47 Chapter 8: Civil War (2/2)
”If it only it was that easy,” Bulut said with a sad shake of his head as he pulled away the veil.
”What do you mean?” Magnus asked as he rushed over to the driver seat.
”What he means is that you have the wrong understanding of things. You just can't learn a spell and start flinging it around. There are certain steps you need to take before that, which requires a formal education.”
”Formal education?” Magnus asked, he wondered what he needed to learn.
”Yes,” Soykan shouted out from his unveiled window. ”And you can only get it from the Guilds.”
”Can't you do it?”
”No,” Soykan replied. Magnus did not even want to ask why as the man's expression started to darken like it always does when Magnus hits upon something from his past.
”Could we go now?” Soykan asked as schooled his expression. ”We do not have all day before the guards come and Bulut's hand looks pretty bad.”
”This is nothing,” Bulut said from inside the carriage, wanting them to stop worrying.
”Sure, and having a hole in your stomach is only a mosquito bite,” Soykan retorted.
”Alright, slow your horses, we are almost there,” Magnus said.
As the trio of thieves made their way down the stone steps, they were greeted to the sight of Shui and Taylan equipping themselves with weapons and gadgets.
”What are you guys up?” Soykan asked with a raised eyebrow as he and Magnus lugged Bulut between themselves.
The big man did his best to sheer through it but soon he broke down into a fervor. That is when Soykan and Magnus became aware of how bad his wounds were.
”We were about to come after you, that is what's up,” Taylan replied as he put his hands up in the air, showing his frustration.
Then he saw the dreadful state they were in and his expression softened up, ”What happened?”
”I could ask the same,” Shui voiced as he looked them up and down then saw all the soot, blood, sweat, gore, scratches, bruises covering them, and even faceless creature's head attached to Bulut's hand.
”Let's just say we ran into some complications,” Soykan answered.
Magnus snorted and then remarked, ”Now that the underestimation of the year.”
”What the hell is that?” Taylan shouted as he finally noticed the faceless creature chopping down on Bulut's hand even in death.
”Well, they were part of the complication,” Soykan retorted.
Magnus shook his head and ignored Soykan's antics, he and Taylan could be so similar at times. It was only thanks to the role of leadership that he carried which blunted his edges, that he was not confused as Taylan's brother from another mother.
Getting to the matter at hand, Magnus turned to face Shui and got down to business, ”I dared not to remove the creature's head since it was the only thing stanching his wound, and keeping him from losing blood.”
”It was a good call,” Shui replied as he helped them carry Bulut to the treatment room which he so famously dubbed the medical bay and then stuck.
They laid Bulut on one of the three cots which took up the room and then Shui started to inspect him. ”Magnus,” he said, not turning around.
”Yes?” Magnus asked as he stood to one side, ready to assist in any way possible.
”Go get me my bag in the next room over.”
Magnus nodded his head and run off to do as he was told.
”You two,” Shui said as he turned to face the two men milling about and trying to get a closer look. ”Go outside and do whatever you wish but I need you two to be out of my way as I work.”
”If it is the healer's orders, then we shall follow it to the letter,” Taylan said as he inclined his head and headed towards the door.
”Whatever he said,” as Soykan followed Taylan out of the room.
”So let me get this straight; all was going well. You and Bulut got into the tunnels with little to no resistance and you made your way over to the vault. Then blow the place wide open, clean it out, then you guys were about to head out, when you ran into these creatures.”
”Yep,” Soykan said with a nod of his head as leaned back in his chair. The two men sat outside the medical bay with drinks in hand as they shared tales of what went down tonight while they waited for Shui and Magnus to patch up Bulut.
”I got to say they were nothing I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot of stuff in my days.”
”I can see that,” Taylan agreed. ”That ugly mug of that thing on Bulut's arm gave me the shivers like never before.”
”Well the rest was history from there,” Soykan said, carrying on with his tale.
”We tried to fight our way out but there were a lot of those things and they had an Alpha of sorts. We even got cornered for a while and were about to kiss our asses goodbye, when that Alpha creature created an opening for us.”
”Wait, this Alpha creature you are talking about, was it as ugly as those faceless things?”
”Oww, it did look hella ugly, but at least you could have stomached its ugly mug.”
”So it was only thanks to good looks on its part that it lead the rest, huh?”
”I guess so,” Soykan replied as he lightly snickered, ”but also because it was the most powerful; 1st Circle practitioner.”
”Dang, you do not see a lot of people at that rank.”
”Indeed. Though don't sell yourself short. You guys are about to break into that stage any day now.”
”I guess,” Taylan said with a careless shrug. ”But still, we won't be a match for you, Mr. magic wielder. So humor me, and paint me a picture of it. I do not want to ever run into one of it.”
”Well, the thing was a mix between those wolves you could find in the Golden Plains and those gorillas off in the jungles of the Myriad Temprates, I think.”
Soykan turned to face Taylan and say the confusion on his face, ”Ohh, sorry, I forget that you have never left the Starry Mountains.”
”It is alright,” Taylan said as he waved off Soykan's chagrin. ”Tell me about those other lands.”
”Well, once you really get down to it, there might be some surface level differences, but it is the same old, same old. Individual, whatever they might call themselves, ruling the downtrodden.”
”So, tell me what happened next?” Taylan asked wanting to leave behind the depressing mood.
”Well, that thing was throwing boulders at us while its friends harassed us. Then one of the stones flew above and into the tavern common room. Bulut went ahead while I fought that thing and that must have been when he got injured.”
Once Bulut's injury was brought up, both men went silent as they looked at the medical bay.
”Do you think he will be alright?” Taylan asked as he couldn't help expressing his worry.
”Yea, he is a big man and a tough son of a bitch! Plus Shui knows his stuff and is the best physician there is,” Soykan replied, though he was as worried as the thief.
”So how did things go down on your end?” Soykan asked clearly trying to point Taylan's attention to another side.
”Well, I think I might have caused a civil war in the streets.”
”What do you mean?” Soykan asked as he turned to face the man
”Well, I guess I was too good for my own sake,” Taylan replied as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head
”What did you do Taylan?” Soykan inquired, or more like demanded.
”Well one thing lead to another and then before I knew it, things got out of hand.”
”Details, Taylan!”
”Okay long story short, I really got the Jade Vipers riled up. They brought in their allies and big boss, which their rival responded in kind. Then it just got bigger and bigger from there, until it reached the point where nearly all the city's gangs are fighting in the streets right now.”
Soykan had nothing to respond with as he simply just rubbed at temples trying to alleviate his throbbing headache.
Then suddenly, Magnus and Shui walked out of the medical bay, there was blood all over their clothing and Magnus looked very pale.
”So how did it go?” Taylan asked as he and Soykan were at rapt attention.
”Not so good,” Shui replied as he wearily sighed.