“Why did you do that, Amyra?” Erin asked while healing Amyra’s back with Spirit Mend. Though it was a spell that was meant for healing the mind, it could heal physical injuries but only to a limited degree. Given their current circumstances, it was better than nothing.

“Are you asking me to just let you die, milady?” Amyra returned the question.

“You're aware that I can’t die, aren’t you?”

“I’m also aware that every time you die and come back, you lose a piece of yourself and the wounds linger like an unseen phantom. If you ask me, that’s a fate worse than death. You, my lady, are undeserving of such a fate.”

Erin tittered. “Suddenly, it feels like I’m the one being healed here.”

“I’ll be fine, milady. This is only a flesh wound.”

“I thought fire can’t hurt you.”

“It can’t but there’s a lot of raw force in that explosion. Even without the flames, the destruction is still huge, enough to tear through my skin. Fuck these people.”

“There, done.” Erin sighed. “I did as much as I could.”

Amyra stretched her arms and winded her shoulders. “The pain is nearly gone. I feel much better already.”

“Spirit Mend does that but mind you, the pain will come back once the effect from Spirit Mend fades.”

“Don’t worry, milady. This amount of pain is nothing and we have wasted enough time licking our wounds. We need to catch up with the rest.”

Erin rose to her feet and stretched out her hand. “Can you stand?”

Amyra stood up without any difficulties. “Of course, milady. I can even walk and run.”

“Good. Let us make haste,” Erin said and dashed into the woods with Amyra following behind her.

****

“Wait,” Siv uttered and everyone came to a stop in their tracks.

Lyra, Nivia, Lilian, and Aera all turned to look at Siv who was walking at the rear of the group as they trekked through the woods.

Siv’s nose twitched as she took a few whiffs of the air.

“Enemies?” Nivia asked.

Siv nodded. “We’re surrounded.”

“About time,” Lyra muttered and nocked an arrow to her bow.

“Forgive me, ladies, but I will have to entrust my life to all of you,” Lilian said, haggardly. She had done her best to sustain her summoned Familiar horse but unlike Erin, she wasn’t a shining beacon for the Spirits and she quickly exhausted herself.

“You have done enough, Lady Lilian,” Aera said as she helped Lilian to a log that was just the right side for one to sit on. “Rest easy.”

“Thank you, Aera.” Lilian tittered. “Please, Lilian is enough.”

Aera nodded meekly. “Alright… Lilian.”

Lilian snickered.

Siv looked towards Aera with a sympathetic gaze. “Aera, sorry to ask this of you but we really need your wrath right now.”

“I-I understand… but… I can’t just draw it out. I need to be angry.”

“Well, just imagine them to be part of the Covenant,” Lyra suggested as her gaze wandered around, looking out for any creeping enemies.

“That doesn’t work…”

“Siv, can you tell how many there are?” Nivia asked, her bow drawn.

“Forgive me, Nivia. I can’t. The scent is muddled. I can only smell their bloodlust but it is intense. We’re either up against a lot of them or just a few who are incredibly… strong.”

“Well, neither of those two is comforting.”

“We should keep moving,” Nivia said.

“Lilian is tired.”

“Then carry her. We’re just sitting ducks here.”

“You’re welcome to try.”

“This is no time to be making jokes, Lyra.”

“I’m not joking, Nivia. Do you really think I can carry her and run at the same time?”

“Your arms are thicker than mine.”

“Not thick enough for her. Do you not see those two lumps on her?”

Lilian frowned. “Wow, that’s very underhanded of you, Lyra.”

“Sorry, but it’s the truth. Sure I can carry you and run if I use Mana but we are being chased. It will leave me dry when we need to fight back.”

“I can carry her,” Siv offered.

“No, you are our main strength here. We can’t let you be burdened.”

Nivia scowled. “Are you calling Lilian a burden?”

“She’s right, Nivia,” Lilian said with a wry smile. “I am a burden right now.”

“She doesn’t need to be if you stay our ground and fight.”

“And let the enemies slowly close in on us from all sides? That’s very stupid.”

“We just need to hold out until Erin arrives.”

“Do you intend to depend on Erin again?”

Lyra had no retort towards Nivia’s question. Lyra surprised herself with her own words. She didn’t even realise it until Nivia pointed it out. She had become reliant on Erin. She cursed inwardly at herself.

“I can carry her,” Aera said.

“Are you sure?” Lyra questioned.

Aera nodded and walked towards Lilian. She scooped the Dryad into her arms and lifted her up with a huge huff.

“Whoa…” Lyra gasped.

Nivia was equally stunned.

“Huh… Since when?” Siv asked.

“My training with Amyra bore fruit,” Aera answered with a wry smile and also a strained expression. “I can do this much at least.”

“Well, let’s get moving then,” Lyra said and the group resumed their movements.

However, a man in clergy robes emerged from the shadows and stood in their path, wielding nothing but a rosary tangled in one hand.

Lyra and Nivia immediately trained their bows on the clergyman. Siv brandished her twin swords.

“I will make this easy for all of you. Surrender the one known as Erynthea to me and you will all shall live.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Lyra said and loosened the bowstring.

The arrow flew straight at the clergyman but it was easily dodged with just a slant of his head. The arrow made a sharp turn and flew right back at the clergyman’s head.

Without turning his head, the clergyman grabbed the arrow before it could touch the back of his head. “This is pathetic,” the clergyman sneered and flung the arrow to the ground. “If this is all you are capable of, you best surrender now while I’m still being merciful.”

“Shut your trap,” Lyra scoffed and let loose another arrow.

The clergyman chuckled and waved his hand, and the arrow was battered away by an unseen force.

Nivia released an arrow of her own, propelled by Wind Magic.

The clergyman waved his hand but it did not produce the same result. He tutted and snapped his fingers, crushing the spell-enchanted arrow into pieces.

Lyra frowned with a scowl. “What manner of sorcery is this?”

“The kind that is too much for little minds like yours to comprehend.” The clergyman pointed a finger at Lyra.

While the others were confused by the clergyman’s action, Siv leapt in front of Lyra and flourished her swords. A clangour rang clearly in the air and sparks flew.

“You can see them?” the clergyman questioned. “No, you can’t see them, but you can sense them. Smell them, perhaps? That would be fitting of your kind.”

“Be careful,” Siv said. “The enemy controls some kind of creature. It’s swift.”

“He caught and snapped my arrows. He also crushed Nivia’s arrow. That’s the work of a Familiar?”

“No, that’s a spell. The attack just now it’s the work of a Familiar— Familiars, to be exact.”

“Impressive, but as expected of a Beastkin. Your acute senses are not to be underestimated.”

“Damn it,” Lyra cursed. “We’re wasting time with this arrogant fuck while the enemies are closing in behind us.”

“Don’t be reckless now, Lyra,” Nivia chided. “We do not know what the enemy can do.”

“The Fae is wise.” The clergyman snickered.

“Just shut your trap,” Lyra snarled and released a small wave of arrows at the clergyman. All of the arrows either bounced off of an unseen barrier around the clergyman or they were crushed by an unseen force.

Siv narrowed her eyes. “The rosary.”

“What?” Lyra blurted.

“It’s the rosary. It’s a magic tool. The defensive spells he conjured were all the product of the rosary.”

“In that case, this will not be much of a hurdle after all.”

“You jest,” the clergyman sneered. “Even if you know about that, what can you do about it?”

It was Nivia’s turn to point at the clergyman. “This,” she said curtly.

As if that was the cue, Siv threw a pair of Aura Shots at the clergyman.

He clutched tightly on his rosary and the invisible barrier protected him from the Aura Shots but clouds of smoke were raised from the dust and dirt on the ground around the clergyman.

The smoke drew out the shape and contour of two invisible serpents floating and flowing around the clergyman. These two serpents were thrice the size of a normal snake.

Just as the clergyman was about to send out his Familiars, vines erupted from underneath his feet and coiled around his limbs. Before he could clutch down on the rosary, the vines crushed his limbs and he let out a painful yowl.

Siv rushed in and swung her swords. However, the serpents flew into her path and blocked the slash. The pair then began trading blows with Siv, using their bodies like one would use swords. Siv was astounded by such peculiar Familiars but she did not let it degrade her focus.

Meanwhile, Nivia seized the window and dove right for the clergyman.

The serpents noticed this and immediately dashed back to their master in the midst of trading blows with Siv, but Lyra was already waiting for this. She fired arrows at the serpents, enough to stall them long enough for Nivia’s blades to cleave right into the clergyman.

“Aerys be praised!” the clergyman shouted into the sky as Nivia’s blades were inches away from his neck.

A glaring red glow consumed the clergyman and Nivia was repelled away by the blinding flash. The clergyman’s mangled limbs instantly mended themselves and they were all as good as new in just seconds. However, the clergyman fell to his knees after the red glow dissipated, the colour drained from his face and blood trickled down his nose.

“You will pay for this…” the clergyman growled and retreated into the trees.

Siv tried to chase after him but the moment she did, two men with horns and reptilian tails emerged from the bushes nearby. Siv barely avoided their sneak attacks that were aimed at her head but she avoided the attacks completely.

One slash grazed her forehead and a thrust grazed her shoulder. Though she survived the ambush, she was wounded. The wounds weren’t heavy but they left her weak and vulnerable for a moment and the two ambushes took advantage of that moment.

“Dragonkin?” Siv muttered to herself when her ambushers rushed towards her with madness in their bloodshot gazes.

“For Aerys!” cried the two Dragonkin as they threw themselves at Siv.

“Get down!” Nivia shouted from behind.

Siv immediately did so as a beam of light flashed overhead twice. The two Dragonkin rushing towards her were now lying on the ground in two halves, their glaring gaping wounds burnt to a crisp and smoking.

The devastating and lethal attack came from Nivia’s use of Laser, a spell under Light Magic. It was a simple spell but incredibly deadly and draining. It was only two uses and Nivia had nearly exhausted herself of all her Mana.

Siv rushed over to the kneeling Elf who was looking worse for wear. “Thank you, Nivia. I’m so sorry. It was my fault that I—”

“Save your apology,” Nivia cut her off in between her rasped breaths. She forced a smile. “We’re friends, companions. We take care of each other. Besides, I’m just out of breath, not mortally wounded. I’m in better shape than you.”

Siv tittered. “You certainly are.”

“I’m afraid you’ll need to carry me now.”

“Is that wise?”

“What other choice do we have?”

“We stand our ground,” suggested Lilian, who was being carried on Aera’s back.

Lyra snorted. “And wait for our deaths?”

“No.” Lilian weakly shook her head and uncoiled her fist, which had been clutching tightly to her last three Mana Cells. “We can make a fortress of nature around us.”