Caius' words were like the light of a lighthouse guiding him out of his trance, just in time to see the fireball coming towards him. Making a monumental effort to dodge the fireball, Lance manages to escape by a finger from the incinerating flames but he forgot about the explosion effect. Right when he thought he had escaped death, the fireball hit the floor and explode projecting Lance all across the temple.

Caius ran to see if he was still alive while at the same time, he unleashed a power that blocked all attempts of attacks. Even Lance that was on the edge of unconsciousness saw a green light coming from the body of Caius wrapping both him and Lance inside it blocking all the spells that the priests were launching.

The fat priest seeing the barrier made a deep frown and call an acholic near them. He gave a piece of paper to the acholic.

"Go quickly and inform Sir Francis, the Captain of the Royal Guard. Say to him to come here immediately and then give him this paper and beware that if you look at the contents of this paper, you and your whole family will be deemed as traitors of the kingdom and be eliminated. Understood?"

"Y-es! Understood!" The acholic answered while obviously afraid and in a quick dash he heads out of the temple to give this message to Sir Francis.

After assessing the condition of Lance and affirming that the wound wasn't life-threatening, he saw by the corner of his eyes the acholic leaving the temple and assessing by his speed it wouldn't be long before someone that could deal with him while bringing an army. He gazed at the two priests and made a decision.

Caius slouched down near Lance and whispered.

"Lance, listen very closely to what I'm going to say. We need to get out of here and escape out of the city if we want to have a chance of escaping alive."

"..."

Lance listen closely while trying very hard to stay awake. Although the injury caused by the explosion wasn't life-threatening the more time it passes without any treatment and the more blood he loses the more chances that he would be dead before escaping.

"So I will carry you and we will make an escape. Don't worry without an Adept Mage they can't hold me down."

Hearing that only now did Lance learned that Caius wasn't a mere small priest of a small temple in a small village, he was, in reality, a mage probably a High Apprentice Mage.

After a while, the faces of the two priests was turning whiter as they began to run out of mana. Noticing that detail, Caius picked up Lance, and in a burst of power, he dashed out of the temple. He was so fast that the two priests only notice after he made its way out of the temple.

Outside, Caius began to sprint down the streets heading to the closest gate, but suddenly he felt various powerful presences coming towards his location very fast, faster than him.

'Shit, they must have an Adept Wind Mage. I need to find a way out fast!' Despair filled his eyes but as quickly it appeared it disappeared turning into full-blown determination.

Lance saw it all. He knew that he would be a burden to Caius as he didn't know how to fight and injured like he was even if he knew he wouldn't be able to help. He patted Caius' arm and calmly said.

"Caius, you need to let me go. I'm not stupid. I know that with me here I'm just a burden to you and if you let me go I can create a diversion and with that at least one of us can escape."

"No! If were are to escape we will escape together!"

Lance only smiled at Caius' desperate words and filled with determination. He mustered his strength and jumped of Caius' arms falling heavily on the ground.

Caius looked gravelly at Lance and tried to get him again but he just pushed him aside. Lance stood there and smile calmly towards Caius as if he wasn't afraid of the incoming end. Lance gazed backward hearing the rumbling sound get closer and said.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just a burden to you and at least with this, you'll be able to escape. So after I leave you better escape successfully."

"..." Lance couldn't do anything while he looked at the wounded smiling boy. This boy that for chance ended up in his arms and the boy that he cared for like if he was his biological son. He tried to go to him but it was like there was a power that was preventing him from stepping forward.

"You know Caius. Ever since long ago, I knew you weren't my real father but that really didn't matter to me. I always loved you and loved how you would gently care for me. So please escape. Goodbye, Father."

Tears began to drip as he listened to the calm boy. The boy had never called him father but always by his name. The moment he heard him call him 'Father' his determination became stronger as he said steadily while crying.

"Ok, son. Goodbye, I promise I will avenge you." And Caius turned around.

Seeing his father turning back he also turned back in hopes of attracting the pursuers, but when he was just about to scream he suddenly felt a heavy blown to his neck and everything turned black. At that moment he caught a glimpsed of his Father's crying face but with a smile that said it all.

Caius gently covered the fallen boy with his cape and opened the lid to the sewer put him there gently. After looking at the boy that he took care of for 16 years he felt that it was all worth it. He picked up a nearby man that was trying to peddle and cut his throat killing him. 

For his son, he would do anything and he saw that the malnourished man had a similar build to his Lance so he killed him to mislead his pursuers. He took the man and when the pursuers were about to appear he started to run managing to attract their attention.

...........................................

Meanwhile, inside the sewer near the dirty water, a body covered by a coat was starting to move and if one looked closer they could see a pair of red eyes filled with so much hatred that even would give fear to devils and monsters.

'WAIT FOR IT... EHEEE... I WILL FIND YOU... EHHEEE... AND WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER... EHEE... AND MAKE YOU SQUEAL FOR WHAT YOU DID!!!!! AHAAAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA..."