was intense, cooking the ground below it even from a distance. It fell towards the five wizards with frightening speed, leaving them little time to react.
The Plant wizard's eyes widened as he recognized the Legendary spell. "Holy cow," he muttered, his voice trembling. Only a Legendary fire wizard of remarkable strength could hope to wield a fireball with such unfathomable power.
The five Mystic wizards impulsively raised their arms, and cast their strongest defensive spells. As the fireball drew ever closer, Solomon and Poison shared a smirk.
"Doesn't it remind you of someone?" Solomon asked, his eyes still locked on the fireball.
"Doom," Poison growled, his expression shifting from one of wonder to one of dread.
"That spell is very difficult to escape from," Solomon remarked, "You know, your brother would have killed you a long time ago, had you not acquired the ability to regenerate rapidly." A knowing smile crossed his face. "Let's see how these guys will deal with it."
The fireball crashed heavily into the ground, releasing a blast of energy that caused the ground to tremble and set the surrounding fields ablaze. The farm was reduced to ash, and the soil beneath it was churned up by the force of the impact. As the fire cleared, the five Mystic wizards lay broken and bleeding on the ground. With trembling hands, they reached for blue bottles in their robes, downing the contents in a single gulp. Their bones mended instantly, but their wounds remained, as raw and bloody as ever.
Desperately, they struggled to their feet, hoping to escape. But before they could, a water chain materialized out of thin air, snaking around them. The chain was conjured by Manhawk, who held up his left hand, his eyes blazing with power. The chain tightened, and the wizards were bound, struggling in vain against its unyielding grasp. It was clear that they were at his mercy.
The Plant Wizard's eyes blazed with fury and loathing as he glared at Manhawk, inwardly cursing his decision to confront rather than escape. But would Manhawk have simply let them go? He tried to move, but the pain he felt was overwhelming. He could only lie there, trapped in his own thoughts.
Manhawk watched the five wizard for a moment, his eyes expressing his disgust. "Red-eyed Cerberus," he called absent mindedly, and a massive beast with three heads and the body of a leopard bounded out of a tattoo on his neck, landing in front of the trapped wizards. "I'll leave these wizards in your care until I return," he said to it, "We'll hand them to the council for interrogation." The beast stood as tall as a water tanker, its red eyes glinting with malice. It growled menacingly, baring its teeth, as if ready to strike at the slightest provocation. There would definitely be no escaping its watchful gaze.
"You're a good boy," Manhawk said affectionately to the creature. Then, from the folds of his robe, he drew out a glinting golden feather. It floated through the air, coming to rest behind the elementals. His eyes sparkling with pride, Manhawk called out, "Now, Goldie!"
The very air seemed to shimmer as a large figure burst into view. Solomon and Poison turned to look, and they were struck by the sight of a massive white eagle with a golden beak. Its claws were terrifying to behold, but its voice was as sweet as a songbird's. It ruffled its wings, regarding the two elementals with a curious gaze while muttering sweet sounds at Manhawk who stroked it's beak as he said, "Good girl."
Manhawk cleared his throat, "Now, let's take these guys back to their school. Oh, and you two, perhaps it's time to revert to your human forms?"
"Oh, you're right," Poison and Solomon muttered sheepishly, before changing into the two boys.
"Much better," Manhawk said, his lips quirking up into a smile. "Now, hop on," he gestured to the white eagle, whose wings were spread wide, forming a sort of ramp. The trio clambered on, finding the eagle's back surprisingly comfortable. Once they were settled, the bird began to take off, its powerful wings beating against the air as it lifted into the sky.
"I know you both have a lot of questions," Manhawk began as the bird ascended, "and I'm happy to answer them. By the way, I'm Simon Stevenson, but most people know me as Manhawk."
"Pleased to meet you, sir. I'm Robert Manuel and he's..." Robert began to speak, but Manhawk cut him off before he could finish.
"I know who you both are," he said, a knowing smile on his face.
"You're a legend!" Oliver exclaimed. "I'm a huge admirer!"
"How did you know about him?" Robert couldn't help but ask. Given that - Robert thought - the average person in Kreete believed that wizards were merely fantastical tales or extremely rare and special persons, he was astonished to discover that Oliver had knowledge of a magical individual - a real wizard! He promptly realized that if it hadn't been for Poison, he might never have learned that magic was more than just a story told to children. It might have remained nothing more than a fanciful fantasy, something that he only experienced in his imagination.
The bird soared high into the clouds, and as they climbed higher, the view became even more breathtaking. The world below them looked like a beautiful patchwork quilt, stitched together with fields, rivers, and forests. They were flying so high, that ordinary people would probably mistake the bird for a plane.
"So, if you've got any questions, please ask away," Manhawk iterated, the wind ruffling his black hair.
"Why do those men want us?" Robert asked, his hair equally fluttered in the wind. "And what's this 'Black Fraggers' group?"
Manhawk sighed. "Their original name is Krax'ixar, but they are more notoriously and officially known as the Black Fraggers. This moniker is well deserved as they are a very dangerous and violent terrorist organization. Their operations have never reached Heiss, so you might not be familiar with them. I'll tell you more about them later, but suffice to say, they're bad news. As for why they want you two... well, the Ancestor souls you possess are incredibly valuable."
A brief silence ensued, before Oliver spoke.
"How did you find us?" He inquired.
"Well, the ruckus you two caused at the hospital didn't escape the attention of higher authorities," Manhawk replied.
"Right," said Oliver with a guilty smile. "There's something that bothers me, sir. The Magic Council has a strict policy against public displays of magic, but it seems like that policy is being violated on a regular basis recently. I've heard reports of wizards and enforcers using their powers to battle all kinds of creatures right here in town, what's going on?"
As Oliver spoke, Robert found himself increasingly impressed by his knowledge of the wizarding community. How did he know all that? It definitely wasn't common knowledge. Robert couldn't help but wonder how much remained unknown, and why he'd been oblivious to wizards' presence. He had always had an underlying feeling that wizards existed, despite never having seen one and only hearing rumors and stories.
Manhawk cleared his throat and answered Oliver's question, "It's true that the magic beasts in the Horkii reserve have become increasingly brazen, venturing into Axille's settlements. This puts the Magic Council in a delicate position, balancing public safety with panic prevention. To address this, they've temporarily authorized civilian wizards and enforcers in Axille to take immediate actions against hostile creatures, suspending restrictions on magical displays. However, in less severe situations, wizards are advised to wear masks or conceal their identities to avoid drawing unnecessary attention from the ordinary people. It's not an ideal situation but it's the best the council can do in the face of this growing threat. Of course, the council is working hard to find a more permanent solution, but in the meantime, this is the best way to keep everyone safe. We believe that the recent increase in magic beast activities is the work of the Black Fraggers, but we're still investigating the matter, we just haven't found any hard evidence yet."
Robert nodded, trying to process all this new information. He couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold, if the magic beasts continued to become more and more brazen. Would there come a time when the wizards would engage in a full scale battle with the beasts?
Manhawk's gaze shifted downwards and beneath the clouds, he caught sight of people running in panic. Robert and Oliver, whose magic cultivation was not as advanced, could not make out the scene unfolding below. But it was a different case for a Legendary wizard.
"Hmm, although Axille is only a small town in Heiss city, they've still got a decent amount of wizards. They don't need our help. There are Magic enforcers in the area too. The creature they're battling is only level twelve." Manhawk said thoughtfully.
"What are you talking about?" Robert asked, confusion etched on his face.
"Oh, just some Common wizards and Magic enforcers fighting a level 12 magic beast," Manhawk said, sounding rather nonchalant. "Magic enforcers are sort of like the 'wizard police'."
"What species is it? And why is it ranked level 12?" Oliver asked, his interest piqued.
"Magic beasts are ranked based on the strength of wizards, with levels one through nine representing Common wizards, ten through nineteen representing Mystic wizards, and so on," Manhawk explained, and as he looked down and noticed that they were about to fly past Solar Springs High School, he surreptitiously gripped Goldie's feathers tightly.
"Alright, I'll shall pay you boys a visit soon." He said with a tone of finality.
"Wait, what?" Robert started to ask, but before he could finish his question, Goldie suddenly turned a somersault in mid-air. The two boys were tossed from her back, plummeting towards the ground at a frightening speed. The chilling wind ripped against their faces as they fell through the clouds.
Robert cast a hasty glance at the large white bird which was now soaring into the distance and released a soft smile. "Oliver," he called out telepathically, his eyes narrowed due to the rushing wind. "What level do you think Goldie is?"
"She's probably level twenty-two," Oliver replied, his silver hair ruffling in the wind.
"Seriously?"
"Yep!"
Oliver eyes darted around, taking in the view as they fell past the clouds. He realized that people might be able to see them at their current altitude, and they'd likely whip out their phones to record their apparent skydiving mishap. And then they would have to disintegrate into clouds of ice and sand particles before the camera, risking arrest by the so called Magic council for public display of magic... I forgot, that's not an issue - they've recently allowed it.
"We'd better change," said Oliver telepathically.
"But it's strange, don't you think?" Robert mused, his black hair ruffling in the wind. "Why hasn't anyone in Axille ever mentioned the battles between the wizards and the magic beasts that are supposedly taking place right here in town?"
"I can't say for sure," came Oliver's reply, his voice booming in Robert's mind. He brushed his silvery hair from his eyes. They were narrowed in concentration, and he seemed oblivious to the ruffling wind that rushed past his face as they came closer to the ground. "Maybe they use some kind of 'memory erasing spell' to make sure nobody talks about it?"
"Memory erasing spell?" Robert asked skeptically. "You're sure that's a thing?"
"Well, we've seen stranger things this evening, haven't we?" Oliver replied. "Now change!"