All the captives had been released a few had been injured or killed by the bandits who had ran in this direction. Minerva made quick work of the few present and instructed the captives to grab the bandits horses and flee. A few of them didn't have horses when they were captured and were walking. The bandits had many horses more than enough. Using them would work in their favor since it would make sure that fewer bandits followed. She located her's and John's quickly and was mounted on hers when she heard a shout from the encampment. Her heart dropped thinking John had fallen and turned around. She saw a shadow running towards her and was ready with her vines.
"Go! go! go!" John shouted as he approached. He bad both his swords and quickly jumped awkwardly onto the back of the horse which was already moving. He sat himself upright with great difficulty. Minerva was the only captive to witness Johns magic but she was still shocked by how fast he moved. He had taken back his sword even faster but she had only heard a shout and she was sure that it wasn't to celebrate his heroics.
They were now at full gallop. The large group of around thirty captives was ahead of them also fleeing for their lives. Occasionally everyone looked back to see if they were being followed. Minerva and John were getting closer to them and shouted at them to move faster. As they overtook them Minerva wondered whether Hlora had found her family but not for long since she saw a man and a child riding on one horse and assumed that was them. They pulled ahead of them and continued on.
Far back a group of bandits had turned the corner and were quite the distance back. A pack moves as fast as its slowest member. There was a T intersection about fifty meters ahead and John had an idea.
"Miner! Let's go straight." he shouted. She understood what he meant and passed word to the back. She didn't want to leave anyone of them behind. A few of them had died at the encampment and knowing that the bandits were slavers affirmed her resolve. As they approached the intersection they slowed and moved straight into the woods ahead and stopped. They were moving in a large group and the disadvantage was obvious they were slow and horses made noise as they galloped. As soon as the last person entered the woods she had Fireball move as if to follow the left road and when it was a distance where the bandits couldn't see it disappeared.
They now had the advantage of darkness. Everyone was still and tense. Praying to whatever gods the worshiped as the bandits drew closer and naturally made a left at full speed. They stayed quiet for a few minutes before everyone let out a sigh. They exited the forest as silently as possible and as they did Minerva set traps across the road. These were different from her flexible vines. She had small branches grow from trees on both sides of the road such that the road was shut.
There were all types of spirits in the world some were considered weak in combat but most people had a way of re-purposing them. It was widely known that spirits could possess animals of similar kinds. Using this elementalists could take control of the animals themselves. A spirit needed to be attached to a body otherwise it faded and disappeared. This way spirits could be used even if the summoner was quite far away. This discovery brought about the rise of many jobs such as scouts and bird messengers.
In Minerva's case, her wood spirit would possess the trees and plants and manipulate how they grew. This was easier than using her vines since the further the target was the harder it was to manipulate. But with trees once they grew they couldn't grow back. This was why the forest was her domain. Once she had set up they set off.
It was dark and without Fireball the entire group was blind. They had no idea where they were although she knew they were near the forest where they had been caught. She was on guard, in this instant she was a warrior protecting the entire group She had not trained her spirits to do battle and didn't over estimate herself. They were at a disadvantage in the dark and in this location. The bandits camp was not far off so they knew the area. Their best hope was to try and evade until first light and find their way from there
None of the other captives had gone off on their own so they were all depending on her. She had many thoughts on her mind.
"That worked," John said as she caught up to him. He had slowed down and they were at the back.
"Yes, that was some quick thinking..." she said sounding so far away.
"Don't worry we'll make it, then I am sleeping for a whole day." he said to lighten the mood.
"Do you think that when 'your master' hears tales of your heroics, he would let you take it easy."she said with emphasis.
"Don't tell him until after," he said confidently. "although I'm pretty sure he will know anyway."
They were making their way slowly between the group of people to the front. There were a few whispers among them but no one was louder than the sound of hooves on the ground. The young man from before was at the head of the group as well. Hlora and her family were a few people behind them.
"Just who are you," Hlora asked, "you clearly don't have the same air as a normal person." Minerva and John were passing on her right.
"I'm Minerva and this is John." she said simply to dispel any more questions. She didn't want to chatter needlessly and let her guard down. But this was question that everyone in the group had been wanting to ask since they had managed to escape the bandits before and a furious stream of whispers erupted from among the crowd behind them. The young man had slowed down and was now in front of them tilting his head back to hear the answer but none came.
"Yeah, who are you people?Besting and running away from Spila is not something anyone can do." he said as if everyone knew who they were.
"Spila?" Minerva pondered.
"Didn't you notice the marks on their arms and faces, the mark of the Spila." everyone hushed suddenly.
It was like he had mentioned a forbidden name. Spila was a group of notorious slavers that were known throughout the entire continent. No one knew who their leader was only that there were many bandits who had their insignia throughout neighboring countries. The group that had captured them was only a small group of nobodies. They branded their slaves with a whip insignia. In Inssan having that brand was akin to having no rights. Their members had a tattoo of a flaming skill placed on a notched whip.
Once the he had explained all this Minerva was sure she had never heard of them before and wondered what they were doing in Tervia which was famous for having string anti-slavery laws and harsher penalties. Despite all this Minerva said she was just an ordinary farm girl but this some how made the guy furious.
"I demand an answer, you speak a strange tongue and you fight like veterans." he said raising his voice.
"Demand!?" Minerva was getting furious but she didn't raise her voice.
"I am Dugald Bjornson." he said incredulously. Everyone even she recognized the name. He was the son of the Lord Baron Bjornson who governed the Castle town and the lands around.
"A nobleman-"
"Sire-"
The Tervians deeply respected royalty since they were protected by them. Hearing this they immediately paid their respects.
"Your mantle of lord concerns me not. To brandish it at your convenience have you no shame." Minerva had replied.
"Puny pea-"
"Quiet" John stopped. In all the excitement no one had noticed that the horses were getting quite restless. When they stopped they could hear the sound of hooves some distance behind them.
"Run-" he said
"RUN!" Minerva repeated. No one reacted and she kicked her horse and turned around moving toward the back slapping the horses as she went. There was a small frenzy but the horses had gotten into stride and had begun moving. John was removing his gloves and the bright slue glow of sparks could be seen.
Minerva was reaching for Johns hand to tell him to put his magic back but he pulled away his hand before she could touch him.
"Do you know how dangerous that is, are you looking to die."
"We don't have the time to fight."
"I'm not going to fight, I just want to see how many there are and maybe scare them a little."
"Tis not the time for you to be annoying, put it away," she beckoned turning but John raised his arm and released a surge in a straight line ahead of them. It went fast and in a straight line lighting up a small area around them and as it hit the ground it separated into a few more lighting up the area well enough to slow and show four horsemen.
"It could have at least hit one," he lamented as he quickly put his glove back on and hastily turned his horse around to run after her.
"Four horsemen, is this the apocalypse."
"What-"
"Never mind."
"You waste your time walking too much." she muttered.
They soon caught up with the others. No one was used to this kind of situation. Most of the people in the group were young and had no problem riding for a long time, what worried her was whether the horses would be able to run all night. None were exceptional except maybe the ones the had stolen. Most people were on their own horses which weren't normally used to running long distances for long periods of time. If they ha managed to keep up their earlier speed they would have managed all night. This situation was bad.
"Shine a light, Fireball." he shouted at Minerva
"You do it, I can't control her in this situation."
"Her? And what makes you think i can control it." but he tried nonetheless. There were no junctions ahead of them. They could hear water. Was it the lake? We must be close to home, he though, home what a funny word.
"I have an idea-" he kicked his horse and the people behind him followed suit. They were unsure how long they could keep up. They soon emerged from the thicket. This road had been leading to the lake. As soon as he emerged he turned to the left an after about thirty meters he quickly dismounted turned back. Minerva was by his side soon enough and dismounted as well.
"What are you doing?" Dugald shouted
"Have everyone hide and follow me,"John ignored him and told Minerva.
"Go hide like a good lord, take everyone-" she didn't have the time to be polite and turned around, "whats the plan?"
"I can't explain everything, trust me and do as i say,"
"Hurry up, they'll be upon us soon."
"Once they fall, bind them," he explained as they sprinted towards the road," send fireball my way, I'll need her help for this to work and whatever happens don't come into the water unless I fall."
"What!?"
"You'll see." as he said this he started to moved towards the entrance.
Minerva hid in a nearby bush and summoned Fireball and her her fly towards John and hovered over his head. She was looking as John just stood there bathed in the gentle light that fireball emitted. The sound of running horses drew closer and closer. They were moving fast. They would have caught up to them eventually. As a seasoned rider she could tell how good they were. As they neared the lake they had noticed John standing smugly in front of them.
She was quite the distance from them and could only hear laughter after one of them had said something. John held his glowing hand near his ear as if to say speak up. He then shot a surge near the feet of the leading horse. Minerva saw that and was almost out of her hiding place but he had missed. The bandits shouted a curses at him. That she could hear. John shot another surge at them and missed again and they shouted curses at him. They started charging at him and he did it again and missed again. Is he taunting them?
This time the didn't skip a beat. The horses neighed and the men shouted in anger and made towards John. They expanded their formation as if to surround him and he turned around and ran towards the water. He's trapped she though and emerged from the water with her vines ready and remembered what he had said. He continued running deeper into the water and the bandits followed him in. He turned around and put his hands up. Is this his big plan, self sacrifice, she had a mind to use Fireball.
It now looked like he tripped and fell but as soon as he touched the water horses shrieked and fell. Some stood on hind legs and the bandits fell. It was a good thing that she had come out and before the bandits knew what had happened they were already caught by her vines. She didn't step into the water. She wasn't sure what had happened but she knew water had been part of the plan.