It was already dark. Saluk was now heading back to his village and was practicing the speech that he would recite once he faced his uncle.
He was so absorbed on his thought that he almost did not see the road ahead of them was blocked by a wooden fence. He recognized the uniform of the warriors that guarded the wooden fence. They were the Pintados. He rarely see them in his village but to have them guard this remote part of the road, the threat of the bandits must be serious.
He slowed down the carriage and fixed the bandana in his eyes. Then he realized. 'How can i convince them that i was blind if i am here, holding the reins?' He quickly stopped the carriage about 500 meters from the guards and knocked softly at the carriage wall behind him.
"Eiram, we are in trouble." He said softly.
Eiram slowly sticked her hear out from the front window and looked at what he was pointing.
Saluk don't want to explain their situation so he just pointed his finger forward and let Eiram figure it out herself.
Eiram slowly slithered out of the window and took the seat beside him.
She gave him a sweet smile and took the reins from him. As if telling him to trust her.
"What are you going to do? Are we turning back?" Saluk wondered.
The guards from the wooden fence seemed to notice them. Two warriors got into a horse and started a slow gallop towards them.
'We are screwed. I knew we should have walked through the woods like usual ' Saluk thought.
He watched in silence as the two horse riders slowly reached them.
"A good evening, my friends there. Might we know where you are headed?" One of the guards asked as they reached them.
"Uhmmm, i am heading towards the Minggud house in the village. To trade for some medical herbs." Saluk said nervously.
The guard look at him for awhile, Saluk answered with a slight smile.
"Might we know where you came from?" The other guard circled around the carriage and asked him.
"We are from the town center....." 'What am i supposed to say, i dont know the names of other places. i don't even know the official name of our town' Saluk was starting to sweat right now.
The guard that asked them whispered some words to his companion.
The other guard's face turned dark.
"Do you know that you are using a carriage that has the enchanters guild emblem on it?" The guard said, and gripped the handle of the sword in his waist
"What? Enchanters guild?" Saluk don't know anything about the enchanters guild. All he knew was that this carriage was owned by the merchants he saved earlier.
"You're bandits, aren't you?"
"Show us your faces!" One of the guards pulled his sword on them.
Saluk was speechless. This men actually thought they were bandits.
Saluk would be able to accept it if he was the only one to be accused for being one. But to say that the fragile girl beside him was also a bandit, that's unacceptable.
Saluk was frozen in his seat. He had been into fights multiple times since he left the village, fighting once more against this two wouldn't matter to him. But attacking an offical warrior guard that protects the village is out of the question. He would never do it even if they beat him up. He would rather run and escape than fight back.
Saluk was about to try and talk to them and make excuses once more when a soft sound filled the area. Before he could think what was going on, the two guards in front of them fell from their horses. They were unconscious before they hit the ground.
Saluk quickly looked at the girl beside him. What did she just do?
She just gave him another sweet smile, and said something in her small voice. She then held out a small fragments of broken crystal.
Did she just use magical artifacts on them?
'I am really doomed this time. We just attacked the warrior guards' Saluk thought.
Sure enough, the other guards by the fence noticed what happened to their comrades. They quickly mounted on their horses and charged at them.
"What have i just gotten myself into?" Saluk whispered to himself and grabbed Eiram's hands.
They jumped from the carriage and run into the woods once again.
'It's already dark, those guards would not dare to leave their unconscious comrades like that on the road and chase us. They can't leave their horses either.' Saluk thought as she guide Eiram through the dark forest.
They had been in this area earlier today so Saluk was already somewhat familiar to the terrain.
They just have to walk until they reach the river. After the crossed it, his village won't be that far anymore.
-----
"Come, let's do it here. Unless you can only use your magic against weak commoneers?" Leiya taunted, her eyebrows raised.
She knew these three guys for a long time. They were the three aces of the Beast hunter's guild, back in the Royal city.
The man before her was one of her most annoying suitor, Wanhu Dal Agima. Together with his two other friends, they would often travel on nearby towns and cause trouble. Then they would pull out their Royal token as a ticket way out. This man would act like a sinless saint in front of her but treat others bellow his status like trash.
"I would rather decline your sweet offer, lady Leiya. I am a gentleman afterall." Wanhu said with a mocking smile.
"Afraid, are we? It seems that you're magic vein hasn't improved at all. You just came to this remote village with much weaker magic vein cultivation. What a shame." Leiya said, then turned her back.
"You just talk big because of your aunt being here, we all know that." The oldest man standing on the back said loudly.
They were in the middle of the road. Their word exchanges already caught so much attention that people passing by would stop to loock at them.
"You are just like your aunt, acting all mighty and strong. No wonder nobody wanted to marry her." The oldest man said again, now even on louder voice. He is intending to gather more attention.
Leiya was shaking in anger now. If only they were alone in this place, she would have already attacked the man at the back.
She breathed slow to regain her composure and with a last dark look, she turned to leave the area.
"Ha ha ha, Running back to old auntie, are we?" The man said once more.
Leiya faced the man this time with a dark gaze. "Come on, let's duel right here. You and me!" She said and fling her cloak to the ground.
"That's the spirit! If i beat you, you would by my woman for the night." The man at the back said.
"Hey! Stop that nonsense Hakub, you know i have been courting Leiya for ages now." Wanhu complained, facing the oldest man on his group.
"Beat it, Wanhu. This girl's head had grown so big. She needs to be taught how to be docile once in a while." Hakub said and pulled some grain-sized seeds and throw it on the ground in front of them.
The people in the background has already gathered and formed a big circle surrounding them.
"Let's call some warrior patrols. This needs to be stopped."
"But they are all nobles, we might be beaten if we interfere with them."
"That men were the ones walking around the village, attacking servants."
"But that girl seemed to be confident."
People started talking among themselves, unsure if they should just watch or do something.
Leiya watched as the small seeds infront of her instanly grow into a tall plant about three meters high with thorny long branches and leaves. There are about ten of those plants scattered near her.
"So, you're giving up now? I'm telling you that i won't go easy on you. i will attack you until all your clothes are ripped apart for everyone to see." Hakub said in a menacing voice.
"Let me see you try." Leiya's eye darkened once more.
Hakub quickly stepped forward and made a gesture on both his hands. The plants started to sway slightly and then their branches slowly extended longer.
"Hakub, this is not funny anymore." Wanhu said and stepped towards hs friend.
Hakub looked back and kicked Wanhu in the shins. "Just watch on the back, you might even enjoy the show." He said while smiling wide.
"Hakub, Let's stop this already. We had just too much drink earlier." The other man, the youngest said. But he seemed to be scared to do anything about it.
"Ha ha ha. Don't worry, i won't hurt her much." Hakub answered with a smile.
Leiya watched as the plants started to get taller around her. Then she let out a sigh and raised her hands.
The plants suddenly trembled violently. It vibrated until all the leaves attached to it fall off to the ground. The three men were in utter disbelief when the leaves suddenly raised up to the air and gathered aroud Leiya.
"Your move is just taking so long, i guess i have to make my first move now." Leiya said.
The leaves around her started spinning outwards and tore the leafless plants one by one from its base.
Hakub was so shocked he wasn't able to react until the spinning leaves reached him. He was hit straight in his whole body that his perfectly good looking clothes was ripped in many places. Even the two men behind him were not spared.
They tried to run but the intensity of the spinning leaves made it hard for them to keep their balance. They fall one by one to the ground and curled their body to avoid being hit in the face.
"Stop! Stop! I surrender!" Hakub shouted on the top of his lungs.
Leiya sneered. She didn't stop her magic until they started bleeding from the multuple scratches from the flying leaves.
"All magically induced artifacts, incuding offensive plants and vines do not think for themselves. As such, it will all come down to who can take full control of them first before they are fully activated." Leiya said while walking towards the groaning men curled up in the ground.
She stood in front of Hakub and stared down at him. "You are still to weak to beat me." She declared and kicked Hakub hard in the face.
"Damn you! I will kill you!" Hakub gritted his teeth and started to raise himself up.
He barely managed to straighten one of his knees when a barrage of flying leaves hit him once more in the face and chest. The force was so strong that he was lifted off the ground and was knocked back to the dirt once more. His clothes were so ripped and destroyed that he could pass himself as a homeless beggar.
Leiya waited if he would try and get up again, then she noticed that Hakub was knocked unconscious.
"Pathetic trash!" Leiya muttered, and left the area.
The lady enchantress of the Green was standing by the door when Leiya returned.
She froze on the spot when their gaze met.
"Lady mistress, I am...
"Get inside, Leiya." Her aunt cut off her words and turned back inside.
Leiya followed inside quietly. It's obvious that her aunt knew what just happened. With all those people gathered around them. There should be someone who reported it back to her aunt.
Now she will be punished for sure.
Her aunt took a seat and gestured her the other seat on the side.
Leiya nodded obediently. She didn't dare make a sound.
"Leiya, Everyone knows you're strong. You are even stronger than me when i was in your age. But what you did tonight was not something a noble lady would do." Her aunt said in a soft voice.
Leiya's eyes suddenly rose up. She was puzzled. Her aunt have always encouraged her to be stronger day after day. Now her aunt is saying something that feels strange to her.
"Lady mistress, i don't understand, what you are saying?" Leiya said.