Chapter 584: Gates (1/2)

Chapter 584 Gates

Ilea gently pushed him away, healing the slight scratches from his sharp teeth. She smiled as fire burst from his body, the elf jumping her in the next moment.

She used her body weight to catch and twirl him around, smashing him down on his back before she went down with him, holding his burning arms as she grinned.

“Now, what will I d-” her eyes widened when she felt one of her marks vanish.

Assistance, the thought burned bright in her mind, a formal request tinged with fury and pain.

“What is it?” Feyrair asked.

“Elfie. He’s in danger. We’ll continue this later. Try to keep up,” she said and vanished, her teleportation and wings pushing her through the tight corridors with increasing speed.

She burst out of the elevator shaft, hitting the ceiling before she bound down the corridor, Elfie’s location still visible in her mind, the magic fading very slowly.

Ilea reached a few dead ends before she finally appeared in the right place. A large hall in the upper parts of the facility. Burning machines littered the ground, a single Hunter Praetorian hanging from the opposite wall. The dim light barely managed to illuminate the place.

An arcane arrow crashed into a glowing white shield, etched runes visible on the cracking defense. It shattered when the magic exploded, destructive energy flowing into the two Elves standing behind.

Ilea appeared in front of them, her ash spreading out as she held up a hand towards the Hunter. Her sphere would make sure none of the arrows would hit her allies anymore. She detected movement to the right, seeing another Hunter near the ceiling.

Elfie stood with a hand to his throat, a large gash showing where something had ripped out his jugular. Behind him knelt Neiphato, his body half burnt and slowly recovering, his shaking hand touching Niivalyr’s back as he pushed healing into him.

“It’s alright, I’m here now,” Ilea said, her arcane healing taking over.

Neiphato slumped to the ground, unconscious when he hit the bed of ash, his wounds healing as he twitched slightly.

“What happened?” Ilea asked, taking care of the nasty wound on Elfie’s throat.

He coughed, trying to form a barrier when the next set of arrows slashed into Ilea’s ash, burning away her defense that quickly started to reform.

Elfie ground his teeth, blood dripping form his mouth as he glared at her with grief and anger in his eyes. “They left,” he said.

“They?” Ilea looked around, unable to find any Elven bodies.

“Seviir. Heranuur,” he supplied. “I don’t know what has poisoned their minds but they attacked us in the midst of battle, right before our planned retreat from these machines. Had you arrived a single minute later…,”

Ilea nodded and continued healing them. “You’re safe now, so just heal up and we’ll deal with them later.”

What the fuck did you do, you two absolute idiots.

She let the arrows punch into her when Feyrair appeared close by, his form expanding immediately. A roar resounded as he rushed one of the Hunters, his white flame leaving a trail of heat and fire on the ground where he jumped off.

“I trusted them. I thought they would have changed by now…,” Elfie said, looking at his hands.

Ilea turned around and grabbed his hands in hers. “It’s okay. You’re not responsible for their decisions. I saw you train them. You did well. And you’re both still alive.”

Neiphato woke up with a start, looking at the two of them and the rampaging dragonling behind.

“Did you call for Isalthar already?” Ilea asked.

“No… I… I didn’t know what he would do,” Elfie said, averting his gaze as he hissed.

“It’s alright. I’ll call them now so that we can figure out what to do. If they act up, I’ll get you two out. I promise,” she said and pulled on the soul magic clinging to her essence, easily destroying the binding.

“What did they do…,” Neiphato murmured, standing up as he stared at the dragon. “He will kill them.”

“I’d kill them too for what they’ve done,” Ilea said, glaring at the elf.

He glared back. “They are Cerithil Hunters, just like we are. We fought and bled together!”

Elfie put a hand on his friend’s shoulder, hissing in a low tone.

Isalthar and Seithir appeared in the hall a moment later, followed by Asay and Farthorn. The wind mage took a single glance at the group and fighting machines before he turned. “The gate.”

Ilea’s eyes opened wide. She glanced at Asay.

“I shall remain,” he said and gave her a nod.

She followed the wind mage, trying to keep up with his teleportation spells, latching on to his longer range ability with her blinks.

They arrived just a few seconds later. Ilea immediately knew that the gate had been destroyed. “Fuck.”

Isalthar checked with his magic but came to the same conclusion. It looked intact on their side but the two Cerithil Hunters must’ve disabled the other side.

“Peculiar,” he murmured.

“Peculiar? That’s what you have to say?” Ilea snapped.

“It’s not the first time, we find ourselves trapped within the network of Taleen facilities. This would’ve come to pass either way. With their premature intervention or without,” he said. “Though it is a pity. I had high hopes for their spirit.”

Goliath, Ilea thought and rushed back to Elfie. She grabbed his hand. “New mark, I have to check on Goliath.”

He hissed, remembering the smith who had remained in the northern facility.

“I’ll be back. I’ll find you,” Ilea said and stepped back, her third tier blink activating as the space around her started to distort.

The first Hunter core detonated as Feyrair turned to the second, his large form regenerating the arcane damage they had dealt as his large maw opened, an ear splitting roar resounding through the facility.

Ilea watched him charge and take down the large Hunter, the two of them turning in the air before they crashed to the ground with flickering shield and fire. Bright flame burned into the floor, Feyrair’s head pushed aside by the Praetorian’s large arm.

Isalthar returned a few seconds later and informed the others.

“Will you return?” he asked, taking in the spell forming around Ilea.

“I will,” she said.

“Be careful,” Neiphato said.

She locked eyes with Elfie right before the space around her changed, Ilea appearing in her home south of Ravenhall.

A blink brought her outside, her wings pushing upwards before they charged. Her form vanished towards Ravenhall, teleportation and flying leading the small ashen form to her target.

It was nighttime. Raindrops from dark clouds above clashed against Ilea’s armor as she passed the dim lights of the city. She blinked down and into the hidden facility, displacing herself onto the gate before she charged it with her mana, her space magic resistance disabled. Familiar white light enveloped her as the wisps of space twirled, only to return to normalcy when she appeared far in the north.

“Meadow. Don’t let any Elves into Hallowfort,” she said immediately.

“Welcome back. You seem in slight distress. Where to?” it asked.

“No Elves nearby? They have long ears and sharp teeth,” she said.

“I have been taught about the various known species of this realm. And no, there are no Elves here, nor have I seen any pass in the surrounding lands,” Meadow said.

“Can you teleport me to the same place as last time? As far as you can,” she said.

Iana glanced at her, just now noticing the healer. The two had set up an impromptu lab a few hundred meters away from the tree and its high mana density.

“Of course. Do be careful, Ilea. Calm your mind and act with thought,” Meadow said and made her vanish.

Ilea appeared in the air flying, her wings charging as she aimed in the direction of the Centurion facility.

The mists had pooled, an eerie quiet swallowing the northern lands as she sped up.

Ilea decided to check on Goliath first and foremost, slowing down near the dungeon and blinking inside. A few seconds later, she came into the hall where he usually stayed, using her Huntress ability to check the surroundings.

She teleported around, finally seeing the dark creature hiding within a heated forge.