Chapter 8

♪ To The Eeedge Of Night Until The Staaaars Are Aaaall Aaaliiiight ♪ Part 1

The perspective of ???:

We maintained a constant speed as we fled our pursuers down the well-groomed highway. The guards on horseback escorted me safely thus far, being sure not to wander away from my carriage's side. The galloping warhorse's hooves reverberated off the surrounding [Leatherleaf Tree]s, only adding to our anxiety. Though the road is well maintained, the carriage jerks each time its wheels find uneven moss. I timidly observe the path traveled from within the carriage in hopes that I see not but the thinning forest. Our right side was guarded by a wide river, that which can not be easily crossed. The water looked beautiful under Luna, the first moon. Her radiance exuded a dazzling sheen of white, blue, and green. 'Tis a wonder to see the tops of [Abascan Tree]s alight beneath the water, giving its blue hue to the natural masterpiece.

Alas, the sentiment vanished as clouds sheathed the luminescence to make way for my heightened restlessness in shadows cast. Off in the distance, A gentle hill appeared ahead to the burdened horses dismay. Several small animals could be seen fleeing in the same direction, some stopping to hide amongst shrubs that lined the highway. Silent as the animals were, only the hoof beats pounding on the soft moss could be heard along with the squelching wheels. The surrounding escorts fell into a weighted silence. We encountered an unexpected situation that put us all on edge, trying to prepare for the worst. Today, I, Lyra Avacyn, made my first appearance as the representative of the Avacyn house at a ball held by the Elbereth family.

En route back to the Avacyn territory, a large group of smugglers ambushed our convoy, though we could only spare a few guards to break away and keep our aggressors at bay. They have been well trained and provided for by my father's household from youth, making them both experienced and loyal members of our house. Only the [Knight Commander] and five under his charge sojourned as our continued escorts. The sound of battle had quieted as the distance grew, none of the previous guards showing any trace of return.

I continued staring out the window while my maid, and best friend, watched me with great concern weighing on her face. Long, golden hair, complimented by her contrasting dark, pointed ears, waves to and fro gently in the breeze. It has lost all of its usual appeal from the pressure bearing on her face, though it flowed peacefully in the open window.

Looking back into her eyes, I remark, “Malady, if you burden your beautiful face with such a scowl, I fear you will not attract a good husband.” I attempt to, at least, lighten her load with a light joke, knowing that neither of us stands a chance against our pursuers, should they catch up to us. “Let those trained in combat bear your distress. Showing it to them will only increase their burden. It's our duty to exude gentle peace,” I say to Malady, expounding on the responsibilities we hold in such a situation.

“It is as you say, milady,” Malady, maid of the Avacyn house, said to me with a stunning smile that would surely make any man fall in love at first sight. I giggled softly in response.

She had a small face with large eyes adorned by long yet thin eyelashes. The bright green hue of her irises embodies her youthfulness, full of life. Long pointed ears stood proudly, complimenting her beaming smile. Her green tunic and long green skirt, with brown accents, punctuated her high social class, even as a maid. The outfit paired wonderfully with my dress, the insignificant difference being the golden braids making up my dresses hem and the jewelry I wore. I simply adore the skill of Jared, our family tailor.

While the journey home started with chit-chat about the young noblemen at the ball, neither of us could speak another word. My brief moment of encouragement was short-lived when the carriage suddenly stopped. One of the horses had been overexerted and collapsed, placing considerable strain on the other 3 horses. The coachman stopped the carriage when the neighing of the horses complained of their plight.

Our driver extended his apologies, “Forgive me, milady... The horses cannot last any longer. We will have to continue on foot.” For several hours, the horses have been pulling us in the carriage along with our luggage. Tirelessly, until now, they pressed on but have reached their limit.

If anything, it was certainly the horse of the [Knight Commander] who suffered the most. When he caught my eye, I could see the man in his mid-30s climb off his horse and begin to tie it to the carriage. His full-plate armor was easily the heaviest item in our small group. The other guards assembled around him to seek their orders. Being the attentive man he is, he was sponging the sweat from his horse's neck with a small cloth kept in his waistband. His hair was a short military cut paired with a well-groomed goatee, his mustache thick while coming to a curled point. The spitting image of elvish military nobility, though he is human. The full-plate armor was not even enough to hide his broad muscle beneath, his stature on par with that of a bear.

“Gildor, have the scoundrels given up their chase?” I inquire of the [Knight Commander] from the open door while he offers a hand to assist me down the steps. It greatly concerned me that there were so few guards that intercepted the thugs. There appeared to be no more pursuers, so I hoped it was safe. Gildor, the [Knight Commander], responded not with words, but a wide grin that instantly put me at ease. “You truly live up to the meaning of your name, creator of joy,” I say to him, mirroring the warm emotion he shot back at me. He bowed in respect and said, "You honor me with your words, milady."

Looking to the path ahead, I could see that the hill that was once off in the distance has found itself beneath our feet. Looking forward gave way to an ominous aura, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand. A foreboding feeling emanated from the ridge, as though I could feel our oppressors not behind, but right in front of us. My face had been tainted by furrowed brows and after glancing at me, Gildor scanned the surrounding area. He focused on a figure warped by the shadow when the sound of arrows twisted the air around us.

“Guwaa!” yelled the coachman, who was no more. Three arrows penetrated flesh, as blunt sounds resounded in succession. More bolts flew from the bushes piercing two guards as Gildor said, “Take cover!” Another ambush awaited us, almost as though our route had been given away in advance. Galloping over the precipice before us on the side of the highway, another group of thirteen smugglers awaited us. Malady pulled me back into the carriage as the arrows continued to fly until the ringing of hooves beating the ground was heard. The guards and bandits collided after their charge clashing steel. Malady and I, who have never taken part in such a battle, were deafened by the ringing that all those who first witness combat intimately must experience. I could see sparks in the darkness as my fellow night elves combated with the group of Kobold smugglers, praying to the forest that Gildor would prevail. One more guard and one of the smugglers were pierced by the barrage of arrows, not ceasing even despite the friendly fire. Another guard fell just as Gildor knocked one of the thugs from their horse by cleaving the horse's head off. 'To witness such power... If we endure, his songs will be sung in our halls for generations,' I think to myself, praising the [Knight Commander] in silence.

Several more of the relatively small lizard-like creatures, some similar to that which I've heard about goblins, surfaced through the bushes to attempt holding down Gildor to no benefit. The man was given the nickname of 'Gentle Beast,' a title not easily earned among the proud elvish people. Single-handedly, he swept down and lifted one humanoid dragon by the foot to be used as a living club. Four more bandits fell to the monstrosity known as the [Knight Commander] Gildor as he demolished their unorganized bunch with one of their own. While I gazed in admiration of my protector, an unbelievable display unfolded before my eyes. Our last surviving guard approached Gildor from behind and slid a knife into his neck between his helmet and spaulders. His face scrunched up intensely “Judicé, so it was you,” Gildor said, almost sounding unsurprised. After his betrayal, Gildor contorted himself to drop the traitor. Judicé was atop a horse, giving him the illusion that he had the upper hand, but Gildor's stature equalized their positions. With the flat of his blade, Gildor slashed at Judicé in a blur of speed unperceivable to the naked eye. The flat of the [Knight Commander]'s blade made contact with Judicé's chest, cleaving a ten-inch gap clean through the double-crosser's body, obliterating his torso. His last act of justice had been completed as the wound to his neck overcame him. Gildor fell lifeless to the ground like a puppet that had its strings cut just before I screamed, “EEAAAHHH!!!” My whaled cries were coupled with tears of sorrow as I witnessed the first man I was interested in perish at the hands of Judicé Escrow. Suddenly, a thug with an exceptional physique dismounted and beheaded Gildor's lifeless corpse, where blood pooled on the moss.

“Hey, kindly take the little Lady from the transport. Careful now! She'll lose value if damaged *hisss*,” one Kobold said, exposing his sharp, yellow teeth and long forked tongue. He had a larger build than the rest with long brown hair up in a ponytail that was currently resting over his shoulder. A scraggly, brown beard stretched down from a long face far enough to make his neck go unseen entirely. Equipped at his waist was a scimitar with a hand resting on it, revealing numerous scars covering his arm. This bandit is most likely the group's leader. Following his orders, a lecherous, gangly kobold opened the door while simultaneously having his throat opened by Malady's knife. She threw herself at the next thug, stabbing him in the belly when she yelled, “RUN!!!” I had already started running the moment she left the carriage and sprinted through the forest, lifting the lower half of my dress to escape. I fled for my life, praying that we would make it out unharmed. 'Save us, Gods!' I prayed silently attempting to avoid giving away my position. However, as I finished the thought, an arrow pierced my thigh and I collapsed. 'I can't move! What do I do?' As though this had all been planned long in advance, another group of slavers parted the bushes in front of me. Spears were pointed at my throat when one of them says, “*Hisss* Hurry up and clap the collar on 'er! Gag 'er too! We can't let 'em find us.”

As though the circumstance finally set in, I bellow at the top of my lungs as my last effort to reject these events.

_______________

The perspective of Masada:

Masada had grown bored sitting there full of energy while his master slept. Humming a tune had been his only source of entertainment for the past few hours. His music had gradually lost its appeal, leaving a silent Masada to gaze up at the half-covered moon, quickly overtaken by clouds. Darkness settled all around. Hindering Masada's ability to see, the blackness made him suspicious of their surroundings. The more Masada heightened his senses, the more he noticed when he started to hear rustling in a nearby bush. Nearly in a panic, he woke Tru to alert him of the potential danger.

“Kururu!~”

“Did you notice something, buddy?” Tru asked, not wanting to take Masada lightly. In the back of his mind, Tru knows that Masada is still a baby and is probably startled pretty easily.

“Kuru ku,” Masada said, mentally pointing at the moving bush. A [Hungry Baby Rabbit] pounced out onto a cricket and had its evening meal. Masada felt embarrassed that he was so easily scared and made a mental note, 'Don't be such a baby.'

Just as Tru fell asleep again, however, Masada could hear the sound of metal clashing with metal. Not understanding what the sound was, he tried to make sense of it instead of turning to Tru again. Clashes filled the air, forcing unrest to wash over Masada. It continued until he heard a scream, at which point his eye went wide and he understood this is no [Hungry Baby Rabbit] messing around with its food. 'This is a real emergency,' he thought, waking Tru in the process.

_______________

The perspective of Tru:

“Kururu!~”

“Again? So soon...” I said, slightly annoyed after being woken so shortly after falling back asleep.

“Okay, okay! We're going, we're going!” After pulling Masada from the ground, much like I imagined King Arthur did when he pulled Excalibur from the stone, we set off for the hill when I heard a deafening shriek resound for the world to hear. The abrupt silence following gave way to the understanding of just how dire the situation may be. We [Shadow Step] to the top of my vision and bear witness to a woman being chained and gagged by several man-sized lizard things. '*Sigh* So these are the first people I meet... What even are these? They aren't lizard-men... but I guess that's the closest thing.'

There's a young lady, in a beautiful dress, being pressed to the ground. Her clothes seem to have been stained between her legs from fear. This can't be anything other than a kidnapping. But just then, one of them takes a knife and cuts the top of her blouse open, exposing the young woman to her shame.

'It isn't cowardly to perform a surprise attack in this situation right?' I ask myself, [Shadow Step]ing again behind the monster crouching over her and activating [Weight Up(minor)] on Masada.

[~Status~]

[Health: 286/286]

[Mana: 220/280]

[Energy: 777/792]

[~General Stats~]

[Strength: 27 +9]

[Agility: 72 +72]

[Stamina: 52]

[Intellect: 27]

[Spirit: 42 +9]

[Analyze] dubbed the lizardy thug [name: Slaver, Lackey. The apprentice of a [Slave Trader].], which said enough for me. I briefly consider whether or not I can even beat these guys, but then say “Whatever,” out loud. Before the pervert could even change his expression, I say, “Fooore!” Whatever that thing is got batted away, the momentum from Masada's 1200lbs and the speed of my weightless swing on the flat of the blade sending the thug 100 feet away, straight into a [Leatherleaf Tree] preceding several crunching sounds like a frog that got stepped on. Mr. Bandit just passed the Titleist golf ball examination with flying colors. That's what I'll call 'em! Golf balls. The other four men that were with him gazed at their partner flying through the air until he crashed, giving me a perfect opportunity to end this little charade. The unsureness I had in our strength was utterly laughable after only taking one cleave to dissect each of them in two while they were distracted. From what I could tell, the young miss' plight is over. After Flicking my wrist to whip the blood from Masada, I sheath him into the ground again. With my free hands, I remove the [Robe of the Scholar] and kneel to the young girl. After untying the gag, I hold out the robe with my eyes closed and head bowed.

“Are you alright,” I ask along with my gesture, remembering a paper I wrote about human trafficking victims. Women who have been trafficked are hypersensitive to men, and I need to play this out perfectly to put her mind at ease. She accepts the robe with tears falling down her face. “I can't replace your tears, but I'll protect you.” Her response is the first words I heard from another being in Driscoll, “T-thank... y-you. Waaahhh...” she cried when all at once she composed herself and requested, “My maid Must also be in trouble! Please, rescue her!”

“Where,” I ask, to which she responds with a point in the direction she came from. I can see torches being lit in the distance, shoved into the ground by several dragon-like humanoid golf balls, and say, “Stay here. Scream if you need help.” Using [Shadow Step] again, I appear among a group of them holding down another young woman with scarce rags covering herself. She has obviously put up much more of a fight than the young miss earlier but is being overtaken by the Largest lizard-dragon-goblin-man-golf ball here, unbuckling his belt. Her face and body were tarnished with black and blue bruises and one arm had been bent in a direction that it shouldn't bend. A single cloth now protected her chastity after the brutes had beaten her and tore up her clothes. This time, with the [Hone]d edge, I slash Masada in their direction. Though they had the appearance of a miniature dragon, minus the wings, their defense was practically non-existent to Masada. Each low-leveled creature struck had their torso separated from the lower half of their bodies. The three remaining were the larger dragonling, who had a deep gash in his side, and two others that persistently kept watch.

“Gaah,” the big thing grunted with a pissed-off Masada carved into his side. I whistled and said, “You must be a bit tough. What level are you?” To which he answered, “You are gonna die now, bastard!”

My simple reply was a wound-up swing with Masada, exposing the boss lizard's brain matter after the sweep cleanly divided his head into two parts. The other two only turned when they heard their leader insult me, the first not quick enough to react. I had already begun sprinting towards his flank. He was skeptical of there being a major issue when his boss yelled, thinking one of the new guys just messed up. Skepticism and hesitation to turn decided that tonight would be his last. Before he even finished turning his head, it soared through the air, the last thing he saw being the trees quickly moving past him as his brain relinquished life. The last thug had seen his buddy beheaded and charged at me without knowing what happened to the rest of his gang. I took a pose akin to Babe Ruth and pointed my “bat” to the proverbial stands. The uncaring abomination quickly closed the distance, but not fast enough to prevent me from placing Masada over my shoulder and taking a swing. With a wry smile, I muse, “That's that I guess,” pity for the thugs non-existent in a situation where my adrenaline clouded my judgment and enhanced my capabilities.

'bling'

After dismissing the notification signaling the effect of my [Eternal Love] passive, I rush towards the young girl still laying on the ground like an antelope succumbing to the lion as it rips its food apart. Approaching cautiously, I sheath Masada back into the moss, remove my suit jacket from the [Ring of Space] and take off my shirt. After going to my knees, I offer them to the young woman with eyes closed and head lowered as I did with the previous young miss... Wordless and broken, she was unable to respond in any way. Feeling slightly embarrassed for her, I say, “Please, protest if this makes you uncomfortable,” and put the unbuttoned shirt around her with the jacket. Life seemed to come back to her eyes when she sat up, the new clothes bringing back a sense of warmth. I softly hold her hand and use [Shadow Step] to bring her over to the other young girl. “Hold on to the staff, young miss,” I calmly direct her, who is slightly taken aback by our sudden appearance. Restlessness evaporated from her face after a brief gasp. She grabbed hold and I use [Shadow Step] one more time up to the top of the hill, away from the carnage littering its base.