Chapter 255: Caught?

Days turned into weeks since I've given my order. I have been resting in the church ever since, calmly gathering the mana, and getting ready to face the Shade.

Jon wasted no time in fulfilling my orders. He began his journey to the various empires and kingdoms, seeking to inform them of the threat posed by the possessed knight. His reputation preceded him, of course, and the rulers of the lands welcomed him with open arms. He spoke with authority, and my back, so his words obviously carried weight and conviction, and soon, the entire realm was on the lookout for the possessed knight.

Meanwhile, Morena and Lana continued to work tirelessly to communicate with the church's channels. They spread the word of the threat posed by the possessed knight without going into too much detail, soon all of the relatively new church branches were informed, and told to coordinate with the empires and kingdoms. The church's followers heeded their warnings, and soon, the prayers of the faithful were directed toward the capture of the possessed knight.

Halbor, on the other hand, worked in close coordination with his kin to inform them of the danger. He traveled to all the faraway elven settlements, using his mastery of the winds to speed up his journey. The elves listened intently to his words, for they knew it was not to be taken lightly, he was their representative, the hopes of all elves, and so his words were taken very seriously. Not to mention it was a direct order from me, as well. Together with his kin, Halbk worked tirelessly to coordinate with the elves, spreading the news and seeking their help in tracking down the possessed knight.

Wane, and Kaida eventually took their leave to fulfill their duty. Wane took charge of leading the team that journeyed back to the demon's lands. He was determined to protect his junior sister, who was still slowly but surely getting better at controlling her powers. Together with a few trusted allies, they journeyed to the demon's lands, seeking to gather information and track down the possessed knight. Wane was mindful of Kaida's safety at all times, and his fierce protectiveness ended up earning him her and the respect of his companions.

Kaida, for her part, was eager to prove herself. She felt overshadowed by her more experienced companions, but this mission was her chance to shine. And so she worked tirelessly, honing her powers and seeking to prove her worth.

The duo began to train together, and their journey to the demon lands seemed to have brought them even closer. They quickly became a formidable team.

****

Weeks turned into months, with no signs of the possessed knight. It was no exaggeration to say that the entirety of the mortal plane was on the lookout for him, and so it was merely a matter of time before he was caught. Albeit, I had to admit the bastard was too elusive.

'Did he go off the grid and retreat into the mountains?' I wondered.

I raised my head and glanced ed at the crowd of people surrounding my platform in the distance. My extended stay in the church ended up bringing pilgrims to visit. People from all of over the continent made the journey to the church's headquarters. All in hopes of catching a glimpse of me. It was interesting how quickly their perspective changed.

It hasn't been that long since I was considered as a monster and a threat to the world for destroying Piya. Now, however, groups of people came flocking in worship. Perhaps they knew they couldn't deal with me, and so they convinced themselves that this was the way things should be, that if they prayed to me, all would be better, or perhaps, they would feel better — safer.

I wasn't exactly sure what was going on in their minds, but I did not care for that either. Although I would admit, a part of me enjoyed the attention, that feeling also quickly waned off, after the hundredth batch of pilgrims.

****

By the fifth month after I came back to the mortal plane, I received an interesting piece of information from my disciples. It seemed like while Wane and Kaida were out gathering information, they stumbled upon a clue. A small demon village reported the appearance of a strange human who had recently arrived in their lands. The man had been acting strange, mumbling to himself, and avoiding the main roads. And so they suspected that he was possessed by a shade, and informed my disciples.

Excited by the new lead, Wane and Kaida reported back to me immediately. I instructed them to continue gathering information and to keep a close eye on the man's movements. It was best to be sure, as this was not the first false alarm we had gotten. Not to mention, the man's whereabouts were still unknown, and their lead was rather vague.

Thankfully, however, after a week Wane and Kaida had a breakthrough. They had discovered that the man had crossed the borders to Lumia and was heading towards a secluded cave, deep in the mountains there. They were also quite sure that it was our guy.

****

I stood tall on top of my platform and scanned my apprentices, who were standing before me. "I'm sure you must have heard from Wane and Kaida already. It seems that we have located the Shade's lair, and it is time to act fast before we lose the slippery bastard once again."

All of my apprentices nodded in agreement, eager to help in any way they could.

"I will need you to surround the mountain's perimeter and close it off from the outside world, I do not want anyone to intrude on the fight," I continued. "You will also be responsible for guarding the possible escape routes from the mountain, in case the Shade decides to run. But remember, you are not to engage with the Shade, but simply inform me of his location."

Jon stepped forward, his voice filled with determination. "We will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of the realm, master. You can count on us."

Morena and Lana echoed his sentiments, while Halbor promised to use his magic to assist in the mission.

Wane and Kaida puffed their chests and stood tall, ready to take on any challenge that lay ahead.

"Very well," I said with a nod before raising my claw and sending a small strand of my mana toward my apprentices. The mana quickly settled next to their core without interfering with their own.

My disciples glanced at me in confusion, "The strand of mana is how you can contact me, if something happens, it could also help you block an attack from the shade should things get to that point,"

"Thank you, master!" Wane quickly replied and bowed his head followed by the others.

"Good, then let's move out!"