Neither the soldiers nor the rebels had any idea what was happening, they only knew that it was unnatural and terrifying. The energy mass had been arranged in the form of a grey sphere that floated above Lith's head and that grew with every spell it absorbed.
At first, it had been as big as a bowling ball, but as the city guards went into a panic and kept shooting in the hope that the army dog would bite more than he could chew, it soon grew to the size of a house.
"I am the military officer in charge of the peace talks with the citizens of Zeska. My name is Lith Verhen." Even though he was already inside the city arrays and he couldn't use air magic to amplify his voice, everyone heard him clearly.
Thanks to his breathing exercises Lith had long since learned how to speak through his diaphragm, making his baritonal voice a roar that spread up and beyond the city walls.
That and the fact of actually being a twenty meters (66') tall creature compressed in the form of a human body, of course.
Between his thunderous words and the tri-elemental sphere the size of a two-story house floating above his head, the city guards decided that parlay was a much better option than keep feeding the monster.
"You talk about peace, yet you come with an army behind your back and you threaten our city with a spell of untold power." The Commander in charge of defending the walls said while pointing at the sphere. "Why should we believe you?"
Eman Yndel was a man in his mid-thirties, about 1.76 meters (5'9") tall with light brown hair and a finely trimmed beard. He had cold blue eyes that well-concealed the fear he felt and a steady voice that overwhelmed the roaring spell enough to be heard.
He wore a suit of armor that left exposed only the hips and the inner side of his legs and arms so to offer the best protection while not limiting his range of motions. The enchanted armor bore the orange and red of the city flag.
"Because I approached your city alone and unarmed." Lith replied while turning around to show that he didn't carry any weapon. The elemental sealing arrays of the city also made it impossible to use dimensional amulets.
At least in theory.
Arrays didn't work on Lith's pocket dimension but he had no reason of letting them know that.
"On top of that, I didn't cast this spell. Your men did. I just acted in self-defence. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I'll gladly get rid of it." He threw the sphere up into the sky for hundreds of meters until it reached a safe distance.
Then, it detonated producing a light so strong that for several seconds two suns shone above Zeska. Despite the distance, the resulting shockwave produced gusts of wind that forced the mages of the regiment to conjure a barrier to not be swept away and the soldiers atop the city walls to seek refuge inside one of the many watchtowers.
The explosion produced a mushroom cloud visible from dozens of kilometers away and a noise akin to the war cry of an angry god.
Among all that, Lith stood still as if nothing was happening, protected by an invisible barrier made of Spirit Magic and Light Mastery.
"As for what the Kingdom has done for you, it has given you the walls from which you now threaten me. It has given you the fields that give you more food than you can eat.
"Also, I resent you calling the people of the north as parasites. I'm from the south of the Kingdom, yet I served there for two years and I know how harsh is life there. They suffer from cold and isolation in order to protect our borders.
"To make sure that all the monstrosities inside the Lost Cities never threaten anyone. Isn't that a sacrifice worthy of your help? Your winter is but spring compared to theirs and while you stay here with nothing to do but worry about keeping you warm, they fight for their lives every single day."
Lith never mentioned being an Archmage, a Spellbreaker, nor even the fact that he had destroyed two of the dreaded Lost Cities.
He had no need to. His name alone held all of that information and his feat with the tier Tower spell had demonstrated that everything the citizens of Zeska had heard about him was true, if not even an understatement.
Every one of them knew the story of Lith Verhen, the humble son of a farmer who had risen to the highest honors of the Kingdom before reaching his twenty years of age.
Many of those who listened to his words looked at Lith with admiration and envy, secretly wishing that at least one of their children may one day achieve the same.
The citizens of Zeska suddenly felt ashamed of themselves, remembering the lengths that a man of the south had gone to protect lands so far away from his home.
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