Off You Go, Folks

…

"Call!"

Within seconds, Marco got connected to her. With that, Nina quickly told him the rising trouble. "Marco, can you hear me? We're surrounded!"

"Ni…na!" Marco responded in a slightly static voice. The 'Call' magic was not perfectly executed, making the voice call disrupted, but it won't matter. At least long range communications are connected successfully.

"We must get out of here, quick." Nina stated in distress. "There are hundreds of soldiers coming up here. I'll get to you in a moment."

"S…ay—aga…in..?" Marco replied statically. Suddenly, the magic dissolved and thus disconnects the two. "Ah, darn it," Nina sighed. The call magic has failed to maintain further. Nina makes a quick thinking and predicted that the soldiers are coming from below. Which means the only way they should be going is straight past the bridge.

Without a second, she tells Aily and Pio to go to the bridge ahead quickly. The two nod Nina's command and make a quick run for the bridge, joining Marco and the others. Nina implies that she will join them soon.

Meanwhile, Nina remains in the tower. She knows that they were too long stationing at the southern tower. No wonder the soldiers are curious. Not only that, based on her knowledge, the southern tower was known to be abandoned and was only used as storage. If there are people rounding up in there, the soldiers will surely be suspicious.

Nina thinks about what if they escape now. "No," she said. "We might not make it. We must regroup in the eastern tower and retreat from there, but unfortunately we're not going anywhere but to the central palace."

"This is bad… we can actually plow through the ravaging troops using wind magic. The availability of wind as a source of power is plenty up here. But I doubt that we'll be safe even if we managed to escape. We'll be wanted."

Nina can only think of lethal methods to get out of the trouble. But the cost of doing so will be fatal for the party. Not only that, Nina has a title to uphold. She will never defile it by causing violence. It will be a greater mess if she does so.

"I must… do something. Or else everyone will be caught. I must hamper their movements from climbing up here. But how…?" Nina wondered. She begins to sweat endlessly. But in the last second, she sees a pot. Inside, there's a dead plant.

"I… I wonder…"

…

..

.

The soldiers are marching from below the southern tower and from the bridge linking to the western tower. Not only that… the sun is slightly seen on the horizon, rising up. Morning has come, and it has past the time for them to retreat.

"Looks like we're in trouble, huh…?" Queaz commented while looking below the bridge. "The abundance of forces is unbelievable. I thought they went out of the kingdom for a second…"

Aily and Pio has joined Marco and the others. Both of them told what's going on.

"Well, ain't that just great. Where's Nina?" Marco asked in worry. "She said she will join us shortly. But… I worry for her…" said Aily concerning her sister.

"There!" A soldier's shout was heard. They found their presence. "One of them is surely the demon! Go! Kill them all!" said one soldier, followed by roars of the marching troops.

"Darn it, what the hell is she doing in time like this?" Marco whams the air and rushes off, but Scias stops him, "Hold, Marco!"

"S-Scias! Why did you stop me?" said Marco. He turns around at his buddy, then recognizing that his face is fully alerted.

"Don't go further than that…" Scias stated. He faintly tells…

"You'll get hit."

Within seconds, roots of tree suddenly explode from inside of the southern tower, soaring highly into daybreak sky. The roots expand greatly, widening as it grows bigger and bigger. As a result, the passages to the bridge where Marco and his friends are were completely blocked by them, leaving only the passage to the central palace.

Marco and the others are surprised upon seeing the gigantic root spread. Scias knew that it will come but he didn't expect it to be this huge. Queaz on the other hand was slightly surprised.

Shortly, Nina emerges from the doorway of the southern tower, joining Marco's party. "Sorry, I'm late." She said. "Sister…!" Aily called gladly. "Miss Nina…" Pio called out as well.

"W-What the hell happened in there?" Marco asked. "Oh, just setting up some… 'barriers'… moreover, let's get going!" Nina stated.

The party rushes into the central palace. But suddenly, Queaz stops them. "Where are you folks going? That way is the death door, you know?"

Marco replies quickly, "There's no other way around. We must go."

"…Are you sure about that…?" Queaz questioned while looking straight into the central palace. Everyone look into the central palace, too.

"My… god…" Nina said in surprise. The path ahead of them is being massed by soldiers, too. They are completely blocked on that bridge.

"No… what are we going to do…?" Pio whined. "I guess there's no other way than breaking through, huh?" Marco said boldly.

"We've no other choice… Marco, you'll guard the girls. I'll go forth." Scias stated surely. He's willing to go upfront. "…You got it, bro. Nina, Aily, Pio, it seems we're going to be a bit hard to them," said Marco while unsheathing his gun.

"I suppose so…" said Aily while getting her scepter ready. Her cane is still stained by dried blood, however. "Y…Yeah…" Nina added disappointingly.

…

"You folks are reaaaaally fast when readying for battle." Queaz suddenly broke the tense in the party. "Queaz?" Marco looked at him.

"But it appears you folks will not go hard today." Queaz said in a casual face. His hands are relaxingly put inside pockets. "Your meaning?" Nina asked sharply.

"Prolly Marco had known but it appears he had forgotten it." Queaz stated. He raises his right hand and points his index finger upwards while the others clenched.

"There is one way out. And that way out is through me."

Suddenly, multiple magic circles appeared. Each appeared right beneath everyone's foot. Those magic circles slowly revolve and grow upwards.

In surprise, Marco speaks out, "What the heck is this?!"

"Teleportation. What else?" Queaz casually stated. The hatted man revolves his hand slowly. Without any chanting or any sign of casting magic, the magic circles follow his hand's move.

"This might be our final meeting, folks. I appreciate your kindness to concern me. But since the beginning, you folks were not supposed to be involved in all of this. This is the least thing I can do to get you folks out of trouble."

"Queaz… Queaz, don't say you're…!" Marco realized that Queaz is willing to sacrifice his life.

"Don't worry about me. You folks sure are interesting. A shame if you folks defile your names here by killing these soldiers. That's why… a 'real' assassin will fit better for the job."

"Wait, Queaz!"

"Farewell, folks, adios amigos"

Queaz throws his right arm into the sky, unleashing the teleportation spell into active. Instantaneous flashes of teleportation quickly soar through the morning sky. Marco and his friends have been teleported out of Alidia.

…

..

.

Queaz solely stands on top of the bridge between the southern tower and the central palace. He is surrounded by the soldiers from the central palace. While the path behind him is blocked by the roots that suddenly grow out of nowhere. Those roots have grown leaves, too.

The soldiers shortly make way. Behind them, their prince emerges proudly and walks toward Queaz.

"Good to see you, prince."

"Hearing that from an intruder like you makes me sick. What are you doing here?" The prince questioned loudly. "Are you an accomplice to my father's killer?!"

The prince was filled with intense rage, yet he did not dam the massive flow.

The sun has appeared on the horizon. In its wake, Queaz declares with a gentle voice:

"No, I am not an accomplice."

He then gazes upon the prince sharply. "I am the killer itself."