Chapter 10

The plains were humid. The bugs were everywhere. The sounds of bugs were all I could hear. Not single cloud insight. "I guess this the weather the southern lands are known for." 

"I think shows the abundant of life." "I think it shows how many annoying things are in the countryside." "Then go inside. They won't bother you." 

"How far till Isabella?" "The leader saw it would take a few weeks from here to there. So, about a day or so." "Good. We haven't really seen any black coats or any sign of people." "I thought so to. Something must be going on in Lazare and Isabella." 

That smell...blood? "Alie!" "Whoa? What is it?" "I smell blood. Human blood." "Let's go see if we can help."

With no hesitation she whips the reins hard. The horse sped up. The uncontrollable shaking of the carriage had made fall a few times. The clashing of sword and steel was a sign of a battle. When we got to the top. Warriors and knights were clashing. Stabbing each other and in formation. The knights with their large shields and pikes were boxing in the other side.

The sight of it was exactly like the stories I was told about battles. "Ivalyo we need to help. That symbol. Its Lazare." "The slave kingdom." 

"And those people. We need to help." "But I never fought before." "What do you mean!?" "That fight with Servin was nothing but me using brute force. And because of beast ascension. Those knights are trained with sword. I won't stand a chance."

"You can't go into beast ascension, or you'll be putting stress on your body. You might go into a coma again or worse."

Seeing her made me think of something I never would have thought before. "Maybe we can still help. That yellow potion you still, have it?" 

In the battle a man shouts to the women and children to run. "General Henkeva! Order!?" "Keep the formation we won't allow these dogs of the empire to break us!" 

A woman with red hair rallies with him. "The general is right! We are the Slova. We don't surrender to the enemy! Protect your family!" They began to sing in their native tongue. The resilience of them impressed me. 

A Lazare knight realized. Something odd on the hill. "My lord! Look!" The Slove saw the same thing the knights too. "Do it!" We set the trees on fire and rolled them down the hills. They gain enough a lot of momentum because of the steep slope. 

The trees had broken the formation of the knights and crushed a lot of them. The slova general charged at the opportunity. They slaughtered them all. Of course, Alie looked at it with much confliction. Even turning away from the sight.

"I'm sorry Alie." "No. I'm fine. I understand what needed to be done. I'll be fine." Again, she was a good person. I hope she doesn't have to kill someone one day.

An hour later the battle was over. The group was filled with cheers and relief. "General. Those people." "I think we should go and great our saviors." "Yes sir."

We made our way down to the group. They meet us at the base of the hill. "Hello." "Greetings. Thank you for helping us, friends." "Your very welcome." "My name is Henkeva. General of the Slova." "Slova? What are you doing here? Aren't you and other clans in your city states in the mainland?" 

"Its a lot to explain." The red hair women stared at me. She walks up to me and sniffs me. "You are like me." "What?" "You're a half blood like me. Aren't you."

"Are you one too?" "My mother was from the bear beast-men clan. My father is human...I can tell you from the panther clan." She does smell different from the rest of them. "You smell like fire or sweat fire." 

Alie misinterpret the whole situation. "Is this some kind of sexual kink amongst beast-men?" "No!?" The women steps back. "Sorry for the awkward tension. My name Terra Lahmar. Nice to meet you two." 

"My name is Alie Ingo. Nice to meet you." "My name is Ivalyo. No last name." "Please let through a feast for you. We will be celebrating today's victory. It would be ashamed to not have our saviors there."

We agreed to his invitation. The Slova, one the four clans of the mountain warriors of OIyo. Hek'pa is the name of their people. 

"We have been fighting the imperial dogs since the fall of the beast kingdom. Our people were once slaves before. We felt that we needed to destroy the system. Of course, we are limited in numbers. We felt that we had to make a decision, so we left the mainland Olyo for here." 

"For what?" "To rebuild of course. And one day strike back the Southern Empire." "I see. But you said you're going to Isabella too right."

"We are. It's part of a job we accepted from our smuggler. It's not easy passing the strait to get here. We signed in a blood pact oath spell. If I break word my blood will kill me inside."

"Isn't that kind of sketchy?" "We both have the spell on us. Well, he did what I asked of him, so the spell is not on the smuggler anymore."

"I see. Were also heading to Isabella as well. Maybe we can travel together." "Of course. We would love to have you join us."

"Sorry General Henkeva if I may." "Just call me Hen." "Hen, but what is your mission if you don't mind me asking?" "Well sir Ivalyo. The princess has asked me to help keep her city in control while she figures out how she can get her country back on track."

"So, hired security then." "In away. Were just not getting paid for it." Alie also started asking information too. "Aren't you worried that the Southern empire would come for you in Isabella?" "No. The empire is surrounded by land. They have no ports. And the Iron faction along the southern belt of the mainland has closed its borders so there is no way for them to send an army down here."

They showed a map of the entire region of the land of stars. I never knew how big the world was. There were so many countries in our world. A shame its polluted with war and corrupted kings. "What about you two? What's your reason for going to Isabella?" 

"Were looking for my friends and family. I was shipped wrecked when the slaves on the boat rebelled. I just happen to meet Alie here. While trying to survive." I spoke.

"I see. Isabella is home to non-humans there. Maybe you will find them there." "That is our purpose for this journey." "Um...can you tell me what's been going on lately in the Olyo. I mean I do know but not recent events. I haven't been there in a while."

"Sure. Though what I'm about to say what be too pleasant." "It's ok...I've already seen death before." 

"Things are getting worse honestly. So much worse that the life expectancy is now 28. Thousands of people are dying and Dantina duchess is at the center of it."

Terra also chimes in, in talking about the events. "She has pushed the republic of Malis to the end of their own borders. Dantina has burned every city to the ground. Literally."

"And she won't stop. She is a pioneer of new age warfare." "New age warfare?" "As right now she could be the greatest war strategist in the world. Maybe even in history. She has won three battles recently with even losing one man."

"Is that even possible?" "Who knows. I never tried to fight her. I hear rumor of her army. Giant iron made arrows that shoot iron balls as well. They could level entire home with it." Alie seemed concerned about it She looked very disturbed or confused.

"That is all I know. More death is coming and until someone is powerful enough to stop this bloodshed or it will continue on into the next generation."

Alie seemed more down during our travel with the slova. I left her to her own thoughts. One day Terra had come to speak to me. "Do you know how to fight?" "Um. No, I don't."

"Hm. You have a lot of mana. Thats for sure. But I can't really help you that. So, if you want, I can teach how to wield a sword." 

"I have an axe." "Hm. I think the slova should be able to help you with that. For now, I can only train you how to use a sword." And so randomly I was being taught how to fight with sword and axe.

I realize more how different I was to humans. Carrying weapons was very light to me. But the axe was with different. I felt slower with the axe. Alie assumed that the axe is not made with the same material of this world. 

Fighting with an axe is an advantage when defending or breaking into shields. A sword has better range and can stab quicker.

"Though these things don't apply to those that are either nonhumans or half blood. Especially beast-men. Our bodies were made to fight. The physical properties of humans don't apply to us." "If we are stronger than the humans, how are we still chained?"

"Blessing, gifts and magic. These things can overshadow the monsters of these worlds. Warriors could never win against magic. Unless they know magic themselves." "Then why not learn?" "We are limited to magic. For a lot of reasons."

"What reason are those?" "Our magic is determined by our blood. Magic is like bucket the more mana you add the stronger your magic can get." But beast men for generation have never mated with humans until the fall of beast-men kingdom 25 years ago."

"Are saying that mana is determine by generations of my family?" "Yes. My father's father was magician that further the field of fire magic." "Then can you use magic?" "Only enhancement category. My mother trained me to be a warrior of the sword."

"So, my father or someone on his side of the family were had used magic before and now I'm able to use it." 

"Yes. But there is more than way to get magic. Mana is phenomenon that happens randomly to people from exposure to areas of mana. Or eat the flowers of the spirit world." 

"I wish I could learn more about it." "You can. You just need to find the right teacher. Or the right book to read. But this is the extent of what I know. I think a mage will be able to tell you how all magic works better than I can." 

"If there were any mages willing to share knowledge." "There. Many of the younger generation of mages are questioning the old order and customs. Some are willing to break the laws of the magic world."

A mage willing to break the laws written down by the god of magic. So hard to believe. "Thank you for teaching me how to fight." "Even though it's been a little over a day. You have improved a lot. Right now, I have only taught you the basics. Remember them well."

Terra was different from Alie. She was fierce and symbolized a true warrior. Yet I can feel she is a nice person. Sometimes she tries to talk more mature. I guess that's what makes her different from Alie. She never tries to hide her true self. 

After hours of walking, we finally made it to Isabella. The city was massive the tall buildings were magnificent, but the crows and smoke made less appealing. The people in Isabella were caught off guard by us. The knights in the city were less excited than anyone in the city. 

Even I can sense the animosity towards the Slova and me. They drop us off at a tavern and paid for our stay. "Well, this goodbye for now friends. We will be heading to the castle to see the princess. I hope you find your friends and family." "And good luck to you too." "And Ivalyo. Protect the young lady with what you learned."

"I will general." "Well than." We said our goodbyes. We head to our room to talk about what to do now. "I feel bad lying to them Alie." "I know. But if we told them we wanted to meet the princess they would be very suspicious. Their job is to protect her and the city."

"So, what now?" "Now. We help save this city." "I'm sorry?" "The royal guards will not let us in, and the princess is probably stressed about what's going on in the city. So, she won't see anyone at the moment."

"So, you want to help as much as possible so she can notice you?" "That and I do want to help this city." "How do we do that?" "Hmm. From what we were told. Food is a problem. it's the main reason for all this."

"I don't how food works, but I know there made by humans." "I wonder why people aren't farming?" "Guess talking to people would do us good then. We are in a tavern as well." "Then let's go a talk to the owner."

Of course, people are different here. We had to pay for information. "The water here has gone bad right now. We stopped using the rivers and wells in the city. Farmers can't grow anything because of dirty the water is." 

"I see. And merchants are still selling here too even though people have no money?" "The knights are buying from them. Food, water, wine blankets." "And the princess does nothing?" "My best guess is that its a way for her to keep them actually taking her city. Kind of like giving kids sweets to calm him down."

"Hm. Thank you." 

"Polluted waters. And corrupted knights. So, the princess is letting the knights do what they want because if she tries to do anything the kingdom could end up in a civil war. Is that why she brought the Slova here?"

"You think she's ready to take back her city?" "What doesn't make sense is that they just let us walk into the city. They could have attacked us right there." "Maybe they also don't want a war."

"Hm. We need more information but right now we need to figure out why the water is polluted." "I was always told that dirty water is a sign of the gods punishment." "No. Someone is poisoning the waters."

"I won't ask how you know that. I stopped asking about it." "No, you deserve an answer." She crossed her arms and stared out the windows. "I do believe I am a fairy from ancient times. I've been having vision or memoires of my pass. Showing knowledge from old."

It made some sense. everything she says and do's is not something people do these days. "I see...your special." "You believe it?" "You're not a liar Alie. I can already tell. I believe you."

Her ugly crying prompted me to hug her. "Let's go and save this city." "I'm kind of surprised you're going alone with how dangerous things are getting."

"I've been having strange thoughts lately too. My mind feels more mature or has grown. I think about things I never thought I would think."

I let her go from my embrace. "I have a feeling it's about what you sad early." She did not deny it. "Also, I'm having fun on this journey with you."

She smiled. "Good." "So, where do we go?" "We need to find the river. Follow it and see where the people are poisoning the river at."

"Then let's go." 

"But first we're goanna need more people. We need to find the black market. The criminal underworld"