8 Chapter 7 : The battle has only just begun

"Defeated is he who succumbs to irrational acts of rage in battle."

~Tasmiya

Reinhardt Villa

Saturday

21:10 P.M

'Enter,' Sebastian ordered.

His visitor closed the door behind them and saluted him.

'Operation successful, Sir.'

'Are you unharmed, Archid?'

'I am well, Sir, there were no interferences,' He informed and handed the briefcase to Sebastian.

'Good work as always; you have my gratitude.'

Sebastian received the briefcase and viewed its content. His attention was immediately drawn to the third vial containing the crimson energy.

'These were the magic samples recovered by the maegi unit?'

'Yes, sir. The two vials containing the similar combination of magical strands were recovered from Lord Atticus' chest wounds.'

'It would seem he received the brunt of the attacks. What of the third vial? The magical strands appear unstable and disrupted?' Sebastian questioned in anticipation.

'It was the last traces of energy that was wrapped around both victim's bodies, as well as the carriage.'

'Hmm...this crimson energy is no sorcery of the Narrak. What did the maegi unit report on this?'

'There are no traces of the crimson energy within the victims or their wounds, nor were there signs of it being a cause of death.'

Sebastian observed the movements of the energy, a nostalgia surfaced. He recognised it well. He recalled that upon his visit during the time of Avery's birth, when he had taken her into his arms for the very first time, a similar form of unruly crimson energy emitted from her and embraced his being. He was taken aback by the newborn's power, but it neither endangered him nor posed a threat. It was a rather comforting warmth of energy.

'This crimson energy is a product of Avery's magic. I recognise it from when she was born. The possibility of her exercising it as a shield is something to consider, but there is also the possibility that her unstable magic conflicted with the spells of the Narrak and caused the accident.'

'Sir, you don't possibly-'

'I am not ruling out any possibilities, Archid. I will find out the truth behind my brother and his wife's murder. All possibilities must be taken into consideration and thoroughly investigated. If it is indeed as I have said, then Avery does not need to know anything, understood?' Sebastian warned sternly.

'I understand, Sir; I will resume minor investigations until our departure for Alvgard.'

'Very well. The blood samples?'

'The first sample belongs to Lord Atticus, the second to the mistress, and the third was recovered from a trail of blood leading away from the accident.'

'It would seem they have managed to injure the enemy. Thank you, Archid, be wary.'

'Yes, Sir, I will take my leave then,' Archid announced and exited the room.

Sebastian averted his attention to the window and contemplated the sound of rain that tapped at the glass. The skies had turned foul and dark, a reflection of his soul as he would believe it.

What had he been thinking? Avery could not have been responsible for the accident, he refused to accept the outrageous possibility, but given the key aspects that lead to one such conclusion, it was not entirely an impossibility. Despite knowing this, he paid no heed to it. He would protect Avery and avenge his brother and sister-in-law.

He rejected the reality before him; his brother could not have been defeated so easily. There was something missing, and he would discover it by all means.

Enemies of old return and forgotten allies rise to give aid; why were there people willing to fight for a man charged with exile from his homeland? Was he the only one who did not believe in himself and fled like a coward? Did the others believe in his innocence and expected him to fight for his own justice? Certainly not.

Sebastian mentally sighed and rested his forehead against the glass window.

A silhouette amidst the fall of rain blurred in its swift movements, and Sebastian strained his vision to follow it. The figure disappeared, and the glass window shattered, and with his guard now vulnerable, the cloaked figure had their blade cleaved into Sebastian's right shoulder. Bare-handedly, he extracted the blade with sheer ease and tossed it aside.

With only the lower portion of their face revealed, they smirked in victory.

'Your death has come, Lahn,' They unsheathed a second blade from the confines of their coat.

'What is your business here? I do not care for an act of petty past revenge,'Sebastian's eyes lightened with an aqua blue, and engravings surfaced the length of his muscle-defined arms.

The flow of blood on his shoulder crystalized to secure the wound, and Sebastian manifested a sword of ice with the aid of the scattered shards.

'Ah, I see Lahn's Aldari is no fool,' The figure brandished his weapon,'However that little crystalizing trick will do nothing to evade the poison. It will have already reached its mark.'

Sebastian cursed in rage as he felt his strength drift away. He depended on nothing but raw adrenaline and engaged his opponent in battle. His sword thrusts were reduced to that of an amateur, but they withheld enough force to intimidate the enemy.

The force of their battle drew the two combatants out of the shattered window and onto the open gravel ground. Feral thunder ripped its mark through the space of sound, and lightning flashed in the blue glow of Sebastian's eyes.

The enemy discarded their coat and revealed wickedly curved and viciously long talons that protruded from the silvery-white creature's arms of barbed scales. It engaged Sebastian, but the Asharren male evaded the repetitive strike of talons. The enemy's face revealed itself in the flash of lightning, and Sebastian's display of astonishment earned his enemy an opening. The creature pierced it's talon into the flesh of Sebastian's abdomen and ripped it free. The Asharren male responded with an expression of pain and wretched out a bloody fluid of inky blackness on the wet land.

The creature stepped back and roared in a cynical laugh of victory.

'How pathetic, well at least you put up a better fight than that soft-hearted brother of yours,' The creature grinned.

Sebastian's rage shattered it's ice cage and reinforced his determination to annihilate the enemy.

'You bastard!' Sebastian cursed.

The creature roared warningly and shattered Sebastian's ice blade that approached with ease.

Alarmed by the sudden surge of pain within himself, Lahn sought out his fellow companion, and the creature who resembled the night itself heeded his call.

~Lord Lahn? There is a strange presence.~

~Shun, where is your Aldari?~

The night creature's eyes ignited with a golden glow and he lowered his head.

~He resides with the young maiden.~

~Return to his side and ensure her safety. Summon your brother to my aid, make haste.~

~I shall.~

Devoid of strength, Sebastian gasped at the pain caused by the infiltration of a foreign substance in his body. Where the hell was Lahn? He clutched onto the newly engraved wound on his abdomen, and the sword of ice shattered with his enemy's swift attack. His vision blurred, but he caught the lightest hues of white and black sprint pass him.

'Ah, what a pleasant surprise Lahn,' The creature announced, 'And you as well Soran.'

Lahn bared his fangs of saber that protruded from his upper jaw and growled in unison with Soran, a display of ferocity and strength to overpower the ill will of the enemy.

'And I believe this is where I take my leave,' The creature outstretched its colossal wings from the back of its human flesh and took to the night sky.

~Coward~ Soran called out after he followed in pursuit on land.

Sebastian crumbled to the ground in defeat, his consciousness drifted away.

'The healer...' He managed to let out in a whisper and his silence reigned over.