Chương 20: Battle at Bandit Cave

Evelyn stumbled back.

"What do the demons want with Lorelark?" The demon's eyes briefly flashed red in the magical light.

"Typical humans. You still can't get over a war that ended two hundred years ago even when you won."

"You dare to suggest we're wrong to mistrust you after you abduct people off our streets and break these criminals free?" Bradley piped up beside her. The demon glared at him.

"You're right to mistrust me for the things I've done. But not for being a demon who did those things."

"Were you summoned or did you walk here by your own two feet?" Evelyn demanded. The demon pointed a finger at her. She instinctively cowered and put up a [Shield] for whatever good it would do.

"I'm not here to answer any of your questions. I hoped you'd prove to be a little more interesting, and I'm sorely disappointed. Still I may find a use for you yet. [Earth Bind]." The soil beneath their feet pulled them down to their knees before hardening, rendering them immobile. Not wanting to go down without a fight, she pointed at one of the nonmages.

"[Firebolt]!"

"[Force Wall]." The demon effortless shielded his subordinate with the Tier 6 spell from afar, and her attack splattered harmlessly against the invisible wall. She tried again, this time aiming her [Firebolt] at the second-tier mage without pointing, and concentrating with all her might to elevate it to Tier 3. She may not have passed her exams yet, but she didn't deserve to if she couldn't manage something like this.

But the mage struck first with an [Air Strike] and Evelyn lost all her bearings as the spell knocked her down while her legs remained stuck in the mud. By the time the world stopped spinning, both she and Bradley were bound on the ground, and her legs felt like they'd been pulled apart at the knees. But they were no longer caught in the [Earth Bind]. The second-tier mage leaned down close to her face and whispered, "You think I wouldn't notice what you were doing? You have terrible flux control, novice."

"Enough," the demon ordered, and the mage backed away. The demon towered over Evelyn.

"You don't think I'm done with you, do you? I know you weren't watching the sewers on a hunch. It would be one thing if they'd assigned two regular goons like him. But they wouldn't waste someone with your special talent on a long shot. I want to know how you figured it out." She couldn't betray Lady Amberlin and Havlo. She just had to hold out for a moment longer. Surely they were close by.

"I don't know," she said.

"I was just told to keep watch." The demon sighed.

"The really annoying thing about humans is how good you are at lying. That's why I don't believe you." He stepped over to Bradley and pointed a finger at his face.

"Tell me or he dies." Evelyn met Bradley's eyes. He was shaking his head. His mouth was gagged. What was he trying to tell her?

"Tell me or he dies," the demon repeated.

"I'm not going to say it a third time."

"It was the mage!" she cried. She had to tell him. She couldn't let Bradley die.

"The one who caught your goons. He figured it out."

"How?"

"I don't know!"

"How?"

"I really don't know!" The demon stepped away. He turned to the second-circle mage and said, "It looks like our time in Lorelark has come to an end. Load these two into the wagon." At that moment something flashed in the darkness. Evelyn felt the heavy mana flux as the demon scrambled to put up a [Force Wall]. That decision saved his life because the [Firebolt] easily punched through the elevated [Shield] he had up and was only stopped when it struck the second defensive barrier.

All eyes turned in the direction of the source. Evelyn did too even though she already knew what she would see. She could sense his mana. It was only at silver level—Tier 2—but no silver could have cast a [Firebolt] that strong. It was Lady Amberlin's apprentice. It was Havlo the mage from Restford. It was like all the life suddenly returned to her body. She'd held out long enough. She was right to have faith. The heroes had arrived. She couldn't sense Lady Amberlin, but that was to be expected.

She was too powerful to leak any mana.

"Careful!" she called out to Havlo.

"He's a full third-circle!"

"I know." The demon sneered.

"Why don't you mind your own business, elf?" But she could hear the tension in his voice. He was too smart not to have noticed that something wasn't right.

"You should surrender," Havlo declared.

"There's five of us and only one of you," the demon pointed out. His subordinates were already circling around to surround Havlo, except for the bard, who stayed by his side.

"Unless you're Tier 7, the two of us are evenly matched."

"Maybe I am Tier 7," Havlo replied calmly. The demon grinned.

"Let's find out, shall we? [Earth Bind]!"

"[Force Wall]." The ground under Havlo turned to mud. But the [Force Wall] he'd created beneath his feet kept him from sinking in.

"Tier 6 it is," the demon said.

"A Tier 7 would have used [Levitation]."

"You got me," Havlo said.

"But not all Tier 6s were created equal." Without warning he cast out four [Earth Binds]. The three bandits encircling him were caught by surprise and sank down into the earth. One of them cried, "Not again!" The fourth [Earth Bind] targeted the demon and his bard, but the demon used the same trick as Havlo with [Force Wall] to negate the effect. The bard began strumming on his gittar.

From the moment the first note was struck, Havlo targeted the instrument with an [Air Strike], but that was blocked by the demon with a [Force Wall]. Evelyn understood now why the bard had stayed close to his master. While the demon could cast the defensive from a distance, it was much faster and more effective up close. The demon unleashed a flurry of [Force Bolts], which Havlo was able to block with [Force Wall]—but that wasn't the point.

While his attention was focused on maintaining his defensive barriers, the bard's music reached the first crescendo, stirring up uncommon strength in his allies, and with it the three trapped underlings began pulling their way free from the earth. The ground in this part of the forest was dirt and soil, after all, and didn't hold nearly as well as stone.

But all their efforts turned out to have been for naught, as Havlo fired off three [Force Bolts] simultaneously that sent the goons flying the moment they got themselves free. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Impossible!" the demon roared. But Havlo didn't let up. He cast a [Fireball] toward the demon. It was quickly blocked with a [Force Wall], but Evelyn could already see the demon sweating. All this rapidfire spellcasting was wearing on him while Havlo looked like he had barely gotten started. It turned out that the [Fireball] had a hidden intent, as Havlo made a sudden appearance around the side of the [Force Wall]. He'd used the cover of the fire and smoke to close the distance with [Haste].

The demon tried to blast him away with [Force Bolt], but Havlo simultaneously blocked it with [Force Wall] as well as liquified the ground beneath his adversary with [Earth Bind]. This time the demon wasn't quick enough to get his underfoot [Force Wall] up and his legs became trapped in the dirt. Havlo grabbed the bard and tossed him aside like he didn't matter. The beastkin rolled with his gittar tucked inside his arms, preferring to protect his precious instrument than his own body.

Evelyn sensed two large mana fluxes rising simultaneously and then stop.

"[Fireball]?" Havlo said.

"You really don't have access to [Firestorm]?"

"It's enough to get the job done," the demon replied.

"You can't protect them from this distance." Evelyn realized that the demon had a finger pointed directly at her. But that was a ruse. Elevated to Tier 6, the spell didn't have to leave from his finger. It could come out from any direction. It could even be summoned a short way along the trajectory, like an inferior form of [Firestorm], a true Tier 6 spell that could be manifested from a distance.

Worse still, with how close he was to them, the only way to block it for sure would be a [Force Wall] right in front of her face. Surely Havlo was aware of all this.

"I can cast a [Force Wall] that far," Havlo said.

"Not one that can block all the heat from a [Fireball] elevated to Tier 6 stacked with a demon's innate fire proficiency. In my experience, humans burn very easy. They might not be vaporized, but they will die."

"And then you'll die too," Havlo said.

"Then let's make a deal. I let them live, you let me go free. You can have my underlings."

"So that you can continue committing your vile acts?" Havlo said dispassionately.

"The deal is, you surrender and I let you live."

"We both know the humans won't let me live." Evelyn sensed yet another mana flux. She called out, "Careful! He's preparing—""I know," Havlo said. The demon now had his other hand pointed at Havlo.

"Now you definitely can't save them and yourself at the same time."

"You have that much faith in your innate fire resistance?" Havlo asked.

"The only way I'm getting out of this alive is if I make the alternative unacceptable to you. Which is why if I die, I will take you all out with me," the demon replied.

"You're completely drained. That last spell is half-cocked." Now that he mentioned it, Evelyn noticed that the demon's mana had dwindled significantly. It was weaker than hers now.

"Last I checked, elves burned as easy as humans," the demon sneered. Evelyn sensed a fourth mana flux, this one directly in front of her and Bradley. She guessed that Havlo was preparing a [Force Wall] for them, though she wasn't as adept at reading these prepared spells as the two master mages seemed to be. The flux was much smaller than she expected it to be. Havlo must have been taking it slow and doing his best to hide what he was doing. She didn't think that such tight control was even possible.

Though if he was learning from Lady Amberlin... The problem was that it was a Tier 6 spell being cast at a distance. The mana flux, however small he managed to make it, had to travel past the demon. And it just wasn't small enough to escape detection.

"Do you really think you can get one over on me?" the demon shouted. Several things happened simultaneously. All the prepared spells were unleashed at the same time. And then Havlo cast a whole lot more in rapid succession. Havlo's [Firestorm] consumed the demon. The demon's [Fireball] elevated to Tier 6 flew toward Evelyn and Bradley. The demon's [Fireball] elevated to Tier 4 flew toward Havlo. Havlo's [Force Wall] popped up in front of Evelyn and Bradley. Those were the four prepared spells.

The demon didn't bother to defend himself against the [Firestorm]. He couldn't. He was completely out of mana. Several more [Force Walls] popped up around Evelyn and Bradley, boxing them in from all directions. She didn't understand why, if he could conjure so many, they weren't placed one in front of the other in the path of the fireball to create a defense in layers. The demon's [Fireball] crashed through Havlo's shield.

Evelyn didn't see what happened after that because the [Firestorm] had completely blocked her view. The [Fireball] headed toward her curved in the air. It went around the [Force Wall] that Havlo had prepared before all the spells went off. It was only when it exploded against the other side of the box of [Force Walls] that she realized why Havlo had done what he'd done. A layered barrier would have been easily bypassed. All this happened in the span of a second.

And in that split second, something else happened that Evelyn will never forget. In casting so many spells at once, Havlo had let his mana suppression slip. Only for the briefest moment, but it was unmissable because it set all her nerves on fire. It wasn't painful so much as overwhelming, and the effect disappeared almost immediately as he regained control. She would never forget the stories she read growing up about the Apostle who sealed the Demon Supreme.

Of all the legendary heroes who assisted him, the only one possibly still alive was the Amber Mage. Every child who dreamed of becoming a mage knew all the legends surrounding the Amber Mage. And they all knew his name. Havlo Resinari. That didn't mean this was the same Havlo. It was a common name, after all, made popular after the Demon Supreme's defeat. But when that wave of mana washed over her, all her childhood memories rose to the surface. The legends came alive.

The Amber Mage had returned, and he was there to save her life and her friend. But then the moment passed and she stared anxiously over in his direction as the flames dissipated. She couldn't sense any mana from over there and hoped that it was only because her senses had been overwhelmed. She saw first the charred corpse of the demon on the ground. His race's innate fire resistance hadn't been enough to save him from that [Firestorm]. And then as more of the air cleared, she saw Havlo standing there.

Completely unscathed. He was looking wistfully down at the corpse. Noticing her staring, he gave her a smile and then rushed over to untie them.

"Are you hurt?" he asked gently. She checked herself over and then looked over at Bradley. Both of them were unharmed. Had the demon been wrong in his assessment that the heat from his [Fireball] could penetrate through Havlo's [Force Wall]? Or was this proof that Havlo was the Amber Mage?

"I'm going to go retrieve the other bandits," he said. He started with the bard, who didn't bother resisting after witnessing that terrifying display. Havlo [Earth Bound] him before disappearing into the woods.

"Man, third-circle mage fights are sure something else," Bradley said.

"I'm glad there aren't too many people like that running around.

"Yeah..." she agreed half-heartedly. Did it even make sense for Havlo to be the Amber Mage? Why return now? And to Lorelark of all places?

"Hey," she said, "Havlo doesn't have a beard, does he?"

"I didn't know elves could grow beards," Bradley said. It was true. Every elf was beardless except for one. The Amber Mage. It was the feature that distinguished him from all other elves. In all the storybooks, all the paintings, all the statues, he had an unmistakeable beard. The Amber Mage would never shave his beard. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Havlo couldn't be the Amber Mage. For a start, why would the Amber Mage ever be someone else's apprentice?

He was the greatest mage to have ever lived. No matter how powerful Lady Amberlin was, she couldn't possibly become his master. And then another thought hit her. If Havlo was this powerful, just what was Lady Amberlin? She realized that Bradley was trying to get her attention.

"Hey, stop spacing out," he said.

"Let's check the cave for the missing persons." Amy! She ran into the cave, casting [Light] as she went. Bradley followed alongside. It was a big cave, and there were signs that people had been living here and it had been used to store something large—cages possibly. But right now it was empty. Her heart sank. Was she too late? Back outside they waited despondently until Havlo had gathered all the bandits. They stared anxiously at what remained of their boss.

"The cave's empty," she told Havlo. He nodded and turned to the second-circle mage. Her hood had been pulled back, revealing her weary face.

"What did you do with the people you abducted?" he demanded.

"They've all been sent north," the mage replied.

"To Ardark."

"Where in Ardark? What happens to them there?"

"Only the boss knows the details. We just handle the procurement."

"You don't even know the fate you're sending people to?" he said angrily. The mage said nothing and guiltily avoided his eyes.

"Ardark," Evelyn said.

"So Amy's been taken to Ardark." Havlo looked at her.

"We'll report this to the watch. They'll get word to Ardark. The authorities there can track her down."

"Just like the authorities here were able to track her down?" she protested.

"Please. You're her only hope." Havlo looked away.

"They'll have a lot more intel to go on now."

"They had a third-circle demon working for them," she pointed out.

"Who knows what else they're capable of? Who else can stop them but you?" This was a job for a crystal. Maybe even a ruby wouldn't be enough. If the bandits had someone at Tier 7, that would require an emerald-rank adventurer. How many of those existed in the world? Would they even care about the lives of a handful of commoners?

"There's somewhere else we need to go," Havlo said.

"But once we complete our business there, I promise you—""How long will that take?" she cried.

"Anything could have happened to Amy by then!"

"I'm sorry." She knew it was futile. Heroes of this caliber did as they wished. It wasn't her place to tell them what was more important. As much as she wanted... Bradley put his arm around her shoulder.

"Captain Hughston is friends with the watch captain in Ardark. He'll make sure these bandits get priority attention. He wants to get Amy back too." She understood that she didn't have the right to expect anything more of Havlo or Lady Amberlin. To even help them this far, it was already very generous of them. She should be grateful. They were closer to getting Amy back than they would have been without their help. She resigned herself to the way of things and helped escort the bandits back to Lorelark.

By the time they arrived at the city gates, it was almost morning. A host of guards came out to take over the prisoners, and she returned to her home. Her eyes were heavy, both from lack of sleep and the burden of everything she'd been through. This was why it took her a while to notice that there was someone waiting outside her door. When she saw who it was, she couldn't believe her eyes. Nothing made sense anymore. But she didn't care. She ran and hugged her friend.