Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

41  Ambition

The smoke thickened, engulfing the city in a swirling haze of darkness. The fire raged, its fierce glow casting an eerie light upon the crumbling buildings and echoing streets. The sounds of battle echoed through the air, an ominous symphony of clashes and shouts that seemed to reverberate in Rain's very soul.

Deep within his being, a surge of anger welled up, mingling with a sense of helplessness and frustration. It gnawed at him, a potent mix of emotions that threatened to consume his thoughts. Seeing his sisters, wide-eyed and frightened, lose their homes to the merciless flames only fueled his wrath.

Rain's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white as his mind raced to make sense of the chaos around him. The sight of his sisters, their innocent eyes filled with tears, ignited a fire within him. Determination sparked in his gaze as he vowed to shield them from further harm.

While keeping an eye on the surroundings, Rain did some tests with the magic staves and confirmed how they worked. They consumed a bit of his mana to activate spells that had been engraved on them. The crystals probably were cores of some special beasts; that was why the process was so easy. At the same time, the quality of the magic depended on the mana of the user. Any person could use magic with them, but their potency would decrease or Increase… although the staves also made the cost decrease by ninety percent.

"I am not getting any experience; this confirms what Dad said," Rain thought. "Still, that should change things a bit when I defeat my foes."

A couple of hours passed, and Dana and Kei fell asleep in the meantime. It seemed that the exhaustion finally won the battle against the fear. During that time, Rain didn't see anyone crossing the gate, but he heard the sound of battles.

"Where are we going from here?" Rain wondered.

"Uncle said that my grandparents are the shield of the East; they probably are the highest rank family in the city, and if they lose that and thanks to one of their children as well…" Rain thought while furrowing his eyebrows.

Things weren't looking good. Rain's grandparents, once rulers of their territory and the city they called home, now found themselves burdened with the weight of loss and the anguish of seeing their domain ravaged by the flames of war. The consequences of losing their territory went beyond mere physical possessions; it struck at the core of their identity and legacy.

The ruling powers may choose to exile them from their former domain, banishing them from the lands they once governed. This would strip them of their power and privileges, forcing them to start anew in unfamiliar surroundings.

The authorities might seize their remaining assets and wealth as a form of punishment. This could include their properties, lands, and any valuable possessions they still possess.

The loss of their territory could result in a significant blow to their reputation and standing in political circles. They may face public humiliation and be stripped of any official titles or positions they hold.

Suppose their actions or decisions are deemed negligent or responsible for the loss of their territory. In that case, they may face legal charges and be subject to a trial. The severity of the charges and potential penalties would vary based on the specific circumstances and legal systems in place. Ultimately, death might also be one of them…

Rain wasn't a fan of his grandparents, but he didn't think that they should be punished for all that mess. Still, there wasn't much that they could do to help them… taking over the city would take a while.

While Rain was thinking about that, he suddenly saw a bunch of people crossing the gate. Some of them were on horses, and it took a while for Rain to recognize his father and uncles, a bunch of kids were with them as well, so it seemed that they achieved their goal, but the smell of blood was strong.

"The enemies are securing their forces and the city, but soon they will send pursuers; we need to get as much distance from them as possible," Roan declared.

"You are hurt," Leiah said while looking at the arm of Roan that was completely drenched in blood.

"They are just scratches," Roan said. "Some more potions for you, Rain. We will have to give you the job of transporting the wounded."

The downside of the staves was the fact that they were rather limiting… they could only be used in a single way: firing magic at the enemies. So, Rain couldn't use them in that aspect.

Rain wondered what happened to the kids that usually would be at the house of his grandparents… only half of them were around. Leo probably wasn't crazy enough to do harm to his own children. Still, it was hard to imagine what a man that abandoned their family and their country would do.

Leo probably wanted to become more than just the captain of the guards of the city, and that was why he did what he did… his brothers couldn't help but wonder if they would let him turn into what he had become if they were also part of the problem. After all, they all grew up believing that status was everything.

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