Retnan's chest heaved as he attempted again to get on his feet, but fell back to the ground. The statue stood still, looking at Meliah. Her blade raised, but she didn't strike first. Yet. Neither did the statue. Its hands were still clasped together like it was saying a prayer, its mouth mumbling words inaudible.
Zap. It vanished. Retnan's heart leaped.
He looked around, expecting an attack from behind. Then he saw it the statue lifting the head of the six-horned beast in its arms, carrying it like a child.
Retnan realized the symbolism of the missing child. The six-horned beast was her child. And they had angered a mother.
"You! Retnan. I can use another attack, but I'm not sure it would finish the beast." Meliah said, her eyes never leaving the mother statue. She steadied her grip on her blade.
But Retnan knew it wouldn't work. It hadn't fully unleashed its mana, and the pressure was still this high surrounding the environment. She could unleash an attack from any direction.
"Shit, what do I do now!" Retnan looked at his sword. With both foot injured he was vulnerable.
The statue turned to Meliah. And for the first time, its words were audible. "Kill. Kill. Kill. I'll kill… you."
It screamed with raw anger. Dark ink began to gush out of the ground. The swirling sky stilled.
Its mana pressure filled the air. So heavy. Meliah's knees buckled, dropping her down before she forced herself back up.
The ink began to rise, forming a huge dome around them. Pitch black. The ink level increased, pooling submerging them. Retnan splashed as he tried to keep his head above it. Meliah sank due to her armor, but after she unstrapped it she swam free and gasped for air.
The ink kept rising. Meliah tried to freeze it, but her mana was unable to form. She was getting drained. Exhausted just from swimming in the ink.
Retnan's mana was draining too, but even with what he had left he couldn't wish.
He couldn't cut through liquid. It was useless. Retnan looked up at the dome ceiling the ink level almost reached it.
'I never intended to die this way.'
Then Retnan and Meliah both froze when they heard the statue screeching in pain. They stared at each other.
Meliah's lips twitched. "Took them long enough.
Boom. A huge pillar broke through the dome structure and crashed into the ink. Cracks spread from the top down before the dome collapsed and the ink flushed away.
Retnan lay on the ground. His hospital gown had changed color from white to ink-purple. His hair plastered against his forehead. He stared at the sky. 'Who did that?'
"Commander. Good to see you alright."
"Antell. Don't tell me you guys took so long arguing. You should have arrived earlier." Meliah shook her head.
Dressed in a librarian outfit, she wore glasses and held a book at her side with a pouch at her waist. Was Antell.
"Apologies. I tried to get to the root cause of the argument, but Flower and Vixen are just too stubborn."
Another figure in heavy armor dark dreadlocks walked quietly up to Meliah and wrapped her knight's cape around her.
"Thanks. Ariel."
Ariel nodded only.
"You caught another." Antell gestured to Retnan.
Meliah nodded. "…But he's different."
A large explosion caught Retnan's attention. He looked over to find a group of women battling the statue, all wearing capes with the same design.
"Verdant-craft: Venus Titan!"
"Zephium-craft: Wind Serpent Hurricane!"
"Dual-craft: Cannon Bomb!"
They yelled their incantations simultaneously. Three different colors of mana flared. A Venus flytrap appeared with the towering figure of a Titan.
Ink began to form at the statue's palm, twisting into a pointy edge. More formed around her, about to launch a large-scale attack.
The Venus Titan crushed her with its craft. The statue broke free, jumping into the air. A gush of wind surrounded her calm at first, then turning into a violent hurricane. The wind formed a snake that snapped at the statue, dealing damage before dispersing into wind, then forming again to attack. The cycle continued with the statue having no way to escape or evade.
Ariel then stepped forward. "Terrath-craft: Cages of Pillar." Stone pillars shot out of the ground, sealing the statue hands and legs.
"Vixen, it's up to you."
A cannonball shot toward the statue, burning a path through the air. Boom. It impacted and exploded. The force pushed Retnan backwards.
The statue's body started showing signs of cracks. But it wasn't done. A second cannonball charged when ink began to form. Another figure stepped in and touched the ink. "Umbraeth-craft: Ten Shadow Puppets." The ink didn't flow to the statue anymore. It formed stick figures the hooded woman controlled. They latched onto the pillars and spread, reinforcing them.
A piece of paper floated from Antell's book and it stuck to the beast. "Voltyr-craft: Lightning Talisman." Lightning spread around the statue. Cannon explosions joined in. Boom. Painting the sky fire-red. Smoke and dust spread.
Retnan kept his eyes on the smoke as it dispersed. When it did, the statue was still able to raise its head barely. Its face cracked and fell away. Cracks snaked deep. But ink filled the cracks and it began to heal.
Then the finishing blow the Venus Titan snapped shut, crushing it in its trap, turning it to mere dust. Or that was what they thought. The head of the statue was still whole. It dropped toward the pool of ink. Earlier Retnan noticed the ink healed the statue. If it fell in, it would be another problem.
He picked up his blade. Endured the pain just to stand, then slid. A second before the statue touched the ink, his blade carved into it and sliced it in two.
Boom. It burst into dust.
But the knights brushed his effort off.
"Woooo! We crushed it!" A woman with emerald hair and matching eyes rejoiced, arms in the air. She wore baggy pants and only a bra, no armor except her short knight's cape red with gold stripes and a V engraved on it. She was the one who'd used the dual affinity combo.
"Hmph. Like it stood a chance." Another woman joined her, flinging her hair and placing a hand on her waist. Tall, dressed in a cropped shirt and mini skirt, smooth legs in pantyhose with light armor overlay and a knight's cape with a Z engraved.
"Umm… I'm just… happy nobody was hurt." Hiding behind the tall woman a petite girl in a baby-pink Virgilia-style dress with armor overlay and a color-coded cape. W.
The last figure was cloaked. She walked to Retnan and stood before him, looking into his eyes with hatred. He didn't flinch. "Commander. Why is he still breathing?" Her voice was cold. Matching her stare.
"That's the thanks I get?" Retnan said
Meliah sighed. "Lomi. Murder is a crime. He trespassed, he didn't kill anyone."
"He'll serve the usual year of imprisonment." Antell said, adjusting her glasses.
Retnan's brows furrowed. "I seriously burned my foot so me and your commander here could survive."
"She wouldn't have needed your help. I'm pretty sure you were a burden rather than a help," Lomi said.
They gathered around Retnan, everyone with different reactions.
"Great. We found another."
"He's… he's… handsome."
"Probably a pervert."
"Hey. Take off your clothes."
"I'm not a pervert. I'm not taking my clothes off. And yes, I'm handsome."
They went silent before one of the girls laughed. "He's got guts. Commander, can we keep him?"
"Can I make you a deal?" Retnan cut in. He turned to Meliah. "You're their commander. What if I serve my sentence as a knight rather than in jail."
"There's no way we're considering that. What makes you different? We already have thousands of trainees. Talented ones." Antell snapped her book shut hearing him trying to negotiate.
Retnan smirked. "Do your trainees have a conceptual affinity? Wish-craft?"
They all gasped and exchanged glances.
It was then that Meliah's suspicion crystallized it explained the sword appearing from nowhere, and how his build had changed. He could wish things into existence.
"Prove it!" Lomi said.
"I can't. Not now at least. But you can ask your commander."
They all turned to Meliah. 'Fingers crossed she'd agree.' He had more possibility of finding the artifact as a knight than locked up.
"I believe he's telling the truth." She stood up. "Moments ago he looked like a skeleton with skin… now" She gestured to him. "He's different. There's no other explanation. Only a conceptual affinity can do that."
After a brief silence, Antell spoke.
"Fine. I'm only agreeing to this because I trust my commander's judgment. But just know" she adjusted her glasses "you'll be on heavy surveillance."
"Me too. As long as I get to use him." The emerald-eyed girl winked at Retnan.
They all voted to recruit Retnan for their own various reasons. Except for Lomi, who still looked at him with hatred.
Retnan was relieved. He'd escaped jail. Though he'd negotiated to serve one year, he wasn't planning to stay. One month find the artifact and leave. As a knight, he'd have access to things to aid his research. His artifact hunt had just begun.