章節 38: Struggle
He opens his eyes. But sees nothing.
In fact, while he can feel the moist mud beneath him and the clothes on his body, he can't feel anything from the neck up.
Did he manage to raise the shield fast enough? Did something go wrong? Why can't he see, or hear?
The sensation of warmth and touch went away from his hands long ago due to the mage fire, yet, he tries to get a feel of his face. But no matter how much he squeezes or pokes, he feels nothing.
Then, it clicks. His face or rather, his entire head must have been swallowed by the flames.
"It's alright, don't panic, you are still alive, you can heal yourself" His raising heartbeat betrays the words in his mind as he tries to focus on the spell to bring forth the light that will re-grow his eyes and ears.
But he can't.
Of course, he couldn't do it before for Ida, for whatever reason, the light wouldn't answer his call. Fear runs rampant in his head as it becomes clear that until he gets out of Totesland, he won't be able to see, or hear.
Did the creature die? Where are the monsters that attacked Hans?
Hans.
Will he end up just like him? Before no matter how grievous his injuries were, he could always heal with magic, grow back entire body parts to perfection...all except-
No, it wasn't time for that, he had to calm down and think of a solution.
Only one thing can help him, can give him a chance of getting out of here alive. The fire. The mage fire.
He had already been in this situation once. When he fought against Ann.
But no, he can't do that. The fire would only create yet another explosion, and there was no way to tell for how long had he been out.
If the monsters he faced were dead, then any of the other creatures that inhabited this cursed land would be the end of him. And if it had been long enough, was Drachen back to the palace? Was she searching for him? Oh, how worried must she be?
His breathing relaxed, and his heartbeat became slower.
Death.
It had been a while since he had that thought.
When younger, he would usually wonder about it. Analyze it from all angles in search of meaning behind it. At first glance, death seemed so simple and obvious. The end of it all.
But many days thinking about the topic in the small, humble house he used to live in so many years ago, the answer became increasingly complex. Death wasn't only something that just happens, it was a way to become immortal.
A funny way to think about the supposed end of something. It becoming timeless.
The more spectacular your death, or more known the person that died, the more immortal that person would become. And it was the death that allowed this transformation from a seemingly normal being, into legend.
What would people think of his death? Back then no much, he was a common child. But what about now? Das, The Archmage.
"What a pointless title," He thought.
Archmage that could barely control the elements he wasn't aligned to. Who knew just a handful of spells. Who needed constant saving from danger or outright failed to defeat the enemies in front of him.
He wanted to be immortal.
But if he died now, if anyone remembered his name, it would be thanks to his lackluster abilities.
Was this what he wanted? He craved recognition?.
He wanted to be loved. Not to be treated like a monster.
As the princess, like Lioth, was whenever she stepped out of the palace. By his birth, he was despised, while she, for her birth, was adored.
Maybe it was better. He was the last of his kind, the last mage. If he went away now in the unknown reaches of Totesland, it might be better.
"IT MATTERS TO ME!" Drachen. "You are everything I have left in this world"
No. He couldn't do that, he had to go back. He had failed the kingdom when he faced the Phantom, he failed Hans when he couldn't take them all to safety in time, he failed Ida, he failed his father.
He can't fail her.
"I missed you!" Lioth.
She was asleep, ever since the mysterious man had appeared, she didn't wake up. And who better to find a cure to whatever curse had been laid upon her than a mage? He couldn't fail her either.
Freund, who cared for him ever since he was a child. Ann, who hoped he could face the Phantom again and stop him. Ida, who he didn't even know if had survived. He must find her.
The entirety of the Red Kingdom, this place that hated him, needed him. And only he had the potential to defend it from this new threat. He had a responsibility.
He wanted to be loved by the people, but not because he was alone. No, there are people that care for him, about him. He isn't alone. And he won't let this place be the end of him.
His spirit reignited, he focused once again.
While he couldn't use a spell of light, he could try to mix it with the healing spell he was still capable of doing. But for that, he needed his staff.
Raising an arm he clashed against something, so he began to feel the space around him, it was round and hard, he seemed to be inside of something. It couldn't be a cave because he had seen none, and the ground beneath him was still mud.
He slowly raised and kept feeling the place around him, until he got a hold of what must be roots. He was inside a hollow tree. But how?
It didn't matter, not now, first, his staff.
Carefully, and with one hand on the tree trunk, he raised the other and called to his staff. several seconds passed, until finally, he felt the connection with it, and could squeeze it in his hand.
Now all it took, was time, and effort.
So he got to work.
"You are awake!"
Ida shouts, a bright smile on her face, she quickly rushes to Das's side and tries to hold him, fearful he may fall on his own. He panics and ends up doing just that, taking Ida down with him and making her sit on top of him.
"C-Calm down! It's me!" She struggles to keep him still, and he even bashes her with his staff "Stop!" But Das can't hear her, can't see her.
His head is a black mixture of bone and burnt meat. His ears and eyelids seem melted on his face. An exposed jaw and teeth open and close as a dry, barely perceptible sound comes out of it. His neck is in a barely better state. It looks like his face had almost entirely been torn apart and taken away. Leaving behind only a few burnt remains.
In his panic, Das raises his free hand and grabs Ida's face, this calms him down, and letting his staff fall, he uses both hands to feel the face of the girl, slowly coming to the realization that it's Ida. That she is alive.
The young girl blushes intensely but lets Das continue until he raises and embraces her in a tight hug. With trembling arms, she returns the gesture "Y-Y-You have to go back, there"
Quietly, like if she spoke to a toddler, Ida breaks the hug and frees Das, moving aside and pushing him gently so he enters back inside the hollow tree. The young archmage understands and nods. Grabbing her hand with care, still incredibly thankful that she is alive.
Ida lets out a nervous giggle as she furiously straightens her hair as soon as he releases her and grabs his staff. Once Das sits down inside the hollow tree, Ida lets out an excited sigh and clears her throat.
"I will bring water, wait for me here," she says, but quickly notices that Das doesn't move in response, instead he focuses on his free hand while the orb of the staff glows lightly. Taking a better look at him she finally realizes that he can't hear her.
She crawls closer to him and presses her hand against his chest, making his head raise slightly "I will bring water~" she whispers, poking his chest, and pressing it lightly, trying to make him understand that she will leave him alone for a bit.
Das shakes his head. It's dangerous, she can't leave and if she just gives him a little bit of time he will be back to full health in no time. But he can't tell her this, so he grabs her arm.
Ida looks at him with a sad smile, thinking he is afraid to be alone "D-Don't worry, I will be gone for just a bit" she whispers once again. And an idea crosses her mind that lights up her face like a bonfire, and after a bit of hesitation, she leans forward and gently kisses what remains of Das's forehead.
Das of course feels nothing but gets an idea of what just happened by how close she got. In this brief moment of surprise, his grip weakens and Ida escapes the scene like a scared bunny. He stretches his arms forward trying to grab her, but she is gone.
After a muffled screech of embarrassment and excitement, Ida covers her mouth with her hand as she hops away from the big tree in the middle of the clearing in the swamp where Das now rests.
With a sheepish smile, she ignores the shrouded swamp that once terrified her and carelessly wanders in search of a nearby river. After searching for a bit she reaches the place where Das ignited the fog.
The mud is now dry and hard, the trees still have thin columns of smoke rising from them and the bark of their trunks, and what's left of their branches is black as coal.
The only thing that still burns are the scorched remains of the three monsters that Das killed. Her eyes fall on the one monster that tore her hand apart with a single bite, the memory sending a painful sensation across her body and forcing her to clutch the now empty space on her wrist.
However, the warmth of the cloak eases her thoughts, and the image of Das, injured, needing HER, was enough to make her think clear again. So she rushed to the nearby pool of water and scooped a bit with help of the leather cloak, her hand, and mouth to carry it.
In time, she returned to the tree, there was a somewhat clear path from the spot where the fog exploded to where Das rested now, and reaching the clearing it looked like just a simple, albeit a rather large tree.
Once she walked around it the hole was obvious and she smiled joyfully laying eyes once again on the young archmage. Despite his sorry state.
Struggling even more to find a good way to sit without spilling the water, she rests it in between her legs and squeezes the leg of Das, who immediately faces her and stretches a hand forward.
She takes the invitation and grabs it "I'm back" she whispers and looks happily how the archmage relaxes "I brought you water"
Carefully, she scoops some of the water on the cloak and guides her hand to his mouth, letting the, almost clean, liquid fall through his open mouth. Some of it is spilled since he no longer has cheeks, and most of it spills through holes in his throat, but a little bit of it manages to reach its destination.
Das coughs and Ida waits until he stops before giving him more water, this continues until there is no more water left to be given.
"O-Oh, I forgot to drink myself" Ida scratches her head and looks out into the dark, cold swampland "B-But I think I'm fine here" leaning closer to Das so she too can seek refuge inside the tree.
He mistakes it for her wishing to lay down. So it takes Ida by surprise when she is brought closer to him, laying on top of him like what she feels would be a lover's embrace. While for Das, is nothing more than a sign of gratitude.
"I'm definitely fine here" she whispers snuggling closer to him.
Das then raises his hand again, and green mana begins to pour out of it, with a few strands of yellow, leaving Ida in awe.
"Is there someone here?!"
Ida raises, hearing clearly the voice of a man, someone she swears she knows but can't quite remember.
"We are the guard! Mage?! Hunter?!"
Her smile widens as she rushes out of the hole and steps aside from the tree. But that's as far as it goes.
The smile disappears and is replaced by shock, and then, fear.
She saw at least a dozen of armed guards, wearing pitch-black cloaks that covered their entire bodies, their long hoods covering their faces. They were the people she saw with the monsters the first time she came to Tostesland.
One of them notices her and turns around, he holds a candle kept safe inside of a glass lantern.
"Ida?" the old guard asks looking at the beggar confused.
創作者的想法 
PenguinSam64
PenguinSam64 My deepest apologies for disappearing!!! I had a situation that required my full attention and I couldn't update anything at all.
I would commit seppuku but I still have to finish this story. I promise that these long waits will be as few as possible and if they were repeated is because there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop them.
But don't worry, I plan to keep this the only time I take so long to upload a chapter.
Also, thank you to everyone who has read this novel thus far, I'm grateful to all of you and I will keep trying to improve the quality of writing to make each chapter more engaging!
See you all tomorrow!!
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榜單 
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