Chapter 35: The Bond Between Adventurers
"Even when total defeat is certain, adventurers fight on. Some say it's for the money, some for reputation. But the truth is that the bond we forge in every battle is what makes us stronger. It is a bond Knights will never understand, blinded as they are by their pride and nobility."
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The Commander's eyes widened as the air around him turned suddenly cold. The temperature in the clearing was dropping fast, and he turned his head to the right, confused, until he saw them. The mages stood in a wide circle, staffs raised toward the sky, eyes closed, pale blue mana swirling around them.
Their voices rose as one.
"Cage of frozen earth, hail that rends the skies. Into eternity, the fleeting moment passes. A lyre of tears, played on azure ice, a melody sings, and all things fall motionless. Love, be gone. Adoration, leave. We sever ourselves from regret, for we are the protectors."
The Commander looked back toward the battle. Calhoun's strike had driven the creature backward, and a vast incantation circle was spreading beneath its feet, glowing a deep blue. The monster turned its head to the side, and the Commander could tell its gaze was fixed on the mages.
"No!" He pushed himself up from the ground.
"Ahhh!" A violent surge of pain shot through his legs, and he collapsed back into the dirt.
He raised his head again, expecting the worst. Instead, the monster stood rooted in place, its eyes locked on the circle, as motionless as a statue.
"Good," said the Healer beside him. "Dagarak and the others bought them enough time. Please stay seated and save your energy."
The Commander stared at her in disbelief, then turned back to the mages, who were reaching the final verse.
"Now go forth, oh flourishing arctic gale!" they cried together.
"AIMENT ALISCUS, ICE BARRAGE!"
The circle completed itself in a blinding blue flash. The Commander and the others threw up their arms to shield their eyes. When the light faded, the cold had grown so fierce that their breath rose in thick white clouds. The mages dropped to their knees, panting, drained by the spell. Where the creature had stood, a colossal block of ice now glittered in the dim light.
"They did it," the Commander breathed. "Is it finally dead?"
On the carriage roof, Cassian watched with his chin in his hand.
"Aiment Aliscus, Ice Barrage," he said. "An ice-elemental spell, originally from the Sovereign Ice Mage. But how did they all chant it so accurately? Did someone hand out notes? Why wasn't I given one?"
He studied the frozen mass with a thoughtful smile.
"It may be a sovereign spell, but it lacks the power and range of the original. In its true owner's hands, it could bury half this forest and turn it into an ice land." His smile turned wry. "How disappointing it would be if it doesn't survive."
Below, the adventurers gathered in small, exhausted groups, grinning at one another. The thought of having killed a God-Class monster filled their minds.
"We did it!" one of them shouted.
"Finally," said the man with the greatsword. "I wasn't sure I could hold out much longer."
"It's all thanks to the mages," another said.
The Commander watched them and felt a quiet smile tug at his lips. He was relieved that it was over, and moved by the sight of these battered adventurers laughing together in victory. Some were catching their breath, others had slumped on the ground to rest. It was a precious thing to see.
But one man refused to join the celebration.
Calhoun stood alone before the giant block of ice, both hands gripping his spear, his eyes fixed on the frozen surface. He couldn't feel any foreign energy coming from it, which was exactly how it should be. Even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, and that the creature could still be alive.