Chapter 39: The Firm White Cloak

The scout got hit badly. The ribs of his fellow scout probably shattered. He rushed and took the scout while Susan covered for them. The search party had their swords glowing blue. Before, their swords could not even scratch the bark-like skin of the treants. With their sword magically enchanted the others started to counterattack. He took the scout near the mages to have the scout looked at. The mages started healing. The battle raged on and the Lady Sena faced the undine who wielded the roots around to take down the lady.

The lady evaded most of the roots with her speed. The lady wore armor but with her body strengthened it was nothing. Her sword shined like glittering gold. He watched the sword of the lady fend off the spear-like roots of the Undine. The lady twisted her body. She shouted.

“Strike: Lightning.”

And her sword got extended by razor sharp light that seems to cut anything in its path. The lady moved like a cheetah possessed by a lion. Her movements were crisp and sharp. Each of her actions seems to be planned. The undine retaliated by sheer force and quality of roots. The lady breaks through the spear roots by using a spell that eliminates the roots.

“Strike: Fire”

This spell made the roots combust into flames. The Hunter who was fighting the treants, however, shouted at the Lady for how she is creating fire. If she creates fire then there is a chance that the old ancient trees would catch fire. The fire could spread and attract unwanted moths. The lady visibly clicked her tongue as she withdraws the fire on her sword. She made her blade shine with lightning again and used it to defend herself. The Ancient Udine wielded the ancient roots of the ironwood trees. No one noticed it but the trees around were ironwood. Harder than normal trees but can easily catch fire unless dried. The villages moss filled stone walls are built with ironwood as its foundation. The Undine seems to be using the ironwood as spears. The spear-like roots are converted by mana and due to this that the Lady is having hard time in coming close.

The Undine is a like a Venus flytrap flower that would swallow the Lady if she lets her guard down. The Treants are surrounding the search party while the Lady holds back the Ancient Undine. Bruno, her Knight Servant covers her back by making sure that none of the treants would reach her. He looked at the Mages and the other and saw the best healer in the search party fighting like mad. The best healer in the Academy of Mesh, daughter of the Cher duo was now fighting the treants by using the other end of her staff and her limbs.

Treants are hard creatures with bark skin. But the way Susan uses her magically enchanted limbs as a lever to break the limbs of the treant made the others gasp in shock. She would then use the spearhead tip of her staff to stab the heart of the treant while she would follow it by using the gem of her staff to blow the treant into pieces. They know that she was an outstanding healer. Yet seeing her fight like a maddened warrior made him and others shocked. In the first bandit raid they encountered she stayed behind firing spells like the others. But with the enemies close and the party less in numbers, Susan turned to close-combat.

The others could feel like they are being outdone. They call themselves as warriors but for a healer to surpass them made their pride ache. The others raise their swords against the treants. He joined the battle but didn’t move far from where the injured are. He was only a scout so he was not well in using swords. He preferred the bow so he uses his bows to deal with the treants.

He looked at the Lady. She dances around with the Undine who was clearly getting intimidated by the Lady. The lady was clearly pushing back the Undine. But the Hunter told the lady that as long as the Undine is alive. The treants will continue to summon the Treants lurking in the ironwood forest. There is also a chance that Kapri demons might be disturb so he told the lady to finish the fight if she can. Hearing this, The Lady took a long breath and her eyes shine gold. Bruno seems to know what the lady plans to do. He chanted four phrases that made five shields appear on the lady as she lifts her sword up to the air gathering golden dots and amassing them to her sword.

The Undine tried to attack the Lady but the five shields protecting her ever side deflected the attacks. The caster of the attack seems to be barely holding, however. Susan saw this and rushed to defend them from the treants. Bruno could not fight while holding the spell for the lady. The mages saw this and supported the three while the others fought the treants.

The lady gathered light on her sword as if the mana surrendered to her shining blade. The blade of hers was the same as her lightning blade but this time the sword was even taller than the Undine and trees. The blade felt like lightning was growing out of her blade. Lightning hammers down to the earth but the lady grows lightning to her blade. It shined like a blade in the darkness. He remembered the tales of the Saclea and their sword shining under the moon. He grew up as a commoner and heard tales of Noble Houses. And when he was invited to join the war band of the Saclea, to fight under the banner of one the tales he admired made him happy. And now he is seeing the famous sword shining under the moon being unleashed in front of him made him lower his sword in awe.

The lightning like blade descended down the Undine like divine punishment.

And with that blade, the Undine and trees behind the Undine got cut in half.

...

The blade shined like a torch to the young girl. She was fearful that the monster would kill her. But seeing the terrible creature gets cut in half and its body cauterized by the blade of lightning made the little girl stands up. She looked at the female knight with golden hair walking towards her. Her cloak blows in the wind. It was white and had a soothing feeling.

The little girl learned through her mother that all nobles should be respected. She bent her knee while trying not shiver at the white-cloak knight coming towards her. She felt the stare of the golden-haired lady. She heard her call her out, asking for her name. She answered which made the female knight smile at her. The warm sweet smile enchanted by the afternoon smile at her back made the little girl enamored. She smiled like what a little girl should do.

The Female Knight asks if she was ok. The little girl said yes, she was okay and started to explain how she got here. The Female Knight listened to her quite well. The little girl felt fearful at first but seeing the lady quite tolerant to a peasant born like her made the little girl speak freely. The Female knight listened with interest as she tells her tales. The lady, however, told her that going outside of the village is something that she should not have done. The little girl smiled guiltily at the way the female knight said. She peeks at the knight and saw her staring at the armored man. The armored man seems like he was seeing something out of the world.

The Female Knight seems like she didn’t like how the armored man stared at her. She turned back to the little girl and told her not be guilty. As long as she does not do it again then everything will be fine. She saw a familiar face walking towards her. She recognizes the face as one of the hunters in the village who brings her mother food and helped them learns how to fletch arrows and wield the bow. She made a rather guilty expression again. The Hunter that she knows seems like that he wanted to scold her but instead the hunter patted her little head.

“Little bird, do not make us worry.”

The little girl smiled. She then hugs the hunter which made the Hunter the smile. The Hunter was mad that she left the walls but seeing a member of the small village of his safe made his heart soft. After all, in a cruel world where death is rampant and where life is easily extinguished by a swing of a sword or a claw to the heart. Having the people you love near you is the only thing that matters.

The little girl loved everyone in the village like family. The same can be said to the Hunter who cares for the little girl despite her wrongdoings. How can he hate an innocent little girl trap in four corners of a wall?

...

The search party somehow managed to return before the sun went out of the sky. The mother of the little girl named Calista had a tearful reunion with her daughter. It came with a scolding and a rather heartfelt warning to her daughter that she must never do it again.

The Village Elder kowtowed in thanks to Sena. She implored the village elder to stand up. The village elder then expressed how he can thank the lady for her deeds. They have nothing to offer the lady. But the lady told them that they have something they can offer.

The Lady told the village elder that the village can fly the banners of the Saclea. And that every men or woman that carry the banner of her house will be allowed to stay in the village. The village elder was surprised. But at the same time can only agree with the terms of the Lady.

Sena truly wanted to save the little girl. But she was not naïve enough not to take advantage of this isolated village. The village could act as an outpost for her house. The village owes her now so she was sure that they will not refuse. Also, who could refuse a Saclea like her allowing an isolated village to fly their banners?

The village elder agreed. And through a simple deed, the village is now one of the many outposts of the Saclea. The war leader praised Sena for this. Not only that they will have a village under their control. She will also bring some advantages for her house. Her time in saving the little girl wasn’t for naught. Sena, however, told the war leader that she has a soft spot for children.

Bruno was quite surprised when said that. But Sena reasoned that only because she was saved by a small little girl that her former thinking was wrong. The people are born common but that doesn’t mean they could rise. She didn’t believe that at first but after the incident that happened in the slums of Mesh City. She believed that anyone who has a fire in their eyes could rise!

...

And then the time came for the war band to leave the village. It was already the middle of the spring. And they cannot afford to stay in the village forever. The lady has taken care of a written paper and her own seal that the village elder can present if someone questions them flying their banners. In handing the written paper the elder agreed to reveal the location of the isolated village only to the Saclea’s. A map will be written and delivered to the Saclea’s along with Sena’s letter, explaining the details through a raven.

The war band was packed and ready. The carriages that were pulled by the horses were ready. Sena rides her own white horse. And as the war band leaves the little girl who was saved by Sena gazes at her firm white cloak. Remembering the white cloak dearly, the little girl waves her hand's goodbye at the war band. The memories of the golden-haired, white-mantled knight will be forever imprinted on the villagers.