Summoners: The Forbidden Ritual

Chapter 16: The Scouts of Therias

With the Warden Kalia outnumbered and overpowered, she smirks as if not troubled by the number of her adversaries.

Kalia places her hands on Henry's shoulders, and suddenly, he begins to freeze, covered in a thin sheet of ice.

Aryna shouts as she watches in horror, "Dad!" Michael readied himself, but was interrupted by Kalia, "Oh no. Take one step and i'll break him like a thin icicle."

Michael and Veronica moved back, assuring Kalia they won't go against her word, who chuckles and smiles. "Good doggies." Veronica slowly draws her dagger, and immediately throws it at the Warden, forcing her to dodge and move away from Henry.

Michael rushes in and holds his axe with two-hands, he shouts out while swinging his weapon at Kalia, "exacuere vade!"

Michael's axe then glowed with white aura, letting out a wave of force after he swings it, pushing Kalia away further from the group.

Kalia stands up and grunts, wiping away the blood from her popped lip. "You fucked up my pretty face, now you're annoying me." She readies her palms for a binding spell, but before she could cite an incantation, Falion intruded, "Oh no you don't."

He slashes the air with his hand vertically. The metal beams then quickly stabbed Kalia in the joints, pinning her from ever using her hands.

She screams in pain as the group untie Henry, and defrosted him. Michael readied his axe once more and swung at Kalia, but she froze the beams and broke free, running away from the factory. A portal suddenly appeared, and as she ran through it, it went out of thin air.

Aryna embraces her father once again, "What are you doing here, dad?" Henry tries to catch his breath, at the same time relieve himself through the heat, "I searched for some of my old acquaintances, they used to stay here."

He then explained how many of his co-workers were also inhabitants of Gaiaron during the Warden-Loyalist War, though not all wielded magic.

Michael went back and assured them, "She's really gone, she's escaped, sorry Henry." Henry stood up and patted Michael's back, "It's alright." Aryna was all the more confused, she looked at her friends, "Who are you, really?"

Veronica attempted to embrace Aryna but she pushed them away, "No, I deserve an explanation, now."

Veronica starts to explain, "We're not Summoners, we're FairBloods." the fair- bloods are the non magic users of Therias, men who weren't given the gift of mana flowing through their bodies, instead they have hightened spirits and souls, making them prey for demons.

Due to that problem, most of the FairBloods relied heavily on weapons and combat training, harnessing their own exorcism rites and incantations, their spirits strengthen the steel of their weapons.

Those who chose to focus on combat made their own demon hunting order, The Kali Scouts.

Michael continued in explaining how the Kali Scouts and Imperial Armies have a pact of supporting one another in the war. The Warden order was originally founded to protect the FairBloods, one other reason why they chose to kill them instead was because of the formation of the Kali Scouts.

The Wardens suspected that once the FairBloods gain enough strength and confidence they will overpower the magic users, and ever since then was seen as a threat. Another cause for the Great War.

Like the Summoners, they were scratched thin and most of them also found refuge scattered along Earth. Thin in numbers, but when needed, they will fight for the High King once again.

Many of the Kali Scouts were simply used for reconnaissance, lessening the casualties of their already endangered blood.

Yet even if they are not actively engaged in combat, they're a ruthless adversary to have, magic or not, Scouts can find various ways to be victorious against their enemy.

The FairBloods were also blessed with a long life, some living up to centuries old. Michael and Veronica are some of those people, they fought and were saved alongside the High King and Michael, and in return, they look after Aryna.

They may not look old, but The FairBloods usually stop in physically aging at a certain age, making them look the same throughout their lives.

Once Michael and Veronica finished explaining it to Aryna, she was both out of breath in the overload of information and also saddened to discover as if she was living a lie.

A false childhood and high-school life. She did only meet Veronica and Michael in highschool, so she cannot counter-argue the fact that they didn't look younger nor older because she didn't grow up with them.

Aryna then realized the more important matter than this small talk, "I'm sorry, you know what I don't really care what you guys really are but bringing Lyle back is more important."

Michael replied "We found out what happened to him, we're sorry to hear that. But we don't know where he is."

Henry intruded, "I do." They were all shocked to learn Henry knew where Lyle was, Falion was the most surprised of them all, "But how?"

"You tried tracking him but didn't have any trace correct? But for me, even if he's in another realm I would still feel his spirit mana, but since I also didn't he could be staying in one realm that hides mana for that purpose." Aryna asked her father, "Where?" "The Shadow Realm."

Back in the Shadow Realm, Lyle was unconscious, raving around in his sleep, having nightmares of his past haunting his soul and mind.

Nion watches as Lyle rolls around on the floor. Irritated and annoyed, Nion stood up and kicked Lyle to wake him.

Lyle stands up instantly and casts a spell around him, "murum lux!" a sheet of light and energy cloaked him and moved away from Nion. He started to calm him down, "Relax, I just woke you up from a nightmare."

Lyle sheathed his cloak of light and stared at Nion, "You saved me, why?" Nion scoffs as he replies "I still need to bring you to Valerius, the last Dawnspell would be a nice gift to offer."

"You Wardens, take happiness in suffering and pilgrimage." Nion chuckled, "No, we take happiness when we truly achieve peace. Think about it Dawnspell, if the King's armies simply died in the GreatWar and no other resistance surfaced, there would be peace. That's all we've ever wanted, but the peace before the war was corrupted by the King's greed for more power. Valerius seeked a way to stop it and grabbed the power himself, but the King still wanted it. So Valerius had no choice but to wipe off his armies and throne, his blood line and his advisors."

Lyle was stoic "Lies, you people are fed with lies, pity."

"Lies or not, Dawnspell, I still choose to side with Order. And the only side who brings order and peace around the realms are the Wardens, not your silly Resistance."

Lyle grabs his QuickBlade and walks out the cave "Whatever Scorchboon, we're still stuck here so don't get cocky about bringing me in."

Nion follows Lyle outside and suddenly feels a strange presence, he scopes around the area, looking for a possible enemy or ally.

He asks Lyle, "Do yo-" "Yes I feel it too. Shut up." they then carefully paced around the trail, cautious as they go.

They then heard footsteps, not coming from a single pair of feet, no they sounded numerous. Hundreds at least. They readied their stance and waited for the oncoming party.

A herd of beast riders then pounced out from one of the rocks, they circled the pair and they stopped, wrapping them in a circle they can't escape.

Their leader approaches them, they were all suited with bulky metal plates and spiked helmets, ruthless in sight, vigorous in battle.

The leader asks them, "Who are you and what are you doing in the unauthorized realm of shadows?" Dawnspell replies, "I am Lyle Dawnspell, and this is Nion Scorchboon." "Summoners, I see."

The leader then takes off its helmet, they were shocked to see such a sight, Lyle stuttered as he sees fangs, growing out of the under-bite, piercing sharp eyes, sharp ears and green dyed skin.

"Y- You're orcs." "Yes, and we are not extinct as you thought we would be."