Chapter 8-1: The Scent of Blood

Ren took a deep breath as they watched the setting sun together. The Ashthorn sisters were standing by Princess Iris. Their mana was masked, just like hers. While they didn't know about Ren's situation, they had adapted Class I's tendency to mask their mana.

"It's almost time." Princess Iris spoke softly. "Remember what we planned. No matter what, do not deviate from it."

Both nobles nodded as Ren remained still. He had already talked to Princess Iris about this. What she didn't know was the role he was given by the Battlemages – to make sure nothing happened to her highness.

"We depart in ten minutes." She continued. "You will follow my lead."

"Yes, your highness!" The Ashthorn sisters said as Ren simply nodded. They waited until the last rays of sunlight disappeared and darkness engulfed the world.

"You may go now." Battlemage Fiora's voice sounded. Everyone but Ren quickly turned to look at the northern gate. There she was, stepping out of the large structure. "Remember, do not take any unnecessary risks."

"Of course," Princess Iris replied as they approached the gate. "In that case, we shall be off."

"May the moon be with you." Battlemage Fiora said with a faint smile on her lips. The group thanked her before stepping inside the structure. As the first gate opened before them, Ren took deep breaths. They passed through it and waited as the first set of gates closed and the second opened.

It took them nearly ten minutes to leave the gates – and Arkon. As they stepped on the lush green grass, Ren couldn't help but take a sharp breath. It was beautiful – the sky was clear; he could see thousands of stars.

They watched and took in the beauty before them for a while before Ren finally snapped out of it. "Your Highness, should we set off?"

Princess Iris flinched, then nodded. "Yes, I'll take point. You cover our rear. Ophelia, Persephone, be ready for anything." She took a small map from her pocket. "First, we will head to this hill." She tapped on a point on the map, then looked up to try and spot it.

Ren pointed at a small hill in the distance. "There?" He asked. Princess Iris nodded. "Yes."

With that, they set off. As soon as they were more than a handful of steps away from the barrier, Ren felt wildmagic. Everywhere.

They approached the treeline – they had to pass through the thick forest to get to the hill. Every tree, every flower, ever blade of grass was filled with wildmagic. He touched his temples, it was overwhelming.

A sudden sound caught his attention. He flinched and tried to find the source of this faint ringing. Amongst the green coloured wildmagic, he spotted a red flash. As he watched, it didn't take him long to realise what it was. "Crawlers!" He hissed through his gritted teeth as he grasped the hilt of his tachi.

"Where?" Princess Iris asked with a surprised expression.

Ren focused, he'd lost the flash of red. "I'm not sure," He said after a short moment. "I only saw it for a second."

Ophelia sighed. "Let's keep it in mind." Her sister said after a short moment.

"Ren, please warn us if you see anything else." Princess Iris said, ignoring the Ashthorns. They kept walking at a slow pace. Ren forced himself to look around despite the incredible amount of wildmagic everywhere.

A short while later, he spotted a few red flashes among the trees. "There!" He said he unsheathes his tachi. Before he could say anything more, five crawlers leapt out of the woods.

The creatures were about the size of a five-year-old child. With four clawed legs and a long tail, they were not to be taken lightly. From their classes, the group knew these creatures were not poisonous, but the real danger was their incredible speed. Their dark brown coloured fur didn't provide them with much protection, so they were fairly vulnerable once spotted.

As soon as they jumped at them, Princess Iris released her mana. While she was still having some trouble, she was fast enough to erect a barrier around the group before the creatures could reach them.

Ophelia raised her shortsword as her mana gathered at the tip of it. It quickly formed a small icicle that easily killed one of the creatures. Persephone rushed forward, along with Ren. They met the closest two of the creatures midway.

Ren's tachi gave him the range advantage he needed – he easily slashed the creature's tail, then cut its head off with two swift strikes. Persephone, on the other hand, had to rely on her magic to repel the creature's extended claws. Then, she thrust her sword into its heart.

"Look out!" Iris' shout warned Ren just as he sensed more of Ophelia's mana. He threw himself on the ground just in time to avoid getting hit by her spell. As a creature died to it, he shouted. "Be careful!" He could have died right there if he were any slower.

But he didn't have the time to get angry about that now – there were still two creatures left. He quickly got back on his feet and looked around.

"Where are they?" Princess Iris asked. Ren shook his head; he couldn't see them. Had they run away? A red flash in the distance confirmed his suspicion. "They're running away." He said sheathing his sword.

Before he had even gotten the chance to finish his words, he sensed Ophelia's mana forming behind him. He didn't get the chance to move out of the way before an icicle brushed past his cheek and disappeared in the darkness.

"Hey!" He shouted jumping back and wiping the blood off. "I said be careful!"

"Don't stand in my way." Ophelia said as she prepared to form another icicle.

"Enough." Princess Iris interrupted her. "Ren, please extract the cores. You two, keep lookout."

Ren sighed, wiped the blood on his cloak and knelt besides the corpses.

A few minutes later, he had extracted all three cores. They soon set off again, though Ren felt a lot more unsafe. He constantly motioned to touch the shallow cut on his cheek. They walked in silence for a while, until Ren one again heard a faint ringing.

"Something's coming!" He said, tightly grasping the hilt of his sword. The ringing grew louder as he noticed the green mana around them shift and change.

"It's a grasper!" He shouted as plants burst out from the ground beneath them.