warlock way

Meeting

The carriages, drawn by those beasts, approached the one belonging to the mage Aldric slowly. Their proximity charged the air with an aura of blood. At the head of the caravan, a black and somber carriage seemed to command the others. Its structure of black wood and metal, intricately carved with details, seemed to tell stories of past battles. Two enormous creatures, the largest of the group, pulled it with brutal strength, their powerful bodies moving in perfect sync. They had something like armor in some parts of their bodies; these appeared very hard and had a coal-like color. The gleam of their eyes shone with a fierce light, as if they could see beyond reality. If Eric had any word to describe them in his mind, it would be that they were creatures made for war.

When that carriage approached, the door opened with a creak. A creature, a humanoid wolf, emerged from the darkness. He wore a black robe that seemed to absorb the light. In his right hand, he held a red metal staff with sharp ends that appeared designed for destruction, not for defense. The werewolf was impressive, with white fur that seemed to shine in the darkness, and an imposing height of over two meters. His face was somewhat menacing. He had a scar that ran from his right jaw to his left eye. It looked as if a lightning bolt had struck him on a stormy day. When this being was about to descend and took the first step, it was as if he were floating. In Eric's view, it seemed he was stepping on the very air to get down from the carriage. Then, this being, with firm steps and those creatures waiting, and at least a dozen carriages, advanced towards where Aldric was.

When the figure approached the carriage, the door opened, and the figure entered, not before catching Eric's intense gaze. Perhaps feeling Eric's eyes, the figure cast a sidelong glance at him before entering. The carriage door closed behind him, leaving Eric with the unsettling memory of those piercing crimson eyes.

The figure saw the mage Aldric. He was sitting at the back of the spacious carriage, looking out the window at the caravan that had just arrived. Upon hearing the sound of the door closing, he turned his head towards the figure. "It's about time you arrived; how was the trip?" Aldric asked the werewolf.

"Quite well. We gathered many talented children. We tested them before coming here, though the trip had some issues," replied the werewolf, pointing to his large scar.

"So who were the ones who had the courage to stand up to the blood lord Lucian Bloodfang?", Aldric asked curiously. "Who do you think?" Lucian asked in a grave voice, staring at Aldric with his crimson eyes shining in the darkness of the carriage. "The Tower of Dawn," Aldric answered calmly.

"I suspected as much, so you were the one who killed them. On the way here, several hundred kilometers away, we saw the remnants of a battlefield. Such magnitude attracted several people, but mainly the owners of the corpses. Coincidentally, a few kilometers away, some white mages appeared. Upon seeing us, a battle erupted. Minutes later, a group from the Tower of Dawn arrived. Seeing what we had, they got angry. Haha, all I can say is that it was a good fight. One of them was very skilled," Lucian commented, amused, while showing a decapitated head of a man in his hand. "It's the Dean of the Tower of Dawn," said Aldric, trembling with shock.

"Correct, and with his death, I think you know what will happen in the coming days," Lucian commented seriously. "Yes, I understand it very well," Aldric said, turning his head towards the window. "I thought we'd have more time before everything blew up, but now it's inevitable," he said, looking towards the labyrinth.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have wasted such good cannon fodder in there; they would have been good mages," Aldric said, sighing.

"It's not a problem. On my journey, I found good candidates. I think the others did too. Now, we can't waste time creating homunculi with good magical aptitudes from those children. Even though they may be capable mages once developed and given the right knowledge, their only flaws are the growth time and their potential, which is limited to a certain level by being an alchemical creation. Still, they're very good for an army. What the Tower created is almost a miracle. If others knew, I think they wouldn't hesitate to kill so many children to ensure good mages. They'd only teach the most outstanding to save the future of their tower," Lucian commented, with a calm voice. "Despite that, one of those children you brought managed to survive. To have reached the end intact, he must have excellent talent. Haha, I think he will be the last to enter that labyrinth, at least until the chaos outside passes," Lucian said, smiling.

"In this last part, you're mistaken; six children survived; five of them, due to their good talent and fortune, were selected to serve the tower for eternity with the Reaper's contract; as for the last one, you already saw him outside; indeed, he will be the last apprentice to sign the Eternal Night contract through the labyrinth," Aldric commented.

"Oh, so that's the case, a life of slavery for those children. Well, regarding what I showed you, how should we proceed now?" Lucian asked. "I will contact the mages in the other carriages to tell them that the selection is canceled and that they should guide everyone to the Tower. There is no need to waste time waiting for everyone to be here; it's better to return," Aldric responded calmly.

"If that's the case, I'll take my leave. I'll go now before everything outside becomes more chaotic. I still need to leave after transporting these children," Lucian commented. Then, he turned and headed for the door to leave. This left Aldric alone in the carriage. Being alone, Aldric took out the communication stone from his tunic. "Tell Meredith that an unexpected situation has occurred," Aldric said through the blue stone.

Outside the carriage, on the green grass, lay Eric, who was much better after eating and resting so that his body could move. Seeing the children in the caravan and their guardian creatures, Eric wondered if a similar fate awaited them. Those scared and worried children reminded him of those who came with him. Eric watched those creatures, fearful that they would come closer. They were terrifying. But, fortunately, they only stayed still in the carriages, just like the black knights, who did not move from their location near the labyrinth.

As he looked around, he wondered what mage Aldric and that figure would discuss. Then, he heard a door open. Turning his head, he saw that the werewolf had left Aldric's carriage and was heading towards his caravan. He, with firm steps and without hesitation, entered his carriage. When that figure was inside, the bat-like creatures began to pull the carriages away from where they had come. This time, no light or mysterious event occurred in the grand passageway. They simply advanced through it until Eric could no longer see them. He was puzzled by what had happened and why those children hadn't entered the labyrinth. Eric could only sit on the grass despite his doubts. He couldn't intervene. He didn't have the knowledge or the power to do so.

"Well, it's not like their future concerns me. So, it's better to focus on feeling that mana the mage Aldric mentioned," Eric murmured. He then grabbed the stone, hoping that those potions would help him overcome that trial.