Spiritbound [Spirit Magic, Military, Progression] (Book 1 Complete)

Tucker could tell from Reynold's gaze that he believed what Nox was saying, and to some extent, it was true. He was going to kill him. But right now, the surrounding people were slowly turning against him.

"Stand down, Captain Welford," Reynold ordered.

"Listen, Reynold, now isn't the time for this bullshit," Tucker said with rage. "Nox escaped prison and—"

"Escaped?" Nox scoffed. "The Commander pardoned me himself. But the Captains of the fallen platoons had other plans!"

"Bullshit." Tucker glared at him. "Don't believe a word he's saying."

"They… they killed Sir Monty and Sir Edward…" Nox's eyes grew watery, his hands trembled by his side. "The Commander's knights bought time for me to escape, and if it wasn't for them, I would have died!"

The soldiers turned to Tucker with complicated expressions, yet Tucker didn't know what to say. Arguing would get him nowhere. His relation with Reynold was non-existent, and judging by the soldiers' reactions, they were all acquainted one way or another with the two knights Luka and Jones were fighting. The problem was figuring out how to rationally win this situation.

Tucker took a step back and looked at Reynold. "Tell me, do you know what Nox did?"

"Reynold, don't listen to him—"

Reynold held out his hand, instantly silencing him. "Stop talking, Nox. Let me hear what Captain Welford has to say."

"In one day, in the span of a few hours, we lost thousands of soldiers. Hundreds of knights." Tucker stared at his blade with a conflicted gaze. "Do you think your father, the commander of the Bastion, would pardon the one responsible for such an incident?"

Reynold glanced at Nox, then back at Tucker. "I get that you're upset about what happened, but that doesn't mean you get to exact justice on him."

"It's not about justice, Reynold. It's about reason." Tucker kept his sword pointed at Nox. "Do you think that your father would pardon him?" he asked once more.

The commander's son couldn't answer, because he knew his father very well. Carl wouldn't pardon Nox, not without probable cause. He stared at the advisor and asked, "What was the reason my father pardoned you?"

Nox grabbed his arm. A trace of sadness flickered in his eyes. "He needed my advice for the upcoming fight. I don't know why else he would give me another chance even though I don't deserve it. But you have to believe me… if I don't make it to him now, it'll be too late!"

Tucker shook his head with a disgusted expression. He stared at Reynold, who was teetering towards Nox's side. It was hard to win in a battle of words when emotion was involved.

"Look, if we can't reach a compromise, then let's do this. If the commander wants advice from him, then there's no reason for him not to have restraints." Tucker held his sword towards Reynold with the hilt pointed towards him. "I'll give you my damn sword and all I ask in return is that you use mana draining cuffs on Nox—"

"Don't trust him Reynold! He's trying to make you lower your guard—"

Before Nox could finish his sentence, Tucker threw his sword on the ground. It clattered against the dirt and stone, scraping against the earth as it slid to a stop at Reynold's feet.

"Cuff Advisor Nox," Reynold ordered.

Nox clenched his jaw but said nothing. A soldier stepped forward, walking over with a pair of metal handcuffs to restrain him. They could see the faint inscriptions glow on the surface and as Nox held out his hands in silence. Everything seemed like it was over.

But once the soldier was within reach, Nox moved. Quickly grabbing onto the soldier's wrist and twisting it behind him. Nox spun the man around—forcing everyone to see the soldier's face. Then, with both hands, Nox gripped the man's head.

Crack!

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A sharp snap echoed like a whip through the ruined city. The soldier's body crumpled to the ground, and a cold silence followed. Everyone froze, their faces growing pale. Even Tucker was speechless at what just happened.

Reynold's face flushed with rage, watching as the last wisps of life left the soldier's lips. "What the hell are you doing, Nox?!"

Nox slowly exhaled. "I always thought you were a simpleton, but I guess some of the Commander's traits would carry over, Reynold."

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Reynold's voice was seething. He glared at Nox with a mix of disbelief and anger. "You've forfeited everything you've built. Everything you've done!"

"And I don't care." Nox ran his fingers through his hair. "I just did what I needed to do."

Reynold kicked Tucker's sword up and into his hands. He threw the blade back at the watchman and turned to his men. "Detain him. If not, kill him."

The soldiers surged towards Nox, but the advisor simply grinned. With a snap of his fingers, glowing glyphs ignited in the air. Three magic circles materialized around him, each layered with two rotating rings that faintly hummed. The outer ring held six mana-filled sockets, pulsing with energy, while the inner ring shimmered with inscriptions designed to amplify the spell. At the heart of it all blazed a single word, Flammae. The catalyst behind the incantation.

Tucker felt the air thicken. His breath growing heavy as mana swelled around them, warping the space with heat. A wave of dread swept through the ranks. The soldiers dove for cover just as a barrage of fireballs erupted from the center of the circles. One after another, a relentless shrieking crossed through the land, hammering the ground in a cascade of explosive force.

Yet the captain of the Thirty-First stood strong, catching his sword mid-fall and sprinting forward with his eyes locked on Nox. The soldiers who followed Reynold were in disbelief, watching the watchman swiftly dodge the incoming projectiles.

In the back of Tucker's mind, he counted the fireballs that sought to take his life. At most, only eighteen fireballs could be fired from the magic circles. After that, mages needed time to cast their next spell. So the only reason this many circles had appeared at once was because Nox had been preparing them during their conversation. He had stalled on purpose. He planned this escape.

He can't get away.

That firm conviction became stronger. But as Tucker closed the distance, the air around him shifted. The mana twisted once more. A chill crept down his spine. Nox's eyes met his, calm and cunning, as a fresh set of magic circles began to form. Tucker moved instantly, drawing the last two daggers from his belt and hurled them toward the forming glyphs. One struck the central sigil, cracking it just as the third circle flared to life, releasing a sudden burst of wind that sent the soldiers tumbling back.

All except for Reynold, who stood his ground, eyes cold and fixated on the advisor.

The fact that Nox could concurrently channel spells confirmed it. He had reached the Fifth Circle. A chain sorcerer, fully capable of weaving spells in tandem. He stood motionless while examining Reynold as another trio of magic circles bloomed behind him. Two were identical to the earlier flames, but the third was different. It had only a single ring, ticking slowly while steadily drawing in mana from the world.

Reynold sprinted at him, blade enveloped in a violet aura. As he closed the distance, Nox stretched out a hand toward the fallen soldier's weapon. Mana sparked from his fingertips, pulling the weapon into his grasp.

Their swords collided with a deafening explosion as sparks danced on the edge of their blades. Metal on metal ringing with force that shook the bones of the nearby soldiers.

Reynold narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

Nox gave a mocking smile. "What do you mean? I'm your friend. Your childhood friend."

"Don't fuck with me!" Reynold roared. "I knew Nox very fucking well. I grew up with him, and he was never a Fifth Circle mage."

"Why? You didn't expect me to have a breakthrough? To rise above mediocrity?" Nox locked blades with Reynold. He pushed back, but the strength in his strikes was unnatural. Augmented. Beneath his robes, artifacts pulsed, bolstering his body. "Sorry to disappoint you, Reynold… but even I can grow stronger through the right means."

The two magic circles flared once more, but none of them were aimed at Reynold; instead, they were aimed at the soldiers who were further back. Reynold cursed beneath his breath, eyes shifting to the side.

"Even now, you still don't realize the situation you're in." Nox followed through with his slash, tearing into Reynold's shoulder as the knight lost focus.

The fiery projectiles rushed towards the soldiers, and Tucker couldn't help but grit his teeth in frustration. The earlier attack had pushed him back. His physical strength was fading and he was near his breaking point from exhaustion. The timer on the spell was nearly complete and from the word resting in the center. Tucker knew Nox planned to blink away once more.

The only weapon he had left was his sword, and without sparing a second, Tucker flung it towards the final magic circle.

The blade spun in the air, shrouded in aura, but right before it could hit its mark. Nox smiled, his robes fluttering for a moment as a plaque with an Emerald resting above a tower came into view.

"We'll meet again," he said, kicking Reynold back.

His figure flickered, a burst of golden light erupted across the field. Soldiers rushed in, desperate to intercept him, but it was too late. Nox was unshaken. He had completed his task, and with that, he raised his hand above his head and snapped his fingers. In an instant, he vanished, slipping from their grasp without resistance. Only a faint shimmer of mana lingered where he stood. Their hearts collapsed as a single realization filled their minds.

They... had failed.