Catch me if you can

Arthur was fumbling with his healing spell. He had been injured when facing the strange white dragonling but didn't want to ask another mage of the party to heal him. Wouldn't that just mean he would owe someone, and a mage to boot? His pride wouldn't allow him to stoop so low. Except for Soon-Yi, whom he one-sidedly loved with all his heart, and Cheng Hu, whom he hated just as strongly, all other mages weren't worth a single glance in his opinion.

Truth be told, it had been eons since he had worked in the capital of the Selnan Empire and he barely knew most of the lower level mages in the Academy. Moreover, in spite of his age, he was also quite childish sometimes. He couldn't get along with his colleagues for the life of him. And the more he looked down on the other mages, the more isolated he was. He was already quite bad at socializing with people, in the end, he completely gave up on them. It just seemed like a bother and a waste of time.

In a sense, it might have been a decent method of self-preservation. There were no heated discussions nor debates between mages that didn't end in a brawl with the collateral resentment. This was also why the long-lived mages didn't last that long. If they didn't fight in a war, or against Spirit beasts in the Infinite Forest, they fought one another on sight. He had his share of all that but found it unworthy of his efforts – except when he had to deal with Cheng Hu, of course.

With his character, he felt far more comfortable living like a recluse.

In his castle in the Eastern Duchy, he had the best conditions. He could focus on his researches on ancient magic without caring about the outside world. Being able to study artifacts from Ancient Aliker was a dream come true. Ever since he decided to follow Soon-Yi, he had been so excited and eager to get his hands on the teleport device that he had trouble falling asleep at night. His life hadn't been so eventful and restless before, but who cared about rest? Nobody felt like sleeping anyway.

Even his once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a Spirit snake and how he had been able to witness its transformation into a dragonling was so thrilling that he had been over the moon. Too bad the white snake was a wild and aggressive one. This young dragon had caused such a huge explosion to cover up its escape that many mages and soldiers had been injured. It was a pity that the group had been caught unprepared, otherwise they would have been able to lay traps and capture this interesting specimen.

Although taming Spirit Beasts was not his field of study, Arthur could only regret that the dragonling had managed to escape. Nevertheless, for a magic-maniac like him, seeing a wide range of rare magic was already a bliss, surely it would be acceptable to be a little greedy, as well? Should he meet the dragonling again, he wouldn't let it get away that easily. He made a mental note to be prepared at all time since this Spirit Beast was unexpectedly traveling outside of the Infinite Forest. This was a very rare occurrence.

He reckoned that if one day he could capture the dragonling, he wouldn't mind devoting time – say, a few centuries – to studying or taming it. He also could use an additional support in battle and the fighting power of the dragonling was already decent, how powerful would it be when grown-up?

Arthur sighed, he shouldn't be daydreaming at a time like this. He currently didn't have any tamed Spirit Beast and had nothing to rely on for the upcoming fight. Being an ex-recluse, it had been a long time since he last took part in a battle. But as soon as he went back to the capital, he had been caught up in the constant fighting of the mages. First against Cheng Hu, then against the dragon and finally against the white snake/dragonling. He felt that he hadn't been able to catch his breath, let alone study the teleport device. Following Soon-Yi was a rewarding but dangerous experience, indeed.

Of course, in a battle, he wouldn't let anyone call him useless. Some attack spells were so deeply ingrained in him that he didn't have to make any effort to cast them. Even if he didn't fight to the best of his abilities due to lack of practice, it was far enough for him to surpass his fellow mages in combat. He was, after all, one of the most powerful and gifted mage of his generation – he was much younger than both Soon-Yi and Cheng Hu.

However, he was acutely aware that his healing skills were inadequate. Healing spells were the easiest, in theory. They could be used with any magic elements – with slightly different effects and power – therefore they were included in the basic teaching of all magic schools. This was also the reason why he had neglected to pursue this art. Now he could only regret his own arrogance but he stubbornly persisted in his attempts to heal himself without any outside help. He couldn't bear the shame of people laughing at his shortcomings.

He swore under his breath. He was in a hurry so being slowed down by a wound was not an option. But he couldn't cast a spell to enhance his speed because he had to concentrate on his healing. Should he stop the healing spell, he would certainly bleed to death. This was definitely a no. Maybe if he asked another less injured mage to take care of it? But that would also put him in debt and show his inability to perform the healing properly. He had already decided against it, even if he knew this was unreasonable. He just gritted his teeth and spurred his mount – a normal animal, not a Spirit Beast unfortunately – without a word.

Soon-Yi was pursuing the dragon that had attacked the capital but she didn't do it out of good will towards the Selnan Empire. Arthur had known Soon-Yi for a long time and, if anything, she had always been a self-centered, egoistic, prideful and ungrateful woman. She was also quite sarcastic under her ladylike polite demeanor. Nevertheless, her awful personality never deterred him from loving her.

Contrary to her usual self, if she was so desperate to catch up with this massive threat of a dragon, it was mainly because Xian was the dragon's prey. This was the Great mage's most noticeable weakness. Soon-Yi was ready to face any hardship and fight all kinds of battles to save her foster son. Arthur Caucel found it utterly revolting. This soft and dedicated side of Soon-Yi's didn't sit well with the aloof and stern image he had of his beloved.

Truth be told, Arthur had never approved of the young boy, ever since Soon-Yi took him in. But he couldn't really express his dislike as he knew it was mostly jealousy. He wouldn't dare to show this unsightly and uncool side to anyone. For years now, the boy had monopolized Soon-Yi's affection. Even when his beloved reached out to him and asked for help, it had all been for Xian's sake. Should he be thankful for being reunited with Soon-Yi when he couldn't help but think that the youngster was the main cause of their falling out of touch?

Arthur's mind was all over the place. His injuries didn't look all that well either. The bleeding went on steadily, soaking his clothes with an unbearable stickiness. He also had a hard time taking his mind off his own excruciating pain. Most of all, he couldn't help but worry about Soon-Yi. He trusted her, of course. He knew she was more powerful than him, even the strongest mage in all Selnan which earned her the Great Mage position. But a real dragon was still a dangerous foe. It attacked the capital by itself and scores of mages, including Soon-Yi, Cheng Hu and himself, had not been enough to even wound it. How could she do it with a reduced party? Even if this time she brought a powerful artifact with her, the odds didn't look promising.

Except for the discovery of the white dragonling, Arthur deeply regretted parting with Soon-Yi. His mission to retrieve the girl that fell from the sky had been a failure. He had been surprised to see that she had still been alive but she had escaped before he could interrogate her. He didn't sense any magic coming from her, however. It was a pity he couldn't afford to solve all the mysteries that came upon him.

As per Soon-Yi's orders, Arthur's party was supposed to save this unidentified girl and see if they could get some information on Xian or the dragon out of her. But they had been too late and someone already took care of the girl's safety. If a hidden magic user had been protecting her, Arthur felt that it was wiser to let her go. In addition, they were in no condition to pursue an unknown mage. They didn't even know the extent of this new threat. If this magic user didn't show himself, Arthur surmised it was likely that he would be a foe. Whether this enemy was more powerful than them wasn't clear either. But even a weak mage could take them down if he had that many advantages : surprise attacks, fighting an already wounded group on his home ground…

Arthur reasoned that, except if the girl had been Lady Wei, nobody was worth fighting with these odds. And he wasn't even sure he would have risked so many lives for the sake of the missing wife of the First Prince of the Selnan Empire. The long-lived mages outlived several generations of rulers. Even if he despised his fellow mages, their lives far outweighed non magic users. A mere paramour, not even the future empress, was just an expandable and forgettable woman after all.

Therefore, as the woman and the white dragonling escaped one after another, Arthur resolutely decided to leave as soon as possible and join Soon-Yi's group. However, be it because of the unexpected fight or because of their wounds, they once again were too late.

In the distance, the sky was in chaos. Arthur was getting used to the mayhem in the dragon's wake but somehow, he was starting to find it annoying. It seemed that he was in a bad mood due to his injuries and worries. The rest of his small party didn't dare to utter a word. Their serious and focused faces were on a par with the tensed atmosphere. They were heading to a gruesome battle once again.

Arthur Caucel reckoned his group had already entered the usually peaceful Southern Duchy. The fight in the sky was very close to the Lysanian border. It was still difficult to see with the distance and the confusion of battle but the air was crackling with magic, making Arthur's hair stand on end. He recognized the huge dragon and some of the much smaller flying Spirit beasts tamed by the mages of Soon-Yi's party. Arthur felt slightly bitter. Soon-Yi had kept all the mages with these flying mounts, so his own party was stuck to the ground and much slower.

As for him, with his affinity with wind elements and his centuries of researches, he was proficient in wind magic and could fly but it was only for a short time at high speed. The perfect spell for escaping a dire situation. However, he could not use it to fight while airborne. It consumed a large quantity of wind magic elements and required to focus when changing direction. As a consequence, Arthur fighting capabilities would be greatly reduced and he had to temporarily stop the healing spell. Knowing these drawbacks, he needed to prepare carefully if he wanted his limited contribution to be significant. The smallest mistake or the tiniest inaccuracy could reduce his efforts to naught. He couldn't afford to act rashly.

Still rushing over with his party behind him, he squinted to try to find Soon-Yi. In the battle, the groups were not so clearly defined which unsettled Arthur. What happened ?

It was clear that the huge dragon was on its own, however it seemed that Xian, riding on its head, was helping him fight other smaller dragons by casting a protective shield while the dragon breathed fire towards its enemies. The young boy was very easily spotted from a distance since he was sparkling and his short golden hair was shining brightly even in the middle of a battle full of fire attacks and explosions. From Arthur's point of view, the light emitted from Xian's body seemed very gentle and comforting, nothing like the blinding glare he imagined. He had only caught a glimpse at the current Xian while fighting Cheng Hu in front of the magic Academy. Even Soon-Yi had not been able to examine her foster son's condition, always chasing after the kid endlessly.

As far as Arthur could see, the smaller dragons were from the kingdom of Lysania. Thanks to communication via magic, he knew Selnan and Lysania had an agreement regarding this dragon, however he didn't know the details. For them to mobilize their legions of dragons – all from noble families or royals from minor branches – the political situation must have been rather desperate. They were the last resort but, unexpectedly, they were no match for a single legendary dragon.

How was it possible to deal with such a catastrophe level Spirit Beast? The smaller dragons seemed to only try to prevent the enemy from crossing the border and enter their territory. Soon-Yi's party however, was attacking all dragons indiscriminately.

In the chaotic battle, Arthur could nonetheless see a pattern: Soon-Yi, as per usual, wanted to protect Xian and take him back even if it meant fighting both the huge dragon which tried to abduct the boy and the smaller dragons squad which didn't feel any qualm about killing Xian. Actually, they were definitely aiming to separate Xian from his dragon mount as he was providing the dragon with magic elements. Killing the boy or making him fall seemed the prerequisite to subduing their foe. Without Xian's help, the dragon would certainly lose in a war of attrition.

Arthur guessed that the Lysanian legions' aim was to keep the fighting on Selnan territory and cut off the legendary dragon from its source of magic elements so that it would eventually run out of power and go back to sleep. Then they would be able to capture their target easily. It seemed a reasonable plan, however instead of trying to simply take Xian and deliver him to Soon-Yi, they were trying to harm him. Of course, Selnan's Great Mage could only retaliate and this led to such an absurd situation where the humans couldn't join forces to fight the monster. The battle was at a standstill.

Arthur suddenly felt a splitting headache threatening to overcome him just as he was close enough to join the fray. Then, he couldn't help but be startled. The teleport device in his satchel was pulsing with a blinding glare and all of a sudden, he felt himself float out of his saddle without any control. Soon-Yi never told him the device could be used this way! A few breaths – and pulses of light – later, he disappeared together with the legendary dragon and Xian on top of it and reappeared far away from the battle field, in a small clearing.

With his wind magic, he immediately sensed numerous Spirit Beasts surrounding him. He had undoubtedly been teleported somewhere in the Infinite Forest. High in the sky, he could see the shadow of the dragon flying over him at high speed. On a whim, Arthur stopped his healing spell and cast the flying spell. He barely managed to catch the dragon's tail but fortunately the beast didn't seem to mind and didn't shake him off. The wounded Arthur was in no condition to fight so many Spirit Beasts and get out of the Infinite Forest alive. For once, he cursed his own magic-mania that made him pester Soon-Yi to lend him the teleport device. If not for that, he would still be safe in the Southern Duchy with Soon-Yi and the other mages, trying to pacify the Lysanian legions now that the legendary dragon had escaped.