The mysterious figure that interrupted saved Bave's life or at least spared him another minute to take his goodbyes. One could never tell whether an action was good or bad, not until time has shown its discourse. That also was valid for when someone saved a life.
The young hunter, however, was senseless. He didn't even register that someone got in the way of him getting heart-stabbed.
Bave was curled in the muddy puddle and the rain kept whipping his body. Every raindrop that drummed against him felt painful. His nerves were being torn and it was that much he could take. The man passed out from the agony.
His savior was intimidating.
Whether it was because of the rare sight to see the ancient-old 'Golden Snake' spell or because the other sorcerer was tired from the fight, the aqua-eyed stranger attempted to run.
Alas, 'Golden Snake' once cast was merciless. Faithful to its name, the amber stripes attacked the mage from behind. The first whip tripped him over onto the mud, the second tore his mantle from behind as the speed of the stripe slashed through his back.
His cries were loud but the battlefield was louder. His pleas were canceled by the nearby fighting on the other side of the border gates. No one would help him. No one would know his end.
Another whip punctured straight through his lungs from behind. The brutal sound of flesh ripping and bones cracking was also canceled from the noisy surroundings. However, the visuals of it could only make one imagine the torturous way the man met his end.
Punctured lungs did not cause instant death but kept the victim choke on his own blood whilst his lungs were filling with the crimson fluid. Drowning in one's blood!
The golden stripe swirled around, still half-inside the mage's lung, and threw the body to the side. The sorcerer crashed into one of the carriages and dropped to the muddy end of his.
The 'Golden Snake' completed its mission and dust-like particles formed as if one flicked a butterfly and watched its wings dust tremble in the air.
The golden shower made the storm look beautiful. The water and raindrops reflected the gorgeous light from the particles and made everything seem serene. The golden dust did not ignore Bave's unconscious body. It gently fell upon his figure, melting like snowflakes on one's rouge cheeks in winter.
The hunter was spared but was he safe?
Slowly approaching steps led the elegant figure to the man. The clothing was minimalistic – white mantle stained from the hems by the muddy arena. A single red-colored emblem spread wide across the figure's clothing back.
The symbol looked ancient, like one of these Nordic tribes' runes. However, it did not follow any of their alphabetical symbols. It looked more ancient that these runes.
The stranger finally took the hood off and silky golden-colored hair spilled like smooth rivers upon her shoulders from the improvised bun that was held in place by nothing but the sheer rolling of hair folds. Her hair was long, reaching down to her lower back.
Long hair usually made the person look a lot shorter but even with that length, she looked tall. One could only wonder how long her legs were? Her pale skin felt the gentle tickle of the golden dust that continued to fall whilst her honey-colored eyes stared down at the hunter.
Her attention briefly returned to their surroundings. She noticed all the carriages aborted from leaving that single spot. The young hunter had carried out all he intended to do. He stopped the Nominalia from getting smuggled even if it cost him his life. Was he loyal to his client? Or did he love Balhkara that much?
The woman did not know, nor wished to know. Her eyes seemed gentle but that was just because of the warmth the honey color decorated them with.
There was no liveliness in them. Her face also was expressionless – one would never mistake it for one of a housewife. Rather, she intimidated with her warrior-like stare.
Voided off of feminine gentleness and filled with masculine rage. Nothing about her was lady-like except for her beautiful figure and mesmerizing facial features.
She moved away from where Bave was laying. Her footsteps drew a path behind her as she headed back to Balhkaran lands.
Once she was to cross the gates, she would engage in another battle. The last few steps were hesitant. She glanced briefly over her shoulder to look at Bave before the hood hid her dull expression once more.
The golden dust soon disappeared as its master was no longer there. Bave was left in the monotonous darkness, rain washing over his body. He was still alive. He was spared, rather, given another chance.
The nearby carriage that was on fire kept the dim light gentle, outlining silhouettes in the dark. All carriages were either toppled down or broken in two. The hunter's body was just a few meters away from the sorcerer's corpse.
If it weren't for that woman, Bave would be just another lifeless shell laying in the rain. Thankfully his savior made it in time. However, it did not mean he was spared of the agony. His arm was still under the spell of that man.
Thin strings glowed in a pulsating rhythm under his skin, keeping his body immobilized. If it wasn't for him losing consciousness, it could actually make him go into shock. His nerve-endings were snapped.
The battlefield echoed from beyond the gates of Vlarik. Metal clashes and wood cracks, one could even detect horses squealing and crying. Whoever was fighting that battle, he made no plans to lose. The offense was fierce and intimidating.
The darkness shaded the corpses of royal guards and Erman hunters and several royal-bred horses. The export-import transaction was stopped from both sides – Balhkaran and Vlarikian.
Kal and Koh also betrayed the expectations not. The lack of captainship did not mean they would disappoint Bave. They were sure he was giving his all behind these huge gates even when they saw the several flashes of aqua and then golden light. The men were worried but there were things put on the line.
Their ranks, their lives, and the future of Balhkara. That book was important. They did not know how and why. For all that it mattered, it could be just another lore they risked their lives for. However, if rumors were true and what the discussed back in 'Tava', the tavern where Jena worked at, the Nominalia had to be preserved.
The two hunters assisted the mysterious attackers and sword-fought other hunters and guards. The melee was neatly tucked in the folds of the night but what Kal and Koh witnessed then and there changed their opinion about the concept of magic. It was no lore!
The battle slowly accelerated from melee to some lore-like war.
There were sorcerers that started shooting thunder-like orbits to back up the royal guards and annihilate the archers. The mages were hardly distinguishable as they also wore guard uniforms and besides, it was dark!
One couldn't even tell who was a magic-less guard and who was an actual mage. The disguise worked as one would never expect a guard suddenly revealing his witchcraft skills. That sounded like some folklore story rather than an actual battle.
Whoever organized this export mission knew very well that there could be a need for mages. Why else would guards suddenly shoot light balls around?! The army doesn't teach witchcraft as far as Kal and Koh knew.
The nasty fight continued for about three hours after Bave lost consciousness. If he could witness what Kal and Koh saw that night, he would probably also reevaluate his concept of the world surrounding them. It has been ten years or so since the guild has been formed but the men had never encountered such madness.
Smoke, corpses, flashing lights that disappear and reappear, foreign murmurs and chants, a shower of arrows, and agonized cries were engraved in the hunters' memory. And of course, the golden dance of the light that brought torturous serenity to the battlefield. They could never forget the brutal beauty of it.
Even when the morning sun arose, the sun god himself would never imagine the horror that happened. "Horror", it was probably the tip of the iceberg but for first-timers, Kal and Koh couldn't really grasp the whole thing.
They were blankly staring at the sunrise through a small window frame from the wooden carriage, slightly tilting their bodies from left to right whilst sitting inside the carriage that hopped faintly so because of the rocky path through the forest. They have left the battlefield behind.
The men were completely mind-blown. Moreover, they were also forced to make a decision right after such irrational rollercoaster and travel with the mysterious group of archers. Once the battle was won by the ambushers, Kal and Koh were not attacked. Instead, they negotiated.
Everything felt like a dream.
Kal was second in command but the decision this time also involved Koh's agreement. These archers were not to be trusted. However, they claimed that the hunters' captain needed urgent attention or he might never be able to hold a sword in his life again.
Kal and Koh knew that Bave loved his job, he was a workaholic. He knew nothing but his job as a hunter. So, having to take that from him – it might as well kill him.
Therefore, they agreed to let the archers retrieve the Nominalia and in return, the archers would offer them medical help.
After they gathered all that was needed from the battlefield, which also meant some dry hay, and also picked the hunters' horses, the whole newly formed group departed.
The hunters now were staring at their unconscious captain who was laid carefully on the carriage, wooden floor, covered by sheep leather. It kept his body warm after soaking for hours in that cold rainwater. It would be a pure battle of will for him to recover completely but Kal and Koh did not want to refuse the help.
If they were to ask the Association Hunters Bar for help, there might be two outcomes. For one, Bave would be taken in by some experienced, but no sorcerer, doctor to tell him it was pointless and he had to give up his sword.
Or all three of them would face the death row for engaging in a fight with other hunters and royal guards, ambushing the economic trade between Balhkara and Erma. Besides, their king was an Erman! What would become of them then?! Another possibility was to be accused that they conspired against the king!
There wasn't much to choose from.
Therefore, they decided to risk it all. If they were in danger, they would die to protect their captain. It was the reason why they refused leaving him alone in another, separate carriage. What if they killed Bave in his defenseless state?!
Kal and Koh would rather die than live in regrets that their naivety caused Bave's demise.
It was true that the current destination of theirs was questionable and that the Nominalia was not in their hands but the hunters cursed it all to the hell if Bave was not going home to Udeos with them this time.
Curse it all to hell if they had to let the Baht family hear bad news. The hunters were ready to sacrifice their ranks and lives for Baht Ver.