Saluk knocked all the bandits out and started fumbling around.
'This bandit's gears and equipments look a little too fancy. Their weapons are quiet unique too.' Saluk thought as he held their weapons in his hands.
'This was like the ones that i saw back on the other bandit camp.' He nodded to himself.
The weapon was a combination of iron and wood. The One end of the weapon was wide and flat, then the other end was a small iron cylinder with whole in the end where the arrowheads would come out.
The bandits would put the arrowhead in one whole then put some black sand in it. Then they would point it to him. Saluk thought that the whole process was tedious and slow. It didn't take him a long time to put them all to sleep.
He checked the bandits one by one. Saluk was careful not to kill anyone. Then he let out a huge sigh of relief. They're all fine. He maybe broke some of their bones and jaws, but Saluk guessed that these guys were bandits. They will survive.
"Too bad they didn't even bother to negotiate with me." Saluk shook his head then turned around to leave the area.
What he saw surprised him he almost had a heart attak.
A girl was standing around 10 meters from him and she was staring at him like he was doing something embarassing.
"What the hell, young lady!" Saluk jumped back, he was utterly surprised.
The young lady looked back in an instant as if he was looking at a different person on the back.
'Did she thought that i was a thief, rummaging and looting all this time?' Saluk thought nervously.
"I...Did you kill all of them? Are they all dead?" The young lady asked slowly, pointing her finger at him.
"No! Of course not. I saw them attacking some merchants by the woods and went here to try to negotiate with them. They attack me too so i had to defend myself. But they are all still alive, i swear!" Saluk hurriedly tried to explain.
The lady started walking towards him slowly, with a serious look in her eyes. Saluk quickly took a step back. Then he realized.
"Wait, aren't you one of the merchants that they were attacking? Why are you giving me that look? I only thought I was helping out." Saluk said again as he took another step back.
The young lady stopped. "Yes, we were the ones that was being attacked by them."
Saluk sighed and nodded. " Okey. This bandits are all knocked out. I have broken all their weapons, and some of their jaws along with it. I guess you are safe now." Saluk said, smiling wide.
"Bandits? No, they are Demons!" The girl's eyes turned dark.
"What? Of course not. They're just bandits. Wait, where is your companion, I saw that there were two of you when you entered the trees. Is she still alive?" Saluk said again.
"No. They are demons. We have to kill them, or they will kill us when they wake up!" The young lady started walking forward again and pulled a small dagger from her cloak.
"What! Wait, no!" Saluk quickly blocked the young lady, spreading his arms wide. "How about this, let's just tie them up somewhere and i will let you kick and punch some of them. But no killing please." Saluk said, giving the young lady and earnest look.
"They are demons! They are danger to all humans! They all need to be killed at once." The young lady tried to walk past him again.
Saluk understand what the young lady was feeling right now. She had been attacked by these bandits and some of her companions might have been killed too. It wouldn't be strange for her to feel what she's feeling right now.
Saluk was having internal conflict. He's not sure what to do. Would he really just let this lady kill all these unconscious men?
He looked the lady and he saw the resolve in her eyes. She would really kill these men if he let her go past him.
The young lady tried to walk past him and he grabbed her hand.
"Are you trying to protect those demons?" The young lady's voice was low and cold.
Saluk was about to talk back when he heard a rustling sound behind him. He quickly looked back ready to dodge any attack. He saw the large man that he assumed to be the bandit leader run unsteadily back. The man was trying to escape.
Saluk hurriedly took a step sideways and saw a broken piece of their weapon lying on the dirt. He kicked it forcefully and watched as it flew like an arrow towards the back of the bandit leader's neck. With a dull sound, the man collapsed to the ground again.
"As i was saying, I will not let you kill them. They might look like demons to you because of your anger. Why don't you just help me tie them up so you could think about it harder. If you still want to kill them by that time, I will not stop you." Saluk offered the young lady again.
-----
Leiya was looking hard at the man before him intently. Just a minute ago, she was so impressed by his strenght that it even made her speechless.
Then the man told him that he attacked those demons because he saw that she and her aunt was being attacked, and he rushed and neutralized the demons. He must be the reason that the crashing thunders stopped hammering them.
He was the one who saved her and her aunt from certain doom.
When Leiya realized it, she felt some unknown feeling bloosoming from inside her. She felt her face turned warm.
Now this man doesn't want to kill the demons. For sure he was strong, but demons are demons. They must be killed with no exception. Leiya can't help herself but feel angry.
'Tie the demons in some tree? Then what, just let them recover their strenght so that they could kill and attack humans again?' Leiya thought that something's must be wrong with this man.
'Maybe he can't recognize the demons because he is blind. Maybe the man thought that he was just fighting some random bandits.' Leiya thought. Sure this man looks strong in unarmed fighting because he must be using some kind of close-quarters offensive magic.
Then, as Leiya was thinking about it, she saw a demon started running away. Then the man before her kicked some scrap and hit the demon with so much force, the demon went crashing head first to the ground .
She felt so impressed again, her mood immediately lighten up.
Leiya was born with such a beauty that she already had a lot of suitors long before she came of age. There was a lot of time that men would fight and even hurt each other just to showcase their strenght and gain her attention. She was a noble born afterall.
But she had different things running through her mind. She was the only living member of her family. Her aunt told her that her mother died giving birth to her. Her father and first brother died in the hands of the demons. It was only her and her aunt, The lady enchantress of the Green. Her aunt was unmarried, so that makes Leiya the only heir of their family.
That's the reason she is trying hard to be strong. So that she could protect herself and be useful to her aunt.
Then this day came. Her aunt would be so injured that Leiya felt so helpless, she even thought she would really die. But when all her hope seemed to be lost, this man came and saved them.
Leiya know the name of the feelings that she felt right now, but she would not admit it even to herself yet. Specially so when she found out that this man has something wrong in his head.
'He is actually asking me to tie the demons up and think about killing them later?' Leiya thought darkly.
"Okey, i will assist you to tie them up, then i would kill them all." She answered the young man.
The young man gave her a big smile. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to kill them later when you finally calm down." The man said and got to work.
Leiya just stay where she stood. The man's eyes were covered so he might be blind. Then his magic vein must have been developed to make him percieve his surroundings. Like how bats was able to see in the dark, or something. She thought.
"I thought you're gonna help me." The man said.
"Hmmmp! When i said i will help you, I meant that i would let you tie them up so that i could kill them later." She replied.
The man laughed and didn't answer.
"What's your name?" She asked after a while.
"I am called Saluk. You?"
"My name is Leiya Luywal Hati."
"I see, so you're a noble. No wonder you were attacked by these bandits." The man stopped what he was doing and bowed in front of her.
"S...Stop it, just call me Leiya." Her face started to warm up again.
"Ok, if you say so." The man quickly replied, and resumed to his work.
'The skin of this man! He didn't even said any words to flatter me!' Leiya's mood darken again.
"By the way, where is your companion? Still alive right?" The man said again as he was binding the last demon.
"Yes, she's still alive. She is injured though." Then Leiya suddenly remembered.
She was chatting with this man for over an hour that she completely forgot her main objective. She needs to get the medical herbs and potions from the location of the carriages for her aunt.
"All done! Look at them, you feel pity now right, right? Do still want to kill them?" The man said, he stood up and looked at her, as if to dare her to raise her dagger again.
"I need to get medical herbs for my aunt, she needs it." Leiya said quickly.
"Okey, is it far? be careful on your way then." The man replied.
"You will not come with me?" Leiya's eyebrows rose up. Does this man know chivalry at all?
The man risked his life to save her, but did not even bother to offer himself to walk with her. Leiya's head was starting to hurt.
"Okey let's go." The man scratched his head and then nodded to her.
It took them about a quarter of an hour to reach the carriages and get what she needed. She gathered everything to the biggest carriage and used it to ride back to her aunt's location.
"We're here. My aunt is over there." Leiya said when they reached the area nearest to the cave where she left her aunt.
"That's her? There's so much blood in her cloak. Will she be okey?" The man asked as they reached the cave entrance.
Her aunt was still breathing but her face was rather pale. She checked her aunt't vitals and let out a sigh of relief.
"My aunt is fine. She would wake up soon after her magic vein recovers and absorbed all the medical herbs i gave her." She answered.
The man nodded and didn't say anything.
"I would like ask you to step outside for a while. I need to change my aunt's cloak and garments." Leiya said after she finished feeding her aunt with the medical potions she needed.
"Sure, Actually i think i need to leave now. I am travelling with someone when i saw your situation. I left my companion somewhere over there for a while. I will take my leave now." The man said.
Leiya suddenly dropped the fabrics she was holding when she heard what the man said.
He will leave now?
"Will i see you again?" She can't help but ask hurriedly.
The man blinked his eyes, he seemed to be confused by her question.
"No...It's...It's not like i actually want to see you again. It's just that you said that you will let me kill those demons! Remember?!" She hurriedly said. Her face started to warm up once more.
The man stared at her blankly for a second before replying. "Sure. I can come back here with my companion if you want."
"Okey, just make sure you come back!" She snapped at the man and turned back to her aunt.
The man affirmed and started walking away. It took a whole minute until the man's footsteps faded with he wind.
'What is happening to me?' Leiya gripped her fist to calm herself.