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  Asta excuses herself, and exits. As she leaves the training hall the old man she met days earlier is sweeping and notices Asta. She speeds off, absent proper consideration, exposing her vampiric enhanced speed. He only pauses for a moment from sweeping to take note before continuing as if nothing had happened.

  At a large villa in the north east portion of the Nidium kingdom, close to Egux, Daeva is staying for the night. The villa was previously owned by a lanista so it consists of a main stone complex with a large walled in area where the gladiators would train. Hastily fashioned shelters scattered all around the villa, where Daeva’s men find rest.

  Lanista’s host gladiators and provide grounds for training. Securing fights and travel arrangements to distant arenas. Not all gladiators have Lanista’s but the most prominent ones do as it allows the gladiator to focus on the fight.

  The main hall of the villa had been ransacked. A once luxurious dining area has been replaced with a command center. A large table drug to the center with a makeshift terrain model atop it. Daeva, Jerek, and Aeshma inside discussing plans to finish Lucio’s main force residing in Egux before hunting down the man himself. “We will have to have additional forced sent to the capitol city.” Daeva discussing having his radians send more forces to the capital of Egux.

  “Yes Kentro. I also wanted to address some information we got regarding your radians.” Jerek tentative knowing this subject is liable to incur Daeva’s wrath, and Jerek is concerned that his temperament will blind him from making the best decision. “We have good information that some of your radian’s have had communication with Lucio.” Jerek explains knowing this may bring into question all the men the radians have sent.

  With a sharp inhale; “It doesn’t matter. We will end Lucio then take care of what we must.” Daeva grabs his beard as he shares his hardened resolve.

  Max Lindor-an enforcer for what was Ataleo’s territory- timidly enters the room. He is a warrior familiar with the seas, so these conflicts are quite foreign to him. Armed with a traditional pirate weapon; a gauntlet with retractable claws and a smaller chakra cannon attached to his forearm: allowing for a less powerful, but more focused blast. He is wearing a ragged top with various calypso artifacts in the form of beads and bands in his hair and beard.

  “Kentro.” Max bows addressing Daeva.

  “Yes, Max.” Daeva responds still focused on the terrain model.

  “Our scouts have found Lucio.” Max delivers with a pause.

  Daeva immediately takes complete interest. The prospect is more than he could have ever hoped for. “Well, where!” Daeva exclaims.

  “He is moving on an express carriage from Thoraza towards Egux. I just got the report that he was in the toothed fjords.” Max says. This means he is almost at the border of Nidium. Express carriages travel on well established and maintained routes for extremely fast movement.

  Daeva knows that he doesn’t have vehicles that could move his forces that fast, only vampires or those skilled with chakra or magic could. “Fuck!” Daeva distraught by this opportunity being so close but slipping from his grasp. “Why are we just now hearing about this!” Daeva scolds.

  “Kentro, at least we know Lucio is headed to Egux.” Aeshma attempts to redirect anger.

  “There is yet an option Kentro.” Max timorously remarks. Daeva turns to him eyes widened arms crossed. “With the checkpoint about 50 miles from the border they will likely be forced to stop. Giving you enough time to catch up; from what I understand of your speed Kentro.” Max recites.

  Daeva’s eyes locked on Max as his mind races through the possibility. “Kentro it doesn’t make sense for you to break from our forces. And, I am sure he is traveling with a large force of his own.” Jerek interrupts with his concerns.

  Without turning to him; “No force he could fit on an express carriage could stand against me.” Daeva responds still deep in thought.

  “Allow me and jerek to retrieve him for you.” Aeshma offering a solution. Daeva doesn’t respond he lifts one of his crossed arms to his beard turns and paces thinking. Daeva stops with his back to the now silent room as he thinks. Jerek visibly worried his mind going through all the risks; with Aeshma standing intrigued at the possibility of bringing this to an end. Max almost eagerly awaits Daeva’s decision.

  “No.” Daeva says with his back still turned to them. “I will go with Aeshma, and you Jerek will stay and handle things in my absence.” Daeva says rolling his shoulders back savoring the possibility of meeting Lucio tonight in battle.

  “Kentro..” Jerek starts.

  “It is decided. I am going to get ready that gives you a small amount of time to wrap your head around this and come up with any questions you may have.” Daeva interrupts. “Brief Aeshma of his last known location, description, and any other information you have.” Daeva commands Max as he exits.

  Chapter 17

  Daeva and Aeshma speed through the forest. They notice an express carriage rocketing towards them. Aeshma performs a Soten allowing him to see the chakra of living creatures. This will not tell him if it is Lucio, but he will be able to tell if there is a vampire in the carriage. A vampire’s chakra is bound to their corporeal form, so it doesn’t flow, and likely there will be multiple different chakra signatures within them as well. From the blood of their various victims.

  With a nod Aeshma lets Daeva know that there is a vampire onboard the carriage. To Daeva that means it is almost certainly Lucio, as there aren’t many vampires in Prósdesi. The odds of one of them being on that carriage in northern Phalyados is very unlikely.

  Daeva filled with a surge of energy at the prospect; bolts to the front of the carriage dragging his fist and right arm through the bottom of the carriage as it speeds forward. Smashing the highly energized crystal. A blast of energy violently throws Daeva. He catches himself on a tree and lands back on his feet. The carriage drops at the front uncontrollably sliding forward. Shattering the remaining crystals causing an explosion. Blasting the back end of the carriage; turning the slide into a roll down the road with flashes of light as the crystal technology cracks and pops until the carriage comes to a halt. Smoke builds up around the carriage.

  Daeva stands relishing in the moment before walking into the road, and closing in on the wreckage. His right arm and shoulder mangled and bleeding, but with a smile Daeva sends chakra, stored from a previous victim, to his limb. The cuts and broken bones begin rapidly healing. As he closes in with a predator’s focus.

  Aeshma gets himself ready increasing his weight, as he does an electric bolt from the woods shoots out stabbing Aeshma in the back sending his body into shock as he drops to the ground. Once he hits the ground he immediately turns to counter. Composing a Soten he jumps to his feet. Aeshma gracefully guides his arms around his body as he does the earth seems to match his movement jutting from the ground and creating a chakra hardened shell of rock around him just in time. A mystico black opsman leaps out from the forest and blasts Aeshma’s shell.

  Daeva hearing this, turns and takes notice peeling him from his narrow focus. But, just as he begins to turn the side of the carriage is kicked out; Lucio exits looking Daeva in the eyes. Two mystico opsmen step out with Lucio. Daeva cannot help being drawn to Lucio. He trusts Aeshma’s ability to handle the opsman. What Daeva doesn’t know is the initial attack on Aeshma was near fatal already putting Aeshma at a massive disadvantage.

  “Nowhere to hide!” Daeva roars before he begins sprinting towards him. One of the opsman next to Lucio casts a spell, then leans forward his upper torso turning into smoke as it billows towards Daeva meeting him and a concussion sounds out. The smoke hardens into the abstract shape of a hand holding Daeva in place. Another opsman chants a spell his hand surrounds with lighting before placing it on the smoke sending shocks through the smoke and into Daeva.

  Daeva’s muscles constrict all around his body clearly tightening around his frame as he roars out! Then Daeva lifts his shoulders and forces the grip open, slightly, giving hi
m some space. He takes advantage and leaps into the air hundreds of feet landing in the forest as debris shoots up from his landing.

  Before the effects from his landing settles he speeds back to the group. Grabbing one of the opsmen’s face smashing it against the carriage breaking his neck and cracking his skull open. The other opsman completely de-materializes into smoke; Daeva begins striking Lucio with powerful blows, as Lucio attempts to return some of his own Daeva expertly dodges and blocks continuing his assault on Lucio, while speeding back and forth avoiding the clutch of the remaining opsman’s smoke form.

  Meanwhile the other opsman attacking Aeshma is blasting his shell with lightning slowly chipping away at it. As Aeshma inside focuses his chakra to heal his wounds. With heavy breathing he gets the wound stable his body still drastically weakened from the direct blow.

  Aeshma puts his hands together and composes a Soten then places his hand on the ground immediately rock shoots up from the ground and surrounds the opsman; as it does the opsmen utters a magic phrase. The rock around him quickly condenses. Aeshma with a gesture of his hand molds an opening in the rock shell around him creating a view of the boulder crushed around the opsman.

  With a sigh Aeshma assumes the Opsman is dead. Suddenly cracks from all around the rock. Smoke begins oozing out from the small cracks. Aeshma recognizes this and realizes he is going to have to come up with something to counter this if he has any hope of finishing the opsman. This elemental smoke magic is quite dangerous and makes the user very difficult to kill.

  At the same time Daeva continues to land blows all over Lucio breaking him down and bloodying him. The opsman’s smoke periodically catches Daeva and lifts him in the air only for Daeva to capitalize on the smoke hardening around him-pushing off of it. One of Lucio’s men crawl out of the carriage witnessing the chaos he affixes his hand cannon.

  One of Daeva’s strikes is grabbed by the opsman’s smoke opening Daeva up; Lucio capitalizes and punches him rapidly sending Daeva reeling for a moment. Lucio’s man finishes putting the hand cannon on and blasts Daeva’s feet causing him to fall onto his back. Lucio races over faster than the eye can track to bring his heel down; Daeva grabs his foot throwing it back and kicking Lucio’s other leg dropping him to the ground. They lock eyes and Daeva smiles. Blood from his mouth covers his sharpened teeth; “I was hoping this wouldn’t be easy.” Daeva remarks.

  Then Daeva wraps his arm around Lucio’s neck turning rapidly getting to his feet pulling Lucio with him and kicking off the ground blasting through the carriage with Lucio in front of him.

  A distance away. Aeshma thinking quickly develops a plan. The opsmen’s smoke shoots towards him he dodges it leaping into the trees, as he does he weaves a Soten to track the opsman’s chakra making his smoke dodgeable even without vampirically enhanced speed. Aeshma continues to avoid his smoke as he uses another Soten to pulls the water from trees and the surroundings. This continues until he has a large amount. As the opsman’s smoke shoots forward Aeshma expands the water allowing the smoke to close in towards him then collapses it around the opsman’s smoke.

  Aeshma, with the opsman trapped in a large adapting ball of water, increases the density of the water and continues to move it around thwarting the opsman’s attempts to escape. As the smoke begins to move slower Aeshma’s muscles tighten and the water massively increases in density turning into a large ball of ice. Aeshma sees the opsman’s chakra settle as his conscious energy fades.

  With another sigh of relief Aeshma looks to the sky allowing himself to feel the pain of his wounds. As he does the ball of ice drops and begins to melt and crack as the ambient temperature expands the water without Aeshma’s chakra to hold it, and the opsman’s smoke re-materializing into his corpse as it is able to expand.

  Aeshma makes his way to the road. As he does another express carriage speeds up stopping a distance in front of him. A couple more opsmen immediately jump out and begin barrage blasts of lighting towards Aeshma. Aeshma manages to weave a Soten and pull chunks of earth up to block the volleys. One of the new opsmen casts a spell and turns to smoke-moving towards Aeshma.

  The smoke manages to grip Aeshma by his feet dragging him to the shell he made smashing him against it. The other opsman strikes him with lighting the smoke making a hole for the blast to make contact. As it does Aeshma blacks out for a split second the first opsman re-materializes on top of the shell, Aeshma previously made, and they both blast Aeshma dealing fatal damage.

  Aeshma looks to the sky knowing it stands above him and all his brothers, and whispers; “gladly for you.” Before succumbing to his wounds.

  Daeva has Lucio against a tree connecting with powerful blows all over him. The opsman who was fighting him is down as Daeva managed to get ahold of the hand cannon and hit the opsman wounding him. The opsmen that killed Aeshma race over towards Daeva. The first group casting a spell and materializing into smoke surrounding Daeva. They pull him from the beaten Lucio and slam him on the ground. The remaining Opsmen send powerful shocks through the smoke into Daeva.

  Daeva roaring out as the shock sends him in and out of consciousness. Lucio stumbles over pulling a blade off the remains of his man. As he walks towards the nearly unconscious Daeva two opsmen put their hands on his shoulder. “Ruvaen wants him alive.” One of them declares.

  Infuriated by this Lucio knows he is in no position to disagree. With a scowl he spits at Daeva. Daeva barely awake manages to make eye contact; “I will….. end you.” Daeva before passing out.

  As the sun sets on the rolling plains of the Qilong territory. Asta sits atop one of the hills far enough from the city to see the width of the massive plateau: she chooses to sit facing the other direction. Asta is conflicted with disappointment and anger. She wants to blame the Qilong clan and Covirus, but she always seems to doubt such easy conclusions. Ever since she was a girl she would wrestle with her own conclusions never allowing herself to become sure of any premise.

  She thinks about the past 80 some years since her escape from the slavers, and how she had spent her time. The death of Drekavac motivating her and at the same time slowing her down. She has spent her years mirroring the violence that had been brought upon her. Would Drekavac be disappointed in her viciousness? She shakes her head responding to herself; it doesn’t matter because he is dead. If justice is a balance, then she will balance the world with pain instead of piety: something she doesn’t presume to know.

  She begins to think that perhaps she has progressed to slowly with too many distractions. As time has gone on her enemies get stronger, and what has she done? Soten is proving to be more difficult or useless then she had thought, and with all the work she has put towards it what can she do?

  “The city is so small from here.” The old man from earlier notes. Asta surprised once again by his presence and beginning to get annoyed by his stalking. “It is interesting how a shift of perspective can allow you to see what is important. But, you wouldn’t know that as you’ve chosen to turn your back on the view.” The old man impresses upon Asta. His words resonate with her all too well.

  “Are you following me you old fool? Or do you just wander around like a crazy person?” Asta questions.

  “Your impulsivity must be a negative consequence of spending so much time with Drekavac.” The old man aggravating and confusing Asta with his familiarity with her thoughts and now her background-mentioning Drekavac.

  Asta stands and turns to the old man; the look in her eyes forged from much death and violence. This would be conveyed on some level to even the simplest creature. “Who are you? What do you know of Drekavak?” Asta demands answers.

  “It is likely that very quality is what got him captured and killed.” The old man concludes. This infuriates Asta who can no longer withhold her wrath. She reaches out for his neck, and as she does her hand moves through him and his form disappears like it was an illusion. Asta fairly familiar with illusion magic ready to counter, but before she can vines break from the ground and w
rap around her lifting her into the air. Asta struggles with the vines attempting to free herself. The vines seem to be infused with very powerful chakra.

  The old man stepping around from behind her to address her again. “Although the greatest seem to have the most powerful flaws.” The old man says with a look of sadness as he glances off into the distance for a moment. “The world does feel a bit colder without him in it.” The old man professes. His words steadying her breathing as their genuine nature reign true in her. “Meet me here. Same time tomorrow, and I will help you.” The old man concludes before disappearing into the wind and the vines retracting into the ground.

  The next day in impressive capital city of Thoraza in the kingdom and region of the same name. Lucius the lord of Pelamos and his advisor Lamot ride in a luxurious floating carriage through the well kept road at an inner ring of the city. Home to individuals, and families of note. The roads paved with concrete most folks who live in this portion of the city have carriages to drive them around. Large mostly cubic concrete buildings as far as the eye can see.