On the other side, Will and Lisa, disguised in tattered beggar's clothes, were sprinting down the path leading to the palace.
"It's completely out of control," Will muttered, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Along the sides of the road, the long-oppressed people from the slums had risen in revolt, marching in angry mobs toward the noble district across the street. Despite the efforts of the Arus guards to halt the riots, the sheer number of the rebels was overwhelming, and it seemed as though their defense would not last much longer.
Compassionate as ever, Will slowed his pace, his eyes fixed on the soldiers struggling to hold the line. He could see the agony on their faces, and his heart ached. He thought of his father and his friend Eddie, both holy clerics back home. Though they held a higher rank than these guards, how would they handle such a situation? Will paused, staring at the soldiers surrounded by the rioting masses.
"Will! Will!" Lisa's voice cut through his reverie as she too came to a halt.
"Huh? Ah?" Will snapped back to reality.
"We need to go. There are more important matters to attend to," Lisa said, her tone serious.
"Hmm... Alright," Will hesitated for a moment, then turned to continue running toward the palace with Lisa.
Just then, the soldier surrounded by the rioters let out a gut-wrenching scream. The sound of his suffering reached Will's ears, and, driven by his innate kindness, he halted. With decisive resolve, he plunged into the crowd, using his strength to yank the soldier from the mob. He pulled him through the throng of angry rebels, using his giant's strength to clear a path. Together, they began to sprint toward the palace.
"Run, Lisa!" Will shouted as he ran.
"Sigh... You're hopeless," Lisa murmured, shaking her head. She turned to face the advancing mob of rioters and, kneeling, placed one hand on the ground. In a soft whisper, she uttered, "Earth Shield." The earth before her suddenly rose, forming a towering wall that blocked the angry mob. The rioters, though still raging with fury, could not break through.
"Oh, I forgot—you can use magic now," Will said, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"Perhaps I should leave a scar on you with magic, so you won't forget," Lisa sneered.
"Alright, let's go," Will said, already preparing to resume their run.
"Wait. Are you really going to bring him with us?" Lisa asked, gesturing toward the soldier still clutched in Will's grasp. The soldier, unlike Will, lacked the stamina to keep up and was already struggling to stay on his feet.
"Oh, sorry. Are you alright?" Will finally noticed he was still holding the soldier and quickly released him, apologizing profusely.
"Th... thank you for saving me... where are you two going?" The soldier gasped for breath, trying to regain his composure.
"We're heading to the palace," Will answered immediately.
"Will!" Lisa shouted, trying to stop him.
"It's fine. We soldiers feel the same way as you—we despise those wizards," the soldier said solemnly.
Will and Lisa exchanged a silent glance, neither of them responding at once.
"Go. You must rid the palace of those wizards," the soldier urged them.
"Alright, but what will you do now?" Will asked with concern.
"I'll take off this armor first, or I'll be swarmed again," the soldier said with a wry smile.
"Alright, then. I suppose we'll meet again sometime," Will said, bidding the soldier farewell before he and Lisa turned to continue their journey to the palace.
Meanwhile, on the other side, General Ray and Jin, preparing to rescue the king and their families from the tower, were guided out of the armory by two soldiers and set their sights on the tower. The tower was a separate structure within the palace, once a favorite retreat of King Arus. After exiting the armory, they hid in the surrounding grass to avoid detection.
"Wait here. There are two wizards guarding the tower entrance," one of the soldiers whispered to General Ray and Jin as they crouched in the grass, watching the tower's entrance.
"We'll draw them away, then you two can sneak inside," the other soldier suggested quietly to General Ray.
"Understood," Jin replied, nodding.
Moments later, the two soldiers made their way toward the tower as though nothing was amiss. As they passed the grassy patch where General Ray and Jin hid, they glanced in the direction of the hiding pair.
"Stop. This is not a place for you," one of the wizards declared, raising his staff in a stern tone.
"Don't worry, don't worry," one soldier reassured him.
"We need your help. The wizard who was with us fainted, and we need you to check on him," the second soldier explained.
"Fainted?" one wizard asked, puzzled.
"Yes, we were investigating the strange noise in the armory, and he was standing by the door. But when we finished, we found him unconscious," the soldier said, feigning concern.
"Alright, I'll accompany you to check on him," one wizard agreed.
At that moment, the two soldiers noticed another wizard stationed at the tower's door, causing them to panic. Their plan had not accounted for this. Feeling awkward, they began to turn to leave with the wizard.
But in that instant, Jin sprang from his hiding place, using the cover of the grass to move swiftly behind the wizard. In a flash, he covered the wizard's mouth with one hand and wrapped his other hand around his neck. The wizard soon lost consciousness. As Jin was about to lower him to the ground quietly, the wizard's hand slipped, and his staff fell to the ground with a loud thud.
The sound of the staff hitting the ground caught the attention of the other wizard, who was walking toward the armory with the two soldiers.
"Who are you?" the startled wizard demanded, extending his hand in preparation to cast a spell.
With a dull thud, the wizard crumpled to the ground, struck by the hilt of a sword from one of the soldiers who had been lurking nearby.
Quickly, Jin and the two soldiers dragged the unconscious wizards into the grass, tying them up and destroying their staffs.
"Now, it's up to us," Jin said to the soldiers. "It will be dangerous inside. You two should leave while you still can."
"Will you really be able to drive those wizards away?" one soldier asked, skeptical.
"Of course," Jin said with a confident smile, giving a thumbs up. He and General Ray then rushed into the dark tower.