I stood in hesitation, evaluating the possible actions:
First option: reveal myself to them and pretend to be defenseless, so I could be taken captive along with the elf girl. This could give me a chance to gather more information and possibly escape later. But this option was too risky. If I got captured, I might lose control of the situation, and my magic wasn't developed enough to deal with that many opponents.
Second option: try to steal one of the mana-beasts. These deer-antlered wolves might know the way through the forest. But I wasn't sure if I could control one of them, not to mention that I'd have to leave the girl to her fate. My conscience wouldn't allow that.
Third option: attempt to rescue the elf girl and find out from her the way back to the elf village. This was also extremely risky—if I made a mistake, both of us could be captured. But it seemed like the most relevant option. The girl might know the way through the fog, and by saving her, I could secure both our chances at freedom.
A vague sense of déjà vu filled my mind, as if this had happened somewhere before. But I pushed it aside. I needed to make a decision now.
All three options were dangerous, but the third, despite the risk, seemed the most reasonable.
Resolute, I followed them, moving through the trees. Grabbing a few sharp stones from the ground, I stealthily climbed a tree. The mana I was channeling into my body allowed me to move silently and with more agility. I followed the caravan, observing their movements.
As night fell, two of them went to sleep, leaving two guards on watch. One of the mana-beasts—a deer-antlered wolf—was dozing at the edge of the camp. I decided that one beast would be enough. These creatures could be useful for getting out of the forest, but the other needed to be taken down.
The plan was simple: first, disable one of the mana-beasts, then deal with those bastards.
I took one of the stones and focused mana into it, as if enriching its density and power. Once the stone was filled with my mana, I also increased the mana flow into my eyes and limbs, like that squirrel, and aimed at the wolf dozing at the edge of the camp. With a swift motion, I hurled the stone from my hand. It whistled through the air and struck the beast in the head, piercing its skull. The creature slumped, emitting a barely audible rasp.
I clenched the next stone in my hand, focusing mana inside it once again. With each breath, I felt the mana circulating through my body, accelerating my reactions and giving every movement precision and silence. Still, doubt and fear plagued me. Killing a person—it wasn't natural to me. Every strike, every decision clashed with my inner world.
The guards tensed, exchanging glances and scanning the dark silhouettes around the camp. My fear and hesitation held me back, but time was not on my side. One of the guards stepped forward, his attention directed elsewhere, and I felt this was my chance. I tensed my muscles, aimed, and with concentrated effort, hurled the stone straight at his temple.
The moment stretched into eternity. The stone sliced through the air, its path clearly visible. The guard didn't even have time to comprehend what had happened before the stone struck his temple. His body slumped forward, collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut.
A deafening scream from the other guard shattered the camp's silence.
"ATTACK!" His voice was full of panic and fear as he realized his comrade was dead. I quickly grabbed the third stone and, with another fast and precise movement, threw it toward the second guard.
But this time, my hand wavered. The stone missed, hitting the ground to the left of the guard. His expression shifted from fear to rage as he began frantically searching for the source of the threat, but he didn't know where the next strike would come from.
I had to act fast now. Every moment was crucial, and I knew if I didn't resolve this quickly, the chances of freeing the girl and surviving would become slim.
I quickly leapt to another tree, feeling the tension building in my arm muscles with each movement. Two stones left and three slavers, and I knew I couldn't afford to make another mistake. My hand ached from the sharp movements, but I gritted my teeth and focused on the task.
I aimed and threw one of the remaining stones. It soared through the air and with a soft whistle struck the second guard in the throat. He didn't even have time to scream as he fell to his knees, choking on his own agony. His eyes were filled with terror as he looked toward the direction from which the blow had come. He tried to find me, but he was already powerless to act.
By this time, the other two slavers, noticing movement and hearing their comrade's scream, rushed into a defensive position, their weapons ready for battle. One of the guards, a mage, had already begun to glow, his weapon likely enhanced with mana. I saw his eyes focusing in my direction, but he didn't know exactly where the attack was coming from. In the same moment I threw the last stone at him, the mage quickly deflected it with his sword, and his gaze immediately locked onto me.
Fear and surprise engulfed me as I saw the mage vanish from his position and suddenly appear right in front of me. My eyes widened in shock, and I instinctively leapt off the tree, landing on the ground. Instantly, I rolled to the side, trying to dodge any potential strikes.
"George, careful! I think the brat's some kind of mage," shouted the warrior standing before me, already raising his sword, ready for the next strike. I could feel his mana in the air, pressing down on me, making me aware of its power. I quickly sprang to my feet, trying to keep my distance, assessing my options. A direct confrontation with the mage would be too risky.
"Yeah, you never know what you'll see these days! Looks like a bag of gold just ran right into our arms, doesn't it, George? Bet we'll get as much for him as for that elf girl."
"Maybe even more, Danton," George whistled with a confident smirk, holding a dagger in his hands. Both of them were full of self-assurance, despite the fact that I had already killed several of their comrades.
These two clearly didn't take my threat seriously, even though I had already shown my combat abilities. I was on edge, and every move they made posed a potential danger to me.
My eyes were locked on their every motion as I tried to devise a plan to deal with the situation. Damn it! I'm in a very disadvantageous position right now.
Danton, seemingly shorter for his age, compensated with broad shoulders and a massive sword that allowed him to reach me.
Danton lunged at me, swinging his sword horizontally. I barely managed to dodge, dashing to the side, but it turned out to be a feint. At that moment, George grabbed my leg and flipped me upside down. Thoughts of hopelessness flashed through my mind, but I didn't lose hope.
This was my chance! Grabbing onto the hand holding me, I activated my mana blade and focused all my energy into my fist. With a sharp strike, I sliced through his wrist. Blood splattered across my face as George let out a furious cry and released my leg.
"You bastard!" George screamed, his wrist nearly severed. Quickly jumping to my feet, I used my blade to strike his groin, taking advantage of the difference in our heights.
"Son of a bitch! KILL HIM, DANTON!" George yelled, his voice filled with confusion and pain before I managed to slit his throat.
Jumping back from George, I saw Danton appear before me again. He swung his saber with doubled fury. I reinforced my legs, channeling mana there, and quickly spun on my left foot, dodging the blow. It grazed my shoulder, but I couldn't afford to succumb to the pain, so I clenched my teeth.
Focusing all my mana into my right fist, I landed a powerful blow to his side. Danton immediately tried to leap back, but I tripped him, causing him to lose balance. With a quick, decisive strike, I drove my blade straight into his liver. He fell to the ground with a dull thud, and I wasted no time slashing his eyes, blinding him completely.
I stood among their bodies, my breath heavy and ragged, my hands aching and trembling from exhaustion and the rush of adrenaline.
The camp, which had once been filled with chaos, now fell into an oppressive silence. The last two slavers were dealt with. Now, the only sounds around the camp were the faint rustling of leaves and the distant noises of the night creatures.
I felt the tension in my body start to ease. Each exhale was filled with relief, but at the same time, I couldn't shake off the sense of emptiness and unease that followed this battle. I found myself surrounded by the bodies of the fallen, and the sight stirred a deep inner conflict.
Cautiously approaching the cart and pulling back the curtain, I saw the small elf girl still in captivity. She sat in the cart, her large, silver eyes filled with fear and distrust, yet there was also a glimmer of hope when she saw me.
"It's alright," I said, looking at her tattered clothes, which barely covered her intimate areas. My voice came out raspy and tired as I tried to reassure her. I quickly freed her from the ropes binding her hands and feet. "No one will hurt you anymore."
She didn't know if I was a friend or foe, but as soon as I said that, a wave of relief washed over her tense face, and she broke down.
"I was so scared! They were going to sell me!" her tears flowed in streams from her eyes, and she couldn't calm down. "I-I-I thought I'd never see my family again! WAAAAAHH!"
As she continued crying, I carefully examined her. Her tattered clothes and the visible marks on her body told me what she had gone through. It was hard to witness, and I knew that even though I had helped her, she might still suffer from psychological trauma.
Almost half an hour passed before the little elf girl calmed down. I don't blame her. Abduction leaves a strong psychological impact even on adults, let alone a child. I just sat and waited for her to calm down, gently stroking her head.
"What happened to the bad people?" she managed to say through her tears.
"They won't hurt anyone anymore," I said, trying to speak softly and reassuringly. "They won't harm anyone ever again."
---------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to give a power stone