[Kara] Chapter 13: Human Thief (Patreon)

Levi sat atop the roof of an abandoned hut at the edge of the upper tunnels as he twirled a glinting dagger in his hands. He raised his head, and his hood revealed a small fraction of his scarred face, reflected on the stainless steel.

His lightly-tanned skin alone made him stand out to the people of this city, so it was not easy to blend in. He had been worried about being caught for the last week and a half, ever since he left the lower tunnels. But he didn’t mind if anyone saw him at this point. Not anymore. After all—

“It’s all going according to plan,” he laughed as he heard the commotion in the distance.

Even though it was all the way at the other side of the upper tunnels, he could hear the shouts from where he sat. He could feel the tension in the air. That which had been brewing for months now, but was tipped over thanks to his intervention.

And he hopped off the abandoned hut as he sheathed his dagger at his waist.

“Now then, it’s time for me to play my part too.”

—--

“Elder Golag, I understand that he was your son, but you must please calm down!”

“Calm down? You expect me to calm down? My son is dead because of a dark elf whore, and I am supposed to relax? When are you damn guards going to do anything for our people?”

Soraan recoiled where he stood as he heard the cacophony of voices coming from the gathered orcs. They stood behind their leader— Elder Golag of the Ironhide Clan, who stood as tall as a troll, and fatter than even an ogre— raising their fists and shouting in agreement with him.

“That’s right!”

“Grok was my best friend!”

“He would never even harm a fly, and you people killed him!”

Only a thin wall of guardsmen stood before what had to have been at least a thousand angry orcs. And Soraan just so had to have been one of the few guards who was sent here to placate them.

His partner— whose name still eluded him— stepped forward to face this mass of green. “Now, now,” the idiot foolishly said. “There is nothing that violence can solve that words cannot solve—”

And Golag smacked Soraan’s partner across the face. His helmet went flying as Soraan himself winced. The gathered guards blinked as the Elder of the Ironhide Clan grabbed a large rock and shouted.

“I have had enough of the mistreatment of my people! We will not let our pride be tarnished because of your failure to act!”

He hurled the rock towards a crowd of passing dark elves. They screamed and scattered as a handful of guards rushed to restrain Golag. But a group of orcs roared and charged to meet them. They clashed with each other as voices shouted.

But it was too late. Now, the guards and the orcs were locked in battle. Golag himself led his clan as he barreled through a dozen dark elf guardsmen. He was only stopped by a nearby troll who shoved him back. However, that only drew the ire of a group of watching orcs who jumped into the fray.

Soraan could only watch helplessly as chaos continued to unfold around him, before he was finally forced to act. And even more and more orcs came to join the wave of green that was washing over the Sanctuary City.

—--

“Come on, Angel—” Kara started, then paused when she heard the rumbling reverberate throughout the city. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a group of drakenriders rush past her, heading further to the upper tunnels.

Even from the very edge of Sentinel Square, she could see the fighting in the distance. And it was starting to spread out of the upper tunnels and into the main city. She pursed her lips, and Issa poked her head out of the food stand.

“What is going on?” the troll asked with wide eyes.

“Angel,” Kara called out, turning to the bear cub. He blinked back at her as she nodded at him. “Go find Zlo’tan.”

And he immediately listened to her command, running off into the distance.

—--

Hayder stood in parade rest behind Dark Lord Koros as the two of them inspected the design that was laid out on the large table.

“As you can see,” one of the architect mages said, gesturing at the drawing, “there is not much else that is needed to be done except for—”

But before he could finish, a figure burst into the meeting room. Hayder recognized her to be a lieutenant in the First Company under him, although she shouldn’t have been here. He frowned at her as he barked at her.

“What is the meaning of this interruption?”

“Dark Lord Koros!” she panted out, tiredly pointing towards the upper tunnels. “It’s the orcs… there are thousands of them… and they’re rioting through the city!”

The Dark Lord of Alyona’s brows snapped together when he heard that. He grabbed his helmet as he strode forward. Placing it on his head, his voice boomed as he spoke.

“Captain Hayder. With me.”

—--

Caius stood atop the walls of the city as he saw the fighting spread in the distance. He wore an unconcerned look on his face, simply humming to himself even as the city guards rushed to quell the riots. And then he glanced back to look out— beyond the massive cavern that held the Sanctuary City.

He saw dark clouds gathering high above. He could hear the distant rolling thunder. These walls were built to withstand even the magical storms of the Xor-In Mountains. But even still…

He hoped it would all be over before the magical storm arrived.

—--

And Levi made his way through the upper tunnels with a grin plastered across his face. He heard the fighting in the distance. He saw the orcs clashing with the dark elves. There were even some trolls joining the mix.

To him, it was all a beautiful sight— to witness demimonsters going for each other's throats. Their screams of terror, and their cries of pain… it was all music to his ears. Especially after what they had forced him to suffer. It had been over a year since he last saw another human being. He thought he would have lost his mind if he had to remain alone down in the lower tunnels for much longer.

But now, he was going to escape. Not just that, he was going to watch as these demimonsters slaughtered each other— as the city was brought to its knees because of it. He would have laughed and pranced all the way towards the walls of the city if he could.

But he knew better than to draw attention to himself. So he continued quietly, sneaking through the alleyways and joining the panicked crowds. No one paid attention to him during the chaos. Not until he finally reached the gates of Alyona.

There, a guard called out to him as he made his approach.

“Stop right there! No one is allowed to leave the city until the riots have been— urk!”

Levi didn’t even bother to listen. He threw his Blink Blade before the guard could react. The sheening weapon shot through the air faster than even an arrow from a crossbow and dug itself into the guard’s neck. And then it reappeared in the thief’s hand.

He snickered as he strode past the dead guard, before leaping up onto the battlements of the Alyona’s walls. Glancing back once, he saw the fighting breaking into the edge of the main city. He reveled in seeing these inferior creatures fight amongst each other.

And then he looked out beyond the so-called Sanctuary City. The walls were built around the edge of a vast cavern, so standing atop it allowed him to finally see the light of day again. He could see the outside world in all its undulating hills and towering mountains spread out into the horizon.

He breathed in the fresh air of freedom for the first time in nearly a year, and he could smell the earthy hint of rain. But he also noticed something odd. The mana in the air was thicker than it should have been. Having prepared himself for the Xor-In Mountains before he departed for this journey, he knew that was a sign a magical storm was brewing.

The timing couldn’t be any more perfect for him. If he left now, no one in Alyona barring maybe a group of elite drakenriders or even Dark Lord Koros could pursue him through the deadly weather. But he had to act fast, or else he himself would fall victim to the magical storm’s wrath.

And yet, even as he stood there, hearing the shouts of the few guards that were guarding the city’s walls rushing his way, he didn’t take his leap of faith. Instead, he lowered his head and glanced dismissively to the side.

“Annoying vermin,” he spat as his figure blurred.

He appeared behind the charging guards, and they collapsed to the ground, their limbs being torn from their bodies. There had only been about a dozen of them here, still at this section of the wall. Most of the guards had been called to quell the riot he had instigated.

Levi shook his head as he walked towards the main tower at the very center of the city’s walls. He didn’t flee even though he had the chance. He continued walking towards the massive double doors that led into the stone structure. Because he had an ulterior motive. His goals still had yet to be achieved. After all, the reason why he had been lying in wait for so long was—

“So I was right,” a figure said, stepping out of the double doors.

Levi’s brows snapped together, and he threw his dagger before he could even get a good look at who it was. But the figure casually craned his neck and dodged the attack. With a flash of light, the Blink Blade teleported back into the thief’s hand.

He frowned and eyed the figure blocking his way. It was an elf. A young one at that, at least by their standards.

“I have been expecting you,” the elf continued as he curtsied. “And be careful where you throw that thing— you could’ve hurt me.”

“That’s the point,” Levi snarled and lashed out. He dashed forward, his figure moving like a blur.

But the elf reacted just as quickly and drew a bow. In an instant, he fired a glinting arrow that struck the ground right before Levi’s feet, and it exploded into a pillar of ice. Levi leapt back as he narrowly avoided being frozen by the attack.

“Aren’t you curious about how I knew you were going to come here?” the elf laughed as he nocked another arrow onto his bow. “Or are you that desperate to die already?”

Levi scowled, before eyeing the shining arrow aimed his way. He twirled both his Blink Blades as he straightened. “Fine, I’ll bite. Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

The elf blinked, then smirked. “Oh, you even asked for my name. How polite.”

“Just answer the damn question,” Levi said as he took a step to the side, angling his body to hide his left hand behind his back.

“My name is Caius, and I’ve been hunting you down for the past year. Not directly, of course. Because Koros wouldn’t let me delve down into the lower tunnels. He says there are too many dangerous monsters down there. Honestly, he worries too much, sometimes.”

Levi let go of the Blink Blade on his left hand and spoke up as it fell onto the ground by his feet. “Get on with it already.”

“Fine, fine. Sheesh, you don’t have to be so rude.” Caius shook his head, before smiling. “Because of Koros, I haven’t been able to do anything but wait for you to emerge from the lower tunnels. So I waited, and I waited, and I waited. However, you never made a move. And then I started to wonder: why haven’t you tried to leave yet?”

His words made Levi’s eyes flicker. The human thief looked towards the large tower just ahead, before reaching for a small cross the size of a dagger at his belt.

Caius continued casually, “I mean, I understand being afraid of being caught by Koros. But what were you going to do, hide in the lower tunnels for the rest of your life? That made no sense to me. You can’t do anything with our stolen treasures if you remain trapped below our city. You had to try something, but you did nothing. You simply ran from our patrols or killed those you could. So I realized that you must have been biding your time for a reason. But what could that reason be?”

Levi tightly gripped the cross.

And Caius smiled, facing the top of the tower. “Alyona’s vault.”

That made the human thief pause for a moment. He furrowed his brows as the elf spoke simply.

“I realized you must not have gotten everything you wanted from the vault just yet. That is why you haven’t tried to leave. Because you couldn’t. You had to come back. You failed your original goal— to steal the Keys of Azad.”

Levi didn’t give an immediate response. However, the expression on his face had been replaced with a glare. His grip over the cross loosened. Meanwhile, the smirk never once left the elf’s lips.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Caius said as he eyed the human thief knowingly.

“And why couldn’t I have just stolen the Keys of Azad the first time around?” Levi finally replied, once again holding onto the cross as it shimmered.

“Because you didn’t know that it was enchanted so that only those who have a Tier 20 manacore can use it. And from what I know about you humans, that is around… Level 40?” The elf cocked his head back, feigning uncertainty.

Levi shook his head. “Do you really think I am that weak?”

“I don’t think you are. I know you are,” Caius corrected him “After all, never once, when Hayder hunted for you, did you ever dare to confront him. You’ve attacked dozens of patrols and you’ve even fought powerful lieutenants. But not him. And that’s because he has a Tier 20 manacore. All captains do. So that they can wield the Keys of Azad should the need for it arises.”

As the elf spoke, Levi’s gaze darkened. He didn’t appreciate being insulted by a demimonster, let alone by one that wasn’t even an adult yet. Still, he endured it for just a moment longer. Because he was almost done waiting.

“And that’s what you’ve been doing in the lower tunnels— you’ve been biding your time and growing stronger. You have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to steal the Keys of Azad this time around, so that you can escape for good.”

Caius finished as he raised his bow once again. The arrow shone brighter, and Levi’s lips twisted… into a grin. The human thief raised his head as he met the elf’s gaze.

“You’re quite smart for a demimonster, aren’t you? Well, you were only wrong about one thing,” Levi said as the air rippled around him. He raised the cross and cackled. “I don’t want to just leave Alyona behind anymore. After all you’ve forced me through, I’m going to use the Keys of Azad to ensure the city is in ruins before I escape! Antimagic—”

He started as a white barrier began to form like a sphere around the two of them. But Caius moved faster. He released his arrow as he spoke simply.

“Thirteenth Core: A Hunter’s Catch.”

And Levi blinked as the glinting projectile reached him in an instant. A net made of electricity bound him, and he collapsed to the ground. He dropped the cross to the ground— it was the artifact in which the Antimagic Domain spell was woven into. Without it, he couldn’t create his Antimagic Domain.

He tried to reach for it, but the net crackled. A jolt of electricity shot through him as he recoiled. And he screamed in pain where he lay. Caius strode forward, callously looking down at the human thief struggling to break free.

“Don’t even bother,” the elf said, kneeling down and reaching for the cross. “The more you struggle, the more it will zap you.”

Caius paused as he tapped a finger on his chin.

“Or keep struggling. I don’t mind seeing you suffer, too.”

“Y-you—” Levi opened his mouth, but another electric shock washed over him. He yelped in pain as the elf grinned. Steeling himself, the human thief looked up. “D-do you… really think this is enough to hold me?”

And Caius frowned. “What…?”

But before he could react, Levi’s body vanished. He reappeared next to the Blink Blade he had dropped, the look of pain on his face replaced with a savage smirk. Caius spun around, only to be cut on the arm.

The elf backed away as he dropped the cross. He gaped at the human thief in shock. “But how did you escape?”

Levi twirled his Blink Blades as he replied, “All I need to do is think, and I can use these weapons’ enchantments. I don’t even need to speak or look at them. As long as they are within a hundred feet of me, I can teleport to them, or I can teleport them to me. Now—”

He picked up the cross as it shone brightly once again. Caius shouted, the smile vanishing from his face as he raised his bow.

“No—”

But the elf was too slow. Levi whispered, and the world around them shifted. A white light flashed and collapsed on them. And all mana in the air… vanished.

“Antimagic Domain.”

—--

Koros arrived at the edge of the upper tunnels and saw the raging sea of green. He turned to a nearby guardsman who looked exhausted and hurt.

“You, what’s your name?” he asked with a frown.

“Soraan, Dark Lord,” the guard replied instantly.

“What happened here?” Koros swept his gaze over the bloodied street. There had to have been dozens of guards dead, and hundreds more of them injured.

Soraan shook his head as he leant against his spear. “The Ironhide Clan… their Elder’s son was murdered. We tried to calm them. But then—”

“You!” a voice shouted, cutting through the fighting in the streets.

A massive orc shoved his way past a group of guards fighting with some orcs. Each step he took almost seemed to make the ground shake, sending broken bits of the stone tiles into the air.

“This is all your doing!” the orc continued.

“Elder Golag,” Koros said as he strode forward. “I can assure you, we did not wish for any harm to befall your son or your people.”

“And yet, they are dead!” Golag shouted back as he ripped off his robes. His body rippled with muscle, and he towered over the Dark Lord. “Is this not supposed to be a Sanctuary City? We came here to seek refuge, and you failed to protect my people— you failed to protect my son!”

“Elder Golag, I can assure you, I will give my life to protect you and your people from the outside world. But I cannot guarantee your safety from everything that happens within the city. That is your own responsibility.”

Koros shook his head as he looked towards the corpses of a few dark elf civilians. He faced the Elder of the Ironhide Clan once more.

“Just like I cannot guarantee your safety from me if you endanger the rest of the city. Stand down, now.”

Golag did not stand down. The Dark Lord’s words only enraged the Elder of the Ironhide Clan even further. Taking a step forward, Golag roared much to the cheers of his people.

“I will make you pay for what you’ve done!” he screamed as his fist rippled with a crimson aura. His eyes shone, and he swung down at Koros with the power to destroy the entire street. “Twenty-Fifth Core: Savage Blow!”

There was a flash of light as the fighting in the street halted to see what was going on. The nearby buildings shook, and a thunderous clap echoed throughout the entirety of Alyona. The ground broke open from the impact of the strike as the nearby orcs whooped.

Soraan was thrown back by the shockwave of the blast. He looked up with trembling eyes to see the dust clear. He tried to work his jaw.

“D-Dark Lord…?”

And his eyes widened as he saw Koros standing there, not even budging an inch. The cheering orcs paused. Golag frowned, seeing his glowing fist make contact with the Dark Lord’s helmet. The attack hadn’t even left a dent in the armor.

“Elder Golag,” Koros said as his voice boomed. “I gave you your chance to end things peacefully. Now—”

The Dark Lord took a step forward and swung back at the massive orc. It was a simple punch. But it was powerful enough to send Golag flying back across the street. The rioting orcs stared in shock as their Elder was defeated in only a single attack.

“I have no choice but to resort to violence.”

—--

Caius saw the Antimagic Domain form around him. He tried to back away— to escape its boundaries. But he was too slow. He felt the strength leave his body as his movements grew sluggish. And by the time he reached the edge of the barrier, it had fully enclosed around him. His back pressed against the white wall as he gritted his teeth.

He couldn’t get out.

“This Antimagic Domain is honestly one of the best artifacts I have ever stolen,” Levi said as he inspected the cross. “Not only does it drain the mana from everything inside of its boundaries, it also works as a perfect tool to trap people. After all, anybody can step in, but nobody can step out.”

The human thief sneered, looking back up as he finished. Then he tossed the dagger straight at the elf.

“Of course, because I control the Antimagic Domain, I get to decide what to exclude from its effects— so I can fight freely unlike you!”

Caius threw himself to the side, barely moving fast enough to dodge the dagger. He felt his manacore tense as it did what it could to empower his movements. But compared to his normal nimble feet, he was far slower now.

So this is the power of the Antimagic Domain… Its name was a little bit misleading, considering it didn’t negate all magic. In another sense, it made it a lot more difficult to cast any kind of spell or rely on any kind of magic.

After all, almost every single living being was capable of storing mana within their body. It was what allowed them to grow stronger almost unendingly. But even passive boosts in abilities— like his Fifteenth Core of Superior Physical Prowess— wasn’t able to avoid the draining effects of the Antimagic Domain. Because when it drained mana, it drained mana from everything.

With each step Caius took, he felt his manacore rapidly emptying. He stumbled away from the dagger as it bounced off the white barrier, and Levi appeared there. He aimed his bow at the human thief as he tried to conjure up what was left inside his manacore.

“Twenty-First Core—” Caius started as his arrow wisped with a green light.

But Levi vanished again. The elf blinked, quickly searching for where his enemy could have gone. And the human thief reappeared where he had been standing at the center of the Antimagic Domain. He must have dropped his second Blink Blade there before he teleported to grab the first.

The last of the mana inside of the elf’s manacore was drained, and the green light coating his arrow faded away. He dropped to a knee, panting tiredly.

“What’s wrong? Giving up already?” Levi asked as he picked up the dropped Blind Blade.

Caius narrowed his eyes, then he saw the flicker of golden light coming from the other side of the Antimagic Domain. He blinked a few times, before he rose to his feet.

“No, I’m actually quite relieved,” the elf said as his signature smirk returned. He stretched his shoulders and replied simply, “It seems my attempts at stalling you have succeeded.”

And Levi frowned. “Your attempts at… stalling me? What are you talking about?”

Caius snorted. “Come on, did you really think I was wasting my time trying to hold a conversation with you? I couldn’t care less about anything a dead man has to say.”

He pointed past the human thief, continuing simply.

“I was waiting for her.”

And Levi spun around as he saw a figure step into the Antimagic Domain. A young woman with blonde hair and coated in fading golden flames emerged from the white barrier. Her eyes glimmered with two different colors— her left eye a glinting crimson, and her right eye a deep blue. She wore her brand new outfit, no longer dressed in rags. But that wasn’t what stood out most about her.

“You’re—” Levi’s jaw dropped as he met her gaze. “A human…?”

But she ignored him as she adjusted the fingerless gloves on the palm of her hand. The last of her flames vanished, and she nodded at the elf at the other side of the Antimagic Domain. He smiled back at her as she spoke up.

“Sorry I’m late, Caius,” she said apologetically. “I was busy getting Issa to safety. But I’m here now.”

Author's Notes:

Kara commissioned by Azrie. Thank you for the amazing artwork.

4.3k word chapter. What thonk?

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