Seran lifted his shirt, only slightly damp now, over his head and put it on. He took a large breath of air as he looked back at Brenda, who had her jaw dropped and was visibly shaking. He could instantly tell that silence was the best thing for this moment.
After a few moments had passed, Seran sighed as he patted his shirt and pants down to make sure they were plenty dry. "This is why slaves don't tell the stories of their pasts. Most of our stories are bleak and depressing to our masters. No one wants to hear of Elves' pain." Seran moved over to Brenda and held out his hand to her, "Shall we retur---"
Seran was interrupted as Brenda took his hand and thrust herself into his chest in an embrace. Seran stood motionless and shaking as Brenda continued to hug him while sniffling. Brenda continued to hold Seran for a solid minute before staring up at him, and as she did, she felt his rough and damaged skin through his shirt. She brushed her fingers along the rigid scars on his back with a tender gentleness as if she was painting a canvas with utmost delicate strokes.
"Seran. It's okay to hug me back." Brenda said in a sniffling tone as she felt how stiff he was being, "No one will know."
"I—I—" Seran went to say but Brenda moved his arms around her within an instant. His heart began beating faster and faster as he felt the warmth of her body against his, and he slowly lowered his head to rest it on top of hers while strengthening the hold around her. For the first time, he was holding someone other than family, and it was none other than his human master—Seran still couldn't believe this was happening, but he allowed himself to be drawn into the moment.
Brenda became overwhelmed with multiple sensations as she embraced Seran tightly, and it was as if she finally felt bliss. While her heart was in twain with her feelings towards Seran's past, her heartfelt need to comfort him, to soothe his soul in the ways she knew how. She knew that what she was doing would put Seran in a difficult spot with himself, and it was certainly something that no one should ever see or even discuss because it would be the end of the elven boy who allowed her to experience his heart—his tortured heart.
As he laid his head upon her shoulder, a sigh of relief overcame her. She began to move her hand up and down his back again, and the touch of his skin felt like roughened stone but with tenderness as her fingers glided across it. As she gazed up at his neck, his skin shimmered in the moonlight like a dazzling star in the same night sky that rested above their heads and the world.
They stood still for a few moments in what seemed to be an endless bliss before Seran chose to take a step back. He smiled towards her and nodded in thanks, to which she responded with a similar smile. He walked over to his gear and picked it up before heading over to the boar, whose blood was still oozing from the corpse.
Seran turned to Brenda, gulped slowly, and raised his head confidently. He took a deep breath as he reached down and grabbed the tusk of the boar, and for some reason, the boar seemed lighter than before. "Shall we depart, Brenda?" Seran asked before taking another deep breath and tugging the boar to move it forward.
"Yes," Brenda said as she brushed herself off while standing up. She held out her right hand towards the sky, allowing the mana to overflow her hand as he said loudly, "Discover." The mana surrounding her hand shot outward in a beam of light as it began to draw a map in front of her eyes, and once the map was finished, the mana soon faded to just her forefinger as it began to trickle into the map.
As they began to walk forward towards the forest, the map instantly began to flash red in front of her, and she let out a gasp that alerted Seran. He dropped the boar and readied his sword as he ran up to her with a face of severe concern. He could tell that the red on the map was a bad sign from the last encounter, so this time he made sure to be ready as the map revealed an entity on the edge of the forest.
"This isn't good. This symbol--" Brenda's mouth dropped open as she pointed and identified that the map had drawn a triangle-shaped symbol near the edge of the forest, "That's the symbol of a person." She turned to Seran with a fear of worry in her eyes, "We were being watched."
Seran's face turned even paler than before as his eyes began to widen. The fear behind his eyes was more than enough to express that he knew that this could be his end, but before he could say anything, Brenda took a step forward. Seran went out to stop her by reaching his hand out, but he pulled it back in resistance and fear for his life.
"Who goes there?!" Brenda shouted as she pointed in the direction of the forest, and as she shouted, Seran saw that she was trembling greatly despite her confident voice, "It's no use hiding! I already know you are there!"
To both of their surprise, a shrouded figure instantly stepped out from the underbrush and began walking towards them slowly. The figure was wearing what seemed to be a dark hooded cloak, equipped with a longbow slung around the figure's shoulder and a belt that held a quiver on the right-hand side. As the figure continued to walk forward slowly, Seran stepped in front of Brenda with his sword pointed at the figure.
"That's enough," Seran said as the figure got within a few meters of the pair, and Seran's eyes flashed with a sort of passion to protect the master that propelled him into action. He turned back to Brenda with trembling eyes, "I will protect you, Brenda. I swore on my life." He then turned back to the figure with a fierce gaze, "Reveal yourself!"
"Well, I liked it better when you two weren't predictable." The figure said with a masculine voice in a sort of chortle, "I couldn't help but notice you two earlier by the water. I must say, it's interesting to see an elf and human so close."
"Who are you?" Brenda asked softly as she stepped forward, but Seran put up his hand to block her path. She looked at Seran with calmer eyes and placed her hand on his, pushing down slightly to have him lower his hand. "If this person was a threat, he would have attacked with that bow."
"I wouldn't dismiss me just yet." The figure said coyly as he folded his arms across its torso. "I need you to answer me a few questions before I verify if I will choose to be a threat to you or not. After all, an archer doesn't do that well at close range, so I bring myself at a disadvantage."
"Speak your question to Miss Brenda," Seran said to the figure with a stern tone of voice and intent gaze on the figure's hood.
"Quite scary of a guard dog, you have, Miss Brenda." The figure said in a mocking tone as he held up its hands in defense. After a moment of silence following the mocking, the figure lowered its hands to the position from before and cleared its throat, "Very well. Before I ask my questions, I am going to do something quickly, so please do not be alarmed." The figure reached for his quiver, and Seran immediately took a step forward.
"What did I just say?" The figure said as he held up its hands again with an irritated tone in his voice. With a huff of a sigh, the figure spoke again, "Will you calm down for a moment, since clearly, I am the one at disadvantage here?"
"Seran." Brenda said sternly, "It's okay. Let him do as they wish."
"Why, thank you." The figure turned and bowed again in a mocking manner before reaching into the quiver again. After feeling around the quiver for a moment, he pulled out a single iron-tipped arrow that was covered in markings of various shapes and symbols. In a hasty move, the figure stuck the arrow in the ground and said, "Actis."
Instantly, the arrow's markings lit up light blue and mana began drawing into the arrow from the surrounding air. After a second after the activation, the markings on the arrow began to pulsate, and the mana exploded forth from the arrow in a shower of lightning bolts that struck places in the air before forming a light blue sphere that surrounded the three of them. The lightning bolts stopped becoming produced from the arrow as the pulsating began to die down, leaving the symbols alight with the markings becoming a glowing cyan.
"This is—" Brenda looked at the sphere around her in amazement. She couldn't believe that this could have been formed so quickly. Brenda's eyes darted back to Seran, and she grabbed his shoulder before turning him to look at her. "Seran, whatever you do, do not lie."
"Oh?!" The figure began clapping his leather-wrapped hands as it took a step forward towards them, "You knew the spell from the sight alone? Impressive. Care to explain it to him?"
"I have seen this spell one time before. It's a tier 2 spell called Zon Trauthis. In the range of this spell, you mustn't lie, or you will lose your ability to speak for an entire day." Brenda said in caution before turning to a tone of amazement, "But I've never seen it activated this quickly without a full incantation."
"I assure you that the full incantation is involved, but I don't need to speak it." The figure said as it folded his arms in front of him. He stood still with an aura of looming intimidation about him, but the figure then pointed towards Brenda. "Answer my questions, and I'll spare your life. This spell is proof of this oath. Do you object, and trust me, it would be very disadvantageous of you to do so."
Brenda took a step forward again, to Seran's dismay, but she held up her hand to Seran as she walked past him. "Of course," Brenda said with a smile, "but I normally do not answer questions to someone who hides his face."
"Heh." The figure said with a softened tone. "Then, allow me one question before I reveal my face to you." The figure pointed now to Seran with his right hand as the figure's hood faced Brenda, "I saw what transpired in the river. This elf has now quite the secret to hold, and now, if this secret got out, he will most surely be put to death. So, my question is this," The figure stalled for a moment to look between the two of them slowly, "How invaluable is this pitiful and utmost disgraceful elf servant to you that you'd condemn him to instant death? Seriously, what kind of master are you to put him in that situation?"
Brenda stood still with widened eyes, almost trembling as she looked over to Seran, who stared back at her with a defeated and hopeless look on his face—it was almost as if he had already begun dying in this very moment. Brenda understood his look since this hooded man has seen everything, including the two together in the water, and she was unsure of who this person was; however, she knew that if he was able to share that secret with her father, there would be no doubt that Seran would not be spared. She swallowed hard as she focused on her next words as a look of resolve formed in her eyes.
"Seran, like every other elf, deserves more than this world has given them. Despite the hardships they all face, they are people like humans too, and no matter what separates us or the circumstances that bind them to us, I will never view Seran as a servant, but as my friend. Just like Meriah, Reau, and Nadia." Brenda said with a passionate tone and pain in her voice. She took a deep breath and shouted, "To me, humans are the most pitiful and utmost disgraceful beings in this world!"
Seran looked towards Brenda with a dropped jaw as the figure's arms fell from their rested crossed pose. A small laugh came from the figure as he raised his hands to his hood, and as he pushed back the layer of cloth, a flash of white came from his head as the moonlight reflected off of his short and messily cut silver hair and ghostly white skin. He looked around the age of twenty, and his green eyes matched the lush forest around them all, but the most shocking thing was the single notch in his pointed ears.
"Y-You are—" Brenda gasped as she looked upon the figure and shook her head in disbelief.
"An elf, yes." The elven man said with a straight face.
Seran dropped his aggressive stance towards the figure as Brenda vocalized his inner thoughts aloud. He turned the Brenda with an expression of shock and confusion, and then he turned back to the figure in front of him. Seran could only watch as the elven man smiled towards the two of them before turning to a serious gaze.
"Having my answer, I am happy to fill my end of the bargain." The elven man said with a gaze that fell intently on Brenda, and this gaze sent a chill down her spine. The elven man cleared his throat as he continued to stare down Brenda with his eyes like sharpened daggers, "Now, I have another question, and I assume that you are satisfied to answer willingly now. Depending on the answer to this question, I will either give you insight or death." The figure got his bow off his shoulder and an arrow from his quiver and then nocked the arrow without moving his eyes from Brenda. "What do you plan to do this slave of yours when you get back to your encampment, or rather, are you leading him to his death?"
"Now, watch you toun—" Seran went to say before Brenda held up her hand again. She shook her head at Seran, who shot her a worried gaze. She was giving Seran a look of calmness and control, but her resolve never seemed higher.
"He trusted us this far, Seran," Brenda said as she took a step forward towards the figure, who moved his bow up to her head level. She held her hand to her heart as she spoke clearly, "I was planning to get back to my mother and father along with the other elves, so that I may only talk about the hunt. Seran is not in danger with me by his side, and I do not wish to endanger his life by telling of what happened in this field to anyone. Mother and father will never learn of this, and I intend to keep it that way."
The elven man lowered his bow with a smile, "Well, I am genuinely happy you feel that way. It is a shame that many other humans would extort their slaves like that, and I've seen it many times." The elven man put his bow on his back and reached forward to grab the arrow in the ground. Pulling swiftly on the end of the arrow, the arrow shattered into multiple pieces, and the magical sphere around them dissipated in a matter of seconds as it cracked and shattered like glass.
"What are you going to do with us now?" Brenda asked as her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground.
"Please, Miss Brenda. Lend me your hand, and I'll help you stand." Seran instantly rushed over to her side while his eyes still on the elven man in a cautious gaze. Brenda took his hand and stood back up; her eyes falling on the elven man as well, in a less cautious gaze, but more of an expecting gaze.
"Heh." The elven man chuckled as he crossed his arms again, "Well, I did say that I'd give you insight, so," The elven man pointed back towards the direction of the camp that the Harenharts were resting, "I wouldn't recommend going back. I'd run away if I were you two."
Brenda's eyes widened as she knew where the man was pointing, as she instantly became animated by lurching forward, despite Seran's attempt to hold her up and steady. "What are you saying?! Why should we run away? Do my parents know?"
"That's not the case." The elven man shook his head as he began to pace back and forth, "The encampment is going to be attacked, and I'd rather you two not be there."
"What did you just say!?" Seran shouted, now lurching forward as Brenda developed a look of severe shock and confusion on her face. "Don't joke about such matters! Any group would be foolish to attack Duke Harenhart."
"That was my initial thoughts too; however, this isn't just an average group of thieves. We are rather," The elven man sighed as he reached down to his quiver to stroke a random arrow, "Skilled."
"So, you lot plan on attacking two members of the Raugan Escapade?" Seran scoffed and looked at the man with angered confusion, "Even, I know what happened there. My former master used to revel in telling us the horror stories for the fun of it." Seran raised his sword again towards the elven man, "Tell me why you are going to such lengths before I fight you in their name?"
The elven man turned towards the encampment and began walking away from the two of them as he sighed again, "I don't want to harm either of you. The girl is genuine, and you are an elf-like myself, so I—"
The elven man was interrupted as Seran rushed towards the man with his sword readied. Seran, in a quick slashing motion, aimed towards the elven man's back, but the elven man dodged swiftly to the side before the blade could contact his head. In the same swift motion, the elven man kicked his left leg out towards Seran's right kneecap, tripping the boy forward as the elven man's other leg wrapped around Seran's neck. The next thing Seran was seeing was the Elven man sitting on top of him, having his bow drawn and an arrow resting between the man's fingers a few inches before Seran's eyes.
"Seran!" Brenda shouted as she watched the man topple her retainer to the ground in a blink of an eye. This elven man seemed more than able to hold himself in a fight or even handle himself when his back when turned. She couldn't believe that Seran was taken down that quickly.
"I don't want to fight you." The elven man said in a disappointed tone as he slowly drew forward the bow, relaxing the arrow as he threw it back into the quiver. His knee, which was resting on Seran's neck, was gently removed as the figure stood back up and cleared his throat. "Now, you can either heed my warning or do your best to survive. I don't know when they will strike, but I know that everyone in that camp will die.
"Why…" Seran said coarsely as he rubbed his throat from the soreness of being pressed on, "Why are you telling us this?"
"Because I want to at least save someone innocent tonight. Never been one for punishing the not guilty." The elven man said as he began to walk away towards the forest. "Now, this meeting didn't happen."
"Wait!" Brenda shouted after the elven man, who in response didn't turn around but kept walking instead. Seeing this, Brenda shouted again, "Just who are you?!"
The elven man put up his hand saying loudly, "A free elf." Instantly, the elf grabbed an arrow from his quiver and chucked it at the ground, and a bright light flashed at his location. As the light dissipated, the elven man was gone, leaving Brenda and Seran alone in the field once more.
Seran walked back to Brenda with a frown on his face as he sheathed his blade. He knelt in front of her as he hung his head and sighed greatly. "I am sorry, Brenda," Seran said solemnly, "I have failed to uphold my—"
Brenda interrupted Seran as she hugged him, but this time Seran wasn't too surprised by the hug. Brenda smiled as she looked Seran in the eyes and said, "Seran, I am just glad you are alright. Let's get back, okay?"
Seran smiled back as he gently pushed her back so he could grab the boar's tusks once again. He looked back at her with hope in his eyes as he began to pull the boar along, "I am happy that encounter went as it did."
"I am happy as well." Brenda said with a sigh of relief.
Seran raised an eyebrow towards Brenda in a look of confusion, "You know, for someone who was just told that we are about to be attacked, you look rather calm."
"I'm sorry." Brenda laughed innocently, "I can't imagine anyone stronger than my parents, to be honest." Brenda looked skyward towards the moons, "I'd be very surprised if they were unable to handle it." Brenda then pointed towards Seran's sword, "My father briefly taught me how to use a sword, and my mother taught me some of her magic, so I know how capable they can be."
"You know how to use a blade?!" Seran's eyes widened as he shook his head as he began looking over Brenda's physique.
Brenda pouted hearing this, "Just because I look frail doesn't mean that I can't be dangerous!" She then looked away coyly, "I just never got the best handle of it, that's all."
"Of course, Brenda." Seran jestingly smiled back towards her, "I'm not too surprised by their potential abilities or your own." Seran's face then shifted to a more curious, yet concerned look, "Although I am surprised about 'him'."
"What do you mean?" Brenda said as she began walking alongside him with her hands behind her back.
"A free elf should be impossible." Seran said with a puzzled look, "If the contract is broken, our lives are forfeit, or—" Seran looked towards Brenda with an intrigued look, "at least, that's what I thought and was taught to believe.
"So, if your contract is broken, you die?" Brenda's jaw dropped in shock, "That's horrible."
"Supposedly, Brenda." Seran said with a frown, "Although, life and death are just two certain things in this world, and that goes for everyone. It's just easier for elves to pay that price earlier on."
"Well, is it bad to say that I want you to have a long life, Seran?" Brenda said with sorrowful eyes.
"As long as I am with you, Brenda, I would be fine living with a life like this," Seran said with a soft smile.
"I will do my best to have you by my side then," Brenda said with a giggle as she leaned on his shoulder while they continued to walk towards the camp.