“In the name of Magnus, and as the captain of city guards you are all under arrest.”

  His voice though quiet, sweet and elegant; sent chills down everyone’s spine. His presence illuminated the entire hall, he felt dangerous .

  Edric gulped, shifted his focus, conjuring up plans.Should I attack , but I doubt that would do anything.

  Edric reached for his gun, but Xantha stopped him. “I don’t know why, but he feels dangerous.” she gulped, “It’s too risky, why don’t we just give up”

  Give up? But we have gotten so far. Then again just from looking at him, I can feel a chill down my spin. He isn’t even looking at me, so how…. He screamed inwardly.

  The captain awkwardly stood there for several seconds. His gaze shifted to the stage— Cain and Kael were still going about their bout, both seemingly not acknowledging his presence, he scratched his head as he watched those two like an eager spectator.

  *SLASH*

  A blade came targeting his shoulder, without even batting an eye he caught it with his bare hands. He slowly turned to look at the source, it was Aeris who had launched at him with high speed. Aeris met his gaze, for some odd reason she seemed more agitated than before… a bit too agitated.

  She gritted her teeth, with a loud grunt she enveloped her sabers with flames. The flames expanded through the blade, finally meeting his bare hands, and still nothing. The captain just stood there, as Aeris huffed and puffed , staring daggers at him.

  He opened his lips, quietly he said to Aeris that is heard only to her:

  “It’s been so long Athena,” he said scanning her up and down , Aeris flinched, fueling her rage even more. “Seems you’ve improved, but that temper of yours is the same as ever I see.” His expression turned serious. “I will show you the proper way to fight.”

  Aeris blinked, and he vanished, Her sword still in the same position as she left. Hastily she scanned left and right, but suddenly—

  *BAAM*

  The captain appeared from her side out of nowhere, with a single swipe of his hand like sweating an insect he tossed her. Making her crash into the pillars.

  Edric couldn’t understand what he saw, one moment he was there and next he just appeared from another direction, no sound, no presence, nothing. He’s more trouble than I thought.

  Aeris without a second to waste got up, reached into her pouch, drank the remaining potions , and took out another parchment paper. She chants a spell, places it on her chest, and it gets absorbed through the fabric of her clothes. She closes her eyes, chants one more time *WOOSH* like a phoenix's entire body getting encapsulated like a ball of fire.

  The captain tilted his head, smirked. “At least you don't give up?”

  *SWISH*

  Like the wind he vanishes,appearing in front of Aeris, in motion of a mid section slash. Aeris narrowly reacts in time to block it, the flames acting as armor distribute the impact coming from the gigantic white blade.

  The flames reacted wildly, she swung her blade to the mid section. The captain with a single hand lifting the greatsword deflected it, she staggers back, using the momentum the captain kicked her at the abdomen.

  She slid back on the floor, grinning her teeth as she absorbed the impact.

  Her calmness started to fade, she started to make mistakes.

  “You're hesitating,” his voice sounded disappointed. “What changed? Is it the people behind you?”

  She grunted, with a hoarse voice she said. “You don’t know anything about me!”

  The captain smiled, then—- he vanished with a blink of an eye. Using the broad side of the greatsword he attacked horizontally.

  “I think I do , a bit too well.”

  The impact sent her bouncing across the floor, sending waves across the room.

  She rolled, caught herself mid tumble and came up at one-knee— her breathing was hard. Her fingers trembled. Her flames started to waver.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Meanwhile—

  Edric saw the battle with wide eyes, he couldn’t comprehend what he saw. One thing was very clear though;Aeris was losing, losing bad.

  Damn it, what should i—- wait

  An idea pops up in his mind, he turns to Xantha—

  “Xantha, where did you get that relic to stop the noble?”

  She stared at him with wide eyes. “I-In the backroom, the displays were broken and the items were scattered on the floor. I saw something familiar, I studied it in a book so–” He didn’t need to listen any further.

  Gripping his sides he scrambled his way to the back room, behind him the clanks and sounds of impact echoed through the hall.

  “This is the place,”

  He walks forward, stopping in front of scattered glass and crates. Various pendants, rings, necklace, potions and weapons are scattered across the floor. He opens his system, scans through the items.

  “Hmm… a necklace for invisibility no, pendant of wind no, slowness ring no…” he read through the names, throwing away anything useless one-by-one. All the items were rare, one of a kind but nothing that would help immediately had propped up.

  He started to lose hope, as the number of items were becoming fewer. Then across the room, behind broken crates he saw a big red crystal. He grabbed it with his, the crystal glowed a deep crimson red as soon as he touched it. He felt a weird sensation, as though something was grabbing his mind, like an addiction. He dropped it on the floor, and scanned it.

  [Item Name: Berserk Stone.]

  [Description:Makes the user go in a frenzy, as well as increasing their power three folds]

  The description made sense from the way he felt. Although he wasn’t particularly sure on the plan, maybe it could give a boost to Aeris or even Kael, but it could have severe side effects. As nothing comes for free, there's no telling what it could do to the mind. He thought of the moment , scratching his chin. Then an idea stuck, he popped his head through the door. On the stage; the beastman was still held captive.

  “The beastman…. Maybe I could feed it to him. Then if he goes crazy, he can attack the captain. Might not defeat it, but it will buy us enough time at least. Then Aeris helps Kael and then we make our getaway.”

  The plan sounded all fine in his head, but there was one thing that itched his consensus. His basically telling the beastman to fight to his death on his behalf, the beastman would end up dead based on the captain's strength.

  “... using another person for my gain doesn't feel right with me. But what choice do I have?”

  He shakes his head, focusing on the stone for a moment. Then he decided—-

  —---

  The beastman gaze slumped on the cold steel floor, his gaze shifted to the chaos . Turning from Kael’s duel to Aeris flames afar, his breathing was ragged , his hands pricked from picking the collar too much. He has tried to break the restraint many times, but any attempt ends up shocking him, end the he gave—

  Ice bullet

  *BANG*

  His collar froze, then— *Crack* it broke, freeing him from the shackles. In front of him, Edric loomed over. Edric’s lips parted, almost like he wanted to ask something, in the end no word was uttered. Instead he dropped the berserker stone on the floor, opened the cage door and left. Hoping he understands his intentions.

  The beastman stared at the stone , silently for a good moment. Whether it was stone or beastly instinct was a mystery , as he grabbed the stone with his palm. Red energy surged from the stone to his body, fur rose from his skin, his muscles became tougher and his head started transforming into a wild wolf. A minute later, the beastman transformed into his full form, now only much bigger , with a blood thirsty aura surrounding him.

  The air had a thick scent of blood , Edric stood next to Xantha. His instinct tells him it’s dangerous. As he walked back he broke the elfs shackles , broke the door and just left, leaving the choice up to her. The elf woman sat there on the cold floor, observing.

  Kael, being close by, noticed the blood-thirsting aura from the beast. He took a glance to see a wolfman standing menacingly in the cage.

  “What the?” he muttered, taking a quick glance at Edric and then at Aeris. Aeris still locked in combat, her slashes to matter how ferocious were being blocked by and countered easily by the captain.

  This made him grow anxious, Cain on the opposite of him. Though sweaty , he was still alright for the most part. In comparison Kael's stamina was depleting, his potions in the last stock. He had hoped he would get help from Aeris after she's done but that might not be the case.

  Crap! Kael thought as he took another quick glance at Edric once again, just before Cain’s next flurry of attacks. Edric pointed at the beast, the stone, then at Aeris and then at the back door. Is his plan what I think it is?.... A berserk wolf really!. Well better than nothing.

  Kael moves his staff vertically, forming a shield of wind, blocking Cain’s attack just barely. Using the time Kael cat wheeled back closer to the beast.

  “Hey , big guy,” he said, the beast’s rage was building up. “Do me a favor and fight that guy,” he twirls his staff, forming a tornado to suck the beast out of his cage, and turns launching him to the captain.

  “I hope this works,” Kael muttered.

  The beast roar echoed throughout the hall, its eyes becoming more bloodshot by the minute. Its eyes fixed on the elegant captain, lunges forward.with its claws open.

  *CLANK*

  The captain blocked its attack at the last moment, but for a small moment, a very brief second, he was surprised and overwhelmed for the first time.

  Great it’s working, Now I got to tell Aeris.Edric thought as he ran closer, came in Aerie's line of sight, gesturing to her to help Kael.

  Aeris grunted, and stabbed the floor. Clearly she didn’t want to end this fight, she took a deep breath. Her rage watered down, there was no time and dealing with the captain will lead to her death. She reconciled herself with that thought, now cooling her head turned towards Cain.

  *BOOM*

  She sent waves of fire on the ground, using the explosion as momentum she launched at Cain. Kael picked up on that, swirled the staff, pushing Cain back to her trajectory.

  “Your really annoying–”

  *Slash*

  Cain got interpreted but the flames of Aeris, he narrowly blocked it with his chains, using the momentum Kael attacked his midsection. Cain got pushed back, caught himself, rolled over on one knee.

  “Where that captain–” Cain turned his head, watched the rage beast attacking relentlessly at the captain.

  “Let's go!” Edric shouted , Xantha waited by the door .

  “About damn time,” Kael said in relief.

  Cain got up, ready to throw his sword at them. Then *Boom* Kael attacks with his staff, followed in quick succession by Aeries slash. Cain tries his best to block and parry, but he wasn’t fast enough to block every attack. Kael takes a parchment paper from his pouch, enchants it , it glows forming a bird-like spirit made out of wind.

  Without wasting any time he launched it at Cain, which pushed him back to the wall. Aeries followed suit with a gigantic wave of fire, knocking him further into the wall.

  “God damn it–” Cain screamed annoyed. His muscles were burning but that wasn’t enough to stop the hunter from his prey. And then–

  *Bang*

  Ice started forming on his torso, soon it froze his entire torso sticking him to the wall. Effectively immobilizing, Cain, confused on this strange ice, looked further to see a hooded man holding something in his hand— something familiar.

  “Perfect,” Kael cheered, grabbing Aeris hand. “Let’s escape this place.”

  Aeris grunted, feeling unsatisfied from her incomplete bout but resolved herself to calm down. Edric waited by the door, with the gun in his hand and holding Xantha’s with the other.

  “Hurry, we don’t have time,” Edric shouted.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Kael said, looking back at the captain. The beast is handling the captain well but won’t last too long. Cain won’t be stuck for too long either.

  They sprinted through the door; the chase was on.