Chapter 188: War Between Clans

The smoke billowed heavily in the air above Varghelm, as Tanaka ran towards the prison, followed by Raizen and Sora. The guards were rushing from side to side, and civilians were panicking as the noise of wood splintering and weapons clashing echoed around the district. While Tanaka had no intention of letting the crowd get to Lynessa, he knew that if Eldoris were to act recklessly, it could cause a full scale war. He sent a message through the Dominion Nexus, telling Raveana and the others to look after themselves, and not kill anyone unless they were in immediate danger.

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Lord Maelor Sableclaw watched the smoke rise from behind the shutters of his home, which overlooked the royal district. Maelor had been sent to Varghelm as an envoy for the King. While he had once assumed the throne, he had eventually allowed someone more convenient on the throne. It was much easier to maintain control if others believed that someone else held power.

Maelor had been adopted by the King and Queen of the Catfolk, as they had no children from their marriage. He had been raised as their son and had been placed in the royal line of succession. He had been taught that one day he would inherit the kingdom. However, ten years later, the queen had given birth to a daughter, Lynessa. The royal couple had become very attached to their new child. While he smiled as they carried her around the palace, pretending to love his new sister, he had felt a sense of fear. Lynessa had an amazing affinity with mana, even as an infant. The royal mages had predicted that if she lived to adulthood, she would be the greatest Catfolk mage ever known. Maelor knew that this would cause a problem.

He had acted before they could change his future. He had found a specialist in precision magic, and had told him to seal Lynessa’s mana. The specialist had created a multi-layered seal to stop her mana from showing, and had made it so that her mana pathways appeared weak. When the royal couple had begun to question why her results had been unexpected, Maelor had ensured their deaths and had taken control of the throne. Eventually the court had placed a new ruler on the throne to prevent any issues with succession, however Maelor had ensured that he remained the true power. He had ensured that Lynessa had been sold to Mereth Raukhan. He made a private deal to ensure that the missing princess was buried under years of debt, ownership and normal family accounts. This had ensured that she was alive, away from the royal court, and any claims she may have made in the future would be dismissed as a desperate claim from a former servant.

"She seems to be getting restless." Maelor turned to face the Catfolk assassin standing by the door. He wore a dark cloak, hiding his ears, and a thin dagger was strapped to his waist. He specialised in precision magic, allowing him to condense his spells into thin strands. This meant he could target specific areas, rather than wasting his magic on large attacks. He also knew some illusion magic that had been stolen from the Foxfolk, allowing him to disguise who he really was, and hide the mana signature of his people.

"That is good. The Wolf King has spent centuries convincing Bravelm that his rule brings peace. Let him see what happens when no one can trust their neighbours." The assassin waited. "Kill two people. Veyra Vossari, the ex Silver-Tailed Matriarch, and Tavren Raukhan’s right hand man. "The Foxes have lost their reputation, the Tigers have lost their patience, and the Lions are looking for someone to blame. Give them another reason to fight."

The assassin bowed. "As you wish." "They may seem like easy targets, but Veyra was once the most dangerous spirit mage in the Foxfolk. Tavren’s aide has survived many battles where better warriors have died. No matter how you do it, they need to be dead before the Wolf King can take control." The assassin vanished through the doorway. Maelor turned back to watch the smoke above Varghelm. A small smile appeared on his face. He despised the Wolf Crown having the ultimate power in Bravelm. He had seen the smaller kingdoms have their ambitions held back due to the power of the Wolf Crown. If the major clans destroyed each other, the Wolf King’s power would be reduced, allowing ambitious people to reshape the area to their advantage. If Lynessa died in the chaos no one would ever know what he had done.

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The assassin entered the prison through a service door while the guards were distracted with the fighting outside. He used a thin strand of magic to disrupt the locking ward, and had used an illusion borrowed from the Foxfolk to hide the small amount of magic. The ward detected a harmless fluctuation in spirit mana, and allowed him to enter. By the time a guard noticed that there was a slight delay in the ward, the assassin had already entered the detention wing.

The first target was in a locked cell at the end of the corridor. Veyra Vossari was sitting up on the small bed. Her silver red hair was flowing down her shoulders. Despite losing her position and being put under guard due to the previous assassination plot, she had not lost her pride or strength. As she heard the footsteps approaching she lifted her head, and her eyes narrowed at the sight of the stranger. "You’re not one of the guards." The assassin smiled slightly. "No."

Veyra stood up and summoned the spirits around her. However the illusion caused her to miscalculate his position. A strand of mana slipped through the bars, and hit the locking ward. The seal clicked open, and the door swung in before she could finish her incantation. Veyra reacted instantly. Spirit chains shot up from the floor and wrapped around the assassin’s limbs. Another spell had also been cast behind him to stop him escaping. The pressure had threatened to cause his illusion to fail, and his Catfolk ears had shown through his hood. He twisted his fingers, causing several precise bursts of mana to hit the weakest points in the chains. He had then lunged forward with his blade.

Veyra raised a barrier of spirits to block the first attack. However the assassin had adapted. He had lunged forward again and had hit her through a small gap in the barrier. This caused a focused burst of destructive mana to hit her. She stumbled back, and tried to summon the spirits again. However another precise strike destroyed the spell. The Silver-Tailed Matriarch fell to the floor beside the bed. The assassin pulled his blade back, and watched her to ensure she wouldn’t get up. He then restored his Foxfolk illusion, and exited the cell. The locking ward was still visible behind him. Outside the detention wing the guards were arguing, and had not noticed him enter the next corridor.

His second target Tavren Raukhan’s right hand man entered the prison to oversee the transfer requirements. However he had noticed the disturbance in the detention wing. He had found the assassin near the junction between the high security cells and main corridor. He instantly drew his sword. "Stop!" The assassin turned. The first blow hit him hard, causing him to hit the wall. Part of his illusion had failed, and the dark fur around his ears showed. The Tiger then swung again, aiming for his shoulder. The assassin had no choice but to reveal himself and fought the Tiger. They fought closely for several moments, with the Tiger’s strength and experience causing the smaller Catfolk to be pushed back.

However he had not been chosen for his strength. As the Tiger lunged forward with a heavy strike, the assassin released three focused bursts of mana. The first pierced through the armour around his knee, the second hit his sword arm, and the third slipped through his breast plate. The Tiger stumbled, however the assassin had lunged forward and stabbed his blade into the open wound. The warrior fell. The assassin took a few moments to steady his breathing, and restored his illusion. Two high ranking individuals were now dead, and time was running out. He slipped through the service passage before the guards found the bodies. The same magic that would lead the investigation to the Foxfolk was left behind.

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Tanaka arrived at the prison as fighting had broken out in the outer courtyard. Several guards were struggling to hold back a group of Lions and Tigers. Others were attempting to clear a path for injured soldiers to be taken away. He pushed through the chaos, with Raizen and Sora by his side. His face became colder as more weapons were raised against innocent people.

"Where is Lynessa?" A guard pointed towards the detention wing. However before he could move, another soldier stumbled from the corridor. His face was pale, and he shouted, "Veyra Vossari and Tavren’s right hand man have been murdered inside the prison!" This caused a shockwave among the warriors. The Tigers instantly accused the Foxfolk of murdering their commander’s closest aide. The Foxfolk guards argued, claiming that their former Matriarch could not have attacked anyone as she was in prison. This angered them further when they had found out she was dead. Several lunged towards the Tigers, however their commander stopped them. The Wolf Crown guards tried to separate the groups, however the crowd outside heard the news and begun rushing through the damaged entrance.

Moments later King Aldren arrived. He shouted for everyone to put their weapons down, and ordered that the bodies be secured for investigation. He tried to calm the Tigers, Lions and Foxfolk. He promised that they would investigate the murders, and no one would be punished without evidence. However the warriors had had enough. Two high ranking individuals had been killed. A Tiger drew his blade. A Foxfolk guard responded with a spear filled with spirits. Blood spattered across the prison courtyard. Before Aldren’s guards could separate them, fighting had begun. The Lions joined in after recognising the same type of Foxfolk magic that had supposedly been used in the previous murders. Other clans had rushed to protect their people. Within moments the prison district had become a battlefield. Aldren shouted for them to stop, however no one listened. War had begun.

Tanaka ignored the fighting and entered the detention wing. Two guards were trying to force open Lynessa’s cell. They turned as they heard his footsteps. One drew his sword, while the other reached for his keys. Tanaka released a controlled burst of his Draconic Aura, causing them to hesitate. He knocked their weapons aside, and entered the cell. "Lynessa!" She rushed towards the bars, her amber eyes wide with fear.

"Tanaka?" He ripped the lock off, and opened the cell. He pulled her behind him as the fighting outside increased. Her hands grabbed onto the back of his coat as she trembled. Another explosion rocked the prison walls. He looked down at her, determination filling his eyes. "I’m getting you out." Behind him the guards had begun shouting. In front of him the Beastfolk were tearing their world apart. And somewhere outside the prison walls, the person responsible was already planning his next move.