User blog:Pollux83/Beyond Light and Darkness, Chapter 18

New chapter new adventure. Today with small scary creatures.

Chapter Overview

18 In search



 The holiday was over and I had to go back to Tegras. I had been informed that the Order had no new results, so I could participate in an expedition to some holy places.

I asked Kai to accompany me, but he refused. He did not want to miss the birth of his second child. So I went without him to Tegras. There I was already expected. The expedition consisted of 2 wagons and 14 soldiers.



 The first destination was an old ruin in the north, but there was nothing special except a picturesque landscape. Unfortunately I could not paint. Even Eleana's pictures looked better than mine. We continued our journey.

Next we went west in an old forest. There should be a huge stone circle. Perhaps this place had not been corrupted yet.



 After 9 days we reached the edge of the forest. All soldiers should remain in alert, since attacks of monsters were to be expected. I agreed with this precaution. Outside of Niskara, Mamono were much more aggressive.

We entered the forest. The path we followed was already half overgrown, so we had to cut down some trees before the horses could go on. It was a very cumbersome way.



 The second day in the forest.

 It was late and we set our night camp. We had settled on a small clearing and were preparing dinner. Today there was something special, because one of the soldiers had shot a deer. The mood was correspondingly good.



 Meanwhile, the ice had broken between me and the soldiers, and we talked relatively openly. When I spoke of my children, the others were always very envious. Some started to boast with their own children. The soldiers without children did something else at this time.





 In the middle of the night the alarm woke me up. Little lights had been sighted in the forest, which could only mean one thing: fairies. As cute as they were, so corrupted they were. There were wild rumors about what happened to the men which they were kidnapping. In any case, I had no interest in figuring it out.



<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> It took a few minutes to be awake. Meantime the soldiers secured the camp. I looked around and saw a light in the dark forest. Wait, more likely 2, 3, 4, 5, ... many, ... too many! We were surrounded by fairies. An adrenaline rush made me instantly awake.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> "All men stay together! You must always keep an eye on them! They must not get too close to you, or you will be lost!", I shouted.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> The soldiers were tense. In close formation we were waiting for the first action of the fairies. Everywhere laughter was heard. "Come on, disappear, you are unwanted here!" I just got laughter in response.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> Then it began. The fairies whirled around us. Their flight paths were completely chaotic and so one sword blow after another missed. They were so damn fast, even with my thunderbolts I did not hit them.

While some fairies distracted the soldiers by stretching out their tongue, the others tried to form a ring around their legs. The situation was more than serious.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> The fight lasted now for over 10 minutes and only the close cooperation between the soldiers had so far prevented the fairies from forming their fairy rings. Then the fairies began gathering around us.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> I quickly realized what was happening. They just wanted to catch us all at once. Together they formed a fairy ring around the entire camp.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> I activated one of the green crystal that I wore around my neck. I had to stop all the fairies at once and couldn’t allow me any mistakes.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> Standing in the center of the camp, I concentrated. The energy of the crystal flowed through my body. My thoughts guided my mana. I let it flow out of me and collected it over me. I formed a ball and transformed my mana.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> Above me a huge fire ball was burning. I could still control my fire badly, so I used a trick. I used my wind to guide the fire. Several beams of fire shot from the ball in the direction of the fairies. They were able to avoid it only in the last second.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> The forest was on fire, but the fairies simply would not give up. They regrouped.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> I had no choice. I concentrated all I had left for a last attack. This also meant that I activated my 2nd crystal. Used correctly, each crystal could double the power of an attack, but so much mana was difficult to control.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> It challenged me all I had. The power of 2 crystals at once. I did not have much time. I focused on the fire around us and led my mana into it. The flames immediately began to grow. From a small forest fire into a hell inferno. I unleashed a firestorm in a few seconds, which devoured everything and burned it to ashes.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> The air shimmered with heat. It was like in an oven. The storm was so powerful, it sucked the air out of the lungs. You could barely breathe.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> The flaming wall of red and yellow fire arose high into the sky and could still be seen from afar. Like a tornado of fire.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> The flames spread out farther and swallowed the forest piece by piece. Unstoppable they made their way.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> Then the wall of fire disappeared just as quickly as it has arisen. My mana was exhausted. I was completely burned out.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> Just like the forest. There was nothing around us but a few smoking stumps. Everything was gone. From the top, the forest now had a big black spot, with us in the middle.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> No idea if the fairies had survived, but we were not attacked on our journey again. I was at the end of my strength and my crystals were empty. The next 2 days I could hardly move. I was totally done. I had definitely exceeded my limit.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> Finally, we reached the stone circle. We activated the device and were disappointed again. This place had already been corrupted. There were not even more traces of holy energy. All the trouble had been in vain. So we set off on our way back.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> Our journey continued without any special incidents and at least in one place we could collect a small amount of holy energy. When we were back in Tegras after almost 3 months, I was looking forward to my soft bed. The value of soft beds is totally underestimated.

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">

<p align="left" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%"> I had been traveling a long time and was happy to coming home again. There I had been very missed, even though my children were accustomed to it.

Unfortunately, I could not stay long. There was news from the Order and I should travel as fast as I could to the west.