"Is this all?" I tighten the rope of the wagon.
A lot of food products piled up filling the wagon to a meter high. Cheese, vegetables, nuts, and of course Kanakan Wine.
"I think this is all. We are ready to go." Grish tightens the rope on the other side.
Meanwhile, the gate guard, Saft checks the horse's condition and prepares the food and water for it. Aura packed her luggage, and throw it on the empty side of the wagon.
Some villagers come to the front gate, giving a list of what to buy in the town. Gandor stands with his youngest, Gran. Sana and her children, Kloa and Darren, also comes by to bid us farewell.
"Thanks for accepting my request, please protect them." Gandor offered his hand to me.
"Leave it to us." I reached for his hand.
Gandor shakes my hand strongly as usual. The vein in his arm is shown.
"Do not worry Chief, I will also protect your son." Saft in the driver seat shouted proudly.
"Great, if I found him with a single scratch, I will re-train you like in the past." Gandor smiled.
"Er..spare me that." Saft gulped, and his hand reached the horse rope.
"It will be three days of the journey to the Krim. Be careful"
I nod.
"Sister!" Kloa runs to Aura, she hugs her tightly. "Do you need to go today?"
Aura smiled and pats her head delicately. She then squats on Kloa's level and hugs her back.
"Yes, I need to go. But, if there is a chance I will go back to this village."
Kloa wipes her eyes. "Really? Promise?"
"I promise."
It was a heartwarming scene for the villagers. Unconsciously, we are both being accepted as one of them. Perhaps because they are a small community, and we helped Kloa, Darren, and Gran. Also perhaps the Alcohol party last night.
The horse pulls the wagon. We continued our journey to the Krim under the pretense of guarding goods and people as a mercenary.
Grish and Saft are in the driver's seat. Meanwhile, Aura and I sit on the wagon's top. This will allow us to inspect the surrounding from a high place.
"This is a fireball." Aura shows her hand with a fire on her palm.
Whoa! It was quite a sight. No one in the federation can do this, not even the bug. Aura teaches me how to use magic today because the other day we got an embarrassing accident.
-- Nia, have you checked the reaction of her body --
[Answer. Yes. An imbalance of conditions in her body was created. The balancing reaction after that creates an energy burst. The energy is sucked in and released out]
-- A potential -- A conclusion comes to my mind
[Correct]
-- Can you artificially create the same condition in my body? I want to feel it. --
[Recreating reaction]
I reached out my hand and closed my eyes to focus. I can feel it, like a flow of water inside my body circulating and spanning to my palm. When I open my eyes, a bluish fog comes out of my palm. I imagine an atomic reaction on my palm and suddenly a fire comes out.
I did it.
I am surprised that I can use magic this easily. I increased the energy output and focused on shaping the energy, compressing it further like a thin needle. The flame turned color from red to yellow and then blue after that. The blue flame is hotter with a stable shape not dancing like the red flame on the first try.
"I did it. Thanks, Aura. It was a good lesson." I turned to Aura beside me.
Aura on the other hand gape in my direction, flabbergasted. Her eyelids opened widely without blinking when she sees the blue flame on my palm, shocked.
"That's a divine flame! how do you do that?!" Aura awakens from her shock. Grabbing my shoulder strongly.
"Divine? I just replicate what you taught me."
Does she never do this?
"There is no way. Only the second Croft King can emit a blue flame. He is blessed by the Goddess Ashtary, and it was 200 years ago." Aura still in disbelief gazing at the blue flame on my plane then shifted the sight to me.
Oops, look like I outdid myself. I need to keep my profile low until I got a full understanding of this planet.
[Warning. Detected 12 people armed in a still position one and a half kilometers ahead]
Suddenly Nia gives a warning in my head. I changed to my battle-ready mind and focused my eyes on the front.
-- Position? --
[1 on the front, 4 hiding in the bush at two o'clock, 4 hiding at ten o'clock, 2 hiding at eleven a clock on the tree with a bow.]
-- A sniper --
"What happened?" Aura asked me with curiosity when she sees my changed temperament.
"Armed people, 11 of them on the front."
"Bandit? How do you know?"
"I, eh..use my detection magic."
Aura just nodded accepting my bullsh*t. Aura then tapped the driver seat urging Grish and Saft to stop.
It is a small briefing, Grish and Saft looked at me with disbelief but still trusted me.
"Aura, throw fireball on the archer first, then you can hold the five on the right. I will deal with the archer and the ambusher on the left."
Aura nodded.
"Saft, help Aura to fight the ambusher on the right."
"I will." Saft prepared his sword.
"Grish, you position yourself in the rear, hold whoever comes from the left."
"I will come with you bro. I can fight too." Grish protested.
"No, please protect Aura. She is the only one who can fight from distance."
Grish nodded albeit reluctantly.
"Cory is right Grish. Please, I don't want to experience the hellish training of your father." Saft pleading to Grish.
When everyone agreed to the position and role we continued our journey.
I don't know how strong the human in this planet. I also prepared my proton gun, just in case.
***** ***** *****
After for about 15 minutes riding the wagon with tense. A man with axe stood still on the road. His eyes are menacing, eyeing each one of us, and eyeing longer on Aura.
He grinned. "Stop! Leave the wagon here and all of the important stuff then I will not harm you. Espcially the woman."
The wagon stopped. I can see the disgust on Aura eyes. Her fist tightened ready to punch his face.
"Are you going to harm us? Are you enemy?" I asked.
"What kind of stupid question is that?" The bandit frowned.
Aura, Grish and Saft also looked at me with confusion.
Hey, at least I need to confirm their intention first. I do not want to kill civilian, and it's my first time killing a human. I protested in my heart.
"Leave the wagon and the woman, or doing it the hard way." He speaks again with a serious face now.
"I choose the easy way." I drew my sword.
"I see."
He then lift his hand, signalling his comrade. All of the ambusher comes out with grin and laugh on their face.
"Do not harm the woman!" The bandit leader screamed. "She is mine." He licked his lips.
Aura spits on the ground.
[Preparing for battle, Increasing adrenalin substances]
I stanced my body like a runner, with a hand on my sword.
[Reducing synapses distances]
[Locating threats target]
"Now!" I shouted, giving the signal.
Aura throw the fireball from her palm to the archer hiding on the trees.
I jumped with explosive power to the front.