I wasn’t exactly thrilled with Luzilte, but they weren’t some evil kingdom. I didn’t approve of their methods, but they were doing what they deemed necessary in the name of national security. Plus, the knights and soldiers they were sending after us were just guys following orders. Now, I had no problem defending myself if they picked a fight, but Ran here was just along for the ride... It felt wrong to set her busting up more or less innocent heads.
“I’ll just watch then,” she whispered reluctantly before obediently running to the edge of the forest and hiding behind a tree.
Meanwhile, Gourry and I turned to face what was coming. Close to twenty mounted knights appeared from beyond the village. They must have caught sight of us, because the guy in front raised his hand and called, “Halt!”
Aha. I know that voice.
The cavalry stared us down from a good ways off. It would’ve been quite a distance to cover by foot, but a horse could do it in the blink of an eye.
“I’ve found you, outlaws!” The knight at the head of the squad—I didn’t know his name, but he was the commander of the Knights of the Silver Spear—called in our direction.
I see. We’re finally getting the outlaw treatment...
“I hear you caused some trouble in Lanoma City yesterday. You terrified the good-hearted locals, you know! The penalty for terrorizing innocent people is steep!”
“It was your assassin who raised hell in Lanoma!” I shouted back at the angry captain.
“Our assassin? Enough of your lies!”
It sounded like he was the one spouting BS to me, but I had to consider that the assassin may have been under someone else’s orders. Perhaps Commander Silver Spear here really was none the wiser. Either way, I clearly wasn’t talking him down. Which meant I had only one recourse...
I chanted a spell under my breath.
“Such blatant deceit in an attempt to evade the law is a terrible evil! We shall show no mercy! Knights, surround them!”
At his word, the knights began to fan out... but all too late! Before the commander had given the order, I’d finished my spell chant. I knelt down in place, laid my right hand on the ground, and released the words of power! “Vu Vrima!” The earth rumbled and shook. The field where we’d been sitting earlier roiled and swelled until a giant human form burst out.
Vu Vrima beseeched earth spirits called bephemoths to craft a powerful creature known as a golem. They were on the slow side and could only follow simple orders, but they sure were handy in the right situation. And I was willing to bet this was the first time the knights had ever seen a clay giant form from the very earth warping—because they immediately fell into a panic.
“What is this?!”
“A giant?”
“What a hideous creature!”
“This can’t be real!”
The unnerved men whipped their reins around in fright, causing their horses to whinny in confusion. Soon, my golem—looking rather fluffy from the grassland he was made of—was complete!
“Golem!” And then I gave my order! “Dance!”
Creeeeak... Heeding my command, the golem began waving its arms and legs, earth creaking audibly.
I, uh, guess it was technically a dance, but I wasn’t so much upset with the bephemoths’ choreography as I was with myself for making them do that. Anyhoo, to the knights, my creation remained a sight of sheer terror.
“Don’t be daunted! Hold your ranks!” The commander raised his voice in desperation, but his men were in no state to listen.
I took advantage of the chaos, and... “Freeze Arrow!” The dozen frigid bolts I fired landed among the band of already panicking knights. Sorry if I hit any of you nice horsies! Screams rose up, the chaos spread, and I started chanting another spell.
“C-Curse you!” The commander glared at me, but he wasn’t about to charge and leave his men without a leader. Plus, I had Gourry at my side and—
“Lina!”
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Gourry’s cry. A flash of hostility. Gourry leaping toward me, grabbing me with both arms...
Bwooooosh!
...and a crimson flame ripping forth!
Someone had taken advantage of the chaos to launch a fire spell at me from my flank, and Gourry, who’d realized it not a second too late, had saved me. The flames struck the trunk of a tree, scorching its foliage and the grass below. Waves of heat stroked my cheek and tousled my hair, but it wasn’t hot enough to be painful. “Thanks, Gourry!”
He set me down, and I looked in the direction the attack had come from. My eyes fell on a red-robed figure standing among the trees.
Is that... the guy from Lanoma City?! Had he intended to catch me unawares while I was focused on the knights?
“Curse you! You have other allies?!” the commander shouted angrily as he watched.
I mean, that attack was obviously meant for me, right?! Still, even if Commander Doofus had misread the situation, his surprise was a sure indicator that the knights didn’t know the robed guy. Which meant... my first goal was to inspire a little friendly fire!
“Gourry! The robed guy first!”
“Right!”
We took off running for the robed guy in the forest!
“Don’t let them get away!” Perhaps believing we were trying to rendezvous with a comrade, the commander howled and jerked at his horse’s reins. The beast was still too spooked by the dancing golem and the fire, however, and refused to comply. Finally losing his temper, the commander dismounted and ordered for his men to do the same. “Follow me!”
Ahead of me, the red-robed figure. Behind me, the pursuing knights.
In other words, Gourry and I were smack between them! If the robed man fired at us and we dodged, he’d hit his own allies. This would keep him in check and make him think twice about—
He attacked?!
The robed man produced a ball of light, from which five or six rays broke out and streaked toward us! It was what he’d used in Lanoma. I knew it was the same guy! But back then, we were stuck trying to dodge on a rooftop. Now we were on flat ground, even if it was a little pulpy from my golem-summoning. Evading this time would be a cinch!
To that end, Gourry and I leaped to either side... And then I heard the knights scream behind me.
So he doesn’t care about hitting his buddies?!
At that same moment, I sensed a new wave of hostility. I reflexively looked toward the source and spied a second robed figure standing among the trees a little way away. This one already had a dozen spears of light conjured and ready to launch. Had they been planning to hit me as I dodged the obvious attack?!
Robe No. 2 went to fire—Crack!—but before they could, they let out a cry of pain. Ran had come running up from the side and whacked them with her staff. Judging by their voice, Robe No. 2 was a woman. Her spears of light went flying off in a random direction, impaling the ground and trees.
Hey, I told you to stay out of this... But thanks for the save!
Gourry and I made eye contact for a second, tacitly agreeing to change course for the robed woman.
“Elemekia Lance!” I then let fly the spell I’d originally meant for the robed man, whose female counterpart was currently off balance from Ran’s attack. Elemekia Lance dealt spiritual damage, and it was perfectly capable of rendering a normal human opponent unconscious!
Robe No. 2 seemed to realize this, and... “Ngh!” She let out a curse and swept at the spell with her left hand! Ka-zing! The swipe broke up my spell with a loud ring!
What?! For the record, one does not simply bat away an Elemekia Lance! Just trying would knock most people out cold. But the woman seemed slightly shaken at worst. Maybe she had some kind of anti-spell magic item equipped to her arm, or maybe there was something else at play.
Gourry picked up speed at that point and closed the distance on her. “Hey, you!”
She took a fighting stance—and I promise you she was underestimating Gourry. The big lug pressed his charge, leaped in, and plunged the hilt of his sword into her solar plexus! When he did...
“What?!” It was Gourry who leaped back with a shout! I couldn’t see what had happened from where I was standing.
“Lina!” Gourry shouted. “They’re—”
Before he could finish the thought, I could hear thunderous footfalls rushing toward me from behind. I looked over my shoulder and... What?! From where the robed man stood, tearing through the forest toward me was... A wolf?!