With the setting of the sun, the skies were slowly enveloped by creeping darkness, the original beautiful hues of violet and orange consumed by night. The trio, having continuously travelled since leaving town, decided to set up camp on the outskirts of a forest they would travel through tomorrow. Seeing as they now had a magic beast accompanying them, they did not have to worry too much about being attacked by wild beasts during their rest.

Alorna, Luca and Bao, Luca's name for the Crystal Bear after much deliberation, snuggled close around the newly-lit campfire. Alorna was a little baffled by Bao's docile nature during this, as the creature comfortably allowed the pair to lean into their fluffy fur as they rested. Perhaps it was purely due to Luca saving it from its torment earlier, but Orna felt grateful nonetheless. She could worry a little less about Luca catching a cold during their many days of travel now.

Skewered pieces of rabbit meat sat close to the campfire, with a hunger-inducing fragrance wafting through the air. Bao's hungry eyes stared at the feast before his eyes with drool noticeably dripping off his chin. Luca's eyes were similarly gazing at the meat, but Alorna could tell his thoughts were elsewhere. Whilst rotating the skewers every now and then, Orna couldn't help but sigh. There were thousands of things her little son could be thinking about right now.

Even though they were such heartless, power-thirsty monsters, the royal family of Alstice were still the last of his blood-related kin. With their deaths being proclaimed so dramatically and proudly by Quvari, it must be difficult to process. He was finally free, but he couldn't even return home and visit his mothers grave. Although even if he could return and visit, there would be nothing left there for him anyway.

Contrary to Alorna's thoughts, Luca's mind was not filled with the past, but of the impending future. Alorna always pampered and protected him, although he was far more capable than such treatment needed. With concise medical knowledge despite such a young age, alongside a relatively calm and polite temperament which he learned from Alorna, she really didn't need to spoil him so much. Although he thought like this, he did love the pampering she showed him, accepting the role of a spoiled child whenever he could. Consequently, they showed sides of themselves to each other that they would rarely show others.

Just as Alorna finished up her mediocre roast and bent the skewers away from the fire to cool down, the subtle sound of rustling caught her attention. Discreetly gritting her teeth, she inwardly cursed at herself for growing careless, not showing the slightest hint of troubled emotions on her face. Burly figures slowly stepped onto the campsite, grinning wickedly whilst wielding their sharp blades. The flickering orange light of the campfire only made their countenances ever more devilish: it was clear they had no good intentions towards the trio. A female, with dark ruby hair and an ugly scar running through her right eye, chuckled with a malicious grin, seemingly the leader amongst the group of bandits.

"Well look what we have here." She began, her tone low and mellow with a clear hint of amusement.

Alorna's eyes were wide, seemingly shivering from fright as she hugged Luca tightly in her arms. As the leader's smile widened at the sight of such easy prey, Orna was secretly analyzing the situation. Her eyes darted from the side to side in a fake panic, but in reality, she was getting as much information as she could.

She hadn't seen Bao fight before, especially in his current weakened state, but she assumed that he would be able to hold his own. A magic beast's might wasn't to be underestimated, much less one as ferocious-looking as Bao. It seems it was indeed a good idea to have him on their side instead of a regular horse. Luca was no fighter, Alorna knew that very well, particularly with his current poor health after years of neglect. She knew that the odds weren't in her favour for the outcome of this confrontation, but she still had the element of surprise up her sleeve. She knew that some bandits just robbed and didn't kill, but she had a strong feeling this particular crowd weren't the same.

The malicious group were clad in clothing of poor condition, with makeshift rags as bandanas and scarves. There were eight bandits total, two of which were archers. The other six wielded melee weaponry, including the leader mocking their pitiful appearances at the moment. She wielded a sword resembling a cutlass, with chips in its metal and dried blood staining its iron blade.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't get a chance to use it.

Noticing the bandit leader stepping closer, the mirth in her eyes still clear, Alorna began the first step of her plan. "Stay with Bao." Was all she whispered briefly to Luca, as she suddenly approached the bandit in front of her, appearing as if she was about to kneel and plead for mercy.

Just as her legs bent forward, Alorna suddenly shot forward, the two daggers she threw immediately stuck in the necks of two of the leader's subordinates. Blood spilled out immediately like a blooming crimson flower, but Alorna did not even glance at them as she sliced the neck of the woman in front of her. Pure shock filled her victim's uninjured eye, as she clasped her neck and collapsed on to the floor, the blood trickling down her neck like a river.

Alorna gazed back with her soft golden eyes, with no trace of her earlier turbulent emotions. Only a steady calmness could be seen on her face, as if what she had just done was the most natural action in the world. As her eyes glazed over the last of the shocked bandits, she suddenly disappeared, before reappearing in front of one of the archers.

In his state of shock, he didn't even know he died.

As their fourth comrade lifelessly fell to the ground, the rest of the bandits finally woke up.

"Y-you..."

"A monster..."

Two of their warriors approached Alorna warily, flanking her from both sides, whilst the other confronted Bao who was protecting Luca.

Orna believed that Bao would be able to hold his own, even whilst protecting her son, but she was in a rather sticky situation. Now that she no longer had the element of surprise on her side, this fight would be difficult. Her skills and experience were unsuitable for direct confrontation, even if she was relatively skillful with a blade. However, she did not let any of this show on her face as she wielded her bloody daggers, scaring her enemies even further. In the blink of an eye, she had murdered half of their numbers. Although bandits were hardened to death, gore and morally wrong actions, seeing their comrades fall like flies had caused them to shiver with fright.

As the bandits around her were reluctant to reduce the distance between them further, their eyes occasionally darting to their fallen comrade at her feet, Alorna was watching their last member, the other archer, who wasn't in any direct conflict. He seemed to be pulling something out from his satchel in a panic, trying to remain discreet amongst the trees. Naturally, Alorna wasn't planning on letting him do whatever he wished, but as she readied to throw a dagger at him, the other two bandits flanking her finally struck.

Her attention diverted, she could only catch occasional glimpses at the archer as she dodged the bandits' attacks. Her footwork seemed ordinary, but every time they swung their swords she would narrowly dodge their strikes as if she could read all their predictions.

A crimson coloured stone was pulled out of the archer's bag, as he hurriedly pointed it towards Bao and poured his mana into the stone. Thinking that it was merely a beast core and that he was simply going to summon a magic beast to battle them, she wasn't in a particular rush to end his life. However, contrary to her expectations, the stone suddenly transformed into a bright crystalline blue. Startled by the familiar colour, she watched in horror as Bao suddenly roared in pain. When he opened his eyes again, they were consumed by the colour of blood, the original colour of the stone the archer was holding. As the archer grinned and laughed wildly, Bao suddenly turned around and leapt at Luca behind him!

Despair filled her eyes as Alorna began rushing towards her dear son, neglecting the sword strike which spewed crimson across her back. But the distance was too great, there was no way for her to make it in time, even with her agility. She couldn't lose him. What would be her reason for living if he passed? There was so much she wanted to teach him, so much she wanted him to experience and see in this wide wide world. When she was at her lowest, he shone like the brightest little sun, easing away all the darkness that smothered her back then. She owed him so much and treasured his very existence so deeply. How could she have left him to that magic beast they purchased just this morning? What was she thinking?

As tears fell from her panicked eyes, a great fireball suddenly blasted through the darkness of the forest, hurtling towards the archer and his magic stone at a tremendous speed. Enveloped by the raging flames, the archer immediately burnt to a sizzling crisp, whilst the devilish magic stone burst into thousands of dull shards. His claw mere inches from Luca's tiny body, Bao suddenly collapsed before rising again with his usual crystal blue irises. His eyes were filled with confusion, but he quickly turned back to the stunned bandit he was fighting earlier and tore him to shreds with his crystalline claws.

Everyone was flabbergasted, particularly Luca who was mere moments away from his brutal death. Quivering from fright, he slowly sat down and tried to calm his overwhelmed emotions. Alorna, realizing that the tables had suddenly turned, immediately made use of the opportunity to deal with the leftover bandits. A dagger flew into the neck of a stunned bandit, whilst she personally exacted revenge for the wound on her back by striking the other bandit with her blade. The pair crumpled to the floor in a pile of flesh and blood, whilst Orna hurriedly rushed over to Luca.

A figure, covered in brambles and leaves, suddenly emerged from the darkness, panting and crouched over with overexertion. He had a head full of flaming red hair, with bright forest green eyes that contrasted heavily against his drab cloak and slacks. He was a little short for a male, just about matching Alornas relatively tall stature. Just as the stranger lifted his head after recovering his breath, Alorna's eyes widened in surprise.

"Naifen?" She inquired in disbelief, hugging Luca tightly to comfort and calm him down.

"H-hey Alorna, I-I'm glad I made it in time... B-but I think y-you should get your w-wound looked at-" He just about managed to squeeze the words out as he fell from his awkward position and collapsed on the forest floor, completely unconscious.