《Precise》 Chapter 1 - Meeting Rain fell that night, a cold, harsh rain,with lightning roaring in the background. Though many years has passed, Liz still remembers, and like a nightmare, recalls its touch and in many instances, woken up from her sleep from this everlasting nightmare. Liz drearily woke up once again from this nightmare. Whether if it was from the cold feeling of the rain, or the loud crackling the lightning etched into the night sky, she didn¡¯t know. Cold sweats poured as she calmed down, grabbing her rags even closer to keep warm. Birds chirped outside, sunlight peeked through her window. Liz stood up and walked outside, troves of giant trees were in her view. Liz looked back at her house, or rather, a giant tree but with a door. Liz silently mocked herself before she went back in. She went to her makeshift sink, a bucket of water hung next to it. She cupped a handful of water and washed her face. She looked at her reflection in a mirror. Dark blue eyes stare at her back with even darker bags hanging from it. She wondered when was the last time she actually had a good rest. She looked outside, wondering if she should go hunting. Weather seemed nice, and the food stock was running out, plus she could always have a few more coins. Liz sighed as she slung a bow over her shoulder, tied a small bag to her waist and a couple of knifes to her leg. She locked the door and ventured towards the forest¡­ The crunch of leaves and branches sounded as Liz walked deeper into the forest. The rabbits looked around, eyeing her as she walked. Liz also looked at them, but continued on, she didn¡¯t want to waste time on small game. Hours passed, a distinct snort came from the field. Liz crawled into a snail pace and gently walked up. A pig, an enormous pig, easily the size of a small house grazed the grass and berries, unaware of its surrounding. Liz stared at the pig, not worth it, she would get killed before she shot an arrow. She ventured forward silently, trying to not alarm the pig. After walking a bit more, she found the perfect prey, a deer. A normal sized deer with a violet strip down the middle, she went to action. She grabbed an arrow and aimed. Contemplating whether to shoot its eyes or go for the heart. She didn¡¯t know where the heart is, but she did have a good idea. As for the eyes, they were one of the most valuable parts of the deer. If she destroyed them, there wasn¡¯t much profit made in this hunt. She decided the heart, the head was too valuable. She took a deep breath, nocked an arrow, and waited. Neutral winds, she thought as she aimed and finally took the shot. The arrow went deep into the deer¡¯s side. The deer panicked and started to run. Liz nocked another arrow, and started to run after it. The deer tripped multiple times from roots, slowing down as it ran allowing Liz to catch up. She planted another arrow into its leg. The deer tried to pick up its speed once again, but it was too late, Liz nocked another arrow. She shot a few more arrows into its leg until it finally stopped. She panted as she ran up to it, perfect aiming! The deer stared at her. It¡¯s black beady eyes stared at her, halting her breath. She stared, even felt a little bad for the deer. She decided to sit down next to it. It couldn¡¯t move so she could wait for it to bleed out. Minutes pass as it finally put its head down, finally at rest. Liz sighed as she pulled out a dagger and took the valuables. After she harvested the deer until there was nothing left but bones, she headed towards the city. Salty Southern City, a smaller city compared to the capital, but still awed Liz as she walked in. Luckily, since it was trading city, the gate toll wasn¡¯t much. Liz walked in and made a sharp turn into the alley way. Broken glass littered the floor, crunching as she ran through. Pass the first door and turn right. Passed the second and turn left, the third door to the left. She stood in front of a tall door, and knocked on it. Inside, a loud noise emerged, and dimmed down, as she heard the dim steps becoming louder as they came her way. The door slammed open. ¡°What the h-¡°The owner looked at Liz, ¡° Oh, hi Aria¡± Liz looked up at the owner, an intimidating face with a crew cut. Liz grabbed her bag and tossed it towards the owner. He looked inside and made a surprising look, ¡°Violet Red Deer species, slight damage in the hide, and oh, a perfectly intact head, with the eyes and brain! Some meat too.¡± ¡°I only came to sell the hide and head¡± Liz said in a monotone voice. The owner nodded. ¡°3 gold pieces¡± Liz barganed, ¡°3 gold pieces and 5 silver pieces¡± The owner shrugged his shoulders, and begrudgingly accepted. He went inside and brought out the coins, counted them out and traded. The owner happily took the brought goods and Liz packed up. ¡°See you again Aria¡± The owner waved goodbye. Liz mumbled in agreement and ran out the alley. She made a quick trip to the shopping center, looking for some spices before going home. The shopping center was full of busy bodies as she looked, venders advertising their products over the thunderous noise of the crowd. Liz kept her bag close to her, as she knew there were pick-pocketers roaming the area, since she was one before. After looking around, Liz finally found the spices and bought them after a little bargaining. After, she tried to squeeze out of the crowd. Suddenly, the crowds compressed around her. She looked around, the crowd split in two. Was there someone important here? A carriage passed by, with several knights surrounding it. The seemingly head knight looking worried.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A crowd of whispers emerged, why were they here? The knight looked displeased, and continued to search the city. As the carriage left, the two crowds merged and returned to normal. Liz shook her head and squeezed out of the crowd. She checked if all her belongings were with her and hurried back home. After a long jog, she was back in the forest, a couple of miles away now, Liz sighed and started to go back. Carefully dodging roots and branches, she was nearly halfway there. She continued to run, then she looked around, cut branches, footprints everywhere, daggers stuck on trees. Liz slowed down and examined the footprints. Either these people were one of the worse hunters possible or¡­ A battle cry emerged from the right of her. A knight fully suited in armor from head to toe stood heavily against a group of people. Bandits, quite obviously from the way they looked. A bandit motioned his hands to signal the others the advance. Liz scaled up a tree and watched, the knight leaned against his blade, seemingly tired. The bandits also know this, but for some reason didn¡¯t fully advance. Liz looked around, tens to hundreds of dead bandits littered the floor. Liz sat silently in the shadow of a branch. The brave bandits rushed forward, only to get sliced in half. Liz judged in silence, the knight was strong but obviously won¡¯t last against the bandits, there were at least ten bandits left. Liz frowned, she didn¡¯t like bandits, but she doesn¡¯t like knights either. Should she even intervene? Liz frowned, this knight might be rich, and if she saved him, he might award her. Liz looked at the bandits, there was only at least ten. Liz planted her knee and took aim. Liz steadied her breath and drew her bow. The bow snapped and the arrow flew into the face of one of the bandits. The bandit died before he could warn the others. Three more arrows flew into the faces of the bandits. The leader commanded the others to hide behind trees, and tried to spot the sniper. Liz quickly changed spots and once again took aim. No good spots, Liz took a small piece of wood and threw it near a bush. Tricking them, the bandits rushed towards to sound, where Liz could easily shoot them. Arrows flew and killed two more. Liz kept in track in her head. There is about around five left or at least that much, she thought. Soon after, the bandit leader realized the situation and ordered a retreat. The remaining bandits carefully retreated and the bandit leader tried to spot Liz, to remember her, but fortunately for Liz, she hid well enough for the leader not to spot her. Liz dropped from her tree and surveyed the scene, clear for the most part. Liz for extra precaution tied a piece of cloth around her face and ran up to the knight. She looked at him, not moving. She gently touched his arm. Unconscious, great. Liz supported the knight, and went home. Weirdly enough the knight wasn¡¯t that heavy.
Soon Liz was at home, in her tree house. She stretched her arms and sat the knight in the corner of her house. She took the sword, and placed it near her, if this knight wasn¡¯t the most knightly knight. She sat across from the knight and waited. Liz opened her book and read as the knight rested. After a while, the knight started to mumble, Liz closed her book and waited it since the knight will wake up soon. As she predicted, the knight woke up, in shock. Once the knight saw Liz he immediately stood his ground. ¡°Who are you? State your name!¡± The knight stood in caution. Liz replied, ¡°Ben, a hunter¡± The knight still not convinced, inching closer to the center of the room. ¡°So, Ben, did you save me from those bandits?¡± Liz felt the tension, and stood up putting her hand near her back, ¡°Yes,¡± She frowned. ¡°Liar!¡± The knight stood in pose. ¡°Those weren¡¯t bandits, but trained assassins, how would a mere hunter like you beat them!¡± Liz knew the situation, and tried to calm down the knight, ¡°Look, I have your sword, just calm down¡± She raised both her hands to show peace. The knight smirked, ¡°You mean this?¡± A red bolt of lightning sparked from his hands. A two-handed sword reappeared in his hands. Liz looked over at her side, the sword was gone. A magic knight?! Liz bolted out the door. Right behind her, the knight followed close behind with a loud bang. Liz gasp, so quick?! She grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow. Liz ran as the thunderous sounds of the knight followed close. Liz frowned even harder, how fast was this knight when healed? She quickly turned to the right and climbed a tree. After jumping from the bark, she hanged from the branch, the knight nearby. The knight instantly closed to her tree and with a swift slash, cut the tree from the roots. Liz flew from the branch and aimed. Liz released her first arrow, and quickly armed the next. Slightly down, she thought as she shot. The knight cut down the first arrow but the second managed to tear a piece of armor off. The knight roared and continued to chase. Liz armed the next arrow. Two left counting this one. From what she saw, the knight was fast in a straight line, not in a curved. After running through this forest like a maze, Liz climbed up another tree, the knight still close by but far enough for her to catch her breath. To her right, she quickly armed and took aim. The knight closed in, she released the arrow. The knight laughed, ¡°You think the same parlor trick will work again?!¡± The knight slashed the arrow. Right behind it was a rock. The knight laughed, ¡°You must have run out of arrows hunter!¡± The knight grabbed the rock, but quickly realized the problem. Another arrow was hidden behind it! Liz closed in with her dagger. If she planned correctly, that arrow should heavily injure the knight and she could finish him off. The knight as if stopping time, quickly moved slightly. The knight¡¯s helmet got knocked off with a loud crash and the knight closed in on Liz. Liz sidestepped and held up her knife. Liz barely parried allowing the sword to only cut the cloth around her face. Liz backed off using the momentum and stared at the knight. She stared at the knight, thinking of a different plan. She heard the knight gasp and quickly stared that him, or rather a her. ¡°You¡¯re a girl!?¡± They both said in unison. Chapter 2 - News The knight sat herself in Liz¡¯s home. Liz warily looked at the knight as she hanged up her gear. The atmosphere was tense, after all, the knight just tried to kill her. The knight thought differently however. ¡°So you¡¯re a girl!?¡± The knight laughed and slammed her fist against the table, ¡°Girls aren¡¯t allowed to be assassins! That¡¯s absurd! What kind of girl is named BEN?!¡± She continued to laugh, ignoring what just happened a few minutes ago. ¡°Girls aren¡¯t supposed to be knights either¡­¡± Liz muttered, ¡°Who are you?¡± The knight stopped laughing, her finger tapped the table. Liz continued, ¡°Especially a female magic knight¡­¡± The knight chuckled, though Liz could tell this was a nervous laugh. The knight stood up and summoned her sword. With the sudden appearance of crimson lightning, the knight slammed her sword down. ¡°I¡¯m Vio, part of the¡­ uhhh¡­ part of a noble family, yeah¡± Vio stuttered. Liz narrowed her eyes, staring directly at the sword lodged into the sword. A deep red two-handed sword marked with white symbols down the metal. The handle wrapped with high-quality leather with a moon figure fastened into the handle end. All Liz could infer was that,¡°Vio¡±, was part of a high noble class, definitely not insignificant. ¡°Name¡¯s Liz¡± ¡°Hello Liz!¡± Vio laughed, ¡°It seems like I¡¯ll have to stay with you for a bit!¡± Liz instantly refused. Vio laughed it off and insisted. Liz felt a headache, then suddenly remembered. ¡°Today when I went to the market, there were noble knights searching the city, are they looking for you?¡± Vio frowned, ¡°No, did they happen to have a sun emblem?¡± Liz racked her brain, she didn¡¯t bother to look. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± She looked over to Vio, who tumbled her fingers. A bead of sweat dripped from Vio¡¯s forehead. ¡°Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we have to go.¡± Liz creased her forehead, ¡°Wait, We?¡± Vio looked at Liz intently and looked outside, ¡°Yes, We¡± Liz refused, but Vio urged. ¡°They know you help me, they''ll hunt down you and me-¡± Liz interrupted, ¡°They don¡¯t know how I look.¡± Vio refuted, ¡°Yes, they do. After all, you don¡¯t know magic. All they need is something to track you by and they can easily find you.¡± Liz sat on her bed and . They took some of her arrows, she thought. Vio walked over and grabbed Liz. ¡°We have to go, Now¡± Liz looked over, and stood up. Vio was right, mages could easily track her, not to mention trained assassins. Liz looked around her house, and sighed, why her? Vio smiled, ¡°I promise that I¡¯m not that bad as a person¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Liz said as she grabbed her belongings Vio smirked, ¡°To the capital¡±
The sounds of leaves startled the animals. A group of black figures searched the forest. Faint sounds of footsteps silenced in front of a tree house. The leader signaled to wait, the group froze still. A few moments later, signaled to rush to building. The assassins knocked down the door, and went into the building. Empty. The leader talked to a stone and smashed it into the ground. A member tried to calm him down, only angering him even more. The leader ordered the others to go back as he searched the area, the others shook their head and headed out.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
As Liz walked on a dirt trail as Vio advertised the capital to her. Liz frowned , she knows the capital, a cruel place where the rich get richer and the poor get killed. Noble families own countless of slaves. Who knows how much actually get meals. Spoiled rich kids littered the city, and Liz was no stranger to them. As they walked, Liz toned out Vio as she opened her book. Vio didn''t care and continued to talk nonsense. Soon, the sun hit the horizon, Vio led Liz to an inn as they booked a room. Vio only brought one room insisting that it¡¯s safer for the both of them. Liz followed and set down her gear, Vio placed thick, white paper on the walls of their room. Liz intrigued asked, ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°Mana suppressors, used to negate the use of tracking items¡± Vio replied Liz sat back on a wall, ¡°Can¡¯t you just give me a bunch so they can¡¯t track me anymore?¡± Vio went to the bed and spoke, ¡°They last 12 hours, you would need a whole lot of them to sustain you, and you need to know how to use magic. If you already knew how to use magic, you could just erase the tracking all together.¡± Liz sighed as she closed her eyes. She felt uneasy and looked at Vio. ¡°What?¡± Liz said in annoyance ¡°Where did you learn how to fight?¡± Vio laid on her stomach and rested her head on her hands. Liz stared back and returned her eyes to the floor, ¡°Nobody¡± ¡°Nobody?¡± Vio refuse to back down, ¡°Just nobody could just fight on par with a magic knight, especially an offensive type like me?¡± "Oh, I''m just small fry in this country side," Liz sarcastically remarked. "I seriously doubt that." Liz stared at her, and sighed ¡°You know how everybody is talented at something. Whether it''s being a knight, a scholar, baking, cooking, writing, trading, or even ruling. Mine just happens to be hunting that¡¯s all, good night.¡± Liz replied. Vio said nothing and blew out the candle light. She laid back and went to sleep.
Rain pouring heavily from the sky, the lightning roared in the background. Liz was back in this dream. This cold and dreary dream. She couldn¡¯t move, only having enough strength to move her arms, raising them to block out the rain from her eyes. Raindrops poured against her, her body temperature drop drastically as she laid bare in the rain. Thunder came crashing near the trees around her. Flames sparked ablaze, only to be extinguished by the heavy rain. Liz tried to stay in this dream a little longer, trying to decipher the message in this dream. Constantly reminding herself this was only a dream, she continued on. Frost started to form on her fingertips as she stared straight into the sky. The moment was fleeting, but she saw a dash of red lightning forming in the clouds as they came crashing down. Liz woke up.
Liz stumbled awake, panting heavily. Vio was still in deep sleep, her snoring startled Liz. Liz looked out the window. Sunrise? She thought, she slept for a couple of hours? Liz gasped in shocked, this was the longest time she actually slept in her life. She sat back down near the wall and grabbed her belongings. She stood up and looked to the door. She stared at the door thinking that she could leave now and Vio wouldn¡¯t know. She took a step, but hesitated. The red lightning flashed within her mind again. Contemplating, Liz sighed as she put down her belongings, she might get some answers if she followed along¡­ After a while, Vio woke up, She brought Liz down to the dining area. Vio ordered many dishes as Liz sat down in front of her. The food came and both of them started to eat. They finished and started to go back on the trails. Vio started to advertise the capital to Liz again. ¡°-and that is why I love the bakery in the capital, oh, I would love to taste their bread again, absolutely amazing! Oh an-¡° ¡°Did you notice?¡± Liz whispered. Vio smiled, ¡°So I¡¯m not going crazy¡­¡± Liz took out her bow and pretended to look at it to fix it. She counted down, ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­¡± Liz snapped to her right and shot at the forest, quickly nocking another arrow. Vio was covered with a flash of lightning, coating her fully in armor and bolted directly at the forest. Liz was astonished, faster than before! Screams of terror came from the forest. She came out the forest and unarmed her self. ¡°Five assassins, all killed but they managed to sound out a stone transmission, we have to hurry, give me your bag.¡± Liz complied and started to run with Vio. After a while, they were at the next town. Liz sat down on a bench to catch her breath, Vio looked around. ¡°It¡¯s best if we spend the night in a cave or something.¡± Vio said, "It''s too dangerous in a town." Liz agreed. They went to the nearest forest and ventured inside. After a while, they found a cave on the side of a mountain and settled in. Vio placing a suppressor down and Liz kept lookout. The day continued as they started to make a fire. Vio and Liz sat around it. ¡°How far is the capital?¡± Liz asked. Vio tossed more wood into the fire and replied, ¡°Three days if we ran non-stop, I¡¯ll have to say at least a week.¡± Liz spoke on, ¡°Why are they hunting you down, aren¡¯t you just some royal family¡¯s knight?¡± Vio didn¡¯t reply, Liz was about the press on. A clap appeared out of the forest. Liz turned her head towards the direction. The same knight leader she saw in the city. He bowed and smiled, ¡°Ms. Luna, such as pleasure the meet you. Liz looked towards Vio direction, Vio snarled and cloaked. ¡°Steady there, I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, Ms. Luna¡± The knight frowned. Liz pulled back her bow. Chapter 3 - Travel The leader gently rose his arm. The arrow got stuck between his fingers. Liz¡¯s face froze as she saw him inspect it. He gently smiled, flashing his pearly white teeth. ¡°Well-crafted arrow, you can have it back!¡± Liz sensed danger and immediately rolled sideways. Moments later, the cave wall loudly cracked behind her. She turned around and looked in amazement, the arrow was embedded at least three inches deep in the wall. Vio calmly stood near, and spoke. ¡°General Myr, level 3 defensive magic knight, leader of the Solar knights, head knight for the Solar family. Specialized in runes.¡± This general smiled as he bowed, ¡°Ms. Luna, very glad you remember me! We have come to escort you back to the capital, as ordered from your family!¡± Vio laughed, as she shook her head, ¡°Over my dead body!¡± The general tried to comply, ¡°Is this girl forcing you miss? Give us the order and we¡¯ll kill her!¡± Vio once again shook her head and laughed. Liz just stared at her, wondering how she¡¯s going to fix this situation. The general looked shocked. His knights, huge warriors, armed to the hair with high-grade armor, with a sun emblem etched on each one, stood in formation. Liz paled, one knight would give her trouble, let alone at least three, with the general to lead. Liz turned to Vio, who held out her hand. ¡°Grab my hand, hurry!¡± Liz instinctively grabbed it, and Vio pulled out a scroll. General Myr, confused by the sudden actions, ordered his men to charge. Vio smiled as she mouthed the words, ¡°Teleport¡± as the General paled and rushed forward himself. However, he was too late.
Liz opened her eyes, she was on the grass. She looked up, a tree blocked the sky. The smell of saltwater filled the air, they¡¯re next to the sea, or maybe an ocean, she thought. She looked over to Vio¡¯s side. Vio was sitting on the side of the tree. She flashed a tired smile at Liz. Liz frowned sat up. She looked around, plains covered the vast lands. Liz moved and stood next to Vio. ¡°Where are we?¡± Liz inquired. Vio laughed, ¡°No idea.¡± Liz shook her head and looked around. She spotted a town to their right. She helped Vio up and informed her about the town. They both ran to the town. The town was busy, farmers working on their farms as the children played with one another. The merchants chatted and waved each other goodbye. Vio went to a vender and talked. Liz waited patiently on the side as Vio gathering information. The children stared at them, they probably don¡¯t get much visitors. Liz looked over and saw Vio pale as she thanked the vender. Liz¡¯s face grew grim, something went wrong. Vio went over to the inn and bought a room. Nighttime fell as they waited in their room, Vio pulled out a map. ¡°Bad news, we¡¯re nowhere near the capital¡­¡± She continued, ¡°Rather, we are in a different continent completely.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Liz looked at Vio, who shrugged, ¡°Cheap teleporting scrolls often teleport you somewhere random¡± Liz sighed, ¡°Do you always have to be the bearer of bad news? Don¡¯t you have a functional teleporting spell, or something to help us?¡± Vio grimly smiled, ¡°Nope, those cost 10,000 platinum coins, unlike the cheap one I bought¡± Liz choked as Vio laughed at her reaction. Vio rubbed her tears, ¡°We¡¯re in the Southern continent, the eastern holds the capital, so we¡¯re not in a totally hopeless situation. Though, it would take more than a year just to reach the capital from here. They call this town ,"Town Chestnut", bordering the eastern continent, luckily for us, though like I said, it would still take around a year to reach the capital.¡± Liz slacked against a wall, and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go with them? You needed to go to the capital, right?¡± Vio laid back, ¡°What I need in the capital isn¡¯t the families or the kingdom, but St. Magics School, a magic school meant to train magical knight or mages. If I manage to join the school, my family can¡¯t force me to do anything since I have the protection of the school.¡± Liz frowned, ¡°What about me?¡± Vio smiled, ¡°If I make it in, I can bring someone, like a maid in to live with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a very good maid¡± Liz replied. Vio laughed, and silently agreed. ¡°Aren¡¯t your family living in the capital, wouldn¡¯t they just search around the capital until they find you?¡± Liz asked. ¡°Once I sign up, they can¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°And what if you don¡¯t pass?¡± Vio stared at Liz, and laughed, ¡°Grade 7 talent, and already a level 0 knight at the age of 16. I¡¯d like to believe that I¡¯m a talented person.¡± Liz sighed and tested her equipment, ¡°Hey, hold out your hand¡± Vio appeared in front of her. Liz looked confused but held it out. Vio held it and shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t have much potential with magic.¡± Liz smirked, ¡°As if I didn¡¯t already know that¡± Vio shrugged and went to sleep. Liz silently fixed her equipment as the night darkened the sky.
The sounds of arrows filled the empty air. Sleeping animals quickly scurrying away from the sound, the larger beast slept heavily in the caves. Liz grabbed a handful of arrows and continued firing. The constant sounds of the arrow hitting the tree vibrated the forest. Liz nonchalantly shot arrow after arrow. Ironically, the sound of her bow calmed her, she didn''t even know why, this bow that costed a few silver was probably the only thing she could reliably depend on. ¡°Impressive.¡± Liz turned around just to see a middle-aged man sitting near a campfire. His fair hair reflected the flames, somehow creating a calmer atmosphere. The man fished out another piece of wood and tossed it. ¡°Your shooting that is.¡± Liz stood still, the man finally turned to her. ¡°Very rough, but still very good.¡± His golden eyes stared at Liz. "Can''t sleep?" Liz didn''t answer. "Well, me either, never slept well even as a youngster." Liz just stared, the man just laughed. "Let me give you some pointers." He walked over and took her bow. Liz tried to move but was somehow paralyzed. The man pulled the bow, testing its quality as he pulled out an arrow. In a single fluid motion, he pulled the bow and released it. Time froze, Liz stared at the arrow, for a split second, she could see it. The arrow disappeared, along everything else in front of it. A crater formed. Flames flared out, as the man tossed back the bow and went back to the fireplace. Liz was amazed, great destruction, yet so silent? "Don''t be so stiff we you shoot, ok?" The man smiled and pated a tree stump next to him. Liz walked forward, if the man wanted to kill her, he could easily do it. She sat down, the man tossed another piece of wood. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man sat still. ¡°What was that?¡± The man sat still. ¡°Why are you here?¡± The man sat still. ¡°Where are you from?¡± The man sat still. He got up and took a kettle. ¡°Tea?¡± He asked Liz nodded. He poured her a cup and grabbed his own. Liz drank it, hot but smoothing with a hint of bitterness. ¡°I know you have many questions, but right now, they can¡¯t be answered¡± Liz was about the refute. ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left,¡± He calmly stated. The man grabbed a book and tossed it over to Liz. She caught it and looked over to the man. The man cleared his throat, stared, then smiled, ¡°Good luck Elizabeth.¡± Liz gasped and looked the man. He was gone, rather, everything was gone. She was just standing there holding a bow. Was she daydreaming? She shrugged it off and walked back to the inn. Chapter 4 - Ocean Hunting ¡°Onward!¡± ¡°How long do you have until the sign-up ends?¡± ¡°Two weeks!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°I said two weeks!¡± Liz held her temples, trying to repressing a headache coming up. Vio grinned and placed her bag on the ground. She took out her world map and pointed. ¡°Currently, we should be around the eastern edge of the southern continent, making the trip to the capital from here would take at least a year. This seems impossible, right, to make it in two weeks?¡± Liz agreed, it made sense. Vio continued, ¡°Right there¡± She pointed on a marked spot, ¡°There is a marine city, not just any marine city, Shell city!¡± She looked over the Liz, expecting a reaction. Liz just stared with a dull look. ¡°You know, the world¡¯s second largest marine city? Basically, a very important landmark?¡± Liz stood up and continued to walk. Vio caught up, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be such a bumpkin. We may be able to cut our distance considerably if we look around the city. They might have teleportation spells, or even mages!¡± Vio stood infront of Liz, Liz stared at the sky, ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re doing all the talking¡± Vio smiled, ¡°Like I don¡¯t already do all the talking!¡± Vio started to run, Liz quickly following behind. The salty wind blew against her face as she pondered about last night. Whether she finally lost it and started to imagine strangers, but something told her she knew the man. That last night wasn¡¯t just a dream¡­ Liz shook her head, she¡¯s going delusional. She should know better than anyone else, all she dreams about is rain and lightning.
After a short while, they entered the city. Liz followed Vio around as she asked the locals. Many shrugged, and went on with their day. Vio stomped her foot in frustration. She quickly went to the weapon shop, asked about any mages. Liz looked around, testing the weapons as Vio frustratingly walked out the door. Liz payed for a bundle of arrows and went after Vio. Shop after shop, Vio got denied, until she went to the most obvious place, a scroll shop. Vio ran up and talked to the keeper. ¡°Oh, a mage! I heard there was going to be a mage in the auction today!¡± Vio laughed and thanked the keeper, Liz shook her head. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go here in the first place?¡± ¡°Shut up¡± Vio snapped. Liz shrugged and followed Vio. The action house was located in the center of the city, Vio walked up saw a sign, auction starts at sunset. ¡°Let¡¯s rent a room¡± Vio walked back to Liz. Liz shook her head, ¡°You can, I¡¯m not.¡± Vio raised an eyebrow, and shrugged, ¡°Alright, just get here by sunset¡±
After walking around the city, Liz walked over to the ports. Sailors talked and laughed with each other as she walked up. ¡°Where is your captain?¡± They got startled and looked at Liz. They inspected her, leather gear, covering with knifes and a bow strapped to her back, they sighed in relief, not a noble, ¡°In the ship cabin, what about it girly?¡± She walked on the ship, dumbfounding the sailors as they stared. She stood in front of the door, and knocked. ¡°What is it morons?¡± An annoyed voice came out the room. ¡°I¡¯m here to join the hunt¡± The door opened with a large man coming out. The boss eyed her, ¡°Look here missy, this isn¡¯t just a safe journey, now just g-¡° Gold flashed in Liz¡¯s hands, a piece of gold stood there. ¡°One gold to join¡± The boss looked and repeated, ¡°Sorry miss-¡° ¡°Three¡± ¡°Like I-¡° ¡°Five¡± ¡°Deal¡± The boss opened his palms and gave Liz a badge. ¡°When will we get back?¡± ¡°Just before sunset¡± ¡°Perfect¡± The ship set sail, a bucket of fishing rods was placed in the middle, the sailors picks up their rods and nets and started to fish. Liz sat down on the side of the ship, took out her bow and tied a rope on an arrow. She tied in to a pole and waited. A shadow of a fish appeared a few feet from the ship, Liz pulled back her string and shot. A miss, the fish quickly swam away. Liz frowned, and tested her bow. The arrow was a bit heavier than she liked, probably due to the rope. She sighed and pulled back the arrow from the water. More shadows appear, she tried again and was able to shoot one down.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. After a while, she finally got used to the rope attached to her arrow. She now caught every other shadow of fish. Her bucket of fish now half-way full, she felt proud of herself. ¡°There she is! Isn¡¯t she a beaut!¡± The captain yelled out as he looked overboard. The sailors quickly ran over and looked overboard. The ship swayed causing Liz to stumble. Liz also stood up and walked over. A titan whale appeared in Liz¡¯s view! She looked at the captain, is he crazy? The captain armed his men in the ship''s interior, the cannons were stocked and ready. He laughed, ¡°Sweety, step back, this are star cannons, the strongest commercial cannon, we¡¯re gonna blow up that whale once and for all!¡± Liz stared as she saw the men quickly arm the cannon. The whale patiently stared at them, the captain smoked his pipe. Liz lazily looked at him, this isn¡¯t going to work. ¡°Ready men!¡± ¡°Ayy!¡± ¡°ATTACK!¡± The cannons blasted, Liz quickly covered her ears, loud! The shells hurled at the whale, each one harmlessly bouncing off! It didn¡¯t do any damage. Liz sighed, the captain looked shock. ¡°Those cannons cost 10000 gold and they can¡¯t even hurt a whale! I got ripped off! I¡¯m gonna have a word with that merchant!¡± Liz looked at the whale, it didn¡¯t look happy. Liz told the captain, only to get laughed at. ¡°It¡¯s a whale, what¡¯s it gonna do, spout water at us? Ha, why don¡¯t you go calm it princess.¡± Liz shrugged and continued practicing. She sat down. The ship rocked. She stood back up and balancing herself. The ship dangerously rocked again with the captain holding on to a ledge. Waves of water crashed into the ship, Liz grabbed onto a rail and looked over, this isn¡¯t natural. The captain went into the steering room. Liz crashed into the lodge just to see the captain panic as he steered. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lis held to wall for support, ¡°This isn¡¯t natural.¡± The captain yelled, ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t natural, that¡¯s because the whale¡¯s doing it!¡± Liz heavily swayed to the left, this ship is about to get capsized. ¡°Can¡¯t you get rid of the whale?¡± ¡°We tried, didn¡¯t you see it! How could I guess it was a magical beast! I did warn you about the dangers!¡± Liz sighed, ¡°This boat is about to tip over!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I know that!¡± The captain steered violently to the right to steady himself. A sailor rushed in, ¡°Sir, the whale is about to crash into us¡± ¡°Just use to star cannons! Use every shell we have on board!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Moments passed, the situation getting worse by the minute. Liz sparked an idea, ¡°How about I kill the whale for you?¡± The captain laughed, ¡°Nice joke, this isn¡¯t time to jokes though.¡± Liz¡¯s eye harderned, ¡°I¡¯m serious¡± The captain, not even bothering to look at Liz yelled out, ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll give you all the money this poor sailor has, plus extra¡± ¡°Deal¡± Liz walked out as the captain laughed.
Liz shakenly stood on the deck, in front of the whale. She grabbed her bow, and aimed. Arrows flew and hit the whale in the eye, only to get reflected off. Liz frowned and looked around. She ran to the side of the boat and grabbed a harpoon bolt, and armed her bow. A bolt flew to the whale and like the arrows, got reflected off. This don¡¯t work. Liz looked around the ship, she spotted a pile of barrel. She propped it open, a gunpowder barrel. She grabbed a barrel and kept it at her side. She dipped an arrow in lamp oil and lit it in fire. She tossed the barrel at the beast and quickly aimed. She shot and heard a loud blast. She sat down and smiled. That¡¯s all, right? The whale surfaced from the water and brought Liz back on her feet. Liz bit her lip, failure. She looked harder, no, not complete failure, she harmed in the front. She grabbed a handful of arrows and rapid fired, she laughed pathetically, like a bunch of splinters could kill a whale. She felt a hand on her shoulder, a sailor who was shaking his head, know he was going to die. Liz stared, and stood up, she could breath, what¡¯s wrong with her? ¡°How long till we¡¯re back at the shore?¡± The captain screamed out, ¡°30 minutes¡± Liz smirked, she grabbed a barrel and tossed it, quickly lit her arrows and shot. The other sailors started to come out and throw barrels too. Liz quickly lit her arrows and kept shooting the barrels. The whale sensing the dangerous submerged once again. She signaled the sailors to stop. The whale, with a false sense of security, surfaced once again, only to get hit in the face with a barrel, then blasted. Liz smiled, she might live after all. The whale submerged again, Liz patiently waited. A few feet from the ship, the whale surfaced and quickly charged at the ship, a barrel was tossed, but this time, the whale controlled the water and grabbed it. Liz frowned, and ordered the sailors to continue throwing the barrels. The sailors complied and keep throwing the barrels, just to get catch by the whale¡¯s magic. Moments later, with only around a foot left, the whale charged the ship, the sailors braced for the impact. Liz laughed, and kicked the barrel in front of her. The whale saw her, but with its attention to the sailors, didn¡¯t react fast enough to her. Liz kicked the barrel into the mouth of the whale, who tried to close its mouth, however it was too late. Liz shoot the flaming arrow, blowing up the barrel in it¡¯s mouth. The whale blew up, completely dead from explosion. The shockwaves knocked Liz down, the sailors rushed forward and looked at the whale, they cheered, they survived! Liz got supported up and smiled. The sailors cheered as Liz had saved them. The captain rushed out, ¡°There is something bigger coming up! Something stronger¡­¡± The water erupted in front of them, another whale appeared, seemingly angry that they just killed its kinship. The sailors froze, and quickly reacted and looked for more barrels. There were no more barrels¡­ Liz looked and sighed, her luck¡­ The whale rushed forward, the sailors braced once again, Liz joining them. The whale slammed the ship, almost knocking it over. The whale swam back for another charged. Liz looked around. Some sailors were crying, some were praying and some just accepted their death. Liz looked at the captain, ¡°How far are we from the port?!¡± ¡°Around 10 minutes!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just swim there?¡± The captain looked at her like she was crazy, ¡°No, the whale can easily kill you once you¡¯re in water¡± Liz sighed and laid on her back, maybe it is time to give up¡­ ¡°Impressive.¡± She stood up. ¡°Your shooting that is.¡± Why is she remembering those words? ¡°Very rough, but still very good.¡± Why¡­ ¡°Good luck Elizabeth.¡± Her eyes flashed, she drew back her bow, and spoke, ¡°First scripture, The calm before the storm¡± What is she saying? She remembered the man¡¯s shooting. His fluid motion, his stroke, his words, his arrow. A loud crack sounded from her bow. Liz looked at her hands, sore from shooting, her bow shattered on the ground.. The arrow was sent flying with a boom. It touched the whale and ripped apart it¡¯s skin, muscles and finally it''s head. Liz stepped back and fell. She rose her arms, shaking. The sailors looked at her, and captain bug-eyed. She had killed the whales. Chapter 5 - Auction House ¡°There you are! What took you so long? The auctions are about to begin! ¡°I went hunting.¡± ¡°Hunting?! What kind of hunting takes that long?¡± ¡°Hunting.¡± Vio shook her head and led Liz inside. Simple wooden chairs were neatly filed in the room, filling up as people joined the auction. Vio lead Liz to the back, and told her the rules about this auction. Liz nodded and sat down with her paddle on her lap. Vio stretched her arms and laid back, the crowd gradually quiet down as the auctioneer came up stage. ¡°Welcome ladies and gentlemen! I am Buc, your auctioneer at this hour! Today is a great day for an auction don¡¯t you think! Full of rare items, brought in by different adventures, in hopes that one of you! Will be able to buy it.¡± The auctioneer smile, ¡°Preferably at a high price, but that¡¯s their problem!¡± Liz listened as VIo looked around. She stared at the crowd, and searched. Liz sighed and tapped Vio to grab her attention, then pointed at the balconies. Vio looked confused, Liz whispered, ¡°If they¡¯re a mage, they¡¯re status probably placed them in the upper levels, not with us commoners, or well, like me, not so much you.¡± Vio nodded and started to listen to the auction, periodically glancing that the balcony to see the target. Liz continued to listen, the auctioneer rapid fired words as people furiously bid against each other. Liz stood upright as the auctions continued, hoping for something interesting. Vio grabbed Liz¡¯s shoulder and brought her closer, ¡°Balcony three, to the right¡± Liz stretched her back and glanced, a little girl, probably the mage¡¯s maid, where is he? Liz shook her head, Vio saw him already, she should be able to track him down. ¡°Now ladies and gentlemen, a quite rare item! A natural lightning rod! A purple lightning tree, located in the western continent!¡± The auctioneer watched as the ¡°tree¡± appeared on a cart, ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t exactly the whole tree, just a branch. Perfectly if you¡¯re an alchemist, or a researcher! The bid starts at 10 gold pieces.¡± Whispers appeared from the crowd, who wants a branch for 10 gold? Liz raised her paddle, ¡°Lady in leather, anyone for 20 pieces, one, two, three, sold to the lady in leather!¡± Vio suppressed her laughter, Liz tossed a bag of gold to the collector. Vio lightly punched Liz on the shoulder, ¡°You just got ripped off.¡± Liz ignored her. The auction went on, the third balcony remained silent. The crowds grow wilder after each item. ¡°At last, ladies and gentlemen! The item you were all waiting for! He bowed and brought out another cart. The crowds whistled, and cheered. The auctioneer sweating, a white cloth covered the item. ¡°The item you all have been waiting for!¡± He pulled off the covers, ¡°A high grade mana stone!¡± The crowds roared, Liz covered her ears, Vio stared intently at the stone. Liz leaded over to Vio, ¡°What¡¯s a mana stone?¡± Vio stared as she explained, ¡°A stone that gives mana.¡± Liz stared at her, she¡¯s gone dumb from that stone. ¡°Do you need it?¡± Vio shook her head, ¡°A mana stone isn¡¯t needed, but if you train around one, it shortens your training by at least 100 days, and best of all, it has no side effects!¡± Liz sighed, ¡°How about I bid?¡± Vio broke her stare and jokingly laughed, ¡°Good luck! You¡¯ll need it.¡± She pointed at the balconies. The bid immediately began, ¡°3 platinum pieces!¡± ¡°5 platinum pieces!¡± ¡°10!¡± Liz leaned against her chair. ¡°100 platinum pieces!¡± The crowd quiet down, a noble from the balcony raised his paddle, smirking as he made his bid. The auctioneer collected his breath, ¡°150 platinum pieces¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The third balcony finally made a move. The crowd gasped. Liz glanced, the maid rose the paddle, the mage must trust this maid to give her the power to bid. The noble frowned, ¡°160 pieces¡± ¡°170 pieces¡± The maid retaliated. The noble steamed, ¡°200 pieces, if you respect the Silverheart family, you better not bid again!¡± The maid frowned and sat down, the nobleman smiled and clapped, ¡°Auctioneer, it seems like this auction is done.¡± The auctioneer smiled and routinely counted down, Liz looked at Vio, ¡°How much pieces do you have?¡± Vio shrugged, ¡°30 pieces, but we need at least 10 for the entire trip.¡± ¡°Give me ten.¡± Vio reluctantly gave the coins and Liz raised her paddle, ¡°210 pieces¡± Vio¡¯s jaw dropped, the crowd stared at Liz. She stared at the noble, who seemingly looked too shocked too do anything. Vio grabbed Liz¡¯s paddle, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liz snatched the paddle back and didn¡¯t say a word. The auctioneers counted down, ¡°Three, two, one, sold!¡± The noble finally reacted, ¡°That isn¡¯t fair! She doesn¡¯t even have the money!¡± The auctioneer looked at Liz, ¡°Could you show us the money?¡± Liz took out a sack, poured Vio¡¯s pieces and tossed it at the collector. He counted and verified. ¡°210 pieces exactly!¡±
The auction ended, Liz went to the collection area and grabbed her purchased items. Vio followed close behind and barraged Liz with questions. ¡°How did you get the money?¡± ¡°Hunting¡± ¡°You can¡¯t make that make from hunting, seriously.¡± Vio stared at her. ¡°Hunting¡± She stared back, ¡°Seriously.¡± Vio closed her eyes, and breathed in. Liz grabbed her items and tossed the mana stone to Vio, who stumbled to catch it. ¡°A gift?¡± ¡°A gift.¡± Vio smiled, and knocked Liz in the arm, ¡°You¡¯re not that bad of a person.¡± Liz mockingly laughed, ¡°The faster you get stronger, the faster I get out this mess.¡± Vio laughed and pouched the stone. ¡°Wait commoner.¡± The noble blocked their path, ¡°How about I strike you an offer?¡± Liz and Vio stared. The noble smiled, ¡°How about 100 pieces and your lives? Sounds like a great deal to me!¡± Vio laughed, the noble stepped back, and two knights stepped forward. The right had his sword slung over his shoulder, and the other stood straight. The right knight sighed and spoke, ¡°Look here missy, we don¡¯t want to hurt you. Just give us the stone, and you get a 50% refund!¡± Liz shook her head, Vio snarled. ¡°Fine, if you want to do it that way.¡± The knights unsheathed their blades. Liz narrowed her eyes. ¡°Ahem¡± The knights looked over, the manager stood by the doorway and pointed at the door. ¡°If you guys want to fight, take it outside!¡± Liz stared at the manager, Vio spoke out, ¡°Where is the security?¡± The manager blushed, ¡°You protect what you buy, that¡¯s the policy.¡± Vio frowned and went outside, Liz closely following. Soon after, a crowd of people formed outside. The nobleman stood in the side smiling. The knights stood still. Vio armed herself in a flash, revealing her knighthood. People gasped, the knights silently praising her. Liz silently brought out a few bows. ¡°This is your finally chance miss, please reconsider the offer.¡± The knight said. Vio refused, and laughed. The knights looked at each other and shrugged, ¡°Mark, level 3 knight¡± ¡°Int, level 3 knight¡± Vio frowned, and retreated to Liz. ¡°Even though their only knights, I can only hold off one of them, stall the other.¡± Liz grabbed a bow and shoved the others to Vio. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What? If we don¡¯t fight we die!¡± ¡°I know¡± ¡°Like hell you know! What are you gonna do against a level 3 knight?¡± Vio grabbed tried to grab Liz, only to catch air. ¡°Please watch.¡± The knights warily looked at them, ¡°Are you ready? Please reconsider the offer!¡± Liz spat at the ground, ¡°No.¡± The knights instantly charged, the crowds cheered, bets were already being made. Liz pulled back her bow, and closed her eyes, Vio watched closely. ¡°First Scripture: The calm before the storm.¡± She released the first arrow. Vio watched the arrow, it disappeared! She quickly looked over at the knight, his head was pinned to the ground, he died instantly! Vio watched in amazement, what was that? Liz watched her bow disintegrated, her hands trembled as she stared at them, not good enough. She looked at the other knight, quickly retreating in fear. She grabbed another bow. ¡°Wait, wait ,wait, wait mis-¡° An arrow drilled though the knights head, leaving a headless knight. The crowds turned silent, the nobleman stood in fear. Liz dropped her other broken bow and stared at him, he quickly fled out of the scene. Liz grabbed the rest of the bows and walked back into the city. Vio caught up, ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°In the inn¡± Vio smiled, ¡°Follow me. You better tell me what that was.¡± Liz nodded.
They went to their room, Liz fell on the floor, exhausted from the fighting. Vio also sat on the floor, cleaning her sword waiting for Liz to explain to new found power. Liz got up and explained her scriptures to Vio, who nodded as she explained. Vio laid back and pondered, Liz clenched her hands. ¡°Maybe its blood talent¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Talent passed on by blood. A technique that a clan can only use, it may be that.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Who are your parents?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Vio sat next to Liz, ¡°Have you even bothered to find out?¡± ¡°Nope¡± Vio shook her head, ¡°If you want, I can help you.¡± Liz stubbornly shook her head, ¡°No, that¡¯s a truth I don¡¯t want to know.¡± Vio shook her head and stood up. She searched her pouch and brought out the mana stone. ¡°We can¡¯t have you be stronger than me can we. Don¡¯t bother me for a few hours.¡± She smiled and placed the stone. She sat near it and closed her eyes. Liz stared and left the door, Vio was training, its best that she leaves. Liz left the room and went to the dining area. She ordered and waited, fastening her guards as they prepared the food. Soon after, the food came and Liz ate. She looked out the window, an hour past since the fight, the front of the auction was now clean, disposed of the knight¡¯s corpse. She wondered if the noble will come back and threaten her again, how cares. She¡¯ll fight what he brings. She silently ate her food. The chair in front of her moving, she looked over, nothing, she must have miss heard. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me.¡± Liz looked again confused, still nothing, she¡¯s going crazy again. ¡°Down here!¡± Liz looked down, the little maid sat in front of her. The maid smiled. Chapter 6 - Winter Wonderland Liz emptied her drink, ice rattled as she placed it down. The maid rested her arms on the wooden table and continued to smile. Liz sneered and called the waiter to empty to table. With the waiter''s arms full with plates gone, the maid introduced herself. ¡°Hello!¡± Liz didn¡¯t respond. The maid nervously laughed and continued, ¡°My name is Mary! Known as the-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Liz wiped her hands. ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ll get to the point, I need bodyguards, and I¡¯m wondering if you could help me?¡± ¡°No.¡± The maid froze for a second, and recovered. She didn¡¯t expect such a direct answer. ¡°You don¡¯t just ask random people to act like your bodyguard, try a different approach.¡± The maid smiled and cleared her throat, ¡°Hello, my name is Mary Watch, I''m interested if I could ask for your services?¡± The maid looked up in anticipation. ¡°No¡± The maid wanted to cry, ¡°Please hear me out, I will give you something in return, anything within my capabilities.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything.¡± Liz stood up, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go buy some bodyguards, they¡¯ll be happy to work for you.¡± The maid frowned, ¡°No mercenary will be as strong as you, someone who could easily kill two level 3 knights. A lot of people saw you know.¡± Liz shrugged, ¡°I got lucky.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t fool anyone.¡± The maid narrowed her eyes, ¡°It was one-sided murder.¡± ¡°I was just trying to protect myself.¡± The maid sighed, ¡°Look if you accept, I¡¯ll promise it¡¯ll be all profit for you if you survive.¡± ¡°Survive?¡± Liz walked off. The maid quickly tried to calm Liz, ¡°Someone with your skill should easily survive, especially with my help!¡± Liz continued to the stair, as the little maid quickly blocked her way. ¡°Please listen! I really need a really, really strong bodyguard. Liz ignored her. She casually looked past the maid, Vio stood near the bottom of the stairs. She looked at the maid and quickly walked over. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Liz frowned and pointed at the maid. Vio looked over and grinned. She walked to Liz¡¯s side and slung her arm over her shoulder. Liz skeptically stared at her, Vio grinning as she rested her head on Liz¡¯s shoulder. She leaned closer to Liz¡¯s ear. ¡°She¡¯s the mage! How did you find her?! Nice!¡± Vio whispered. Liz stared and shook her head, ¡°This brat¡¯s the mage? She looks like she just got home from pre-s-¡°This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Vio quickly closed Liz¡¯s mouth, ¡°Sorry, my friend just speaks without thinking, I¡¯m Vio! The maid smiled, ¡°What a friendly person! I just asked your friend if she could be my bodyguard.¡± The maid smiled, Liz could almost see the sneaky tone from her voice, as charming as a bandit. Great, Liz thought, Vio is too polite to say no. ¡°Of course! What about me too? I promise my skill isn¡¯t much worse than hers later!¡± Vio happily replied. The maid clapped her hands, ¡°Of course! The more the merrier" The maid pointed at a table, "Could we please sit over there.¡± Vio complied and dragged Liz back. The maid pulled out a piece of paper. ¡°This is a soul-binding contract, for security sake, please sign there.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t write," Liz stood up and started to walk away. ¡°You read on our trip,¡± Vio grabbed Liz. ¡°I lack the motor skills.¡± ¡°You use a bow.¡± ¡°My head hurts.¡± ¡°Deal with it.¡± Liz sighed and rested her head down. The maid pointed at the line near the bottom of the page. Vio happily picked up the feather pen. Liz blocked her. ¡°Are you stupid or dumb,¡± Liz snatched the pen, ¡°Or maybe a little bit of both.¡± She looked at the maid, ¡°What¡¯s our part of the deal.¡± The maid smiled, she was finally going somewhere with this stubborn girl. ¡°I¡¯ll owe you guys and if you ask a favor, I¡¯ll do anything to help you guys!¡± ¡°Even if we¡¯re hunted down by the capital.¡± The maid smiled warily, ¡°Sure, I guess¡­¡± ¡°What about teleportation?! Can you teleport us to the eastern capital with was much silence as possible?¡± Vio jolted up, startling the maid. ¡°Sorry I probably can¡¯t do that, but I could ask someone who might be able to.¡± The maid shyly answered. Vio excited shook Liz. Liz still didn¡¯t give back the pen, the maid looked worried. ¡°Make it two favors.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Two, one for me and one for her. If you accept, we¡¯ll sign the paper.¡± The maid scratched her head, and thought. Vio nervously looked at the maid as she though, Liz waited patiently. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll accept your deal.¡± The mage looked defeated. Liz signed her name and Vio did the same, the mage also signed the contract sealing her end of the deal. The maid delicately rolled the paper and stored it. ¡°Be near the western gate by sunrise, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Liz stood up, ¡°Wait,¡± Vio stopped the maid, ¡°How long would it take?¡± ¡°About 5 days¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Vio looked content. She walked over to Liz and they went to their room. Vio walked over to the wall. ¡°You can have the bed today.¡± "What you did today was rash." "Why?" "Because... nevermind." Liz stopped talking and laid on the bed. Creaking and firm, just the way she likes it as she drifted asleep.
Liz opened her eyes, and looked up. Rain and thunder, oh how she missed them. She closed her eyes to enjoy the cool feeling of the raindrops as they fell on her, opening her ears to listen the wonderful symphony of the lightning. Nothing came. She quickly opened her eyes and looked around. The ground was instead coated in a layer of snow, the tranquility of the area somewhat eerie. Liz rose her arm, easily. Shocked, she moved her entire body, this is something new, she thought. She patted down her body, normal. She widened her eyes, no, not normal, this wasn¡¯t her body, or more like it was a her from a younger time. She looked at her frail body, with her near skeleton complex, nearly all skin and bones. She breathed out a mist, as she shook her frail arms to stay warm. The path ahead was clear, Liz realized the next trial, just to walk forward. One step at a time, she advanced, leaving her bare footprint behind. The area was snowing heavily, snow hills piling near the side of her, weirdly never crossing paths with her. The rough cotton of her shirt constantly moved due to the heavy wind, her eyelashes long froze due to the freezing temperatures, her feet were painful of frostbite. Whether if her arms were frozen, or her legs, or even her body, she continued. After a while, the dense piles of white snow climbed high, Liz didn''t even bother to look. She looked back, her footprints covered from the fresh snow, she couldn¡¯t tell how long she¡¯s been walking, but it was a long time. Time passed, seemingly years for Liz. What she wanted greatly was warmth , but more than anything, she desired hope. She longed closed her eyes, as she couldn¡¯t see anymore. She stopped shivering, as she couldn¡¯t feel anymore. She stopped breathing, as her lungs froze solid. She couldn¡¯t hear, because her eardrums shattered. Though she ventured on. How long have I been here, she thought, how long did I walk for? Is there an end? Is there something to work for? Why am I alive? She continued, disabled, only walking forward as if she had been designed to. She suddenly bumped into something, though she couldn¡¯t feel it and keep walking. Its arms hugged her, filling her with the warmth she long desired. ¡°Good job Elizabeth, we¡¯re proud of you.¡± She fell back, able to catch the last words of the dream.
Liz heavily sat up from the bed. Who are you? Chapter 7 - Lairs Of Trials ¡°It¡¯s too early for a mission.¡± ¡°Too bad, we signed up already.¡± Liz sat down on a bench. Vio stood against the western gate as they waited on the maid to come. ¡°You think she bailed?¡± ¡°No, the spirit contract makes that impossible,¡± Vio refuted, ¡°Any way, she¡¯s the one who commissioned us, why would she bail?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s too early?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not you.¡± The sounds of footsteps rushed their way. The maid looked flushed as she ran up to them. ¡°Sorry! I overslept for a bit, please forgive me.¡± Vio smiled, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The maid smiled back, ¡°Anyways, good morning!¡± ¡°Good morning,¡± Vio replied. Liz nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the mission anyway,¡± Liz asked. The maid smiled and brought out a map. She pointed at a mark. ¡°That¡¯s our mission.¡± The maid said. ¡°What¡¯s so special about it?¡± She looked around and brought them closer. She whispered, ¡°It¡¯s the lair of a level 9 mage!¡± Liz and Vio looked uneasy. The maid spotted the tense atmosphere and quickly comforted them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! He¡¯s already dead, for thousands of years now actually! All the traps he placed are probably too old to work!¡± ¡°I hope your right.¡± Vio grabbed her bag and asked, ¡°Are you going to lead the way?¡± The maid scurried on her feet and went in front of Vio. ¡°As per our agreement, you must try to protect me from all harm, though I¡¯ll understand the occasional slip-up.¡± Vio smirked, ¡°And as per our agreement, you must help us with two favors, one for me and one for Liz. Don¡¯t forget it!¡± The maid gleefully smiled and held out her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s reintroduce ourselves! I¡¯m Mary, Mary Watch.¡± Vio shook it, ¡°Vio, Vio Luna¡± Mary looked at Liz, who reluctantly held out her hand, ¡°Liz¡± Mary laughed and said, ¡°Nice to meet you team!¡±
They stepped into the forest. The dark-wood trees flourished, the sticks on the ground snapped as they went deeper. The smell of decaying organic matter filled their lungs. Liz looked up, the tree¡¯s branches were lush. The sun rose high, the sunlight peeked through the small opening of the leaves and splashed on Liz¡¯s face as she ventured forward. The repeated formation of trees forged a feeling of D¨¦j¨¤ vu for Liz. The sounds of the birds echoed within the forest, a symphony in Liz¡¯s ears. She missed her old life. A life of hunting. The deep entanglement of the tree¡¯s roots blocked the way, Mary chose many different paths and went even deeper. The bushes scraped Liz¡¯s claves as they went towards their destination. ¡°Here we are!¡± Mary exclaimed. Vio rushed to her side and looked. Liz closely followed behind and looked at the scenery. What filled the area was a lake, a nearly round lake. The lake¡¯s glassy surface reflected the sky¡¯s image, a high-rise sun with the blue skies painted in the background. Though the image was fleeting, only to get ruined by a falling leaf, which rippled the water and distorted the image.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°A lake?¡± Vio questioned. ¡°Yes, a lake.¡± Mary walked forward and spoke out a language. Liz couldn¡¯t understand it, but Vio looked impressed. The lake stopped, the ripples leveled out. Mary stepped back and threw a rock in. The rock sank in without producing a ripple. ¡°Perfect, if you guys could follow me.¡± Mary jumped in. Vio followed suit and Liz crawled in. The feeling of emptiness surrounded Liz as she free-fell from the lake. She closed her eyes and braced for impact. A few seconds passed and she opened her eyes. She was on the ground, perfectly fine. She brushed herself off and looked over at the other two. They were in front of the cave entrance. Liz got up and walked over to them. ¡°The home of a level 9 mage!¡± Mary gasped in astonishment, ¡°Amazing!¡± Vio smiled and followed Mary as she walked in. Liz stayed behind to see the symbols, she didn¡¯t understand them, but she saw them before. The symbols covered Vio¡¯s sword, these were magic symbols. Liz briefly looked then went back to the others. The sounds of footprints echoed the cave as they traversed. The walls were dripping wet, with vines spread out on the ceiling and walls. Liz smeared some on her hand, wet and mushy, like she thought as she wiped it off. The caves darkened as they went on further, Liz brought out a match. She felt a touch and saw Vio, who shook her head. Liz looked at Mary who held her staff close. Through a chant, Mary summoned ball of light, or more like a furry ball, thought Liz. The caves lit back up and the group continued. The cave narrowed, Vio took the front position, Mary in the middle, and Liz placed herself in the back, in case they get ambushed. Minutes passed as they returned to a wider cave, Vio occasionally hummed a tune and Mary fiddled in her map. The first trial came. Vio stopped and looked ahead, Mary walked to her side. The road split into two paths. The right door framed with a cracked arch, many bed of unknown flowers placed in front, the scent allured their sense of smell. To the left, littered on the floor were human and animal skulls. Cracked bones splintered the ground. Dried blood was prominent shown on the spikes that laid above. To any sane person, it was a trap. Mary walked between the doors and dusted off the wall, large carved letters suddenly appeared in front of them. ¡°The trial of¡­¡± Vio squinted at the letters. ¡°Wits. The trial of wits.¡± Mary replied. She walked towards the right and inspected. She repeated the same step for the left and went back. ¡°This trial is easy,¡± Mary simply stated, ¡°Liz, could you follow me.¡± Liz complied and followed Mary to the left door. The skulls obviously symbolized danger, why did she pick this door? Liz questioned but never asked. ¡°Please shoot the chain holding the spikes please.¡± Liz followed her direction and shot the chain. The spikes came crashing down and firmly planted itself in the ground. Mary looked happy as she walked over the spikes. Liz and Vio followed behind and continued the trail. ¡°Man-slaughtering flowers. One of the most lethal plants in the world, once they have an animal within arms-distance, they could easily kill a villager, or maybe even a knight if they aren¡¯t careful.¡± Vio silently agreed while Liz took some mental notes, even a beautiful delicate plant like those could be dangerous. They went on the cave, spiraling down stairs after a while. Liz wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Mary panting as she kept the light going. Vio looked fine, she even joked about their appearance. Liz frowned, she knew this sweat wasn¡¯t from the short walk, it was the heat. The cave¡¯s temperature rose as they went in deeper. Liz could see the heat waves distort the view in front of her. Mary didn¡¯t look great herself, she struggled to keep the light up as she went on, the ball of light constantly flickering. Vio still looked fine, though she looked a bit more concentrated. The heat son got too unbearable for Mary as she collapsed, Vio quickly scooped her up and place Mary on her shoulder. Mary apologized and drank a bit of water. Liz unequipped her leather gear and placed them in her bag. They reached the next trail soon after, a dead-end. Vio walked up and brushed the wall. ¡°The trials of will,¡± Mary struggled to say, ¡°Wait ten days.¡± Liz lost a bit of hope. Ten days are too long, Vio doesn¡¯t have ten days to spare nor did she. ¡°Mary, sorry, but we may have to leave here. We can¡¯t affort ten days.¡± Vio sadly agreed and placed Mary down. ¡°Please wait 10 minutes,¡± Mary whispered. They looked at each other, Mary looked determined. Vio sighed and agreed to Mary¡¯s selfish demands.
Nine minutes passed, Liz stripped down to a plain shirt and shorts, still sweating furiously from the heat. Vio still didn¡¯t have much sweat on her, while Mary sat still. Liz counted in her head. A few more seconds, and she could leave this place. At this point, she couldn¡¯t care less about the favor. Suddenly, Mary opened her eyes, while coincidently the ground started to shake. Liz steadied herself and looked towards the dead-end. There was now a small opening in the wall, Liz ran and slide through, Vio grabbed Mary and crashed her way in. Liz breathed in, cold air swept in her lungs. Vio exhaled a cloud of mist. Mary hugged Vio tightly for warmth. ¡°The next part of the trial, the frozen wasteland.¡± The cave was now made up of blue stone, icicles hung from the ceiling. The walls and floor covered on slippery ice and the path ahead seemed bare and distant. Mary squeezed out a smile, ¡°At least we passed the trial of will without dying.¡± Liz sighed and carefully slid across the ice. Vio did the same and continued on the frozen trail.