We were just about half way towards Tervilla and the sun had already set, so it was quite dark but I could see relatively fine even without the sun. It also helped that we had a full moon.
I heard something, the movement of something relatively big to the left of us. In the undergrowth something moved. Towards us. I grapped Irena on her shoulder and whisperd to her.
"Irena. There is something coming out of the wood to the left of us. Be ready"
She simply nodded and grapped the hilt of a the small dagger she was carrying at her waist.
We walked cautiously further our eyes glued to the left. Another noice. Closer.
"Ahh Man, these fine specimens noticed us. And I was so looking forward to their suprised cries~" Three human men stepped out of the gloomy darkness, that was the left side of the road. The one who spoke these words was wearing a dark green armor and was carrying a black longsword over his shoulders. He had a malicious smile on his face.
Another men was very muscular and even bigger than mister dog ears, don't criticise his work, from earlier. He was wearing a dark green leather tunic which still showed much of his muscled skin. He held a gigantic Double edged Axe in his bulky hands and a vicious smile and a long scar 'graced' his face. He looked like bad news. The last of the three was on the smaller side and had his face and most of his body coverd in black clothing. A long black coat, a black hunters mask and two drawn daggers. Also black. Only his red eyes could be seen gleaming out of his dark cover.
Irena instantly drew her short dagger and her wooden staff with both of her hands. I was grabbing my sword as well. The last gift of my master. Its pitch black blade glimmered in the Moonlight as if eager to cut down my enemies.
"You aren't here for a friendly chit-chat I take it" irena said in a cold voice.
"Oh my! How perceptive of yours. Lay down your weapons and we probably won't harm you~"
Irena raised an Eyebrow.
"Funny. I wanted to say the same thing"
I took the time to use Identify on those three evil looking men.
But I didn't work at all. It showed me absolutely nothing. Was it broken? Or did it have cooldown like Irenas 'friend of the animals'? No, I could feel that it should work but it didn't. I remember having a skill myself called Identity protection so maybe those guys had it too?
Well I didn't matter now. These guys were bad news. The man with the black longsword looked like he wanted to say something, but once I determined them to be me enemies I did not hesitate. This was one of the lessons my master teached me.
Thus I rushed forth with all the speed I had and swung my sword sideways trying to decapitate the talking human. He only noticed me a few moments before I striked and managed to barely block my hit with his long sword. His entire posture crumbled under the strength of my blow and he half jumped, half flew backwards but managed to land on his knees.
"What tha hell Kid! This very unmannerly! Bruce teach her a lesson! Pyke get the elf!" The man screamed as he tried to get back on his feet.
"Sure thing boss" and the burly man swung his giant axe at my right side.
I wasn't in a good position to deal with this, so I awkwardly blocked raised my blade sideways. It knocked my sword away but I managed to deflect the strike. But now I was wide open. And with speed which didn't matched his stature, he hit my back right underneath my wings. The cut was deep and it hurt like crazy. I clenched my teeth and prepared to strike back.
But I noticed that Irena was in trouble. She was barely holding of the man who looked like a thief with her Wooden staff. But the man was very agile and came ever closer to her. And instead of counter attacking I dashed towards the thief with mad speed. He noticed me and stopped his attack and withdrew with swift steps towards the burly man. The man I knocked away earlier also rejoined.
"Are you alright Val?!" Irena half screamed as she saw the tattered and blood soaked part of my newly bought clothing.
"It's fine. It already healed. We need to beat those guys up. You stay behind. Do magic"
With that I engaged the three men. They looked suprised at me charging at all three of them. And that was an opening I would not miss. While running with my Sword in my right I used my left hand to conjure magical flames and engulfed the three of them in a mix of blue and red. I heard a high pitched scream but didn't wait for the flames to vanish. I charged right through the vanishing cloud of flames and found the burly man and the longsword guy completely unharmed. But the Knieve guy was burning like a torchlight and rolling around on the ground. The sword guy rushed over him and kneeled. Only the Axe guy was left and was clearly suprised when he saw me coming out of the flames.
I packed my sword with both hands and tried to split his head in two with a strike from above.
He had no time to block with the edge of his axe and was forced to block the strike with the handle.
Which turned out to be a mistake. The black blade cleanly cut through the sturdy wooden handle and only a panicked step backwards saved his head. But he didn't get out unharmed, my strike cut deep into his chest and I could feel a few of his ribs shatter at the edge of my Sword.
He clenched his teeth together and tried to go at me with the stick that once was an impressive ax. I dodged the attack and went for his neck. With no options left he simply stared at my eyes. In his eyes burned a fire of anger, hate and pain. But I took no pity in him and went on. And just before I could separate his head form his body a black longsword came from the right side of the man, intercepted my strike and redirected it downwards. Instead of chopping his head of, I only managed to cut of the man's left arm from his shoulder onwards. A Cry of pain followed and the man got down to his knees, holding the stump that up to a few seconds ago was his arm.
"VALERIA CARE!" Irena screamed. I quickly turned my head around. I could just in time see a men with burned cloth, which had partially fused with his skin, charging at me from behind with two daggers. Both aimed at my neck. I had no time to dodge or block. I had to shapeshift. Just as I was about to change into my true draconic form, thick roots begun covering his body and stopped his charge only a few centimeters before me. I stopped the transformation and the scales which had just begun to cover my body vanished again. But I instantly realised that they had probably saved my life regardless. There was a metallic 'Cling~!' And I felt a hard impact on chest. The Longsword man had taken his chance to stab me, as I was distracted by the Dagger guy. The stroke of luck and my sturdy scales saved me from a lot of pain or worse.
But I didn't hesitate. The Dagger guy was currently trapped in sturdy roots and was a prime target. I dashed instantly to the left of him, got just out of striking distance from the sword guy and swung my own greatsword at the helpless 'burned clothes' man. He had no chance of escaping and with a surprisingly clean move I decapitated him and his head fell with a disgusting sound on the ground.
"What the Heck! Why aren't you dead yet! You should have died by now!!!" The Longsword man screamed with a mix of anger and frustration. And mindlessly charged at me. I readied my sword but the attack never came. A root sprung forth just before his feet and made him fall to the ground. I quickly took the opportunity and run towards him. As he raised his head the tip of my blade was mere inches before his vulnerable throat. He gulped.
"Away with your sword, stabby guy"
He made an angry grimace and gritted his teeth, but pushed his sword over the ground and it was now laying a few meters away from him.
"[Conjure roots: Binding of the forrest]" I heard Irena chant behind me and a few moments later the man was completely immobilised and coverd in roots.
I took a look around in search for the Axe guy but I couldn't see him where he was sitting around a few moments ago. He couldn't be far. Letting enemies escape was a bad thing...
"Damn. The Axe guy is gone. I'm gonna catch him real quick! Take care!"
"Wait-!" But I didn't had the time to talk with irena now. She should be fine.
I rushed into the forrest and followed the trail of blood