TBATE - What if Tessia was the legacy ? - The legacy of it all

A new way forward

{Bairon Wykes}

Landing on top of the wide ice wall created by Varay I carefully helped King Glayder climb down from my arms after I carried him all the way from the teleportation gate in the center of Victorial, which we had exited just a moment ago.

Scanning the large, mostly empty arena, I felt a weird mix of relief and anxiousness after noticing the empty stone slab where Hannadreda was being held and the remains of multiple earth and plant-based spells, along with knocked-out dwarf guards.
Since we hadn't been able to follow the broadcast after departing from the flying castle, we didn't have much of an idea of what had been going on since Lucas started his speech about Unity's identity, beyond the fact that he had put himself in a huge mess by claiming to be Unity.

Trying not to let my worry show on my face, I nonetheless kept discreetly looking around while King Glayder and Eralith spoke up, using a "megaphone", an artifact created by Unity to amplify their voices.

-After a unanimous vote by the council of Dicathen, the Greysunders are officially deposed from their role as councilmen and councilwomen." They explained, as I felt a slight touch against my lower back, like a branch or staff pressing against me.

Upon glancing backward, I spotted a lonely, rather small vine pocking my back, and after glancing just a bit to the side, saw Lance Alea Triscan waiving a hand toward me from behind her back where nobody else would see.

As I was about to dismiss her antics as yet another bad joke, she used her hand and the vine to point down toward the ground behind us.

Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I decided to check only for my eyes to land on Lucas and Hannadreda, who were both behind the ice wall Lance Varay had conjured.
Lucas looked a bit more wrought-up than he had when leaving the castle, as if he had rolled on the ground a couple of times, and rather tired, but overall fine enough considering how big of a mess he had put himself in.

His wife, on the other hand, looked like she was both at the end of her rope with a missing arm, partially torn off and burned clothes, legs barely holding her up and her face incredibly pale as if she was about to faint, and yet, she had a spark in her eyes.

Her expression wasn't that of someone who had resigned or given up. It was almost as if she was ready to keep fighting, as if her mind hadn't realized, or didn't care about her body's sorry state. She was still as resolved as ever, which was both what I found annoying about her when we first met and what earned her a bit of my respect after seeing how determined she was to pursue what she believed in.

"OLFRED, MIKA!" Barked King Greysunder from his booth at the opposite end of the arena, pulling me out of my thoughts as I immediately focused back on him. "KILL THOSE WORTHLESS KINGS!" He added as I stood there, utterly flabbergasted by what he had just ordered.

Although I knew that this news wasn't exactly going to go down well with him, I hadn't expected him, a king, to act so rashly and shamefully. Even if he betrayed our continent, I thought he would still have some dignity and respect, not insult the other kings and command his lances to kill them.

Regardless, I couldn't afford to be shocked for much longer as Olfred and Mika had already started heading our way, albeit reluctantly.

Glancing at my colleagues, we had already agreed on how we'd split up if we had to fight the dwarven Lances.

Varray immediately engaged Olfred in a battle by creating dozens of ice javelins and throwing them at him while getting closer. Not only could her ice-type magic slow down and counter Olfred's golems, her speed would force him on the defensive and, as long as the kings weren't in his immediate vicinity, he wouldn't be able to do much of anything since he lacked projectile attacks.