35 Nocturne's Moove

A knock resounded in my chamber, eliciting a smirk from me; the demon, Nocturne, was well aware of our presence. Nocturne, a formidable adversary, feasted on the nightmares of unsuspecting souls, rendering sleep a perilous endeavor whenever he prowled.

Vagran's door creaked open, followed by a string of curses, swiftly succeeded by the abrupt appearance of a hostel staff member hurtling through the dividing wall into my room. I regarded him with an expression devoid of emotion as he offered a grin in return.

Before I could react, my door exploded inward, three figures charging at me with eyes as black as the abyss, mouths dripping with saliva. They were foot soldiers of the Dauntless, devoid of their customary armor but brandishing knives with deadly intent.

With swiftness borne of necessity, I parried one assailant's blade with my forearm, simultaneously deflecting another with a barrier of Air Magic. A radiant shield materialized above me just in time, intercepting a third knife with a violent clash before sending it careening towards its sender, who collided forcefully with the ceiling upon impact.

With a surge of power, I intensified the energy of the barrier, causing it to erupt in a dazzling explosion that launched one of the assailants into the wall beside me with considerable force. In a fluid motion, I delivered an augmented punch to the soldier on my right, propelling him across the room to meet the opposite wall.

Left with only one adversary, I manipulated the forces of gravity, increasing its hold on him until he crashed heavily to the ground, his protestations muffled by the impact.

I turned to find all five of Vagran's adversaries sprawled unconscious on the floor.

"It appears this scoundrel is intent on testing our mettle," Vagran grunted, swiftly neutralizing another assailant by seizing him by the throat and hurling him out of the window below. Given our location on the ground floor, it posed no significant concern.

"Be cautious, Vagran. This seems to be a trap," I cautioned as I sensed a multitude of approaching figures, accompanied by the distant cries echoing outside.

"Enter the hostel, our men are down!" a commanding voice resounded, instantly recognizable as Garen's. Vagran's grin confirmed his recognition of the voice.

"Oh, this troublemaker," I muttered under my breath as Garen burst into Vagran's bedroom, brandishing his sword.

"Who are you, and why did you assault our soldiers?" demanded the authoritative voice of the Crownsguard, accompanied by the growing presence of more guards behind him.

"We didn't initiate the attack," I retorted to Garen. "They barged into our rooms and launched the assault. We merely defended ourselves."

"I sense the presence of magic being utilized within this chamber," remarked one of the mageseekers standing behind Garen, his gaze narrowing.

"You will accompany us for questioning," Garen commanded, his tone firm, prompting a frown from me.

"Do you think we'll simply comply and follow you to whatever wretched place you're suggesting?" Vagran challenged, his mana beginning to surge noticeably. Garen gritted his teeth in response, while the blond woman from earlier appeared behind him.

"Garen, what is the meaning of this?" she inquired, the soldiers allowing her passage into Vagran's room.

"Aunt Tianna, these men claim they were attacked by our soldiers during the night and acted in self-defense, resulting in this situation," Garen explained to the woman, whom I now recognized as his aunt.

I hadn't known Garen had an aunt, but her appearance seemed fitting—a woman of stern yet striking demeanor.

She hummed thoughtfully before fixing her gaze on me. "You're a mage, correct?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

'Lying won't serve us well,' I thought, inwardly frowning. "Yes," I admitted. "My companion and I sensed a demonic presence within this town, so we came to investigate."

Garen frowned, while his aunt turned her attention to Vagran. "And you are not a mage?" she inquired.

"No, milady. I cannot lay claim to such abilities," Vagran replied with a smile.

"And yet you reek of magic and sulfur, what are you?" she asked, her gaze narrowing.

"I have some practice in the arcane arts but I am not what you can consider a mage," Vagran replied with a shrug. "I am more of a swordsman."

"A swordsman?" Garen perked up at the mention.

Hearing him, Tianna sighed and placed a palm on her face.

"Lady Tianna," I interjected, "these soldiers and staff members were controlled by the demon."

She looked at me and then at Vagran, who was casually strolling around the bedroom, boredom evident on his face.

"He seems to be feeding on nightmares of people," I continued, noticing Tianna's sudden shudder.

"Nightmares, you said?" Tianna's eyes widened as she glanced at the soldier by the door.

"Go and wake up everyone in the barracks; this is a trap!" she exclaimed, prompting a dozen soldiers to sprint towards the barracks.

"Garen, go and fetch Luxanna," she instructed as he sped outside, leaving the three of us and a mageseeker inside the bedroom.

"Mages," Tianna addressed us sternly, "help us defeat the demon and you'll not be charged with anything."

"Marshal Crownsguard, you are not authorized to—" the mageseeker began but was silenced by an iron stare from Tianna.

"I am the Marshal of the Demacian Army. You mageseekers seem to have grown arrogant in the last years," she asserted, prompting us to follow her.

Vagran looked at Tianna with a smile as he passed the mageseeker arrogantly.

As we emerged from the hostel, Garen and Luxanna rushed towards us, their faces etched with urgency.

"Aunt, the soldiers are turning on each other, and we've spotted civilians attacking one another," Garen exclaimed, his voice tinged with concern.

Tianna frowned, clearly troubled by the news. Meanwhile, I conjured a ball of light to dispel the encroaching darkness, eliciting surprise from those around us. Then, extending my hand towards the sky, I summoned a radiant orb resembling a miniature sun, casting its luminous glow across the town and banishing the darkness.

"The demon is manipulating the sleeping people as weapons," I informed the group as a wave of individuals surged towards us. I turned to Vagran with urgency.

"Don't kill them, Vagran," I implored as he unsheathed a sword taken from one of the soldiers during the earlier scuffle inside the hostel, he smiled back at me

"Of course, Lucas. I will be gentle," Vagran assured me as the approaching wave drew nearer. Garen and Tianna prepared their swords, while Luxanna positioned herself behind them for protection.

Cracking my neck with a smile, I conjured a dozen balls of light around me. "Well, let's do this," I said cheerfully, already reveling in the excitement of this new adventure.

–

Cliffhanger for you all,

See you soon :)