Alpha Instinct-Chapter 72: "Two Days Off Course"

The dust slowly settled, revealing the scale of the destruction. Trees lay toppled like toothpicks, rocks were shattered, and at the center of it all, the colossal body of the Cragheart lay motionless. The silence was almost deafening, considering the chaos that had reigned in the forest just moments before.

Leonard, leaning against a tree, was breathing heavily. Pain shot through his entire body, but the adrenaline from the battle still coursed through his veins. His eyes searched for his companions.

Mikaela knelt beside Kaleb, who was pale and trembling, but conscious. She was casting another healing spell, the golden glow enveloping the mage’s injured arm.

"Kaleb… you were... incredible," Leonard said, with a weak smile.

Kaleb tried to reply, but the words came out as a faint, indistinct murmur. He seemed exhausted, both physically and magically drained.

Evelyn, who had nimbly descended from the Cragheart’s body, approached Leonard, concerned. "Are you alright?" she asked, scanning him for injuries.

"I’ll be okay," Leonard replied, nodding. "Just need a minute."

He moved away slightly, leaning against a tree, and closed his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing. The image of the Cragheart falling, the sound of the crystal shattering, Kaleb’s explosion of fire—everything replayed in his mind. He had felt Kaleb’s power—the sheer force of that magic. It was something terrifying, but also… inspiring.

"He really pulled it off..." Leonard murmured to himself, laughing softly, non-stop. A mix of admiration and disbelief.

When he opened his eyes, Mikaela was beside him, her expression serious. "We need to get out of here," she said. "This fight... it drew attention. We’re not safe here."

As she tried to stand up, Mikaela’s knees buckled. Leo tried to support her, but she stopped him. "I’m fine, let’s go."

Leonard nodded. He knew Mikaela was right. The explosion, the Cragheart’s roar, the very energy released during the battle—all of it could have alerted other Leirions, or worse, the King’s spies.

"Can Kaleb walk?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Mikaela looked at the mage, who was still recovering, leaning heavily on his staff, a grimace on his face. "I think so... with some help."

Carefully, they helped Kaleb to his feet. He was still dizzy and weak, barely able to stand, but he could lean on Mikaela for support.

"I got the horses back, but where are we going?" Evelyn asked, looking around, assessing the situation.

Leonard scanned the devastated forest, trying to get his bearings. The fight had wrecked a large section of the woods, making it hard to recognize the way back.

"The Skull Volcanoes…", he said, pointing vaguely. "We need to complete the mission. Saito said it was urgent."

He knew it was a risky decision. They were injured, exhausted, and extremely vulnerable. But he also knew they couldn’t afford to wait. Time was running out, and every lost second could be the difference.

Leonard took a deep breath, trying to push aside the fatigue and pain. "We have to keep moving... now. And we need that," he added, pointing towards the large amethyst crystal embedded in the Cragheart’s head. "I’ll get it." He moved towards the Leirion’s carcass, ignoring the twinges of pain throughout his body.

"Come on, Kaleb, Mikaela, I’ll help you," Evelyn said, assisting them to mount their respective horses. "Can you ride, Kaleb?" she asked, with genuine concern in her voice.

"After Mikaela’s spell... I can manage," he replied, with a visible effort.

Leonard retrieved the large crystal from the Leirion, grunting with the effort. "Wow... this must weigh around fifteen pounds," he commented, a new smile returning to his lips, a glimmer of satisfaction replacing the exhaustion on his face.

All of them, mounted on their horses, quickly left the Vulture’s Forest.

"Mikaela, can you tell if there’s an outpost or a village on the way?"

"Look at him, playing leader." Evelyn laughed softly.

Leonard blushed, shrugging.

Mikaela commented, "The boy’s turned into a man," and smiled as well.

"Ha! You’re one to talk, Leonard," Kaleb said, happy the attention wasn’t on him.

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"Well, Leo, there’s a village less than a day’s ride from the main route," Mikaela stated, checking the maps.

Leonard cleared his throat, getting back to himself. "Let’s go there; we need to rest."

Everyone agreed.

"We got lucky." Evelyn pointed out, her battle experience at the tip of her tongue.

"Why do you say that?" Leonard asked.

"The Vulture Forest is a silver-rank area. We wouldn’t have had the same luck in a gold-rank area against a named colossal."

Kaleb commented, "Tell that to Leonard, who’s going to face an Ursulus Rex." A heavy silence momentarily hung in the air... "Alone," he completed.

A chill ran down Evelyn’s spine; the blood drained from her face in disbelief. "It’s pretty messed up to tell me it’s a suicide mission just now." Her voice held a serious tone.

An awkward silence lingered in the air until they spotted the village of Pennart.

"Leo..." said Evelyn, breaking the silence. "What if we don’t stop in Pennart?" She looked at Leonard. Her armor already showed signs of wear.

"And where would we go?" He asked.

"You’ve been getting your ass kicked so much lately that if you face an Ursulus with that worn-out armor, you’ll become a snack," she explained.

"I totally agree," said Mikaela.

"Let’s go to Armeria. It’ll only take us two days off course, but I believe your master figured that planning is also part of the test. Evelyn insisted.

"And what’s in Armeria?"

Mikaela replied, "It’s the city of merchants. They have everything there, although it’s not as big as Gothia."

"And with that amethyst crystal, you can get some excellent armor," Evelyn added.

Leonard pondered his friends’ advice. "Alright, let’s head to Armeria."

"Thanks for listening to me, Leo." Evelyn thanked him, her eyes glistening.

He just winked at her. He urged his horse into a trot: "Come on, we don’t have time to lose."

After two days on the road, making brief camps to sleep and taking turns on watch, they finally started to see more people on the roads.

"Looks like traffic’s picked up," Mikaela pointed out, "we’re close to Armeria."

"Don’t crowds of people trigger the Leirions’ hunt-and-exterminate instincts? Why is Armeria safe?" asked Leonard.

"There are so many Neumonds in Armeria that Leirions avoid this place by instinct," Kaleb replied.

After a few more minutes on the road, they finally spotted it.

"Armeria!" Kaleb exclaimed, his voice weak, pointing to the distant lights. "Finally… a place to rest…" But his voice trailed off in a murmur as they approached. The city, which should have been bustling with life, seemed like a ghost town. The streets were empty, the shops closed or ajar.

And then Kaleb felt it. A presence… evil. "There’s something… very wrong here…", he whispered, and, for the first time in a long time, it wasn’t a complaint but a warning.

"My paladin spirit is howling inside me…" Mikaela agreed.