Chương 130: We’ll Take Them Back

The storm that had descended upon the tavern continued without respite, devastating everything in its path. Water poured inside with unnatural force, sweeping away chairs, tables, and even people. Within moments, it had risen to the waist of everyone inside. The ceiling had collapsed in several places, allowing even more water to flood in. Felicity tried to move forward, but every step was a struggle against the current. On the other side of the room, Mason grabbed Leah by the hand.

"This way!" he shouted.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere safe!" Leah gritted her teeth and allowed herself to be dragged through the chaos. Amidst all that destruction, however, one figure moved with unnatural calm. Morvath. A transparent magical barrier surrounded his body, repelling the water and allowing him to move without difficulty. His eyes coldly scanned the tavern, analyzing every detail. Then he saw her. The mage with the long black hair.

"That's her". Morvath gripped his sword, ready to perform the body-swap Nikos had ordered him to carry out. But something was wrong. He examined her more closely. No magical energy. Nothing. Her body did not possess even a single particle of magical power. It was like looking at an ordinary human being. Morvath frowned. The only source of power nearby came from the legendary swords, which were still tied to Xia's horse outside the tavern. Morvath hesitated for a moment.

He saw that there were several innocent people inside the tavern. And he did not even know whether the black-haired mage had companions capable of giving him trouble. Then he had a better idea.

"This spell drains almost all of my energy. But it's the best solution for everyone". He sheathed his sword. Then he interlaced his fingers, forming a complex sequence of magical symbols. Finally, he plunged both hands into the water. For a moment, nothing happened. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Then the entire tavern began to glow. In the blink of an eye, everyone inside disappeared.

They had been teleported to different, distant places across the world. Only the storm remained. And a few seconds later, even that vanished. Silence suddenly descended upon the ruined tavern. Morvath stepped outside. His gaze fell upon the horses. They were all dead. Some had been crushed beneath the collapsed beams of the tavern. Others had simply fallen beneath the violence of the storm and never managed to get back up. Among them was Felicity's white horse.

The animal that had shared every adventure with her until that day. Morvath paid it little attention. Instead, he approached Xia's now-lifeless horse and retrieved the legendary swords still tied to its saddle. He examined them. Then he smiled.

"Here they are…finally". With a wave of his hand, he conjured a small magical cube and sealed the swords inside it. Immediately afterward, he opened a portal. A moment later, he was standing before Nikos once again. Nikos already knew what had happened. That was why he had personally dispelled the storm. He slowly rose to his feet and studied the mage carefully.

"You didn't follow the plan", he said.

"Why?" Morvath met his gaze.

"The mage possessed no magical energy. I don't know why, but the body-swap would have been pointless. I decided it was better to scatter them across distant locations and retrieve the swords without a fight". He summoned the cube again. The legendary swords emerged from within it, completely intact. Nikos stared at them for a few seconds. Then he smiled.

"You avoided a confrontation, saved lives, and accomplished the objective". He turned toward Morvath.

"My compliments, Mage Morvath. Excellent improvisation". He paused briefly.

"Although, knowing that you were capable of such a powerful spell, I would have devised an entirely different strategy". Morvath let out a faint sigh.

"It's not a spell I like using. It consumes almost all of my energy. I tend to use it only in exceptional circumstances…like this one". His breathing was labored. He let himself sink to the ground, sitting down to avoid losing consciousness. He lowered his gaze.

"I will make Seer Aelira happy…" Far away, in the heart of the southern lands, Felicity, Ethan, and Agnes lay sprawled across the scorching sand. They were still completely soaked from the storm, while the blazing sun rapidly dried their clothes. Ethan was the first to get back on his feet. He looked around in confusion.

"What the hell happened?" Felicity slowly stood up. An immense expanse of sand stretched out before them. The sun was blinding. The air was suffocating. Despite the absurdity of the situation, Felicity remained surprisingly calm.

"A spell, I suppose", she said.

"And judging by the landscape…we're on the other side of the world". Agnes struggled to her feet. Then she sneezed.

"Oh…it's definitely much hotter here". Ethan looked around.

"But how…?" Felicity remained silent. Then her expression suddenly grew serious.

"The horses…" Ethan looked at her.

"And the legendary swords…" Ethan's eyes widened.

"They're still there". In the forested regions at the center of the continent, Xia, Leah, and Mason got back on their feet among gigantic trees and damp earth. Mason looked around.

"Where are we?"

"I have no idea", Leah replied.

"We were caught in that storm less than a minute ago". Xia carefully observed their surroundings.

"It was a spell. Whoever cast it was an extremely powerful mage". Leah went pale.

"The legendary swords…" Xia lowered her gaze.

"They were tied to my horse's saddle". Leah stared at her.

"So…"

"The storm took them with it". A heavy silence fell over the group. In the desert, Ethan clenched his fists.

"We lost the legendary swords…after everything we went through". Felicity said nothing.

"We were completely defeated", Ethan continued.

"Without even seeing our enemy's face". Felicity thought of her white horse. A deep sadness filled her chest. She had never given him a name. And yet, before she met Leah and Xia, he had been practically the only living being with whom she had shared her life. She had spent countless hours with him. She had fed him. She had slept beside him. She had ridden him for entire days. She had even escaped alongside him from the bounty hunters who wanted her head.

Now, even though she had never seen his body, Felicity knew he had died in the storm. She lowered her gaze. For a few moments, she said nothing. Then she slowly raised her eyes toward Ethan. In the forest, Leah sat down on a fallen log, covering her face with her hands.

"After all that effort, we lost them…damn it". Xia approached her.

"What do we do?" In the desert, Ethan looked at Felicity.

"What do we do?" For a moment, neither of them answered. Felicity looked into Ethan's eyes. At the same moment, Leah stared at Xia. Two groups separated by thousands of kilometers. Two completely different places. But the same determination.

"We'll take them back", Felicity and Leah replied simultaneously.