The cold morning wind swept across the hills, the leaves rustling softly. But, the calm was shattered in an instant.
"EVE! WATCH OUT!" Laguna shouted.
Eve turned her head only to see a dark shadow emerge from behind the bushes, a dagger drawn, ready to slash her back. With incredible reflexes, Eve twisted and jumped to the side. But she wasn't fast enough—the tip of the dagger still cut her right arm.
"Tch!" Eve winced, blood seeping from the wound on her arm.
From the shadows, the attacker took a step forward, revealing himself. A man with short black hair in dark clothes and a sly smile on his face.
"Hoo... So this lowly dark elf is quite agile," he sneered.
Laguna sharpened his gaze.
[Zareth]
Race: Human
Skills: Phantom Step A, Backstab A, Shadowsting C, more...
Str: 17
Vit: 13
Agi: 25
Int: 10
Wis: 8
Luk: 5
"Damn... "His strength and agility aren't as good as mine," Laguna said, sounding worried.
"Eve, be careful! There should still be two or three more assassins!" he shouted as he prepared.
Zareth grinned. "Don't worry, kid. I told them to chase your friends. They're probably dead by now."
In an instant, a knife flew toward Laguna's head. He dodged, but as soon as his feet landed, Zareth had appeared behind him.
The dagger was raised.
"Damn!" Laguna tried to move, but his body felt heavy. Zareth's speed was far beyond his reflexes.
Clang!
A small blade blocked the attack.
"Now we're even," Eve said, gasping for breath as she blocked Zareth's dagger.
"Tch!"
Zareth spun around and slammed Eve with a hard kick to the stomach. Eve's body flew and crashed into a storage box by the cage, breaking apart with the spilled food.
Zareth turned his attention back to Laguna. "Your turn."
But before he could move, Laguna had ripped a magical scroll from his belt.
"Tidal Surge!"
Water burst from the paper, rushing over the ground and pushing Zareth back five meters.
Laguna didn't wait. He ripped another scroll.
"Frost!"
The rushing water froze in an instant, creating a thick ice sheet that trapped Zareth's body and legs. Only his hands and head were free.
Zareth chuckled. "Magic scroll, huh? The Ashford outcast who can't use magic seems to be spoiled by wealth."
Zareth shattered the ice around his body with a single blow. Cracks spread like a spider's web, and pieces of ice flew in all directions. Cold smoke billowed from his feet, but the smile never left his face.
"Do you think you can win with such lowly tricks?" He muttered in a low voice.
Eve was back on her feet, one hand holding her injured arm. Her face was dirty, but her eyes were burning with anger. She raised her dagger and glared at Laguna. Laguna gave a small nod.
"Don't give him any room to breathe!" Laguna shouted as he tore another magic scroll. "Come on, Eve!"
Eve rushed to the side, launching an attack from the left. Meanwhile, Laguna moved in from the right, aiming to flank Zareth. Their enemy let out a low growl and vanished without a trace using Phantom Step. Eve was surprised for a moment, but only for a second. Her instincts as a Dark Elf kicked in.
CLANG!
Zareth reappeared, parrying Eve's dagger attack from behind. Eve spun, trying to stab from below, but Zareth leapt back onto the slippery ice. Laguna met it with a slash of her sword, aiming to distract rather than to attack directly.
Zareth parried it with skill, but his foot slipped on the ice covering the floor. The brief moment was enough for Eve to step in again and throw her dagger.
Swish!
Zareth deflected the dagger with one hand. Eve followed him from below, sliding low. She tried to slash at Zareth's ankle, but her attack was blocked. He leapt back, gasping for breath.
Zareth spun around, slashing with both daggers at Laguna, forcing the young man back. His movements were quick, but the slippery terrain made him unsteady.
"We have to use the ice!" Laguna shouted.
Eve nodded, then ran around their enemies, keeping Zareth spinning and losing focus. Every time Zareth tried to attack one, the other would ambush him from behind or from the side.
Zareth growled, "Enough!"
He jumped high into the air, then dropped into the middle, trying to separate them. Eve managed to roll to the side, but she lost her balance. Her foot stepped on a lump of ice—
WHUP!
She slipped!
"Waaa—!"
Her foot slipped without warning and—
BAGH!
Right into Zareth's crotch.
"UUUAAAARRGHHH!!"
Zareth immediately bent over, hugging his crotch as he staggered back a few meters. His face was bright red, and his breathing was heavy.
Eve grimaced, still lying on the ice floor. "... It wasn't on purpose. But... it's quite satisfying."
Laguna wasted no time. He tore a magic scroll. "Flame Thrower!"
A burst of blazing fire shot out from the scroll, hitting Zareth, who was still trying to stand up. He crossed his two daggers in front of his face, holding back the blazing flames.
Laguna tore the second scroll. "NullShock!"
A transparent barrier enveloped Laguna, protecting her from any potential surprise attacks.
"Eve! Get over here!" she shouted.
Eve crawled with urgency to Laguna's side.
"The last one... Thundara!"
The third scroll was torn. A bolt of lightning roared from the night sky and struck Zareth with precise accuracy.
CRAAAK!
Zareth froze in the electric blaze. His daggers were still crossed, but his body was trembling. Water from the melted ice flowed around him, enhancing the shock of the lightning magic.
"Now, Eve! Attack him!"
Zareth heard the voice... but his body did not respond. His nerves were paralyzed by the paralysis effect for a brief period.
Eve, even though her body was still in pain, immediately shot forward. Her dagger stabbed into Zareth's stomach with precision.
"GRHHH—!"
Laguna appeared from behind. He jumped, spun around, and with one powerful movement—
SWIIINGG!
Zareth's head flew off his body, blood spraying into the night air.
His body fell to its knees, then collapsed motionless.
Silence.
Eve fell to the icy floor, her breath coming in short gasps. Laguna sat down too, exhausted.
"Are you okay?" Laguna asked.
Eve gave him a thumbs up. "Next time, I'll throw the scroll. You're the one who slips."
They chuckled, pausing to catch their breath, on the melting floor.
Eve coughed, and blood dripped from the corner of her lips. She tried to get up, but her legs were shaking, and her vision was blurry.
"Julia... Simon... we have to..."
Laguna turned to her and immediately approached her. He held Eve's shoulders so that she didn't push herself.
"Calm down, Eve. They'll be fine," Laguna said, his gaze steady on the stars in the brightening night sky.
In a forest far away, three assassins chased the dust from horse tracks.
"Why did the leader tell us to chase these losers?" grumbled one of them, Assassin 1.
"Maybe the leader doesn't want us to see his tricks," replied Assassin 2, sounding dismissive.
"That's true. Is he really that strong?" asked Assassin 1 again.
"I don't know. 'I've never seen him fight,' said Assassin 2, adjusting his mask. 'But those two are no match for the leader.'"
"Haah... why do we always get the tiring part like this? Chasing horses... But that woman seems to have remarkable beauty. Maybe we can taste her first before killing her..." he said with a lewd laugh, sticking out his tongue like a wild animal.
But when he looked back, he was speechless.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Silence.
From the dark bushes, a voice emerged; its tone was calm and surprising.
"Are you looking for this?"
A blonde man showed up, holding two unconscious assassins as if they were sacks of potatoes.
"Insolent! Who are you?!" The assassin drew his dagger.
The man snapped his fingers.
Icicle Barrage!
Sharp icicles shot up from the ground and hung in the air. They formed a deadly pattern that rained down on the assassin.
"No...!" he shouted, but it was too late. The icicles were too fast and dense. His body was pierced from all directions, and he fell without a sound.
The man stared straight at Veredale Village. "Is the young master all right?"
*******
Flashback - Cave, a few hours ago
Soft footsteps were heard walking down the cave path. Laguna checked his surroundings before stepping out.
"Come out."
No response.
"Come on. I know you're Alfred's student, right?" Laguna said while squinting towards the forest.
Finally, a young man with blonde hair came out from behind the shadow of a tree.
"Hoo... so it's true. The young master has started to grow up. The knife you threw earlier, you aimed at me, right? I thought I was saved by that dark elf," he said with a small smile.
"Axel..." Laguna nodded with a small movement of her head. "Didn't you also feel Eve's presence earlier?"
[Name : Axel]
Race: Human
Skills: Ice Elemental Mastery A, Cryo Barrier B, Ice Magic Creation B, more...
Str: 15
Vit: 20
Agi: 15
Int: 25
Wis: 28
Luk: 7
Axel crossed his arms. "Neither did I. It seems like she has a very thin presence. It would be very dangerous if she sided with the enemy."
Laguna sighed, then looked up at the sky.
"Okay, let's get straight to the point since we don't have much time. I know Father told you to keep an eye on me. But this time I beg you to protect Julia if something happens. Especially if we get separated."
"But, Sir..."
"No ifs and buts. This is an order. And one more thing, don't get too close while watching me. 'I can't sleep well if I know you're hiding behind the bushes,' Laguna said, patting his shoulder."
Axel offered a faint smile. "Okay, Young Master."
Laguna stepped back into the cave. He walked past his friends, who were already asleep. He moved with caution, taking his time.
Axel remained standing behind the tree, staring at Laguna's retreating back.
"Indeed... once a genius, always a genius..." He leaned against the tree trunk, muttering in a low voice as he disappeared into the night mist.