The Inner Odyssey

Alden's bloodlust slowly receded.

He panted heavily, his whole body on fire. The dark tentacles surrounding his figure suddenly winked out like a weak flame.

…A sign that he had used up all his mana.

Against his better judgment, Alden slumped weakly to the ground.

He was so, so tired.

From rushing through the forest nonstop, battling a vast horde, and fighting a Dark Elf, his body had gone through utter hell.

It only seemed fitting that it gave up on him now.

Alden winced.

Countless vibrations racked the earth causing him more suffering as the battle between the Ember Clan and the rest of the Dark Elves intensified.

'...Get up.'

He willed his body to move, but it just wouldn't listen. He gritted his teeth and muttered a silent curse.

Just then, all the hair on Alden's body stood on end. He sat up, tortuously and with great effort.

He saw a ravenous Snow Tiger snap its neck in his direction.

And it wasn't just one…

Rather, Alden discovered he had attracted a sizable group of abominations instead.

'...You have got to be kidding me.'

Alden cursed again.

Now that he had defeated the Dark Elf, all the other Defiled that had wisely kept their distance now wanted him as their next meal. He paled.

Alden immediately tried to crawl away from the abominations. Unfortunately, he was never going to get far.

'Curse it all.'

Alden began to panic.

He didn't want to die.

He still had a lot to do… to say.

He needed to fix the mistakes he had made with Celeste. He needed to see Ignia grow up and realise her potential. He needed to pay back Alistair and Elara for their warmth and care.

He needed…

To live.

Unfortunately for Alden, no amount of desperate wishing could change his current reality.

Death loomed over his head, inescapable and predestined.

The Snow Tiger stood over him like a dark omen, ready to sink its fangs into his soft flesh. Alden's despair peaked. However, just then the abomination suddenly froze and toppled over. Confused, Alden craned his neck and saw two arrows sticking out from the Defiled's eye.

He blinked.

Then, an unconscious smile bloomed on his face.

It seemed…

His precious love had come to save the day.

***

Celeste swiftly dove into the fray.

Her expression was a mixture of distressed and grim. Ignia perched on her shoulder, increasingly restless. It seemed Alden was in some dire trouble, for the little phoenix was urging her to hurry. Celeste needed no further encouragement.

She rushed into the vast army protected by Drakon, a few Paladins, and flame wielders.

The young lady had tried to indicate that this wasn't necessary, but the Ember Heir was adamant. He had used the excuse of ensuring the safety of one of the Chosen of the Divine Sovereigns to come along.

Which… was just a load of crap.

Celeste inwardly knew that it was a ploy by Drakon to make sure he didn't lose sight of Ignia. Perhaps he also wanted to do something more sinister.

Something like… getting rid of Alden during all the chaos.

She clenched her teeth.

'Like hell am I going to let him do that!'

Celeste's fury simmered underneath a cold and focused facade. She was angry at the Dark Elves for wantonly slaughtering the innocent people of her race. She was furious at Drakon for forcing Alden to escape from the Sanctuary.

But most of all…

She was angry at herself.

For being so weak and stubborn.

And selfish…

Celeste pressed on, determined to reach Alden in time. If he died during this, she would never forgive herself.

Ever.

And so, with that desire spurring her on, she made haste.

The young archer and flame wielders slammed into the vast horde like a furious sledgehammer, tearing through their ranks with startling speed. Drakon seemed like a herald of calamity, his attacks burning multiple abominations to a crisp. From the outside, it didn't seem like his flames were impure.

However, Celeste knew.

She knew that his fire was adulterated.

Still, the Ember heir kept fighting, with no outward sign of being affected by his bottleneck. A crazy grin marred his face. His spear was also sharp and lethal, reaping the lives of Defiled one after the other.

Drakon had made that feat look effortless. It seemed his combat prowess lived up to his position as a successor to one of the Four Clans.

Celeste internally cursed.

The Paladins, meanwhile, were not to be outdone by the Ember Heir. As Champions who had joined the Sanctuary's Guard, they were anything but weak.

…And this battle showed that.

Some used axes. Some used swords. Some used spears and sabers. Some even used gauntlets. However, no matter which weapon they brandished, all of them relied on the might of their flames.

Celeste saw quite a few Paladins engulf themselves in fire, their figures burning like destructive fire spirits.

Some waved their hands, instantly peppering the Defiled with a bombardment from hell. Some got up close and personal, manipulating and compressing their flames to form a fiery punch...

That was not all.

The Paladins also had stunning teamwork, easily shifting formation when the situation called for it. All of this culminated in a destructive and extremely lethal force.

The abominations stood no chance. The same applied to the solitary Dark Elf they encountered here and there, the creature's ice no match for the combined might of the Ember Clan and those of the Sanctuary's Guard.

More steam kicked up in the air. The thin mist hampered Celeste's vision a little, but she compensated for that by using her Mana Sense.

Arrow after arrow left her quiver, downing any abomination unlucky to enter her range.

Eventually, she sensed Ignia go absolutely still. Instead of being happy Celeste felt a hint of panic bloom inside her.

'Hang in there, Al. Please!'

Her heart began to beat faster.

A short while later, through her Mana Sense, Celeste spied a battered figure desperately crawling away from a small mob of Defiled. It took her a moment to recognise her beloved childhood friend, but as soon as she did, a jolt of dread ran through her body.

'Al!'

Celeste paled.

The abominations were almost upon him now. A torrent of panic engulfed her figure.

Just as one tiger was about to plunge its fangs into Alden, she instinctively fired off two arrows.

One after the other.

The projectiles swiftly hit their mark.

With the immediate danger over, she rushed forward.

Alden needed her.