Chapter 127: Omake#10

The Mayor of Aste stands right before me, hands crossed behind his back, charming smile on his face and in a smart looking black coat worn over a white tunic shirt and leather trousers.

The man seems completely unfazed by the burning of his expensive lodge, far more concerned with…well, I have no idea what the man is thinking.

The resemblance he bears with his son, Mevir is uncanny. Jet black hair, curved smooth chin and clear skin that glistens in the light of the raging fire around us.

His smile is unmoved all while I silently stare at him, long rid of my shock at his presence. It's obvious now, something's gone terribly wrong with the plan.

Shit! What do I do now?

I'm not certain I want to face this man. Despite being a human…the aura he exudes is one similar to mothers and even a bit similar to Asher.

A commanding authority. Power.

I'm mana sensitive enough to know the man is far weaker than I in magic, but that's just him. I can sense several other magical items on him, the rings he has on the most obvious.

Disregarding that, it would be unwise to underestimate a human just because they are magically weaker than I am. They're cunning, devious beings and if Asher, the priests of the Synagogue, or the fact that elves are under their boots should serve as any example, I ought to be on my guard.

The man steps forward. I step back.

He chuckles, his shoulders bouncing as he does, like he's barely containing an all-out roar of laughter, "But then again, you're not my subject, are you? You're not…a denizen of Aste."

I feel my palms grow sweaty as his voice lines with a sinister intonation, "You're not registered, even as an elf in any of Aste registries or records, but…your mother and sister are."

"What?" I gasp, my breath hitching. I never expected he'd dig so deep. My shock is quickly superseded by a budding rage, "You had better not have laid a finger on-!"

"Hahaha!" He losses it at last, grasping his belly as he nearly folds over with laughter. A part of me is tempted to toss some Hell Fire at him while he's distracted…but another part knows that'll be hopeless.

"I couldn't possibly my dear Kaylin. You mother is a citizen, registered and certified." He grins, running a hand through his hair roughed up by his shaky laughter, "Moreover, she's far too powerful and wise to be tussled with."

He knows everything…how?

"How do you…how do you know any of this?"

He tuts, "Well, if you were a citizen of Ire I'd be happy to tell you all about how your mother's presence is a ticking timebomb no Mayor of Aste is eager to poke…but you're not."

"Which brings me to my current predicament…should I kill you?" He speaks nonchalantly rubbing his chin.

"Surely you mean; can you kill me." I correct, getting ready to brawl.

He shakes his head, "No, I got it right the first time. You're not a citizen of Ire or a denizen of Aste, your actions here cannot be taken under critiquing the government, no, this is a foreign attack…perhaps the elven nations from the other continents have gotten sick of seeing their brethren underneath human boots and have taken action with you."

He twirls his finger as he speaks, pointing at me, "I have all right to eliminate you here and now, protecting the Kingdom is my solemn duty as a citizen and as Mayor you see?"

"Whatever you decide, you're probably going to regret it." I mutter, my ears twitching as I sternly sense the flow of his mana – any sudden spikes or moulds and I'll blast him to hell.

"True, I did say it was a predicament, didn't I?"

I say nothing, simply study him and hope everyone is relatively alright. I can't take my eyes off of this man for a second to spare a chat with any of the leaders of the groups, but I think it's more frightening I haven't gotten any calls either.

What the hell has happened?

"What do you think I should do?" he asks, "Should I kill you here and risk the wrath of your mother? Or should I let you go with a stern waring and sic the Synagogue on you…"

I narrow my eyes at his smiling, expectant face, "Both are terrible options, have you considered a third?"

"Oh?" He chirps, "And what would that be?"

"Abdicating and handing power to the Elves of the North."

To his credit or perhaps just a quality of how rightly off he is, he doesn't laugh in my face and call me foolish. Instead…

"Well, that does sound like a good idea. I really don't want to deal with your mother. But I also don't want to lose prestige either." He huffs, "What to do, what to do." He chants, tapping his head distractedly.

"How about just leaving us alone, leaving me alone." I offer yet another brilliant idea.

I'm not scared, I can take this guy. Its just I'd rather not fight.

He glances at me, eyebrow raised, "That's bold. Especially given your crimes…Ah, yes, now that I think about it…they're far too many for me to just simply let you off the hook, I'm sure your mother will understand."

My eyes widen as I sense his mana begin to shift and spin rapidly. I prepare my own just as he steps forward again.

"And if she doesn't, well too bad, she has another daughter anyway." He thrusts his arm out, a blast of wind ripples through.

Shit! Fire's no good!

In haste I tap my feet with a large burst of mana and the ground collapses onto itself, taking me and the Mayor down a circular hole. He laughs maniacally all the way down.

"I haven't had this much fun, Kaylin, and we're just getting started." He screams as we land.

I don't have a second to reply as one of his rings glows a bright purple and out comes a manticore.

"Hell Fire!" I don't hesitate to unleash the fury of the intense NetherRealm flames on the raging beast.

Once alit and writhing I leap to the side just in time to keep all my limbs as the Mayor doesn't cease his attacks. 

"Wind isn't a very brilliant pair with Fire you know!" I yell as I mould mana into my feet and create boulders that take the terrible gusts of wind that threaten to mince me. "And neither is a Manticore, their weakness is fire you know?"

He only grins, pushing more gusts at me as I vault side to side trying to find any sort of cover.

Wind is fast and if he's got any more of those monster rings then he can keep me on the defensive indefinitely. I need to disable him somehow!

I come to a screeching halt from all my running. The Mayor exclaims, happy I'm standing still.

But I'm not about to let him make mincemeat of me.

Taking a precious second more to gather my mana while the Mayor chalks down on me several raging, slicing gusts of wind. I direct the mana to my feet and in a single burst let out a great pulse of concentrated flames into the ground.

It takes another precious second but I get my results. The ground erupts just as I'm about to be made into kebab, heat unbound and spurting melting rocks in all directions. 

Letting out a sigh as I manage to dispel his attack, I make quick use of the small change of terrain. Beneath my feet is boiling, melting rock…much infused with my mana.

I'll need more than just a second to pull this off!

"Lava Disks!" I command, summoning seven disks of rock, molten with lava. With a snap of my finger, I sic the spinning lava-rock blades after the Mayor.

He's been busy though. Gathering a large amount of mana in his centre.

What is he up to?

Just as I'm about to prepare my own better offensive as my disks begin to harass the Mayor a large burst of air erupts from him.

This…this is just mana!

My disks are tossed aside, thrown back unable to push past the gust of wind the Mayor has become the centre of.

What is he…Oh no.

I can't hear whatever the Mayor is saying over the wind but it surely couldn't be any good.

Nervous of what's to come, what the Mayor is breeding, I leave my petty distractions and start a counter spell of my own.

Building up mana into my centre, using my environment, using the natural elements just like mother taught I absorb the predominant heat of the atmosphere, the dirt under my feet and the gliding flow of external, natural mana.

I pull it all in and weave it delicately as I watch the Mayor's beast or wind start to come alive.

The thing, the creature made of wind and lighting towers far over us both, reaching past the hole I made, its mere presence cools the lava I made.

Focus!

Scolding myself I turn my attention back to the knot of magics being tied within my core. Even as the creature, the elemental steps forth, slowly beginning to shrink as it sees me as its target, I continue to knot the ties of natural powers.

Within a mere moment the elemental summon by the Mayor has shrunk down to his height and stature, almost a doppelganger of the man. The raging winds continue as it stalks towards me though, and yet, I am still not ready.

The final piece, just the final piece!

My eyes widen as I notice something, something frightening, even more than the elemental slowly stalking towards me.

Where's the Mayor?

I get my answer as a cold hand wraps around my neck and tightens, "It's far too late…Kaylin."