Tucker clenched his fists, knuckles turning white from anger. His heart hammered louder and stronger with each beat. There had to be limits. Boundaries that one shouldn’t cross, even if they were at war. And yet, the bastards in the Emerald Tower were walking all over those lines. Blurring it with each bloody step.

  He blinked, and for a moment, the ground shifted. Blood was rising to his knees; skeletal hands were reaching out from below. Each one clung to his limbs, digging their nails into his armor. The emotions he held before were breaking. Replaced with a firm conviction that screamed at his mind and soul to take a stand. The Emerald Tower didn’t deserve mercy. They were monsters experimenting on their own. On children who had no part in this war.

  They took from the poor and the unfortunate.

  What haven’t they taken except for the obedience of their own kind, replacing what was left of their humanity?

  And in the face of all that, they still believe themselves to be untouchable.

  Tucker’s gaze dropped to the skulls of those he had failed. The men who had given their lives so he could live for a future they all believed in. One that wasn’t stained with the blood of the innocent. But a future where even a child would be free of the heartbreak known as war.

  There was too much at stake for him to fail. The one who would answer for his crimes was standing before him. Protected by mages and guards, who stood on a side they knew was wrong just so they could live a little longer. And for what? Tucker gritted his teeth. What was the point of living a life that you would be ashamed of?

  His aura rose, pushing back the blood that continued to rise in the dark surroundings. The skeletons clinging to him remained. Tucker knew they were the ones who had supported him. That had given him their chance at life, and he had no right to push them aside. Instead, he would carry on their wills. Their spirits as he marched headfirst into the abyss known as the Empire.

  Even if it killed him.

  Tucker took a deep breath, shutting his eyes as the wind essence coiled around him. The hands that held onto him slowly faded into ash, carrying the scent of blood with them. He opened them once more, gazing at Pyron, who stood at the top of the pristine steps with that wide, disgusting grin.

  Gale remained by his side with a glint of anger in its eyes. A chorus of bowstrings tightened in unison. Dozens of low, trembling thrums took aim at Tucker’s figure from the men on the second floor. His aura flared, mixing with the essence. He could see it. The path of each arrowhead that sought to take his life and the spells that would erase his existence. Mana was funneling into each magic circle above the casters.

  Yet not an ounce of mana manifested near Pyron.

  It was that attitude, that composure of his, that sickened Tucker. Each moment he spent in the same grand lobby made his blood boil. The coldness of the air stung his skin. In a single breath, all the bowstrings snapped loose. Dozens of arrows screamed toward Tucker at once. A storm of black fletching rained down upon him.

  But he didn’t move. The wind rippled outward from his position, spiraling in a chaotic vortex as a thread of essence spun in the palm of his hand. The loop had been completely formed. There wasn’t a need for him to even flinch.

  Tucker stabbed his sword into the ground, grabbing onto the azure robes on his shoulders. The cotton with silver embroidery remained fixed in place, but not anymore. He tore it, throwing the fabric into the wind that swirled around him. The first wave of arrows struck the invisible barrier, skidding and spinning away like broken branches. More hammered against it. Some shattered on contact, while others were pulled along the currents.

  A pulse of light was emitted from the spells as the mages raised their hands. The concentric rings with crimson sigils spun like molten gears. Heat wrapped the air, unleashing a barrage of blazing spheres of flame outward. Each one was the size of a standard circular shield, crossing the air with a golden trail. They shot towards Tucker in staggered bursts, shaking the earth once they collided with the vortex of wind.

  The shockwave shook his body as the fireballs exploded in a plume of orange fury. He stared at the thread of essence hovering in the palm of his hand. The steady stream of energy that refused to yield. There wasn’t a need to overthink. A need to hesitate. Tucker glanced at Gale, watching as his companion spread its wings.

  His fingers curled around the thread before expanding it in a single motion. The burst of essence erupted outward like a wave. Gale rose to the ceiling as if the currents had propelled it upward. In one swift cycle, Gale marked the mages with essence, sending the broken arrows into their bodies as blood spilled from their wounds.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The cries of pain weren’t enough to end it all. Tucker knew that the man before him wouldn’t simply let him draw near. Pyron had begun his move, holding his metal staff in one hand while gathering mana in the other. All the spells that had been torn apart into fleeting bits of fiery mana were now converging towards the grand mage.

  The Elder forcefully weaved the fragments of mana, putting them together like a jigsaw puzzle. Yet the hair on the back of his neck stood. The screams from the mages who had been wounded were vanishing one after another. Each voice disappearing beneath the shadows shifting between the pillars of the tower.

  His concentration faltered for a moment before the corner of his lips twisted in a wide grin. The faintest step entered his ears. He turned his head to the side as sparks flickered off a translucent barrier surrounding his body.

  “Of course… where would the fledgling be without its flock?” Pyron asked, gazing at the trembling blade that was inches away from slitting his throat. “I thought you had abandoned your rookie at the bastion, Salamander.”

  “Think again,” Alex said, shifting the entirety of his weight onto his blade. The force pushed Pyron back as the old watchman glanced at his surroundings. Before he could close the gap, the Empire’s covert forces were already surrounding him. “How typical of you to keep the most useful ones by your side.”

  “I wouldn’t be an Elder if I couldn’t have this much,” Pyron chuckled. “Despite my title, I hold quite the influence over the Empire.”

  His eyes drifted to the side just as a sharp whistle cut through the air. Pyron raised his staff, tapping the marble tiles as a fallen body jerked to life. He raised it like a shield, watching the essence arrow tear through the flesh before gazing at Tucker. The man who dared to aim an arrow at his head.

  “You watchmen never miss an opportunity,” he muttered, pointing to the guards. “Kill him.”

  The guards on the first floor raised their weapons, rushing forward while pushing aside the knocked-over furniture. Broken glass shards crunched beneath their boots, and wooden pieces snapped. Tucker scanned the surroundings and dashed towards the nearest staircase.

  Five guards.

  That was all that stood in his way.

  Tucker reached for a fallen spear, pulling it into his grasp with a thread of essence. His grip tightened on the wooden shaft, planting his right foot firmly before him while taking a step forward. The muscles in his arms tensed. Each fiber screamed out in rage as the adrenaline pumped through his veins.

  Before the guards could even blink, the spear tore through the air. Piercing the first guard’s chest. Blood dyed the once white floors as Tucker pivoted mid-step to avoid the arrows fired from the second floor. The second and third guards rushed together. One swung high and the other low.

  A coordinated combination that would have been deadly if practiced well. But that wasn’t the case. Their timing was off, just enough for Tucker to slip past the first strike and parry the second. His aura blazed, solidifying through his lumenite blade as he sliced the third guard’s sword in half. Sparks rose with each step, and in that brief opening, Tucker twisted his blade, tearing into the man’s ribs in a flash of emerald.

  The second guard barely had time to turn before Tucker spun on his heel, smashing his elbow into the man’s temple. A metallic bang echoed, sending the guard sprawling across the marble floor. With only two guards left, the staircase seemed just within reach. Yet the sound of armor suffering reverberated through the chamber.

  More guards were closing in. Tucker bolted towards the staircase. There were only two blocking his way, with shields raised and spears braced. They shouted something. A command or warning that Tucker ignored.

  It was slight, but Tucker’s eyes focused on the last guards, noticing the trembling stance that was mixed with fear. He channeled the spirit essence in his hand, coiling the wind around the guards before ripping the threads to the side. Their stance broke, and with the opening, Tucker’s blade punched through.

  A scream escaped the man as his body slumped. The last guard roared and thrust his spear, but Tucker caught the strike on the flat side of his blade, slicing through as sparks leaped between. In one swift motion, Tucker’s blade cut through the wavering aura surrounding the guard’s body.

  They were weak, but something felt off. It was like he was facing a carbon copy of the previous soldier. Tucker frowned, shoving the body aside before vaulting onto the staircase.

  Thud. Thud. Thud.

  The stampede of footsteps behind him grew louder.

  More guards were funneling onto the second floor. Tucker examined the surroundings. There were pillars, lanterns, bookshelves and other pieces of furniture nearby. But nothing to stop the flood of soldiers from reaching him.

  Alex was barely holding his own against the covert forces, with each clash a desperate battle for his life. Tucker glanced over his shoulder, staring at the mass of steel that was about to reach the steps.

  There had to be a way to get rid of them. A method that would buy Tucker a few minutes to change the tides. His eyes frantically swept through the tower until landing on the massive golden chandelier in the center. He ran forward. If he were on the fourth or fifth floor, then maybe he could break the chains holding it.

  But from where he currently stood, it wasn’t possible. Yet as the thought crossed his mind, the sound of a chain snapping echoed from above. The golden chandelier swayed from one side to another, shaking viciously with the momentum pulling it to one side. Then another chain snapped, causing the frame to jolt.

  Tucker focused on the chandelier once the final chain broke. The golden frame came crashing down from the fifth floor, shaking the entire building with each level it struck. A cascade of wood and stone, followed by clouds of dust, choked the air.

  This was his chance.

  He ignored the distant screams as the central staircase collapsed, cutting off the second floor from the carnage below, and sprinted towards Alex. Gale soared by his side, wings slicing through the smoky air as the spirit angled towards the battle.

  The roar of clashing blades reached Tucker’s ears. He could see it. The sight of Alex's battered body and Pyron hovering in the air as emerald serpents coiled around him. Each step was fueled by purpose and a controlled rage. This was what Tucker wanted. To stare down the bastard who played with the lives of others and cut him down from where he stood.

  I am... late, but it's cause of the holidays, I swear!

  I'm also in the process of rewriting/editing book one, so that's taking some time.

  I realized my pacing is a lot slower than I would like, so I might need to revisit my outline...

  So much to do, so little time.

  On a side note, I see my follower count keeps going up, but my reader retention is dropping.

  It makes me wonder why that is the case, cause people are following but not reading to the end.

  Should I be scheduling the chapters ahead of time so people know when the latest chapter comes out?

  Anyways, thanks for reading, and I'll see ya in the next one~

  120 Ratings Goal - Bonus Chapter (Owed Chapters -> 0)

  ?????????? 84%