Two days before Ethan and the Allied Tribes entered the White Forest…
“Are all of you sure that this is where you last saw my students?” Professor Rinehart asked the three Wizards who had tried to capture Ethan and Lily when the two of them were running away to escape.
“Y-Yes! This is the place,” one of the chained Wizards replied. “I’m sure of it!”
Professor Barret, who was holding the chains, smiled.
“If you are lying to us, we will torture you again,” Professor Barret stated. “This time, we will not hold back and might even accidentally kill you all. I’m already old, so my hand might slip while holding the blade. I apologize in advance when that happens, okay?”
The ex-Magistratus’ eyes glinted with killing intent, which made the three Wizards shudder.
If they had known that they would personally be hunted by the Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy and the Magistratus considered the strongest before his retirement, they would have left their territory long ago.
Professor Rinehart narrowed his eyes when he noticed the White Raven that landed on the ground where a footprint could still be seen.
He knew that this raven belonged to Ethan, and he didn’t expect it to follow them from the academy.
The Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy took a deep breath before taking out his wand. He then moved it in a circular motion, as tendrils of light moved in front of him.
“Praeteritum Visum!”
A moving photographic image appeared, showing the events that transpired in the past.
Professor Rinehart kept on rewinding time until a White Portal appeared on the image. After rewinding for a bit more, he saw a blue-haired boy, carrying a young lady in his arms, running toward the White Portal.
The two Professors saw the moment when a Stone Bullet hit Ethan’s head, making him collapse face-first in the portal before disappearing from sight.
This confirmed the prisoners’ statement that the two teenagers had entered a Nexus in order to escape their pursuit.
“What do we do, Rinehart?” Professor Barret asked. His voice was tinged with regret and unwillingness.
“We can’t do anything but wait for their return,” Professor Rinehart replied in a calm manner.
Professor Barret could tell that, although the Headmaster looked calm, the latter was doing his best to hold back from killing the prisoners that they had captured.
They were part of the Bandit Organization that not only attacked Merchants and other travelers but were also involved in the human trafficking of Wizards and Witches.
If Professor Rinehart could have his way, he would definitely wipe all of them from the face of Eastshire. However, he couldn’t be everywhere at once.
If not for the fact that Nicole and Chloe immediately sent messages to the academy about what had happened during their expedition, the Bandits and the Wizards who attacked their group wouldn’t have been captured quite so easily.
While the Professor was thinking about what to do next, Dantalion looked at the place where the Nexus once stood.
His eyes glowed faintly, creating ripples in the air.
A moment later, a small white portal appeared that was only as big as a person’s hand.
“Don’t worry, I will bring them back safely,” Dantalion said to the two Professors via Telepathy. “If there is someone who can return to the present after traveling to the past, it will be none other than the Master I serve.”
When he finished saying those words Dantalion flew towards the small portal and vanished alongside it.
Professor Rinehart and Professor Barret glanced at each other, not knowing what to do.
Only after a few minutes had passed did the Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy speak his thoughts out loud.
“Return them to the Dungeons,” Professor Rinehart stated. “I will write a letter to Ethan’s and Lily’s families. They have the right to know what has happened to their family members.”
Professor Barret nodded. “Understood. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Rinehart. Even with enough preparations, we can’t save everyone.”
“I know, Barret,” Professor Rinehart replied. “I just hope that they will be able to return safely.”
The Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy sighed internally before flying towards the sky. Now that things had ended in this manner, the only thing they could do was wait for a miracle to happen.
A miracle that would allow the two teenagers to return to the present, and reunite with their loved ones, who were waiting for their return. 𝚘𝓥𝓁xt.𝗇𝓔t
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After battling the Goblins, the Allied Tribes continued their journey until they arrived at the base of a mountain that seemed to be made up of hard stone. It was very steep and nearly impossible to climb.
This was the natural barrier that prevented anyone from going further upon reaching the edge of the White Forest.
“Tide Bringer, if you please,” Safiya bowed respectfully to Ethan.
Ethan nodded and summoned the Sea God’s Trident. He then used the trident to lightly tap the wall made up of hard rock in front of him.
The Shamans as well as the Great Chieftains waited with bated breath to see if something would happen.
A few seconds later, symbols appeared on the wall’s surface, forming a giant trident.
With a rumbling sound, the wall parted, revealing a path that would allow them to cross to the other side.
Safiya and the Great Chieftains couldn’t help but smile in happiness because they were now certain that they would be able to reach the safe haven, where their Ancestors once lived in the distant past.
With Ethan’s wagon at the lead, the Allied Tribe traversed the Natural Barrier that had opened a path for them.
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Inside the Scarlet Citadel…
The Old Necromancer frowned after sensing a faint ripple of strong magical energy in the distance.
He had been patiently waiting for his Familiars to return to him, but none of the One-Eyed Crimson Bats he sent had returned.
He had ordered them to go to the White Forest to keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals, but even after summoning them multiple times, none of them were answering his call.
What he didn’t know was that a certain White Raven had killed all of his Familiars, preventing them from reporting to their Master.
The Necromancer wasn’t a fool, so he had already thought of the possibility that his Familiars had died.
Going to the large bowl in front of him, the Necromancer once again used his scrying ability to take a peek at what was happening in the forest.
It was then that he saw the Allied Tribes passing through the Natural Barrier using a path that had never been there before.
“I knew it.” A smile appeared on the face of the Old Necromancer. “It seems that the Tide Bringer is really with them. Since that is the case, it’s time to go to the next phase of my plan.”
Tapping the surface of the water, the Necromancer communicated with the Three Great Tribes, the Orcs, the Goblins, as well as the Kobolds.
Since the path to the ancient city was now open, he would not hold back anymore and claim it as his own.
“Make haste and prepare for war,” the Old Necromancer ordered. “All of you gather at the White Forest and wait for my arrival.”
After giving his order, the Old Necromancer gazed towards the Southwest with a sneer.
“I’ve stayed in this decrepit body long enough,” the Old Necromancer smirked. “Now that the perfect vessel has appeared, it would be a waste not to put it to good use, right?”
A faint chuckle escaped the Old Necromancer’s lips as he approached the Altar of the Scarlet Citadel, where a pool of blood was waiting for him.
This blood was collected from the young men and women of the Tribes that had been conquered by his minions, which allowed him to replenish and increase his Necromantic Powers.
The Old Necromancer had hundreds of years to prepare for the arrival of the Tide Bringer, so he was looking forward to the battle that would make everyone in the Lands of Alastor bow down at his feet.