Despite Leonis telling Caleb and Elizabeth to stay, they decided to tag along anyway, hiding behind a bush to keep from being seen.
"So does this happen a lot Elizabeth?"
"Sorta b-but they don't usually attack when it's harvest season…this is strange…"
Caleb looked out at the bandits; a group of hooded figures standing beside what appeared to be a wooden wagon of some sort.
"Bandits! What are you doing in my village?! Leave at once!"
Leonis drew his shiny ornate white sword in front of him and pointed it towards the gang of hooded individuals threateningly.
"Bandits…? How insulting…"
The men took off their robes revealing their shiny purple armour that boar a crest on the left shoulder plate depicting a knife embedded into a skull.
"Mercenaries?! What are you doing here?!"
Leonis looked at the men dumbfounded.
"We are here for a boy. An outsider perhaps?"
Leonis clenched his fist looking down with hesitation. He knew they were asking for Caleb but why? What possible reason could mercenaries have to be going after a 14-year-old kid?
"Why do you think we have the boy you're looking for? And why are you looking for him in the first place?"
A sly grin appeared on the head mercenary's face he looked at Leonis with a cold psychotic stare.
"We were hired by an anonymous client, a cult from what we gather. They said they felt a disturbance of some sort or something to that effect and that the cause of it was this boy. My job isn't to ask questions as you know. So I'll make this simple hand over that boy and we'll leave here peacefully. If you refuse I will slaughter everyone in this town, one by one, starting with your family, until someone hands that boy over."
Caleb looked on in confusion as the two men argued back and forth with each other.
("Why would mercenaries want me?! It doesn't matter! I can't just let them kill everyone here because of me!")
Caleb stood up his legs shaking and trembling. He began walking over to the two men when he felt a hand tug on his arm stopping him in his tracks.
"N-no Caleb please don't go! M-my father will beat them! You still have to find your friend remember! You can't die!"
Elizabeth looked up at Caleb teary-eyed begging and pleading for him not to turn himself in but, it was no use Caleb's mind was made.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let them just kill your family and the village, like that!"
Caleb walked out from the bushes and directly in front of the mercenaries. He stood defiantly in front of the mercenaries, stoic and courageous on the inside but filled with anxiety and fear on the inside.
"I-I think I'm the boy you're looking for!"
"He seems to match the description, chain him up and put him in the back of the cart."
"I'm sorry I'm not going to let you do that…"
Leonis pressed his sword against the neck of the head mercenary looking him directly in the eyes with a hateful and protective expression.
"...I believe I have explained the consequences for not handing over the boy…even if you kill me I have 20 men waiting to be paid here…So I wouldn't try my luck if I were you..."
"I'm not going to let you take the boy or hurt anyone in this village bastards!"
"Hmph...So be it…"
The mercenary unsheathed a large fang shaped dagger that had a black, wooden curved handle; on top of which was a shiny, blackened metal blade that was decorated with numerous engravings and symbols. the symbols seemed to emanate some sort of neon purple mist that swirled around the dagger.
"Get read old man!"
The mercenary pushed Caleb out of the way and steadied himself, preparing to strike.
"Haaaah!"
The Mercenary lunged directly at Leonis with incredible speed releasing a flurry of swings and stabs which, Leonis blocked with his white, ornate, metal shield which extended all the way from his torso down to his lower extremities, tapering off at his feet.
"You're going to regret this you mercenary bastard!"
Leonis' sword lit up with a white sparkly glow as he charged directly at the mercenary. His weapon extended out in front of him like a spear. Unable to completely block the attack the mercenary was thrown backwards by the force of the heavy strike. His right hip was grazed by the sword drawing a small amount of blood as it pierced through his side armour.
"Gagh…Everyone get behind me…We're going to burn this damned =village to the ground and slaughter everyone in it…!"
The mercenaries all drew their daggers in unison and charged at the Guild members. The Guild members formed a shield wall to block the impending attack.
"Get behind us, Caleb!"
Caleb dashed for the safety of the shield wall but, as he was running, he felt an arm grab his hand forcefully pulling him back.
"You're coming with us!"
Just as the man was pulling Caleb back something caught Caleb's eye in the back of the wagon. A girl struggling to free herself from a rope. Her screams were muffled by a cloth that was tied around her mouth she looked as if she was trying to get Caleb's attention.
("Is that…Lizzy!?")
"Li.."
Before Caleb could shout out to Lizzy, he was brought to his knees by a dull yet excruciating pain that spread around his torso. The Mercenary had kneed him directly in the gut.
"Scream louder and I'll cut your tongue out!"
The mercenary put his dagger right up to Caleb's throat inches away from his vital arteries. Caleb could feel the purple mist emanating off the dagger, biting at his neck like a cloud of acid.
"L-let go of him!"
Caleb turned his head to see Elizabeth barely managing to grip a sword, holding it out directly in front of her pointed at the mercenary. Her hands shook as tears filled her eyes.
"How pathetic…"
The mercenary drew his dagger back and with one hard strike, the sword Elizabeth was holding flew backwards out of her hands, landing behind her with a thud.
"N-No…"
Elizabeth fell to her knees defeated. Looking up at the mercenary trembling with fear. The mercenary drew his sword back and looked at Elizabeth with a psychotic grin on his face. she winced awaiting the strike.
"No! please!"
Caleb shouted out but it was no use…He closed his eyes unable to watch the horror that was about to unfold.
*CLANG*
A loud metallic clang reverberated through the ground into the air it was deafening, like a cupboard full of plates being tossed down a hill. Caleb slowly opened his eyes to see what carnage had unfolded.
"Aegio!"
Caleb was relieved to see that Aegio had rushed in with a short sword and managed to divert the attack, however, unfortunately, the short sword, he was using had been rendered useless by the strike, snapped clean in half.
Elizabeth tried to sprint back to the village but she was tripped up by a branch causing her to fall in a heap behind Aegio she cowered behind him in utter terror, tears streaming down her face.
"I will not allow you to hurt Elizabeth!"
Aegio spread out his arms protecting Elizabeth with his whole body not allowing an inch of her to come to harm.
"Oh well... it'll be you instead then!"
The purple mist grew around the mercenary's dagger and the blade started to glow the same neon shade of purple that the mist around it did. The mercenary drew the dagger back preparing to strike.
("I c-can't let him die like this. I can't just sit back and do nothing while he dies…No…I won't sit back and do nothing!")
Caleb frantically looked around for a weapon or, something to use against the mercenary but, the only thing in sight was a small wooden shield used for training, nevertheless, Caleb was determined to save Aegio, so he grabbed the shield as fast as he could and dashed in front of the mercenary raising the small wooden shield in front of him.
("There's no way that tinsy thing will survive the strike…which means…neither will I…")
"RUN!"
Caleb shouted out to Aegio and Elizabeth, he closed his eyes awaiting his demise. As he waited for the strike, Caleb noticed a growing…feeling inside of him it was as if something had awakened inside of him like there was this energy waiting to be released he felt it coursing through every fibre of his being. Suddenly Caleb opened his eyes staring directly at the mercenary his eyes glowing a soft white. In front of a shield, there appeared a neon green bubble glowing and sparkling in front of Caleb.
"HYAAA"
The Mercenary swung at Caleb with all of his might his dagger making a trail of sparkly purple light as it flashed through the air.
("Is this it Am I going to die?!!")
The dagger slammed into the shield with a loud Clang that rang through the air. White sparks exploded out of the sword as it put all of its energy into the shield. Leonis turned to see what had caused the ear-piercing noise.
"W-what the?!"
The mercenary's dagger had shattered into shards after coming into contact with the glowing green shield. Using the moment of confusion to his advantage Leonis lunged at the lead mercenary whose attention was diverted. Leonis slashed a gash across the mercenary's right side. The lead mercenary's armour broke apart and fell to the floor.
"You...BASTARD! fall back!"
The mercenaries no longer blinded by their arrogance realised they were outmatched and retreated as the guild members gave chase.
"N-No Lizzy!"
Caleb sprinted as fast as he could after the mercenaries' carriage, however, his legs soon gave way and his vision faded to black….Caleb fell to the floor with a thud completely unconscious.