Eiram was still deep asleep when Saluk returned to the place where he left her.
He sighed and sat on the grass beside her then inspected the wounds he got from the bandits. He felt a little numb on his wounded shoulder, and his dried blood feels sticky and uncomfortable.
His bruises from the other night was still present and some of it still hurts him. Now he had a new few injuries to add in his list.
Saluk removed the bandana in his eyes and the cloak on his body and continued inspecting himself.
'Those armors worn by the bandits were rather good looking. Would it be okey if i steal some from them? Maybe they wont mind.' He wondered.
"What we need now is food." He said to himself and stood up again. 'Better to look for food while my little friend is still asleep.' He thought.
He was just about to walk away again when he suddenly felt a soft tug on his clothes.
He looked to his side and sure enough, His little friend was already awake.
"You're finally up. Let's go." He said, gesturing to the girl.
Eiram gave him a small smile and she nodded.
"There's a pair of merchants up ahead, let's join them. They are nobles so they must have food." Saluk said again.
Eiram murmured something but of course he didn't understand it at all.
He held her hand and started trekking. They don't have any particular destination. Saluk had been just walking aimlessly around the forest. Now, atleast when they join those merchants, They could travel with them too.
It took them around half an hour to reach the cave. Saluk quickly raised Eiram's hood to cover her face. Her eyes is just like his, he was afraid it would invite trouble if those merchants were to notice it.
"Just stay close to me, okey." He gestured to his companion and then they slowly approached the cave entrance.
"Hey, Leiya, it's me. I have returned." Saluk called out.
He approached slowly while calling her out. But there was no response.
'Did they already left?' Saluk wondered.
'What a pity. Here i thought we could join them and maybe experience a life being friends with a noble.' He thought and sighed helplessly.
Eiram was just looking at him expectantly. Not making a sound at all.
"I guess they already left. C'mon let's go." He gestured to his friend again and walked away from the area.
-----
"Are you saying that a single man did all of this?" The lady enchantress of the Green asked doubtfully.
Leiya nursed back her aunt using magically upgraded recovery potions and herbs. When she finally woke up, Leiya told her everything that had happened while she was unconscious.
She told her aunt on how her crystal barrier was about to shatter with the relentless exploding thunders of the demons when the man rescued them.
Leiya retold her aunt with great detail everything she witnessed. How the man was so fearless and valiant. How he attacked and neutralized all the 15 demons that went to chase after them. She felt her face was turning warmer and warmer as she recount the events.
But the lady enchantress was still doubtfull, so she ordered Leiya to lead her to the beaten demon's location and take a look at the area herself.
Now they are standing at the front of the tied demons. Some of them are already awake and struggling to free themselves from being tightly bound. Some are still unconscious. The lady enchantress of the Green gave them a dark and menacing look, as if to tell them that their fate was already sealed.
Leiya and her aunt are looking down at them right now like how predators look at their helpless prey.
"Yes, lady mistress. All of them were defeated by the man i told you about." Leiya answered. She was gripping her fist tightly. Just a command from her aunt and she would start killing them.
The lady enchantress of the Green nodded. "You can drop the official honorifics for now Leiya, It's just the two of us here."
"Yes, Lady Mis.... Yes, aunt Marikit." Leiya answered in a small voice. She was so used to addressing her aunt as the 'Lady Mistress' that she now find it awkward to say her actual name.
"That young man was rather strong. You are certain that he wasn't using any weapons?" Her aunt asked again.
Leiya told and retold her aunt already, but her aunt seemed to be still doubtful.
'Saluk was really strong, I think my aunt won't even able to beat him.' Leiya thought, her face was turning red once more.
"I think that this man might not be from here. He might be from a city far away." Her aunt said.
"Not from here? What do you mean, aunt Marikit?" Leiya asked.
"If everything what you said was correct, then the man who saved us must not be from here. The people of our city specializes on grass-type magic vein cultivation. Although some of our people can use other attributes like water and wind, that's only on the minority." Her aunt explained.
Their city is one of the many cities that specializes on a certain type of magic vein cultivation. Their city specializes on grass-type magic. There are enchanters and enchantresses that specializes on differnt king of magic, like the lady chief on the Enchanters Guild. The Cloud enhantress. The cloud enchantress uses a part water and part wind magic. She was famous for her ability on calling upon rain and floods.
Some can also use the wind attribute and water attribute by using a magical weapon as a medium. It is commonly uses as combat standards by the Pintados.
"There is an isolated clan on the next city that was rumored to practice temporal magic vein cultivation. It was said that they could fight multiple opponents by using their magic to slow the time around them. There is a chance that the man you saw was from that clan." Her aunt said once more.
Leiya nodded her head slowly, trying to recall what she witnessed earlier.
The man indeed looked to have fought the demons with speed that the demons was not even able to track where he was. It would make sense that he was able to do that while using his temporal magic.
"There were also reports in history of some clan on the far north that practice spatial magic vein cultivation. They can travel and jump through space. If it was used in combat, it would be really hard to beat it. But there were never confirmed reports about it, so the temporal magic is still the most likely magic he used." her aunt said again.
Leiya was overwhelmed by extreme sadness in an instant. If Saluk was indeed from that isolated clan that used temporal magic. Then there is a big chance that he already left this place and travelled on. She was not even able to ask where he was from and where he was going.
'He said he would come back.' Leiya thought sadly.
"Okey, lets kill all this demons and continue heading to the village we were ordered to go." Her aunt said.
Leiya quickly nooded and resolved herself. Fate decided that she met Saluk today, maybe fate would be kind to her in the future and let her see him once more.
Leiya watched in silence as her aunt activated an Undead Vine in the midst of the bound demon.
Soon cries and painful shouts broke the silence.
The demons were slashed and pounded by the Undead vines until they all fell lifeless on their own mud of blood.
Leiya flinched from time to time but maintained her gaze. 'They are demons. They need to be killed or they would kill us. This is the natural order of the world.' She thought.
It just took a couple of minutes and 1 undead vine to kill all the demons.
"Leiya, give me the crystal of purifying flame." Her aunt called her.
Leiya quickly nodded and handed over a crimson oval crystal the size of her fist.
Her aunt gave a droplet of her blood to the crystal and then threw it to the base of the Undead vine.
The instant that the crystal of purifying flame made contact to the undead vine, it was quickly engulfed in flame. The undead vine was burned and the lifeless demons with it.
"Let's go. We have to be on the village before the sun sets." Her aunt said once more.
Leiya guided her aunt to the carriage that she had prepared earlier.
Her aunt have recovered from her injuries to some extent. She could once again utilize her magic vein, but she was still far from her top strenght. Leiya let her aunt rest inside the carriage and she took the reins.
Their mission now was to get to the village and regroup with the Pintados. Once their, her aunt would finally be able to fully recover and fight more effectively.
-----
"Let's go over there." Saluk said, pointing the direction leading back to the road.
He suddenly remembered that up ahead were the bandits that he just tied up. Earlier he just looked around their equipments and checked their weapons. But he thought suddenly that those guys must also have food in them.
'A few pieces of compressed food or fruits would be really good. On else, i would be forced to go back to the river and have to catch fish again.' Saluk thought.
He held Eiram's hand and slowly walked around the thick foliage leading to the bounded bandit's location.
They just reached the clearing when he noticed a thick smoke and fire.
"Wait, this can't be...." Saluk's words were lost when he finally saw the area.
There were scattered bodies around, and all of them were burned to death. He could still recognize some parts of the melted armors. Their is no mistake about it, they were the bandits earlier.
"That noble lady actually killed all of them." Saluk said in a low voice.
He was well aware that the lady earlier was intent on killing the bandits. This men attacked her and her companion afterall, and who knows how many more they had killed before. But seeing this sight right now, Saluk was really conflicted.
He was staring blankly when he felt Eiram tugged at his clothes once more.
Saluk looked over and he could also see the sadness that's being reflected on her eyes. He even thought that she would cry if they stayed in this place longer.
"Let's move. There is an abandoned carriage over there. We will use it to travel." He said, and lead the girl on his side again.
Saluk sighed when they reached the carriages.
Inside were all sorts of travelling equipments and some magical artifacts. The good news was there was also food. There was no weapon around though.
Saluk was rummaging around then he suddenly remembered something.
He looked at his companion still standing outside.
"Didn't i gave you a dagger when we were on the old bandit's base? He asked.
Eiram just stared back at him blankly and gave him another smile.
She said something as if to encourage him to whatever he was doing.
'Ah, forget it. It's not like i'm going to search your body and remove your cloak just to look for the dagger.' He thought helplessly.
He continued inspecting the interior of the carriage and then gestured Eiram to step inside. He gave her some food then stepped on the reins.
He can't think of any place else to go. Not with this noble looking girl with her. He need to go somewhere that is safe for her.
"I'm sorry Tiyo Domam, but i guess i have to return back early." He said to himself and started heading home.
He plans to return back to their village and report about the fire on the neighbor village. He would also report his multiple encounters with the demons. Maybe that would be enough and acceptable reason for him not to be lectured by his uncle.
I guess i will just find out when i reach there. Saluk chuckled and travelled onwards.