Chapter 143:
The forest swallowed them whole as Lucas led the way through the darkness. Kaya supported Ethan at his side while the Mana Clone carried Austin's unconscious body behind them.
Their pace had fallen to a fraction of what it had been during their journey to the depot because their mana reserves were nearly depleted and their bodies were too battered to maintain the relentless speed they had used before.
Every step sent pain through Lucas's cracked ribs, and each breath scraped against his chest with a wet rasp that reminded him of the damage beneath the surface.
His muscles burned from exhaustion, while the wounds Tisha had inflicted continued to throb beneath his clothes.
Nevertheless, he refused to stop because Tisha was still behind them, and the forest was not deep enough to hide them for long.
They continued pushing through the trees until they found the cave an hour before dawn. It was not large, consisting of a narrow fissure in a rock face that was hidden behind a curtain of ancient pines.
The opening was barely wide enough for two people to enter side by side, while the interior stretched only a short distance into the stone.
Pine needles had accumulated across the dry floor over years of wind and weather, providing a thin layer of cover beneath their feet.
The cave was far from ideal, but it was concealed from the forest, and that was enough for the moment.
The Mana Clone lowered Austin carefully against the cave wall, leaving his unconscious body supported by the cold stone.
His breathing remained shallow and uneven, while Ethan slumped beside him and closed his eyes as he struggled to steady his own ragged breathing.
Kaya remained near the entrance, where her white eyes moved constantly across the forest in search of any sign that their pursuers had found their trail.
Lucas crouched near the cave mouth and drew his dagger. The blade remained slick with the blood from the wounds Tisha had carved across his body, and he used that blood as ink while tracing a series of symbols into the stone.
His fingers remained steady despite the pain running through his battered body.
The runes were simple concealment patterns that Ashely had drilled into him during their lessons in the Eldorian palace.
They would not prevent anyone from entering the cave, and they would not deceive a dedicated search conducted by the Calamity Tiger's senses, but they could make the entrance appear insignificant to anyone performing only a casual search.
Lucas completed the final stroke, and the runes pulsed with faint light before fading into invisibility.
The cave mouth now appeared to be nothing more than a shallow depression in the rock face, making it seem unoccupied and unworthy of investigation.
After finishing the concealment, Lucas sat against the cave wall and closed his eyes.
He reached inward for the mana remaining in his core and gathered the small amount of energy that had survived the escape, the spells, and the sustained combat.
"[Mana Spell: Great Healing]"
Warmth spread through his body, beginning at his core before moving outward through his meridians.
His cracked ribs slowly began to knit together as the broken fragments realigned under the spell's steady pressure.
Across his back, the claw marks Tisha had inflicted gradually closed as torn muscle and split skin were drawn together.
His left arm also began to recover. A hairline fracture had been sending sharp spikes of pain through his shoulder whenever he moved, but the damaged bone slowly began to strengthen as the healing energy worked through it.
Great Healing was not an instantaneous spell, however, and maintaining it required a continuous supply of mana.
Lucas could feel his already depleted reserves diminishing with every passing minute, but he continued the spell because he needed his body to become functional before they were discovered.
Kaya watched him for several moments before speaking in a low voice that would not carry beyond the cave.
"They will search for us. Tisha knows that we have not gone far because we were too injured and too depleted to travel quickly, so she will sweep the forest systematically until she finds us."
Lucas opened his eyes while the healing spell continued working through his body.
"I know."
Kaya glanced toward Ethan and Austin before continuing.
"We cannot run because Ethan is wounded, Austin is unconscious, and both your mana and mine are dangerously low. If they find us in this condition, we will not survive another engagement."
"I know that too."
The first gray light of dawn had begun filtering through the ancient pines outside the cave. Kaya crossed her arms while watching the forest and considered their remaining options.
"Then let me create a distraction. I can move faster than anyone else right now, so I can lead them away from the cave and buy you enough time to recover."
Lucas immediately shook his head.
"Tisha is not stupid, Kaya. If she finds your trail and discovers no sign of the rest of us, she will know that you are trying to lure her away. She will split her forces, sending some people after you while the others continue searching for us. The elites will not be fooled by a single decoy, and you would be hunted alone without any support or reliable way to return."
Kaya's jaw tightened as frustration crossed her face, although she knew Lucas was right.
"Then what do you suggest?"
Lucas remained silent for several moments while his mind worked through every possibility.
He could create Mana Clones, but Tisha had already seen that technique and would probably be prepared for it.
A direct confrontation was equally dangerous because his body was still healing and his remaining mana was insufficient for another serious battle.
Waiting would only give Tisha more time to narrow their location.
They needed a distraction that looked genuine, and they needed enough people moving together to make Tisha believe that she had found their actual group.