AN: Yo, your lazy author present you chapter 17 :D , enjoy.

PR by Zenla, the royal proofreader

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10 seconds of battle and I already killed 2 people. I felt my limbs starting to shiver again, but I managed to calm down after taking 2 deep breaths. But the smell of burnt bodies and blood almost made me gag.

Roland: ''Son... damn it... Still, well done... wait, you are looking really bad now!!'' «Aenthar!! AENTHAR!!»

Aenthar: «Yes!! I'm fine dad, just a little surprised...»

Then I remembered, I noticed more than the 4 people lying there entering the building. Father almost got hit, and by shouting my name, he probably alerted the others on this floor, if the sound of our battle didn't. I hastly nocked another arrow and rushed to the wall on our left, I put my back against it and focused all my senses while preparing the 'wind blast' spell.

Next to the stairs was another hallway that leads deeper in the ground floor of the inn, probably the living quarters of the innkeeper. My father was on his way to me when another bandit came out of the hallway. I released my spell, but he dodged it while throwing his hatchet at me. What kind of reaction was that? Thanks to my enhanced speed I was able to defend myself, but my bow got broken in the process.

Roland: «SON!!»

My father rushed to me and stood protectively in front of me. The bandit I attacked was already rushing toward us, probably amiming to tackle my dad judging by his low position. I quickly grabed the hatchet that was lying near me and struck him in the thigh as he was lunging at my father. He lost his balance and focus, but his momentum still sent him and my father slamming against the wall.

My father was a bit stunned and had dropped his short sword. I quickly hit the back of the bandit head with the handle of the hatchet, then I struck his neck with the blade. I heard and felt the bones snapping under my strike. I shivered in horror and hastly put my hand at the back of my neck. His body was spasmming erratically while sending some blood around. My father was still a bit dazzed. I keep my eyes on the hallway, preparing another wind blast, and keeping myself from thinking too much.

Aenthar: «Dad, hurry up, we have to move now!!»

Roland: «I'm going as fast as I can right now.»

Aenthar: «Father, I felt at least 7 people entering the inn earlier, and we have only met 5 people. The others may be keeping watch outside to prevent people from escaping... Or they are still inside...»

Roland: «... I see...»

Aenthar: «And you're making to much noise. I know you were worried about me, but please try to keep quiet. If I am standing or moving, it means I'm alright, if I'm lying without moving or screaming, then you can be worried.»

Roland: «... Oh, ok son, sorry about that, I'll try to keep it in mind...»

Aenthar: «Please do, it was too close with the last one.»

Roland: «I understand.»

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My father was finally up and recovered his short sword. There were still screams, shouts and sounds of weapons clashing outside. There were more sounds towards the front rather than the back, so we decided to try escaping by the back door. On our way toward the kitchen, we saw the body of the innkeeper behind the counter, in a pool of his blood, his pale face frozen in despair. I kept myself in check, and we stealthly moved toward the door leading outside.

When we got near it, I focused on my ears and mana sense. There was nobody outside near the door. I nodded to my dad and he opened the door cuatiously. We quikly looked left and right, and slipped out of the building. The inn wasn't far from the edge of the village, a 5 minutes walk in normal circumstances. But with people fighting around It would take a little more time.

There were a few buildings already burning, shouts and screams of people were heard all around under the night sky. We slowly advanced toward the edge of the village, hiding in the shadows, our backs against the walls of the wooden buildings. Since I could no longer use a bow, I had to rely on magic, earth magic 'rock throw', wind blast and fire wave as last resort.

I cast a spell of strengh increase on me and my father and we jumped on top of a house, but stayed low. We got a better view of what was going on. There were bandits scattered around the center of the village, while the others were still near the outskirts. A group must have rushed for the village head's house to neutralize him, while the others were slowly advancing from the outskirts, breaking into the buildings on their way to deal with the inhabitants.

Seeing all of this made my head spin for a bit. After making sure nobody was around, we got down and started to move again. While we were moving toward the outskirt of the village, we saw 2 men draging a crying young girl in an empty house while laughing. I understood what they were about to do. The same thing was probably happening all over the place.

I looked toward the outside of the village, then toward the house where the 3 people went. Then I looked at my father, he was looking at the wooden house with horrified eyes. I cast both the strenght and speed increase on us once again, and started at the house while preparing the wind blast. I got inside in a instant.

The girl already had her clothes torn and was lying nude on the floor, firmly held by one of the bastards while the other was opening her legs, ready to put his penis in her. The guy turned his head toward me, but the hatchet was already halfway into his neck. He was flung 2 meters to the side. As his body was still in the air I pointed my left hand to the other bandit and released wind blast in his chest, knocking him back. The second he took to get up was all I needed to cast fire wave on him.

I didn't spare another glance to the burning man, I didn't register his screams of pain. I took out my change of clothes from my backpack and gave it to the girl, who was still on the ground crying. She took them while still shivering. I turned my back to her and went near my father. He was at the door, looking at me with a grave expression, but he gave me a small nod. He suddenly looked outside and frowned. I understood what it was about. Reinforcements. He entered the house.

Roland: «Aenthar, 3 of them noticed us, and are coming our way...»

Aenthar: «I'm fine father. I still have plenty of energy to spare... Sorry to have acted without warnings... But I couldn't ignore it...»

Roland: «I understand, don't worry about it... Sorry your old man isn't that much of a fighter... You shouldn't be the one doing this...»

I recovered the hatchet from the first body and took the dagger that was lying near the second corpse. The girl was still on the ground, but she had at least her bottom covered and was in the process of putting the top on. I could hear the steps of the bandits getting closer.

Aenthar: «Dad, same plan, I strike first, you finish.» I said with a calm, low, cold voice.

I moved. They were within the range of my magic sense. I cast rock throw on the most distant one while using air blast on the closest and throwing the hatchet at the last one. A triple attack the moment I put my foot outside. The last one received the hatchet in his shoulder. With enhanced strenght and speed, my father stabbed the closest one while I went for the first guy I attacked with rock throw. My father finished with the second one.

I jumped on the roof of the nearby house and scanned the surroundings. The path toward the edge of the village was free. I got down and went back to the house with the girl with my father. I went on my knees in front of her and looked at her in the eyes.

Aenthar: «Listen. It's our chance to leave the village, we have to go. If you want to leave with us, it's now!»

Her gaze fell on the floor, she started sobbing again, then got silent and nodded. I took her hand and led her, but she couldn't walk. So I carried her in my arms. I nodded at my father and he nodded back. We left the house and left the village as fast and as stealthly as we could. Lazaris was closest, but they might have comrades blocking the path, so we simply went home, toward Argot. We stayed away from the road, moving fast. Every once in a while I would cast the enhancing spells again. All this time the girl was in my arms, looking toward Carduc...

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AN: D: