A warm feeling began to fill my body regaining my consciousness, "Emilia thank God you're alright." Paul smiled pulling me up for a hug.
"She is awake?!" Masumi smiled pulling Paul off me a bit.
"Is everything okay now?!" I questioned still a dazed a little, checking the wound on my shoulder.
"It's alright I brought my books to heal you." Paul smiled bringing a feeling of security to me.
"HI!" a very deep voice spoke out as a floating book appeared behind Paul flapping joyfully or what I think was joyful if it had emotions, "Sir Polaris of the Silver Hands, at your service." It tipped the top of itself down like a bow of respect.
"Hi?" I greeted it still very dazed and confused.
"Polaris here is the healer of my books." Paul smiled,
"Yes yes, thankfully your wounds weren't too serious or maybe even we would have been too late." It flapped.
"What took you so long?" I questioned sitting up and taking a better look at my own condition.
"Well, sadly like you I was ambushed as well, I also got the news a lot of facility members and Anna was even ambushed, some may even still be fighting right now," Paul informed me of the grave situation.
"Everyone else is okay?" I questioned noticing Kohana and Tadaaki were not with us.
"As far as I know, I was lucky to even come across Kohana and Tadaaki here or I wouldn't even know of your situation." Paul smiled.
"They disabled our communication," I explained to Paul.
"Yeah, I noticed when they ambushed me and when I tried to warn everyone there was only radio silence," Paul answered, "Can you stand?" Paul questioned standing up to give me a room with an outreached hand.
"Yeah, I think I'm okay." I smiled grabbing his hand and letting him pull me up.
"I thought you were gonna die." Masumi quickly hugged me with tears flowing in her eyes.
"I thought so too, but thank you for defeating the Demons." I thanked her.
"Nah it was all thanks to you and your spells." She smiled wiping her tears.
"I'm sorry Emilia but we might have to leave you now, we need to make sure everyone else is fine and finish this incursion once and for all." Paul firmly informed me.
"It's okay! I'm fine now finish this!" I smiled.
"Sir Polaris!" Paul requested him.
"Yes Sir Paul." The book instantly floated to attention.
"Look after Emilia for me, don't let a thing happen to her," Paul ordered.
"With Honor!" It bowed to him and floated beside me hovering just above my shoulder.
"Morain and Evrene." Paul also requested.
"Yes?" Two more books floated into view beside Paul with very feminine voices, one very ordinary and the other a little deeper.
"You two also protect Emilia at all costs!" Paul ordered.
"Ohhh I get to go blastin!" One book with the higher feminine voice questioned flapping in excitement.
"Yes, you're allowed to do what's right for the situation." Paul smiled.
"Yes!" It flapped in excitement and quickly flew to hover beside me.
"Sir! Make sure to tell her to not hit us this time!" Sir Polaris requested also pleading with him.
"Evrene Please don't cause too much destruction," Paul requested.
"Owww okay...." Evrene sadly accepted Paul's request, if a book could pout I swear it would be.
"Morain?" Paul questioned.
"Of course, anything as long as Sir Polaris is with me," Morain answered and began to float close to Sir Polaris." So handsome and honourable," She said running herself along with Sir Polaris and bumping into him.
"Morain! Boundaries, we've talked about this before!" He backed away from her and began flying around me closely followed by Mortain acting like two children.
"Miss Emilia, Please ask her to stop!" Sir Polaris pleaded, which made me chuckle to find that Paul's books were filled with so much character.
"Oh come on Sir Polaris, don't be so shy, do you want to stay single for all eternity? and besides, there aren't many sentient tomes like us." She carried on chasing him about.
"I am a Paladin of the Silver Hand I beholden of my oath and my God!" He carried on flying away from her.
"Okay okay, Morain please respect his boundaries," I politely requested her.
"Okay, fine," She stopped chasing him and fluttered beside me as Sir Polaris fluttered on the other side.
"Are they always this lively?" I questioned Paul finding them cute and funny.
"You haven't even met the other five, wait till you meet all five of them together." Paul laughed.
Taking a closer look at Evrene and Morain they looked very different to Sir Polaris, Evrene was a red tome with a circled pentagram on the cover, look relatively new, not as new and pristine as Sir Polaris but still pretty fresh. Morain on the other hand looked much more aged like her cover and pages had been flipped a million times over, her cover was riddled with patches of age and creases of leather on the cover of her book were a very weird symbol, in the middle was a five-pointed star surrounded by a thick circle with weird symbols written around it, all encased inside a hexagon with a rune on each corner.
"So Sir Polaris is a Paladin, he specialises in healing and dealing with supernatural beings, Evrene specialises in dealing damage, her spells are spectacularly devastating but sometimes she gets a little carried away so keep an eye on her," Paul warned with a chuckle, "And lastly Morain is what I would call Utility, she's probably the most talented of my books in her own way, she can do almost anything, just ask for what you need and she will come up with something," Paul explained making Morain nod and lift up like she was holding her head up high.
"Sir what about the other?" Polaris questioned.
"I've sent the other to assist my other friends," Paul answered him.
Paul suddenly walked towards me, I need you to stay safe, Masumi said they targeted you for some reason I don't know why, but they seem to be targeting me and anyone I'm close to and anyone who might pose a threat to them. They are also choosing a time when everyone is busy with something, I assume they wouldn't want to alert any of our visitors since there are many highly skilled combatants." Paul explained giving me a very grim feeling.
"You're gonna do something stupid aren't you?" I questioned knowing deep down in my heart his answer.
"Yes, I'll need to gather all the demons and our allies together to finish this once and for all," He answered.
"How many are there?" I questioned in shock.
"I don't know I'm hoping to use Matsumi's ability to identify them for me," Paul smiled.
"I know it's useless to argue, just stay safe okay?" I requested making him give me a smile in return.
"Don't worry, as long as we have Professor Caldor we will be fine, they currently have the advantage when trying to pick us off one by one but once I bring everyone together Professor Caldor should easily deal with them." Paul smiled.
"I can come help!" I offered.
"It's okay, I have a more important task for you anyways." Paul smiled.
"Oh?" I looked at him a little shocked. "What could possibly be more important than this?" I questioned.
"I need you to find your friends, I'm not sure if they are safe or if they have been ambushed like the rest of us, and judging by how strong our adversaries are they are defiantly gonna need the extra help," Paul explained that suddenly reminded me that the others were trailing someone and could actually be in trouble.
"Oh my God, you're right!" I gasped and quickly began to head to the markets before Paul grabbed my arm, "If you are in need of help set off this flare, and help will come." Paul smiled.
"Okay." I gave him an affirmative nod taking the flare and fastening it to my belt.
"Let's get to work Matsumi." Paul smiled as she gave him a nod, "Kohana and Tadaaki please stay with Emilia and help her whatever way you can." She instructed them.
"Yes, Lady Masumi." They nodded and quickly began to walk beside me.
"Time to go, good luck to you all." Paul smiled and with a hand placed it on Masumi's shoulder and closed his eyes. Everything suddenly felt off as Paul and Masumi began to vibrate rapidly and in an instant, they both disappeared vanishing completely with no sign that they were even there.
"Your instructions?" Everyone else asked looking at me like I was suddenly the de facto leader.