The battle below was on the verge of a turning point; either the Wizard was going to die, or the bandits were going to lose. And from the way it looked, the Wizard was on the losing side because of the orb.

The Wizard's barrier cracked upon impact, a burst of vines flinging around as the man's sword pierced through them. The vines around him grew thin, weak, the green fading to a sickly grey.

The Rank 2 bandit pressed forward, his greatsword cutting through the earth itself and causing the Wizard to be pushed back.

Morena waited, waiting for the Wizard to get into a desperate situation, one just like the one he was in now.

"Now."

Adolf gave the signal, and their formation burst from the treeline like a storm.

The sound of hundreds of boots thundered across the soil as arrows whistled through the air, cutting into the bandit ranks before they could react. The sudden ambush shattered their lines, sending confusion and fear across the battlefield.

"Push forward! Keep shields tight, don't let them pass the lines."

Morena's voice cut through the noise as she spurred her horse forward, spear in hand.

The bandits didn't even have time to react before she was already amongst them on her horse. Her spear found one of their chests cleanly, pushing through armor, throwing him back. She ripped it free and turned on the next before his sword even rose.

Her soldiers advanced in unison, shields locking, blades flashing. Adolf led the left flank, the Captain the right, and the bandits quickly found themselves surrounded on three sides.

The Wizard's surviving soldiers stared, wide-eyed, but they quickly followed his faint order.

"Join them, you idiots!"

His voice was tired, but it carried authority, the kind that came from command and pride. Even weakened, his pride didn't lower in the slightest.

They followed his orders, and the troops shifted, regrouping under Morena's formation, though none dared turn their back to her men completely.

Adolf's voice carried through the fight.

"Keep their leader pinned!"

The Rank 2 bandit roared, swinging his sword down hard enough to break the ground. The shockwave split a line of soldiers apart, throwing men aside.

Even Morena had to brace herself against the impact; the overwhelming might of a Rank 2 was enough to shape battlefields alone. She couldn't handle him.

Even the combined effort of Adolf and the Captain couldn't hold him down for long. Her father might be able to hold him, but she convinced him to sit it out.

She didn't want him getting worse, and she didn't want the poison spreading further.

The best she could do was limit him while the Wizard regathered himself. The Wizard was the only one who could possibly compete with him.

"Captain, cut him off from his men!"

The Captain nodded and moved, his spear striking low, forcing the man's stance off balance while Adolf came in from behind, striking for his ribs.

The clash of energy flared, two Rank 1s against a Rank 2. While they couldn't compete against him in a frontal assault, they could stall him long enough.

Meanwhile, the Wizard had barely risen back to his feet. His hand pressed to his side, blood staining the dirt beneath him, but the magic around him still pulsed.

Morena dismounted and approached him, keeping her eyes open to the surroundings around them.

"Can you still fight?"

He turned to her, his eyes narrowing.

"Who are you?"

His voice was deep, strained, but carried the tone of someone who has been suspicious of everything.

"Just someone who came across a fight. I'm just trying to help you."

His eyes flickered, studying her like he was trying to decide whether she was a fool or someone useful.

He turned back toward the battlefield, raising to his feet, his mana gathering once more.

Vines erupted again, tearing through the soil, wrapping around bandits' legs and throats. Thorns burst from the ground, striking those who tried to flee.

His control was rough, less refined than before, but still deadly.

Morena fought alongside his soldiers now, cutting through whoever got close. Every motion was efficient, no wasted swings, no shouts, no emotion; she just killed everything that came across her.

Still, the battle was chaotic.

For every man they killed, two more tried to surround them. She couldn't understand just how they had this many people. How did this bandit group grow so large?

Then, above it all, a familiar glow.

Morena's head snapped upward.

The orb.

It descended from the trees above with its familiar faint glow, weaving through the air like a living flame.

"It's here again..."

The Wizard muttered under his breath.

He raised his hand, chanting something in that strange tongue again. The vines reacted instantly, forming a twisting barrier around them.

The orb struck the barrier and recoiled, sparks of blue light scattering like dust. But it didn't retreat; it dove again, and the corpses on the ground began to move.

One by one, the dead bandits rose, their limbs jerking, their eyes glowing that same eerie blue.

Morena cursed.

"Adolf!"

He turned, immediately realizing what was happening.

"Burn the bodies! Don't let them get back up!"

The soldiers obeyed without hesitation. They began to spread torches amongst themselves from the backlines, and the archers shot arrows lit with flames, fire catching across the field. Flames consumed the fallen, their bodies writhing for moments before falling still again.

The Wizard's voice cut through the chaos.

"Hold them off long enough, and I will end this now!"

His hand slammed against the ground, and thick roots burst outward, curling around one of the corpses as it tried to stand, crushing it with a crack.

Morena looked toward the Rank 2 bandit again. The man had broken free from Adolf's reach and was charging for the Wizard.

"Cover him!"

She ran forward, spear spinning in her hand before she struck. The bandit blocked it with his blade, the impact sending a wave of force through her arm, but she held her ground.

The Wizard took the opportunity.

He raised his palm, chanting louder now, his voice resonating through the air. The vines around him surged upward, dozens of them, all sharp with thorns glowing faint green.

They shot forward, striking the Rank 2 in his chest, his arms, his legs, tearing through his armor, forcing him to stumble.

The man roared, trying to break free, but the vines held.

Then the Wizard's tone deepened, the chant changing. Morena could feel the mana in the words themselves. She couldn't understand how he was doing it, what they were.

But from mere words, the vines grew stronger. They thickened and sharpened.

The vines tightened all at once.

Blood splattered across the ground.

The Rank 2 died in a burst of blood and gore, his scream barely leaking through the vines before it fell completely silent.

The battlefield stilled.

The bandits who remained turned and fled, dropping their weapons in panic as the vines dragged their leader's body into the ground.

The Wizard staggered, having used too much of his power. Morena moved quickly to stop him from falling over. However, he pushed himself off her and straightened his frame quickly.

"That was amazing."

He glanced at her, his tone clipped.

"You should have stayed out of it. I had it under control."

"I wanted to help. I know you could've done it."

Of course, that was a lie. The man was most likely going to die if she didn't help. But she understood his personality from just a few seconds of talking to him. She knew that saying that would only piss him off.

The man scoffed, then shook his head.

"Whatever you say. Your presence was just extra work."

She didn't react to the insult, only folded her arms.

"I'm just glad I could have helped."

That earned her a faint, humorless smile.

"Who are you?"

"Morena Ravenscroft."

She replied quickly.

"We were passing through when we saw the fight."

"You interfered in something you don't understand."

"Of course. I saw someone struggling with the same odd orb of light and bandits we had a hassle with, so we helped out."

He exhaled softly, shaking his head.

"You have no idea what you've stepped into. You should've just stayed out."

"Please enlighten me."

He looked toward the forest, where the orb had disappeared, leaving faint trails of light fading into the mist.

"That thing..."

He muttered.

"It isn't supposed to exist. It needs to be killed."

Morena stepped closer, careful not to sound too pressing.

"Then tell me what it is. Maybe I can help."

He gave her a sideways glance, long and analytical.

"You want to help?"

He said, finally.

"Then do as I say. We're leaving this place now."

Morena nodded.

"Of course."

That was her goal to begin with. She didn't want to deal with that troublesome orb of light. She wanted to leave this place and gain a connection to the Wizard.

The Wizard turned away, gathering his remaining men, his hand clutching his side where blood still seeped faintly through torn cloth.

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