Chapter 2.

I prepare several spells such as cutting and combined with excess bleeding if hit, they will bleed out even if they do get away. Healing magic requires a lot of training.

We run full tilt when Annie tripped and face planted into the forests floor. We were close enough to be in range and I let Tristan deal with his girl and kept sprinting.

Astel was in mid battle against two guardians in their red robes, his transparent yellow shield held up well considering the disadvantage but his leg were cut in several places and bleeding heavily.

I changed my spells and decided to go for the kill. They had their back to me, I'll won't get a better chance. I felt and saw the spell leaving finger tips and purple light hit one of the one of them in the back killing him instantly.

The other turned to me and teleport away before my a purple light tore a tree into pieces. I felt so angry, I should just used a double sleep spell but my bloodlust won and I let one get away.

I got to Astel who held his hands over his wound using his own power to slow the bleeding, it didn't do to much I saw the pool of blood underneath him. I needed to get him back to Hanna.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned quickly my hand light up red, but it was only Tristan and Annie.

"Did they get...away?" He was out of breath.

I was annoyed at them keeping me, for Cal need to baby me, for Annie being so God damn clumsy but most all my own dark urges to kill the guardians instead of going for the win.

" There's no fooling you ...we need to get Astel back home, so you two take him and I search for Milo."

Astel was pretty out of it, being almost 60 slowed him down. He used to be a strong flash caster in his day, Grace respected him greatly.

" Wait there were others...be..alert." Astel was fading fast.

I stood up and covered them with my blue body shields and listened to the sounds of the forest, it was dead quite but with magic anything was possible.

"Take Astel now, he needs your sister Tristan."

" ..And what exactly I'm supposed tell her when she asks me why you didn't came back?"

" I'm not leaving without Milo. Annie take him and go please, I promise I will teleport if things get to hairy. Go!."

Reluctantly they picked up Astel and with me on guard they left, I felt calm the second the sound of air filling the space left behind was gone and I was alone. I didn't mean to say to anyone home but I rather go on missions myself. But Cal and Hanna would never let me, but still only worrying about your own safety had a calming affect.

I extended search, which took long to cast but I was confident no one was near me, around 300ft away I saw two human heat signatures. One was lying motionless the other standing over him. I had a feeling I was to late.

I applied enhancing and closed the distance in seconds and stood there frozen.

Milo was cut all over, his clothes torn to shreds, bleeding from a hundred large slashes and his eyes lifeless staring at the stars looking for something only he could see now.

The person in front was someone I knew well, someone I owed a debt. The very 2nd man on the list. Sertorius the one who killed my teacher and the prophet Grace. She died 4 years ago after her last prophecy of me killing the Empress Evie, one the strongest ever flash caster, and then cut down by this man.

"Its good to see Ryhfel, you look well..stronger."

"Sertorius...you haven't show your face in 4 years, I honestly thought Evie got bored with her pet and stopped feeding you..."

I prepared several combinations ahead and watched his hands crossed in front his chest, ready to unleash hell on him if he made a move, but he just stood there listening to me.

"...but every person I caught swore up and down, after a healthy amount of torture...that you are alive and well, and growing intimate with your owner...I didn't even knew you like women."

He didn't respond to my taunts, and looked at me with appraisal. He sighed like being bothered by a mouthy little brother.

" Listen to me and understand my words, Grace was old and had to die for my sake and yours. I killed her as a kindness..Evie would've kept her alive and her life would turned into an unending sequence of agonizing torture."

I was shocked by his words, his delusions and his sheer stupidity thinking I'm gonna be fooled. I strengthened my resolve and apologised to Hanna, my love even if I don't win this I'll think I'm gonna fight.

" No more words..."

With that I immediately released my spells, a yellow arrow of light was closing in was, he didn't even summoned a shield just side stepped it and fired back pure magical waves knocking me up in the air, my shield didn't protect me from wide area effects.

I hit the ground hard enough to knocked the air out me, before I could roll away or do anything I felt shoe on my chest pushing me to ground with force and I starred at a purple palm pointed in my face.

I lost...spectacularly. Before I could even contemplate my uselessness and most importantly pointless death, the light disappeared and felt the feet on my chest released some of it's pressure.

" I see you improving..."

What is he saying? I couldn't do anything, he was to fast and used my own confidence against me, fully knowing it's weakness. How could I be so arrogant think he wouldn't know? And why taunting me instead of just end me?

He looked at me seriously and stepped off me fully. I quickly got up my feet and backed away but didn't do anything else. I figured he might not just let me go next time.

" I was serious, about everything I just said. You might hate me, but understand that there no one in this world who hates Evie more than me."

I had to laugh, it was short and without any humor, the balls on this guy.

" Yeah sure thing, I guess you just killed Milo because no one loved him more than you right...just stop. There's only one thing I want from you, what did you do to her body?Grace..Hmm?"

"...Evie took it, I honestly dont know what happened, you'd be surprised how little she trust those around her and how quickly kill those even under the slightest suspicion. Milo was killed by the two guardians earlier."

I look at Milo some ft away from Sertorius. He looked tortured and it took time from the looks of it. I looked at the man in red robes and decided to hear him out, since he left me alive and everything.

" Let's say for second I believe you...what do you want?"

" I need you and your Orders help, to kill Empress Evie. I believe waiting any longer will make her more powerful than anyone is capable to comprehend let alone fight. "

Turn coat huh? I didn't detect any deception in his demeanor. His words were hard to believe, but the hatred in his eyes were real.

" Alright then... how to go about it? I assume you as number 2 can hardly be free to run around conspiring with us."

"You.."

"What...?"

" Not us...just you. I'm staying in contact with you alone, no one can know this. The empress have to many spies and not even I know their identity or their numbers."

" Why wait all this time..? I was actively looking for you, why never show yourself? "

He walked further away and dusted his robes off before answering.

" The Empress didn't seen you and your organisation a threat until recently, whatever happened has put her on the alert and made her reckless. The guardians planning more attacks and those without magic will be slaughtered on mass."

He cares about the innocent now? I couldn't help myself. I can't trust him.

"I know your distrust, and it is justified. The only thing you need to understand that I have my own reason to want her dead. Sometimes it not about who you siding with but who you siding against."

At least that had some universal truth in it.

" Still didn't tell me about how to even make contact. Forgive me if don't just show up some random location you tell me...my new ally."

He smiled at my quip. Had to admit I overestimated my own progress, surrounded by people who love and praise me all the time made ... it doesn't matter. I need to be stronger, he could've killed me 10 seconds into our battle.

" I'm glad your not some trusting muppet, I have a way, think of it as a trust fall of sort. I perform a magic of my own creation that will bind you and I."

What a strange creep. Magic of his own creation? Absurd.. him binding me. Nah ah.

He looked annoyed for a second when realized how he sounded.

" I thought you had a serious girlfriend, get your mind out the gutter idiot. I meant I can send you my location, on the other hand you can also send me yours if the need arise. Your chest will warm up and that's all it will do. It took me time and effort to create this and it was for this very reason alone."

I sighed and understood what he meant by the hole trust fall thing. He didn't say he can sense me with my say so but...what if it's a lie just to lead me back the headquarters? I'll risk everything for someone I needed to kill myself.

What now?

" It's called trust for a reason Rhyfel, it comes with danger and a leap a faith. Say no and we will never see each other. I have no time to waste on the weak and the simple minded. The Magistrate is a cabal of self serving idiots who could fall whenever the mood strikes her.

I don't even know her full plans, no does."

He sounded frustrated and desperate. Like I been feeling for a long time. Deep down never truly believed that I can defeat her. Not even in a fair duel.

" This is the time, I can feel it and I also know...that I need help ending her. So what it will be? For the greater good... are you willing to side with me?"

For some reason.. I..