The mysterious elder moved slowly to Egelza's side, his cloak floating behind him. His presence was overwhelming, and the room itself seemed to shrink under the intensity of his aura. He stared at Egelza, and she felt as if he were probing her very soul.
"Come, Maga of the Dawn, explain yourself," the Elder said. "You must remember that loyalty to Olaynore comes before all else."
Egelza trembled with fear and couldn't even think to form a sentence. She knew she had made a mistake by teleporting all these people to the Citadel of the Magi, but she didn't know how to correct it, because she still thought it was the best solution. Egelza didn't know if she could defeat the Psyker alone.
The Elder realized that Egelza was not going to answer him, so he turned his attention to Kaizen and the others.
"Honorable Psyker and Apprentice Dhetha, I know you think you have a noble goal, I know you think you are doing your best," he said, looking at them with a serious expression. "But if you really cared about the fate of Alina or Olaynore, you should have been more careful."
Kaizen stepped forward and stood in front of the elder, refraining from bowing respectfully. Instead, Kaizen stared at him fearlessly.
"Was that a threat?" Kaizen asked.
The Elder sighed and nodded his head in the affirmative. "Yes, that was a threat, Mr. Psyker. Don't think that because you are different from normal humans that we are afraid of you. Your current power is not enough to thwart our plans."
Kaizen frowned, but didn't back down. "I don't want to stop your plans, old man. I just want to save Alina. And if that means facing you, then I will face you as many times as it takes."
The elder looked at Kaizen for a few moments before speaking again. "I find you courageous, Psyker, but that courage will be your undoing. You are dealing with forces beyond your comprehension, and I believe the battle you seek is not one you can win."
Psyker looked at Dhetha and Alina for a moment, then turned his face forward to face the elder again. "If you provoke me further, this battle will only be a prelude to the destruction I will bring to your lives and to this place."
The elven mage remained silent for a few seconds, analyzing the psyker's stance before finally answering:
"We do not want war with you, Psyker. We don't want bloodshed," the elder said, trying to calm the situation. "But if you insist on going down the path that is against us, we will have no choice but to act in defense of our beliefs and our goals."
Kaizen seemed to ponder the elder's words for a moment before answering. "I do not seek war either. You know that. But if saving Alina means defying the Order for you, then so be it. I will fight with everything I have to protect her."
The Elder sighed, knowing that the situation was becoming more and more complicated. "Very well, Psyker. But know that the decision you have just made will have very serious consequences. You have not only threatened me, an Elder Mage, but also all of Olaynore. You will be judged for this."
In the next instant, the Elder raised his left hand to the level of his abdomen, and suddenly a black ball appeared above his palm. This black ball was as dark as the void of space, and it seemed to absorb the light around it like a black hole. It also pulsed with a mysterious energy, like an atom in its last moments of life. Psyker and the others felt an overwhelming pressure on their bodies, as if they were being pulled down by an extreme gravitational force. This was not <Telekinesis>, this was something stronger.
Kaizen, Dhetha, and Alina felt a wave of pure fear run through their bodies, knowing that the Elder not only had a terrifying aura, but also an oppressive amount of mana to use spells like this, capable of paralyzing their movements. Undoubtedly, the Elder was a powerful and experienced mage, with hundreds of years of practice in his magical skills, and probably able to control the natural elements with ease. He was the worst possible opponent.
Damn, I thought he would crack if I provoked him, but it seems he's not that kind of character. Kaizen thought, trying not to fall to his knees.
Meanwhile, the Elder used his other hand to form a glowing fireball that was so large it looked like a miniature sun, emitting a blinding, searing light. The fireball floated above the Elder's palm, slowly spinning as it grew larger, and he prepared to launch it. The Elder's eyes glowed with an eager intensity as he smiled with confidence.
As the Elder built up a massive amount of energy over the heads of Kaizen, Alina, Dhetha, and Egelza, something unexpected happened. A deafening sound echoed through the room, and the Elder momentarily lost control of the energy he was accumulating, not because of the bang, but because of the hand that grabbed his right arm. Everyone turned their attention to the one who had stood in the Elder's way, and their eyes widened as they saw that it was the legendary Guardian of the Forgotten Forest who had saved them from certain death.
The golden hand of the Guardian's natural armor glowed, and the fireball slowly began to fade, as if draining the elf's mana.
The Elder took a step back, surprised by the Guardian's appearance, and deactivated all of his spells, allowing Kaizen and the others to finally move again.
"Elder, enough," the Guardian said, his voice echoing through the room.
The appearance of the Guardian of the Forgotten Forest was majestic, with shining golden armor covering its entire body and possessing a consciousness of its own. Definitely a legendary creature trapped inside the shining metal. His red eyes shone brightly inside his helmet, radiating an aura of power, wisdom, and severity all at once.
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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