I wish I could save you

Xian was running as fast as possible and his legs really did the job without tiring in the least. The man on his shoulder was tall, towering at least two and a half head higher than Xian, and rather heavy. He was not overly muscular but was wearing an incomplete armor. Of course, this weight was nothing to Xian.

Even though their situation was dire, Xian couldn't help but smile wryly : he was sensitive when people teased him about his height but he had to admit that he looked like a midget compared to the youth he was carrying. The absurd image of him running with this overly grown guy on his shoulder was really strangely but utterly laughable.

Even if the distance was increasing rapidly, it was difficult to go full throttle on the slippery bank, so the group of mages and soldiers was still within hearing range for Xian. Suddenly, he stopped and hid his charge behind a small boulder half immersed in the sewer. Here the aftereffect of the earlier explosion were reduced and no ceiling or wall collapse occurred. Xian felt lucky to find this small shelter for what was coming at them.

He heard a moment ago the command given to a water mage to retrieve all the corpses in the sewers, dead or alive, and the fire mage was ordered to burn them all as well as purifying the whole atmosphere. As Xian took some turns while fleeing in order to avoid being spotted, he couldn't see the group. However, he guessed that the one barking the orders was the man he saw in the house, the one counting heaps of gold coins. He behaved like the owner of the whole territory, sewers included. However, the mages didn't seem to agree with him.

Thanks to the haughty behavior of the two mages who didn't want to obey immediately, emphasizing they were no lackey of anyone, Xian had ample time to prepare. Here, the murky and dirty water reached almost his chest – he was short, indeed – so he couldn't see very well through this depth. He plunged underwater and found a strong chain no far from here. It was supposed to be used to block to sewer from any unwanted navigation : mainly smugglers or even sneak attacks or other plots. However, the chain was heavily rusted and laid, forgotten, at the bottom of the sewer. This basic defense mechanism seemed useless since, in the past, it never prevented any harm so, later on, grids had been fixed at numerous places. These metal gates couldn't be budged, couldn't even be opened.

Xian lifted the chain easily and tied both the boulder and the other man. Then, he jumped on the top of this makeshift construction of his and positioned himself in order to protect the head and as much as possible of the body of the unconscious and injured man.

He could already hear the chanting of a spell. The argument didn't last long. The magically created wave was rushing his way and probably in all directions as well. There was nowhere to hide, he hoped the chain and boulder would hold. His left hand was gripping the chain, his legs were firmly clutching the boulder and he put his right hand close to the man beneath him. He didn't know any wind spell but had been observing Soon-Yi for years as she effortlessly manipulated all kind of magic elements. He didn't want to study but found out that he still learnt a few things from his foster mother. Now was the time to try anything and everything.

There was still hope. He focused on his memories and in an instant, he formed a kind of air bubble between his fingers. It was a bit dull and just the size of his small palm but he didn't have time to improve it, the wave was already on them.

The water created by magic was a pure blue and translucent but not totally transparent. It was indeed very different from the murky water of the sewers. Some sparkling particles glittered inside the blue water here and there as if diluted in the liquid and Xian guessed that these were what controlled the wave and gave it its power.

The form was strange, representing something between a huge, awe-inspiring shining water dragon – Xian was fond of all kinds of dragons – and an awful hydra with multiple heads. Xian had hoped that a whirlwind or cyclone would suck everything up and drop them where the caster wanted. He felt he could resist such a pulling force. But this spell created a monster instead and each maw caught whatever the mage commanded. It was precise and dreadful.

As expected, one of the hydra heads launched an attack on them. The boulder seemed like a small pebble compared to the monster. Even though it had to contort itself in order to move in this confined space, its speed and strength were frightening. Xian didn't dare to underestimate them. He braced himself and held the chain tighter. The huge maw grabbed him but couldn't peel him away from the rock. The chain made a loud rattling noise but kept staunch. Then the other heads joined in. Water engulfed them again and again. Each time, Xian checked the man he protected and felt relieved to see him still breathing and unconscious. It could be dangerous if he woke up at this moment. Fortunately, the air bubble seemed effective and Xian felt strangely elated. It was as if the defenseless man's life had become precious to him.

Even though he loathed his own magic, he still had to use it to counter his opponents. Hopefully, this bit of improvised manipulation of magic elements was sufficient for the time being. He could compromise and use magic once again if it meant surviving, if it meant that his companion would be safe.

It had been a long time since Xian had felt so worried about someone's life, other than Lady Wei's. Even Soon-Yi's life never meant that much to him, she was hardly ever helpless, except a few hours ago, when Xian had to heal her. Not even a day had passed since the previous time he used his magic powers. Deep down, he feared that the number of times when he needed them would increase. Although he was uneasy and reluctant, it couldn't be helped. Call it instincts or conviction, he just knew it.

After being beaten up by the hydra's relentless attacks and receiving the equivalent of thousands of buckets of cold water, his mind and body felt numb. However, he still held on the idea that he managed to protect a life. He wished with all his heart that his companion would stay alive and already planned to use his special healing spell when they would be at a safer place. Going through this ordeal and protecting his life changed the way Xian looked at this former enemy.

He never hated the man, they were just soldiers from opposing forces, their masters, chiefs and lords were plotting against one another, making them into enemies. But Xian knew, from Soon-Yi teaching regarding Selnan's and Aliker's Histories, that former enemies could become allies. Of course, the opposite was true and common as well, allies could betray the other party without any remorse. Politics never had any qualm, politicians and decision makers had to be shrewd.

In his hand holding the magical air bubble, Xian could feel the breathing of the man. It was reassuring in a way, but he could also see the shivers shaking him from head to toe. Even though the blue water coming from the hydra was clean, which was a relief in itself, it was freezing cold. Even Xian could feel it through his clothes, and his skin protected him better than any other. Both probably couldn't hold much longer and the injured man's condition was the worst. Xian felt almost heart-broken at the thought of the man dying under his care.

For the first time, Xian assigned himself as someone's protector of his own free will. He couldn't bear to fail at the first opponent, even if it was an overwhelming magical monster controlled by a powerful mage. He had to do something to get out of this Hell. Soon-Yi was not with him, so a counterattack with magic was out of question. The only option was to flee.

Above him, the hydra seemed furious, the caster was probably very upset and Xian thought an opportunity might come sooner than expected. And the moment arrived, Xian saw the hydra multiple heads retreating, as if to take a breather. In the ensuing silence, he heard another argument, this time it was between the two mages. The fire mage wanted to act but the water mage had to completely retract his hydra beforehand and dispel his spell. The latter obviously didn't want to let the fire mage reap the benefits of his fight.

Xian couldn't understand half of the words as these high-level mages sprinkled their dispute with some magical jargon he didn't know, moreover they were arguing so strongly that their shouts were filled with stammers and rude words utterly inappropriate for their eminent status.

It was ridiculous and Xian felt like laughing out loud except that they were quarreling to determine who would kill him and his companion. It seemed no better than feral animals fighting over a cornered prey. Xian was already cold from the previous non-stop water sprays but this idea sent another kind of chill down his spine.

From Soon-Yi's teaching, Xian understood that mages of opposing elements often – if not always – had a hard time to get along together. It was in their very nature to hate and despise the other even if they sometimes had to work in group. He also understood instinctively that his bloodline comprised a rare "universal" attribute enabling his family members to use any and all kinds of magical elements. It was even stronger than Soon-Yi's hard-earned and exceptional ability to control these particles. Xian heard from gossips that his foster mother was a trusted advisor and close confident of the former queen of Aliker who bestowed this derived ability on her as a reward. However, it seemed that Soon-Yi still struggled to master this power.

In truth, he felt that his inability to get along with any mage might also be a consequence of his own magic powers which were strongly rejecting the powers of others, including Soon-Yi. However, he didn't have the chance to further investigate this idea as he was most of the time in simmering conflict with Soon-Yi, although he obeyed her orders and even indulged her every whim the way she trained him from early childhood. Disobeying was not an option and the punishment inflicted if she was not satisfied was no joke at all.

Anyway, Xian had yet to meet a reasonably less unpleasant mage he could talk to, but even that appeared to be unrealistic and felt a bit unpalatable. It seemed as if every mage he encountered was hostile and dead set on hurting or even killing him without even exchanging a few words. His deep hatred towards anyone able to wield magic seemed mutual and he really hoped he would not fall into the hands of either the water or the fire mage. He felt endless torture would become his daily reality and death would be a merciful albeit unreachable haven.

Both mages, still arguing, were coming closer. At all time, the armored soldiers scattered around them were on the alert, looking for enemies in the dark corners and sounding the water with long poles. They seemed to be efficient protectors, also keen on staying out of harm's way by keeping a cautiously low profile near the two mages.

Here and there, they had to gather the remnants of corpses that were ripped when grabbed by the maws of the monster. Some arms or legs were still stuck under fallen stones or floating aimlessly in the murky water. All of them were consistently gathered and brought back to the heap of dead bodies. Otherwise, the hydra carried out a very thorough clean-up. The last task for the mages, aside from capturing or killing Xian and his unconscious friend, was to burn away every proof until only ashes were left.

When the group arrived near the rock, still entangled in the rusted chain, where the hydra water monster fought, there was no one to be found. Xian took advantage of the pause in the fight as well as the lack of attention of his enemies to give them the slip. The group, especially the water mage, was dumbfounded. He had been distracted by his colleague for a short instant. He couldn't believe he was unable to locate the sneaky bastard that was tough enough to withstand the assault of his most powerful water creature. He really needed to defeat him in order to restore his hurt pride.

The fire mage snickered seeing the water mage so helpless and frustrated. With a mere flickering movement, almost a sleight of hand, the heap of corpses burst in flame. The fire immediately turned into an blazing inferno. It was hard to open the eyes, even harder to breathe and the unbearable heat made the soldiers recoil in panic. Fear of being burnt alive spread through their ranks as they gathered closer to the water mage who, with a disgruntled "humph", cast a protective spell around their group and the area still untouched by the fire.

Outside of the protected zone, the raging fire engulfed everything. The soldiers gasped in fright at the powerful, deadly and vast sea of flames in front of their eyes. Even the water in the sewers was evaporating at high speed and at the heart of the inferno, the mud and other wastes were dried then burnt to ashes. From floor to ceiling, it was impossible to escape this burning Hell, this complete "purification".

The fire roared everywhere but above this deafening noise, a shrill almost inhuman scream froze both soldiers and mages in place, terror seeping in their hearts to bring them at the edge of insanity.