Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"Sorry about suddenly waking you guys up, but you kids will have to walk for a while," Rain said. "I am a friend of Jori, Reca, Liss, Asche, and Terra and while I can' explain things completely, you guys will have to trust me on what I am going to tell you."

In the orphanage, a group of children ranging in age from five to twelve years old watched with a mix of curiosity and apprehension as Seadir, Sirenus, Coraline, and Rain watched over them. The younger ones among them seemed visibly scared, their innocent eyes wide with uncertainty, as they beheld the unfamiliar visitors.

However, amidst the fear and uncertainty, there were those among the older children who recognized Rain. This recognition brought a glimmer of relief to their faces, as they recalled stories or memories of the enigmatic figure who was labeled as a hero despite his young age. These older children, having experienced more of life's challenges, were less inclined to fear Seadir and the others.

Instead, they understood that these newcomers might hold the key to their freedom.

"We noticed some weird people watching us from outside just when everyone left the city," One of the kids explained.

"I knew that they had made their move when we left…" Rain said and then bit his lips in annoyance. "Still, to be this fast... they are too well prepared for this operation."

"What is the plan now?" Seadir asked.

"There are still one thing that the enemies can use against me, my family," Rain said. "My sisters are in the port town and my parents and grandparents are further west… I don't think that they know where my parents and grandparents live since Branden kept that as a secret, so we can send the kids there.

"In any case, we have two days left to make your father learn that we secured the prisoners… that being said, I guess you will want to drown the kingdom anyways. You can do that once my sisters aren't there."

"If we don't have enough time, we will have to split," Seadir said. "We will take Seara with us and the others will head to where your parents are with the kids and my unconscious brethren."

"Seara? Is she your little sister or something? I already expected the last prisoner to be a relative, but…" Rain furrowed his eyebrows.

"She is the youngest child of our emperor," Seadir explained.

Rain couldn't help but feel a sense of fatigue, akin to a mental facepalm, when he received the revelation that the last prisoner in the dungeon was none other than the youngest child of the sea emperor. The idea of a doting sea emperor using his immense power to retaliate against the human kingdom due to harm to his beloved youngest child was almost comically plausible.

After all, parents often had a soft spot for their youngest offspring, and the lengths to which they would go to protect them were legendary.

In Rain's imagination, he could envision the sea emperor, a formidable figure in his own right, summoning tidal waves to engulf the human kingdom or unleashing all manner of aquatic wrath upon their shores.

It was a scenario that combined the absurdity of parental devotion with the potential devastation wrought by such a powerful figure, and it left Rain both amused and slightly unnerved by the prospect of what might unfold.

"That explains a lot… anyway, that is for the best, I guess," Rain said. "You guys will lead the kids and the wounded to the end of the tunnel. "It might take a while, a day or two, even if I use my tricks… I will grab the food in my house just in case."

Rain sprang into action, dashing back to his home to swiftly gather all food within reach. Each armload of possessions found its place in a cart, as he was determined to secure ample resources for their journey. In parallel, he made some earth carts for the children and injured, linking them to the one containing the engine.

After a brief pause to catch his breath, Rain turned to Sirenus and Coraline, conveying his plan with a sense of urgency. He instructed them to apply potions to the vehicle's engine, a request that initially raised confusion from both. However, their doubt quickly transformed into astonishment when they followed Rain's guidance.

The result was clear: the small cart housing the engine effortlessly propelled all the other carts ahead, thanks to the magic power of the potions. This display of Rain's resourcefulness and ingenuity left them in awe, particularly given the dire circumstances they faced.

"Hopefully, I gave them enough potions to use," Rain thought when the group disappeared in the darkness of the tunnel.

Seadir was completely astonished when he saw the cart moving. He heard of a few magic tools that worked like that to do menial tasks, but he didn't think that Rain would have one.

Rain's image was starting to get quite hard to grasp in Seadir's head since he was a fighter who could use magic and could create tunnels to spy on the royal family if he deemed necessary. He also didn't care about stealing from his enemies… all in all, he had no qualms about doing what he wanted to make sure that he was ahead of his enemies.

"Let's go," Rain declared when he opened an exit on the tunnel out of the city.

After that, he created an earth platform to save mana. The wind was quite insane, but at least they were moving faster than before.

"Why do you have a tunnel under your house?" Seadir asked. frёewebnoѵēl.com

"I wanted to do something to train my magic, and I also wanted to make a route where I could leave the capital without letting anyone realize it," Rain explained. "That is why I created the tunnel. My turn now, what do you think that your father will do after learning all this?"