Maylana could only stand in a daze for a moment, along with the others who saw their "just" and "righteous" Queen get a guilty expression on her face, as if this were all her fault.
No…that couldn"t be the truth, right?
Almost each and every one of them thought so, but they didn"t have time to stay and ponder on this as the death veil was getting closer and closer.
Jostled by someone from behind, Maylana also came to her senses and started to run forward again.
She had thought that seeing the Queen would awaken her own memories which she had shoved to the side with great difficulty, but instead, all she had seen was a broken elf.
However, she had no time to wonder why this was.
The screams started to get louder, and as she turned back, Maylana saw that more and more elves and humans were falling to the ground.
Thankfully, they just lay there, motionless, instead of bursting into a b.l.o.o.d.y mess like the one she had seen.
Yet, she could tell that that would be the fate of them all sooner or later.
Desperation clouded her mind, but she didn"t know what to do.
All she could do was keep running farther inside, with the hope that the army or the policing force that was present there would be able to do something to help.
The area beyond the veil was exactly like a graveyard, and it felt as if that veil was death personified.
The only advantage was the fact that it was a very large open s.p.a.ce, which gave people enough time to run to the center.
Finally, when she got there, she saw chaos.
The more important or well-off elves were demanding that they wanted to go further inward, while the army of 10,000 fighters and mages that had been stationed here were trying to explain that the s.p.a.ce inside was full.
All in all, this did not look like an organized operation at all.
Was this really how the great and proud elf race was going to be wiped off the face of the continent?
As such thoughts started to come into Maylana"s mind, she suddenly saw someone rise into the air and speak with a booming voice.
"Eldinorians! Please do not panic! Retreat to the center in an organized manner! Our best mages are in the process of figuring out a spell to neutralize that red veil from reaching us! But until then, we must huddle inside a limited s.p.a.ce so that we can give them as much time as possible! Just follow the instructions of the soldiers around you!"
It was Madam Katerina, the elf famous for her tenacity and bold att.i.tude.
No matter how many times she lost in the elections, she would keep partic.i.p.ating, as it had always been her life"s goal to help the Kingdom that had nurtured her.
As a decorated war veteran, there was no one more qualified than her in this situation to take control.
The Queen was outside, and it seemed that she either couldn"t reach them, who were inside the red dome, or she wasn"t even trying.
Although quite a few ministers were present, they, too, had been absorbed in self-preservation, with none of them taking the initiative to lead.
Now, with Katerina stepping up, a semblance of order finally started to return to the area.
Although many were still panicking and screaming due to the horrific sight in front of them, they were helped by those around along with the army of Eldinor to move inside.
A few powerful mages started to build air blocks, on which people sat, so that they would take up even less s.p.a.ce.
All in all, at this moment, with Katerina"s urging, the elves of Eldinor showed remarkable solidarity that had almost never been seen before.
After all, there was nothing like the threat of extinction to bring a race together.
As for the humans, they started to gather in one place, but they were shown no prejudice.
They, too, were given spots to stand in and wait, and they felt glad that the elves weren"t ignoring them completely in this time of crisis.
Finally, when the around 1.5 million people who were still present inside finally turned around after taking their a.s.signed spots, they breathed out a collective gasp of horror.
The sight of hundreds of thousands of motionless bodies just lying there, on the ground, as if someone had put them to sleep, was something that they would never forget.
It would haunt them in their dreams and during their waking hours, reminding them of just puny they had felt when they saw that humongous dome march forward relentlessly like the grim reaper.
Feeling the atmosphere, Katerina spoke again.
"Fret not, everyone. Our mages are close to figuring out a counterspell which should let us stop that thing until help arrives. Do not panic; that is the one thing that will be most detrimental to us right now. You can see that there is a lot of empty s.p.a.ce in front of you: we have time. Just take deep breaths, and wait."
After sending this message, Katerina entered a special tent that had been set up as the operations center.
Inside, more than 50 senior mages were sitting huddled together, studying an elemental construct in front of them.
It was a replica of a barrier that was specially being designed in order to stop that veil of death.
Seeing her arrive, one of them stood up to give her an update.
"Miss. Katerina, like we told you before, the s.p.a.ce is locked with a spell of such complexity that we cannot even hope to break it. None of us have even seen such a spell before. Also, one strange thing is that the domed veil is one-way. If it pa.s.ses through someone on the inside, it will cause them to fall to the ground, into a state we haven"t been able to a.s.sess. But if someone crosses inside from the outside, they would be fine. This means that of backup arrives, they will have to risk their own death if they want to help us. As for communication, it is also still blocked, and the worst thing is that there is even an illusion formation, which makes it look like everything is normal from the outside. In other words, this is a very elaborate plan which has cut us off from the world completely. No one knows we are all dying here, and no one will know."
Nodding with a grave expression, Katerina sighed and said, "Yes, but we cannot let those outside know that, or many will lose their lives in the stampede itself. Proceed with your task of finding the counter-spell. I pray that you succeed soon."
Folding her hands, Katerina saw the elf get back to work, but she kept checking the time on the clock on the tablet near her.
Any time, now.
Any time, now, the one who had promised to save them would arrive.
Until then, she could only maintain the calm, and hope that he would come soon.
…
Gawain was one of the Eminent Human Mages in the Kingdom of Lanthanor.
Born in the slums, he had depended on his own hard work and talent to get a seat in the academy and train as if his life depended on it.
Still, his life had been filled with many, many instances where he was "shown his place" by the aristocrats.
He had thought that he would be stepped down on forks long as he lived, but everything had changed due to one man.
King Daneel.
After he became the King, new norms had been pa.s.sed down for recruiting, and that was how he had gotten this spot, even though he had been rejected multiple times before because of some inconsequential reason or the other.
His pay had allowed him to s.h.i.+ft his parents from the horrid living conditions of the slums to a decent apartment where they would have no want for necessities.
Just the smile on their wrinkled faces had been enough for him to swear undying loyalty to the King in his heart.
He was just one of those who had benefited immensely from the King; many, many others had sworn the same, for various reasons.
Each and every scheme implemented by the King had touched the hearts of each and every one of them, making them aware of just how much the King cared about them.
So, why should they hesitate from giving him their all when he requested for it?
This had been a regular training exercise in hostile territory: 800 mages and 1500 Eminent Human Fighters, which was actually the majority of the elite army of Lanthanor, had been deployed with orders to covertly reach this location that was just a kilometer away from the east border of Eldinor.
The Grand Court Mage, Kellor, was with them, along with the Mage Commander, Ca.s.sandra.
It was the latter who had become aware of the strange anomalies in elemental particles around them, which was a sign that a major formation might have come into effect closeby.
For instructions, she had messaged the King, who instantly arrived, which elicited silent cheers from all the soldiers.
The King had left to investigate, as everyone knew that he was the most powerful mage in Lanthanor.
A few minutes later, he came back, but he had a very grave expression on his face.
First, he isolated the area where they were using a spell, so that no one outside would be able to hear what was being said.
Standing in the air and pondering for a few moments, he finally looked at them with a pained expression on his face.
"Soldiers of Lanthanor, I"m afraid that there is something I must ask of you."
This was the reason why Gawain had gotten that thought. This man had given them all so much. What couldn"t they give in return?
Whatever it was, he was ready.
Taking a pause, the King of Lanthanor continued.
"A few kilometers away from here, a ma.s.sacre on a scale that has never been seen in this continent is taking place. More than a million elves, and at least a hundred thousand humans, are all trapped in some kind of formation which is killing them. Besides, I have reason to believe that their own high command cannot be trusted, so they cannot be contacted for help. We are their only hope. I will not sugarcoat this. If we go to help them, it is possible that most, or even all of us, might lose our lives. We have the option to either march forward to uphold our morals and save innocent lives, or we can turn a blind eye and return to our Kingdom."
After speaking till here, an expression of clarity seemed to come on the King"s face.
Straightening his back, he stood in the air with his hands behind him, looking into the eyes of all of his soldiers with a scorching gaze.
With a chuckle, he said, "Call me foolish, but I, for one, cannot imagine sleeping in my bed tonight with the knowledge that I did not go forward when I had the chance to save so many people. They might not be my citizens, but they sure as h.e.l.l are citizens of this continent. I choose to march to their aid. If any of you wants to leave, you"re welcome. But if you don"t, then know that I cannot guarantee your lives. Make your decision."
Saying so, the King of Lanthanor turned around to face the direction of Eldinor.
In his broad shoulders and straight back, the soldiers of Lanthanor could see the confidence and righteousness of one, who was worthy of being called a King.
Would it not be the greatest honor to fight by his side?
Would it not be an honor to die for him?
In their minds, there was no hesitation.
"King Daneel, I shall march with you!"
"So shall I!"
"And I!"
"For the glory of Lanthanor, and Angaria! King Daneel, I am with you!"
As shouts like these started to reverberate around the area, the King of Lanthanor couldn"t help but grin.
From the bottom of his heart, he felt joy and happiness gus.h.i.+ng through him, making him proud of himself for garnering such support that transcended even death.
His people were ready to give their lives for a cause they might not even believe in, just because he had asked. What else could a King wish for?
Taking a deep breath, he once again vowed to never do wrong by these people.
Now, it was time for the final, but most important step of his plan.
Turning around, he magnified his voice and said:
"If that is your decision, then I am honored to be your King! Ready your spells!
"Today, we march for justice!
"Today, we march for our place in history!
"TODAY, WE MARCH FOR ANGARIA! GO FORTH, BRAVE SOLDIERS OF LANTHANOR!"