One week later :
Loutiel seethes as he and his 'mercenary army' lose the False-Familiar's trail again. His tracking spell indicates that he and his group had hopped back on their dragon and fled further east two hours ago, giving him and his unmounted army no chance of catching up. Not to mention, the injury on his back kept flaring up, the stitches almost continually ripping due to how deep and long the cut is, as well as its positioning over his back muscles...
This past week had been an effort in utter frustration for both he and Matilda, chasing Michael and his group proving far, far more difficult than many had anticipated... Not only because of how fast they were, but because they were flying in and around the Germanian border, preventing him from bringing his full army to try and capture them.
While Germania might be at war with Albion, that didn't mean they wouldn't attack Tristain if Loutiel extended his forces too far into their territory. The Germanian's were never known for their peacefulness or rationality, they'd be very eager to capture him and throw him to one of their fighting pits if they got the chance.
This wasn't the only problem however, Princess Henrietta had ordered them to stop their search, ordering their forces to come back and defend the territory against Gallia... Loutiel disobeyed these orders, using his own wealth to bribe the Tristain soldiers to his side... Plus, it helped that none were eager to be on the front lines against Gallia... In their eyes, chasing a couple kids and an elf was preferable to dying on a battlefield against impossible odds.
Fortunately, things were looking up for Loutiel and his army. Judging by his enemy's movements, he had a fairly good idea of where they were headed... A couple miles into Germanian territory was the great desert, and just on the outskirts of this was a huge plateau, one with sheer cliffs that looked over everything for miles around... Gandalfr probably thought they wouldn't pursue them there, so Loutiel was happy to elucidate him to the contrary.
Sure, they did have to kill some patrolling Germanian men, but you couldn't craft a ritual circle without the blood of innocents... Most of the time. So he continued onwards until they reached the cliffs, his tracking spell revealing his target to be on the plateau.
"Come! We must scale this and prove to the traitor and the demon who rules these lands!" Loutiel shouts, looking to Matilda who huffs as she begins to create makeshift stairs out of stone in the cliff face, allowing most of the army to follow.
The sun was beginning to dip low by the time Loutiel and his army reached the top of the plateau, unfortunately, their enemy was already aware of them... Michael, Tiffania, Charlotte, and Illococoo were standing atop a rocky outcropping a good distance away from Loutiel and his army.
What surprised Loutiel though was the strange door behind them... It was like a mirror that displayed the Aurora Borealis, better known as the Albion Lights. That wasn't all, however, from it, multicoloured lightning occasionally crackled, licking the ground and air nearby but doing no visible damage.
Michael grins at Loutiel as he plays with and flips the Fairy Trinket in his hand. "I know you can hear me, you white-haired bastard." he says with what some might call an inside volume. He knew that Loutiel's mastery of the wind would allow him to pick it up, however, as Charlotte could do much the same. "I hope you've had as much fun chasing us as I have tricking you to run in circles. But I think our game is done. I don't know what'll happen to you or the rest of this world, but I'm pretty sure you're all fucked. And while I do want to kick your teeth in, I should be fine knowing that you'll die a long and painful death. I hope to never see you again, Loutiel, Matilda, but if we do, I promise that'll be your end." he states.
Loutiel's eyes widen as he relays his words to Matilda, the girl scowling as she focuses on Tiffania, who, while looking somewhat downtrodden, seems fine with leaving her anyway. "YOU TREACHEROUS LITTLE BITCH! IS THIS HOW YOU REPAY ME-URGH!" she groans as her oath takes effect, literally pulling the magic from her body temporarily.
Tiffania frowns, knowing by Matilda's gestures what the girl meant, even if she couldn't hear her. She was conflicted but knew who her friends were. Knew who needed her more. Knew who matters more to her. Knew what she wanted in this life. "I'm sorry." she simply says before turning to Michael, "Can we go? I don't think you should taunt them anymore..."
Michael nods, "Yeah, I just wanted to have the last word... It's a guy thing." he shrugs at the peculiar looks he was getting sent. "Ah, one more thing..." he starts, not believing he'd almost forgotten. He turns and raises his hand high, giving the middle finger to Loutiel, Matilda, and their army. "Go fuck yourselves!" he shouts before quickly linking arms with the others as they jump into the World Gate.
Loutiel's eyes almost roll out of their sockets as he sees this. He grits his teeth and summons as much magic as possible, using the heavy desert winds as a conduit as he launches a huge tornado straight at the door... Only for it to fade from existence not long after the group jump through it. "NO!" he shouts, dropping to his knees in exhaustion, knowing that his plans were more likely doomed now. He'd failed to kill Gandalfr, betrayed Tristain, betrayed Gallia, invaded Germanian lands... HE WAS FUCKED!
At least, it wasn't only him however. He glances to his side to see the now sobbing Matilda who was slamming her fists into the ground below, utterly mortified that she'd forever be bound by oaths she and her family had sworn... SHE'D BE FORCED TO WANDER THIS LAND TIL SHE DIED SEARCHING FOR TIFFANIA!
Their army just watches dumbfounded as their leaders break down. This continues for an hour, until the group notices from the top of the plateau a small Germanian army headed for them... Loutiel's tornado must've attracted their attention...
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Michael and his friend's departure from Halkeginia have permanently altered the fate of the world. Not that anyone was aware of it yet, as far as most denizens of it know, the World War that was happening was the direst thing to address.
Albion is soon conquered by Germania, King Wales is killed in battle while defending the capital from Germania's army. Germania also declares war on Tristain for Loutiel and Matilda's invasion of their lands... Not that it matters.
Tristania gets sieged by Gallia, the bigger Empire relatively easily conquering it, and forcing Princess Henrietta to flee to Valliere lands like she had done when King Gramont rebelled against her... Only this time, Tristain's military was completely exhausted.
Karin de la Valliere is well aware that Tristain has lost, and decides to side with her family instead of her former country. This leads to Princess Henrietta getting captured, and sent to Gallia in chains... Unfortunately, Princess Henrietta decides that with the death of her lover, King Wales, living in chains isn't living at all, and throws herself off of a wall and to her doom, her head splitting like a ripe watermelon as it hits the hard ground below.
With the Princess's death, Gallia easily takes over the rest of Tristain, the nobles lowering their heads to their new overlords in hopes of gaining ranks similar to what they held under Tristain. Though, this is often not the case.
A year passes, and the war between Gallia and Germania continued to escalate... Despite Germania's larger military, Joseph de Gallia's intelligence and Void abilities allowed him to slowly whittle away at Germania's land.
He first took Albion and stationed a large portion of his air forces on the floating continent and used it to perform raids when the continent gets close to Germania's territory.
A quarter of Germania's territory is subjugated when King Joseph de Gallia turns his attention to other ventures... Specifically, taking back the holy land. Surprisingly, Romalia gives Gallia their full support in this venture, providing priests and other forces to assist in the invasion.
Louise Valliere is furious that her new country is assisting Gallia, who was responsible for the death of Princess Henrietta, who despite their disagreements, was still her best friend, even while separated.
She doesn't act however, knowing that she'd only perish under the might of Gallia if she did... During her stay with the Pope, she attempts to resummon a Familiar since Michael had not been heard of for so long, only for said summoning to fail, showing that Michael was still alive somewhere out there.
With Germania on the defensive, Gallia's war against the elves goes on unabated, but none were surprised when the first army was utterly annihilated by traps set up between their land and Gallia's. Trees pull themselves out of the ground and charge the infantry.
The earth rises and transforms into huge moving snake statues that throw themselves against Gallia's fortifications, easily destroying them. The rain above the soldier's heads turns to acid, melting their armour, weapons, and even their bodies if exposed long enough.
The acidic rain actually falls in concentrated amounts, creating makeshift moats of acid between the holy land and Gallia. Any boats laid down in it disintegrate, and any foolish enough to try and swim across it never make it to the end, meeting an agonizing demise as they dissolve completely.
To combat this, the Pope personally intervenes, casting magic that nulls any other magic in the area, turning the acid moat back to water, turning the tree ents back into wood, and turning the giant snakes back into stone.
With the war between humanity and the elves continuing, most don't even notice the wandering green-haired woman who searches for unique kinds of magic... Indeed, none even notice when she enters Romalia, seeking the assistance of a certain Pink-haired girl who'd been publically outed as a Void Mage.
All in all, Halkeginia had been brought low into constant war, with the peasants suffering from their noble overlords. All of this harm could be directly or indirectly blamed on Michael, as his intervention in the world was not for the better... Indeed, the world would have faired better if anyone else had been sent in his place.
Unbeknownst to anyone, an ancient slumbering dragon begins to awaken, though, how long that would take is anyone guess... The blood staining the soils of the land is but one catalyst that hastens the process...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, back to Michael and friends...
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Michael and everyone else locked in his arms screams in utter terror as they flip, tumble, fall, and cascade through the almost doctor who-looking portal. Around them was a churning cyclone of smoke and mist that'd occasionally light up and explode with colour, multicoloured electricity striking in front, behind, at their side... Generally just everywhere!
It's a good thing Michael had the idea to lock arms with his companions, otherwise they'd have all spun apart and been separated by whatever the fuck was happening. Is this how Alice felt when she fell down the rabid hole? Or that boat ride in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!?
Michael of course isn't able to focalize any of this, as the only thing that exits his mouth is a continuous scream that is matched by the others. He wasn't even sure if he could breath right now, nor how he had been screaming so long. Maybe they should have allowed Tiffania to practise the spell a little more?... Regardless, nothing they could do about it now.
Now, where was he? Ah yes, *Ahem*, "AOOOOOOOOOHAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSMORGENAHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
ShinAmazake
Kingsprovince
JayJonnaJamison
Jack Allen
Faruk Ereng