Chapter 7 Why did you hesitate, Kael?

Kael experienced a shock of recognition. Devon was his former partner and had been presumed dead. How did he get here? His stunned pause made him falter and his grip on the Luptarus blade weakened.

The Arcane Warrior - Devon - saw Kael's hesitation and wanted to press his attack. But before he could, Thorne's well-aimed arrow whizzed past and he was forced to retreat. 

Seline saw that their surprise attack did not succeed and sensed that their advantage was slipping away. The Alliance heroes were holding their own even if they were outnumbered. Their legacy tokens offered a major difference in defence and offence and enabled them to counter dark enchantments with vigorous attacks. 

Seline hissed in frustration and ordered a retreat. "This fight isn't over," she snarled as she put out a spell to cover their retreat. "We will locate the fragment and destroy you!"

Seline, Devon and the dark forces began to withdraw. Seline gave a final, defiant glare and together with Devon, vanished into the shadows.

But Kael remained still. He looked breathless and shaken and could not help but incomprehensibly murmur "Devon". 

The heroes came together, appearing bruised and battered. "What the hell happened?" Thorne uncharacteristically snapped with a frayed demeanour. 

Tensions began to flare as they weighed the reality of their narrow escape. "Why didn't you seize the advantage, Kael?" Lyra demanded, anger flashing in her eyes.

Kael's face displayed a struggle as he stuttered. "Devon... I saw Devon…. It was Devon… but how can it be?"

Zephyr looked confused. "Who is Devon?" he wondered. The weight of their situation grew heavier and the tension became palpable. 

At this point, Lyra recalled Elanon's words exhorting them to maintain vigilance. This was the first real test of the heroes and they needed to overcome it if they had any hope of succeeding. After all, the journey north may be fraught with greater dangers. Lyra therefore stepped forward and reprimanded in a firm and commanding voice. "Enough. Let's stay focused and not let this tear us apart. We need to remain focused and complete our mission."

The group took a collective breath and steadied their minds. Lyra's words were a call to order for them to focus on the mission and remain strong despite the setback. 

Devon's face haunted Kael's mind as the group moved on. He quietly determined to find out what happened to Devon and couldn't help but feel that this matter was directly related to the success or failure of the Alliance's mission. His thoughts drifted back to when he and Devon first met.

Shadows of the Past

The start of their brotherly relationship began during their patrol induction exercise. All new recruits were on parade in the training grounds of the patrol soldiers headquarters in Platymus. Kael was young and full of ambition and youthful vigour. 

"Your first time, right?" a tall, lean figure with dark brown hair and a playful smile said. Kael nodded, impressed by the stranger's confidence. "My name is Devon," the man introduced with his hand extended.

"I'm Kael, a new recruit. Just like you I guess" Kael replied, shaking Devon's hand and looking at him. They both felt that spark of connection and camaraderie that would grow into a deep friendship. They quickly became inseparable as fellow recruits and as experienced patrolmen later on. 

They also had a friendly competition going in virtually everything including patrolling missions and combat training. Their weapons training was always a push to become better and one could feel this during their sparring with swords or arrow and bow practices. They both made a great team, Kael remembered Devon's agility and speed was a fantastic complement to Kael's strength making them a formidable duo.

Their bare-hand combat sessions often ended in a draw and an occasional win for either of them. They could virtually anticipate every move of the other. They also increased their bonding during survival training in the wilderness. This was a brutal training that involved building shelters, finding food, and using strategic thinking to solve tasks. Other strategic missions also involved setting traps, formulating battle tactics, and outsmarting opponents. Kael and Devon were natural at this.

There were long nights under stars and countless occasions when they rescued each other from bandits, wild beasts, and even rogue mages. Each rescue helped bolster their teamwork and loyalty. 

It seemed just like yesterday that Devon clapped him on his back and congratulated him on their being officially paired as patrol partners. "Whatever will you do without me? Looks like we're stuck together, Kael. Let's show everyone what we can do." Kael remembered Devon saying.

Everyone in the patrol division knew that Kael and Devon were beyond partners; they were family. Kael could still recall their shared hopes and dreams of rising through the ranks together.

"Are you still the Devon I knew?" Kael wondered, as his mind came back to the present. Even now, journeying towards the mountains of Catalonia, the image of Devon fighting for the enemy haunted Kael. 

Kael replayed their last contact in his mind. Devon had been shot and was rushed to the hospital. The stack of tubes that were connected to Devon on the hospital bed felt unreal as Kael remembered. He was by Devon's side when he breathed his last and the monitor beeped. "So, how can Devon still be alive?" Devon wondered again.

Lyra walked beside Kael, sensing his inner turmoil. "We're with you, Kael," she told him softly, "You don't need to face it alone. Whatever happened between you and Devon." 

Kael nodded gratefully, even though he knew this was a personal battle he had to face on his own terms. He simply had to understand what led Devon down this dark path. He had to uncover the truth and bring Devon back from the shadows.

Shadows and suspicions

The setting sun seemed to go behind the domed roof of the "Travellers' Retreat" lodge as the Alliance Heroes got closer to the base of the Catalonia mountains. The lodge was right at the base of the mountains and its building had a rustic charm. The warm lights that flickered through the windows looked inviting and the group looked ahead to a much-needed rest after such an arduous journey. 

Zephyr helped them to book a suite of rooms and they headed upstairs with heavy thoughts weighing on their minds. "We have a lot to discuss," Thorne told everyone, "Let's meet in my room after dinner."

There was tension in the air when they regrouped in Thorne's room after dinner. Everyone sat around the wooden table. Kael looked at Elara whose eyes looked stormy. She was barely holding on to her emotions. He took a deep breath and tried to address the elephant in the room.

"Thorne, Elara, everyone," Kael started. His steady voice was laden with emotion, "I know I owe you all an apology. It was a shock to see Devon once more…. You should know we were like brothers. Right from our days during the patrol induction, through various missions and training sessions. There were times he saved my life just as I saved his. Knowing he's alive and on the side of our enemies when all this while, I thought him dead. It's got me all torn up." 

Elara softened her gaze, but only a little. "Your past with Devon is yours only, Kael. We cannot be distracted at a time like this. We have to focus on the mission."

Kael understood her viewpoint even though it was coloured by their unresolved grievances. There were still old wounds between them that were yet to truly heal. But she was right. This was not the time to address them.

Thorne broke the tense silence. "There are other things to consider. Regarding Gareth's intelligence report…. I feel…. Something doesn't sit right with me." 

"I think so too," agreed Zephyr, who had been relatively quiet. "His information led us right into an ambush by those dark forces. It's very much possible that Gareth's compromised." 

Lyra exchanged glances with Elara and spoke up with a troubled look. "Another troublesome thing is the map. Does it really lead to the sixth fragment? Or it's simply another trap?" 

"Devon, Seline, and the dark forces seemed to know our destination. How could they have set up their ambush on our route so accurately and meticulously? There must be someone giving them information." Elara added.

Thorne tightened his jaw. "It's very much possible that they may ambush us again, since they did it before. We must prepare ourselves for anything, especially while in the Catalonia mountains." 

Kael considered Thorne's words and his eyes narrowed. "True. What we need is a reverse ambush. We can turn things around on them if they are lying in wait for us." 

"About time we took the initiative, I'd say!" Zephyr exclaimed.

The next few hours were spent mapping their strategy. They agreed on a simple but effective plan: the Alliance Heroes would follow a less direct route to the designated area in the map while appearing to follow the map.