[ Seconds earlier… ]
Behind a tree, the trio were discussing their plan to rescue the ones being attacked by the cloaked individuals.
"Ms.Esther, do you have any spells that produce smoke or something similar?" All three of them were crouching to avoid being detected or noticed by the cloaked figures.
"To stop and distract those pathetic hoodlums? I do have one, allow me to do it. What's the next part of the plan?" Without any question or hesitation, she immediately figured out what Cliff was trying to say.
"Next is how we handle our enemies…" Before Cliff could even continue, Enrid interjected.
"Allow me to take care of the agile ones. There's a chance that they might dodge your arrows, so the agile ones are covered…"
All three of them were in sync in terms of planning and strategic thinking. None of them had a clashing idea or any oppositional suggestions. All of their ideas are connected, the only thing they should worry about now is the execution.
"I'll deal with the swordsmen. They wouldn't be able to evade an incoming arrow that is faster than a sword slash– What about the other two cloaked figures?"
They all looked at each other with uncertainty, all they could hear in the background were the sounds of battle that was currently happening in front of them.
Then, the silence between the trio broke. It was Esther.
"My guess is…"
She whispered…
Then, the two men nodded their heads.
The trio prepared themselves to execute the ambush. Cliff was trembling. However, a single look from Enrid was enough to comfort him.
<••••••••••••••••••••••>
After witnessing the bloodbath that just happened on the fields of grass, the two cloaked figures that were far away from the others brought out a stick, more specifically a wand.
Then, their body produced a faint light covered by the cloaks they wore. The wind became stronger, removing the mist that was once present on the battlefield.
The wind revealed the truth. Their four allies were killed, and the other three were crippled and knocked unconscious. Not only that, the knights that were once being ambushed were now gone from sight.
What– or who remained… is a person holding a gigantic axe, with his back turned from the mages. The mages took a step backward, the warrior's body was covered with the blood of their allies.
One of the cloaked figures lifted their wand upward, pointing it in the direction of the warrior "Tsk…! You should've minded your own business!"
The ground grumbled, it was as if they incurred the earth's wrath. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. It was magic, earth magic.
"𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗺!"
The ground created a spike, it rose from below and it slithered towards the warrior like a worm coming out of the ground. Suddenly, the warrior charged forward, facing the attack head-on with his axe suddenly spinning sideways.
"𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹…!"
With swift smooth motion, the warrior deconstructed the earthworm by slicing it multiple times, shortening the length of the magic earthworm. His technique is the opposite of his appearance, an elegant way of wielding an axe while donning the appearance of a thug.
"Tsk…! Get back and cast a spell!" The earth mage ordered the other figure to get back. With the situation dire, the only way to escape is to cast a spell that can push him back enough for them to have the opportunity to escape.
The other mage took a few steps back and cast their spell, a magical circle was created while words were being chanted.
"LAD!" Out of nowhere, the warrior shouted. The two mages got caught off-guard and it interrupted their spells.
The sound of a string being released from the bow reverberated throughout the entire forest but they couldn't figure out where the arrow would come from.
𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗞-! 𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗞-!
Not one, but two arrows were released. How did they know that? Their hands were pierced with an arrow, removing their wands from their grasp.
Mediums like wands and staffs are the most important weapons for mages. Without those, they would be having a hard time casting and wielding magic.
The spells that were being cast were destroyed, and the mana they used was scattered everywhere.
"ACK–! FU–"
The two of them squirm in pain. They held their wrist to stop the bleeding, but they seemed to have forgotten something… or someone.
Before they could turn their heads, they were already on the ground facing the grass. Above them is the bloody blade of the axe and the menacing aura of the warrior. Their eyes moved around and they saw their own body without a head.
They were beheaded.
The plan has been executed perfectly, with some slight modifications to suit the people who executed it.
Cliff can be seen standing on a branch with his palm covering his mouth. With his eyesight being clear as clean water, he saw the gory sight of the battlefield.
Igh…I want to hurl...
The lad climbed down the tree and his stomach finally gave up. Within a few seconds, his mouth opened up and released gastric acid from disgust. His consciousness was wavering, but he kept himself awake despite everything that had just happened.
The lad wiped his mouth with a clean cloth and started to inhale and exhale deeply. A coping mechanism that he developed to keep himself calm and composed during or after fighting.
Calm down, me… It has ended… Gotta return to Esther immediately.
Without hesitation, he ran back towards where they escaped from. It was the direction where they left the carriage, Esther suggested to everyone that they should immediately return to the carriage after executing the plan.
The rustling of leaves being run past by, the crumpling of dead branches being stepped on, the wind hitting his face but it wasn't enough to blow him back. It was enough to cool himself down, yet flashes of blood from before kept invading his mind.
Finally, he returned to the carriage. However, the back entrance is completely covered in ice. Probably one of Esther's defenses in case the plan didn't work out.
Cliff clicked his tongue multiple times, a signal. Then, the ice slowly defrosted until the entrance of the carriage finally opened. The lad entered inside and saw his ally, with the three that they rescued earlier.
The male knight lay on the ground with Esther covering his wound using her ice powers and the female knight sitting down near the person they were protecting earlier.
"We've managed to successfully take them down. Some were knocked unconscious…" Cliff reported.
"Enrid will deal with the rest, so do not worry. Take a break, you look exhausted." Esther commented.
The lad didn't even notice himself being tired or looking exhausted, yet the sweat from his entire body validated what the mage said. He isn't fine. The lad sat down, facing the wooden floor of the carriage as he panted from exhaustion…or was it caused by something else…?
That was…rough.
Then, the cloth that was covering the entrance opened up by an arm and a bald warrior entered the carriage with a person being carried on his shoulder.
"Yo– Everyone doing fine?"
They all looked at him without responding. The collective silence answered his question.
"I– I guess not."