Chapter 129 - Loss

Arlen almost collapsed on the ground, but Verkan managed to prevent that. However, that left both of them completely defenseless. A random mercenary tossed an ordinary spear to Elmar, and then he tried to charge at them, but the mercenary was stopped when he noticed a Fire Sword flying toward him. Once again, he jumped backward.

"I knew it… there is something about that spear," Zaos thought. "Before, he used the spear to destroy my magic projectile and before as well, he used an inhuman speed to escape. He didn't use the same technique and he doesn't look tired."

Zaos brought enough time to his attack to dozens of soldiers dash at Verkan and Arlen to protect them. The commander probably suffered critical damage, but they couldn't let him fall on the battlefield like that, nor could they leave his body behind. Without his weapon, Elmar gave the order for his men to attack the group. Still, the soldiers of the North began to fight even more fiercely than before and pushed them away. Meanwhile, Zaos moved toward Arlen.

"Zaos, heal him!" Verkan said.

"… You need to take the spear," Zaos said after he touched the weapon, and then he felt some magic power in it. "I can stop the bleeding if I use Heal several times, but…"

"…We are withdrawing!" Verkan shouted. "Don't let those dirt dogs get closer to your commander!"

The very moment Arlen began to fall was the moment he fell unconscious. Zaos and Verkan could tell that he still has some life in it, but… Verkan pulled the spear as slowly as possible to prevent causing even more damage. Blood gushed from the wound, and Zaos tried to heal him as fast as possible, but as expected, the mana he was using was just too small and the wound too big. Zaos had the idea to strengthen Heal the same way he used on Fire Sword, and that actually worked. The hole inside the commander began to close as Zaos's mana reached the bottom. He had to drink more potions, but then he heard the sound of arrows hissing in the air.

"Shields!" Verkan shouted.

Shields were raised, and many soldiers escaped from the harm, but many fell while they crossed the stone bridge. Thanks to the arrows and the cavalry that were chasing them.

"Carry and heal him," Verkan said as he trusted Zaos to carry the commander. "I will buy us sometime."

While Zaos was strong, he wasn't fast enough to carry an adult wearing full armor, so some soldiers helped him. Verkan moved to their back in order to fight, but things weren't looking good. After a while, Zaos confirmed that the commander's wound had been closed, and then he sighed in relief. He did what he could to save the man. Now Arlen will have to fight to survive the blood loss.

Zaos sighed in relief as he watched the soldiers putting the commander in a wagon and moving him toward the West gate. Most of the soldiers had already withdrawn from the battle and the civilians as well. Zaos couldn't help but wonder if he should return to the fight or escape with others, he had fought for too long, and he was exhausted. Before he could find a proper answer, he felt a nearby presence inside a certain house.

"This place is…" Zaos muttered in shock.

It was the same place in which he and Verkan had obtained the mana potions. Before, he only felt a single presence there, and it looked like the redhead girl was still there. What a crazy girl… she really had a death with. Zaos kicked the door and then saw the redhead girl still on her bed, staring at nothing. She didn't move a single inch even when Zaos destroyed the door of her home.

"What the…" Zaos said.

The girl looked as pale as a ghost, and she was also very skinny, and her skin was as dry as it could be. She probably didn't have a meal or drink any water in days. Soldiers were dying in droves outside in order to protect people like that, and it looked like she couldn't care less about it.

"What a troublesome girl…" Zaos said and then put the girl on his shoulders.

Compared to the commander, the girl was much lighter, even though she was taller and seemed older than Zaos. He tried to leave the area and look for one of the wagons that were leaving the town, but Zaos only found a small group of soldiers led by Verkan fighting the riders.

"Sir!" Zaos shouted.

Verkan was exhausted and covered in his own blood. He and the men around him also had several arrows pierced their bodies. Verkan looked at Zaos, and then he saw that they were the only soldiers remaining in the city. For the time being, he had the chance to escape since only a few riders can cross the bridge at the same time, but it is only a matter of time before he loses that chance. Zaos had two options, escape and save a single girl or try to fight and rescue his allies, fail and die together with them. In the end, Verkan threw the weird spear Elmar used to pierce Arlen's at Zaos's feet.

"Remember what I said, Zaos," Verkan said. "Escape with her and join the survivors. This battle is far from over."

Zaos clenched his teeth in agony as he saw a volley of an arrow flying toward his allies. He didn't know anyone from that group aside from Verkan. However, he still felt an incredible feeling of powerlessness as he watched them being pierced by the arrows. Zaos began to run as he watched his allies falling on the ground one after the other. In the end, Verkan survived even when his back was pierced by seven arrows. He fell on his knees, but in the end, one of the vice-generals of the enemy arm beheaded him with a single slash of his sword. That was the last thing Zaos saw in Rustburg.