Chapter 75: Crimson Escape

Nolan had no time for deeper thought.

His gaze caught only the red-cloaked figure— Kritiya— plummeting from the second-floor breach.

The boy barely thrust his longsword to the ground, steadying himself just in time.

Then, against the still-raging gale, he stubbornly pressed forward.

“You— stop this!”

Sera the mage barked sharply, her staff aimed at the red shadow; the orb at its tip flared unstable azure light.

With her roar, the air around swirled anew into frenzied vortex.

She locked eyes on the intruder, gaze frosty as rime— this sneaky eavesdropper……

“Wait— there must be…… Some misunderstanding here!”

Nolan ignored the ache splintering his body, staggering forth to throw open arms between Kritiya and the mage.

A hasty glance back showed the girl sprawled prone, her vast cloak shrouding her wholly, unmoving— as if felled comatose by the earlier blast.

Nolan’s heart raced; he yearned to check Kritiya at once.

But Sera’s demands pelted like hail.

“This isn’t what we agreed! Explain! Why eavesdrop!”

“No, not like you think…… This wasn’t on purpose.”

Nolan tried clarifying, but words jammed; no ready excuse surfaced.

He panted sharp, mind whirling desperate to weave words soothing this mighty mage’s wrath.

“Still quibbling!”

Days of bottled anxiety, worry, helplessness over the second miss’s flight found vent now; fragile trust shattered.

Sera’s fury ignited full.

Her staff’s tip blazed piercing steady; arcane, hurried incantation spilled from her lips.

Nolan’s scalp prickled, hairs standing; some profound spell neared forming in the chant!

No retreat, he clenched teeth, steeling to pour that raw yet potent reinforcement magic into self and blade anew.

Faint glow rose; muscles swelled taut.

“Oh? Some parlor tricks in magic?”

Sera sneered cold.

“Means I needn’t hold back……”

“Both of you— stop!”

At the razor’s brink, a shrill yet resolute cry rent the taut air—

“If you don’t, I’ll smash this right now!”

Sera and Nolan startled twin; gazes snapped to the voice— Claire, who’d stood dazed aside.

The girl held her staff high, aimed at a nearby obsidian-carved magcryst pillar nigh man-height— prototype of the mana orb Kritiya had claimed.

Her eyes bared unmasked threat.

To Kritiya, without doubt, this pillar was vital; hence she’d plucked it protective mid-fight.

Should Claire dare such, Kritiya would plunge to utter rage.

“You—”

Sera’s chant broke; surprise and dismay crossed her face.

She hadn’t expected Claire’s sudden stand, less this threat’s form.

“You can’t! That thing……”

Nolan fretted too, but half-spoke, Claire’s glare silenced him, words choking back.

“Nothing I can’t! Don’t think I won’t. I can do it now!”

Claire’s childish timbre rang such venom, unbelievable— yet her raised staff and steadfast stare proclaimed clear: no jest!

“Don’t fool around!”

Sera snapped harsh.

“That’s important— know you? Damage it, consequences dire!”

“I know! That’s why I picked it.”

Claire said airily, heedless Sera’s warning glare.

“Aunt Sera, if memory serves— you stayed for this too, right?”

“What’s that got to do?

Now, most important is……”

“Now most important— sister’s lying there, needs quick healing!

Not you two slaughtering each other!”

Claire’s pitch rose sudden, tone uncannily calm as she seized Sera’s unfinished thread.

She met Sera’s eyes firm and menacing, repeating:

“Stop now, or I smash it!”

“You!”

Sera seethed, her glare’s blaze near incinerating Claire.

But the girl’s stare yielded not, bearing resolve beyond her years.

Sera yielded a step perforce.

She turned to Nolan— saw only him arms outspread, shielding Kritiya, not aiding against the child.

Fury and impotence surged anew.

Sera glared daggers at Nolan, as if to devour him raw, then stowed her staff, facing Claire.

“Little brat, you win!

Don’t think I won’t lay hands on you!”

“Aunt Sera, anger now’s useless.”

Claire tilted her head, tone still serene.

“You just gonna watch sister lie untended?”

Sera choked on that.

She fumed true, but Claire spoke no lie.

Now vital: Kritiya’s wounds.

Delay further, repercussions grave. Sera’s gaze fell to Nolan.

In this mess, sole hope: this “Nolan” boy.

“You! Carry her to a room, check her hurts. I stay my hand— for now!”

Sera jabbed at Nolan, words clipped command, laced threat.

In her eyes, Nolan’s acts shielded Kritiya deliberate— thus this punishment.

Nolan hadn’t foreseen such from Sera. He glanced Claireward; she mirrored his bafflement.

He nodded, then crept cautious to Kritiya’s side, scooping her in arms.

Her frame felt featherlight, weightless.

Cradling her, Nolan spied blood seeping myriad spots.

In the fight’s haste to save Kritiya, he’d overlooked her injuries.

Now close, he saw wounds everywhere. Nolan bore her gentle, step by step to the room.

Her blood soaked his garb red.

Nolan’s mood weighed leaden; unknowing what followed, he knew: must shield her utmost.

For she was Kritiya— his friend.

A gleam sparked in her arm; betwixt fingers gleamed pure, warm golden rays, stark brilliant amid the chaos.

“I know what this is— Father’s solemn charge: deliver to the capital ere Saint’s Day, right?”

Claire’s voice quavered, yet rang resolute.

“Damage it here— none of you could bear the blame, could you?”

She drew deep breath; her scorching gaze swept Nolan and Sera, settling on the mage.

Only now did they discern clear: clutched in her palm, a milk-white, edged hexagonal crystal.

The soft, sacred gold glow emanated from within.

“Miss! Don’t fool! You grasp not what that is!”

Sera’s face blanched; forgetting Nolan, she cried urgent.

Claire stirred not, commencing countdown:

“Last warning: won’t yield, I’ll drop it! Ten, nine, eight, seven……”

Claire’s voice trembled resolve; knuckles whitened with grip.

“F-Fine fine fine……”

Sera yielded sign, staff tip’s light flickering brief.

“Miss, enough!”

At Sera’s near-concession, a tall form flipped silent from wall breach like panther, lunging fierce!

Ere Claire reacted, an iron-clad brawny arm clamped from rear like vise, precise and iron on her raised arm— Rolgen the knight!

“Let go!”

Claire shrieked shrill, writhing desperate— but her scant strength availed naught against full-armored knight.

Rolgen’s face calm as still water, eyes keen; effortless control, then his booming voice filled the space:

“Take them!”

Scarce spoken, boot-stomps dense as downpour surged from without; floorboards quaked distinct.

Dozens of armored soldiers flooded the cramped room, curved blades and longswords gleaming chill, all aimed swift at lone Nolan.

Sera stood rooted, staff poised to cast— yet her taut shoulders eased impercept, sighing inward relief.

Nolan spared no glance elsewhere; facing the onrushing troops, he low-grunted, leveraging reinforced frame to whirl his straight sword in meet.

Blade flashed; he exploited the tight confines, parrying left and right, form darting amid saber shadows— retreating steady, yet in mere two-three passes, he’d barely held the multi-man encirclement.

“Bunch of trash!

Quick end it!

Linger more, back for double drill!”

Rolgen had deemed Nolan’s sword mere bluff; this sight soured his face.

Yet with Claire captive in hand, he couldn’t join fray— could only glare the melee, barking sharp prods.

Thus overlooking Claire’s eyes, set with do-or-die resolve.

Right arm pinned, but left held play; from her sleeve peeked a slim wand, wrist-twisted to trace air circle.

Then, loosing right— the milk-white crystal, as if yanked by unseen thread, arced free, sailing out!

Circle complete, her right— clenched on the white stone— flung sudden; the hex crystal, drawn by invisible silk, slipped light from grasp, tracing luminous curve sidelong!

“Then— smash it!”

“Watch out!”

Sera the mage sensed first, crying alarm.

She flailed her staff clumsy to halt the drop— but prior uncast spell’s energy roiled unstable at tip; forcing target shift now? Phage risk stayed her.

In this flashpan, a pale hand rose steady, snaring the falling crystal midair precise.

“Tiya!”

Nolan cried disbelieving.

The catcher: the red-robed girl!

Through hood’s glint-eyes, Nolan saw clear: her mien lucid now, motions swift— no trace of prior daze?

The girl strode quick ahead, one hand firm on the soft-glow crystal, the other seizing Nolan’s wrist with unyielding pull.

“With—

Me— go—”

She pressed lips to Nolan’s ear, whispering frantic for two ears alone.

Ere Nolan stirred, tugging yanked from wrist; his steps followed Tiya’s unwitting, bolting toward the ruined window!

Sera whipped staff toward the fleeing pair— yet whether chance or calculus, the red-robe overlapped Rolgen’s spot just.

Loosing attack now? Blast spillover must hit allies!

In the mage’s waver-instant, Rolgen decided; he loosed Claire abrupt, snatching his steel warhammer from hip, charging meteor-stride at the escapers.

Hah.

Hammer hoisted overhead, his full iron kit hummed low, as if this battle-scarred harness thrilled anticipant at the impending crush.

Yet it furrowed his brow: the red shadow ignored his charge outright, holding forward rush.

Fine— let these sky-high fools taste my mettle!

Rolgen snorted eager, scenting phantom battlefield reek.

Sudden, his motion hitched; that faint rust-iron whiff no illusion, but real— wafting true from the red-robe girl.

But too late for ponder; foe closed to front!

Boom!

Rolgen swung down with hammer’s full might; simultaneous, the red form dissolved abrupt to swirling dark-crimson mist.

Hammer cleaved the fog— felt like plunging thick quagmire, no expected rebound; only sanguine gusts whirled dark red from his flank, howling past.

Magic ruse?!

No escaping!

Rolgen whipped round fierce; blood-mist dispersed like phantasm.

He spied only the red shadow towing the panicked boy, landing lithe in the cavalry-ringed yard, clambering swift onto an unclaimed warhorse by the door.

Quick— up!

The red-cloaked girl yanked reins taut, steadying, while extending hand sidelong to the boy.

Nolan reeled dizzy; by recovery, she’d gripped his hand, seating him behind on the mount.

Hold tight—

As the girl clutched reins, surveying the closing riders, the battle-steeds roundabout reared spooked, shrieking dread— as if facing dire foe, stamping wild.

Though riders quelled the stir soon, that blink tore a gap in the tight cordon.

Amid dust roil, the red-robe spurred horse thundering, one hand loosing rearward shots— precise arrows harrying pursuit.

Rolgen heard only distant-fading hooves; the pair’s forms long lost to road’s end, swallowed in the woods’ sudden-misted white.