LOOMING MIRACLE

"I have to apologize for my incapability of having a mage with us." said the Second Prince to his army with a pleading tone. "But if we work together, I'm sure we could still survive thi--"

"SURVIVE?! THERE'S NO WAY WE'LL SURVIVE!"

"THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN SENDING US STRAIGHT TO THE GALLOWS!"

The 7th Division grew more infuriated as Aristo tried to convince them to march into Grimcloud without a mage. They began to scatter and tried to leave the camp.

"THIS IS NONSENSE! I'M NOT GOING TO GO AHEAD AND KILL MYSELF!" shouted a criminal. "I'M OUT OF HERE!"

"YEAH!"

The entire 7th Division then started to walk away from Aristo and Lance. But that's when the criminals were blockaded by a group of heavily armored knights, all ready with their big and sharp spears pointed to the lowlifes. Leading at the front of the line was Lieutenant Hobbs.

"Not so fast!" said the lieutenant. "Have you forgotten that all of you are prisoners of the Empire? How dare you walk away from your sanctioned penal service?"

The biggest and most vicious looking criminal of them all stepped forward and faced Hobbs.

"Screw with that penal service! I'm not going to die!" said the lowlife. His face then turned vicious. "Besides, now that we're out in the open like this, do you really think you and your knights can stop all of us?"

Lieutenant Hobbs did not reply to the criminal and simply produced a paper with a magic circle drawn on it. He tapped his finger on the paper and, in an instant, the magic circle lit up with crimson light.

Suddenly, similar shining red magic circle appeared on the shoulder of every criminal in the 7th Division. It was then that they all collapsed to the ground and writhed in pain.

Aristo and Lance watched them suffer with pity. From the look on their eyes, they knew this would have happened to the criminals.

Lieutenant Hobbs walked amongst the tortured criminals and brandished the magic circle paper for them all to see.

"Don't forget that each of you are given a curse that could greatly harm or even kill you." said Hobbs. He looked at the object he was holding. "All I needed to do is to keep touching the magic circle on this paper and let the dark magic eats you away."

Hobbs then lifted his finger from the magic circle and the light it was emitting immediately died down. The magic circles on the criminals and their pain vanished right around the same time.

"I warn you! This penal service isn't voluntary. It's compulsory! You have to complete it whether you like it or not!" continued Hobbs sternly. He turned to Aristo. "All of you will join the Second Prince and march with him toward Grimcloud and eradicate the monsters within. Refuse to do so, then we'll turn this field we're on into your graves!"

Hearing the lieutenant's threat, the criminals quickly rose to their feet and returned to Aristo's presence. Though their faces were still riddled with anger and hesitation, they had accepted that they had no choice but to follow the Second Prince if they wanted to live, even if it's only for a little longer.

"They're all yours, Your Highness." said Hobbs as he went to Aristo's side. He then looked toward the horizon. "I suggest you hurry. You wouldn't want the fog to spread so far beyond Grimcloud that you can no longer find the valley that'll lead you to your assigned region."

"Understood, lieutenant."

Aristo then looked back to the 7th Division and relayed his command.

"Saddle up! We'll depart for Grimcloud!"

At the words of the Doomed Prince, the 7th Division proceeded to their assigned stables and saddled their horses. They then went to the makeshift armory where the Imperial Army provided them with the most basics of weapon. The criminals grabbed whatever weapons they could find and equipped themselves with them.

Around half an hour later, both Aristo, Lance, and the entire 7th Division were on top of their mount, all ready to go to Grimcloud.

"Let's go!" shouted Aristo while flicking the rein on his horse.

The Doomed Prince and his feeble army then galloped onto the vast grass-field beyond the military camp and made their way toward the Grimcloud Forest ahead.

Lieutenant Hobbs and his men remained at the camp to maintain the barricade. They all watched Aristo and his forces vanished into the horizon.

"What a poor soul you are, Prince Aristo." said Hobbs with a sigh and a genuine voice. "Having been with you side by side in battle before, I could see what a kind-hearted and honest person you are. You truly don't deserve that cursed title people placed on your name."

The lieutenant then turned his gaze away from the Grimcloud Forest.

"Should you reach your end in this quest, then I'll pray for your eternal peace, Your Highness." uttered Hobbs to himself with a solemn look. "But for now I'm praying for your survival. And perhaps…success."

The lieutenant chuckled upon his own words.

"Though I suppose it'll take a great miracle from the goddesses for you to gain the latter, Your Highness."

Just when Hobbs ended his sentence, a shadow swiftly passed through him. It was casted by something that quickly flew by way above the lieutenant's head, right in the sky.

"What was that?" wondered Hobbs while looking around. "Did something just fly through the barricade?"

He inspected the direction the shadow was going.

"It's heading toward the forest? Toward...the Second Prince?"