Bab 22: Last of the Kastarian race

Eric started calming down after he yelled out what he stood for from the top of his lungs, his courage was made certain.

Against all odds he argued with this woman who had a clear upper advantage at that specific moment. He literally could have been killed just because of an argument but he still stood his ground.

Anyone can take your life but not what you believe in.

Although uncertain if he can destroy the borders and make Ignis one again, it is great to have the Calidum Lutum aiding him.

So his tone descending towards calmness, Eric decided to give his word. "You have my word, we will make Ignis one again. But right now we are scraping to survive, we ran from a beast like person back at Crutal Town."

The Women stood in confusion, not understanding how a Fire Mage who out battled hundreds of her men, failed against one person. "The all powerful Electus failed? What possible force brought you to the point of fleeing?"

With the conversation gradually forming softer, Eric focused less on rage and more on how beautiful this lady is.

So shyness started taking root in his conscious, mumbling through his sentences. "Well technically I wiped out half of Crutal town, so I didn't flee without landing killing blows."

Although struggling just a little bit to understand Eric, this Woman furthermore became impressed by his Fire Controlling abilities. "It looks like a battle worthy of song."

Not wanting to lengthen this conversation here, on their feet. She offered, "We will escort you to our great underground Town. Do you have more people in your little group here or is it only you and this old goof?"

Replying in a tremendously cocky voice, clearly putting in an attempt to flirt. Mogranius added, "You mean the old goof you already love?"

Grabbing Mogranius' attempt and as if tossing it against the ground and stepping on it with both feet, she boldly replied with a face as stiff and serious as a plank. "No!"

Used of Mogranius' nonsense, Eric focused on the current most important matter. "There are two more of us, well 3 if you include our Horse BlackWind. The other two are my father Woldemir and our friend Stefan."

Jumping in the conversation like a Chicken, Mogranius added. "Okay Dandelion, lead the way now."

"Call me Alia. Commander Alia." Replied the Woman with half a smile across her lips, displeased of this old goof.

Not understanding how Mogranius asks to lead the way considering the two friends not here yet, Eric pointed out. "Go and find the rest first, then we will move."

"That won't be necessary, my men will hunt them down and bring them here, you two relax and just follow me." Seeing what her Town put both of these people through, she didn't find it fair to make any of them work more after this.

Trying to find the words to explain the situation, his face became redder by the second and he started mumbling his sentences again. "Oh well in that case, tell them to look... deep in the forest. We made plans to meet up... Horse. No, there meet once."

Making his social anxiety and overall shyness towards new people even worse, Commander Alia turned towards Eric, grabbed his cheeks and squeezes them like she would do to a child.

With a playful tone she proceeded with a small session of teasing. "Look at you. All grown up and planning battles. Adorable, simply adorable."

She finished off squeezing his cheeks strong enough to lift him off the ground by an inch. I suppose her weakness are children, she can't resist teasing them and or playing with them.

Feeling a bit of jealousy, no doubt wanting that attention from Commander Alia all for himself and himself only, he didn't hesitate for a second to interrupt the teasing by saying. "Hey I'm adorable too."

Ignoring his nonsense, she turned to the ten foot tall Calidum Lutum guards and with a foreign language, she fills both of the Ignite's heads with question marks. "Ta Astek yi sa garam ai er capit sada, asta ersa sadpu kempos."

This translates to, "Two People can be found at the main road, bring them here alive."

...

Breaking the silence as they've ventured deep into the Tunnel, Eric proceeded to ask. "So Commander Alia, how did you end up here with the Calidum Lutum? I never saw someone like you before, what race are you?"

Feeling like a horse kicked her heart as soon as he heard that question, Commander Alia stops on her spot and with a rough tone she answers. "I come from another Continent, or at least it used to be a Continent. About two hundred years ago, I got here for a reason. Rather desperate."

Sprinting towards her, blocking her path with his hands raised in front of him in excitement, Mogranius asked. "Precisely two hundred years ago you say? Could it have any connection with me appearing here. I mean I teleported here after a spell gone wrong."

Not favouring his behaviour, but willing to cooperate. She shed light in this darkness of a puzzle, leaving the two at shock. "It might have, everything went wrong after...the source of Teleportation died out."

Thinking this is some sort of fiction rather than reality with a firm base, Mogranius stated. "But that's impossible, the Divine Sources can't die out. Who would possibly be able to kill a God?"

Finding it hard to believe, even now after 200 years. Commander Alia answers, her eyes tired and her tone sharing the same fate. "You tell me."

With no means to debate this any further, the old man focused towards another perspective. "You mean to say, that you accidentally teleported here as well?"

Finding it a trauma to talk about this tragedy to begin with, she has enough mental energy to give this brief explanation. "No. When the source died, so did my Continent. The earth greatly trembled, trees turned from rich with life to dead dark and the wind took them away in crumbled pieces! Mountains literally falling down into nothingness."

Eric asked the obvious question, "Then how did you escape such disaster."

Closing her eyes, fire emerging in her memories. She stated, "I made a run for it and hit the ocean. A sudden explosion appeared on the continent, It knocked me out. And I found myself beached on another continent, Ignis."

Shocked by this disaster, the two sunk at a loss of words and have no clue how to react to this misfortune or to this woman who's shivering beyond control after recalling the whole disaster. I suppose she miscalculated her mental energy.

Trying his best to comfort her, trying to calm her down. Mogranius spoke, "It must feel terrible losing an entire Continent just like that. Your family, friends, everyone. I could never relate to your pain, it's unbearable. But I can see that the Calidum Lutum filled the empty spot of friends and family in your heart."

Subconsciously reaching in for a hug without even realizing it herself, she held Mogranius very tightly and uttered. "Indeed they did. But that won't change the fact that a Continent of 400,000 people died that day. I am the last of the Kastarian race."

Upon realization that she actually hugged Mogranius even though she didn't aim too, she quickly backed off, slapped him lightly and yelled. "Don't ever hug me again."

"Wow that woman can slap!" Yelled out Mogranius, beating her shout.

It's fair to say that Alia's heart is pounding strong in embarrassment now, even though she would never admit upon it and kept a strict face with a small little blush forcibly breaking above her cheeks which was quite beyond her control.

She turned around and started walking forwards, so no one can see her blush. Her tone light, delicate. "Shut up and follow me."