The Crystal Tower

As twilight descended, Galen cast a condescending smirk at Varence, seemingly untroubled by their dangerous situation. "Feel free to leave, Varence. Unlike you, I'm no coward, and I see no reason to flee," Galen declared, his confidence unwavering. Varence let out a weary sigh, each breath highlighting his fatigue. He knew all too well that he couldn't withdraw on his own, having depleted his entire mana reserve.

Despite Galen's own mostly depleted mana reserves, his voice was laced with determination. "Listen up, Varence. I'm going to incapacitate a couple of guards and we'll disguise ourselves in their armor to blend in," he said. Varence, eyes drooping and voice shaky, dramatically responded, "Well, there's no turning back after the disaster at the tavern. I won't be able to show my face in this kingdom again unless we somehow eliminate every witness who saw us flee here. Thanks for dragging me into this mess, you arrogant prick!"

Galen could barely contain his laughter at Varence's outburst, "You remind me of this other crybaby I know. Just stay put, and I'll be right back." Varence scowled but gave Galen a puzzled look, too exhausted to argue. Galen stealthily made his way toward a pair of guards, skillfully navigating the shadowy alleyways. the fading sunlight cast eerie shadows on the cobblestone streets, creating an unsettling ambiance.

The guards stood nonchalantly, idly chatting about recent events as Galen eavesdropped. "A lot of people died in that explosion. We think the mercenary group is behind it, but they kept saying it was these two mages," one of the guards said, his voice tinged with both curiosity and suspicion.

Galen's interest waned as he quickly grew bored with the guards' conversation. "This weak spell should suffice for these pathetic mortals," he mused, already preparing his arcane spell. A dark, purple ring materialized around his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the spell shot out, striking the first guard's head. The guard crumpled to the ground, the ring seemingly phasing through his skull.

The second guard, alarmed by the sudden collapse of his comrade, spun around only to be met with a swift, powerful blow from Galen. "I hate leaving a job half-done," Galen muttered disdainfully as he shattered a nearby window and, with a jagged shard of broken glass and slit the unconscious guards' throats. He callously tossed their lifeless bodies into a dilapidated, crumbling house nearby.

Wasting no time, Galen donned the bloodied guard's armor and carried the other set back to Varence so they could blend in with the remaining guards in the area. Galen inquired, a hint of concern in his voice, "Do you have enough strength to at least walk around?"

Varence, struggling to catch his breath, replied, "I think so, but don't expect me to cast any more spells like that for a while." As he tried to rise, his legs wobbled and his exhaustion became apparent. Despite his best efforts, Varence lacked the physical strength to successfully put on the armor, his arms shaking under the weight of the metal.

"Fine, you idiot, I'll help you!" Galen snapped as he forcefully fitted the chest piece onto Varence, accidentally bruising him in the process. "Gee, thanks for the assistance. Would it kill you to be a little kinder about it?" Varence grumbled, wincing in pain.

As this happened a group of guards happened to pass by their spot, "Keep your mouth shut! Do you want us both to die because of your incompetence?!" Galen hissed, muffling Varence's mouth with his hand. As the guards walked away, Galen turned to Varence and spoke in a serious tone, "Ensure you conceal your damn power similarly to me to masquerade as a lousy guard, not some foolish elementalist."

Galen peeked out of the shadowy alley and signaled for Varence to follow. They trudged forward, heads lowered and careful to avoid any unnecessary attention. The sound of their boots echoed in the dimly lit streets, making them even warier of their surroundings.

As Galen and Varence continued, a guard suddenly charged toward them. Both of them swiftly adopted a defensive stance, confident in their ability to subdue a lone adversary.

"What are you two doing?!" the older guard barked, his voice booming with authority. "We're on the hunt for rogue mages! Get back to your posts NOW!"

Galen and Varence instinctively saluted the seasoned guard and walked away, doing their best to blend in as though they were authentic guards themselves.

The older guard chuckled to himself as he watched the two of them depart, pleased that he wouldn't have to lift a finger for a while. "Those rookies will take care of the grunt work," he thought, a self-satisfied grin stretching across his face.

Varence leaned towards Galen and whispered, "Do you think that guy was one of their leaders?"

Galen scoffed, clearly annoyed. "How should I know? These weak, pathetic guards all look the same to me. And considering the guard recognized you when we first arrived, I thought you'd be the expert on identifying the higher-ups. What's in that head of yours? Certainly not a functioning brain!" he retorted, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Why the hell are you so damn moody, Thorne? I saved your ass back in the tavern, and this is how you treat me?" Varence snapped, suddenly infuriated.

"We wouldn't have been in that mess in the first place if you hadn't tried to run away, you sorry excuse for a mage!" Galen nearly shouted.

"What do you expect when you take someone prisoner? For them to act like your loyal lapdog all of a sudden? You're the most insufferable person I've ever met. You even stepped on that homeless person without batting an eye!" Varence shot back, barely suppressing his own rage.

Their heated exchange was abruptly cut short by a piercing siren wailing throughout the town. Galen quickly turned his attention to a brilliant light emanating from one of the towers, the sudden change in atmosphere casting a dark and eerie shadow over their faces.

"Seems like we've got bigger problems now," Galen muttered, the intensity of the situation momentarily overshadowing their animosity.

A group of sorcerers huddled around a crystal embedded within the tower, ruthlessly siphoning life force from enslaved captives. As their life force drained, the captives aged rapidly, their skin wrinkling and hair graying until they withered into decrepit old men and women. Eventually, their bodies deteriorated to the point where they became skeletal remains. The crystal transformed the stolen life force into mana before storing it, disregarding the gruesome fate of the unfortunate souls.

"I'm not entirely sure what that contraption is, but it seems to employ a mechanism similar to creating mana potions, whether it's some sort of technology or an artifact... All I know is that they can't be doing that without a sinister purpose," Galen muttered to himself.

He nudged Varence, directing his attention towards the crystal. Varence glanced around anxiously until Galen grabbed his helmet and forcefully pointed it in the crystal's direction. In a hushed tone, Varence admitted, "Sorry, I'm just really on edge right now. Yeah, I see it."

Galen's face hardened into a serious expression. "Listen up, pea-brain. We're going to sneak over there and snatch a piece of that crystal. I can sense immense power radiating from it. It's not part of our mission, but—"

Varence interrupted, puzzled. "Mission? What are you talking about?"

Before Galen could explain, a guard approached them, prompting him to quickly silence Varence.

"You there, men! Fall into formation. We're aborting the search for the rogue mages. King's orders," the guard barked at Galen and Varence.

"Why are we calling off the search? Can't we track down those mages ourselves?" Galen asked with determination. Varence shot him a disapproving look.

"Look, these mages are too risky for regular guards like us to handle. The castle mages sensed one of them using some arcane magic earlier. They're a real threat. Our mages believe they can track down these rogue magic users. So, we're gathering in the courtyard for our own safety. Does that clear things up?" the guard clarified. They saluted the guard, who seemed to wear a perplexed expression beneath his helmet. After scrutinizing them for a few moments, the guard turned and marched away.

"Where's the formation?" Varence asked, surveying the area in confusion.

Galen shrugged. "We'll just follow the other soldiers and blend in."Under the cover of the night, Galen and Varence ambled through the capital's dimly lit streets. The once-bustling marketplace now lay quiet, with only a few lingering merchants packing up their goods. The faint sound of laughter and chatter from nearby taverns filled the air. Shadowing a group of patrolling guards they had come across, Galen and Varence skillfully made their way toward the castle.

As they turned a corner, they stumbled upon a massive gathering of soldiers assembling in the castle's moonlit courtyard. The vast expanse was lined with neatly trimmed hedges, and a grand fountain glistened in the center, casting shimmering reflections on the cobblestone ground.

A stern guard confronted them, reprimanding them for their tardiness and warning them of potential disciplinary consequences. Galen and Varence exchanged baffled glances, wondering how the guard could have recognized them in the darkness. As they scanned the sea of soldiers, Galen and Varence noticed that even though their armor appeared similar, subtle markings on the left arm set the ranks apart. Strangely enough, they had just realized that the markings were glowing, and as they inched closer to the courtyard, the brighter the glow became.

Quickly composing themselves, they followed the direction the guard had pointed until he abruptly stopped them. "HEY, I WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY FURTHER DISRESPECT. You both need to salute when addressing a superior rank!" the guard captain bellowed. "In fact, I think I need to speak to your direct commanding officers. Come with me."

"To hell with this guy," Galen muttered under his breath.

As they trailed behind the captain towards a uniquely dressed guard with a distinct marking on his shoulder piece, Varence's neck broke into a nervous sweat. Galen couldn't help but feel let down by Varence's rookie mistake. Though he couldn't detect any mages or warriors among the gathered troops, he sensed several within the castle and a few in the surrounding area. It was challenging to differentiate between a mage and a warrior using his sensing ability, but he could pinpoint at least four magical beings within the castle walls.

Galen's thoughts raced as they followed the captain. "It's not uncommon for other mages or warriors to mask their powers to look like a regular guard or soldier. There might be more mages..." He pondered to himself. He started thinking about Varence's unique ability, "That man possesses the ability to completely conceal his power from detection, even while engaged in combat."

Suddenly, an idea popped into Galen's head as they trailed the captain. "Sir, I apologize for reporting this late, but it's urgent that I speak to the guard near the crystal tower. He actually located the rogue mages but failed to report it. I was in a hurry to convince him, which is why I forgot to salute," he said, attempting to divert the captain's attention from their tardiness.

The captain scrutinized Galen. "An obvious lie to get out of this situation, but even if that were the case, I don't tolerate your apologies!"

Galen's patience began to fray. "Sir, I have more pressing matters to attend to. My partner will volunteer to take the punishment for both of us."

The captain grinned in response. "I accept those terms. However, the punishment will be even more severe for him, as there should be no business more urgent than addressing me."

"Actually, wait. I should still keep Varence alive. Selling Varence as a slave is a bust, but I need to figure out how he's able to suppress his power and abilities from being detected," Galen thought to himself.

The captain motioned for Varence to follow him. Although Varence cast a pleading look at Galen from under his helmet, Galen couldn't see it. "Actually, sir, I'll give you the real report," Galen said calmly, buying them some time in the tense and dark atmosphere that engulfed them.

"Well, what the hell is it?" the captain snapped, his patience clearly wearing thin. His voice grew louder and more forceful, as he demanded an answer to his question. His eyes blazed with an intensity that was both intimidating and awe-inspiring, as he towered over them.

"I discovered two dead guards in a seemingly abandoned house," Galen said angrily, not appreciating the captain's tone.

"What are you talking about, and why didn't you report this sooner?" the captain asked, his voice laced with confusion.

In his mind, Galen grumbled, "Seriously, by the demigods, I hate having to play pretend like this." His patience was on the verge of breaking as he took a deep breath and prepared to speak to the captain. However, before he could utter another word, something inside him snapped. He felt a surge of anger and frustration rise within him, and without warning, he struck the captain with a powerful blow, causing him to collapse on the ground with a loud clang, his armor rattling from the impact.

The courtyard fell into an eerie silence, the tension palpable as all eyes focused on Galen and Varence.

The resounding thud of the captain hitting the ground had drawn the attention of multiple commanding officers who rushed to the scene to investigate the disturbance. Galen turned to Varence, his voice dripping with disdain, as he said, "I hope you enjoyed your life because we're about to meet some rather gruesome ends. Personally, I have no regrets. I've never hesitated to speak my mind, even if it offends inept fools like yourself."

An unmistakable air of urgency enveloped the courtyard as the soldiers began to meticulously prepare for battle, methodically drawing their gleaming weapons from their sheaths. The once-muted sounds of metal clashing against metal now echoed ominously throughout the area, further heightening the tension that had settled like a thick fog. Varence felt a crushing weight in his chest, his heart pounding with fear. His earlier bravado had evaporated, leaving behind only the cold reality of their situation. Despite the tough exterior he had maintained throughout their ordeal, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the thought of facing such a gruesome end. Varence had always been one to avoid confrontations, preferring to go with the flow and avoid stepping on anyone's toes. The harsh words from Galen struck a nerve, and as the realization of their impending doom set in, Varence could no longer hold back his emotions. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision, and began to stream down his face, pooling underneath his helmet.

Galen noticed the sound of Varence's uneven breaths and the slight tremor in his voice. He grinned wickedly and asked, "Are you crying? How pathetic."

Varence hesitated for a moment, then replied, "I can't help it, alright? I've never been good with confrontation or facing my own mortality. The thought of dying like this... It's just too much." His voice cracked as he spoke, betraying the depth of his fear.

Galen laughed coldly. "You truly are weak, aren't you? Death is inevitable for all of us, and yet here you are, blubbering like a child. Honestly, it's a wonder you've managed to survive this long." His eyes gleamed with a cruel light as he continued, "But don't worry, Varence. I'm sure you'll make a fantastic spectacle when the time comes for us to die."

One of the commanding officers asked Galen and Varence to lay down their arms. The officer could not comprehend what was happening, "Just what do you think you're doing to your captain, soldier? Have you gone insane?!"

Galen's eyes widened as a sudden realization dawned on him. In a swift instant, a thought raced through his mind: The guards' armor acts as a receiver for the crystal, distributing power based on the insignia or label on the armor. The tower's effects only activate when you're within a certain range, which explains the crystal glowing brighter as we get closer to it, and the sudden increase in strength.

A grin spread across his face, morphing into a chilling, hysterical laugh that echoed through the air, "It's not over! I knew I wouldn't die in this pathetic place surrounded by worthless insects like you all!"

The commanding officer scolded Galen and ordered the arrest of the two criminals, but it was too late. Galen, with an unsettling smile, grabbed Varence by the arm and began to cast an arcane spell with whatever little mana he could muster up, thanks to the extra mana regeneration the crystal provided.