'Why is a human assisting the ogres?'
This was the thought that ran through my mind as I stared at the old mage on the ground.
Various thoughts flashed through my mind, yet due to a lack of information, I had no idea which was closer to the truth.
'Was he forced to do this?'
'Was it a sort of deal?'
'Or perhaps it's nothing even complicated, and the old mage assisted the ogres for an overly simplistic reason.'
Regardless of whatever reason was behind the old mage's decision to side with the ogres, it didn't change the fact that he was my enemy at the moment.
I was still very curious about his reason, though.
"We'll have to go on the offense too, Blue," I said to my companion, who let out a large screech in reply.
"Go!" I shouted as I held on to Blue, who sped toward the ogre army again.
The old mage was ready for us, and the moment we started moving again, several projectiles started hurling towards us.
However, unlike last time, Blue and I were ready this time.
Dodging the projectiles that came at us in mid-air, I coated my hands in flames and threw a few fireballs at the boulders aimed at us from afar before they could reach us.
Going against a human was quite different from a monster; both had certain levels of intelligence, and depending on how they used it, they could prove to be formidable foes.
Just as a large boulder and my fireball came in contact, they exploded into dust particles in the air.
I tightened my grip on Blue as we flew inside the dust cloud that had been formed in the sky.
This was my chance to finally infiltrate the ranks of the ogre army without disturbance.
At least, that's what I thought when the earth wall the old mage had set up for himself crumbled, revealing a glowing scroll in his hands.
In that moment, my senses screamed again, and it seemed I wasn't alone in this realization.
The moment Blue set his eyes on the glowing scroll, he let out a violent scream and a heavy barrage of solar flares toward the old mage.
In this short moment, I watched as a violent ray of light, much more substantial than Blue's own flames, emanated from the scroll.
When Blue's flames and the one from the scroll finally collided, because they balanced themselves by offsetting quality with quantity and quantity with quality, they exploded upon impact.
Blue's flame were of course the one with the higher quality but the scroll the old mage had used packed a lot of heavier punches.
From what I was seeing, I didn't need anyone to tell me that the war had become more tricky than I expected, and the seemingly brutish ogre king had the brains to think.
We were caught off guard...
*******
Dear cherished readers,
I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for your continued support and for choosing to accompany me on this thrilling literary journey. Your presence here today is not taken for granted, and it's a source of immense inspiration for me as a writer.
Your comments and votes mean the world to me.
Your active participation in the story's development, your thoughts, and your feedback have all played a pivotal role in shaping the narrative. Your engagement is what breathes life into the characters and makes this world come alive.
I value your input immensely.
Remember, your support is the lifeblood of this novel, and I am deeply grateful for your continued presence. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing you all again tomorrow for the next chapter, as we continue this epic adventure together.