THIRD PERSON POV
As Regulus fell unconscious due to both shock and blood loss, a small cloud of ash that was enveloping a hooded figure dropped in from the sky. Dissipating, it revealed a hooded man dressed in a dirty brown robe.
"You're still too fast for me, master." The man said as he took deep and exhausted breaths.
"Take him to the boat that has Princess Olivia, and stay there until I come back." The man ordered, revealing a seasoned but yet very soothing voice.
"What!? I'm tired and I just got here! I mean, don't blame me for burning up more mana than you! We literally flew for three kilometers!" The man in the hood complained, his voice was much younger and had more youth.
"Mikhel." The older man replied, not as a warning or an order, he just said it just like any other word.
But this made the younger figure's expression shift.
"Yes, master." The young man apologized as he bent down and lifted the battered Regulus over his shoulder. As he did this, his hood was pulled back, revealing his short black hair and a titanium mask that looked to be screwed to his face.
Just before he was to launch in the air, the older man decided to give one more instruction.
"If you all get to the mainland before me, tell Yvonne to heal that young man immediately, he's lost lots of blood and needs treatment immediately."
"How do you know that?" Mikhel asked, both confused but intrigued.
"Well, looking at the crimson liquid in these sh-" But he was interrupted as the Elemental roared at them, as it looked to be preparing another beam of rock and mud.
"Go!"
"Yes Master Gideon!" Mikhel replied as ash started to surround him, leaping up from the ground he started flying into the direction of the water.
This caught the elemental attention as his focus went to the flying cloud of ashen smoke, but as it was prepared to unleash its attack. It was sent sliding away on the sandy ground, with the man named "Gideon" being the culprit.
"Mhm, very durable, a normal higher elemental would've had cracks in their body, but you are no normal monster." He stated as he started stretching his body, preparing for the inevitable battle.
The beast roared once more as it sent a beam of mud and earth. But this didn't seem to bother Gideon as he walked towards the elemental. But just before the attack hit, Gideon slapped it away with his hand like it was nothing.
With the attack redirected, Gideon appeared before the monster, with his hand outstretched he whispered.
"Sword of the Morning"
Mana started twirling and forming into his hand, taking the shape of a longsword that radiated a very bright yellow color.
He swung once, an upward slash that cut off the elemental's left arm and sent debris of rock and mud scattering around.
Jumping back from the elemental, Gideon witnessed the elemental hand bleed a purple, almost venomous looking substance as it writhed in pain.
"Elemental's feel pain, but they don't bleed…. So my assumption was right, you aren't a normal monster, you've been enhanced, by something or someone!" He stated once more, as the Elemental was now enraged.
It stomped his foot on the sandy shores as the ground splintered and broke, leveling nearly half the island as water started flowing everywhere.
Unbothered, Gideon flew up, his body emitting an orange aura of sorts. Raising his sword of mana once more, he swung twice, taking the form of a "X", with slashes of mana shooting down from the blade, striking the monster as it fell to the ground.
"Mhm… Since his highness did order to destroy the island, might as well do it in one attack." He mumbled to himself.
"Sword of the Depths."
He whispered, as the yellow sword dissipated, being replaced with a teal colored greatsword with a flat tip. The sword's height almost matched Gideon's, despite this he held it in one hand as if it weighed nothing.
The elemental screamed as it prepared to launch another beam, but as it opened its mouth, Gideon appeared once more in front of it.
"From mana you came, and mana you shall return."
He spoke to the elemental, as if it was another living being. Swinging his sword down, it cut cleanly through the elemental, including its mana core, immediately Gideon flew back up with mesmerizing speed, just as the body exploded. With the impact shattering the ground even more, leveling the whole island, the sandy shores slowly started filling with water as the island was being separated into tiny land masses that slowly sunk into the depths.
Watching the whole scene unfold, Gideon let go of the greatsword as it dissipated into tiny specks of teal colored mana around him. Looking back at the ocean he flew into the direction of the boat that the princess was on.
As he got there, both Mikhel and the Princess were desperately trying to save Regulus.
"His pulse is barely there! He'll die in at least ten minutes, either from blood loss or shock." Mikhel said, his tone of voice didn't portray a single bit of sadness.
"Can't you fly him there! You're Mikhel the Faceless! You have to at least do something!!" The princess pleaded as tears dripped down her face. But Mikhel just shook his head.
"Land is about a kilometer away, and I don't know if I still have enough mana after flying three kilometers."
Gideon then landed in the boat, surprising everyone.
"Is that..?"
"There's no way!"
"Gideon the Lion is here!"
The soldiers all mumbled as their kingdom's hero had just arrived.
"What's his status Mikhel?" Gideon asked as he bent down and checked Regulus' pulse.
"Barely alive, lost lots of blood… I reckon more than two liters…. He doesn't have much time left, we should kill him master, it would lift him from his suffering." Mikhel suggested as he sat there and looked at Regulus.
Gideon sat there contemplating what to do, he then looked at Olivia who was still crying.
"Does he mean much to you princess?" Gideon asked as he stared at Olivia.
"W-Wha-"
"I said, do you hold him dear to your heart?" Gideon repeated, as he stared at Olivia with pity.
Olivia looked down at her feet for a moment, then she looked back up at Gideon. With tears streaming down her eyes she nodded and said,
"Yes…!"
This was all Gideon needed to know as he picked up the barely alive Regulus and flew to the direction of the land.
Landing on the ground, people started whispering to each other as he ignored them and ran to a woman that was accompanied by multiple guards.
"Gideon? Who do you ha- OH! He's in terrible shape." The woman said.
"Yvonne! Can you heal him? She's someone that the princess holds dear, she told me personally." He asked.
"Mhm…. I can clear all his wounds and speed up the production of blood, but that's about it. If he's still in shock after I heal him, then I'll have him drink a concoction. But that's about everything I can do."
She said as she adjusted her glasses and tied her silky green hair.
"Then please do." Gideon asked once more, placing Regulus down on the ground.
The woman named Yvonne then cast her hand out as runes and a green light started to radiate from her right hand, she then scanned Regulus from the head to the feet.
"He's in worse condition than I thought…. His pulse is weak and nearly every bone in the right side of his body is fractured or broken…." Yvonne concluded as he held her other hand. "But nothing that I can't heal."
Slowly the green light turned yellow as Regulus' wounds started healing, with his bones reconstructing and brought back together. Slowly the young king's breathing started to stabilize.
"There, it's done." Yvonne spoke as she removed her glasses and wiped the sweat from her head.
"Who is he anyways?" She asked.
"I don't know…. All I knew was that he was with the princess, they were supposed to visit the ruins. Unfortunately there was an enhanced higher elemental, it killed a few people and badly injured him." Gideon answered.
"Mhm…. Is he perhaps the princess' boyfriend? Maybe fiance?" Yvonne asked as he looked at the sleeping Regulus.
"I doubt it, considering the number of marriage proposals princess Olivia has rejected, King André would've held a ball the moment she found a fiance." Gideon replied as he crouched down and started observing Regulus.
"But he is a very capable warrior, he's at Mikhel's level…. Maybe stronger."
"Better not let him hear that, you know how prideful that kid is." Yvonne said as she looked out to the sea.
"Also…. I think the higher elemental was tampered with… And I might know who did it." Gideon stated as he looked out to the sea as well.
"Who? Battleborne? Darcke?" Yvonne questioned.
"No, those northemen are to dumb and battle hungry to use Elementals and the dwarves don't intervene with us, only the elves."
"Then who?" Yvonne questioned once more.
"I don't want to assume…. But the demon lords may be planning to return to the overworld."