The portal opened into the vast emptiness of the desert, dozens of miles outside the glowing walls of Dawnstar City. The air here was still and sharp, the dunes broken only by the jagged crowns of rocky mountains that rose like black teeth against the stars. It was the perfect place to vanish as it has natural barrier that could block so sensory detection.
As soon as Ery and Annara stepped onto the uneven rock, the ground trembled faintly. From the cracks between the stones ca a series of strange, high-pitched clicks.
"Ku... ku... kuang..."
Figures began erging from the shadows. The chizpurs. At their lead was Livi, the Baphot. Around her stood over three dozen figures—n and won, magus and mortal alike, all weary and dust-covered, but alive.
These were the rescued captives. Ery had sent the chizpurs to extract them while he engaged the enemy, ensuring their safety before the city’s chaos spread. He hadn’t dared pull them into his domain—not without knowing who each one was. Allowing strangers into that inner domain was too great a risk.
Annara rushed forward, her crimson hair flowing as she knelt beside one of the unconscious prisoners. "Nyx..." Her voice trembled slightly in relief. The Succubus breathing was shallow, but her complexion had returned to color.
"She’s stable," Ery said quietly, his eyes scanning the group.
Annara looked around, her brow furrowed. "Where are the others? Are they in trouble?"
Ery shook his head. "They’ll be here soon."
And as if on cue, a new portal rippled—its surface warping before several figures burst through.
"Father!"
A silver-haired girl dashed forward, her expression bright with relief. It was Shinta. Behind her ca Vic, while Ery’s dark avatar followed last—his spectral eyes fading as the gate behind them closed. The avatar had served its purpose: acting as his eyes and laying the escape routes in advance.
But Ery’s focus shifted the mont he noticed what Fayenor the deer halfblood was carrying over his shoulder—a bound figure, bruised and motionless.
Khadeth, The third elder of the Midnight Brotherhood.
Kayelin approached, her hands raised as she maintained a glowing sphere of compressed mana. Within it writhed a monstrous violet centipede, thrashing and screeching in fury. What drew Ery’s attention most, however, was the small, spectral fairy floating just above the sphere—no larger than his palm, wings shimring in iridescent light.
He recognized her instantly. One of the fairies who had fallen during the battle within the World Beast—reborn, her spirit form burning with rainbow-colored energy that now restrained the centipede’s movents.
"Sorry for the wait," Shinta said, explaining that she had decided to capture Khadeth—the third elder of the Midnight Brotherhood—and his centipede beast. Now that both creatures were secured, Annara could finally remove the Violet Death poison from her body.
Annara raised a brow but couldn’t hide her smirk. "That’s my girl."
Shinta puffed her chest with pride. "Told you I had your back, Auntie!"
Ery glanced at her with a mix of pride and concern. "You took quite a risk," he said, though there was approval in his tone. "Well done. Now that everyone’s here... we leave. Imdiately."
He looked toward the horizon. From the heavens ca a low hum, followed by the gleam of silver light breaking through the clouds. A dium-sized spacecraft descended from orbit—sleek, sharp-edged, bearing the insignia of a howling wolf. The Void Wolf.
Ery’s plan was unfolding exactly as intended. Knowing that retreating through the city portal would be almost impossible, he had arranged the Void Wolf as their escape vessel. The ship’s descent kicked up a storm of dust and gravel, its landing thrusters flaring like miniature suns against the rocky terrain.
The ramp extended with a tallic hiss, and Ery wasted no ti.
"Move! Everyone, aboard!"
The survivors rushed inside. Annara supported the still-unconscious Nyx, while Shinta and her team carried their captives and wounded. Ery had decided to take them all; many were victims or hostages of the Midnight Brotherhood, not enemies.
The Void Wolf’s interior thrumd to life as engines roared beneath their feet. The ship lifted off, climbing through the reddish haze of Dawnstar’s lower atmosphere. But just as the crew began to settle, Varrek’s voice crackled sharply through the comms from the bridge.
"Captain—" his tone was tense, "—we’ve got company!"
Ery’s brow furrowed. He sprinted to the bridge, where Varrek pointed to the radar screen—a cluster of red dots moving fast toward them. Outside the viewport, streaks of light flashed across the darkness.
"They’re hailing us," Varrek said grimly.
"Patch it through."
The screen flared to life, revealing a middle-aged man in crimson armor seated within a command ship. His eyes were sharp, his voice authoritative.
"Unidentified vessel, you have violated Dawnstar airspace," he declared. "This is General Calvin of the Red Dawn Faction. Under Magus Alliance protocols, you are ordered to surrender for inspection."
Ery listened carefully to the man’s words while Annara whispered intel beside him. The man, nad Calvin, was one of the three influential Grand Magus Elders of the Red Dawn Faction—the ruling power of Dawnstar. His rank and authority were undeniable. Still, his presence here was unusual.
Understanding the situation, Ery finally answered the hail.
"General, I didn’t know Dawnstar still had enforcers. I heard there hasn’t been one for years. Why don’t you tell why you’re really here?"
The general’s expression shifted slightly before he replied, "We demand that you release the Grand Magus you’ve captured—into our custody."
A faint smile crossed Ery’s face. "You an the Violet Brothers? I’m afraid I can’t. They’re criminals wanted by the Insectoid race. I can’t release them to you."
The general fell silent for a mont, then said, "No, we couldn’t care less about those criminals. I demand you release Grand Magus Barnet."
Ery’s eyes narrowed—he had guessed correctly. These enforcers had co for Barnet. The fact that they knew of Barnet’s presence so quickly, despite the man’s hidden identity, only deepened Ery’s suspicion.
With a calm yet firm tone, Ery lied through his teeth. "General, I know no such person. So I’m afraid I can’t help you. Now, if you’d kindly open a path for us—or I’ll consider this a direct act of hostility against the Half-blood Faction."
The bridge fell silent—both sides poised for another battle.
However, the general yielded to reason; his own scans of the ship had revealed at least five Grand Magus aboard the Void Wolf. He had no desire to start a losing fight.
Cornered by the threat, the general said nothing more. Ery took his silence as consent and ordered Varrek to continue.
"Take us out of orbit. Prepare for warp dive."
Monts later, the Void Wolf broke free of Dawnstar’s atmosphere and vanished into the starlit void.
Though they had successfully rescued Nyx and secured the cure for Annara’s affliction, Ery couldn’t shake the sense that he had stepped into sothing far greater—a web of hidden politics and power plays within the Dawnstar sector.
Silently, he returned to his captain’s chamber, ready to begin his next task: interrogating the mysterious prisoner.
###
This Chapter concludes the month of October, and once again, I’d like to express my deepest gratitude for your support. I hope it’s been an enjoyable read.
Spoiler for next month: Ery will begin building his own foundation to stand against the hidden powers within the Alliance, starting from Sector 13. And eventually... well, you can probably guess who he’ll encounter.
Once again, thank you so much for your continued support and patience. I truly appreciate it, and I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming month.
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