City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 534: Ambush

"All clear, go," said the guard leader.

A moment later, the carriages moved out of the outer checkpost of the fortress of Baxzar. We didn't enter the main fortress like we did in the Mahal.

Instead, I took the route around it.

The Baxzar Dominion is one of the most powerful and biggest countries in the Zenid.

It could be called an empire, but a dominion is the best term to describe it with its political system.

It's a country with thick forests that would make anyone get lost, with 80% of its population being orcs. The rest are humans, elves, and other races.

Our carriages moved toward the thick forest.

The whole dominion is like this. Filled with dense forests.

It is not just because of the environment but also the primal nature of classes these people here have, which affects the things around them.

It is why not even the Navr and its horde were able to go much deeper into the Baxzar.

It is due to it that the Baxzar dominion is one of the oldest kingdoms in the continent. Even the incursions weren't able to wipe them out.

The carriages were at the edge of the forest. Lt. Colonel Zaris and Lena moved toward the twelve people waiting there.

The leader was the orc with two humans, and the man seemed like a dwarf.

These are mercenaries that we had hired to protect and guide us through the Baxzar. Before, there were only eight, but with prophesy, I increased their numbers.

These people are from the Raxdar mercenary company. It is one of the biggest in the Navr; they are highly rated.

Zaris verified the documents before they got into some heated discussion.

"What are they talking about?" I asked Zela.

"The mercenaries aren't agreeing with the position Lt. Colonel Zaris wants them to take,"

"They are saying they need to be an inner circle to protect you better from the threat that arises from here, which they are more capable of handling," she informed.

Seeing that, I smiled.

Zaris would never agree to that. He takes his responsibilities far too seriously, especially after the prophecy.

A few minutes passed, and the mercenary leader seemed to give up as he placed his men in an outer circle.

A few seconds after that, we resumed our journey.

The dominion may have primality, but it has good infrastructure, including great roads. So, the carriage moved fast.

Our destination is Khulber the City. It is a small city under the territory of the Baris tribe.

I have taken all the permissions from the tribes whose territories I will pass through. I do not need to do that since I got it from the supreme chieftain, but I wanted nothing to slow me down on this journey.

Once I cross the Baxzar, it will take less than a day to reach the archmage city.

"It reminds me of home; the place I grew up has forests as thick as these," said Eudo, looking at things.

"I heard it's quite beautiful," I replied. To that, he smiles. "It is," he said before his smile turned sad.

I sighed seeing that, but didn't speak and turned to the forest.

I watched it for a few minutes before practicing the aura and then reading the book before practicing the aura again.

Before I know it, the sun has started to go down before it becomes fully dark.

Thankfully, there are lamps.

It is one of the main roads of the Baxzar. Well developed with all amenities.

Still, I could see the guards become more cautious as their skills circled to look for any dangers.

I am glad they are cautious, but I don't want to burn their alertness. It will happen if they continue in such a state.

Hours passed, and soon, it was past ten when we saw the city lights.

A few minutes later, our carriage reached the gates of the city. They checked our documents before we let them in.

There is no one to welcome us nor any pleasantries exchanged.

I like the orcs.

They are big on pleasantries and formalities, like humans and orcs. When we told them that we simply liked to rest in their city and didn't want any disturbance, they agreed.

The little gift I had sent ahead had helped a little, too.

However, when we reached our hotel, there was quite a tight security.

It made me smile, and I slept comfortably.

When I woke up, I wrote a letter to its governor and left something that he would appreciate before leaving.

The carriages were out of the city before the sun had come out. We have a long journey today and won't be stopping in any city until Qildur Vor.

It is a big city with a legacy. We hope to reach it before midnight.

Two hours passed, and I was looking at a map. We are taking a longer route, but the safer one.

The popular and shorter one is a little closer to Navr. There had been incidents when the undead had made a move and captured the people on that route.

While the chances of them doing that are low here.

They won't dare to mess with the Archmage City, but I can not take the chances. So, I listened to Cardin's and others' suggestions on a longer route.

It is going to delay the journey by about four hours, but I will have to do it for my safety.

Navr hasn't done anything against me yet, but it is better to be careful of the undead.

Soon, we reached the intersection, and the carriages turned toward the longer route, to the surprise of many, including the mercenaries.

To others, we are taking a direct route. Only Lt. Colonel Zaris, Lena, and my sister were aware of it.

Others would only know the moment we did it.

"I wish I could do something like this," I said to Eva. Seeing her create a purple sphere of metal with green spots of crystals in between.

I had seen her do it many times, and it mesmerized me every time.

The way she melts those metals and gems and controls them is truly amazing. While traveling, she created many jewellery pieces.

It gave me a lot of inspiration about my aura, and I am trying many things.

One is helping me particularly.

"It is a good ability, but you have better ones," she replied with a smile. I didn't say anything about that because she was right, but I wanted more.

Something like hers or Eudo's.

Telekinesis would be really helpful. Though, with enough control over the aura, I would be able to do what telekinesis could.

I pushed those thoughts away and picked up the book from the stand.

It is a good book. It's about the legacies; it's from old Vanis's collection. I borrowed a lot of books from him, and one thing I am going to do in archimage city is to buy the books.

Knowledge is necessary. There is never enough.

It is about the legacy that had disappeared over millennia ago. It was a Grade IV legacy, a good one at that. Lasting for nearly two and a half centuries.

It has information on its master and the legacy's abilities.

I read it for an hour before I put the book down and closed my eyes.

I took a couple of deep breaths and started the layering exercise, but with a different mindset.

I imagined myself standing on the sand and bringing the aura to my feet before imagining it melting into the glass.

It's hard but after a few attempts. I had understood the trick.

The sand beneath my feet melted and turned into molten glass.

As it did, I pulled it over me as thinly as possible.

It moved and began to cover my body slowly.

Soon, it covered my legs and moved up, reaching my waist and then the chest and neck before the head, covering me fully.

Bell says the aura is about the perception.

If you want it to be air, it will be. If you want it to be Earth, it will be. It is a manifestation of one's will; it can become whatever one desires.

I succeeded in the first layer before, and I want to do the second.

I am not as tired as I usually am when I am using my old method. That used to make me a lot more tired, used to take a lot more time and used to take a lot of effort to maintain.

I didn't begin immediately. Instead, imagine myself radiating the cold.

Making the liquid glass solid.

As I did, I began on the second layer. I moved it slowly, but this time, there was a greater strain, but less than what I feel when I do things the old way.

Soon, the aura covered my legs, and I moved it around my waist.

As it reached it. I moved toward my chest, then my neck, and finally the head.

A big smile appeared on my face as I achieved that, and I really wanted to try for the third later, but I didn't.

Instead, I froze it like a first layer and kept it as such for six minutes before letting go.

I really wanted to push, but getting tired wouldn't be wise.

Hours passed, and carriages kept moving. Stopping only for the small bathroom breaks.

Soon, it was afternoon with the bright sun shining from above.

"I want to ride under it," I said, to which Eva rolled her eyes. "You can try, but you will hear the same words again," she replied.

Earlier, when we stopped for the break. I wanted to ride, but both Lena and Lt. Colonel Zaris shot down my idea, terming it too dangerous.

I shook my thoughts and turned my eyes away from the window to the book I was reading.

I am nearly finished with it. In a few minutes, I will be done, and then I will practice again. I will work on the layers.

I want to become good enough at them. It becomes an instinct.

"Ambush!"

I was in my thoughts when I heard the loud warning ring in my ears.

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