Words from strangers should not be trusted nor misplace any values. Plus, he did not believe and now what that girl said is happening to the disbeliever. His bell ears perk at the leaves rustling, branches snapping, and what he sees from the corner of his ajar carriage window are shadows unnaturally bending on the forest tree trunks.
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The forest falls like a gloomy downpour and the sunset paints King's Road scarlet. The two horses pick up their pace, swerving and galloping devilishly gallant under Isaac's brave commands. Even some of the pursuers are surprised by the horse's speed, some itching to fire their arrows.
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"Lord magister," Isaac whispers quietly through the sliding panel, "I feel eyes on us,"
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And Ober sits quietly, patiently meditating as if he is waiting for this moment. Then, his eyes snap open. An arrow whistles, struck the ground in front of one of the horses causing them both to rear. Isaac, knowing that this is an ambush, quickly calls out the names, "Merry! Bell!" and the two horses explode into a bloody rain. He has expected himself to call them ever since that strange girl came.
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But no way does he want to feel dizzy and drowsy again. The carriage coming to a sudden halt against two black female figures kneeling on the horses' bloody pool, eyes red with their hairs standing to complete a cross. Their heels pierce the dirt road and kill it gray. One glances at a branch, hearing a bow snick with an arrow that barely struck the road. Isaac quickly gestures, a rosary in his hand, "Get every–"
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Cut off by a flash of light piercing through the bloody scarlet. Merry and Bell shriek in fear, adding to the fainting of others in the trees. They look around, agitated as if they would jump and violently murder everything in the forest. Howling sharply at the light with mammoth sized fangs. "Gghh-" Isaac can do nothing at the light. It is too bright. "How do they know–" He dips the rosary into his pocket and Merry and Bell dives into the carriage's shadows. He stumbles backwards and sits back on his seat with a tinnitus. An arrow flying for his head. Multiple twangs firing for the carriage. But all arrows suddenly stop meters around the carriage.
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"Halt this nonsense" The lord magister himself steps out and wields a gray staff. Its own light emanating white from its orb. "Call back Merry and Bell, Isaac. These people would be an overkill for them"
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"But–they know about the light…"
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"Yes, they know about Ymalla. They know exactly on how to keep their distance, and keep the lights on." Ober looks at the eyes of their pursuers, fur wearing barbarians that are hesitant to fire their bows. He stares at all of them, knowingly. Before dipping his hand into Isaac's pocket and grabs hold of the beads. Keeping it inside, hearing the mangled voices of two women–roughly wording out light. He utters words in a strange language, "Bryt þa wælhreowra h atenta wæpen"
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And snapping can be heard around them. The wooden bows and iron weapons of their pursuers all torn in half. Fear crackles the barbarians in cut voices and retreat back for behind the giant light. Merry and Bell growl from underneath the carriage. Their arms had formed to that of a giant dragon's claw. Ober pinches the rosary beads and both devils react by leaving their gigantic claw marks on the bark. "That should do" he says and releases the rosary. Stabbing the surface for an earth wall to rise and cover the carriage.
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Isaac brings his own hands quickly to the rosary and chants in the same unknown language, "Ic eom þin hláford…come back to me. Merry! Bell!" And the two monsters transform into a ball of darkness. Red eyes eagerly attentive and shying away from the pulsating light as they perch on the servant's shoulder. Ober then asks whoever the caster of the light to stop and says to, "Let us be civil about this, people of Kinguin." Then turning to where the light is being casted, "Step out and stop hiding,"
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A man with shoulder ended chestnut hair appears like a box of chocolate if not for his silver chest plate. He strides forward with confidence, looking around with chin held up. How Ober wands to slit his throat The lord magister has to squint his eyes to look at this man's ugly pointed nose and chin, like how those volkins look like back at the tower. Along with that box straight hairstyle. Following towards the silver chest plate and flowers in between his shoulder plates and gauntlets. He introduces himself, fashionably with stylish poses, "I! Holy I am! A knight of the greatest empire of Western Hemrea. That which I am valued over 1,000 soldiers, for I–am the floral knight~ HIEEEEK—--" HIs own flowers turned threateningly alive, baring sharp mandibles that could chew his pointed face as their snack.
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Ober had to do it. This audacious performer, says he is a floral knight valued over 1,000 others when he could not even handle his own flowers. Plus, what truly frowns his brows more is how he wears the symbol that he and the barbarians around recognize. A silver chest plate, rustic already around the edges but the center remains polished and pure. A proof of its power and relic–the emblem of the immortal Amaranth. "How would you like to be minced meat for your own flowers?" Ober asks, observing his funny seriousness and embarrassment bold face–nose and lips plump and pouting.
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"P-Please! Spare me!"
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Which Ober does, wilting the flowers all over his body before he extends out his hand for the armor plate to wriggle and pull itself out of the floral knight. The armor flying to Ober's hand while looking at this poofy tunic naked knight. "Who sent you?"
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"N—Not that you know! One of the Head Princesses ask me for your head! Haha and you will never get to know what hit you" Must be a line that he wanted to say because he slipped what Ober wanted to hear
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Head princess—which only one comes to mind—A maturely faced lady whose hair forms to twin buns. Although, 45 years had already passed since he last received an image about them, and that was before they took the throne after their parents' assassination.
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"You must be Ober Vanderhawk RIGHT!?" As if this floral knight is not already seeing the obvious. "I MEAN! I WILL LOOT YOU AND YOUR HEAD. AND WE WOULD NOT GO BACK ON OUR WORD. WE WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD MAGISTER!"
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Ober spreads his arms, gesturing to say 'Take it' "Take my head"
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Which the floral knight takes out a puny dagger, barely the whole length of his own arm. He runs with a battle cry but then he stops and points his weapon at the magister. "ATTACK! WE WILL NOT GO BACK ON OUR WORD!" How many times does he need to repeat himself? "MY LEGS DO NOT SHAKE AND I WILL GET TO YOU AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. I HAVE YOUR HEAD!" He says all that but he does not even get near to the carriage, his eyes fearing the two black balls around Isaac's shoulders. "ATTACK YOuU BARBARIANS!" He turns around but sees no one is with him.
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"GAAAAH!" Theatrically screams the lord magister before he giggles. His open chest receiving all the light with the amaranth armor glinting of pure silver. "MYYY HEAAAD!"
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"HEAD!" Which a cute voice repeats and from where the light is glowing, "I WILL HAVE YOUR HEADDD!!!" Her brown hair flowing behind her knees with only one band to tie it with a short tail. Her stubble nose and adorably plump cheeks smiling despite standing brown fur naked. Her cat ears twitch before she smiles, showing a familiar one crack tooth. "I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD LORD MAGISTER!"
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"AH!" Isaac points at the girl, "Ishka!"
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"Ishka it is I! Great Isaac!"
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"W-who…" The floral knight looks at the girl who holds a stick where the whole blast of light is glowing while also at the boy and the lord magister who is just as surprise as the boy to see this furry girl. "Who?"
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"Ishka…well, It has been great to see you friend!" Ober says, genuinely smiling at their furry friend.
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"Ishka! Made it to Kinguin as promised!" She yells out before waving her little wand and utter silent words for the light to disappear. "Ishka, always thought that we would meet again after you saved my caravan but then, Ishka and the others got caught at the gatekeeper and said that we are not trusted simply because we are Ferlins! Then they sent me, and everyone else to a horrible dungeon where we eat only stale potatoes!" running down before leaping, using the floral knight's head to leap again and open her arms wide. Ober does the same and the little Ferlin girl falls into his arms. "It is so nice seeing you two again!"
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"Likewise, Ishka," patting her head and saying, "We have to deal with this ruffian and the barbarians first before tea."
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"No worries!" Ishka says, before whistling. Then, coming out of the forest besides them are the barbarians with Ferlins mix among them. "We somehow befriended them hehe"
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All the barbarians drop their weapons as soon as they set their foot on the dirt road. Bowing themselves fully with their foreheads touching the dirt as they beg forgiveness. The Ferlins does the same, feeling wronged about firing arrows to their own savior. But Ishka does not bow, instead she asks everyone to stand but the Ferlins are the only ones that listen to her. The crimson sky slowly falling to dusk. With the lord magister's shadow covering them. "People of Kinguin, please raise your heads"
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"T-TRAITORS!" The knight shouts, "TRAITORS, YOU PATHETIC LOT ARE! I HAVE EXPECTED MUCH FROM YOU PRISONERS AND TRUE! YOU ALL ARE TRAITORS! I will HAVE ALL YOUR HEADS PRESENTED TO THE---"
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Ishka walks up to the knight before waving her wand at him, "ey!" She says before the knight bolts backwards and crash against a tree.
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"WOAH ISHKA! How did you do that!?" Isaac asks, running up to his friend,
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"Just some basic wand stuff"
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"Isaac," Ober calls asking him to bring the charlatan in the carriage which Isaac asks why, and Ishka too, saying that she can bound him on the carts they brought with them. "No need, I want to ask just exactly who asked him,"
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"It is a noble!" Ishka says, eyes bright with whites that knows the answer, her pure smile and ears twitching waiting for the lord magister to ask her to continue.
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"Do you know Ishka?" Which he falls for her
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"I DO!" Ishka continues, "It is a noble at Third plateau by the name of Cornelius, and he never really said who the princess asked for Cornelius but Head princess sounds only to that intimidating stone faced!"
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"High Princess Giza" Ober nods before turning to the barbarians who are still groveling and begging for their forgiveness. He himself know what it means to beg for forgiveness, sorrowly so that it writhes his heart seeing the kingdom's people driven to begging for forgiveness from each other. "I forgive you lot if you raise your heads and see that I am not your enemy."
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They fur wearing barbarians raise their heads with one saying, "You are our lord magister…" Another one adding that they do not see Ober as their enemy. They blame everything they have done today at Cornelius. They did not want to hurt the traveling merchants or fell down a tree to block the western fork road to stop them from advancing if not for the charlatan.
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"Right! Please lord magister" Ishka adds to their pleas, "We really do not mean to stop Kinguin's western flow of trade and there are many merchants and groups who are stuck because they cannot remove the tree we fell! It was a particularly big tree and…I had to use Ymalla's wand to cut it."
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"An ancient and magical tree you say?"
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"I guess so…" Ishka lowers her head, feeling guilty as she holds the wand with tightening grips.
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"Lord Magister, we are heading for the capital"
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Gasps Ishka, and the rest of the barbarians, "Are you coming back to Kinguin lord magister?" They say in unison along with praises and "huzzah!"s.
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And Ober smiles proudly, not even knowing why how he suddenly gets praises for just returning from a long due barrier repair work.
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"We thought you are still travelling around Cyndoryll but if you are coming back." Ishka bows, not fully with only her half body leaning forwards, "Please help us with the tree lord magister!"
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Still feeling high from their sudden theatrics and praises. "Of course I will." He turns to the fur wearing barbarians, "You lot are not heading back because you would go back to your prison, right?"
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"Ishka will not" Isaac says for Ishka and the rest of the Ferlins nod, but the barbarians are what Ober worries.
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"You may ask for forgiveness with all the stars witnessing your bow but they will not help you live your lives forwards." Ober says quotingly, "Take steps forwards and relieve yourselves from them in any way that you can. Go back to your families, start a new life at a different kingdom, or see yourself as wanderers. Our Cyndoryll, as you may not know, is abundant and bountiful with its soils. Plant an apple tree and it will only take months to grow. You can live much on your own starting now, do not head back to prison. What kind of life would you even want to live there?"
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And many nods to the lord magister, then some of them starts shrieking when Merry and Bell morphs back into horses, but Ober proceeds to the knight still stuck and unconscious on the tree, carrying like a stack of potatoes before bringing him and himself inside the carriage. "Ishka!" He calls, "What flavor of tea would you like?"
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"Barley greens!" She says with a high smile as she asks her Ferlin friends to ride on the wagons. Some barbarians heard Ober's words to heard and decides to walk at a different direction from where they came, some joining the Ferlins while others simply sit on the road and look up at the settling sun beyond the sleepy mountains.
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