The Dead Zone Sovereign

Chapter 5: The Crucible of the Convoy

The purple landscape was a blur as Valen and Zarek moved through the obsidian canyons. They had to be really careful when they were moving through the Dead Zone at speeds. Every step was a deal. They had to think about how dense the ash was under their boots and avoid the shifting cracks that let out superheated pockets of air.

Zarek was running with heavy strides. He was like a soldier and his dark hair was blowing in the faint purple light that was coming through the sky. Valen was keeping up with him. His body was stronger now because of the levels he had gained. He did not feel the burning in his lungs or the struggle to balance that he had felt on his day in this world. His movements were cold and precise. He was only thinking about what needed to be done.

Ahead the red flares from the Solarian vanguard were starting to fade out. They were leaving trails of red smoke that were cutting through the thick purple clouds. The air was getting heavier. It was vibrating with a strange static charge. This charge was coming from magic. It was a feeling for Zarek and the silver marks on his skin were getting agitated.

We are close Zarek said quietly. His hand was on the handle of his sword. The imperial border patrols use a formation when they are moving through the wasteland. They use lanterns to make a path through the bad air. If they are walking or using carriages they will have to stay in the part of the ravine.

Valen slowed down. He got into a crouch as they reached the top of a steep obsidian ridge. The ridge was overlooking the canyon floor. Let us see what the empire thinks is important enough to send a vanguard squad into this place.

They looked over the edge. Below them there was a armored Solarian convoy. It was cutting through the fog. The setup was really fancy. It looked like something the Holy Empire would do. There were three carriages made of strong white oak and they were lined with silver marks. These carriages were being pulled by magical beasts with thick stony skin. They were not having any trouble with the terrain.

There were twenty armored Solarian knights around the carriages. Their silver armor was shining under the light of the floating lanterns. These lanterns were not just giving light; they were also making a barrier of energy that was pushing the purple fog back.

In the middle of the formation there were prisoners. They were beastmen. They had features like cats, wolves and birds. They were tied together with chains that had anti-magic marks. They were walking with eyes and their spirits were broken.

Look at the carriage Zarek whispered. The silver marks on that carriage are not for defense. They are to keep something from getting out. They are not just moving slaves. They caught someone from the tribal lands.

Valen did not care about the prisoners. He did care about what they could get from the convoy. There were thirty workers and fighters and three carriages full of imperial supplies. If he could get the lanterns he could figure out how they worked and use that to defend his own place without having to clean out the bad air every week.

Valen thought about the convoy. He wanted to know who was in charge.

The leader was a Solarian Vanguard Captain. He was level 28. He was a Radiant Paladin. He had a lot of power and he was a moderate threat.

Valen checked his status. He was level 12. On paper he should not be able to beat a level 28 paladin and twenty high-level knights.. Levels only showed how much magic power someone had, how strong they were and how good they were at fighting. They did not show everything.

Zarek Valen whispered. We cannot fight them in a way. If they get into a circle the paladins holy magic will heal them faster than we can hurt them. We need to separate the leader from the rest

What is the plan? Zarek asked. He was holding his sword tightly.

You take the back Valen said. When I turn off the lanterns the fog will come in. The knights will panic because they need the light. When the fog hits them you take out the ones at the back. I will handle the captain and the middle carriages.

Zarek. He was smiling. His sword was ready to fight.

Valen went down the side of the ridge and he got into position above the convoy. He closed his eyes. He focused on the golden lanterns. They were twenty feet below him. They were floating steadily.

He did not need to touch them. He just needed them to go under him.

The convoy was. The carriages were passing under Valen. He leaned over and he put out his hand.

Take the magic from the lanterns he thought.

The system. It took some of Valens energy.

The lanterns did not break,. The light inside them was sucked out. The light went into an orb that appeared above Valens hand.

The canyon was plunged into darkness. The defensive barriers were. The purple fog rushed back in. The fog hit the knights like a wall.

From the back of the convoy Zarek appeared out of the fog. He was moving fast. His sword was cutting through the knights armor. The acid on his sword was dissolving their breastplates.

Valen jumped down from the ridge. He landed on the roof of the middle carriage. The impact was silent because he had taken away his momentum.

The Vanguard Captain was a fighter. He did not try to save his men. He used his magic to make a shield of light around himself and the carriage. He looked up. His eyes locked onto Valen.

You are a rat from the waste the captain said. He was angry. He swung his sword at Valen.

Valen did not move away. He waited until the sword was close to him.

Take the heat from the sword he thought.

The fire on the sword was. It was just a cold piece of metal. The captain lost his balance because the fire was gone.

Valen reached out. He grabbed the captains wrist.

Take the friction from the ground he thought.

The ground became really slippery. The captains feet slid out from under him. He fell onto his back. His armor clattered against the stone.

Before the captain could get up Valen stepped on his helmet.

Take the strength, from the metal he thought.

The helmet did not break,. It lost its shape. The metal became like liquid. It went into the captains face. He was. He was trying to get the metal out of his face.. His magic was not working and it was hurting him instead.

The captain was. The rest of the knights were already dead. The convoy was theirs. Valen had gotten what he wanted.

System notification: Host has defeated Solarian Vanguard Captain.

Valen was standing over the body, his breathing steady. He looked around. Saw that the rest of the convoy was really quiet. Zarek was standing in the fog his blade covered in dark purple stuff and blood from the empire. The nineteen guards were over the canyon floor they were not moving anymore because of Zareks blade and the bad environment.

The beastmen prisoners were all huddled together on the ground they were. Their eyes were wide with fear. They looked at Zarek at Valen, who was standing on top of the carriage holding a big ball of golden light. To them a human who could control the darkness and walk with a demon was really strange.

Zarek walked up to Valen wiping his blade on a knights cloak. He said the vanguard was cleared and the supplies were okay. He asked Valen what to do

Valen put the ball away then looked at the chained beastmen. He told Zarek to break their chains and tell them they had a choice. They could go into the fog. Die or they could follow Valen to the fortress and work for him.

Zarek walked over to the beastmen. Used his blade to cut their chains. The beastmen slowly stood up rubbing their wrists and looked at Valen. One of the beastmen an one with wolf ears stepped forward. He said they had no home left the empire had burned their villages. He said if Valen would give them a place to stay they would work for him.

Valen said that was good turned to the central carriage. He told Zarek to get the big lizards moving they had to take everything to the keep.

As Zarek was about to move there was a big thud from inside the carriage.

The carriage Valen was standing on started shaking hard.

The silver symbols on the carriage started to glow with a red light, not the clean gold light of good magic. The wood started to break big cracks were spreading from the center of the doors.

Valen jumped down from the carriage his instincts were telling him something was wrong. He got a warning on his screen it said there was a lot of mana inside the carriage.

The threat level was unknown.

Valen shouted at Zarek and the prisoners to get

The doors of the carriage were blown off a big wave of energy came out. The fog went away and the big lizards fell to their knees they were really scared.

A figure came out of the carriage it was a girl, no older than sixteen. She was wearing a dress covered in glowing silver stuff. Her hair was silver it was floating around her shoulders.. It was her eyes that really caught Valens attention.

Her eyes were golden they were glowing like a thing. Above her head there was a floating message it was written in a language Valen did not know.

The girl looked at Valen her voice was really powerful. She said something about a seed sprouting and a defect.

Valen felt his energy drop his hand was shaking. He was trying to understand what was happening.

Zarek got into a fighting stance his blade was shaking. He asked Valen what was going on.

Before Valen could answer the girl pointed at him. The golden light in her eyes got really bright.

She said something, about an execution then a big column of light came down from the sky. It was heading straight for Valen he had to make a choice really fast.