The colorful scenery the light from crystals created, calmed everyone a bit.
The defense squad quickly seperated to protect as many people as they could.
I pulled myself out of the haunting memories and quickly reached out for my little first aid bag. The moss, Sphagnum could absorb liquid 25 times it's weight and was used to meet the demand for bandages in world war 1.
I removed the small pieces of stones that pierced the little boy's fragile skin on the forehead. I used earth atrribute to remove the smaller pieces and the dust. I covered the child's head with the extract of various herbs like Portulaca with antiseptic and healing properties and used the gauze, with sphagnum.
That was good enough for impromptu first aid. I couldn't evaluate his wound because I was in the middle of a battlefield! I had to send him to rear support unit if I wanted to save him, fast.
I used my earth magic to lift debris off his mother's unconscious body. I checked her pulse which was faint, her legs were crushed and her head was bleeding profusely. She had lost too much blood. I noticed people around me who were also hurt and in chaos.
I realized I had to save the people who could be saved first. Tough decisions had to be made. Despite having magic, this world isn't amazing as we imagined. I used earth attribute to lift a boulder only big enough to lift his little figure and casted a shield around him.
I created similar structures for as many people as I could and lifted them in air and moved them to the healer team's camp that we had set up nearby, one by one.
Yes, I used up roughly three fifth of my mana. Lifting up such boulders, so many at that, isn't easy.
I decided to end things quickly, now that the area was almost clear. I was informed that there were a hundred and 20 attackers out of which ninty seven were captured by the air type mages with their trap spell.
We had decided to use only air attribute users for this mission as there could be innocent people under spell. Air mages can use their specialized trap spells to create mana barriers around them. Since most weren't experienced fighters, they were captured easily. Now considering the possibility that ther remaining twenty-three perpetrators were strong who may have managed get out of those traps I had to finish them off, if l couldn't catch them.
The captured perpetrators were sedated and put in prison until they could be interrogated.
The mana infused items were also enabling them to hide, so it was harder for us to catch them as well.
With ten mages, I proceeded to search for the remaining perpetrators.
As we were passing by a street, we noticed a pile of dead bodies. It gave me chills. I had never seen such a gruesome scene before.
Dead bodies don't have mana or have negligible amout of mana but I was still sensing some mana from them.
Just as I reached a little closer someone used a spell "conceal!" it was one of the subordinate.
Suddenly a person, drenched in blood from those bodies, wearing a in cape that covered his face pushed all the bodies and stood in the trap.
"That is a petty trap" his voice dangerously low.
"Mana depletion" he shouted and he proceeded to walk towards us. "that was only the beginning" the rookie next to me said. "Air defense, light trap" he was enclosed in a round glowing trap.
"That's just to distract him special captain, stay prepared. Attack the moment he is out" I realized his plan and was ready.
"Earth barrier, incinerate" that trapped him in a barrier and I turned the earth beneath him to lava. Boy, he is barbecued.
As I waited for his mana to disappear we heard a loud bang. He broke through it!
"Let's play some more! Explosive spears!" Countless spears rained down on us. I created a shield for myself and for few subordinates around me. We managed to dodge that but one of them barely dodged a spear. It only grazed him but it exploded. Some pieces of his flesh in all sorts of direction and we were soaked in blood all around.
I felt the impact of spears hitting the barrier and I instinctively told everyone to run. It exploded but only the shockwave reached us.
My ear were ringing, my head was killing me. I tried not to lose my sanity but I wasn't sure if I had any left. "You will not be forgiven." I attacked him one after the other. I used as many spells I could. "Blue flames are the hottest, you do know, right?" I was shocked on hearing my own voice.
I continued using spells, he continued dodging.
"Lava bullets. Debris shower. Mana crystals! Die!!"
When I finally regained composure, everything around me, approximately within one kilometers radius was leveled.
The mages barely managed to protect themselves by running away but the perpetrator only had a few scratches.
"You're very brave. And I'm sure I will see you again. But the next time I meet you, I won't hold back so prepare well" with that he casted a spell and vanished in thin air. Did someone snap his finger?
I realized just how strong Esmeray really was at just the age of twenty two. She had suffered alot, she lost her parents, she was hated, yet she continued to put her life at risk for the people who only wanted a chance to stab her.
Someone from chain unit, who were supposed to observe the fight, take note of everyone's moves, casualties and convey all the messages, came from the duchy in a hurry.
"There's a good news... and a bad news" he uttered, breathlessly.
"The good one first I guess, I might go insane if I hear the bad news right away" I replied while wiping the sweat off my forehead.
"I went to the church first, Special captain Kaldor's and his troops captured one hundred and nineteen attackers. The bad news is... 1 fled and" he paused to scan my expression and proceeded.
"Crown prince is injured, the best healers at hand are treating him and" I started running to the castle right away. So no matter who is at the castle, they would be injured? If I knew that, I would've stayed there myself. I am not losing another person I love! I ran as fast as I could using the little mana I had left. I reached in a few minutes and quickly went to the rear support unit.
He was lying unconscious and the healers were trying to heal his wound. The wound was deep and extended from his abdomen to hip girdle, it was a laceration. He was bleeding profusely, I could see the adipose tissue.
"Did you evaluate his wound?" I asked the third division healer. "He doesn't have any broken bones or ruptured artery. His organs are safe as well." He replied.
I told a maid to bring me some boiled water and a thread.
"What caused this?" I asked. "It was a small knife." So we will have to worry about infection later. Thank god I had prepared antibiotics in advanced.
I used earth attribute's creation spell to create a needle suitable for stitching. That was something I have been practicing for more than a week. Creating such a small object requires precision.
I sterilized it using flames that also made it stronger and I sterilized the threads with boiled water. I haven't operated on anyone for about 2 months now... I am just lacking a little confidence I guess.