CHAPTER 75: MOVING

The next seven days blurred together.

Training. Research. Preparation. Planning.

Lucille’s network confirmed Silas Vex’s workshop location and some infiltration routes, but there was no way to know of its the real target or just a trap.

Isabella’s contacts traced three of the five payment and Ravenna created a counter-poison based on Felix’s research that would neutralize the type of Shadowbane toxin. Marcus built detection wards that could identify League magical signatures, at least those that attacked.

Seraphina and Helena drilled the combat division until everyone could fight in perfect synchronization.

Damian coordinated logistics and travel arrangements, equipment transport, security protocols.

And before we know it, it was time for the tournament. Although it’s called inter Academy tournament, as much as one is from one of the participating Academies, they could form a team by their own to participate.

And that was exactly I intended to do.

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

We left at dawn.

Five carriages, and enough equipment to outfit a small army. Uncle Victor’s two hundred soldiers would follow separately, a full military escort would draw too much attention, but he’d stationed them at strategic points along the route.

Just in case.

I rode in the lead carriage with my inner circle. Damian, Lucille, Marcus, and Ravenna. Seraphina, Isabella, and Helena rode in the second with the senior faction members. The rest were distributed among the remaining three carriages.

"Five days to Silvercrest," Marcus said, studying a map. "That’s if we maintain good pace and don’t hit complications."

"We’ll hit complications," Lucille said. She was cleaning her daggers, it was a nervous habit of hers. "Eastern road has been active lately. Bandits and deserters with the occasional monster pack."

"Optimistic as always," Marcus muttered.

"Realistic, and that’s my job, that’s the difference too."

I watched the academy fade behind us through the carriage window, morning sun glinting off its crystalline towers. It was beautiful and eadly.

Would we see it again? Would I?

"Stop brooding," Ravenna said without looking up from her book. "I can feel you brooding from here, it’s darkening the space."

"I’m not brooding. I’m just contemplating."

"Same thing said with dfferent word." She turned a page. "We’re going to be fine. We’ve trained and we’re prepared. And we have two hundred soldiers as backup if anything did happen."

"Plus Victoria will be there," Marcus added. "And Kaeel. We have some allies."

"We also have enemies. The League will be watching and the Baron filed those charges, he’ll be looking for ammunition who knows what he would pull off? Adrian will probably be there with his team as well." I leaned back against the seat. "This tournament isn’t just a competition as It’s also a stage and everyone will be performing."

"Then we give them a performance worth remembering," Lucille said. She sheathed her daggers. "Besides, after everything we’ve been through? A tournament almost sounds relaxing."

"You have a concerning definition of relaxing."

"I’m an assassin. Relaxing is when people die quickly instead of slowly."

Damian, who’d been silent until now, spoke up: "Young Master, the outriders report clear road ahead for the next ten miles. We should make good time today."

"Good. I want to reach Millbrook by nightfall. That inn has defensible positions and....."

The carriage lurched violently.

It wasn’t an expected small bump in the road it was something hitting us from the side.

Hard.

"Ambush!" someone shouted from outside.

Fuck!

I was already moving with sword drawn, door open, hitting the ground in a combat roll.

The scene crystallized instantly.

Twenty bandits or so in the treeline. All armed and positioned to surround our convoy.

We haven’t even be that gone from the Academy! They must have been waiting!

The lead bandit was a massive man with a scarred face and an executioner’s axe. "Well, well. Rich academy kids heading to the tournament. This is our lucky day, boys!"

His men laughed and moved to surround us.

"Combat formation!" Helena’s voice boomed from the second carriage. "Delta pattern! Combat division, with me!"

Our people moved like clockwork. Days of intensive training showed immediately.

The seventeen combat-ready faction members formed up in seconds, in a defensive perimeter around the carriages, weapons drawn, magic already crackling.

"Last chance to walk away," I called to the bandits. "We don’t want to kill you."

The lead bandit spat. "Soft students against twenty hardened fighters? I’ll take those odds. ATTACK!"

They charged.

"Ravenna, void shield! Marcus, enhance weapons! Lucille, flankers! Seraphina, vanguard! Everyone else, hold formation and...."

I didn’t need to finish.

They already knew.

To be honest, I wasn’t that worried. Because Professor Helena was with us. What could go wrong?

The first bandit to reach our line hit Seraphina’s holy barrier and bounced back like he’d run into a wall.

"Really?" Seraphina said, manifesting her angelic wings. They glowed bright enough to make the bandits shield their eyes. "You thought this would be easy?"

She moved, the wings gave her more mobility and she shot forward like a bullet. She ducked under an axe swing, rose behind the attacker, delivered a strike that tore through his spine, blood splattered the air like ink.

Three more bandits converged on her. She met them head-on, sword blazing with holy light.

It wasn’t even close.

On the left flank, Lucille and her two-person assassination team materialized behind the bandits trying to circle around. The air around them filled with deadly silence.

"Shadow serpent style," Lucille whispered.

Her daggers blurred. The venom coating on them like wet dew. Three bandits went down, clutching their throats, poison already shutting down their nervous systems as they shook painfully on the ground.

Helena led the main assault, her blood warrior style overwhelming the center formation. She took hit but she just laughed as it was obvious that she was just playing around.

"That the best you got?"

She grabbed one bandit by his weapon arm, twisted, threw him into two others. All three went down in a heap.

Ravenna stood in the center of our formation, hands weaving complex patterns. "Void cage."

Purple-black energy erupted from the ground, forming a barrier around our carriages. Any bandit who tried to break through got repelled violently.