Kadian Helkar's Point of View
"Twelve o'clock sharp!" I shouted quickly to the others, mounted on Mork's back flying over the Cuerda sea that linked the Central and Ancient continents. Damn it! I still don't understand how the hell they found out about our arrival.
With Perception active, I identified more than 80 ships a few kilometers from where we were flying, causing me an internal conflict over the decisions I had made a few hours ago.
Several weeks had passed since we departed from the Central Continent, and several months since we separated from Drake and Zoe.
In all this time away from Birton, I had reunited with the team I had formed over the last 35 years to reclaim the Kingdom of Clifland, and after much planning, we departed from Sornova, in the Kingdom of Mitian to reach the beaches of Barton, southwest of Clifland.
The whole trip was going well, normal for what was expected, but being a couple of days from reaching land and our destination, I realized we were being pursued by some manned Dragons, which upon confirming our identity, did not hesitate to attack us with various magical projectiles, and long-distance spells. It was getting dark, and after picking up the pace and outsmarting them in the air, we narrowly escaped their attacks until we lost them among the clouds.
Safe now, we stayed in the air, and after several opinions we chose what to do that same night.
"We'll continue, but we'll deviate a bit from our original destination." I ended up saying, taking into account the time and resources it took us to get to the point where we were, because, after analyzing it, we couldn't simply wait several more months or even years to try to enter the continent through another point.
Clenching my fists in the present, I began to question that decision because of the scenario we had gotten ourselves into. Activating Perception to its fullest splendor, I could identify how the Kingdom's naval troops were beginning to move across the ocean to intercept us despite the route changes we were making at that moment.
This is very strange, it feels as if they know where we are at all times. I reflected, noticing about 12 kilometers away how more ships and aerial beasts were approaching from behind and our sides.
Shit, I never imagined they would place so many men at this point just to eliminate us. I said regretfully to myself, noticing how we were now completely surrounded as if we were a threat to the Kingdom and these people.
"Lord Kadian! I'll take care of clearing a path for us to pass the front line! But since we're in the air, my spell will take a few minutes to cast! So I'll need someone to cover me until then!" Jacoby shouted from his Ziz, a legendary bird he had as a pet.
"I've got it! But hurry up! Because they'll start attacking in just a few seconds!" Lucio shouted next to me, mounted on Ness's back.
"Alright! Jacoby! You take care of clearing the way! In the meantime I, Irisha, Loniet, Stuart and the others will distract them so they don't focus on you!" I said to everyone, making it clear that we had to act quickly to open a path and prevent the situation from escalating.
In the group, in total there were more than 15 of us who had undertaken this journey to defeat Boris and recover the former happiness that the Kingdom lived in. Among them, friends and family I had contacted in recent years.
"Here they come! Scatter!" I ordered, noticing how they turned their cannons in our direction.
"Legend-tier Magic: Lumora." Irisha, who was with me on Mork's back, quickly cast.
In a blink, several orbs of light surrounded Mork and then shot out in a straight line over the ships, managing to hit a few directly, sinking them, before they began to attack us with magic cannons and other spells.
Chaos soon descended upon the entire environment, explosions and magical shots could be seen wherever you looked, be it sea or air. Dodging projectile after projectile in the air for several seconds, Mork was hit in one wing by five arrows of light that followed us despite the sharp turns and movements we made in the air to dodge them. Shit! Who is casting that!?
Tracking the attacks, I noticed they were coming from a blue ship that was guarded by several others. As we got close enough to them to destroy it, we retreated just in time after dodging a powerful white blaze that came from another direction. What? Wait, was thatBurni…?
Turning again, I enhanced my vision with mana, identifying with frustration the face of one of my cousins on the stern of a ship.
What? You too, Yumi? I thought, annoyed, before ascending again to the level of the clouds. It will be completely useless to try to destroy them all, the best thing to do is just wait for Jacoby to finish the preparations for his spell while we attack them from above.
Dodging and attacking the dragons they deployed, Jacoby gave a mana signal for us to get ready. Excellent, here it comes.
Gathering together, we formed a barrier that temporarily covered us while Jacoby finally cast his spell, which he did while standing up on his Ziz, looking at the environment around him before strongly clapping his palm and fist together causing an intense mana wave, which expanded until it reached the depths of the ocean.
"Semi-God-tier Magic, Earthquake." He pronounced, followed by a deafening roar that came from the ocean below us.
The entire ocean vibrated, shook, and split, causing gigantic waves that sank dozens of ships and left a path in front of us.
"Now!" I shouted, before picking up the pace to get out of the encirclement we had gotten ourselves into.
…
After several hours of traveling, escaping and destroying the last small ships and dragons they had deployed to follow us, we began to descend to finally reach land.
Mork and Ness were injured, and we had lost four men including my father's stepbrother, Stuart Helkar, who had managed to escape Boris's massacre a couple of decades ago.
Dammit!! How much more blood has to be spilled!? I asked myself, furious about the losses we had suffered. Seeing land on the horizon, we hurried to land far from our initial destination.
Entering a nameless beach, we descended quickly among the rocks that were near the sea. Once down, we immediately deployed a barrier with magic that would hide and camouflage our location from any person or creature outside.
Feeling less tense, we settled on the beach to regroup, resting on the sand after the attack we had suffered in the ocean.
Once together, the initial relief of touching solid ground was quickly replaced by the feeling that our losses signified, as several of those who had died were people close to the group members. Arguments soon arose, with frustrated and scared voices as they blamed one another for the mistakes made on the battlefield.
"Enough!" I shouted, cutting off their arguments, making them look at me with dirty, tired faces that reflected a clear bitterness about the situation.
Damn it! Clenching my fists with contained anger, I looked closely at the situation of my men. Somehow Boris found out we were coming to this exact point. Someone... someone must have leaked the information of our arrival.
Mentally reviewing the list of those who knew this information I remained silent for a moment, while everyone kept looking at me.
The only ones, besides those who are here, were Dominic and my brother, Leo. So.... No! Neither of them would betray me! I told myself, denying that possibility, although a part of me told me I couldn't dismiss it completely. The best thing to do is to investigate it later, because for now, I must calm the group.
Clearing my throat to get their full attention, I took a step forward on the sand where we were.
"I know we have suffered losses. And I know it hurts." I began, my voice sounding firm to hide the rage I still felt. "But lamenting now will not bring back our fallen. The best way to honor and thank them for their sacrifice is to take this opportunity they gave us."
"Upon entering Clifland's marine territory, they quickly knew our location, that means they have some way of tracking us, no matter how stealthy we are or what route changes we make." I said, pausing briefly to let my words sink in, diverting their pain with duty. "Taking all that into account, the best thing will be for us to travel by land from now on, to pass ourselves off as two simple groups of adventurers, who will go on different routes until we reach the capital. That will be our only option to go unnoticed."
"Huh? And what will we do with the dragons?" Lucio asked as he looked at them, wounded, resting to one side of where we were.
"We will hide them in this forest." I replied, pointing to a dense forest that was south of where we were on the map. "We'll use concealment magic on a crystal until they are out of the danger zone. Afterwards, it will be up to you, you can order them to return to their homes through the Central Strait or, simply release them."
A murmur of discontent spread among them. Revealing the doubt and pain on their faces at the idea of separating from their companions.
"Listen." I said, with a harsher tone to cut through their complaints and negative feelings. "No one said this would be easy. You knew the risks before coming here, and that there would be no home to return to if we failed. Remember that the only reason we are doing all this, is to reclaim the Kingdom from my brother's hands, something that benefits all of you in one way or another."
The entire group fell silent, their gazes fixed on the ground as they still showed a trace of doubt. Seeing that atmosphere, Loniet broke the silence, standing up to speak to the rest.
"The boss is right." She affirmed, her voice clear and pragmatic as always. "I am here for the reward he promised me, not out of patriotism like many of you. But to collect it, he has to reclaim his throne, and we have to keep him alive until that moment. So, stop whining like little girls."
Loniet... you didn't have to say it like that. I thought as I touched my forehead with one hand.
Jacoby let out a slight laugh, one that managed to break the heavy atmosphere that Loniet's words had left. Standing up, he walked until he was in front of me.
"The mercenary has a point." He said, before switching to a more serious tone as his gaze met mine. "Complaining is a luxury we can't afford right now, because let's remember they are out there looking to kill us, so let's do what Lord Kadian says."
Kneeling on one knee in the sand, he left some of those present with an astonished look. "My loyalty is not in question, Lord Kadian. My life is for the true King of Clifland."
A dense silence took over the group, with gazes fixed on Jacoby and his visible loyalty.
"They're right, this is a time to move on." Lucio continued, approaching and kneeling beside Jacoby.
That was the gesture that decided everything. One by one, the other members of the group followed his example, kneeling in the sand until no one was left sitting. Then, a single voice rose, and soon it became a kind of chorus that echoed in my mind.
"For the true King of Clifland!"
This calms me down a bit, but I'll be careful anyway. I concluded, determined to find out which person leaked the information.
With the group's morale restored and a clear plan of action, the atmosphere changed. Doubt was replaced by a quiet determination.
The next morning, we put the plan into motion. As we agreed, we separated into two groups to take different routes to the capital. The moment of farewell was hard for everyone, but necessary.
For my part, I approached Mork and Ness. Their wounds were still serious and would need time to heal, despite the care my wife gave them. In the end, I ordered them to remain hidden with the group of dragons until they were fully recovered.
"After that." I told them in a low voice, transmitting my orders with mana by touching them. "Your mission will be to find Drake. Protect him."
Feeling a little sad, I separated from them, but not before breaking off a small fragment of the crystal from my ring, which allowed me to know Drake's location, who was currently on the border with the Kingdom of Dunumese. Sealing it in a small wound I made on Mork, he accepted it with a soft grunt.
With only this fragment, the link will be weak and I will barely be able to feel them. I thought, as I saw them for the last time. But it is a necessary sacrifice. They will be of much more help protecting my Legacy than by my side.