"So, this is your magic power." Regaleon stood up after feeling that the force weighing on him was lifted. "I can't let my guard down just because you are a woman."
Regaleon pulled his sword out of its sheath and pointed it towards the queen.
"You dare point your sword at me!" The queen yelled in rage.
"What did you expect, a warm welcome?" Regaleon said mockingly. "Well my fire is quite warm, I hope it is to your liking!"
Regaleon launched a fire ball attack towards the queen. But it was deflected by a water magic.
"Your majesty!" Jeremy said while arriving at the scene.
"Why are you just arriving now?!" The queen growled.
"We are sorry for being late" Clara said arriving just after her brother Jeremy.
"It's you two again." Regaleon recognized the two people who just arrived. He wouldn't forget these two that tried to kidnap Alicia one too many times.
"It is an honor for the king of Grandcrest to remember such a lowly person as me." Jeremy said.
"How could I just forget the person that tried to abduct my Alicia, not one but two times?" Regaleon smirked coldly. "We have fought each other for a few times. And now you are in my path once again."
"We won't let you hurt our queen!" Clara yelled.
The siblings stood in front of the queen defensively.
"If you stand in my way then so be it." Regaleon pointed his sword and got ready to charge.
"Your majesty, let me handle this and go get the queen." Dimitri said standing by Regaleon's side.
Regaleon looked at him with a serious face. "Are you sure you can handle this? You are going against two."
"Of course your majesty." Dimtri said confidently. "And I am not alone."
Not long, two of Dimitri's men arrived at the scene.
"Hmm. Then I will leave them to you." Regaleon nodded.
"Of course your majesty." Dimitri and his men readied for battle.
"My queen, please escape while you can. We will stop them here." Jeremy said while readying himself.
"Be sure to not let them thru." The queen ordered and retreated with the vice admiral and lady in waiting.
"This way your majesty." The vice admiral leads the way.
The three retreated while the siblings defended their path.
"I won't let you get away!" Regaleon ran to chase them when Jeremy blocked his path.
"I won't let you thru!" Jeremy charged with his sword and Regaelon blocked him.
"You again." Regaleon said with gritted teeth.
They pushed each other back with force. Jeremy charged again but it was Dimitri that blocked Jeremy's attack.
"I will be your opponent." Dimitri said while Jeremy had an irritated face.
Regaleon took this time to run past Jeremy and Dimitri But Clara was in front of him to block his way.
"We won't let you thru!" Clara was about to launch a magic attack when Dimitri's men defended Regaleon.
"Your majesty, we will deal with the girl. Please move forward." One of Dimitri's men said.
"Thank you." Regaleon replied.
"No you won't! I won't let you!" Clara took a step back to catch Regaleon but was intercepted by one of Dimitri's men.
"Get out of my way!" Clara said in rage but cannot do anything with two men blocking her way. "This is unfair. Two against one and I am also a girl."
"I am sorry miss but we won't make a mistake of underestimating you just because you are a girl." One of Dimitri's men replied.
After fighting against these siblings in the past, Dimitri knew not to underestimate their fighting and magic abilities. For them to serve by the crown prince's side and now they were with the queen, just mean they are stronger than an average Atlantian.
Dimitri is strong to fight Jeremy one on one, while his other men have to take on Clara two against one.
"Tsk… you aren't gentlemen even with us being same Atlantians." Clara said while trading blows with Dimitri's men.
"Why are you doing this?" Jeremy asked while fighting against Dimitri. "You are all Atlantians as well. We should be fighting on the same side."
Dimitri and Jeremy were equal in strength and magic power. If either one of them loose focus, even just for a split second, then he will surely lose.
Dimitri maintained his serious look, not letting Jeremy's words shake him.
"So what if I am also an Atlantian? Does that mean I have to follow your queen as my master just because she is of royal blood?" Dimitri countered.
"Of course it is a given. She will raise our country of Atlantia from the ashes and lead it to victory against the countries that oppressed us." Jeremy said.
"You say all that but do you even remember what happened in the war?" Dimitri asked. Jeremy didn't reply and stayed silent while they are still exchanging blows.
"Judging by your age, you were not older than five years old when the war raged this continent, while I was eight years old and saw the death and suffering." Dimitri said. "I remember clearly what happened in the war and how the royal family left us for dead."
"T-That…" Jeremy wanted to refute but cannot think of what to say.
"You cannot blame me for not giving my trust to your queen. She is trying to revive the forbidden magic that left our country at the bottom of the sea and took the lives of many Atlantians." Dimitri said with seriousness. "I will give my loyalty to my king to which I know will give us a much brighter future."
Dimitri has the same water magic as Jeremy and their fight was equal in terms of sword and magic attacks. But after their exchange of words, Dimitri kept his calm while Jeremy was slightly shaken. Dimitri took this advantage to use one of his magic abilities that he was still honing, and that is the use of darkness.
Light and dark magic are said to be the two most powerful magic attribute there is in Atlantia. Only a handful of Atlantians have showed signs of wielding such magic abilities. Dimitri's dark magic only manifested when he was twelve years old. That was when he was still under Regaleon's mother's care.
At first Dimitri was scared of such a strong power that can devour anything in its path. But fortunately, Regaleon's mother was the former head of the mages in Atlantia and was a great magic user. She helped him control this ability. And even after her death, Dimtri honed this ability but seldom uses it because of the fear of being out of control.
'I guess this is the best time to use this magic.' Dimitri thought and concentrated while defending from Jeremy's attacks.
Jeremy was relentlessly attacking Dimitri when he felt something chilling. All of the hair on his body stood up in alarm and he can feel fear but doesn't know why.
By that time, Dimitri's shadow under him started to widen. Little by little, it spreads around him and was swallowing anything it touches.
"W-What…" Jeremy saw this and was alarmed. "T-That is… darkness…"
Jeremy knew of this attribute in his studies under an Atlantian mage. He knew it but this was the first time he came across someone that wields such strong magic attribute.
"Clara! Get back, get back to a safer distance. NOW!" Jeremy shouted.
But it was too late for him. The darkness has reached his footing and he was sinking slowly.
"B-Brother!" Clara shouted in fright.
**
Regaleon was running fast to catch the escaping queen. The queen's group was able to get to shore while he was looking for a way to cross the water.
"Your majesty, let me." Some of Dimitri's men accompanied him on the chase.
The man put his hand on the wooden ledge of the ship, not long the wood grew into branches and made a wooden bridge towards the river shore.
"Thank you. Let's get going." Regaleon ordered.
Regaleon and his men continued their pursuit with the queen's group. All Regaleon was thinking now is not letting the queen get away. If he was able to get the queen, he can use her as a wager against Jennovia and his son Prince Gladiolus.
'Having her as a hostage can stop this war sooner than expected.' Regaleon thought.
Regaleon and his men reach the river shore when they were attacked by magic user. His men defended him from the attack and fortunately no one was hurt.
"You are so persistent, young king of Grandcrest." The queen came out from the shadows. "Do you think you can catch me? I am afraid you will be the one that will fall here, King Regaleon."
Queen Patricia was able to get to the safety of her men. Her guards consist of Atlantians that can use magic.
'Good thing Dimitri let me take some of his men.' Regaleon thought.
Both of the group are Atlantian magic users, making the fight equal.
"you are so confident on your words Queen Patricia. Let's just see who will fall tonight." Regaleon gave out a smirk. "Charge!" He yelled.
The fight started between the two groups. The sounds of swords clashing are heard and different magic attributes are used in the fight. Regaleon advanced step by step, swinging his sword and using his magic.
Queen Patricia was standing behind her guards that were defending her carefully. She had an irritated face seeing that Regaleon's men can stand their ground against her men.
"My queen, it is best if you flee from here." One of her guards said to her.
"Hmm." The queen nodded. "Make sure to kill him." She ordered.
"Yes your majesty." The guard bowed his head.
When the queen was about to flee, a bright light from behind her flashed. It blinded the people around for a few seconds. When the light disappeared, the queen opened her eyes and looked behind her. She saw many of her men lying on the ground, some still standing but was visibly distorted.
"W-What just happened?" The queen was wide eye in surprise. "Y-You… it can't be."
The queen looked at Regaleon with surprise and fear.
"Do you know that power?" Regaleon asked. "I also just found out I have such magic attribute and I am still new in using it. But judging by your fallen guards, I was able to use it quite well."
"Light magic?!" The queen said with uncertainty.
Light magic is an attribute more on the defensive side rather than offense. It can be used to heal wounds and injuries. It can also boost stamina and cure ailments such as poisons and the like. What Regaleon did now was to drain the stamina of the queen's guards. Those that are lying on the ground were unconscious after their stamina ran out. The ones that are still standing have stronger stamina and could withstand Regaleon's attack.
'I expected this.' Regaleon thought.
Regaleon's light magic surfaced just after Alicia was abducted. He was not yet used to using this kind of magic and no one was there to teach him how to. He self studied and this was the result.
"You… I will kill you here and now before you become an even more threat!" The queen yelled in anger. She raised her hand and the earth beneath them trembled.
There was an earthquake and the ground started to split in two.
"You will die here King Regaleon of Grandcrest!" Queen Patricia used her magic to tear the earth under them open.
Regaleon and his men were in a critical location. The ground underneath them was splitting apart. The queen's unconscious men fell on the cracks.
"Stop! Your men are falling." Regaleon shouted but the queen acted as if she didn't hear anything and continued.
"Damit!" Regaleon cursed. "Disperse out. Don't let yourself fall." He ordered.
Regaleon looked at the queen that was looking at him with a piercing gaze.
'I need to stop this lunatic and fast.' Regaleon thought as he was thinking of a way out of this predicament.
edited by: nalyn