After they took a break they went on their way again. Sera walk along side with Forest. She maintain the distance between her and him while the others is further away from them.
Sera has been talking to forest about lamia and such. how to deal with them and to avoid their attacks. on mid way. Gustave halted and everyone stop and waited for Gustave to react. Everyone of them was silent.
"A lamia is coming in this way" Gustave told them as he hold the hilt of his sword.
"The distance?" Lerida asked turning her head upon him.
"About 3 to 5 meters."
"There are three of them"
Sera gulped and grip the handle of her staff. She was determined to fight these monster in the first place, there should have no place for backing out already. Not only that, she have accompany, and she had Forest. However, she isn't sure if Forest can handle this.
"Based on the sounds they create it seems that they are bigger than earlier. A fully grown Lamia. Three of them." Gustave didn't hide the shock in his voice. He unsheathe his sword and he began to talk again.
"They have been detected us, their movement changed" Gustave looked determined, his gazed was pasted to the front as some rustling sounds is detected.
Sera threw a glance at Forest. He nodded. Sera move forward and covered forest. She equip her staff and she look at Forest.
A lamia slithered on the ground and attacking Lerida. A surprised attack that Gustave didn't saw. It was fast but Lerida was agile as she got away from the physical attack made by the lamia. The lamia had long slender body of a woman. The long hair of her hides her breast. The lamia facing them was so gorgeous enough to make every men fall over to the knees and drool. Her white silver hair
"Avoid being charmed by this beast" Lerida shouted to them. The Lamia slithered on the way to her target. Lerida did not let it go away yet another Lamia jumped in the scene attacking Lerida. Gustave and Angus took the potion right away.
Lerida swings her sword yet the lamia flick her tail to her sending her away from a distance.
The last of the lamia came and she casted charmed to Forest. The first Lamia was nowhere to be seen together with the two, Angus and Gustave. They may have been fighting the Lamia of somewhere right now.
"Forest, Look out" Sera shouted but instead of getting charmed he was not affected by it. Sera ran toward the lamia. The lamia casted a magic and aimed for her.
she raises her staff and created multiple fireballs in the mid air. she threw them towards the lamia, unfortunately the lamia is already have experience dealing with some adventurers. this might be hard for Sera to deal with.
the lamia strikes her tail toward Sera, she jumped side wards and rolled over as she casted another fire magic. She only knew two fire magic and these are the only magic she learned from her father.
she point her staff toward her and release her mana converting it to fire magic. She created a fire ball and released it to her. Continuously in the target. The lamia set a barrier toward her attack. It seems that it will be useless for her now.
She distance herself on the lamia, that won't work either. Lamia are good in short range fight and also long range fight. They are good at magic and they have this paralyzing venom that can kill you slowly.
she leaped back and threw a bottle of oil toward the lamia.
'That oil is expensive but this might work' she said to herself and she ignited the oil with her fire magic.
the lamia scream in excruciating pain inflicted to her by the fire. the Lamia squirm in the ground like a worm in the salt.
Her only advantage in this fight is her Fire magic. Her water magic is very useless to the lamia. Lamia can Nullify Water magic since they are water elemental monster.
she casted fire balls but it remained to her side as she ran toward the lamia and dodging the random attack from the lamia.
she threw the fireballs right in the face of the lamia and she set another fireballs. while on it, a unseen attack from its tail was about to land on her. Forest run and took the blow for sera. They ended up flying over the trees.
"Are you alright?" Sera shouted to him as they landed and stopped by the tough tree. the Lamia casted icicles that floats in the air and about to pierce them like a skewers.
The lamia didn't wait any longer to kill the humans that set her on fire. She was covered with burns and she is now filled with anger.
Sera cast a barrier as she drank the potions to refreshes her mana. she tighten the grip on her staff as she bit her lips. She prepared herself for the upcoming attack from the Lamia. the icicles she set on the air is now flying towards them in high speed. Sera can't make her self blink from the icicles crashing on her barrier.
her barrier was so weak that it break after a couple of minutes. it can't hold the hard impacts from it anymore. That what made her think that the Lamia is just far stronger than them. however she can't just give up yet.
Forest move quick ad swiftly as he covered her for the Icicle that was about to pierce her.
He swing his sword bouncing of the icicle that is trying to get past on him. Sera was dumfounded on how fast he was from taking own the icicles that she almost can't see.
Sera shook her head to keep her focus on the battle. She casted another fire ball that is smaller than the usual. Looking weaker and useless than she made earlier.
The lamia grin as she saw the small fireball in the air. She thought she was right that this magic caster facing her right now was more far weaker than the recent adventurer she met on the other side where she came from.
She was right on moving here with her sister. there are more weakling here than in there. However, she doesn't know that they stumbled on the wrong ones.
As the fire flimsy fell on the ground in front of her, she can't avoid to laughed on her mind.
the fireball that the magic caster cast is as flimsy as hers. the fireball flickered and soon exploded in front of her.
she converted a lot of mana inside of that mana. It was only natural to explode in a short time. She make the fire more condense and heavy which more hard to maintain it in midair. Sera is not yet use to it since she just created that magic last year.
the lamia's face were half burned. she was now crying out of agony. her harsh voice echoed in the forest. Forest ran toward her and land an attack yet, the lamias' defense is not yet down she got a defense magic that is making her scales more tougher than before. not only the scales but also its skin itself.
Forest blade bounces of from its skin. the lamia flick her tail to send him from flying and forest manage to avoid her tail.
Sera raised her staff and set another batch of fire balls and threw it toward the lamia who was still in pain from the burning sensation.
Forest went charging as Sera prepare her multiple fireballs to set the lamia on fire. Forest strike her sword to the Lamia slender body and it went in the Lamia immediately grab Forest and threw him off somewhere so hard.
Sera ignored him as she threw the fireballs right in front of her face at the moment the lamia turned her face to Sera. she fell back on the ground. Sera took her short sword on her waist and let his mana flow in the blade making it on fire.
She jump through the mid air striking the lamia right in the throat.
She have killed the lamia. No Forest was able to weaken her from the blow on her back.
Sera took Forest fancy sword on her back and studied it for a second.
"What a fancy sword he got there. How much will it cost if we sell this?" She asked herself. She wiped the blood that is on the blade and look at where Forest is being thrown of.
the trees is fallen down wrecked so bad.
"OH Gosh. I hope he is alright." She exclaimed and run off towards the direction.
"I am human, I am not belong to this continent where you lead. Humans are now your enemy, and so I am. This may be the last time for us to see each other again, so… I wish you good luck on leading your country and your people… Reinhardt… or should I say, your majesty" A girl looked at his eyes. her eyes glistened due to the tears building up.
"I am going back to the Human continent as what your loyal dog had ever wish. Also let me give you this" Her step towards him closing the gap between them. She tip toed to reach his face. However, he is so tall.
"Can you lower your head for me?" She asked humbly with a smile. He obey with further question. As He lowered his head her lips meet his. She slowly opened her lips as she kiss him.
She slowly distance herself afterwards. Her mouths opens as it she says something inaudible to him.
"Forest!" Sera shouted as she tapped his cheeks.
"Oh my Goodness! You went blackout after taking the lamia's strike. You are fortunate enough not to have broken bones." Sera exclaimed to him. Forest slowly sat leaning on the tree behind him. looking around he is not on the place where he thrown off.
'Where are the three" he asked
"Oh they are in the lake. Gustave carried you here. He was so kind to help me carry you yet that man named Angus didn't bother helping me a hand… I did healed his wounds yet he is so ungrateful.' She ranted to him. She didn't realized that she was becoming casual over him.
"Are you thinking of something?"
'I dreamt of something that look like it happened before'
"HMMM? May be that is your past! A hint for you to find missing piece" she replied.
'Maybe that dream is not a hint or a clue to me' He said as he remember a piece of it on his mind making him avoid his glaze to Sera.
He wanted to ask her some question regarding to it and his other mind keep him from saying those words to her.
"Okay then. Take a rest and we will go again after having a lunch. So better ready yourself if you want to fight alongside with us."
"It's not that I don't trust you in your fighting skills, I am worried about your current state. Well I kind feel I pity you so, I feel responsible for taking you in to my custody… Ah. That word making me look like a young lady with a grown son. Weird right?" she laughed as she joked around to him and Forest didn't even laughed. Sera felt awkwardness at that moment her lips form into a thin line afterward.
"and I don not want someone like you die" she stopped after saying those words. " huh? that is weird. I don't really mind if you get killed. After all I'll be free if that happen... just kidding" She laughed awkwardly and look away.
As they finish their lunch beside the lake they carry on the quest. Sera did her part as she serve as support to them. Angus serve as their shield while Gustave and Lerida serve as attackers. Due to their camaraderie they went home earlier than they expecting. They encountered many lamia, young and grown up ones.
After the quest, sera got 9 silver and some coppers. After getting their share, Sera brought things for them for their ongoing journey in the future.