The Duke's Secrets

Chapter 2 - An Unfortunate Battle

"Duke Blakemore!" Alexander's voice boomed through the chamber as he approached the throne. "We've—"

"Come to fight..." Duke Blakemore interjected, his voice somehow unmuffled despite his mask concealing his mouth. "You've come here like all the rest to fight me. To defeat me. To take what you see as yours to take...Young Alexander."

"You know my name?" Alexander questioned, cautiously taking a step back.

"Not just yours. Alexander Cornelius Ambrose, Swordsman. Zen Marcus Markinswell, Spearman. Victoria Scarlett Macalester, Western Mage. And..."

The Duke had locked his eyes on each of them as he called out their names and role in their party. But he stopped when he reached the woman hidden under a green hood and partly dirty brown robe.

Unlike the other three, he didn't know who the mysterious figure was. It was an oddity made only more bizarre in the Duke's mind as he could somehow tell she was a woman.

By her stance? He questioned in his head. No...it's just awkward, like she's holding something she is not used to—something else then, something...deeper, maybe?

"And one I oddly appear not to know," the Duke continued. "Four fools that think they can just waltz into my castle, take my life, and the world will thank them. Fools that think they are heroes in some fairy tale. But there are no heroes in this tale. Only monsters. Monsters that fight...other monsters."

"My father was a hero!" Alexander shouted at the Duke.

A deafening silence fell in the throne room. Even the Duke was surprised by Alexander's sudden outcry, but not nearly as surprised as Alexander was when the Duke began to break into monstrous laughter, seemingly at his father's expense.

The Duke's laughter echoed ominously in Alexander's ears as he clenched his sword, still pulsating with the stored mana intended to force open the throne room's metal door. Summoning all his strength, he swung, and a golden light of refined mana scorched through the air with enough force to blast anything clean of that stone throne...if it reached.

Alexander's eyes began to tremble at the sight before him. His golden attack became ensnared like a trapped beast, entangled by threads emanating from dozens of shimmering silver magic circles surrounding the Duke.

The Duke had not uttered a word of incantation or made the slightest movement, yet he had somehow conjured a spell potent enough to halt Alexander's assault in midair.

Zen wasted no time seeing an opportunity and launched his own fiery red attack at the Duke. But the Duke merely lifted his left hand, causing the silver magic circles to absorb Alexander's attack, altering it into a golden barrier that effortlessly blocked Zen's assault. And through it all, the Duke's gaze remained fixed on Alexander, paying no heed to Zen's actions.

"W-What was that?" Zen questioned, his voice trembling.

"Spider's Transformation," Victoria whispered, her words barely audible. "A high-level counter spell that restrains one magic attack to serve as a shield for another."

"Any drawbacks?" Alexander mumbled.

"Yeah," Victoria grinned. "It consumes a notable amount of mana."

Alexander and Zen exchanged determined glances and began channeling vast amounts of mana into their weapons as Victoria conjured her staff. It was a long wooden rod crowned with a crescent moon designed to aid her in casting and sustaining her most potent spells.

"Beyond the veil of sight," Victoria began to chant, "let magic fade from walls and floors. Let all set spells evade, whether by mystic chant or other form. Spell Break! I split the link so all enchantments shall die. Magical essence, I release. Unbind mana's ancient lease from this room and let magic wane. Mana Rapture!"