Chapter 179: Chapter 40 – The Laufgraan War 15

"What have you done?" Karynn asked again after seeing Farynn stumble on his feet.

"Just a sedative. A human drug." Faynn said creating a blade made of shadow.

"Traitorous bitch." Karynn took a step back while cursing.

"You never liked physical exercise, have you Karynn?" Faynn said with a smile while approaching Farynn who struggled to keep standing.

"You won’t be able to flee. You can hide your mana, but you can’t hide his." The elven priest warned.

"I just need to be really fast then." Faynn said while holding Farynn in her arms.

"Guards!" Karynn shouted loudly, but, with the sounds of the attack on the gate, no one could hear her.

Faynn just smiled and tried to drag Farynn out of the court, but the elf resisted and pushed her away from himself.

"Let go of me!" He slurred.

He was surprisingly strong for a man who was drugged. Faynn used enough sedative to put down a horse, but it still seemed to be not enough.

"Karynn, kill her." Farynn pointed at Faynn as he fell to the ground.

"My lord?" Karynn was surprised, she wasn’t a warrior, she was a priest. She didn’t know how to fight.

"Kill her!" He repeated himself with anger, fighting not to faint.

Karynn looked at Faynn with a worried look. She knew she had no chance against a veteran assassin. Karynn had spent all her life honing her skills with holy mana, she had no healing nor fighting abilities.

She lifted her lantern staff, unsure of what to do. The only offensive spell she knew was to produce flames. Karynn pointed the staff at Faynn and threw fire at her, but her target just melted into the shadows and rushed forward, reappearing behind her.

"Give up." Faynn said with a shadow blade pressed against Karynn’s neck.

Karynn shook in fear and let her staff go to the floor.

"Don’t hurt me." She pleaded.

Faynn pushed Karynn to the floor and tried to pick up Farynn again. The elf resisted again, but this time he was weaker than before.

When she managed to lift Farynn from the ground and over her shoulder, the door to the courtyard opened. It was Kazan holding Matthew’s dark sword in his hand and Farynn’s gold one in the other.

Faynn froze in place. She thought she had more time.

"Ufa!" Karynn called her father. "She’s taking our lord!"

"Where’s Matthew?" Faynn asked, lifting her blade.

"He’s been thrown into the sea." Kazan said an elven euphemism to death, but that he meant literally.

Faynn understood his meaning, while Karynn smiled in triumph being fooled by her father’s words.

"Kazan! Kill her!" Farynn screamed, drunk on Faynn’s shoulders.

"Yes, my lord." Kazan lifted both swords with a tired tone.

When Kazan intended to attack, Belial’s sword erupted in dozens of spikes in his hand taking a scream as they pierced his gauntlets and embedded itself in his hand.

He tried to open his hand, but couldn’t.

"Ufa!" Karynn exclaimed.

"What sorcery is this?" Kazan was surprised.

Faynn too was surprised, but she was used to dealing with unexpected situations. She took the opportunity, while Kazan pried the sword out of his hand to rush past by him.

She then remembered Kazan’s words about Matthew and rushed to the eastern wall, the only one close enough to water to swim from.

She knew the elven knight was following Farynn against his will, just to please his daughter who swore allegiance to the man. It was clear for them that he didn’t want that fight, but had to pretend for his daughter’s sake.

"Ufa! After her!" Karynn ordered while he pulled the dark sword out of his hand and bandaged it with his cloak.

"But, darling, I’m hurt." He protested.

"Ufa!" She insisted.

"Alright." He said rushing outside, but soon shifting his stride to a walk as he watched Faynn dodge some guards and run upwards the wall.

It’s when she was getting ready to jump in the water to an expectant Matthew in the water that a laser beam came down from the sky on her, piercing her leg.

She fell to the ground, looking up at the dark haired elf flying in the sky.

Farynn was now fast asleep.

"I knew something was wrong." He said as the sound of battle died out on the northern walls.

"Oifan..." Faynn ground her teeth to endure the pain.

"What’s going on?" Kazan asked the flying elf.

"They’re regrouping." Oifan answered while landing by Faynn’s side.

"Soon they’ll resume bombarding the walls then." Kazan inferred while climbing the stairs up the wall.

"Yes. Raglynn is preparing the defenses." Oifan said. "What happened here?"

"Faynn tried to kidnap our lord." Kazan was succinct.

Oifan took a good look at Kazan.

"She hurt you?" He asked, surprised.

"It’s a long story." He said, picking up Farynn from the floor. "I’ll take our lord to his chambers. Call a healer."

"And Shadow Death?" Oifan pointed at Faynn.

Kazan hesitated. He didn’t want to kill her either, but he needed to give the order for his daughter’s sake.

However, before he could say anything, Matthew flew upwards carried by Ffyr and kicked Oifan away from Faynn. In the next movement, he grabbed her and jumped high up in the air, where Ffyr used her wind magic to lift both of them.

"Let them go." Kazan stopped Oifan when he meant to follow them.

"Why?" He asked as arrows tried to hit the trio in the air and missed.

"You need rest." Kazan explained with a sigh. "And our lord needs a healer."

Back in camp, the healers took care of Faynn’s leg, while Matthew reported what happened to the war council.

The trebuchets and cannons started their firing again.

"Good job." Farzan praised him.

"The reports were right. Kazan is unwilling to fight." Dalynn commented.

"Can’t we persuade him to join our side?" Faralynn asked.

"Kazan will not go against his daughter. He might be unwilling to shed blood, but don’t underestimate what he will do for Karynn." Countess Azan said.

"And our attack failed." Faralynn said in a sad tone.

"It didn’t." Farzan said. "Don’t expect a battle this size to end up with only one skirmish, my daughter."

"What have we learned?" Mayan asked.

"They leave the Eastern and Southern wall unprotected." Dalynn pointed.

"We have no boats to storm the beach." Azan pondered.

"I can lead an elite troop with the remaining helicopter against the eastern wall." Firynn suggested.

Everyone nodded in accordance.

Soon the council ended after defining the battle plan. Troops were sent to rest while the ones resting were sent to prepare.

They would attack at midnight.

Matthew and Erin went to visit Faynn in the medical tent.

"We almost had him." Faynn smiled at Matthew.

"I’m sorry I couldn’t do much." Matthew apologised.

"Nonsense. You did plenty. We thought Kazan would be lured to the front leaving Farynn unprotected. It was a gamble really." Faynn shook her head.

"How’s your leg?" Erin asked, looking at the surgery scar that made sure her leg healed properly.

"Good as new. A bit weaker than before, but I can still fight." She said.

"No." Faralynn prohibited her, just entering the tent. "You will rest. You haven’t rested for the longest time." She admonished her.

"You too." Erin pointed at Matthew.

"You two are to stay in the camp protecting me this time." Faralynn said.

When night fell, the encampment got eerily quiet. The troops were all nervous because of the imminent attack.

Mia found Matthew eating a piece of hard bread while sitting on the earth wall and watching the flaming boulders hitting the fortress walls.

"Faralynn not with you?" She asked, sitting by his side.

"She’s talking to the soldiers. Raising morale." He said, offering her a bite.

"I heard you almost ended the war today." Mia said, taking a bite of his bread.

"I didn’t do much. Faynn was the one who almost pulled it off."

"Don’t sweat over it." She tried to console him.

"I just felt so helpless. I got used to the unholy mana power boost, but it just takes a bless spell to make it useless." He vented.

"Have you talked with Tina about this?"

"No. Why?"

"Tina works with the Black Tower. She knows a lot about mana. Perhaps she knows something that can help you?" Mia pondered. "A way to keep your skill even while blessed?"

"You think she’d know?" He asked. "I mean. Unholy mana is not something widely used."

"The Black Tower studies everything. And she’s really smart. I bet she’ll think of something." She smiled at him trying to cheer him up.

"Thank you, Mia." He said giving her a hug and stirring feelings in her she was trying to forget.

"You’re welcome." She blushed.

Matthew got up and dusted his pants.

"I’ll look for Tina. You’re going to stay here?"

"Yes. I’ll watch the fireworks for a little longer." She joked, needing some time for herself.

"Ok. See you later." He said climbing down the wall.

Mia stayed there, watching the siege and feeling guilty for how her heart beat in her chest.