Chapter 49: fight underneath

The Council Hall of Elandor was a vaulted chamber of polished crystal, sunlight refracted through its spires into intricate patterns across the floor. Each shard hummed faintly with residual magic, vibrating as if alive, echoing the weight of decisions made within these walls.
Thalen stood at the center, cloak drawn tight, flanked by Eryndor, Vix, Aldah, Kael, Ryo, and Arachne, surprisingly Lara refused to enter. The councilors, robed in the colors of East Geneva’s districts, watched silently. Their faces were taut, betraying worry and suspicion.
“The reports are troubling,” one elder began, voice echoing in the chamber. “Unrest in North Geneva has increased. East forges are operating at maximum output, yet shipments to South are inconsistent. West stabilization teams have reported sabotaged conduits. And intelligence suggests Central Geneva loyalists are active near the border, targeting the Prince himself.”
Thalen’s brow furrowed. “Central… loyalists”
A councilor nodded gravely. “Yes. The former right hand of the fallen king, has been spotted near Willow Fen. He claimed to have orders: eliminate you. The purpose seems twofold. One, to prevent the knowledge you carry from being revealed. Two, to trigger chaos in East Geneva. Your death would incite revolt and push Geneva closer to civil war.”
Eryndor stepped forward. “We will ensure your safety, Prince. But this is no ordinary threat. That man is skilled, methodical, and lethal. He wields his blade as though the world were nothing but clay in his hands.”
Vix’s expression remained cold. “He is not just a threat to the Prince. He manipulates history itself. Every move he makes is intended to destabilize the divisions. Willow Fen is his staging ground. And it’s easy to ambush anyone there—mist, terrain, silence and dangerous animals”
One elder gestured toward a crystal map of the region. “Willow Fen is to the south. Its mist is thick, and the terrain treacherous. That man has been observed scouting the area. He moves quickly, strikes without warning, and disappears into the fog before pursuers can react. Your group will need both vigilance and speed. We trust your judgment and abilities.”
Kael frowned. “he is alone, right ?”
“no...beasts are accompanying him” an older woman answered.
Arachne’s stormy gaze swept the council chamber.
Thalen drew in a steadying breath. “Then we leave immediately. Willow Fen,  isn't far from here, we need to evacuate people now ! ”
The council murmured final instructions, emphasizing caution, then stepped back as the group left the crystal hall. Outside, the wind carried the faint hum of magic through the spires. Mist began to settle over the fen, a natural veil obscuring all but the nearest trees.

---
By the time they reached the roots of the giant tree that is Elandor, the swamp had swallowed the path they chose in an ethereal gray. Reed stalks brushed against their cloaks. Pools of stagnant water reflected faint glows from bioluminescent fungi. Shadows twisted unnaturally in the mist, creating shapes that seemed almost alive.
Aldah’s fists whirred quietly. “This place is like someone took the nightmare version of a fairy tale and called it home.”
Ryo’s beast growled low, muscles tensing. Even Thalen’s usually calm presence was taut with anticipation.
A rustle ahead made the reeds bend. The mist parted slightly, revealing a figure in dark robes. A blade glinted faintly under the faint light. The shadow stepped forward, his hood shadowing his face, but his posture was composed and gentlemanly.
“Step no further,” the man said calmly, voice polite yet chilling. “You do not understand what is at stake.”
Aldah’s eyes widened, recognition dawning. “Ian…” she whispered, voice shaking with disbelief. “You…”
Ian’s lips curved faintly in a polite smile. “Aldah. How… familiar. Still relying on your clever contraptions, I see.”
“what are you doing here ? You promised,” Aldah spat, “you promised to help me find Ara. And all this time… you were...”
Ara Ryo and his beast were shocked; that was the name the alpha beast had uttered the night it attacked Sunwhisper Manor.
Ian bowed his head slightly, his voice smooth. “Using you… I promised, and I kept part of that promise. But power—and duty—demanded the rest. Your brother… he died long ago, consumed by the beast inside him. My path, and yours, diverged long before that.”

Thalen stepped forward, cloak brushing the mist.
Ian’s polite smile did not falter. “You misunderstand, Prince. It is not you I fear—it is what you represent. Your death would ignite East Geneva. And the secrets you carry would unravel the lies surrounding the fallen king. That is why I cannot fail.”
Aldah’s fists ignited with mechanical whirring. “Then I’ll stop you. I trusted you once.”
Ian lunged without warning. Blade met air as Aldah’s mechanical fist propelled forward, impact sending sparks flying. Ian rolled, parrying deftly, strikes precise and controlled.
“You’ve grown strong,” Ian said, evading another blow. “ Do you think your rage will protect him? Protect yourself?”
“I don’t need protection,” Aldah growled. “I need answers. And I will not let you hurt anyone else.”
The mist swirled around them as steel clashed with reinforced metal. Every strike echoed across the tunnel, Ian’s blade sliced with surgical precision, while Aldah’s fists powered each strike with raw force, cracking reeds, mud, and stone beneath them.
Ian stepped back slightly, blade raised.
Aldah’s fury surged. “You lied to me. And now you think you can play God with others’ lives?”
Ian’s smile remained polite. “Not play. Shape. The Prince you protect… carries knowledge that could expose a friend of mine. That is why your actions, and mine, are inevitable. What unfolds depends on choices, not sentiment.”
Thalen tightened his cloak. “Secrets or not, you will not kill me.
Ian lunged again, blade aimed for her center. Aldah spun, hydraulic arms meeting steel with a resounding clash. Sparks shot into the mist. The ground quaked beneath each blow, reeds shredded, mud splattered.
Ian’s polite veneer cracked for a fraction of a second, a flicker of conflicted humanity passing over his face.
The duel intensified, fists spinning, blade arcing with deadly intent. Ian landed a grazing strike along Aldah’s arm, drawing blood. Aldah responded with a spinning punch that struck Ian in the ribs, sending him crashing against a wall. Mist and mud sprayed into the air.
“You are a monster,” Aldah panted, fists still humming.
“Perhaps,” Ian admitted, voice calm. “Or a man doing what must be done.”
His chest split open at the center, a glowing magical circle appearing as beasts began to emerge from within.
While this was happening another Ian appeared, blade slicing toward Thalen. Eryndor intercepted with his dagger before pushing him, Ryo—the beast slams him in the wall, Beasts start attacking them, on top of the bigger one was a third Ian looking at them with arrogance.  
The struggle was raw. Vix used ice to imprison the savage beasts, but one of them could spew fire, making the fight nearly impossible for him. Kael fought alongside Ryo against a monster that kept regenerating itself. Lara summoned marauders to fight on her behalf, and Arachnee watched with fascination in her eyes.
A small orb appeared next to Ian, he nodded, then staggered back, blade glinting in the dim light. “This is not finished, Aldah”
With a polite bow, he disappeared into the swirling gray, leaving Aldah kneeling, fists trembling, heart pounding.
Thalen stepped forward cautiously. “Are you all… all right?”
Aldah’s eyes narrowed, fierce determination burning.
The mist thickened, swallowing the echoes of their battle Elandor roots had witnessed only the beginning, the fallen king was looking at them through the eyes of arachnee