(Elena's Pov)
I stepped outside in fear as I watched bandits, raiding our village.
"No!" I said.
They were kidnapping girls and other goods that looked valuable along with crops as well while destroying everything that seemed useless. I had not expected this outcome.
"Elena! Are you alright dear!?"
It was my mother's voice.
"Mom!"
I ran towards her and hugged her.
"What is happening here, Mom! I am scared."
"Don't be afraid, we will protect you. Just stay with us, okay?"
I nodded.
"Please help everyone, they are kidnapping other girls..." I said.
"Yes, I know. We defeated quite a lot of them but they are just too many." said my father.
"Just stay behind us Elena, okay?"
"Yes, mom."
I was staying behind my parents while they both were helping villagers by defeating bandits. After some time, we reached the center of this village.
We had noticed the group of bandits and four other members who were wearing black hoodie mage robe. I had sensed strong magical energy from four of them and their faces were not visible because of hoodie robe. They were talking with the bandits and it looked like they were working together.
One of the bandits saw us and-
"Those two! They are the ones I was talking about who defeated most of our men! Please defeat them or else it would be just a failure." said one of the bandits while pointing his finger towards my parents.
"....."
Four of them looked at us while their faces were not visible at all.
"You fools! You will pay for what you have done!" My father said with an angry tone.
"Heh, we will see..." said bandit member.
"....." those four strange people with hoodie robes didn't said anything and stared at my direction.
One of those four pointed towards my direction and said-
"She is the one..."
"Is that so? Hey guys that girl is our main target!" said the Leader of bandits.
At those words, I suddenly felt my one foot stepped back. I was frightened at those words. Then suddenly my mother stepped in and stood in front of me while facing those bandits.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on my daughter." She said while glaring at Bandits and those four strange people.
"Hahaha, we are not your opponents this time. These people will handle you while we try to capture your daughter." said the leader.
"I said, step back!"
My mother slammed her spear on the ground as fast as possible while generating immense magic energy. The grounds started shaking and huge spikes came from the ground as it erupted.
"....."
The strange person clad in black robe, forcefully hit the ground with his foot and cancelled the attack as it stopped the rising ground spikes by destroying it.
"Take this!"
My father quickly rushed towards the enemy and started thrusting with his spear violently with so much speed, strength and precision. Despite that, enemy had easily dodged all of the attacks. Their reflexes are great and therefore the attack became invalid.
"..."
"Dad!"
"..!?"
The enemy attacked with his spear hand (spear hand is a hand technique where your fingers are stretched like an spear to thrust it on enemies vital parts) on the solar plexus of my father's body. My father's magic defence was not enough to hold that attack and he went unconscious on the spot while he was in the middle of the air.
"JOSEPH!"
"Father!"
"You!"
My mother has two elements of water and earth so, she put her magic energy in her weapon and produced a sharp water beam. It was going towards the direction of the enemy but-
"No way!"
The enemy deflected the attack so easily as if it was just a normal water with no power in it.
"....!?"
The enemy suddenly came near to my mom and attacked my mother's jaw with the palms thrusting upwards direction. My mom was sent flying upwards with that attack and she fell down, struggling to get up.
"Mom!"
I tried to reach my mom but my arm was grabbed by the enemy, clad in hoodie black robe. He was no normal opponent because he defeated the best duo without putting any efforts.
"Let me go! Mom! Dad!"
The person who grabbed my hand suddenly attacked me, targeting my temple (temple is located at the head behind the eye between the forehead and ear). I was losing my consciousness while hearing my mother's word-
"E..Elena...."
I am losing my consciousness...
---
Part 2
(Elena's Pov)
....uh....um....ughh....where...am...I?
I opened my eyes and sat on the ground, analysing the area. It was a cave, some men were here and seemed to be enjoying while drinking alcohols.
Where am I?.....I remember, my parents! Where are they? What is this place? I want to go back and meet up with my parents.
I was tied by the rope, my mouth was wrapped by the towel tightly. I started making small noises, struggling to free up myself.
"You are making noises bitch!"
A man slapped me on my face as hard as hell could, trying to stop me from further resistant.
It hurts, Mom...Dad.....
I thought that, it is the end and they will sell me. I saw many other girls around me as well and most of them were from my village.
I want to see my parents, I hope they are still alive....I...
As I started worrying about my parents, my eyes started to shed tears.
I want to go home...
I slightly lowered my head holding my knees to cover my face as I started crying silently...
Only if I was strong...
These thoughts started to reappear, reminding me how helpless I was...
"I couldn't protect my parents and I was not strong enough to fight them...All I have is my healing and some supportive abilities.....". I thought.
"Hey! Who are you! You are not-"
"Hey! What the hell are yo-"
I lifted my head to see what was happening and caused this much noise. As I lifted my head, I saw some people fighting and bandits were cornered by some people.
"Who are they?". I wondered.
"Who are you bastards?"
"We are from guild and surrender yourself as we have cornered you."
"Guild members!? How come you know about our location?" asked Leader of the bandit group.
"This gentleman here, told us about your plans. Don't ask how he managed to locate you guys but anyway this is it."
I saw a person with a calm face, looking at my direction.
"He is the one who found this these bandits?". I thought while looking at him.
"Tch....you will all have to die now..." said Leader.
"Don't underestimate S ranked members like us, we will show you what it means to go against us! Orion, please release all the girls while we handle these bastards."
"Understood..."
"Fools! You all will be sent to heaven today!" said bandit member.
The fighter began and everyone from both side started fighting with each other. In the midst of the clashes between them, that person came to rescue all of us.
"They said, his name is Orion, right?". I asked myself.
"You all must follow me as I will lead you in order to escape. Let me first remove the rope binding you all..." he said.
Everyone got rescued by him and everyone thanked him for what he did.
He freed all of us and lead the way to get out of this place but there was someone standing in the way.
"Thats!" I said in fear.
"...Where do you think you are going?" said one of the person clad in black hoodie mage robe.
"I am just helping them so that their life is secured..."
".....Step aside, this is the last warning."
"Do you think I would do that?" said Orion.
"No! He is too dangerous! Please don't waste your life..." I said, worrying about him.
He turned towards me and said-
"Pathetic, you want to help people but you don't have any strength? You are the one who is the most weakest person in terms of combat and other individual skills, necessary to maintain one's life..." he said.
"...!?"
He said some cruel words but it was not wrong either. I am just a useless person after all. I looked at the ground while I was made to realise yet again how helpless I was...
"People like you should never born..."
"I..."
Tears flowed through my eyes, I wanted to control it but it was not in my control.
"That's what most people think about you but I don't think you are weak, Elena." he said.
My eyes wide open, looked at him. Every girl around here, looked at him with a dissatisfied look as if they didn't agree with what he said at last.
"I want to see your supportive skills including the healing one so that I could evaluate it and teach you on how to improve it. I will also teach many individual skills if we get out of here. Never think of yourself useless just because you can't do anything. Rise back again and again, no matter how many times you fall but as long as you don't give up then you will eventually become strong."
"...I..."
"Ignore what other thinks of you. Help in this fight, your supportive skills are also useful. I can't fight this alone without your help. I need you, Elena..."
For the first time in my life, someone acknowledged my abilities- No, to be accurate he accepted my own existence as if it's valuable for myself and for others.
"...You are not going to step aside? I thought youwould value your life but you are trying to help those weak looking people?" said enemy.
Orion turned towards him and-
"As long as we work together as comrades then I don't think I would lose to you."
"Let's work together from now on, Elena... Lend me your strength."
"..I...."
I had always thought I can't do anything however, he showed me that I was wrong. I had decided to become strong and become independent while able to support others.
"I am ready, let's do it....I am not going to give up anymore." I said with a new resolve.
"That's the spirit...." He said with a calm voice.
"You are wasting my time....begone!"
Enemy rushed towards Orion to attack him.
"Look out!" I said.
".....!?"
Orion turned towards the enemy and grabbed his arm and threw him at a distance.
"Orion...there is blood on your arms!"
I healed him as quickly as possible.
"That's right, support me like this and we will easily defeat the enemy."
"...That healing magic is strong even though she had not trained much to increase its output. This battle is not going to end so quickly I think..." Enemy said.
Both of them fought in a hand to hand combat, I was healing Orion while he was using the opportunity to attack the opponent when they left and opening. This series continued until-
"That guy!" I saw another enemy who was also clad in black robe.
"The guild members won the fight and they all are coming this way. It would be hard to fight all S ranked members at once. Escaping is the correct course of action right now." he warned the other one.
"Is that so?"
He turned towards us and said-
"You are lucky, thanks to the guild members but we will come back..."
They had used the magical item smoke screen that is commonly found in general shops and they left.
"We... We are saved! We did it!"
I said with some joy.
Everyone had escaped from the cave and we arrived at the village. All of them looked happy to reach the home and reunited with their family or friends.
"Your parents are safe, some guild members took care of them."
I felt the sense of relief as I heard those words. I was happy that no one had to suffer anymore and their belongings were also given back to them. In the end, everyone was saved by Orion and other guild members. This was the incident where I met Orion...
---
To be continued...