Chapter 60: Spellcaster

One moment Aries was unconscious and the next second, he was already wide awake. And it seemed that his soul had once again inhabited a different vessel, Gale perhaps, because he was looking at his unconscious body and he could hear the princess talking in front of him.

"I cannot completely mend his wounds," Princess Pieffer was starting to panic and Aries could sense that Gale was feeling the same way.

They might do something reckless. Aries had to stop them. For that to happen, Gale must realize that his body was being invaded. Aries tried to speak but no voice was coming out from him. He should have asked Gani how to communicate with the owners of the vessels he had possessed.

That time, when he allowed Gani to take control of his body, he could speak his thoughts out loud without any problem. That must be because he was the owner of the vessel. He also did it while they were at the House of Scale, when Prince Sunrei had to win the Battle to the Death. They had an agreement at that time and the prince was alerted that another soul had occupied his body.

"Aries told me that you can mend his wounds. Why can't you heal him now?" Gale was getting more apprehensive and impatient.

"It must be because of the curse," Princess Pieffer sighed then glanced at Gale.

Fortunately for Aries, the eyes of the princess were not as keen as the eyes of the Beast Tamer.

"Stay here and guard Aries. I will ask Master Kiel if…" her eyes sparkled with hope and she suddenly grabbed the hands of Gale.

Aries felt chills ran up his spine even though he was not the owner of that body.

"Guardian Aika! You know her, right? Can you convince her to lift the curse inflicted on Aries?"

"I don't know," Gale pulled his hands away and stared at the bleeding wounds in the body Aries. "She only favors my twin brother," he closed his eyes, sighed, and then looked back at the princess with determination. "I will try. You stay here and guard Aries."

As soon as the princess nodded, Gale instantly summoned a wind vortex and let his body get sucked by it.

^########^

Aries was grateful that he was inside the body of Gale. Traveling through a wind vortex did not make him dizzy.

Gale landed in front of the dungeon door but before he could place his palm over it, someone from behind him had spoken.

"Though you had been given permission, you cannot open that door whenever you want."

Gale turned to face the lady who had spoken.

Her glowing lavender eyes were as strict as her voice. She was wearing a dark violet cloak that was taking the shape of her tall and perfectly fit body. A black pointed hat was covering her long and wavy grey hair. Her arms were crossed over her chest while holding a thick leather-bound book.

"Guardian Aika, my friend needs your help," Gale quickly told the strict lady.

"A lot of people need my help," Guardian Aika replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "And you already know that I don't have any plan to help any of them."

"I know… but it is Aries Del Luna…"

"Ooohhh… Aries Del Luna," Guardian Aika smiled and stared closely at the eyes of Gale.

Aries suddenly felt nervous. Her gaze reminded him of the time he accidentally invaded the body of Princess Pieffer and he could not help but wonder if she was as sensitive as Master Kiel.

Can she see me?

"A wandering spirit," she said while staring intently at Gale, and probably at Aries. "His body appears to be in a terrible condition."

"Yes, he had been cursed!" Gale exclaimed. "You are the only one who can help him. Please, Guardian Aika, help Aries."

She leaned away from Gale, rested her back on the stone wall, and asked Gale, "Now you see how important it is to become my disciple?"

"I was interested but… wielding a sword seemed more simple and interesting…" Gale looked down on the floor, ashamed of himself.

"Gust can also wield a sword," a proud smile curved on the lips of Guardian Aika. "You can see how strong he had become."

"It also made him a mad man," Gale looked up and glared at the spell caster. "And you did not stop him!"

"I can only teach him what I know," a sad smile curved on the lips of the guardian. "What he will do with all those knowledge is out of my control."

"I know," Gale sighed with frustration. "But Gust is the least of my problem at this moment. Aries needs immediate help. Please, Guardian Aika, help him. Aries…"

"He will die if the curse is not lifted," the guardian finished for Gale. "And Serestral will probably be doomed. But who knows, maybe the people or even the king will realize that they should not put their hope on a single person. And the dungeon will survive even if your kingdom is destroyed."

"Guardian Aika!" Gale was losing his patience. "Help me out this one time, please…"

"I will lift your dearest friend's curse…" the spell caster wickedly smiled as she finished her sentence, "… if you defeat your twin brother in the arena."

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"No!" Gale yelled and winced at the same time as pain shot within his brain.

For a moment, Aries had taken control.

"Such a strong soul," Guardian Aika was looking through the eyes of Gale and into Aries. "It is a pity that your body cannot hold out for long. You have to step into the arena and win against everyone. That is the only way you can force Gust to fight. Defeating my disciple is the only way to persuade me."

"Guardian Aika, what are you saying?" Gale was utterly confused. "Is there something wrong with my body?"

"If you want to save your dearest friend, you should start fighting," Guardian Aika tapped the door to the dungeon. "Judging by what I saw, his body can only hold out for no more than five hours."

"No…" Gale muttered and recklessly used the wind vortex to enter the arena.

^#######^

Gale gracefully landed on the platform where Jodien had just knocked down a challenger. Gust was back in his seat and his composure had also returned.

"I am here to challenge Gust Stormbreeze!" Gale fearlessly announced in the arena.

Aries wanted to stop Gale but he could not re-establish the connection he had made earlier. He was back to being an observer. 

Accidentally drifting into another body was way too different than making a connection beforehand, like what he and Prince Sunrei did prior to the day of the Battle to the Death. Prince Sunrei was aware of his presence and asking permission to take control had been easy.

Gale, on the other hand, was oblivious that another soul had invaded his body hence it was difficult for Aries to initiate a link. 

But Aries had to do it. He had to take control.

"Jodien is already enough to defeat you," Gust coldly stated.

"If I defeat him, you will have to fight me," Gale insisted.

"Fine," Gust simply agreed. He was confident that Gale would never win against Jodien.

Aries was thinking the same thing but if they work hand in hand, they could have a chance. The only problem, but probably the biggest for Aries, was to make Gale realize that he had a reliable ally within his body.

Because his curved blades had been shattered earlier that day, Gale had to grab any weapon left by the previous challengers on the platform. Fortunately for him, there were daggers scattered in there.

"Start the fight!" Gust bellowed and as the cheers and jeers roared all over the arena, Jodien attacked.

His movements were quick and precise. Gale had to constantly use the wind vortex to easily dodge and move around the platform.

"You cannot win if you will keep on dodging," Jodien grinned with excitement.

"I know," Gale deflected the longsword and countered as swiftly and intensely as he could.

Jodien, as calm as he ever was in the arena, avoided the attack with his quick sidesteps and was able to swing his long blade and shatter the knives Gale was holding. He waved his blade one more time to land a fatal blow.

Gale managed to evade the attack aimed at his chest using the wind vortex. He had gotten away with a ripped overcoat and picked up another weapon. His hands grabbed a spear. Because it was a weapon that he rarely used, it had been torn in half within a few minutes and his chest had been grazed. He still managed to get away and grab another useless weapon.

Gale was struggling. Though he could easily move around the platform and seize plenty of weapons, Jodien would shatter anything without difficulty. An average weapon was no match for the extraordinary blade a Celestial Knight was wielding. 

Gale was holding the last weapon that had been dropped on the platform. It was a short sword that was nearly similar to his curved blades, but without a partner, it felt incomplete and strange to wield. He tried his best to protect that weapon from getting shattered. It was his last hope.

Two hours had already passed. Gale was getting tired while Jodien looked like he can still fight until the following day. 

Aries only had three hours left to survive. Gale was commendable for holding out that long. His desperation was his fuel. He terribly wanted to save Aries.

For that, Aries was grateful but he had to take over and defeat Jodien as quickly as he could. He awfully wanted to but his drive was still not enough to connect with Gale. He was getting frustrated.

Gale was carefully moving. He would dodge, counter, and quickly move away from his opponent. But it was not doing him any good. He was just wasting time. But if he recklessly attacks, Jodien would only break his weapon and that would be the endgame for him and Aries. But the same thing will happen if he fails to make any progress. He could not continue living after letting his brother die.

He had to take a risk.

No, Gale! Don't do it! Aries wanted to yell out loud but he could only talk to his own mind.

Gale took a few deep breaths. He tightened his grip on the shortsword and dashed towards Jodien.

"That's it!" Jodien exclaimed as his long blade caught the weapon of Gale. "Stop running away!"

^######^

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