Chapter 4: Beyond the Sibylline Peaks
Inside the long tunnel of the Sibylline Peaks, a group of four individuals was resting in near darkness. Megissa, one of the only two still awake, twirled around a tiny, glowing wisp of Mana. It was a dim source of light inside the cold, harsh walls of the mountain.
Decima wasn't sleeping either, but while her friend had to keep watch, she was just restless.
"Having trouble sleeping, Deci?" said Megissa in a calm voice.
"Yes. I can't stop thinking about that Ombre. It's been two days, but we still haven't reached the exit. Also… I'm getting scared, a little bit." Decima spoke in a soft tone, very different from how she talked when her brother was awake. She gave her sleeping sibling a warm smile and then ran her fingers through his long hair.
"You're Homunculi from Porsena, right? Have you ever left the city before?"
"Hardly. Though, I remember once when we were little. I was nine, I think? And Nihil was about four. We went with our Master for an official visit to Cloelia." Decima's expression shifted enough to be noticed by Megissa even with her faint wisp.
"Let me guess, it was an unpleasant experience. I've had my share of trouble with those insufferable fools. They think themselves more important than everyone else because the Triscelus are based in their city. Bastards." Megissa clicked her tongue, spilling her hatred openly now that they were out of Numidea.
"It went beyond that, Megi." her eyes wide-open, she followed the spinning light as she remembered that dreadful day. "We got separated from our Master, and I couldn't remember our way back. Nihil was so scared. He was crying, yet they… they." Decima clenched her fists, still struggling with the memory. Megissa listened in silence.
"Some people saw us and found our Homunculi brand. They didn't know Nihil couldn't regenerate, so I had to keep him out of harm. They tore my limbs, one by one, broke my jaw, destroyed my teeth, ripped my hair… It was fine though, as long as they didn't touch my brother. But he was crying, and that annoyed them. So they gouged his eyes out and crushed his throat. Fortunately, our Master saved us in time and was able to restore Nihil." she didn't blink, not even once while recalling that scene. Her eyes were bloodshot.
"Deci… I'm so sorry-..." Megissa was quickly interrupted as her friend added:
"Don't worry, I've long since come to terms with it. Extreme prejudice against Homunculi dates back to the first spellcraftsmen. Since we aren't humans, they dismiss our emotions. Because we heal from every wound, they don't mind ripping us apart for their pleasure. I accepted this reality long ago, however, my brother is different. He's my world, and I'll never let anyone harm him, be it Sorcerers or Humans. Even if it costs my life, even if I had to sacrifice everyone else for him, I'll do it with no hesitation." Decima's determination was visible, even palpable. "What about you, Megi? You mentioned Scaevola in the Sygian ruins. Did you study there to become a Mathematician?"
"That's right, though I didn't actually live in the city. We resided in a small settlement with my family and members of our community, near the edge of the barrier." she paused for a few seconds, before continuing "We were shunned by everyone, and mostly discouraged from entering or approaching the town."
"Why? You're humans, right?"
"Well, yes, but during the Profane War, my people were followers of a certain god. For him, they did awful things... acts one would never dare speak about out loud. However, when the deities lost and were massacred, they had nowhere to go. At that time, the Sorceress of Slaughter had already settled in Numidea and offered everyone capable enough to reach her a new home in exchange for eternal loyalty. They took up the call, but grudges against them ran deep and they were nearly killed the moment they arrived. If not for our Sorceress' mercy, I don't think they would've survived. Even though we were granted some lands, people made it clear that we were unwelcome. It became a tradition to detest us, and our unique features, like the white hair and golden eyes, only made it easier to target us."
"That's rough… we are similar, in a way. How did you manage to study in Scaevola if they hated your people so much?"
"A member of the Triscelus intervened in my favor. He's also my teacher, and Aeden's instructor."
"A Sorcerer?" Decima exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, Cernunnos, the Sorcerer of Knowledge. He's also the one who helped me become a Mathematician. I've grown quite fond of him, despite my initial caution."
"If Nihil knew about this he'd become jealous. He reveres the Sorcerer of Knowledge, and we always snuck around to meet him when he came to Porsena."
Megissa chuckled while imagining the scene before saying:
"He can be a little overbearing when you meet him for the first time, but you only need to crack his shell. However, he's very strict and a complete asshole when it comes to spellcasting. I nearly threw my organs out when he gave me my first classes."
"I can imagine that." Decima laughed softly as she added, "Anyway, what do you hope to accomplish after this journey?"
"I still don't know yet, I'm happy with my current status. I could try to improve my people's reputation, but if they are still hated even after hundreds of years, I don't think I'll be able to do much. Being accepted as a Sorcerer's apprentice is already a big step and the most I can accomplish."
"Why did you join Aeden's party then?"
"Well, he was my first friend outside the community. Also, he asked me to accompany him. He may not look like it, but he's very shy and doesn't have many friends."
"I see. Sorcerers are still objects of terror and reverence for most people. It must've been difficult for him, though, he gets very excited during fights."
"Oh, about that. Aeden usually completely shifts whenever something serious happens. It was always like that when we were younger - it's as if he becomes another person. I do think it's caused by the Sorcerer blood coursing through his veins." she adjusted her braid before asking. "What about you? What do you want to do?"
"Well… I only want Nihil to be happy, so I'll just stick around him until he decides his future."
"That's odd, don't you have a wish of your own?"
"I'm a Homunculus, a specially crafted one at that. From my first breath, the only thing I could think of was protecting my little brother. It's the same thing for all our siblings in Porsena, though only I was allowed to escort him.."
"And why did Nihil come? Did your Master order him to do so?"
"Actually, no. He met Aeden in Porsena, shortly before the festival began, and they grew close. He then asked our Master if he could accompany him since he still lacked members for his party. It was the first time Nihil had made a personal request, and he accepted on the condition that I followed him. When we met, I was quite wary of you since I'd heard rumors about strange white-haired spellcasters from Scaevola."
Megissa gave another chuckle before extinguishing the little wisp of light.
"I tend to have that kind of effect when I meet new people." she then leaned on the cold, rocky walls of the tunnel. "We should wake Aeden and have some sleep. He gets cranky if we don't let him stand watch."
"Good idea, I'm tired." Decima stretched and yawned simultaneously, dozing off in a matter of seconds.
Megissa briefly looked at her with a mixed expression as she woke up Aeden.
'Not yet,' she thought. 'It's still too soon.'
_
The following day, sunlight brightened the tunnel as the exit's stone gate opened before Aeden's party. They were finally leaving the bowels of the Sibylline Peaks.
Outside, a warm breeze welcomed them while they admired the typical North Occidian landscape; lush greenery and giant hills piling up on each other like waves in an ocean of verdure. They appreciated the sight for a few seconds, though Megissa quickly interrupted the silence:
"Right. Now, we're officially outside Numidea, but also out of the reach of the Triscelus. We can't count on their passive protection anymore, so we need to be caref-..."
Explosions rang in a thunderous roar before she could even finish her sentence as smoky nebulas covered the sky a few miles from their position.
"You've got to be kidding m-... Wait! Aeden!" she was cursing her bad luck the moment their party leader started rushing towards the source of the detonations at full speed.
"Deci, Nihil, we can't let him go alone! Let's follow!" she shouted before taking off, tailing her friend very closely.
At their pace, it didn't take them more than three minutes before their target was on sight. A crowd was exiting a breached barrier, beyond which Aeden could see a settlement. They mounted monstrously large steeds called Bucephali, mutated horses born thanks to prolonged contact with high-density Mana. They were rare and costly as they could match a spellcaster's speed, so either those were very successful bandits or something else was going on.
Anyway, it raised Aeden's wariness by several degrees.
"Deci, the trunk!"
"You got it! Finally, it's time for some fun!" she yelled before throwing it towards her companion. The Homunculus was smiling like a madwoman while accelerating towards the bandits.
The enemies seemed to have noticed them as the brown-haired woman who appeared to be their leader started shouting orders. She drew a glowing scimitar brimming with green Mana while Aeden pulled out his silver lance, preparing for the clash. His senses sharpened, his legs tensed, and his thoughts quieted. There was only one resonating word in his mind: 'Kill!'
Their weapons' collision birthed a powerful shockwave, sending riders flying around them. Aeden's spear twirled between his fingers as he stood his ground, trying to strike her left side. The woman's mount didn't even flinch as she blocked the second blow, attacking instead by itself. Its mighty hooves nearly crushed Aeden's skull, but he evaded in time, skidding to his right. The woman followed, leaping from her Bucephalus and performing a diagonal cut with her Mana-charged blade. Yet he parried with a slash of his own, making her stumble back as she tried to steady herself.
Each found the other's weapon strangely durable, not knowing that they both wielded a Praes. Moreover, neither were willing to have a long fight.
Aeden lunged towards her a second time and thrust his silver lance forward. Its argentine light intensified as Mana coiled into a spiral around its tip, twisting everything it touched, even space itself. That was the unique power of the Argentea Tripudio, known for its ability to pierce any defence.
To his surprise, her scimitar clad itself in equally powerful Mana the moment she started chanting:
"Al Infijar!"
A colossal explosion swept the ground itself, destroying the area in front of the woman. It was a Destruction spell whose might was enough to destabilize the atmospheric Mana. The attack scorched Aeden's arms, but if not for his Praes' aptitude, it would've blown them off. Still, he wasn't done yet. He rushed through the ensuing smoke wall as his opponent's eyes widened with surprise.
"An Potentia!"
Aeden channelled Mana through his singed limbs, gaining a momentary burst of strength and swiping her body from the left side. She was clearly an experienced fighter since she didn't lose her calm - skillfully blocking the strike with her weapon instead. Then, she ran her blade along the spear's metallic pole before counter-attacking with a majestic slash. He retracted his lance almost instantly, spinning it adeptly to parry her. The blow forced him back a few steps, but she wasn't planning on giving him any time to breathe. Her Praes charged itself with the same amount of Mana as before, brimming with a viridescent aura.
'This is bad.' He thought in a split second preceding the incoming attack. 'I don't have enough time to charge up my Praes.'
"Al Infijar!"
"In Obice!"
The blue shine of Nihil's barrier covered Aeden right before the subsequent explosion could engulf him. It crumbled to pieces almost immediately, but it absorbed the detonation effectively.
"Now! Argentea Tripudio!"
Thanking his luck for such good timing, Aeden threw his glimmering spear towards his opponent. This time, it twisted the atmospheric Mana, birthing an equally monstrous blast that shook the earth itself and destroyed most of the remaining greenery.
Nihil came running after the end of the initial shockwave, widening his eyes as he saw Aeden's arms.
"You're injured!"
"Don't worry, this isn't severe. An Sanatio." and just as simply, Aeden's flesh started mending itself, healing quickly and efficiently the wounds thanks to the Enhancement spell. "More importantly, did I get her?" his tone was cold and murderous, far different from the one Nihil was used to.
"I saw her leap away right before the impact. I believe she escaped the blast."
"Damn it!" Aeden rushed through the smoke to pick up his spear, only for a loud bang to attract his attention.
"Take this! And this! AAAAND THIS!"
Decima's shouts rang throughout the battlefield as she exchanged vicious punches with a burly man. Despite her Homunculus attributes, he still matched her blow for blow, most likely because of Enhancement spells. Each strike's collisions made the area tremble, and none of the retreating bandits seemed eager to help their ally.
The man faked a punch, leading Decima to misjudge the action and break her stance. Her opponent immediately followed with a powerful jab through the opening and to her temple.
"An Caecitas..." she whispered right before it hit her, smiling crazily.
Cracking sounds were suddenly audible, but they came from the man; his knuckles were broken due to Decima hardening the point of impact thanks to an Enhancement spell, thus making him take damage. She counterattacked with a strike to the chin as her fist gorged with Mana.
"An Fragor!"
An energy blast was released from her elbow, launching her arm upwards with increased speed. The uppercut shattered the man's jaw and cracked his skull, lifting him a few feet from the ground.
"Alright! Who's next? I'm fired up!" Decima yelled even more fiercely and turned towards the fleeing bandits.
"You're too loud." the low voice came out of nowhere as a dagger went through her throat.
Decima spat blood but ignored the pain and tried to catch the person behind her. He slipped from her grasp, yet she followed, unrelenting. She spun around, going for the kick before noticing the cold, murderous glow of another blade. Her assailant cut her right foot a split second before she could protect it with Mana. The surprise made her lose her balance, falling to the ground.
"I stabbed your throat and you're still alive. A Homunculus, huh? I'll make short work of you."
"Wai-..."
The cloaked man lunged forward, his shortsword ready to behead her. As long as she had no head, it would paralyze her, and she'd be unable to stop him from getting rid of her core, effectively killing her. He was used to hunting Homunculi, making Decima lose her focus, which slowed her reflexes.
His blade nearly sliced through her neck, yet he leapt away at the last second, jumping left and right as if he was running from something. The next moment, floating white strings became visible, slithering like snakes towards her opponent.
"Ul Linea! Get back, Deci!"
Megissa conjured even more threads, encircling the man before tensing them up. He tried cutting them but lost his blade in the process.
"It's no use, they're pure condensed Mana. Not even steel can damage them. Ul Harpe."
Mana blades manifested between the gaps of the newly formed net, pointed from every direction towards her enemy.
"Any last words?"
"You're a few decades too young to be this pretentious."
"Die then."
She snapped her fingers, and the swords launched themselves with incredible speed, yet he remained unfazed. He fluttered his cloak, revealing a set of shining glyphs inscribed along its width. It was a spellcraft, an object that contained a specific spell. It instantly activated, creating a barrier that stopped Megissa's deadly rain.
"An Qafza."
Without wasting a single second, he channelled Mana through his legs, gaining a sudden burst of speed while leaping upwards. Then, he positioned himself as if he had footing on the air before chanting:
"An Raqsa."
His feet glowed with Mana before he performed a series of impossible jumps where the gaps were largest - thus exiting the net.
"An Nuzul."
His final leap was a strengthened lunge achieved in a split second towards Megissa. He drew a second dagger simultaneously but wasn't quick enough to stop her from casting another spell.
"In Praesidia!"
A wall of golden Mana stopped him mid-air, though he reacted without so much as breaking a sweat.
"Ul Shafra," he said in a flat tone as a wind blade split the barrier in two. From the Mana patterns, he could differentiate between barriers weak to spells or physical strikes, and that one was the former. Only experience could bring someone to that level.
He rushed through the crumbling protection and thrust his dagger forward. Despite not being a skilled close-combat fighter, Megissa was still a spellcaster. Mana coursed in her veins and gave her physical abilities beyond standard humans. She nimbly evaded the first strike, but the glow of another hidden blade made her panic. She tried to leap back. However, her belly was already sliced open, and blood was rushing out.
"Tsk, not deep enough." he clicked his tongue as he went for her throat next, not wasting any movement.
"Megi!" Decima intervened in time, her Mana-enhanced fist blocking the dagger. Her leg had already healed, and this time, she was constantly channelling Mana through her limbs to avoid the earlier mistake.
Yet, such measures weren't even a problem for her opponent. He retracted his blade without moving back and threw his dagger above the Homunculus' shoulder to reach Megissa. Then, he thrust his second weapon towards Decima's chest in the same movement. She caught the dagger with her left hand and tried to parry the plunging shortsword with her other fist.
"An Alraq." was all she heard before the cold steel pierced her left eye and exited the back of her skull. She let out a cry of pain as he hurled her away from his path, going for the severely injured Megissa.
"You're done this time." his voice was almost a whisper, but he was interrupted a second time.
"Ul Augue!" someone shouted.
A fireball nearly crashed onto his back, but he leapt away in time to avoid it, hoping it would hit his target instead. Yet, it simply decreased in size and disappeared before touching Megissa.
Nihil and Aeden came sprinting, and that's when the man realized his companions either lost or ran away. He seemingly only wanted to gain time for his allies to escape since as soon as he saw them completing their retreat, he leapt back and darted away at full speed.
Aeden broke his battle stance, only then regaining enough clarity to see that something was wrong.
The "bandits" weren't driven back because of them; they were already retreating before they arrived. None of them was carrying loot; rather, some abandoned their injured mounts to flee the settlement. Were there been other powerful spellcasters inside?
"Megi! Megi! Wake up!"
Confused shouts came from behind him, and when he turned, his friend was almost floating in a lake of blood.
"Aeden! What do we do? She's losing too much blood!" Nihil was panicking, which affected his sister as well.
Healing was the domain of Enhancement spells, but despite being Aeden and Decima's speciality, self-healing was different from healing others. He mastered the former, but the latter was a rare aptitude that couldn't just be taught. As for Decima, she was a Homunculus and simply didn't bother learning such tricks.
They all froze for a second before Aeden picked up the unconscious Megissa. He ran towards the settlement while his friends followed. Surely, they would find help there. The three of them could only hope that they weren't too late.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone