The Sorcerer [ON HOLD]

Chapter 6

A/N
I have made a slightly major change to the story. Please check the announcements page on my profile for the full info. Thanks, and enjoy!

[Angelo POV]

The ceremony hall was humongous, and filled with men in military uniforms. Angelo noted the difference in dress from his own clothing- no doubt correlated to rank. He met his squad where they sat on the sidelines, along with a few others.
The Captain stood near a podium, talking to someone in a suit. The two shook hands, and then the man in the suit headed to the podium and cleared his throat.

"The proud kingdom of Boterra has always prioritized military strength. And it is for that reason that we have been such a dominating force throughout the continent. When I look at this crowd of fine young men, I am filled with pride. It is my greatest honor to be here, as ambassador for the crown, welcoming you to your future."

The speech continued for ages. He droned on about honor, patriotic duty, the importance of a mandatory military draft. About 15 minutes in however, Angelo's attention turned to a visibly distressed officer who approached the captain nervously and went to went to whisper something in his ear. The Captain's expression hardened and he immediately turned to Angelo and his teammates, beckoning them over.

The group stood and exited the ceremony hall as discreetly as was possible. The minute the doors shut behind them the Captain sped up his pace and called everyone to follow.

"There's been a break in to the lab. If we don't arrive fast we could lose millions worth of valuable tech, or worse."

"Understood." Eugene was the only one to respond.

They rushed to the car, loaded with mana powered weapons, and sped through the city, another 2 cars full of reinforcements following close behind.

When the research lab finally came into view, it was chaotic. There was a haze around the entire building, and the power was off. The doctor was frantically trying to turn on the emergency generator to salvage his samples, but it was no use.

The Captain cursed. "They hit this place hard with mana."

Angelo could feel it. As they headed deeper into the haze, he could feel his head begin to ache, much like it had before he passed out the last time he was here.

"Where are they?" Hunter asked. Everyone knew what he meant.

"They headed straight for the hidden prison. Almost like they knew exactly where it was. As far as I know they're still there," said the Doctor, still messing with the generator.

The Captain nodded, and the entire squad moved forward almost instantaneously.

Angelo could feel his energy draining, and he was having a hard time keeping up with the group's fast pace. He stopped for a minute to catch his breath.

Not long after, Maria turned and stormed over to him, grabbing him by the collar. She was so tall and muscular that he actually struggled under her grip.

"What the fuck is your problem?" She spat, "Can't you read the situation?"

"I'm sorry," Angelo didn't try to explain.

"Tch. I doubt it." She let go of his collar, and he fell to the floor. Unable to stand up, he watched the rest of his squad disappear, along with his own senses.

He opened his eyes to find himself in an isolated forest, a slight fog descending through the trees. The scenery was unlike any he'd seen, and he felt calm.

But when he looked down at his hands, he found them covered in blood. Anxiety washed over him, and suddenly the forest's beauty became like a prison.

He ran, desperate for an escape, but every turn brought him back to the same spot. Overwhelmed, he settled where he stood and began to weep.

As each tear left his eye, so fell a sudden rain from the sky. It showered the land, and the trees withered at its touch.

Soon all that remained was him and the barren woods, stained red with blood.

Angelo opened his eyes and immediately reached for his cheek, not entirely surprised to find it damp. He sat still for a few minutes, still disoriented. This was the second dream. The second time he'd seen into this strange person's world. Who was he, and why was he crying?

"Angelo."

He was distracted from the thoughts at the call of his name, and looked up to find Eugene. He apologized on instinct, but Eugene waved it away.

"Come on," he said, "there's still more to do."

Angelo followed him through a complicated series of hallways and staircases, his mind still dwelling on the dream. Inside the prison, things were grim. It was obvious that they had been defeated.

"They got away..." He said quietly.

"All except for one," Hunter replied, pointing at a squirming mass, pinned to the floor by 3 officers. Angelo realized it was a person, and watched in horror as a fourth officer injected a large needle full of dark liquid into his arm. He screamed at its impact and struggled even harder, his face contorting in pain. Angelo suppressed the urge to throw up and forced himself to turn away.

Even after looking away, he could still see his face, the desperation in his eyes.

The process of "clean up" took hours, and Angelo was distracted for nearly all of it. The mood was awkward and morale was low, and that night nobody spoke much at dinner. Angelo found himself tied up between feelings of guilt regarding the defeat, and a sense of curious sadness when he remembered both his dream and the captured sorcerer. That night, he spent hours staring at the ceiling before his racing mind finally allowed him some sleep.

[Leo POV]

"He wasn't there."

Leo looked up, his neck sore from waiting tied to the chair where he'd been left hours ago, to see Robin closing the door behind him, his mood grim.

He quickly tried to prevent the inevitable blame he would receive in the midst of robin's anger. "Hey, isn't that a good thing? It means he isn't being experimented on."

"Or," said Robin sharply, "you've been giving me faulty information."

"I haven't been, I swear!" Leo said, hoping desperately Robin would believe him, "You still haven't gone to the main headquarters. If he wasn't at the lab I can guarantee you'll find him there."

"Hmm," Robin considered this briefly. "Fair enough. I bet the security will be hell to bypass."

"I can help you," said Leo hurriedly."

"Well, you don't have much of a choice, do you?"

A/N
Hey everyone, sorry this chapter may be a bit short. I am extremely busy at the moment which means I may have to update less often. I will try my best to still bring good chapters as often as I can to keep the story progress active! If you enjoyed this chapter (or any other) please help me and let me know what you think by voting and/or commenting- it means a lot! Thanks!