The Harbinger's Children (Guardians Of The Arcane Chronicles Vol. 2)

Chapter 12: To Sup On Suffering

Fun Fact: Sorcerers and Warlocks are relatively new classes. When magic was first discovered, these two classes belonged to the same class, Wizards. The wizards were one of the most powerful types of magi that delved into the roots of arcani, Reality manipulation.

After a bloody civil war that lasted a hundred years, the wizard class eventually went extinct and split themselves into the two classes that we are familiar with today. Reality magic gradually faded out of existence as well, and was replaced by much tamer forms such as Divination magic.

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Felix did not hold back on his entrance. He stood up slowly from the cracked ground and glared at the group of metas in the middle of a standoff with the Guardian Council. The psychic put his hands behind his back boldly, floating towards the gang of metas.

"A meta?" A woman with snowy white hair exclaimed, before scrunching up her face. "Traitor! You side with these magi invaders? Have you no shame?"

"I only take the side of humanity," Felix spoke as calmly as he could. "Without arcani, these lands are unforgiving. We wish nothing more than to provide succour and shelter to those who need it. We have no desire to fight, except for the survival of our fellow humans."

The woman eyed him warily, before breaking into a hearty chuckle.

"I recognise you, Felix Pagonis." Her eyes narrowed. "Heard you single-handedly took down the Angelo syndicate with nothing but your Esper abilities, eh? The Meta Liberty Fighters could use a man like you on our side."

"As I've just said, I have no desire to fight."

"That's a good start," she replied coldly. "Name's Isis Nikolaou, leader of the Meta Liberty Fighters. Shall we have words?"

"Nikolaou, was it?" Cybele butted in. "Our request is simple. Allow us to bring the metas in this town back to our refugee centres, where they will be properly clothed and fed. Do that, and the Guardian Council will leave this place for good."

Isis turned to Felix.

"Does this yapping woman speak for you?" she asked lazily, before turning to the Guardians. "Is this how you magis negotiate? Funny, sounded more like a demand to me. The metas in this town are under our care. Why should we give them up to a bunch of outsiders from some big city?"

"Because they're in terrible conditions without anything else to sustain themselves!" Cybele was swiftly losing her temper. "If you really claim to be their caretaker, the least you can do is improve their living conditions."

"First you demand my property, and now you disrespect our methods." Isis shook her head with an amused look on her face. "You really don't realise the position you're in, do you? Looks like the 'Elite' Guardian Council is nothing more than a bunch of brainless muscleheads."

The woman picked up a twig on the floor, twirling it around her fingers absentmindedly.

"A simple lesson on negotiation-"

She seized Felix without warning, pointing the twig at his neck. "Always have something to bargain with."

Felix's eyes widened in surprise as the frail looking twig transmuted into a jagged metallic dagger. The Guardians charged up their rifles immediately, and the surrounding metas powered up in response.

"No! Let him go, please! Don't hurt him!"

What the hell, Aglaia? Why'd you run out?

"What have we here, a meta girl?" Isis flicked her head. Spikes burst from the ground, encircling and trapping Aglaia in a ring of teeth. Cybele took a step forward, but Isis simply pressed the dagger harder against Felix's neck. The Guardian leader released a growl of frustration.