The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

General Lofey and Tyriece heard the commotion outside. The latter crawled to the tent opening and sneaked a peek through the slit... and the hairs on his nape stood on end while his eyes enlarged with what he saw. He hurriedly moved backward with his bottom mopping the dirt with his pants.

"General, I think we need to find another way to get out of this tent if we want to save our necks."

"Why? What did you see?"

"More soldiers with bloodshot eyes are outside."

"So Mafan had more men than we thought." The general went to the dead soldier's head and saw a black thin object under its hair. He cut a piece of cloth from the soldier's shirt and picked the object, placing it in his pocket.

"General, we need to get out of here now. Or are you willing to cut more heads?" Tyriece said, standing near the tent's door in case the soldiers would barge in.

The general didn't say a word. He walked behind his chair and torn the tent wall with one strike of his sword. Not a soul was outside. He scurried out. Tyriece followed.

While running, he whistled, hoping his horse was not bound. This alerted the soldiers to head to the back, but they walked slow while under Mafan's spell. The two scampered and heard the horse's struggling neighs.

General Lofey shook his head. It seemed Mafan had planned this out well. However, he was thankful that his horse was the only flying beast left. The rest was with the other group attacking Ninpu. He swore to go back for his horse later. He wondered how many men were under Mafan, including the Chiangdas. 'Oh lord, I hope only a few.'

When they'd reached a good distance and on higher grounds, General Lofey climbed the tallest tree and looked back to his tent. Soldiers went searching around. His eyes looked around and saw some movements close to them. He jumped down and hid while signaling Tyriece to hide too. The latter crouched behind a boulder.

Then as the people went near them, the general saw three of his loyal knights running while looking behind their backs from time to time.

"Care to join you, men?" said the general as he ran with them.

The three stopped and cried out altogether.

"General, what is going on?" said a tall and lanky knight.

"They said you killed soldiers, but we didn't believe them. They suddenly attacked us when we defended you," a short and stout man said with a face saying he was thrilled to see the top general again.

"Stop fussing and run," said the general and headed toward a hill. The rest followed.

"What the hell is going on, general?" said a big-bodied knight.

"I don't know but let's escape first and go into the city and join the governor."

"But…" the stout man's words were cut short when fire blasted on the tree near them. His arms went above his head. "Damn those other Chiangdas. Did you really kill those soldiers, general?"

"Will you trust me when I say I didn't?" said the general.

"I trust you, Sir. But what will happen to us?"

The general did not reply. More questions were in his mind too but survival comes first.

Suddenly, a floating man, with swirling leaves and dust under his feet, and a ball of whirring wind on his palms descended a distance ahead of them. "Running away from your sins, general?"

The five men ceased running but the general fired without warning. Arrows made of fire flew out from his palm and chained the wind Chiangda to the tree, alive and unharmed.

While Tyriece looked behind and clawed his fingers upward. With that action, the stones on the ground rose on the air. Then he jerked his hands away and the stones flew toward the rushing Chiangda and to the soldiers with bloodshot eyes.

The puppet soldiers were hit hard on their heads, knocking them unconscious. All of them groaned as one and fell on the ground together like an orchestrated fall. But the fire Chiangda covered himself with a fire shield, smashing the stone into pieces, and hid behind a tree for cover from Tyriece's incoming stones.

"Tyriece lead them. Go!" said the general while he sharpened his gaze at where the man hid.

"But..." Tyriece hesitated.

"Hurry! Don't worry, I'll follow. I can handle them."

"Be careful. Keep your promise." Tyriece ran and the three followed.

"Sir Balin, are you conspiring with Mafan?" the general shouted toward the hiding fire Chiangda.

"I'm not conspiring with anyone but you are, with that Governor. Why both of you became friendly with him and killed the soldiers inside the tent? You even beheaded the one who attacked him. Even if you're a top general, you're not excused from killing your men without clear reason and process. Come back and face the law."

"I didn't kill those other dead soldiers in the tent. It was that man I beheaded. I have no choice but to kill him because he was holding a Wag stone against us and his mind was already under Mafan's control."