RyuShura

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

He didn't think Henry would leave behind his glasses, looking at Ezekiel for a moment before nodding to the plan.
"Lucky indeed..."

As they proceeded forth, the knight didn't think it was anything at first, the rumbling being that of the forest or his own heartbeat disillusioning him, but the sound quickly became an alarming drum roll as the dark redness shifted around the two. From what he can tell, they were severely outnumbered. Fortunately, the creatures didn't seem to be any large, otherwise they wouldn't be able to hide themselves so easily. He squinted to find anything that could help him determine exactly their enemy, but was forced to make guesses, the mysterious horde lurking in the wild obscurities of the leaves and foliage. It would be foolish to run out and fight, so he gave a look to Ezekiel that said they should stand their ground. He moved over and rested Lucas against a nearby tree, the metal of the spear pointed outwards as he made a stand beside his two companions.

"Well, it's not the best of circumstances to be ambushed..." he muttered, legs spreading in a readied stance, "But this is at least something we can hit."

...

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

Mikhael gave Ezekiel his unwavering attention when the experienced knight explained the magic. He learned a great many things in the personal studies he's indulged in across the years, but none of the countless tombs and scrolls in the library covered something like this. It wasn't the comfy quietness he was used to when absorbing lots of information, but it wasn't the first time he was forced to do things on the fly. Being faced with this extremely tense situation, stuck in a dangerous and unknown place and treading on the edge of life and death, not only his own, but now two others. He had unintentionally started reverting to olden habits of his youth in the slums. His expression was that of constant unease and wariness, frequently glancing over his shoulder and the surrounding forest. He quickly caught himself and straightened out his stance once again.

He nodded his head in understanding at the basic concept of the 'mana font', scowling upon being reminded that their already strained time was shortened even further. He was beginning to worry how Henry was faring in the clutches of their unknown kidnapper. If the boy was harmed in any way, he would never forgive whatever did this. His hand wrapped tight, the dark emotions stirring in his chest again as he began to doubt and fear for the worst.

"Well, we better hurry then." moving under the arm of Lucas to help support the unconscious giant. He didn't have another arm, but he was able to snake underneath his armpit, "Tell me, is there a way to track the font back to source? Does it leave a trace in any way?" he breathed, "If not... we might have to try a more drastic tactic to lure out or little mage."

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

The young knight breathed heavily as the shaped smoke receded once more into the darkness, still gripping his spear as he tried chasing after it, to catch a glimpse of where it came from. But it proved too fast for him on the unfamiliar terrain. He was caught by the forest, unable to move past a thick wall of twisted branches and leaves. With one final snarl at the darkness, he lowered the spear to signal the battle was over.

"It's gone... for now..." he muttered slowly, glancing around the red-tinted darkness, "But it would appear that it isn't a sort of invisibility trick at least. My spear struck nothingness. Perhaps it is simply a sleep inducing hex... but why are we resistant to its foul purpose?"

He then knelt beside the still body of metal, flicking the visor of the helmet up and placing a finger underneath his nose. A faint breath. He was still alive. Mikhael lowered his head gratefully, but immediately looked up with a sternness as he tried to wake the man, patting him lightly at first then one hard smack against the cheek. He was out cold. With a sigh, Mikhael climbed himself back to his feet, shooting a look over at Ezekiel.

"More importantly though, what will we do about him?"

...

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

Mikhael spiraled his body around cautiously at the fluttering gray matter quickly surrounding them, resting his spear forward, ready to lunge at anything that seemed even remotely threatening. This mist felt different though. His face crunched in confusion when Lucas and Ezekiel declared they had spotted it too. "This is not right..." he said, stepping closer to the two as soon as Lucas started to falter suddenly. This was definitely the work of another strange magic. Lucas had the endurance of a seasoned ox, so it was unlikely he would be this tired from this trekking. It had been an incredibly annoying effort, but the activity had been a relatively short one. He gazed at the man with a worry, moving to help defend Ezekiel as he carried the heavy body. He would help carry Lucas too, but that meant sacrificing his only armed hand. There was no way he could notice the strange flower spying on them, too occupied with trying to find the source of the mist to notice such a minor detail.

Seeing a snake-like apparition of smoke forming from behind the large man, "There is the real one!" Mikhael shouted, thrusting the spear at it immediately.

...

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

The woods seemed to grow thicker as soon as they entered, the wrinkled tree branches almost intertwined above the three knights like a make-shift cage. The moonlight was barely visible anymore where they were. Mikhael let out an irritated grunt when he nearly tripped over yet another set of gnarled overgrown roots because of the lack of vision, having to use the spear like a pole and lift his legs over them because of his lack of usable arms. He could understand the frustrations. None of the training or drills has properly prepared them for this kind of terrain, and there was no tell when something might just jump out at them. He also felt annoyed by all of this shambling, but didn't voice them as Lucas did. He didn't mind much, but Ezekiel seemed to find problem with the bouts.

He shook his head sternly when he heard the comment made to Lucas, turning back slightly. "We are all bothers and sisters in the same order and on the same journey. The beasts see no difference, so neither should we. Set aside our pride for now. Focus on finding the boy, he is important, so are his spectacles blessed by Maya."

Mikhael tried to find a place where there was still some moonlight, searching once again for any trace of the mist.

...

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

"Same with you two." looking at Joshua and Lilith with a unusual tenderness, "If this place were to get overwhelmed by a horde, don't wait for us. Run away."

Mikhael tried not to frown as he hoisted the spear from the holster across his back into his hand, feeling the uneven weight twist the shaft in his hand awkwardly as he tried to find a balance point. It felt unwieldy and he is not expert at the use of such a weapon, but he didn't doubt his training. All squires at the very least undergo formal training in simple arms. He brought it along for Henry, since the lad didn't really know much else, but he might as well make use of it in the meantime. He would be slowed down, but he would at least have more room for mistake while fighting at a distance from enemies. Since the time he was burned by the flames of his relentless arcana and sustained by Maya's magic, his body has not acted quite the same way as it did before. It hasn't happened past Kale, but his muscles could falter at any moment nonetheless.

"No, no, I'm much too old to be toted and carried around like a baby." he chuckled grimly, resting the spear on his shoulder, "Well, I'm as ready as I can ever be."

The black-haired knight stepped up to the edge of the woods, his metal boots depressing into a pile of fallen leaves. His dark red eyes glared into the darkness, staring at the mangled outline for a long time, the young man taking the moment to settle his nerves before finally stepping forth. While he elbowed through the light underbrush, Mikhael made sure to pay extra attention to anything strange, his head pivoting side to side with a vigilance.

...

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

Mikhael nodded at the new information regarding the arcane detection enchantment, a little surprised he didn't hear about this important detail until now. It also just hit him now that he was also able to do so too, unaided of all things. Such was a rare and powerful trait to possess, even among those very few born gifted with arcana. Ezekiel and Joshua didn't seem to have that ability, and they were members of the esteemed Royal Guard. When did he learn to do so? He had never practiced anything of the sort at all. He frowned slightly at the notion of being the one to lead the searching party. He didn't like that kind of responsibility. But he can't really say no, when he was the only one capable of seeing the mist, could he?

That thought then brought him to another dark reality. Maybe there was another reason why Henry had disappeared? But he didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet.

He grinned when the large man stepped to his side, who almost instantly volunteered to join in on the figurative 'blind' hunt. Lucas was always the type of man who ignored any sort of danger if it meant protecting someone. Mikhael didn't know whether to call it bravery or lack of respect, but he respected it nonetheless.

He pointed his head at the signature claymore, "Don't worry too much. I'm sure if you swing that thing around enough you're bound to hit something, even if it was invisible. Besides, if anything, I'll be the weak link here..." glancing down at his single arm, "I'm not sure how well I can hold my own if we get in a fight. I've no idea how much skill I've lost without my primary arm. Hell, I might just be sending myself on a suicidal run here..." Mikhael then look up towards the woods with a cold fury, staring into the pitch black darkness of spines and leaves, his fingers balling up into a fist at the thought of the pitiful boy being alone in there. "But I don't care. Even if I wasn't able to see this wretched magic, I still would've insisted on going. This witch or monster or whatever wants to threaten anyone in this company, I'll find and kill it, no matter what."

Something deep in his chest stirred at those words.

He seemed unaware of this, too intent on the goal at hand, turning eyes to the remaining three, "That leaves one more. Which of you wants to come too?"

...

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

Mikhael didn't mind her nearly smacking him in the face, actually grateful the girl had her nerves about her when it mattered. There was a good reason why he sought her out first. Despite his orderly outlook, he didn't really know what to do. When it came to plans that involved more than just himself, he was completely clueless. It was just how he was hardwired, having been forced to fend for himself practically his entire waking life. Lilith is good at being bossy, so to speak, knowing where to assign groups of people and how to make them work as a single unit. This was one of the many polarities they shared. She was often chosen as leader when group activities came around, and he was just the hard-headed loner.

The young knight quickly went for the spear as he answered her question, slinging it across his back and making a face trying to recount what he saw.

"I think I saw some sort of spell... coming from there." pointing over to the darkened forest, "There was a fog... and then a shape... whether it was an entity controlling mist or a conjured illusion, I'm not very sure." shaking his head, "It happened so briefly, I didn't get a proper look. But it was definitely not a type of arcana I've accounted before." following her back to the outside, "All I can say for in absolute is that I didn't see Henry while going back to the cart."

His eyes narrowed, "Maybe the fog was to help cloak the kidnapper? But then again..." looking over to Ezekiel, "I was the only one able to see it apparently..."

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

Mikhael nearly bit his tongue trying to stop from screaming a curse, "I knew there was something wrong here..." looking over to Lucas and Joshua, "Make with haste, we need to find the lad. He won't last long alone out there." he muttered, turning to look out to the surrounding woodlands once more in case they might have missed something.

He might not be able to see properly, but from what he accounted from Ezekiel, not all of them were blinded by the unknown fog.

He made sure to remain calm despite knowing how dire the situation had gotten, remembering how easily moral can break when the only place of hope and safety is hours away from where they are. Henry had a kind heart, but that probably made him the worst warrior. There was not much difference their age in reality, but Henry was like a little child compared to his comrades. Out of the small circle of those who Mikhael had any semblance of amiable relationship with, Henry was the most understanding of other people's emotions, coming to comfort any one of them whenever they felt unhappy or distressed. Speaking of which, why had he been chosen to accompany them on this journey of all things? This was not some care-free field trip. They were tasked with saving the village and their Queen from destruction. The boy can barely stab at humans during practice without squealing or closing his eyes in fear, let alone fighting off hordes of vile and horrific beasts. Did he volunteer, or forced to go? If so, on what basis?

Whatever the case, he is missing from the company and they needed to find him quickly.

"Get ready, we have little time to be standing around!" he said, immediately moving over to where Lilith had laid herself, tapping her bunk with his hand, "Hey, wake up." once more with urgency powering his voice, "Wake up!"

...

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

The scowl-faced boy canted his head at the uncomfortable noise, making sure to watch carefully the movement of the temporal tides of the wispy gray smoke. His heart tightened when he saw it go in the direction of the cart in a phantom-like trace, vanishing once more. It was certain that this was no natural occurance now. What could this strange entity be doing? Was this the work of some crazed hag or witch? It could be what Ezekiel had said, that this was a kind of hex used to influence their minds. Or was this power from some new breed of monster they've never encountered before? It wouldn't be the first time these desolate plains have ushered out a new terrible creature. He could only make wild guesses, but the only possibilities out this far into the wastelands were nothing short of grim. His body has already been set in motion the moment he found reason to dread, his time as both urchin and squire having taught him to never take any chances when it came to life and death.

Reaching down and pulling out the thin dagger in his boot, Mikhael called out to Ezekiel, legs kicking up in a sprint as he pushed after the fleeting figure.
"I think we should hurry." he pressed, "The others might be in danger."

...