Chapter 14: Teamwork

Chapter fourteen: Teamwork!

Brody woke up again, still chained. He groggily turned his head to the right, expecting to see Lucas beside him, but the spot was empty. They had taken Lucas to a holding cell, preparing him for execution. But why only him? Brody had been conscious when they were captured on the battlefield. He could have been given the same death sentence, yet they left him alive.

Loud footsteps echoed through the dungeon. A towering, tank-like man with a thick mustache strode in. It was the Magic Monarch himself—Augustus D. Saikyo.

"Hello, young Brody."

Brody clenched his fists. "Why did you let me live?"

Augustus let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "Hahahaha! Is that really a question, Brody? Or should I say… Brody Botcherman?"

Brody's eyes widened. "How do you—"

Augustus cut him off. "Did you really think we'd arrest people without doing a background check? We nearly declared Prince Brody Botcherman a terrorist in public."

"I AM NOT A TERRORIST! AND THAT MAN IS NOT MY FATHER!" Brody shouted.

Augustus chuckled. "Whatever you say, kid. But you should watch yourself. The Royal Council can't protect you forever. Your father ordered your release, so you're free to go."

Brody gritted his teeth. "HE. IS. NOT. MY. FATHER."

Augustus sighed, clearly losing patience. "Ten years ago, you were kidnapped. The entire kingdom was thrown into a panic. King Luminai had no heir, and his wife was dead. A nationwide search was launched—for you."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I DON'T CARE! THAT MAN IS NOT MY FATHER!"

Augustus's expression darkened. He lunged forward, grabbing Brody by the neck with one massive hand.

"Your father wants you returned in optimal condition. But he never said anything about your mental state. I could beat you within an inch of your life and have you healed over and over again if I wanted to."

Brody's body trembled. He couldn't say another word.

Augustus turned to the guards. "Gas him."

A masked guard stepped forward, releasing a thick cloud of sleeping gas. Brody fought to stay conscious, but his vision blurred, and he soon collapsed into unconsciousness.

---

Meanwhile…

Lucas and Miles stood outside the smoldering remains of their shattered cell. What lay before them was a vast prison yard, surrounded by towering walls with watchtowers on every side. A sudden barrage of arrows rained down from above.

"RUN!" Lucas yelled.

The two sprinted across the yard, dodging arrows as best they could, but before they could make it far, a suffocating presence filled the air. Lucas turned—and there he stood.

Sir Bondon the Second, the 4th Grand Mage of the Eastern Continent.

Lucas barely had time to react before Bondon dashed forward, his movements a blur. Miles, having no combat experience, tried to evade him but failed. Bondon was toying with them—handling both of them at once with ease.

Eventually, he stopped, looking down at them with mild disappointment.

"Pathetic," Bondon scoffed. "How did you two end up with a death sentence? You can't even hold your ground against me."

He dropped his sword and removed his armor. "Augustus will probably be pissed at me for this, but I want a fair fight. Come at me, kid."

Lucas didn't hesitate. He charged forward, channeling all his physical strength. He clashed with Bondon over and over, the sheer force of their battle tearing up the ground around them.

Bondon grinned like a madman. "YES! YES! MORE! MORE!"

Miles could only stand there, frozen. Even though he had been given a weapon, he knew he couldn't match their raw strength.

He clenched his fists. I'm useless. Lucas is fighting for my life, and I'm just standing here, doing nothing.

An arrow suddenly struck Lucas in the arm. He gritted his teeth, gripping his wound with one hand while holding his sword in his mouth.

"MILES!" Lucas screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GRAB THAT BOW AND HELP ME! WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"

Miles flinched.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE, SO EITHER YOU GET YOUR ASS UP OR WE BOTH DIE!"

Lucas's desperation snapped Miles out of it.

His hands moved before his brain could catch up. He grabbed the bow, drew an arrow, and fired at Bondon.

Bondon instantly turned his attention toward Miles.

With a smirk, he dashed at full speed—closing the distance in seconds.

But before he could reach Miles, an arrow struck his chest. His eyes widened. His armor… I took it off.

Bondon staggered, then collapsed, unconscious.

Miles ran to Lucas, throwing the injured boy's arm over his shoulder. "Come on! We have to move!"

Arrows continued to rain down from the watchtowers. Miles cursed under his breath and ran back to Bondon's body, grabbing his discarded shield.

Holding it high, he shielded himself and Lucas as they pushed forward toward the giant golden gate. Just as they thought they were free, a man in golden armor appeared before them, holding a gleaming sword.

"I am the Gatekeeper," he said firmly. "No one passes without identification."

Lucas, barely able to stand, knew he was in no shape to fight.

Miles, however, had something better than strength.

"THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" he yelled. "THE MAGIC MONARCH SENT ME HERE! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TRANSPORT HIM TO A HEALING FACILITY, BUT ALL THE HEALERS ARE OFF-DUTY! I FORGOT MY ID!"

The Gatekeeper narrowed his eyes. "Then let me see your ID."

Miles clenched his jaw. "I TOLD YOU I FORGOT IT! ARE YOU GOING TO LET HIM DIE?! THE MAGIC MONARCH WON'T BE HAPPY!"

The Gatekeeper hesitated.

"Fine," he grumbled. He pulled a lever, and the gate groaned open.

Miles and Lucas sprinted out, running as fast as their legs could carry them into the nearby forest.

---

Later…

Bondon groaned, blinking awake.

He looked around. The yard was in chaos.

And the prisoners were gone.

His heart stopped.

He turned to the Gatekeeper. "DID YOU LET TWO BOYS OUT OF HERE?!"

The Gatekeeper nodded. "Yeah, they had orders from the Magic Monarch."

Bondon's blood ran cold.

His hands clenched into fists.

"FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK!" He turned away, shaking with rage. "I'M SO FUCKING FIRED."

--- TO BE CONTINUED