Reece’s understanding of emotions was still at a very basic stage, considering he was supposed to be its emissary to the world. That was what being an acolyte meant.

  The first thing he learned about thaumaturgy was that there is nothing random about any of its concepts, most especially the names associated with it.

  Names have power. Without them, there is no identity and without identity reality itself is just a jumble of chaotic mess. That was why every stage of thaumaturgy was carefully named to convey a message to thaumaturges.

  An acolyte was meant to be a follower, someone who conveyed the message of an overarching entity to the outside world. This was why he spent most of his days meditating, trying to understand the message he was meant to carry out.

  Due to the time it takes for one to achieve such understanding or maybe for some other reason entirely, the equations were derived. It was likely a mimicry of the spell casting used by ancient herbalists and ritualists but due to its complexity, Reece doubted it.

  Although that didn't matter, its effects were what really concerned every thaumaturge. The equations had the ability to affect the nature of the symphony without really affecting the thaumaturge itself. It was believed that the equations were a numerical representation of the symphony’s true name.

  The tattoos on Reece’s body thickened and a smile crept along his lips. “You know the equations?” Odran asked in surprise, his voice a mix of awe and fear.

  The equations were not easy to learn, most people who use it usually learn a fixed part or even use already made ones. Reece however managed to grasp the core concept of the equations at a very early stage and was able to derive tailor made ones before inscribing them on his body.

  “You can't possibly know the equations,” Odran scoffed. “This was Erous’ doing wasn't it?”

  Reece frowned, Odran knew almost everything about him. This already put him at a strange disadvantage. However, the man was wrong about something, he did understand the equations because naturally his intellect was a little heightened.

  “Although, I don't see how the equations will help you here. If you move a muscle…” Odran turned to his three lackeys. “They will slaughter your friends.”

  “I don't think so,” Reece said before gazing at the man who was holding an unconscious Patelon.

  The man staggered back for a moment holding a confused stare. He looked around him as if forgetting where he was, then he turned to the man who was holding Al Sahim. “You…” the man muttered under his breath. “I will kill you!”

  Then he lunged at his ally without much of a thought, stabbing him multiple times. “Itha!” Odran yelled. “What are…” he stopped then turned his gaze to Reece who was grinning.

  Odran stretched his hand out before the man would reach his next victim who was holding Jalin hostage. An explosive force darted towards him, but the man easily blocked it as multiple vines rose from the ground.

  “Odran, this isn't your battle, just let me kill them and this will be over!” the man yelled before darting towards the other man.

  Odran didn't listen; he dashed towards Itha but stopped short when a black blade cut the air in front of him as he bent backwards to evade it.

  Marius swung his sword again and again, he’d switched from the usual Iron stance he’d been using to a more technical style of combat. It was popularly called windstep. The fighter assumes the state of the wind and literally uses a series of steps that flow into one another covering for both defense and attack in a matter of seconds.

  Odran had also decided to drop any charade, he’d suddenly realized that they weren't to be trifled with. Every step he took led to the demise of the plant lives around him. This made Marius a little weary of touching him, he was getting angrier by the second.

  Reece darted forward, joining the fight with his two daggers. For a man who wasn't using any weapons, Odran was a skilled fighter. His ability to evade and use his powers as a shield even though it was mainly for destroying was commendable.

  He was however surprised when his abdomen was split open by a slash from Reece who seemed to be moving as fast as the Marius and worse, he could calculate his moves before he even made it.

  Reece was in a state of wholeness, every single emotion that Odran felt was like an open book to him, so was the emotions of everyone else. Marius seemed to understand this and the elderly man was fighting in a way that created a sort of signal for him with every strike.

  The equations had heightened the sound of the symphony around him and had given him the ability to delve into a deeper state of his abilities. Although he still couldn't affect Odran that much, the gap between a Chalice and an Acolyte was just too far to breach. That was why he resorted to affecting everything else.

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  Odran caused an explosion that created a distance between the two of them, Reece’s breathing had become a little more haggard. He realized he’d gotten way more tired than he should and so was Marius.

  The elderly man leaned against his black sword breathing. “Do you really think your tricks will work on me?” Odran chuckled. “There is so much vitality in you guys, so much that…” a green dust exploded in front of him and he backed away coughing but another exploded near him again.

  His face began to pale and his veins became visible. He yelled, backing away as the skin began to melt off his face. A wooden spear whizzed through the air, embedding itself into his chest while he was distracted.

  Shalliah appeared from behind a tree trunk with several vines curling around her. Multiple nodes ran along the vines’ lengths pulsing as if waiting to explode.

  Odran's scream died down as the spear hit him square in the chest and he fell to his knees, crouched on the floor. Blood dripped from his chest and he panted heavily.

  Reece glanced back. Itha had killed his other friend and he was now walking gently into the valley and towards the Harrowing tree. Soon enough he will be consumed by whatever magic dwelled within the boundaries of that tree.

  The red haired girl — Glory, was hiding behind a tree terrified as hell. Reece found her emotions a bit weird, they were like an unchangeable brick. He however didn't have the time to think about that now.

  He turned to face Odran who was on the floor panting, unable to move. He dropped something from his pocket and everyone's attention turned to it. Then he coughed up three words. “Kill them all!”

  The thing he’d dropped was a rectangular wooden box with carvings around it. Reece bulged his eyes, it was a talisman. Before he could react the box popped open and he felt something coming for him.

  “Wraiths!” Marius muttered as he drove forward to meet them.

  “How many?” Reece asked. The man was seemingly able to more than just perceive them. He could see them.

  “About a dozen, I will handle them. Kill him!” he yelled.

  Reece dashed forward to end Odran's life but the latter raised his head up at the same time, opening his palm as a bloody smile appeared on his face. A black spinning vortex of energy was spasming clearly unstable.

  Time paused for a moment and a loud explosion drove through the entire area sending everyone and everything flying, even the trees bent from the wave. And some even got shattered. Reece himself was saved by a sudden block of ice that erupted in front of him, although he still got sent backwards and his innards felt like they had been jostled around before his vision became black.

  When he opened his eyes, his vision was blurry, he could barely see what was happening, he glanced up to see Marius swinging his sword in the air whilst bleeding profusely from one part of his body.

  Then he saw Odran and Shalliah, dangling from his grip. He still couldn't piece the information together but soon enough he felt a jolt of pain on his cheek. He realized his head was reeled back, so he swung it forward only for another slap to land on his cheek.

  He squinted from the pain but his aggressor was about to land him another well placed slap when he yelled. “Stop. I am awake!”

  Patelon glanced at him. “Good!” he said. “Let's go kill that pig bred son of a walthorn!” he growled.

  Reece got up immediately as mist descended into the area. The Harrowing itself was naturally covered in mist but the fights had upset that state. Patelon however was actively using his powers to create this mist and the Harrowing was more than happy to help.

  While Patelon obscured the vision of everyone with the mist, Reece dashed through the forest gunning for Odran. He dulled the aching of his body and instead filled himself with excitement. When he reached Odran, he snatched Shalliah from his grasp.

  The girl was so light and frail. Reece glanced at her and realized her skin had lost all of its color. Odran was standing behind him and he could feel the grin etched on his face. He dropped Shalliah on the ground gently and turned to the man.

  There was no spear in his body again and he’d healed up. “So, are you ready for round two?”

  A spear of ice wheezed towards him, but it rotted away before it could even reach him. “Oh, so we can't come near you?” Patelon asked as he appeared from behind him walking menacingly.

  “Oh, you are awake? Your abilities are quite intense for an acolyte.” Odran smiled.

  “I don't accept praise from killers like you. You killed Hansel, you killed Isha, one of your men brought Dale to us and he murdered him right in front of me. I hated those bastards, you know. The Queen's army is an arrogant bunch but they fought to the last breath.” Patelon’s breath was now visible, the temperature of the area had dropped drastically. “You will die like them, and I will make sure your death is slow and painful.”

  Ice spread from his body freezing the air in place but they couldn't reach Odran they literally blackened and became dust. “Big words coming from a little, weak…” he paused as a black sword came flying towards him. He dodged it but the sword had dissolved the field of rot.

  Patelon and Reece closed the gap in a matter of seconds. The two of them, rage blistering in their eyes. Odran tried moving but his leg had been frozen to the ground and for some reason his desire to move was also rather weak.

  A dagger sank into his chest and a spear of ice entered into his thighs. He grabbed Reece instinctively, doing the only thing he could. The boy began to feel himself grow weaker at a rapid rate but his hand became frostbitten. He could even barely breathe.

  “You think you can freeze me to death?” he yelled.

  “No.” Patelon said as Reece stabbed him directly in the heart.

  Marius who seemed to have regained his sword was lunging towards the man aiming to behead him when a voice halted them all. “Okay stop.”

  Reece and Patelon turned around. “I mean, you can still save this one's life, it will be a pity if he died like that!” Al Sahim was standing with an unconscious Jalin in his hand and a sword at the boy’s neck.

  “Al Sahim?” Reece said. “What are you doing?”

  “Saving Odran's life. He is still useful to me, I can't just let you kill him like that.”

  Everyone was confused and that gave Odran the chance to stagger away from them. “See boy, I told you, trying to contain Erous’ ward will be difficult, that man is an anomaly. I wouldn't expect anything less from his son.” Al Sahim said.

  Marius turned to the man. “You… you did this?”

  “I orchestrated it, yes. I sincerely planned on killing you all with the wraiths and then waiting for the Visitor to arrive while I give him what he wants, but you were not in my calculations Marius. I also didn't expect him to have a spirit of madness hanging in his cloth pocket.” He scoffed. “Not just any kind. The Obiliwiski itself.”

  Patelon frowned. “You are a Credent. You are one of the few that Lord Jazzreh approves of, why are you doing this?”

  “Oh, I needed a very important piece of information and no one on this plane of existence can give it to me,” he said. “So I decided to ask an outsider, and he knew the answer but he also needed something in return. However it was hard to get what he wanted, but luckily for me, Reece fits the description.”

  “I will kill you!” Reece simply said.

  “Oh, of course, of course. Except, in this story. I won't die, so that will be hard to do.” he chuckled. “You remember the common saying. Never trust a man from Isith, he will take your soul and offer it to the gods. Well, let's just say in this case it is true.”

  Marius dashed towards him, but before the man could reach him Odran attacked from behind, creating a crescent blade of energy that dashed towards the Marshal who evaded it only for Al Sahim to appear right before him with a smirk and quick swing that took off the man’s hand.

  The blade and the hand dropped to the ground and silence descended on the battlefield.

  …

  Kyla, who had been hiding behind a tree outside the battle area, was knocked out by the wave Odran had released earlier. She opened her eyes and began to experience the feeling of wrongness that had descended on her earlier before she was attacked by Ghars.

  Initially, she’d felt it was because of the Ghars but now she realized it wasn't. Something was within these woods. Something primarily evil. The beasts of the Harrowing were merely powerful predators or spirit beings but what she was feeling felt different.

  It felt like a festering wound left to rot. She glanced around, her heart hammering harder by the second. Between the brutal battle unfolding before her, the Harrowing tree looming to her left, and that gnawing sense of wrongness in the air, she finally understood the truth. She was hopelessly out of her depth.