Gunmage-Chapter 48: The lion’s den

"A... tank?"

Lugh asked, his voice laced with confusion.

"Yes"

The man responded with a smirk, taking a slow drag from his cigarette.

"We only have a few with us at the moment, but a lot more are in production and will be sent to the frontlines soon."

He exhaled a plume of smoke, the dim light catching in the haze.

"With this, those pale imitations, those cheap knockoff vehicles of Ophris, will quickly be reduced to scrap metal. We could storm their trenches and carve straight through the heart of their kingdom. By then, no matter how many reinforcements they send, it won't mean a damn thing."

Lugh's mind whirled. This was a real problem. Yet, amidst the swelling pride in the man's voice, a detail caught his attention.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you showing me this?"

The man took another puff before flicking the cigarette to the ground, crushing the embers underfoot.

"You said you were tired... I know you've been through a lot, but I wanted you that our homeland remains strong. We will prevail."

He pulled a pistol from his coat and handed it to Lugh.

"Be careful."

The weight of those words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Lugh understood.

As the man turned and walked away, fading into the darkness, Lugh tucked the pistol away.

A pity

He had no intentions of being careful.

Lugh stepped beyond the heavily guarded area, his senses sharpening.

Then, he felt it.

A chill prickled down his spine as the lamps lining the path dimmed all at once. Silence swallowed the night, no wind, no crickets, only an eerie stillness.

A faint smile graced his lips. The fish had taken the bait.

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The ground suddenly shimmered. A glowing red magical circle flared beneath his feet, its intricate runes pulsing as a wave of exhaustion crashed over him.

His limbs sagged, Lugh felt the energy drain from his body, drowsiness wrapped around his mind like a vice. As his vision blurred, a figure emerged from the darkness.

A woman. He couldn't make out her face, but a thought crossed his mind.

'How careless'

Even drained, he could still draw out his pistol, he could still pull the trigger.

But that would interfere with his plans. He let go.

Lugh allowed Riley Osniel to drift into a mystical slumber. The world turned black. One of his perceptions was severed.

...

Lugh stirred, stretching his limbs.

"How did it go?"

A voice asked.

"Everything is progressing smoothly" he replied, turning to face the others in the dimly lit room.

"Do you have any money?"

Xhi suddenly asked, crossing her arms.

Lugh blinked.

"No, I do not."

She clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Tch."

'What the—'

"Don't think this is over, girly prince!"

She declared, jabbing a finger at Lovainne.

The major general scowled.

"Girly?"

His expression darkened. No one had called him that in fifteen years.

Before he could retort, a low growl cut through the air. Lyra's stomach. She looked mildly embarrassed.

"Lugh, are you hungry?"

It growled again, louder this time.

"Everyone, Lugh is hungry. Why don't we have dinner early?"

Lovainne sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I suppose we could."

As they stood, Lugh suddenly staggered, gripping his right eye as a sharp sensation rippled through him. That was fast. His perception had split once again.

"Are you okay?"

The voice came from Vaelith

"Yeah"

Lugh muttered, straightening.

"Let's go."

...

Lugh woke up.

Or rather, Riley did. He was bound to a chair, thick iron chains digging into his wrists. The room was vast and cloaked in shadows, only faintly illuminated by the eerie glow of magical runes carved into the walls.

The stench of death clung to the air like a suffocating shroud.

'Where am I?'

He tested his restraints but found them firm. His head throbbed as he tried to take in his surroundings, but the dim light obscured most details.

"You're finally awake"

A woman's voice cut through the darkness.

His gaze flicked toward the sound.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

His tone remained steady, unreadable.

"Ooh?"

She cooed mockingly.

"Still calm, even in a situation like this? It would have been admirable—if only you humans weren't so utterly worthless."

Contempt dripped from her words.

Distant footsteps echoed through the space.

Another voice, female, sighed dramatically.

"My, it's so stuffy in here."

"Is he awake?"

A second voice, masculine, yet familiar, asked.

"Yes"

The woman confirmed. With a snap of her fingers, the area around him was softly illuminated.

Lugh took in the sight before him.

A woman stood at the forefront, draped in a flowing white robe. Her snow-white hair cascaded over her shoulders, her features were sharp and refined.

But his attention was drawn to the two figures emerging from the gloom.

One was a woman with long brown hair flowing down her back, animal ears twitching at the slightest sound. A fluffy tail swayed lazily behind her, but the sharp glint in her eyes betrayed her amusement.

'A beastkin?'

Beside her, Lugh recognized a familiar face.

It was the elf, the one known as Emrys.

He looked unimpressed, his voice was flat.

"Oh, it's you."

They all revealed brief expressions of surprise, before quickly masking it. The beastkin chuckled.

"My, my, what an interesting man."

Emrys, however, was less amused.

"You dared to call me arrogant"

He tone was leveled

"Did you think it would end there?"

'Of course not'

Lugh mentally remarked. And he wasn't the only one. Cipher had given him the gun and a warning.

He had also led him to the most secure place in the city, under the guise of showcasing their new war machines.

Lugh recalled captain Veyland and the brown haired spy.

Heieg's people could be kind—so long as it served their interests. A truly selfish nation.

"You aren't going to say anything?"

Emrys prodded.

Lugh finally spoke.

"You said I called you arrogant. That's odd, because I distinctly recall calling you incompetent."

He glanced at his bindings with a bored expression.

"And from the looks of it, I'll have to add petty to the list."

A slap, fast and powerful wrenched his head to the side. The beastkin was the one who moved, her claws causing deep and terrifying gashes across his face. Blood spilled like a river.

"Hold your tongue, insolent fool"

Her voice was low and dangerous, all traces of playfulness gone.

Lugh didn't cry out in pain, neither did he flinch. He only scoffed, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Surprised?"

Emrys watched him carefully.

"Don't you feel pain?"

Lugh stared him dead in the eye.

"The likes of you are incapable of making me feel anything."

The elf chuckled.

"Let's put that to the test shall we?"

He cast a spell and with a flick of his fingers, three glowing projectiles soared into the air.

The entire space was drowned in light.

Once Lugh's vision adjusted, his eyes widened in shock.