In a single leap, Noir elevated himself to the entrance of the cave, where he saw exactly what he expected.
The Mage—who was already frightened for his life—was holding the young lady captive. He had a knife near her throat, but his hands were shaking nervously.
"D-don't come any closer… or I'll k-kill her!" He threatened sharply.
The desperate man's bloodshot eyes told Noir that he meant what he said. However, his words remained ineffective.
"With what?" A question rang forth.
The Mage looked at his hand the moment a sharp sensation coursed through it, discovering he was no longer holding his knife.
Rather… He had no hand to wield anything. Noir had cleanly cut off everything from his wrist upward.
"A-ah…. Ah…"
At that moment, there was only one thing the Mage could do.
"Arghhhh!!!"
Tears rolled down from the man's eyes as an agonizing scream pierced the air. Drool drooped from his mouth and mucus flowed from his nose as he sobbed.
A hateful, fearful, powerless glare was sent to Noir as he used his other hand to hold onto the severed, bleeding one.
Blood splurged out of it, spraying on the young lady who sat—paralyzed from the recent events and bloodshed.
"P-Please… s-spare me… please…" The Mage begged.
His body trembled as he finally acknowledged the enemy's superiority.
Noir calmly kept his gaze, as the mage knelt before him—pleading for his life. Here was another who asked for his help, and for his mercy.
The natural course of action would be to kill him and get things over with. However…
"Sure." Noir said as he snapped his fingers, causing the mage to immediately collapse.
He wasn't dead. Just unconscious.
"All done…" Noir said, as he looked around to confirm he had completely wiped out the enemy forces.
"Now, then. Young lady…"
He looked at the girl who shivered and refused to look at her benefactor.
He could tell that she had never experienced anything even remotely comparable to this and that she would be scarred for life. But all of that was irrelevant now.
He was yet fulfilled the request made to him by the maid.
"You should rest as well. When you wake up, you'll feel better." Noir's cold tone echoed as he snapped his fingers.
Just like the Mage, Ciara also drifted into unconsciousness.
*
*
*
Ciara was covered in darkness.
She replayed all the events that had unfolded that day in her mind. It seemed she was regaining consciousness, but as of that moment she was still asleep.
She didn't want to wake up… Not to the nightmare that was waiting for her.
For the first time since her birth she had experienced bloodshed, she had experienced indescribable pain and fear. She was nearly raped… Until 'HE' showed up.
Till the final moment she had prayed within herself, she had silently hoped that someone would come to her rescue.
She was powerless, she could only wish for a knight in shiny armor to come to her aid… But that was not the case.
A knight did arrive, but it was a dark knight of terror, who filled the entire room with blood and despair.
Even though it seemed he had been fighting her enemies, Ciara was just as terrified as anyone else in the room.
The way he effortlessly killed the men, the expressionless face and cold gaze he had while blood stained him… she could not comprehend it.
"Am I next?" Was all that was going on in her mind as the bloodshed continued.
Before she knew it, it was all over, and the Dark Knight approached her. He said some words which she could not make out.
She could not move, and she definitely did not want to meet his gaze… She was petrified… And then she fell unconscious.
What had happened after that, Ciara didn't know. But, she would soon find out.
*
*
*
"Uh, Urgh…" Ciara let out waking noises as she awoke from her slumber.
It was dark, it was cold… then it started getting brighter and then warmer.
"Young Miss… You're awake" Ciara's handmaiden rushed to her side.
"Uh… Lorna, what is going on? Where am I?"
Lorna, her handmaiden—a young woman in her mid-twenties, and one who had been a maid to Ciara since she was a child. She rose to the position of her Personal Handmaiden in the later years, and never left her side.
This same woman now smiled at the young miss with teary eyes.
"It's alright Milady… You're in the carriage. It had a renovation to accommodate you lying down in it." Lorna answered her.
Ciara observed that the carriage looked wider than before, while it was not as huge as it was.
She looked at the glowing white orbs floating around her and was curious.
"Oh, They are [White Light]. A tier 1 magic spell that provides illumination and considerable warmth." Lorna promptly answered her, as though reading her mind.
"That's good… what happened…? The last thing I remember is…" Ciara said slowly.
"Don't worry about all that Milady, all that matters now is that you are well. Please rest and regain your strength.
We will discuss at length when you have had sufficient rest." Lorna softly replied.
"A-am I safe? Is it all over?"
Ciara suddenly started sobbing, and her voice choked.
Tears rolled down her eyes as she recounted her experiences… They were too painful.
"You are safe young miss… You're safe now." Lorna patted her and stayed by her side, as Ciara slowly drifted back to sleep.
Lorna exited the carriage, which now resembled a portable room exclusive to Ciara, and she closed the door gently.
"So how is the Young miss?" An older-looking man asked Lorna.
He was none other than the Mage who served as Ciara's escort, and he was currently seated beside a campfire.
The burning pile of flames, and gentle smoke, lit up the forest area where they currently stayed.
He gestured to Lorna to also sit beside the fire for warmth and comfort, which she gladly did.
"She is a little shaken up as regards the incident, but she just needs more rest. By the way, how are you feeling Sir Galand?" Lorna asked the older man who appeared to be in his late fifties.
"Don't you worry about me… Thanks to Sir Noir's Healing magic, and the Young miss's retrieval I'm as healthy as a young chap." Galand gave a silly smile.
Lorna knew he was just trying to be cheerful to hide a deep-seated pain in his heart. After all, she was the same.
"You really shouldn't bother with this old fool, who failed in his duty and could not do a single thing to those attackers…"
A sad and heavy vibe began permeating the surroundings. The young maid realized this and hurriedly attempted to raise both their spirits.
"D-don't be too hard on yourself! Even the Captain was no match for them."
Her feeble attempt didn't really help, but at least she gave her best.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lorna… I really appreciate it." Galand gave a weak smile, at least acknowledging the lady's efforts at consolation.
"I'm back" Noir's voice suddenly echoed.
"HIEEE!!!"
His abrupt appearance from the shadows startled both the maid and Mage, who were conversing.
After a few seconds of pulling themselves together, the two shocked fellows finally fell at ease.
"Whew… you startled me" Lorna murmured with a sigh of relief.
She glanced at the young man, now donning a clean apparel, and a refreshed look.
His eyes were still distant, though. Too distant to fathom.