Lucinda pulled Kota closer to her, hiding his wrist while hastily tightening the bandage. Alexis left her dagger next to the deer before standing up with the group. Then Lucinda cleared her throat and took a step forward. "Hello. We are a traveling group hoping to reach the capital soon. Is our path leading us in the right direction to Baris?"
Tension filled the air as the soldier locked eyes with Kota, but eventually eased. "Yes, you are on the right track. Just keep heading in that direction." He pointed in the direction from where they had appeared and continued. "You will reach the capital a little after nightfall. Following recent incidents, the capital disallows travelers after sundown. It's best to remain at your camp and travel in the morning."
Sonya, without a second thought, asked the soldiers, "What are three soldiers doing in this part of the woods? Do you not normally stay closer to the capital and stick to main roads?"
One of the other soldiers stepped forward, ignoring her question. "Any specific reason your group uses a hidden path in the woods instead of the main road?"
The tension between the two groups continued to rise, so Kota moved from the back and stood between them. "No need for further arguments. We hunters aim to sell pelts in the city, that's it."
The soldiers calmed their stance, and the front one nodded in understanding. "All is good, hunter. We didn't mean to assume any ill from your group. Just a few more questions for you."
Kota nodded, waiting for his question as the soldier moved a little closer to fill in the space between them. The soldier adjusted his stance, standing at the ready between them all. His eyes moved between the four and asked, "Why would a dead prince and a banished princess come to the capital on the eve of their sister's birthday party? Come to tell your father you are alive?"
Kota's eyes grew wide. A dagger flew past him, striking the soldier in the left shoulder. The soldier on the right side slammed his shield into the ground, causing a small shock wave as the ground shook beneath them.
The group kept their balance while the soldier in the front held his shoulder while yelling out, "Get to the capital! Warn the adviser!"
Alexis took her spear, and as frost formed on the tip, she swiftly swung it to her right. A wall of ice sprang from the ground on the left side of the front soldier, between her and the other women. Alexis held the spear tip high and yelled out, "Do not let them escape!"
The other two soldiers separated from the one and ran in the opposite direction. Sonya and Lucinda instantly ran after the two of them, moving alongside the ice wall as they unsheathed their weapons. Kota watched through the ice as he could see their outlined shapes until they reached the end of the ice wall, where he could see them moving to catch up to the two soldiers.
Alexis moved in front of Kota, holding her spear towards the soldier in front of them. "Get your bow and get after them. I will handle this one."
Kota ran back toward the supplies, sliding before grabbing his bow and quiver alongside a tree. He ran alongside the ice wall and followed in the two allies' footsteps. Looking back, Kota saw the soldier pull his sword and say, "You'll wish you stayed away, Princess."
Kota, in full sprint, chased after his allies and the Damirian soldiers. As the light began to set on the forest, he focused on the surrounding noises. He turned right, startled by earth-shattering sounds and flashes of fire. Weaving between the trees and branches, he ran until he saw Lucinda moving behind a tree. She dodged a small boulder as it crashed into the tree, splintering the wood and leaving an indent bigger than a fist.
Lucinda went to look around the tree as the soldier smashed his mace against the ground, causing spikes to lunge out in her direction. She instantly jumped out of the way before the spikes pierced through the tree.
As Lucinda hit the ground, she positioned her body and stood up in one fluid motion, still moving to the left of the soldier facing her. Raising his mace for another calling attack, Kota moved in front of a tree nearby before taking an arrow out of his quiver, bringing it to his bow. Pulling the arrow back, he let it fly toward the soldier. The soldier noticed Kota releasing the arrow, and in reaction, he lowered his metal shield to deflect it.
Kota saw the man's eyes through his iron helmet as he turned in his direction. The man slammed his mace against his shield, causing a loud ringing noise. "Two non-callers. This is going to be easy!"
Using the opportunity of the earth caller's distraction, Lucinda approached from his left side with her short sword, slashing at his leg. He moved his leg at the last second, only to get a slight cut between his armor. The man growled in pain as he swung his mace down at her. Unable to block it directly, Lucinda sidestepped, letting the blade graze against the mace. Due to the weight of the mace falling on her sword, she stumbled to her left, catching herself on a rock sticking out of the dirt.
The soldier hastily used the weight of the mace as it crashed into the ground to reposition himself and spin his body to strike Lucinda with his shield. She braced herself, raising her arms to take the brunt of the force, but Kota ran and lunged into the man. The soldier lost his balance as he tried to gather his feet, then fell to the ground over a fallen tree. Lucinda and Kota gathered themselves as they watched the soldier stand before smashing the mace into the fallen tree in a fit of anger.
"Do you know where Sonya is?" asked Kota.
He paused and reached down, feeling no sword. His head fell slightly as he gripped his bow tightly.
Lucinda looked over, noticing he was still only holding his bow. She moved in front of him with her blade parallel to the ground, along the outside of her arm. Taking a defensive position, she said, "She can handle herself. I need to get in close. Think you can distract him? His earth calling is too strong. The two of us cannot take him on alone in this terrain."
Kota nodded, grabbing another arrow from his quiver before stepping to the left side of Lucinda, aiming the shot at the soldier without hesitation. The soldier reacted, ready to block the arrow, but then blocked the fireball from the left. Through the flames, Sonya lunged and brought her ax down against his shield as he blocked the strike. In one motion with two hands, he braced her body against his shield, and with the help of her momentum, he threw her over his head. Sonya braced herself, rolling once as she hit the ground, standing in one swift motion, holding the ax in Kota's direction.
"Get after the other one," Sonya said, pointing to her left as she moved toward him, staying between him and the soldier. "Princess and I will take care of this caller."
Kota nodded in agreement as he began sprinting through the trees and bushes that covered the forest, unsure of his target's location. Stopping, he looked back, hearing the battle from where he had come as he refocused himself on his prey. He saw a large rock lying by a tree next to a clearing. Moving fast, he climbed the rock and crouched while closing his eyes, waiting for a noise to point him in the right direction of his target.
He stayed in his crouched position as he heard the wind through the trees and the slight sound of rushing water nearby. He listened to the crack of the trees behind him as the earth caller caused more damage in the forest. Keeping his eyes closed, he heard the loud crack of a branch to his right.
His eyes flicked open, and he quickly jumped down from the rock and ran toward the trees that lay near the edge of the large clearing. He examined the tall grass and saw the other soldier emerge, unsure of his next move. He panted as he moved through the clearing in the waist-high grass, turning and trying to find his bearings. Kota stayed in the shadows of the trees in the dying light, bringing out an arrow from his quiver and aiming the iron tip toward the soldier's shoulder.
The sound of the soldier's breathing got a little lighter as he moved near the middle of the clearing. Kota took a deep breath as the shadows covered his approach and, on the exhalation, let loose the arrow. The arrow made little noise as it flew before striking the soldier in the middle of his chest, causing him to grunt in pain as he fell back onto the ground.
Losing sight of the soldier, Kota gradually advanced from the shadows under the trees with another arrow at the ready. Hearing the groans, he swiftly approached his target, getting within a few feet.
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Aiming his arrow at the soldier's chest. "Why are you on the lookout for my sister and me? You are not with Damira, are you?"
The soldier spat blood as he held the arrow in his chest. Kota lowered his arrow as he watched the man struggle to keep his grasp on the arrow. The soldier laughed as he held eye contact with Kota. "You do not know... what is coming for you," the soldier spat out as his head lowered to the ground, his last breath escaping his body.
Kota turned away and steeled himself as the piercing tone rang in his mind. Turning his whole body away from the soldier, he panted as the mark on his palm burned under the bandage. He clenched his hand into a fist to silence the pain. Taking one last deep breath, he let the thoughts pass out of his mind and slowly strapped the bow around his body before running back to help Lucinda and Sonya.
Lucinda moved behind a tree and fell to a seated position as airborne debris cracked the bark of the tree. After a few seconds, she heard the sound of metal colliding. She peeked around the tree, staying close to the trunk. Witnessing the soldier had his back turned to her, locked in combat with Sonya, she took the chance. She leaped through the foliage as the two exchanged blows. Spotting an opening, she utilized a protruding tree root to run up and jump towards the caller.
She held her sword above her head as she fell to the earth below, aiming for his shoulder. As Lucinda fell, the soldier pushed back Sonya with his shield and spun as he struck his mace against the ground. He used his calling to bring up a stalagmite behind him, right in Lucinda's path. Lucinda reacted instantly, turning her body slightly before it collided with her chest.
The tip of the stalagmite struck her left shoulder, piercing through her leather armor with ease while digging into her shoulder. She screamed in pain as her body jerked to a stop before the tip of the stalagmite snapped. As she fell to the ground, she hit a tree root. She hit the ground on her back before rolling onto her stomach.
Gasping for air, she rolled onto her right side, noticing a stalagmite shard protruding from her left shoulder armor. Lucinda gasped for air while she unstrapped the armor piece from her shoulder and pulled it away from her body. She paused, feeling the small piece of stalagmite moving out of her shoulder. Without delay, she ripped the armor piece off her shoulder, throwing it off to the side. Rising, she examined the wound and noticed blood flowing from it. Noticing it was not too deep, she grabbed her blade and stood up, leaning against the tree. She saw Sonya rolling on the ground away from her.
Lucinda took a deep breath when the metal of the soldier's mace came into view. She immediately jumped away from the root as the mace crashed through it. Lucinda balanced herself and lunged at the soldier, swinging her blade. He ducked under her attack as he thrust his shield in her direction, causing a wall of earth to form. Before Lucinda could react, the ground crashed into her, knocking her sideways into a tree. She braced herself as she hit the trunk before quickly pushing herself off it. Then she began rushing around the tree as the soldier continued his strikes, splintering the wood with his mace.
Once more, he struck the tree's side with his mace, while Lucinda circled around to attack from the opposite side. She swiped her blade at him, but he quickly ducked underneath it. The soldier promptly maneuvered himself around the tree as her blade struck the wood.
She regained her posture and pulled the blade from the trunk. Not taking any chances, she moved away from the tree. Her breathing was heavy as the wound in her shoulder continued to bleed. She held her blade at the ready in her right hand as she reached up with her left hand and mended her wound. Lucinda focused on her mending before hearing a loud grunt of force behind the tree. Within a second, the tree in front of her toppled down on top of her. After diving quickly to her left, out of the way of the tree, she braced herself as its branches crashed to the surrounding ground.
"Damn!"
Lucinda moved to her knees before being forced back onto the ground. The soldier quickly kicked her blade away and, with his leg, flipped her onto her back. He placed his metal boot on her chest as he continued to push his weight down on her. "Such a waste, killing a pretty face like yours. Good thing your friends will not see you die before they die themselves." He smiled under the cover of his helmet, then raised his mace over his shoulder, staring down at her.
Closing her eyes, she raised her arms and blocked her face, screaming before the weight of his foot left her chest. She opened her eyes to see him stumbling to his right with an arrow through his right shoulder, piercing him from behind. He focused his efforts on her again after struggling for a second and raised the mace with two hands, aiming for her chest, only for him to drop the mace behind his back when he saw an ax piercing his chest. Lucinda looked at his face as he stumbled back, noticing his eyes were focused on her right. She glanced over to see Sonya walking toward them.
Sonya stepped past her and approached the soldier, his hand on the ax handle in his chest. Then he fell to his knees. Sonya stood a foot away from him and slowly grabbed the ax handle as she stared at him. Fear filled his eyes as he glanced at Lucinda. Sonya swiftly ripped the ax from his chest, spun it, and swung the back of the ax across his face, knocking him to the ground.
Kota approached Lucinda, who had laid her head back and closed her eyes in response. He knelt beside her, watching her breath slowly, and quickly checked her shoulder. "It probably feels worse than it looks."
She opened her eyes to see him smiling down at her. Then, with her right arm, she reached up and pulled herself into him, squeezing him in a sincere hug. "I am sure all the blood on my side means nothing⦠Thanks for saving me."
He helped her to stand and held her right arm over his shoulder as they looked over at Sonya, who was standing over the soldier's body, holding her ax securely. She turned, seeing the two of them moving closer to her.
"You should thank Sonya," Kota said. "When he stumbled off you, I did not have a second shot. Her actions saved you the second time."
Sonya met them halfway and nodded at Lucinda. "We can talk about who gets the thanks later. Alexis might need our help."
Sonya ran off to their left, heading west, while Kota and Lucinda moved more slowly. Kota helped Lucinda bandage her shoulder, wrapping the cloth around the wound. "She doesn't like me, does she?" asked Lucinda while Kota tightened the bandage. When he let go of her shoulder, the two moved in Sonya's direction.
"I think it's more like a bad first impression between you two. Soon, you guys will start seeing eye to eye. Just wait and see."
As they ran, Lucinda stayed quiet until they reached the spot where they had been resting earlier. There, they saw Sonya checking the woods further to the north, and Alexis sitting with her eyes closed and her bloodied spear across her lap.
"Is everything all right, Lex?" questioned Kota.
He approached and knelt across from her, placing his bow on the ground next to him. Alexis kept her eyes closed as she nodded her head in response to his question, remaining quiet.
Lucinda sat down a few feet behind Kota and removed the bandage to examine and mend her wound. As she mended the wound, she spoke. "Everything is not all right, though. Our plan meant heading to the capital and showing the king that you are alive. This recent development makes that task impossible."
Kota focused on Alexis, who sat perfectly still. "Well, it definitely complicates things. Killing Damirian soldiers will help nothing either. Eventually, they will send a search party unless they were here without notice."
Sonya walked to the fire pit she had dug earlier and placed more wood in the circle of dirt. In one motion of her hand, she created sparks that lit the wood. "We cannot know the number of spies she has in the kingdom. We killed all three of them, so we cannot ask questions," Sonya said, looking where she had been examining the area earlier, breathing lightly.
"The one I was chasing died and said I would not know what is coming for me. The one soldier even mentioned the adviser. That snake Arvind must be working for her," said Kota, hitting the ground with his tightened fist.
"We need a new plan, because we cannot even wander the woods without needing to watch our backs in your kingdom. Who do we even trust?"
Alexis opened her eyes and looked at Kota. "We stick to our original plan," she said. "The king needs to know that you are alive. We must inform him of this woman's actions in our kingdom."
Kota took a deep breath before meeting her gaze as Lucinda spoke up. "How do you propose we do that now? None of you can even enter the kingdom without being recognized by the citizens and guards. We are unsure whom to trust."
Alexis closed her eyes again and sighed when Kota asked, "What about Grace's birthday? He mentioned something about a party."
"That could work," Lucinda declared. "It will fill the kingdom with many visitors and dignitaries. We could sneak in unseen or at least with a higher chance of not being noticed in a crowd."
She rubbed her thumb on her wound lightly. A small sigh escaped her lips.
Sonya got up and walked around the fire, then turned toward the group. "Passing the castle walls' main gates will be harder with more guards due to the party. If you, former royals, know any castle secrets that could aid our entrance, please share."
Kota and Alexis both shook their heads in unison as Kota spoke up. "Regrettably, after my multiple hunting expeditions, Father closed all of my secret entrances and exits."
Alexis gasped as she stood up and walked around Kota, then knelt in front of Lucinda. "What about Akar?"
"No, you cannot be serious about asking that scum," said Lucinda, shaking her head in disapproval. "All I remember is you pressuring him, and then he shot you in the foot with an arrow. You walked with a limp for a week, even with my mending."
"Who is Akar, and what's this about an arrow to the foot?" asked Kota, turning to face the two of them.
Alexis laughed and answered his question. "He is a well-known smuggler and a deceiver. Akar's fondness for Damira prevents him from causing excessive harm, but his hatred towards me renders him unwilling to heed anyone associated with me."
Sonya crossed her arms and looked at Alexis, questioning her plan. "Why recommend approaching him for help?"
Lucinda sighed deeply, placing her hand on her head before removing it. "She is asking because she knows he is very fond of me. We have a history together, not a good one, but it's my past."
"Does anyone have any other suggestions?" asked Alexis, eyeing the others.
Everyone shook their heads in response to her question.
Then Alexis added, "He is the only one who can get us into the party unannounced, and as we do not know how many guards she has in her pocketâ"
Kota finished her sentence. "It appears he is our best bet to get us inside during the party."