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Explosions ring through echoing past the mountain range that surrounds the forests where the barracks are of the Dire crystals. The airships in the docking bay are trapped because of the ongoing battle outside the barracks walls. All ships hovered in preparation to lift off for departure, but none of them could inch farther than the roof of the garage or the people inside of it being trapped and nervous. The only respite they believed in was the power that lady Yphemu and her men held in battle.

Sure enough, proving that they are as capable as one says, they end the distraught with the force of a hammer on the nail and affix their win with shouts of victory. Securing their leave was a priority they had to take in this window of opportunity. With the magicians on the rooftops ready with their wands, each one cast long-lasting shield magic that extends to other magicians on Festoon’s, a five-man passenger airship, above them. They spread the protection’s reach like a flower blooming so that any stray attack from the dwindling forces cannot reach the leaving airships.

The plan let five ships fly off to their destined course, at least that’s what happened to the first four, but the fifth one found its horrid fate when a large worm-like creature with brilliant silver-grey scales slammed its body as thick as the ship. Crushed metal sounds echoed over their heads as each person alerted at the arrival of a loud screeching Dire-eater coming from the ground just miles away.

Alarmed cries scattered, filling the air with a sudden panic and tension that brought the garage and the whole barracks below into a flurry of men knowing that one Dire-eater meant more incoming. They stopped the other airships from flying off into the skies, each magician on the ground and Festoons swiftly positioned themselves to the impending doom.

One engineer from the airship watched in horror, as he felt the already helm peeking ship from the roof, reverse itself to avoid attracting the attention of Dire-eaters. Tons of snake-like monsters the size of houses moved in the forest with a determination of a fish towards its lure, determined but hurriedly motioning itself to its reward. Before any of the medium-sized Dire-eater can reach the edge of the wasted battlefield, still filled with defeated soldiers, a blast of fire scorched around the edge.

The fire rose to the ends of the tallest tree and spread wide across the disturbed field from the battle. Flames lightly licked the edges of trees without burning them, only blocking, and bringing leverage of pain towards the monsters. All the critters and animals in the forest hurriedly ran from the area of the barracks as more Dire-eater appeared as they tried to move forward the fire.

A few Dire-eaters tried moving to the sides of the firewall but are stopped by other magicians and foot soldiers on the ready. While other soldiers helped the remaining attackers that are alive, on top of the walls of the barracks stood Verbasi, standing all five-six in his dark blue ceremonial robes. He and several of his magician students from Eucalytera, the grand Academy of the kingdom, have come to assist in the battle once they saw the aerial attack of the Dire-eater. Each one held their crystal-tipped wands or crystal orbed staffs, pointed in each direction, on the ready to cast their spells of protection and offense.

“Pull out the Festoons away from the firewall. Tell each junior student to fall back,” pausing to look at the other students below all busy healing or supporting soldiers from the Kabay field.

Following every event happening in the fields. There is an all-out Dire-eater attack. On the fields are “suspected” Kabay activists who try to interfere with the duties of the Prime Magician. All the while, representatives of the Academy, who are supporters of the current Prime Magician, are here at the same time.

Verbasi, and his fellow professors assigned to be magician support in the barracks to include student volunteers, times more than the Academy allows, is too much of a coincidence. It honestly reeked of conspiracy and string pulled taught to harm others.

Shaking his head, he whispered to himself. “This is not the first I’ve seen a political coincidence plot, but can’t they stop putting my students in danger; the assholes.” He murmurs under his breath about how in some way he shouldn’t have become a professor at this point before raising his wand, a three-inch ornamental platinum baton with a crystal at the end that glowed red.

The crystal point sparked before he waved it to the left end of the firewall, aiming at the slowly simmering fire losing its flames. From that point poked more Dire-eaters than some of the soldiers and magicians could not suppress. He held his ground and felt his inner heat grow, extended to the end of his wand, then started spreading the rest of his firewall to attack some of the Dire-eaters that passed through. He clucked his tongue, knowing his wall won’t last long.

Verbasi signaled to one of the senior students. “How many DE is coming?”

The student, who looks frazzled and sweating, answered. “Uhm, one of them,” he pointed above. “Said there is a mother with a whole family...”

“Sh—god, that means more than fifty more are coming...” Verbasi stopped and tightly closed his eyes. He didn’t want to do what he knew he should’ve done the moment a Dire-eater appeared, but he had to call the Primer Magician.

The current Prime Magician is someone he revered despite her youth. No Prime Magician existed with the same battle prowess as she did, even if they are all glorified in spell casting and the level of Light magic within them, she is still the genius exception. But she is only human, and she had just given birth a few days ago to a wonderful baby girl, he knew she is still weak.

Hesitation beget failure, what he thought, but morals could not make him heartless. Cause of this moment of thought transgressing his mind, a part of the firewall diminishes, partially letting a Dire-eater through. The moment it did, a roar from incoming Sari*-riders came from different directions, all attacking. In the lead rode Sacr as she held her gun-crystal aiming at the head of the Dire-eater and shooting one of its eyes, blood, and flesh splatters on the trees like a pollock painting.

Easily maneuvering her Sari-ride, its wings flapping and long feathered tail swishing in the air as Sacr swerved to the left. Reigning into a sudden halt, she directed her mount to raise its neck, aiming to have it jump onto a tree. The Sari with its lean and firm feathered legs bent to collect force before hopping at the strongest branch it could latch on, raising its head again in a growl, Sacr held on to it as she aimed her gun as they stayed in line of sight to the Dire-eater.

Another shot blew the creature’s head completely severing it from its body. The scaley body swayed as it sprayed the air with blood before falling to the ground with a shaking thud. The rest of the Sari-riders did their work. They used their crystal staff and pikes to subdue the smaller Dire-eaters who passed through along with the large one that’s now felled.

Verbasi raised his head and clenched his teeth as his wand relit the walls, the blaze rekindling its fire, almost burning the rest of the Dire-eaters that passed through and most of their allies. Though they managed to avoid the line of fire, Sacr did not miss his accidental loss of grip and refueled reign. She looked back while readjusting the direction of her Sari, looking up at Verbasi who she saw from her distance.

As if he could see what she would do, Sacr raised her hand with a raised pinky and her tongue out. Mouthing the words “practice makes perfect asshat,” before leading her riders to another section of the wall. Smiling at Sacr’s cheekiness, he felt a presence of strong magic suddenly halting every single magician on the field.

Magical blankets of warmth soothed the weariness of each senior student beside Verbasi, suddenly finding themselves kneeling and crying from how much they panicked for their lives. Chills of the winds accompanied this tenderness that eased every person’s pain. The eastern gust of wind swept from the left of the field towards the ends of the wall of fire, never diminishing its flames but inducing strength so fierce it followed through and spread harm onto the Dire-eaters that it forced every creature to scatter.

“Sir!” Said an oncoming student from the stairs leading below. “Up on the Festoon, sir!” He pointed at one Festoon that flew farther from the barracks.

There, up on the front of the small ship, stood Yphemu. Her long her tied in a tight ponytail, with the side strands loosely braided. The ends of her yellow-teal hair swayed with the breeze of the air. Above her are the greying skies of the night as thick dark grey clouds covered Slitark, with the fading far visage of Kneada’s disappearing against the greying darkness.

Prime Magician Yphemu wore her vest and battle garments, donning her sheathed saber on the right holster of her belt, tightly snug on her waist with an empty holster on the left. Her right hand held her crystal wand, the tip brightly emitting a soft bluish light.

The wand is a marvel to behold, as long and thin-like as her saber, it serves as her second sword to dual wield in battles. Raising it another time, she swung to the air and formed five different symbols before five pillars of swirling light entered the field and poised themselves on five points of the barracks like defenders. The wind from the force of its tornado harmed the incoming Dire-eaters, of every size, and prevented them from getting nearer to their barracks.

Her face shone stern with her lips pursued, biting it till the skin broke. Some droplets shed from the side, but she licked them before they fell. “Epiro,” she said over her shoulder, “Make sure that every troop diminishes each Dire-eater Sprout* to retreat or death.”

After saying her orders, she jumped feet first to the air as she eyed a group of Dire-eater Fathers. Waving her wand to an arc from left diagonal to right, she poised her body to a stance as sharp icicles from the air formed. She sent them flying to the Dire-eater Father’s, piercing their scales.

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Over the fog from the mountain top hid the airship Sunflora, disguising its presence to the field below, it flew above it in all its’ chipped red fading paint glory. The mast that held through the storm and magical hail swayed at the coming wind that dangled ropes secure from its binding, though it did not hold any sail several strands of what looked like chains. They all clump from the top and spread down towards the end of the ship, almost forming a shroud.

The rope weaving of the shroud is fiber fused with something akin to Slitark crystals meant for alchemy and serves as a form of energy collecting panels from the winds. This is one of the many advancements the engineers of the Sunflora airship maintained.

Several furled sails on the side of the ship, like legs with ball joints, served as wings to glide through the breeze of the sky and quivered as the Sunflora shifted its course near the fog. The keel plunged into the blanket sky carving through to enter the lower near the mountains where what welcomed them was a shriek of a Dire-eater Mother.

The window from the captain’s quarters slightly opened as a small child peered down, curious dark eyes lighting through the brightness of the Dire-eater’s scales. His tiny hands held onto the latch that he grabbed on while his other hand steady him on the sill with curiosity oozing at how he observed the creature’s movements. There was a pull of fascination he could not resist that he did not notice he was slowly pushing his body farther outward.

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